this place Touching the first We see by experience that in this life many unprofitable servants that bury their talents doe for all that enjoy light and withall have great joy and gladnesse and therefore the holy-Ghost tells them that howsoever they escape here yet in the world to come they shall be sure to be cast into darknesse and to weep continually they shall hear that Memento which the rich man received from Abraham Luke the sixteenth chapter Thou in thy life time receivedst pleasure but now pain So shall it be with the unprofitable servants that are not diligent to imploy their talents to their Masters glory Secondly He alludes to the measure of weeping which is found in this place for many unprofitable servants lose their talents in this life and are deprived of the comforts that should cheer them up they weep and indure much sorrow But because our weeping in this life is mixed with many comforts which doe mitigate our grief the Holy Ghost tells us That howsoever they may finde means to delay grief and weeping here yet the greatest weeping is behinde in the world to come where shall be no mitigation of grief Rachel wept and lamented much for her children because they were not but the weeping and lamentation of these men shall be far greater not only because they are destitute of comfort in the midest of these miseries but for that they shall never finde any means to mitigate their anguish and grief Therefore as one giveth counsel Sic legat homo histerias ne fiat historia so sic audite parabolam hanc ne fiat is parabola Pro puero isto supplicabam praestititque mihi Jehovah petitionem meam quam petebam ab eo Quemobrem ego quoque precario datum sisto eum Jehovae omnibus diebus quibus fuerit ipse rogatus precario est Jehovae c. 1 Sam. 1. 27.28 Febr. 2. 1598. THey be the words of Hannah the mother of the Prophet Samuel uttered by her when she offered him unto God being weaned in the Tabernacle but are applyed by Prosper to the Virgin Mary offering up Christ to God his Father in the Temple Luke the second chapter It is certain That not only that Prophecie which Malachi uttered touching the comming of the Lord of Hosts into his Temple in his own person Malachi the third chapter and the first verse must be fulfilled but that also of Daniel That being come he should also be offered up to God signified by that vision which the Prophet had of one like the Sonne of man who was brought to the ancient of dayes that was to God his Father Daniel the seventh chapter and the thirteenth verse Which thing was truly performed on the day of the Virgins Purification For as the day of Christs nativity is a memorial of Christ given to us by God so the Feast of Purification is a memorial of Christ given to God by us Oblations were of two sorts Numbers the twenty eighth chapter and the fourth verse agnus matutinus and agnus vespertinus the representation of Christ in the Temple by his Parents was the morning Lamb and the offering up of himself as a sacrifice in his passion was the evening Lamb. In his oblation he was the author and beginning of our saith in his passion the finisher and accomplishment of our faith Hebrews the twelfth chapter For the application of this Scripture that it may not seem strange but lawfull and warrantable both by Scripture and practise of Christs Church we are to know that it is lawfull and usual to compare things spiritual not only with things natural as with seed Matthew the thirteenth chapter with things artificial as husbandry and building the first epistle to the 〈◊〉 and the third chapter with moral and occonomical as when God is compared to a housholder Matthew the twentieth chapter but things spiritual with spiritual Scripture with Scripture and one story with another to apply that which is spoken of one member of Christs Church Zechariah the fourth chapter and the twelfth 〈◊〉 to another member of the same body 〈◊〉 the eleventh chapter and the fourth verse and not only so but it is usual to apply that to Christ the head which is affirmed of the body as where it is said of the Congregation of the Jews Hosea the eleventh chapter I called my sonne out of Egypt the same is applyed to Christ the head of that body Matthew the second chapter Out of Egypt have I called my sonne because as Christ the head was truly the sonne of God so he makes all the members of his mystical body to be sonnes So that which God spake to a part of the body the second book of Samuel the seventh chapter I will be his Father is by the Apostle applyed to Christ the head of that body Hebrews the first chapter and the fift verse And so is this speech of Hanna in offering her sonne to God applyed by the ancient Church to the oblation of Christ in the Temple as those were of the Prophet Lamentations the first chapter and the twelfth verse to the sacrifice of his passion So this application is warrantable For if Hannah did offer to God Samuel her sonne much more ought the Virgin to offer up Christ in token of thankfulnesse who is a greater than Samuel as he was greater than Salomon Matthew the twelfth chapter This composition is fit and hath congruity both in respect of the mothers their songs being compared together 1 Sam. 2. Luke 1. which in effect are all one and for the persons of the children for they were both Nazarites verse eleven Luke the second chapter He shall be called a Nazarite Secondly Though there have been some that were both Prophet and Priest or King and Prophet yet all three Priest Prophet and Prince did not concurre in any but in Samuel who therefore was a representation of Christ annointed by God Prophet Priest and King Thirdly Samuels love to his enemies for whom he ceased not to pray the first book of Samuel and the twelfth chapter expresseth Christs love who prayed for his persecutors Luke the twenty third chapter father forgive them which love Christ also shewed in that when we were enemies he reconciled us to God Romans the fift chapter In respect of which resemblance Bernard saith Fortior est compositio quam positio In those words we have to consider two donations First Gods giving to Hannah vers the twenty seventh Secondly Hannahs giving back again to God verse the twenty eighth As the first donation begins with prayer and ends with gift so the latter begins gift and ends with prayer And it is agreeable to reason that the child which came by intercession should end with intercession Concerning which donations we are to note joyntly First That we can give nothing to God but we must first receive it from him As Hannah could not offer her child to the Lord unlesse she first had received him
fruit so unlesse a man abide in me he cannot bear fruit but he is sarmentum a dry branch and is cast forth into the fire Whereby we see that all shall not be saved but only they that are gathered into the mysticall body of Christ and as members of his body doe live by his spirit working in them Secondly This incorporation standeth of two points First of generation Secondly of nourishment For there can be no body except it be begotten and the body being begotten dissolves again and turns to nothing unlesse it be nourished Such a thing we are to conceive of our incorporation both parts whereof are expressed by ingraffing and watering For in all things he that will be preserved in any estate must first enter into it and then he must remain in it The Analogie of these two we shall finde to be in the mysticall body of Christ. First he that will be of the body must come in by regeneration Titus the third chapter and the fift verse He must be ingraffed into Christs body Romans the sixt chapter and the fift verse He must put on Christ as the Apostle saith Galatians the third chapter as all they doe that are baptized into Christ Jesus Then being as it were begotten and ingraffed into the body he must be nourished and fed that so he may continue in that estate he must as a new borne babe desire the sincere milk of the word whereby he may grow up the first epistle of Peter the second chapter and the second verse He must be watered the first epistle to the Corinthians the third chapter He must eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood that so he may abide in Christ and Christ in him John the sixt chapter and the fifty sixt verse By these a man is made partaker of the body of Christ by the other of the spirit By baptisme we have our incorporation by drinking the blood of Christ we receive the spirit Thirdly Why doth not the blood of Christ immediatly incorporate us into the Church without the mediation of water in baptism and drinking of Christs blood in the Lords Supper The ancient Fathers hold two reasons hereof First Taken from the love of Christ that ever since Corpus assumit sibi Hebrews the tenth chapter and the fift verse since he took part with the Children of flesh and blood Hebrews the second chapter and the fourteenth verse as he consists of a spirit and a body so he delighteth to work not only by a spirit but by a body also and this is an honor that he imparteth to bodily things Secondly He useth this course to shew his power which appears hereby to be great in that albeit these elements of water and bread and wine be weak and beggerly elements Galatians the fourth chapter and the ninth verse yet by his power he 〈◊〉 them and makes them effectual means to incorporate us into his body and to set us in that estate wherein we may be saved So the one reason is a testimony of Christs humane love the other a token of his divine power Secondly If we demand Why he makes choice of water bread and wine rather than of any other elements It is in regard of the proportion and analogie that they have with the things signified The seed Where with we are begotten is a waterish substance and as the Scripture sheweth water is the seed of the world for the spirit of God moved upon the waters Genesis the first chapter Therefore is water used in the Sacrament of our regeneration and because it is 〈◊〉 it doth nutrire The juice and nourishment that we suck out of the 〈◊〉 digested is that which nourisheth our life and therefore the element of wine is used in the Sacrament of our nutrition that is after we are born a new and washed with water in baptism to signifie our new birth then we must receive bread and wine in the Lords Supper to confirm our saith in the body and blood of Christ whereby we are sealed unto eternall life There is another reason why God worketh our incorporation by the means of these elements and that is that as out of darknesse he commanded light to shine the second epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter so he might work our salvation by that which was our destruction Therefore because the destruction of the world was by water wherein as Peter saith All the world perished except a few even eight persons So it is his pleasure by the water of baptism as an outward means to save us the first epistle of Peter the 3. chapter That as by water was the deluge of the world so by it might be the deluge of sin It was the eating of the forbidden meat that destroyed the world therefore he hath thought it good by eating to save men that as then it was said If ye eat ye dye Genesis the second chapter so now it is said except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man ye have no life in you John the sixt chapter and the fifty third verse Now the mediation of these elements are no lesse necessary to preserve and keep us as lively members of the mysticall body of Christ than bread and wine are to maintain natural life The People whom Saul commanded to 〈◊〉 no bread were so 〈◊〉 with fasting that their soul was ready to goe out of them the first book of Samuel the nineteenth chapter Therefore when David and his men were hungry and 〈◊〉 and thirsty in the wildernesse Barzillai and others came and brough provision the second book of Samuel the seventeenth chapter and the twenty ninth verse When Abraham returned from the 〈◊〉 of five kings Melchisedeck met him with bread and wine Genesis the fourteenth chapter So it is with the faithfull unlesse this spiritual life be susteined with these outward helps Therefore the Apostle faith We are all made to drink of the same spirit Our of which words for matter of Doctrine where Christ saith Drink ye all of it the Adversary saith that it was spoken to the 〈◊〉 and therefore it is lawfull for none but Priests to receive the Cup in the Supper But Paul speaketh more generally Nos omnes potati sumus not only the Clergy but Lay men And that both parts of the Sacrament was administred to all sorts appears by D. Aropagita and as the Apostle faith We are all partakers of one bread the first epistle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter and the seventeenth verse he doth not excluse the other part So here by drinking he understands both parts of the Sacrament Secondly We see there is a necessity of eating in as much as God appoints that the means where by he will communicate his spirit Acts the fift chapter He gives the spirit to none but such as obey him Therefore we must obey him when he commands us to use this means especially seeing he commands them with a nisi John the third chapter
the 14. of the 11. Thy pompe and pleasure is brought down to the grave the worms shall cover thee then with Job 17. 14. 〈◊〉 maist say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Mother and Sister and as it is in the 26. of Isaiah and the 19. the dust must be our dwelling joy not then in the joyes of this world which are but dust and corruptible they are as Austin saith gaudia privanda but sorrow for gaudia aeterna privanda sorrow lest 〈◊〉 be deprived of eternall joyes 3. Our life unconstant or death uncertain The third use for instruction is out of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 The state of our life is alwaies in motion and in revolving like a Ship a sailing Job in his 14. chapter and 14. verse called the resurrection after death a changing it is like a shadow it is still turning and returning Paul saith in the thirteenth to the Hebrews the fourteenth verse Wee have here no continuing City but wee looke hereafter for one our life is unconstant our death uncertain alwaies changing this the inconstancie of mans life is the motive to good as the other is the retentive from evill Paul saith hee dieth daily from sin here on the earth wee must not seeke for the hill of certain repose but look in heaven for a perpetuall City The Tents and Tabernacle are taken away therefore with Abraham Wee must looke for a City having a foundation whose builder and maker is God the eleventh of the Hebrews and the tenth verse 4. A time to return The fourth use is out of donec revertêris untill thou returne a time of returning where wee must learne to returne by repentance unto God before wee returne to dust that so wee may returne againe from dust 〈◊〉 God let men bee alwaies ready spend not thy daies with the wicked that goe suddenly down to the grave the twenty first of Job and the thirteenth the fourty fifth of I saiah and the eighth And as they live so they die like beasts the third of the Preacher and the ninteenth 5. We must return to God The fifth and last is that we must return to God For shall the dust give thanks unto thee the thirtieth I salme and the ninth verse The godly shall be delivered out of temptation though the unjust be reserved to judgement the second of Peter the second and the ninth We must return to God per poenitentiam Let it not be thought incredible that God should raise again the dead the twenty sixth of the Acts and the eighth the first of Jea and the eighth So a man shall return to God very well by due consideration of these things from the first pulvis es thou art dust to return to God by humility by the second not to joy in this world but in God by the third to rest our turning and returning in God and by the fourth to comfort our selves that out of the grave we shall rise to live with God Abraham addeth ashes to dust But what made Abraham to add ashes to dust the eighteenth of this Book and the twenty seventh he saith I am O Lord but dust and ashes The Fathers upon this place say that dust is our beginning and if we doe not obey God by fire we shall be turned into ashes ashes will be our ending We are all naturally dust and we are all by desert also but ashes and although by no means you cannot avoid to be dust yet by an upright life you may avoid to be ashes though we cannot but incurre the first death let not the second death take hold of us Though the grave inclose us let not hell swallow us All we eat all that we care for in this world is but for dust and for that will turn to dust If we be nothing but dust if we hope for nothing but dust if we care for nothing but dust we shall be swallowed up in dust Let us remember we are clay but God is the Potter Isaiah 64. 8. Above all regard thy soul. Above all regard thy soul then shall thy body of dust return to dust and from dust shall return again to God that made it and thee thou and thy body shall return to glory Vocavit autem Adam nomen uxoris suae Chavvam eò quòd ipsa mater sit omnium hominum viventium Gen 3. 20. December 10. 1598. ADam here calleth his Wife by a new name not by the former name in the 23. of the former which was Woman The mysterie of this name compared with the former Sentence is great she is called here Hevah she hath no name of dejection and despair but of life and of comfort Hereby is to be gathered that notwistanding the sinne committed and sentence pronounced yet there was in Adam some matter of hope for he beleeved the promise made in the 15. verse before that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head This was as it is in the 〈◊〉 to the Corinthians 2. 16. The savour of life unto life Abraham beleeved in Gods promise the 15. of this book the 6. by this Scripture Adam left a Monument of his beliefe as in the other Abraham left a Monument of his faith The seed of Abram in his age was promised to be in the 5. verse of that chapter as the starres of heaven Abraham desired to see the day of Christ and he saw it by faith Herein we will consider these two things first the imposition of a name and then of this name For the first the imposing of names is an argument of superiority and power in the 19. of the former chapter it is shewed in the naming of all the Creatures by man which names were properly given by him In the thirty fifth chapter and the eighteenth verse Jacobs Wife before her death called her sonnes name Ben-oni but his Father changed that name and called him Benjamin from the sonne of sorrow to the sonne of 〈◊〉 Jacob was after called Israel the tenth of the same chapter the name of Sarai was turned to Sarah the seventeenth of Genesis and the fifteenth verse as of Jacob by the Angell into Israel the two and thirtith chapter and the twenty eighth verse and out of these new names is taken matter of great mystery And Adam before called her Ishah woman as another from man but here hee changeth that to Hevah which is a name of life to others Now then touching the imposition of this name wherein wee will consider the signification of this name and then the qualitie thereof In the seventh of the former chapter God 〈◊〉 into man the breath of life and man was a living soule and here her name is a name of life now life is two fold either for a time or for ever shee is a mother of life in regard of this life for that her birth is not of an abortive it is a blessednesse production and education are in
regard of this life that of the twenty ninth chapter and one and twentith verse is that of this life my terme is ended Zathaca this name belongeth to all females in respect of this life for all bring forth life though to die It only this life were here regarded the ancient Fathers that came from her though they lived long yet they died and have long layn dead and in regard of the length of their death shee might have beene called the mother of the dead therefore this name is understood of the other life which is eternall for after death they had hope of another life David in the twenty seventh Psalme and the thirteenth verse Should have sainted but that hee beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living And in the hundred forty second Psalme and the fifth verse hee had his portion and hope in the land of the living God is the God not of the dead but of the living the two and twentith of Mathew and the thirty second verse Now where there is a Commandement or Promise of life there is meant eternall life Hee that doeth the Commandements shall live not a mortall but an immortall life the Covenant of life to the Priests and People in the Leviticall law is that life That was it that made Job in his ninteenth chapter and twenty fifth verse to assure himselfe that his Redeemer lived and so should hee but most plainly speaketh Christ himselfe the eleventh of John and the twenty fifth verse of himselfe that hee is life and hee that beleeveth in him though hee mere dead yet shall hee live and in the very nature of the word it selfe is a double being the one temporall the other permanent which is expressed in the originall by difference of one letter Hagab and Havah all have the common life but there are those that are strangers from the life of God the fourth of the Ephesians and the eighteenth verse and there are those to whom God is life and length of dayes the thirtith of Deuteronomie and the twentith verse so that not by consequence but by the very essence of this name is meant life eternall God hath his booke where hee writeth the living the thirty second chapter of Exodus and the thirty second verse there is a booke of life the sixty ninth Psalme and the twenty ninth verse God promiseth to give to him that overcommeth to eate of the Tree of Life the second of the Revelations and the seventh verse and the ancient Fathers upon that place non dedit corollam sed coronam vitae he gave a crown of life which is life for ever There is a mysterie also in the qualitie of the name which is comprehended in the word it selfe which is a bringing of good news and glad tidings as are cold waters to comfort the thirstie so is good news from a farre Country the twenty fifth chapter of the Proverbs and the twenty fifth verse When Jacob heard that Joseph his sonne was yet alive in a farre and strange Countrey and that they had brought him Chariots these tydings revived Jacob that was in age the fourty fifth chapter and the twenty seventh verse this name of life is even as a name of joyfull tydings If in matters of this life it bee so then much more in things spirituall after wee have sinned and deserved punishment then absolution and remission is a joying of a mans heart and there is joy in this name that word is life vita est ex verbo man at the first was made a living soule the seventh of the former chapter In the sixth of Saint Johns Gospell the sixty third verse The words Christ spake are spirit and life and againe in the sixty eighth verse of the same chapter Peter saith to him thou hast the words of eternall life It is observed by the Greeke Fathers that the seventy Interpreters did put downe Hevah under the same letter Evangelium which is good tydings this word is the abstract of the eternall word In the first to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the forty fifth verse the first man Adam was a living soule the last Adam was a quickning Spirit a living Soule is in it selfe a quickning Spirit is unto others in the word was life the first of Saint Johns Gospell and the fourth verse and in the first Epistle of Saint John the first chapter and the first verse Christ was the word of life and life it selfe verbum vitae vita hence wee receive Grace here and hereafter And herein is the manifestation of the Trinitie given in this very name of Evah The mysterie of salvation was known to Adam before hee gave the name God hath given to his sonne power over all flesh that hee should give eternall life to all them that beleeve in him the seventeenth of Saint John and the first verse The Promise of Christ was in this that the seede of the woman should breake the Serpents head not the seede of man but of woman therefore hee still keepeth his owne name but changeth her name from 〈◊〉 to Evah saying with himselfe I am Adam still from mee is nothing but earth but from the Promise made by God to the woman hee giveth her the name of Hevah and from Hevah hee giveth life to the end of the world for the Fathers gather out of the first of the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the one and twentith verse That by Adam came death hee is pater morientium but by the Promise of Christ in this name shee is mater viventium the mother of the living for by Christ wee live and hee is therefurrection of the dead the ancient writers observe that Adam was 〈◊〉 in pulverem reversurus hee was dust and to dust hee should returne that is of his owne nature but by Hevah is promise of Grace and though wee as by nature die with Adam yet God will raise 〈◊〉 up by Jesus Christ the second to the Corinthians the fourth chapter and the thirteenth verse It is hee that rayseth the needy out of the dust according to the hundred and thirteenth Psalme and the seventh verse this is it that made Paule the second to the Galathians and the twentith verse to say That I live yet not I but Christ that liveth in mee and in that I now live in the flesh vivo in fide fiilii viri the just liveth by faith and shall live the life of Grace shee is here then called the mother of that life set this verse aside wee have no memorie that the promise before made was of eternall life hence then is a fountaine of life which was by transgression the originall of death for shee transgressed and thereby came death but God brings light out of darknesse and life out of death But what is faith without 〈◊〉 even nothing for faith worketh by charitie the fist to the Galathians and the sixth verse then as from hence
as thou usest to doe unto those that love thy name And to imitate We must imitate them that by faith have pleased God we must have both the faith and offerings of Abel and Abraham and unto these we must add that our offerings come not from us agre in fine dierum but that they be primitiae they may not be the leanest of our sheep but the fattest The offerings of Wordlings but if we examine the faith and offerings of the world we shall finde the greatest part goe the way of Cain they offer in sine dierum and without any choice the vilest things they have and many are worse than Cain for whereas he offered many desire such a Religion wherein they may come before God with empty hands they would offer a sacrifice that cost them nothing the second of Samuel the twenty fourth chapter and the twenty fourth verse the first to the Corinthians the ninth chapter and there is another degree of men that content themselves with pirituall scrifices some will be content to add vitulos labiorum that is not only conceive som good meditations for a time but hear a Sermon praise God with a Psalm but as for a real oblation they bring none But this was not Abels faith his was an offering faith if we will be saved as he was we must bring his faith to God and shew the effects of it Fides and obtulit must not be severed for that is abomination Examination of offerings If our offerings be in fine dierum if they be the meanest things we have then they are 〈◊〉 sera rejectionis oblationes We must consider and ballance that which we offer to God with that which we offer to our bellie whom wee make our God as it is in the third chapter to the Philippians and that we offer to our backs in the first Epistle to Timothie the second chapter and the ninth verse in costly apparell If therefore we have been slack and unwilling to offer to God Note we must henceforth offer more franckly and pray that God would continue this purpose in our hearts to offer to him in the first book of Chronicles the twenty ninth chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse because this is a savour and smelleth well and is acceptable to God Philippians the fourth chapter and the seventeenth verse If we will have the true faith it must be that faith that doth worke by love in the fift chapter to the Galatians and the sixt verse that it be like Abrahams faith which did cooperare operibus in the second of James and the twenty second verse and such a faith as hath joyned to it love and all other virtues in the second of Peter the first chapter and the second and third verses For where there is great faith there will be great sacrifices and oblations in the eighth chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians Qnapropter accensa est ira Kajini valde cecidit vultus ejus Gen 4 5. May 6. 1599. IN which words as we see the originall taint and corruption that came into our nature by the disobedience of man breaketh forth for here originall sinne sheweth it self first in Cain in whom we see that verified which the Apostle affirmeth of all men that there is a spirit in us that lusteth after envy in the fourth chapter of James and the fift verse For here the envy of Cain is manifest in that he is angry because God did approve Abel's sacrifice and respected not his This envic and malice of his proceeded from the Devill who is called the envious man Matthew the thirteenth chapter and the nineteenth verse for that he soweth envy and all other vices in the hearts of men There went another sinne before envy For where Abels sacrifice was done in faith and therefore respected we have shewed that Cain offered only to please men and consequently whatsoever he did was hypocrisie which albeit it goe before his envy yet it is only in the heart But the first sinne that shewed it self outwardly was his malice and envy against his brother where we are to note the proceeding of sinne Envy beginneth with Hypocrisie First He began with hypocrisie within Hatred followeth and then follows hatred and envy without Breach of faith to God causeth breach of charity to men for if shipwrack be made of faith towards God charity towards men will not long be unbroken If the end of the promise which is faith in the blessed seed of the Woman be not regarded the end of the commandement which is love in the first epistle to Timothie the first chapter and the fift verse will little be respected For as Saint John saith This command we have from him That he which loveth God should love his brother also But he which loveth not his brother which he seeth how shall he love God which he hath not seen the first epistle of John and the fouth chapter In the words themselves there are two things expressed First a heavinesse or anger conceived Secondly the abating of his countenance that is Cains sinne in an inward imposthume and an outward jaundise But in the first we are to marke It is not said he was displeased or angrie but wrath and exceeding wrath the inward infection was come to a suppuration It was not envy only but also hatred which made him proceed to the murthering of his brother the first epistle of John the third chapter Note The heart heavie it is distempered If we inquire why he was heavy We shall finde that to be for that his heart was distempered either against God or his brother either against him that did respect or against him that was respected Heavinesse the first fruit of sinne The first passion or affection of our nature mentioned in Scripture as we see is heavinesse which is the first fruit of sinne and of it self is neither to be condemned nor commended for ex peccam 〈◊〉 tristitia And as the worm cats out the timber wherein it was bred so sadnesse being bred of sinne is the bane of sinne for there are two sorrows in the second epistle to the Corinthians and the second chapter Tristitia secundum Deum tristitia secundum seculum The Godly sorrow is commendable for it brings forth repentance but the worldly sorrow causeth nothing but death and eternall destruction If Cain was sorry because he offered not his sacrifice in faith as Abel did he is not to be blamed but his sorrow was a worldly sorrow and therefore to be condemned As the King said to Nehemlah Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick this is nothing but sorrow of heart Nehemiah the second chapter and the second verse So where we see Cain heavy and his countenance cast down we may gather that he is disquieted and sorrowfull for 〈◊〉 and charity whose property is to think the best the first epistle to
him for the same should have provoked Cain to a godly emulation debuit fratrem mutatus imitari non amulari I have observed that nothing is done but upon emulation saith the Preacher Ecclesiastes the fourth chapter If that be taken away all desire of virtue will die That which we are to apply from hence to our use is that If Gods doings which are just be subject to the unjust construction of men as it falls out in Cain We ought not to marvel if our doing be hardly censured which many times are wrong notwithstanding howsoever we may rightly be reproved oftentimes for our doing yet God is alwayes to be acknowledged righteous when he is judged Psalm the fifth for he is righteous in all his wayes Psalm the one hundred and fourty fifth and no iniquity in him Psalm the ninty second Tum dixit Jehova Kajino Quare accensa est ira tua quare cecidit vultus tuus Nonne si benè egeris remissio si verò non benè egeris prae foribus est peccatum excubans Gen. 4 6 7. June 10. 1599 WHICH words of God do let us see Cain's sorrow of malice and envy that the sorrow of Cain was not the sorrow of repentance but of malice and envy and therefore he findeth fault with it saying Why art thou wrath and why is thy countenance cast down God knew no just cause of his sorrow and therefore it was not a good and godly sorrow but malicious and full of envy Gods first sermon the ground of all others These words contain a sermon of God and the first that was preached after man was sent out of Paradise and it is the seed-plot of all other sermons that is in the Prophets and Apostles To bring sinners to repentance In which generally we are taught as much as the Prophet after affirmeth of Gods goodness That he delighteth not in the death of sinners Ezekiel the thirty eighth chapter That he will not have any to perish but come to repentance in the second of Peter the third chapter and the ninth verse And hereof we have a plain example in Cain who is the first of all the reprobates which not withstanding God laboureth to bring to repentance Again here we see the blessednesse of mans state for albeit the Angels be of all creatures most excellent yet in these two respects mans estate is more blessed than the Angells For the sinne of Angells is incurable as Jude sheweth Jude the sixth The Angels that kept not their first estate but lost their own habitation are reserved by God in everlasting chains to judgment Whereas the sin of man may be cured Secondly in that God when he was to redeem the world would not assume the nature of Angels but tooke the nature of man in the second chapter to the Hebrews and the sixteenth verse For there is cure and physick for mans sinne as the prophet speaketh Let there be an healing of thine error in the fourth of Daniel and the twenty fourth verse Therefore the people acknowledged that albeit they have trespassed against God in taking strange wayes yet there is hope in Israel concerning this in the tenth chapter of the first book of Esdras And if yee repent iniquitas vestra non erit in scandalum Ezekiel the eighteenth chapter and the twenty second verse Meanes to cure the sin of man There is means to cure the sin of man Thirdly therefore seeing sin is not incurable we may not neglect sinners but must labour to restore them as God dealeth here with Cain And this is the duty 〈◊〉 both the Prophets and Apostles doe stirre us up We desire you to admonish them that are unruly in the first to the Thessalonians the fift chapter and the fourteenth verse And he that converteth a sinner from his way shall save a soul James the fift chapter and the twentieth verse Gods word Physick for the soul. Further we learn that this cure is wrought of God by means of his word for that is the physick of the soul and the balm of Gillead Jeremie the eighth chapter and the twenty second verse And not only by the rod but also by discipline as appeareth verse the eleventh Fiftly As the diseases of the soul are double so is the spirituall medicine of Gods word double 1. of comfort When Adam and Eve were cast down with sorrow for their sinne then God cured them with the word of comfort telling them of the blessed seed in the third chapter of Genesis amd the fifteenth verse 2. of reproofe But here he meeteth with one of another disease and ministreth to him the word of reproofe rebuke and threatnings In respect of the one the word it self is compared to honey Psalm the nineteenth and the tenth verse and in respect of the other the Ministers of the word are called the salt of the earth in the fift chapter of Matthew and the 〈◊〉 verse The one is the word of mercy the other the word of judgment The one is set out by the oyle poured in the wounds of the sick man whose nature is to supple the other is signified by wine which hath a peircing power Luke the tenth chapter Therefore out of Christ's side came out only blood but water also John the nineteenth chapter and the thirty fourth verse There is a cure both by compunction of heart through sorrow in the eleventh chapter to the Romans and by unction that is by the Holy Ghost which anoynteth us with the oyle of gladnesse Therefore we must marke what disease the soul hath for it is as unkindly to heal wounds with sweet words as it is in the sixth chapter of Jeremiah as to apply oyle to those parts that require 〈◊〉 The parts of the sermon are four And by ancient Writers are reduced to these four uses of holy Scripture which the Apostle noteth in the second to Timothie the third chapter and the sixteenth verse To reproofe belongeth Why art thou angry and why is thy countenance cast down To doctrine If thou doe well sbalt not thou be accepted To correction If thou doe not well doth not sinne ly at the dore Lastly for instruction he telleth Cain that albeit the desire of sinne doe assault us yet it shall not have dominion over us Or as other interpret this place it containeth 〈◊〉 motives and arguments why sin should be hatefull to us First because sin is a 〈◊〉 thing and such as no reason can be given for Secondly it will deprive us of our reward Thirdly not only so but we shall be cast down into hell to be partakers of the wrath of God for ever Fourthly albeit the Devill doe labour to make us commit sinne yet the seed of the Woman shall give us grace and strength to resist sinne and the desire thereof In the first part are two questions Question of the minde One of the minde Why art thou angry Quest. of the
crieth for vengeance for as the Prophet saith Our strength is in silence and quietness Isaiah the thirtieth chapter Though we possess our souls in patience as Christ willeth Luke the twenty first chapter yet God will say mihi vindicta Deuteronomie the thirty second chapter and as I am Judge of the world so I will be revenged of them that doe wrong Therefore the Apostle willeth not to seek revenge because God challengeth that as a thing proper to himself Romans the twelfth chapter Hebrews the tenth chapter taceat os loquitur sanguis which is a point necessary to be urged and teacheth us that we need not to be Gods remembrancers in this point for the revenge of injury Our teares and sighs crie for vengeance for as he heareth the voice of blood so the voice of our weeping and teares Psalm the fifty sixt and the eighth verse he heareth the sighes and griefs of the heart Psalm the thirty eighth and the ninth verse and the inward desire of the heart though it be not uttered Exodus the fourteenth chapter and the fifteenth verse as in Moses Note Therefore Job saith terra ne operiat meum sanguinem neque clamores meos intercipiat Job the tenth chapter and if he keep a vessel to put our teares in much more may we perswade our selves that our blood is pretious in his sight Psalm the one hundred and sixteenth and the fifteenth verse which point ministreth great comfort to them that suffer wrong Secondly Hence we learn what is the nature of sinne before the Holy Ghost called it 〈◊〉 cubans that is sinne fast asleep but here is peccatum clamans not only sinne awake but crying out and warning for sinne 〈◊〉 gently at the first but after it will pull a man by the throat Even as the Devill is tentator Matthew the fourth chapter he tempteth men to sinne by all the pleasant means he can and when he hath prevailed with them then he is accusator fratrum Apoc. the twelfth chapter Sinne is like the wife of Potiphar which tempted Joseph by all fair means to folly and as if he had been guilty did first accuse him Genesis the thirty ninth chapter And as one answered Joab when he would have had him smite Absalom If I had done it it would have been the danger of my life yea thou thy self which 〈◊〉 me to doe it wouldest have been the first that should accuse me in the second book of Samuel the eighteenth chapter and the thirteenth verse so sinne hath no sooner with its deceitfulnesse allured a man to doe evill but it will straight way call to God for vengeance against him Which thing ought to make it odious in the eyes of all men Though Abel complain not Cain 〈◊〉 not and Adam accuse not yet we cannot so escape for our own sinne is as a Serjeant that will finde us out Numbers the thirty second chapter and the twenty third verse and when it hath found us as a Goalor it will hold and binde us with cords Proverbs the fifth chapter and the twenty second verse And as the Prophet speaketh in the second chapter of Habakkuk and the eleventh verse The stone out of the wall and the beam out of the timber shall cry to God for vengeance upon 〈◊〉 though the poor whose faces they have ground say nothing Esay the third chapter and the fifteenth verse Touching which pursuit of sinne the Wise-man saith in the tenth chapter of Ecclesiastes Curse not the King no not in thy thought neither curse the rich in thy bed-chamber for the fowls of heaven shall disclose it Yea a mans own spirit will make him to confesse his own sinne and if all means fail yet the stones in the street will cry for vengeance And we see that there is vox non solùm oris sed operis as the Prophet speaketh of Gods works that the very heavens have a voyce wherewith they doe enarrare gloriam Dei Psalm the ninteenth And therefore the Heathen say Res ipsa loquitur Which as it ministreth fear to Cain and to the wicked so comfort to the Godly For if as we see in Cain sinne have a voyce to plead before God against a man Good works crie to God then no doubt but the good works that a man doth will speak to God for him and are remembrancers to put God in minde to be gracious unto him As God heareth rears and putteth them in a bottle as he heareth sighes and inward desires of the heart which speak to him the Almes that Cornelius gave had a voyce to plead unto God for him so that of a heathen he was made a Christian Acts the tenth chapter For as the concupiscence of evill is sinne so the very desire of good is a virtue that pleaseth God And if the taking away of a mans life doe pull down the vengeance of God then the saving of a mans life or of his soul will be a forcible means to procure Gods favour To conclude The last point to be observed from hence is That if the blood of Abel had a voyce to speak unto God then the blood of Christ Jesus must needs have a more powerfull voyce because it speaketh better things than the blood of Abel Hebrews the twelfth chapter and the twenty fourth verse for the blood of Abel cryed for Justice but Christ's blood cryeth for Mercy If when we doe evill it will plead to God for vengeance then if wee doe any good work much more shall it speak to God for us And God as he is inclined to mercy rather than to vengeance will rather hear the voyce of our good works than of evill because our good works speak better things than our wicked actions Nunc itaque tu maledictus esto exsul ab ista terra quae aperuit os suum ad excipiendum sanguinem fratris tui è manu tua Quum humum ipsam colueris ne pergito edere vim suam tibi vagus infestus agitationibus esto in terra Gen. 4. 11.12 Aug. 26. 1599. IN these two verses is contained the sentence pronounced by God against Cain for God having performed that which the Holy Ghost telleth us in the thirty third chapter of Job and the twenty ninth verse that God will deal twice or thrice with a man that he may turn back his soul from the pit First in his examination Where is thy Brother Abel Secondly in his second question What hast thou done Thirdly in laying open before Cain his sinne Behold the voyce of thy Brothers blood cryeth to me Having spared him for three 〈◊〉 he will no longer bear with him but proceedeth to sentence against him for the fourth in the first of Amos and the third verse shewing that as he gave sentence against Adam confessing to assure us that we may proceed likewise upon confession so we may doe in case of conviction And that it is a good ground to pronounce sentence not only
his Sentence and therefore as Christ saith Luke the thirteenth chapter Except 〈◊〉 repent ye shall all likewise 〈◊〉 so all threathings in the Scripture goe with this condition The soul that sinneth it shall die except it repent Ezekiel the eighteenth chapter and he that calls his brother fool is in danger of hell fire except he 〈◊〉 Matthew the fifth chapter and the twenty second verse So that the justice of God is no hndrance but that the most grievous sinner that is may obtain forgiveness if he repent and because Cain repented not therefore he is excluded from the remission of sinnes The point that remains is That we consider 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second to the Corinthians the second chapter the devises and fetches which the enemie of our Salvation useth to work our destruction for when sinne is to be committed he brings them to presumption and albeit God hath threatned plagues for such and such sinnes yet he perswades a man as Peter did Christ in the sixteenth chapter of Matthew Non fiet haec tibi that is before sinne is committed but when finne is finished and the Devill hath that he would have then he laboureth to bring men into desperation saying it must needs be and they cannot avoid the wrath and judgements of God In the reading of the old Testament he layeth a vail over the hearts of men as it was with the Jews that by the Law they might not see the grievousnesse of sinne and so avoid the danger of it in the second epistle to the Corinthians and the third chapter but when he hath entised men to commit sinne then he blindeth their eyes that the light of the Gospell whereby they are assured of the forgivenesse of sinnes and of the mercy of God in Christ should not shine into their hearts in the second to the Corinthians the fourth chapter he will neither let them see the grievousnesse of sinne before they commit it nor behold the mercy of God after it is committed Which mercy of God is so generally offered to all sorts that even murtherers lyars albeit they be grievous sinners cannot despair of mercy for we see both David and Peter obtained pardon and none are debarred but only they that say Quid nobis tecum Jesu Nazarene in the first chapter of Mark and the twenty fourth verse That which excluded the Devill himself from mercy was this desperate fear for as Augustine saith Obstinatione suâ non enormitate sceleris Daemon est Daemon Even so Cain the Child of the Devill seemeth to say thus much in this his confession I desire no pardon at thy hands O God because I see the greatness of my offence is greater than thy mercy For Cain we see what befell him because as the Prophet speaketh Noluit intelligere ut bene ageret Psalm the thirty sixt because he had no care to doe as God would have him therefore God gave him up to the lusts of his own heart and as the Apostle speaketh in the second to the Thessalonians the second chapter and the tenth verse because when God spake to him he believed not the truth that he might be saved God sent him strange delusions that he should believe the Devils lyes who preached to him and perswaded him after he had sinned that his sinne was greater than Gods mercy for if Pharaoh first harden his own heart Exodus the eighth chapter and the thirty second verse it is just that God harden his heart so as he shall not hearken to his ministers Exodus the ninth chapter and the twelfth verse But because the Prophet complaineth that while he would have healed Israel then the iniquitie of Ephraim was discovered and the wickednesse of Samaria Hosea the seventh chapter Therefore we must be heedfull that while we seek to cure desperation we make not a way to presumption for that is the great sinne against which the Prophet prayeth in the ninteenth Psalme Keep thy servant from presumptuous sinnes so shall I be clear from the great sinne This was the sinne of Cain and we must beware that we walk not in his way as Jude counselleth Quia è nimiâ spe presumptio is the high way to desperation therefore when we know Gods will as Cain did we must seek no faither nor follow our own wisdom It was Sauls sinne he would be wiser than either Samuel or the Lord himself for being commanded to destroy the Amalekites with all they had Saul as if God knew not what he did takes upon him to spare the best things in the first book of Samuel the fifteenth chapter this was his presumption We must beware saith Moses in the twenty ninth chapter of Deuteronomie and the ninteenth verse That when we hear the words of the curses and the punishments which God threatneth against the transgressors of his Law That wee doe not blesse our selves in our hearts saying I shall have peace though I walk after the stubbornness of mine own heart thus adding 〈◊〉 to thirst It we will not despaire we must fear for so did Job and therefore he saith Timor meus spes mea in the fourth chapter of Job and thesixth verse The fear he had and felt when he was about to sinne wrought in him an assured hope and assurance of Gods favour and that fear made him say Etiamsi 〈◊〉 sperabo in eum Job the thirteenth chapter That fear is a means of hope the Apostle S. Peter sheweth for having said that he would have all men to hope perfectly in the first of Peter the first chapter and the thirteenth verse he expresseth the means how they shall attainto this perfect hope that is by passing their conversation in fear verse the seventeenth This course did not Cain take but contrariwise when he heard God tell him that if he did evill sinne lay at the dore he for all that blesseth himself in his heart and said I shall doe well enough though I walk after the stubbornnesse of mine own heart and kill Abel my Brother contrary to Gods commandements En expellis me hodie à superficie istius terrae ut à facie tua abscondam me cumque vagus sim infestus agitationibus in terra si ullus fuerit qui me inveniat interficiet me Gen. 4. 14. Septemb. 9. 1599. CAINS speech to God as we see stands upon two parts one touching his sinne in the thirteenth verse the other concerning his punishment in this verse which also contains two parts First a meer repetition of the sentence given upon him in the eleventh verse Secondly an addition which Cain himself makes That now whosoever should finde him should kill him which is his chief complaint For the first part When sentence is passed upon any person God requireth two things First Agnitionem culpae whereunto two things belong That 〈◊〉 Promissio poenitentiae as Ezekiah promiseth That he will walk all the dayes of his life in the bitternesse of
〈◊〉 and we shall see that 〈◊〉 man 〈…〉 himself to this present World can have more 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Secondly For Gods hand and 〈◊〉 in 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Children this ground is to be laid that these 〈…〉 are from God for Jubals invention 〈…〉 from God 〈…〉 butter of Kine and 〈◊〉 of Sheep with 〈◊〉 of Lamb 〈…〉 in Basham He gives the grain of wheat and 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 the thirty second chapter and the four 〈◊〉 and for making of 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 It is God that 〈◊〉 songs in the night Job the thirty fist chapter and the 〈…〉 For Tubal-Cains invention of 〈◊〉 of warr It is the Lord that teachet hour hands to 〈◊〉 and our 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and the fourth 〈◊〉 These inventions are all 〈◊〉 God whereby we see it is not with God as 〈◊〉 said to Isaas his Father Genesis the twenty seventh chapter Hast thou but one 〈◊〉 God hath for the Sonnes of men 〈◊〉 only heavenly blessings that 〈◊〉 the life to come but even such as pertain to the 〈…〉 In his lest hand he hath riches and worldly honour but in his 〈◊〉 hand 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 life Proverbs the third 〈…〉 the fix teenth 〈◊〉 he hath not only donum 〈◊〉 but 〈…〉 James the first 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 verse 〈◊〉 in temporall things as well as spirituall to 〈◊〉 upon 〈…〉 we fed God saith Exodus the thirty first chapter 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 and Aholiab so as they were able 〈◊〉 work in the 〈◊〉 so all mechanicall arts are to be ascribed to 〈…〉 that was for 〈◊〉 Tabernacle So Hir 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 with the 〈◊〉 to work in 〈◊〉 for the Temple in the second book of Chronicles the 〈◊〉 chapter and the fourteenth verse These 〈◊〉 came from the 〈◊〉 of counsell and understanding The second thing to be observed is Gods 〈…〉 herein that he 〈◊〉 to the wicked good 〈◊〉 pertaining to this life as Christ 〈◊〉 He suffers 〈…〉 to shine 〈◊〉 the godly and 〈◊〉 Matthew the fist chapter so he bestowes temporall 〈◊〉 upon the posterity of Cain as well as upon the Children of 〈◊〉 and this they obtain of God gratiae gratis datae but not 〈…〉 Secondly His mercy appeares herein that he 〈◊〉 gives 〈◊〉 a supply of those blessings which their sinnes 〈◊〉 them of Thirdly His 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 order that the world 〈◊〉 be furnished with things necessary for this present 〈◊〉 By 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 world Psalm the seventeenth And that they which have 〈◊〉 themselves to the things of this world should have 〈◊〉 excellency in things 〈…〉 the same above the Godly as the 〈◊〉 est of worldly men in this 〈◊〉 so their 〈◊〉 stands in earthly things and the godly 〈…〉 in respect of 〈◊〉 For the 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 are 〈◊〉 in their 〈…〉 the Children of light Luke the tenth chapter but come to things that pertain to the other life there they that seem to be most childish in things of this life goe far beyond the Philosophers of whom the Apostle saith in the first to the Corinthians the second chapter The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God But he hath hid them from the wise and prudent of this world and revealed them to babes Matthew the eleventh chapter and the twenty fift verse Fourthly We are to consider the equity of Gods dealing in recording these things in his own book which is the Library of the Holy Ghost These things are enrolled by an honourable name that is the name of a Father shewing plainly that they which bring forth actions that are profitable no less are to be counted Fathers than they that bring forth Children and that they ought accordingly to be honoured and reverenced as Fathers The ancient Fathers make a question Whether these men were the inventors of these things first It is certain that Cain being an husbandman had use of iron workes as the Coulter and Share and albeit he did invent iron tools fit for his purpose yet that which is ascribed to Tubal-Cain was excultio expolitio that is the perfecting of that work which Cain had begun Abel was a shepheard and could not but have use of tents but yet the perfecting of that cunning in that kinde is 〈◊〉 to Jubal Mahalallel was one that used to praise God as his name signifieth which he could not doe without some kinde of musick and therefore in as much as he was farre ancienter than Lamech it follows there was musick before Jubal invented Instruments and Organs This distinction therefore must be held in this point which the School men make that the one is quoad modum simplicis the other quoad modum singularis And therefore in as much as Jabal-Jubal and Tubal Cain are called Fathers of these arts which were in use long before them it is plaine that not only the first inventors of any art are to be honoured but even they also that add any excellencie or perfection to any thing which they professe To draw to an end Lamech being thus blessed of God in things naturall and pertaining to this life ought to be thankfull to God Jacob when God gave him a sonne called his name Judah saying I will praise the Lord Genesis the twenty ninth chapter but he is so farre from praising God that he speakes hard things against God If Cain be avenged seven times then Lamech seventy times seven fold And for men he was so cruel against them that he said no man should stirre against him He would kill a man in his rage Therefore he called his third sonne Tubal Cain that is another Cain as if he would have the name of Cain remembred which God would have buryed All these mercies moved not Lamech to any amendment but as it is in the twenty sixth chapter of Isaiah Let mercy be shewed to the wicked yet will he doe wickedly so did Lamech And albeit these things which they invented tended to the benefit of men yet they were to their own destruction Hypocrites can discern the face of the sky but cannot discern the signe or the times Matthew the sixteenth chapter The Heathen by the works of God attained to a knowledge of God but were not the better for it because they did not worship him as God Romans the first chapter so in as much as they imploy not that 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 which God gave them to his glory it will be to their destruction As we are to have a right estimation of those things where with God blessed them outwardly so we must beware that having the like blessings we be not as they They desired to be mighty men on earth and men of renoune Genesis the sixth chapter that was the end of their desire and they were so but as Christ saith accepêrunt mercedem suam Lamech as he desired proved a mighty man and so did his posterity but when all is done when the men of this world as Lamech have Children at their 〈◊〉 fire Psalm the seventeenth yet they lye in hell
are taken away There are two natures in a Cole that is the Cole it selfe which is a dead thing and the burning nature and heate that it hath which setteth out first Christs humane nature which is dead in it selfe And then his divine nature containing the burning force of that is represented in this burning Cole So the element of bread and wine is a dead thing in it selfe but through the grace of Gods spirit infused into it hath a power to heate our Soules for the elements in the Supper have an earthly and a heavenly part Secondly that Christ is to bee understood by this burning Cole wee may safely gather because his love to his Church is presented with fire Cantit the eighth chapter and the sixth verse It is said of Christs love the Coles thereof are fiery Coles and a vehement flame such as cannot be quenched with any water nor the floods drown it even so all the calamities and miseries that Christ suffered and endured for our sakes which were poured upon him as water could not quench the love that he bare us Thirdly quia non solum ardet ipse sed alios accendit so saith John the Baptist of him There cometh one after me that shall Baptize with the holy-Ghost and with fire as it is in the third chapter of Luke the sixteenth verse therefore the graces of the holy-Ghost are also represented by fire Acts 3. the union whereof hath a double representation First it is signified by water in Baptisme for sinne that is derived 〈◊〉 us from another being as a 〈◊〉 may be washed away with water and therefore the Propher saith there is a fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of 〈◊〉 for sinne and 〈◊〉 Zach. the thirteenth chapter and the first verse therefore 〈◊〉 said to Saul bee Baptized and wash away thy sinnes Acts the twenty second Chapter and the sixteenth verse that is meant of originall sinne and the corruption of our nature by which wee are guilty of the wrath of God but because through the whol course of our life sinne by custome groweth more to be strong and to stick fast in our nature so as no water can take it away therefore 〈◊〉 Grace of God is set out by fire as having a power and force to burn 〈◊〉 sinne for by custome sinne is bred and setled in our nature and is 〈◊〉 drosse that must be tryed and purged by fire so the holy Ghost speaketh of actuall sinnes the first of Isaiah and the twenty fift verse and the sixt ter of Jeremiah and the thirttieh verse Ezech. the twenty second chapter and the eighteenth verse The house of Israel is to mee as drosse that is by custome of sinne and in regard of this kinde of sinne there needs not only water to wash away the corruption of our nature and the qualitie thereof but fire to purge the actuall sins that proceed from the same The sinnes of Commission came by reason of the force of concupiscence and from the lusts that boyle out of our corrupt nature and the grace that takes them away is the grace of water in Baptisme but the sinnes of omission proceede of the coldnesse and negligence of our nature to doe good such as was in the Church of Laodicea Rev. the third chapter and the fifteenth verse and therefore such sinnes must bee taken away with the fiery Grace of God Secondly for the quality of the Cole it is not only a burning Cole but taken from the Altar to teach us that our zeale must bee 〈◊〉 and come from the spirit of God The fires that are appointed by earthly Judges to terrifie malefactors from offending may draw a skinne over the spirituall wounds of their Soules so as for feare they will eschue and sorbeare to sinne but it is the fire of the Altar and the inward Graces of Gods spirit that taketh away the corruption and healeth the wound therefore as in the Law God tooke 〈◊〉 there should ever bee fire on the Altar Leviticus the sixt chapter and the ninth verse so for the sinner that is contrite and sory for his sinne there is alwaies fire in the Church to burne up the Sacrifice of his contrition and repentance even that fire of Christs Sacrifice The love which hee shewed unto us in dying for our sinnes is set 〈◊〉 unto us most lively in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood unto which wee must come often that from the one wee may fetch the purging of our sinnes as the Apostle speaks and from the other qualifying power si in luce John the first chapter the seventh verse wherefore as by the mercy of God we have a fountain of water alwaies flowing to take away originall sinne so there is in the Church fire alwaies burning to cleanse our actuall transgressions for if the Cole taken from the Altar had a power to take away the Prophets sinne much more the body and blood of Christ which is offered in the Sacrament If the hem of Christs garment can heale the ninth chapter of Matthew and the twentith verse much more the touching of Christ himselfe shall procure health to our soules here we have not somthing that hath touched the Sacrifice but the Sacrifice it self to take away our sins Secondly the Application The application of this Cole is by a Seraphin for it is an office more fit for Angells than men to concurre with God for taking away sinne but for that it pleaseth God to use the service of men in this behalfe they are in Scripture called Angells Job the thirty fifth chapter and the twenty third verse Malachi the second and the seventh verse The Priests lips preserve knowledge for hee is the Angell of the Lord of Hosts and the Pastors of the seven Churches in Asia are called Angells Apoc. the first chapter and the first verse for the same office that is here executed by an Angell is committed to the sonnes of men to whom as the Apostle speaks Hee hath committed the ministery of reconciliation 2 Cor. the fift chapter and the eighteenth verse to whom hee hath given this power that whose sinnes soever they remit on earth shall bee remitted in heaven the twentith chapter of Saint John and the twenty fift verse So when Nathan who was but a man had said to David etiam Jehova transtulit peccatum 〈◊〉 the second booke of Samuel the twelfth chapter and the thirteenth verse it was as availeable as if an Angell had spoken to him And when Peter tells the Jewes that if they amend their lives and turn their sinnes shall be done away their sinne was taken away no lesse than the Prophets was when the Angell touched his lips Acts the third chapter and the ninteenth verse for not hee that holds the Cole but it is the Cole it selfe that takes away sinne and so long as the thing is the same wherewith wee are touched it skills not who doth hold it but wee
bodies that are corruptible to become glorious Philippians the third chapter and the twenty first verse If in this life we keep our selves from the filthinesse and pollution of worldly and carnal lusts our bodies shall be glorious after death therefore we are to be more careful for the soul than for the body Of this life Job saith It is but short Job the fourteenth chapter It is like a vapour that suddenly ariseth and vanisheth away James the fourth chapter It is as grasse the first epistle of Peter and the first chapter And it standeth not in the aboundance of riches that man hath Luke the twelfth chapter Man walks in a shadow and disquiets himself in vain Psalm the thirty ninth He is every moment subject to death and howsoever death it looks a young man in the face as it doth old men yet it is as neer to him while it stands close to the other Therefore the Wise man saith All the cares of this life are but vanity and vexation of spirit And howsoever while we are in our joyes drunk with the pleasure of the world as Naball the first epistle of Samuel and the twenty fift chapter So that though we be wounded we feel it not like the drunkard Proverbs the twenty third chapter Though we have not grace to say Quid prodest totum mundum lucrari Matthew the sixteenth chapter yet when it is too late we shall say What hath it 〈◊〉 us to have enjoyed the pleasures of this life Sapi. 5. The life to come is void of all misery and torment There is the fulnesse of joy and pleasure for evermore Psalme the sixteenth But all the pleasure and profits of this life if it were possible to possesse them all are not answerable to the joyes of the life to come With which present pleasures are joyned many griefs and torments If a man be never so rich or humble diseased or afflicted it will marre all his joyes But all the afflictions of this life are not comparable to the future glory Romans the eighth that shall be revealed which swallows up all our troubles that we suffer here because it is hard to root out of mens hearts the cares of this life and Christ doth not forbid them altogether to be carelesse But first seek the kingdom of God and all things else shall be cast upon you Matthew the sixt chapter If ye neglect earthly things for heavenly you shall not only obtain heavenly things but earthly things withall If we only seek bodily things and not heavenly we shall want both But if we seek for the soul we shall have things necessary for the body for the Lord 〈◊〉 said I will not for sake thee Hebrews the thirteenth chapter And David affureth himself that because the Lord is his 〈◊〉 he shall want nothing Psalm the twenty third If Salomon ask not riches nor honour but wisdome he shall have not only wisdome but riches honour and all other things the first book of Kings the third chapter the seeking of things pertaining to this life 〈◊〉 the care of the life to come but the seeking of Gods kingdom includes the care of all other things The 〈◊〉 that it is Christ the sonne of man that gives us this bread of life Muerial bread is the effect of Creatures but the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 is the effect of the redemption But seeing all things were made by Christ John the first chapter therefore it is Christ that gives us both eartnly and heavealy bread Christ made 〈◊〉 materiall bread of nothing but this bread he maketh of himself the one he made 〈◊〉 but the other cost him the shedding of his 〈◊〉 His flesh simply is not bread but his flesh 〈◊〉 for us caro 〈◊〉 prodest John sixth chapter the bread that perisheth and all the works of the Creation he performed in six dayes but the bread of life was not made but during the whole space of his life upon earth The six point is where the bread is to be found touching which he saith say not with thy heart who shall goe up to heaven to fetch this bread nor 〈◊〉 down to hell komans the tenth chapter and the sixth verse It is the Sonne of man that gives it for God the Father hath sealed him for this end In which words we have First a 〈◊〉 Secondly an Affirmation The direction hath a Correction for we think we deserve it by seeking and labouring for it For Christ tells us it is not to be had except the Sonne of man give 〈◊〉 Christ gives us the bread of life three wayes First When he gives his flesh to be crucified for us in his 〈◊〉 for in death only it 〈◊〉 power to quicken us into eternal life as the Apostle witnesseth By death he did destroy him that had the power of death Hebrews the second chapter In thy favour is life Psalme the thirtieth But we are brought into Gods favour no otherwise but by the death of his Sonne Romans the fift chapter So that by his death we obtain life By the sacrifice of himself he hath done away our 〈◊〉 Hebrems the ninth chapter Secondly he gives us the bread of life in the sacrament his flesh is made bread for us in his passion when he dyed but is given and applyed to us in the Supper The expiation for sinnes was once performed upon the Crosse By one sacrifice hath he perfected for ever Hebrews the tenth chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse But 〈…〉 is often applyed to us in the 〈◊〉 Thirdly where as there are two 〈◊〉 of giving offert and confert he gives us this bread when he doth not only 〈◊〉 it unto us but makes us 〈◊〉 it If we 〈◊〉 hold of the bread by faith which is the work of God and 〈◊〉 that he is the food of our souls then 〈◊〉 will give us it and make us partakers of 〈◊〉 as Christ saith This is the 〈◊〉 That light came into the world and ye loved darknesse rather than light John the third chapter So it shall be our condemna ion if God doe only offer us the bread of life and doe not withall give us it and make us to receive it All bodily meats being a power nutritive but profit 〈◊〉 except they be a power digestive So though the body of Christ crucified have a power to give life and nourishment yet except we digest it with faith it shall doe us no good For our assurance hereof Christ saith of the Sonne of man that God the Father hath sealed him that is he hath power and authority to be the bread of life and to conserve life to them that feed on him He hath sealed him First with his nature being the very Sonne of God He is the similitude and ingraven form of his person Hebrews the first chapter and the third verse We need not to doubt of the remission of our sinnes for Christ as he is God giveth power to forgive sinnes Secondly as he is sealed with Gods
God will remember them and punish them to the third and fourth generation Exodus the twentieth chapter His patience towards us whereby he would draw us to repentance makes us think him like our selves that he doth forget our old sinnes as we doe but he will set them before us and 〈◊〉 us for them Psalm the fiftieth Gen. 4 7. If thou do'st evil thy sinne lyeth at the dore and thou art to look for Gods plagues for evil shall haunt the wicked Psalm 140. 11. Our forgetfulnesse of sinne is Gods remembrance The brethren of Joseph were for a while touched with their sinne committed against their brother but when they had forgotten it then did God remember it and brought trouble upon them for it as they themselves consessed The sinne which Simcon and Levi committed was an old sinne the thirty fourth chapter of Genesis but God remembred it and put in Jacobs heart to curse them for it Genesis the fourty ninth chapter so did God remember the old sinne of 〈◊〉 committed against the Israelites and punished it in the first booke of Samuel and the fifteenth chapter so the sinne of Saul in killing the 〈◊〉 which was old was punished with a famine the second booke of Samuel and the one and twentith chapter so Job saith God will plague the old man for the sinne of his youth so that his 〈◊〉 shall be full of 〈◊〉 and shall ly down with him in the dust Job the twentieth chapter and the eleventh verse therefore David prayeth Remember not the sinnes of my youth the twenty fift Psalme and the Church prayeth That ancient sinnes might be forgiven We have sinned with our Fathers Psalm the one hundred and 〈◊〉 Remember not our old sinnes And because we are by nature inclined to forget them which we commit in our youth and have been committed in former time by our Fathers therefore we must beware that we provoke not God to punish us for them When the wicked Servant forgat his old debt which his Lord forgave him and began again to deal cruelly with his fellow this forgetfulness made God to reverse his purgation 〈◊〉 the eighteenth chapter so we must remember that God forgave our old sinnes for this remembrance is profitable to us as out of darkness God brings light so out of the remembrance of former sinnes he can make us to avoid sinnes to come Note The sinfull woman when she remembred that Christ had forgiven her many sins was provoked thereby to love him much Luke the seventh chapter and when Paul remembred that he had been a persecuter of the Church of God and a blood-shedder and that his sinne was purged it made him carefull to walk in holiness of life so as he laboured more than all the Apostles in the first to the Corinthians and the fifteenth chapter wherefore seeing the remembrance of sinnes past is so good it must needs be hurtfull to our our own souls and prejudiciall to Gods glory to forget that our former sinnes were purged by the blood of Christ. Abrahamus Pater ille vester gestivit videre diem istum meum vidit c. Job 8. 56. Decemb. 31. 1598. THEY are the words of our Saviour Christ and therefore true because uttered by him that is the truth it self Wherein affirming of Abraham that he desired to see his day that is the day of his Nativity He sheweth that Abraham was a true Christian and solemnized the same Feast which we now celebrate in remembrance of Christs birth already past which was then to come when he rejoyced And this is matter of comfort unto all men That the service which they offer to God is no new kinde of service but as ancient as Abraham and the rest of the Fathers of whom it is said That they 〈◊〉 to be saved by the Grace of Christ as well as we Acts the fifteenth chapter and the eleventh verse So sai hold Jacob Lord I have looked for thy Jesus Genesis the fourty ninth chapter and the eighteenth verse And the Prophet saith Exultabo in Jesu meo Habakkuk the third chapter and the eighteenth verse Of this day the Prophet saith This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it Psalme the hundred and eighteenth In this day we are to rejoyce as in a day of Harvest and as in a day of Victory Isaiah the ninth chapter and the third verse So that all the Prophets that were since Abraham desired to see this day of Christs birth no lesse than he The occasion of these words uttered by Christ was that the Jews boasted that they were Abrahams children But Christ tells them they doe foolishly considering they did degenerate from Abraham and were not like him for they had neither Abrahams works nor his faith Abraham desired to see my day and longed for it though he lived long before me but ye despise me you grieve to see me but he would have been glad to see me as you doe he defined to see me and when he saw me with a lively faith he rejoyced to shew what account he made of me but ye make no reckoning of me but 〈◊〉 me Wherein we are to consider three points Abraham's desire to see Christ the sight he had of him and the great joy he conceived when hee saw him which three may be reduced to Abraham's faith and love The sight which Abraham had of Christ's day is the vision of his faith which faith of his is environed with two most pregnant effects of care that is a desire to see Christ and joy after he had 〈◊〉 him for in temporall things whatsoever men most love that they doe not only desire to have but when they obtein it they rejoyce Who will shew us any good that is the desire whereby men testifie this love to earthly blessings of corne and oyle and wine and when they have abundance of these things then they have joy of them though it bee not like the joy of heart which the light of Gods countenance bringeth to the faithfull as it is in the fourth Psalme But in spirituall things Zacheus to testifie his love to Christ did not only desire to see him but when Christ told him hee would dine at his house he came downe and received him joyfully Luke the ninteenth chapter and the fifth verse Abraham's desire offereth three things to bee considered First What hedesired to see that is Christ's day Secondly the desire it selfe hee leaped for joy Thirdly the reason of this great desire For the first hee desired to see the day of Christ which receiveth three senses either the day of his Deitie as Hierom expounds it or the day of his Passion as Chrysostome or the day of his Nativitie as Ireneus interprets it for any of these are sufficient matter of desire as Christ tells his disciples Luke the seventeenth chapter and the two and twentith verse But as Augustine saith that day of
Jews and Gentils So the matching of Jews with Gentils doth signifie the affinity that should grow between the two Churches The same was shewed by the stuff where of 〈◊〉 Tabernacle was made by the first Temple which was built upon the ground of a Gentile Araunah the second book of Samuel and the twenty fourth chapter with timber sent by Hiram a Gentile the 〈◊〉 book of Kings the tenth chapter by the second Temple which was founded by Cyrus and 〈◊〉 Heathen Princes By which we may perceive that God had this in minde and in a purpose To gather the Gentils into the Church of Christ and to be of the people of the God of Abraham which thing was not only foreshewed but plainly performed For not only there came of the 〈◊〉 from the East to Christ Matthew the second chapter but Grecians from the West to see Christ John the twelfth chapter The second thing in the Prophecy is that not only the People should be gathered to be of the Church but the Kings and Princes for when Peter saw the sheet let down from heaven Acts the tenth chapter and the eleventh verse he was taught that Nations should come immediatly to the Church for then Cornelius and others were converted to the faith but Princes came not till three hundred yeeres after that was performed when the Prophet foretelleth the poore shall eate and be satisfied Psalme the two and twentith and the twenty sixth but for Rulers it was not so performed therefore the Pharisees object Doe any of the Rulers beleeve but this simple People that know not the Law John the seventh Chapter therefore the Apostle saith you knew your calling that not many noble not many mightie but the base and weake things hath God chosen as it is in the first of the Corinthians a great number of the poore people were at the first joyned to the Church of Christ and not only they but as it was foretold the rich upon earth shall eate and worship Psalme the two and twentith and the twenty ninth verse so Sergius Paulus Acts the thirteenth the noble man of Berea Acts the seventeenth the Eunuch chief governor for the Queene of Ethiopia Acts the eighth chapter her Lord Treasurer and the elect Lady the second Epistle of Saint John and the second chapter So both Lords and Ladies were brought to the Church but as yet no Princes for they stood up against Christ Acts the fourth chapter both Herod and Paul gathered themselves against Christ the holy sonne of God Paul had almost got one King to the Church that is Agrippa Acts the twenty sixt chapter and the twenty eighth verse Thou almost perswadest mee c. but there must bee a time when the kings of Arabia shall bring presents Psalme the seventy second a time when Kings should bee foster fathers and Queenes nursing mothers to the Church Isa. the fourty ninth chapter therefore under the Law he confirmed the hope of Kings by shewing grace to the King of Ninevey who repented at the preaching of Jonas and to the Queen of the South who came to honour Salomon Matthew the twelfth chapter no less than he confirmed the hope of the poor by calling the poor Widdow of Zarepta and of the humble by the example of Naaman Luke the fourth chapter by whose example all sorts of people both poor and rich both Prince and Subject have hope be gathered into the Church wherein the people of this English Nation have speciall cause to magnifie God for the first prince that professed the Gospel was Constantine the great born in England and ever since Christ hath had a Church of the Gentils not only dispersed Gentils John the seventh chapter a few only of them to worship him but the fulness of the Gentils Romans the eleventh chapter Now not only the simple and unlearned people but the Rulers themselves doe follow Christ John the seventh chapter wherein we are to exalt magnifie the power of Christ that he contents not himself with the inferiour people to be worshipped of them he will not only be the God of the Mattocks and Staves but of the Shields To teach us that he can turne the hearts of Captains and Princes whither he will Secondly That when this was performed the Princes were not Togati such as delighted in peace but Armati men of warre and hard to be brought under to the obedience of the Gospel such persons as at their pleasure will not hear when they think good but take away their life Esther the 6. chap. These men were the harder to be subdued to Christ being without Religion for the most part Nulla fides pietasque viris qui Castra sequuntur The Rulers of the people shall come to thee as it is in the Psalms God would not have David build him an Altar because he was a man of warre and had shed blood the first book of the Chronicles the twenty eighth chapter and the third verse But to gather a Church and Temple of the Gentils he hath no respect of that but sheweth his power in bringing them to his Church which were most cruel The Psalmist saith God is highly to be exalted among the Princes of the People At this â—ime the people of Abraham were at a poor stay like sheep appointed to the slaughter Romans the tenth verse In which regard it was not like it would come to passe that the Princes and mighty men would subject themselves to them Paul confesseth that the Sect which he followed was every where evil spoken of Acts the twenty sixt chapter That he and the rest of the Apostles were as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things the first epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter the thirteenth verse therefore unlikely that the great men of the world should yeeld to them Again that they should doe this of themselves voluntarily without constraint that where they had occupied their shields upon Gods People now they should use them for their defense that they should bring bountifull gifts to the Church whereof we see examples in the new Testament Matthew the second chapter The Reason is to be taken four wayes First When God shall be exalted then shall the Princes of the people be gathered to the people of the God of Abraham This is true for this Psalme is of Christs ascention of which Christ saith When he is exalted omnes traham ad me John the twelfth chapter So that it is as much as if the Prophet should say When Christ is exalted then the Nations shall come to him Secondly When the Princes of the people be gathered to the â—…ple of Abraham then shall Christ be exalted that is when the Kings of the earth doe imbrace the Christian Religion God shall be exalted and have more glory for every King is worth ten thousand and when one King followeth Christ it is a greater glory to Christ than if many people the second book of Samuel
separation from the Temple which was but a type of that place was so grievous to Davids soul as he had no rest in his spirit and thought himself in worse state than the Sparrow till he had accesse to the Citie of God Psalm the eighty fourth Much more grievous is it to be separated from heaven If of the Church on earth it is said there are gloriosa dict a de te Psalm the eighty seventh Much more glorious things are spoken of Heaven whereof to be deprived will be a great grief for this place hath all things which may commend any place Of light it is said Lumen dilexit oculus but this place hath no night but continual light from the Lord himself Apocalyps the twenty first chapter If society doe commend a place then this place is commendable quia janua ibi aperta If immunity from pain there is neither hunger nor thirst nor cold If joy then there the elders sing continually the praises of God Apocalyps the twenty first chapter Therefore to be excluded from this place which is so to be desired is a great punishment Again To be separated not only from so good a place but from such company not only of holy Angels where if it were a great blessing to lodge while they were clothed with mortality Hebrews the thirteenth chapter then it is a greater blessing to dwell with them in this perfect 〈◊〉 None of the saints who albeit on earth they be despised and called fools Wisdome the fift chapter yet shall be glorious in heaven and not only their souls but their bodies made like the glorious body of Christ Philippians the third chapter and the twenty first verse of whose company to be deprived will be a grief but to be cast out of the company of Jesus Christ who when he did give but a taste of his glory it was so glorious 〈◊〉 his Disciples Matthew the seventeenth chapter so as they said 〈◊〉 est nobis hic offici will be a great grief for there he shall be in perfect glory at the right hand of God where he now 〈◊〉 which shall much more rejoyce us than these drops Lastly If the comfort of Gods 〈◊〉 in earth where the light of it is greatly eclipsed and darkned doe afford more comfort than 〈◊〉 of corne and oyle Psalm the fourth then what a discomfort will it be to be separated from the light of it when God shall shew the brightnesse of 〈◊〉 but even then shall the unprofitable servant be cast out from beholding the same Secondly That which doth aggravate his punishment is that this separation shall be done with violence cast him out not bid him goe out or lead him out The separations that are made from the Church militant are not done without great difficulty no man would willingly be 〈◊〉 But it will be a farre greater grief to be separated from the Church triumphant but howsoever they be unwilling yet they shall be separated violently no man will willingly come to judgment at the last day but God will bring every thing to judgment Ecclesiastes the twelfth chapter He that doth evil hates the light John the third chapter but we shall be brought to light whether we will or no and death which is a preparation to the last judgment is fearfull So as no man willingly dyeth nay we make many pleas becaule we would not be separated we say Lord have not we prophecied and yet Christ tells all will not serve the turne Matthew the seventh chapter Not every one that saith Lord Matthew the twenty fift chapter When did we see the hungry or naked c. But Christ for all that we are so unwilling to be cast out tells us In as much as you did it not c. So that albeit man will not goe out of himself yet he shall be cast out with violence which makes his punishment more grievous Thirdly This separation shall be with contumely and disgrace to be thrown out of the company of the Angels is a disgracefull separation Many times Malefactors though they suffer for their offences yet have no disgrace offered them But the unprofitable servant shall not only be punished with the losse of this heavenly place but shall be cast out to his shame for he that dishonoureth God by burying his talent bestowed upon him God will punish him with dishonour and disgrace Them that hate me I will hate the first book of Samuel the second chapter Secondly The place into which he shall be cast is utter darknesse The Apostle when he saith Ad quem ibimus 〈◊〉 habes verba aternae vitae John the sixt chapter and the sixty eighth verse tells us It is an excellent thing to be in presence of them that have the words of eternall life but it is farre more excellent to be present with eternal life it self but not only to be deprived of his presence but to be cast into utter darkness is extreme misery If we might be choosers for our selves as the Devils choesed to goe into the hoggs 〈◊〉 the eighth chapter and the thirty first verse So if we might choose some place if it were but to return to the world again it were some mitigation but when we have not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is greater cause of misery we are not only deprived of light but cast into a place of darknesse And this punishment is very just that the unprofitable servant should be cast into darknesse which did darken his talent and hid it as the Prophet speaks of cursing Psalm the hundred and ninth He loved not blessing then let it be farre from him So quia non dilexit lucem non veniat ei lux extinguit scintilla gratiae ne videat lumen gloriae Which punishment how grievous it is appears for that the beholding of light as the Preacher saith Ecclesiastes the eleventh chapter is so comfortable to the eyes As Paul was out of hope of recovery when he and the rest could see nothing but darknesse Acts the twenty seventh chapter And God plagued the Egyptians with darknesse as the greatest plague he could lay upon them And the Apostle to shew the grievous punishment of the evil Angels saith They are reserved under darknesse the second epistle of Peter the second chapter for tenebrae formidolosae Again He is punished not only with darknesse but also with weeping and gnashing of teeth A man may have some comfort in darknesse it is the best time to sleep and meditate but the unprofitable servants being cast into darknesse shall have neither of these comforts to mitigate his punishment For there he shall feel the worm of conscience gnawing him which shall never dye and be tormented with the fire that never goeth out Mark the ninth chapter He shall have all things that may continue and increase his weeping But in these words the Holy-Ghost pointeth out two things The certainty and the measure of weeping in
from the Lord For so saith King David the first book of the Chronicles the twenty ninth chapter and the fourteenth verse Quae de manu tua accepimus damus tibi Secondly When we have received any blessing from God then we must give to him as we are exhorted Psalm the seventy sixt and the eleventh verse and Psalm the ninety sixt the eighth verse Bring present and joy into his Courts Of those things that are to be given some are laid upon us of necessity As the tenth of the fruits of the ground which the Lord challengeth to himself Leviticus the twenty seventh chapter and the thirtieth verse and hath set over to the Levites that it should be given to them Numbers the eighteenth chapter Then there are 〈◊〉 or free-will offerings such voluntary gifts as the people gave of their own accord for howsoever they were bound to offer their first born yet they might redeem the life of them Exodus the thirtieth chapter To speak 〈◊〉 of them Gods donation hath two parts Hannahs Prayer and Gods Gift In Prayer we are to observe two things The sense of Want And the desire of the Heart For it is the supply of want which makes her break forth into prayer for 〈…〉 indigentiae Wherefore howsoever the want of so great a 〈◊〉 as is the bearing of a child did move Hannab to break forth into this desire of Prayer Yet it is most certain that the Virgin 〈◊〉 more needed a Saviour for which she confessed her spirit 〈◊〉 than Hannah needed a sonne And as her need was greater so her prayer was stronger than Hannahs prayer for Hannah prayed alone but as for Maries prayer it was accompanied with the desire and prayer of all Creatures as both the Prophets and Apostles doe shew Heaven and earth was reconciled to be God Ephesians the first chapter and Colossians the first chapter and the third verse Therefore they did greatly desire Christs comming And therefore when there was hope of his comming they are exhorted to be glad Rejoyce ye heavens shout ye lower parts of the earth Isaiah the fourty fourth chapter and the twenty third verse and the Apostle saith that the Creatures 〈◊〉 groan waiting for the redemption Romans the eighth chapter much more shall 〈◊〉 desire his comming and therefore the Prophet saith desideratus est 〈◊〉 is gentibus Haggai the second chapter As all Nations did ignorantly worship the unknown God Acts the seventeenth chapter so they all had an ignorant desire of his comming but especially the Saints of God have not only desired in heart but prayed for this gift as Jacob Genesis the fourty ninth chapter I have waited for thy salvation Psalm the fourteenth and the seventh verse O that salvation were given to Israel out of Sion Isaiah the sixty fourth chapter and the first verse Utinam dirumpat caelos descendat such a desire had this Virgin for the comming of her Saviour as she expressed in her song when she confesseth he hath filled the hungry Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel so did Hannah the Prophetisse Luke the second chapter So that whether we respect the Prayer or Desire of Prayer we see that Marys prayer is greater than 〈◊〉 If we respect the effect of the Virgins prayer we shall see it more fully persomed in her than in the other Prayer is compared to a Key wherewith as Elias opened the Heavens when they were shut up Luke the fourth chapter and the twenty fift verse So when God shuts up the wombs of women Genesis the twentieth chapter and the eighteenth verse that they become barren then prayer is the key that opens them By this key was the 〈◊〉 of Hannah opened and she brought forth Samuel But if we consider that by this key God opened the womb of a Virgin that she conceived and bear a sonne that is a greater wonder and a matter more highly to be extolled but so did he open the womb of the blessed Virgin Elias opened the Heavens when they were shut and obtained rain for the earth But the Virgins key of Prayer accompanyed with the prayers of all Gods People in all ages opened the Heaven of Heavens so as they dropped down righteousnesse Isaiah the fourty fift chapter and the eighth verse Even the Sonne of Man that came down from Heaven John the third chapter that is Jesus Christ who is our righteousnesse our sanctification the first epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the thirtieth verse The effect of Hannahs Prayer is Dominus dedit which is the inscription of all the things we possesse as King David confesseth O Lord all this aboundance is of thine hand the first book of the Chronicles and the twenty ninth chapter But this inscription is peculiarly given to children and the fruit of the womb Psalm the hundred twenty seventh which indeed are an inheritance and gift that commeth of the Lord for he saith Scribe virum istum sterilem Jeremiah the twenty second chapter and the thirtieth verse So he punished Michal which despised David so that she had no child to the day of her death the second book of Samuel the sixt chapter and the twenty third verse But if he blesse this working and so make them fruitfull then is it a blessing and gift to be acknowledged with all thankfulnesse especially when the children are as arrows and darts in the hand of a Gyant that is spiritual in Church or Commonwealth Psalm the hundred twenty seventh for such a child was Samuel therefore Hannah confesseth it thankfully But if we come to the composition we shall finde that Christs gift to us by God is a farre greater gift if we consider that Salus data est 〈◊〉 Isaiah the ninth chapter that God hath manifcsted his love to the world by giving a sonne to us John the third chapter and the sixteenth verse He is Donum Dei John the fourth chapter which if we could receive we should perceive how farre he exceeds Samuel but he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second epistle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter and the fifteenth verse Gods unspeakable gift We must not talk of any other gifts for he is the great gift of God to us and that gift which we must offer to God for our sinnes without whom it is in vain to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices for he only putteth away iniquitie Isaiah the fourty third chapter And God having given us such a gift how will he not with him give us all other things Romans the eighth chapter Samuel was a great gift to Hannah for he proved spiritual in the People of God as a dart in the hand of a mighty man but yet he was but a type of Christ who is the greatest gift that ever God bestowed upon mankinde The second Donation is on our part to God In mans judgment if God gives us such a gift we are best to keep it but this gift is given us not to be
the fruit thereof then is God able as well to give such a power to the Creatures of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament that albeit they are dead of themselves to convey into us the life of grace even as the tree of life did prolong natural life for so saith Christ John the sixth chapter and the fifty third verse Except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his blood ye have no lifein you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life he that eateth me shall live by me And he that 〈◊〉 of his body shall live for ever There is no life but in God first 〈…〉 the thirtieth chapter ipse enim est vita mea and he committeth life to the sonne Therefore it is said There is a River of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb Apocalyps the 〈◊〉 second chapter and the first verse And as the Father hath life in himself so he hath given to the Sonne to have life in himself John the fift chapter and the twenty sixt verse And as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them so the sonne quickneth whom he will John the fift chapter and the twenty first verse God being the fountain of life draws life to his sonne as into a Cistern from whence we draw life therefore it is said of the wisdome of God that is Christ that he is a tree of life Proverbs the third chapter and the eighteenth verse of whom it is now said in ipso er at vita John the fourteenth chapter and therefore he calls himself this life John the fourteenth chapter This is the Cistern of life to give life to them that are dead in original sinne by the sprinkling of his blood in 〈◊〉 And when they are dead in actual sinnes he gives new life to them that are 〈◊〉 of his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Supper In this Sacrament Christ hath provided a tree of life of graces against the death of sinne whereof they must be partakers that will eat of the tree of life which Christ here promiseth So that whereas the Wiseman saith Fructus justi est lignum vitae Proverbs the eleventh chapter and the thirtieth verse The seed of this tree is here sown and bringeth forth the root of a better tree for as grace is the root of glory so glory is the fruit of grace Here in this life the root of grace is planted in us and brings forth the fruits of righteousnesse that in the life to come it may make us partakers of the tree of glory and to assure us of this life we are sealed with the holy spirit of promise as the earnest of our inheritance Ephesians the first chapter and the thirteenth verse and the second epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the twenty second verse That albeit we are fallen and can be overcome of finne yet if we fight better and doe the first works we shall be partakers of the life of glory The kernel of grace is planted in us by the participation of the body and blood of Christ of which kernel commeth a tree which bringeth forth the fruits of holinesse and righteousnes in our whole life Which God will in due time reward with the Crown of life and glory in the world to come Cupimus autem ut unusquisque vestrûm idem studium ad finem usque ostendat ad certam spei persuasionem Hebr. 6. 11. August 24. 1599. AS in the old testament the Prophetisse Deborah in the service of the Children of Isha against Jabin doth specially praise God for the willingnesse of the people Judges the fift chapter so here the Apostle commendeth the Hebrews for the work and labour of their love in that they spared no cost in shewing themselves good Christians Now the crown of our rejoycing is the summe of our desire and therefore as there Deborah desireth to have the promptnesse and readinesse continued in the people so the Apostle wisheth that all the Hebrews as they have been carefull to practise the fruits of faith so should they still shew further diligence in that behalf The special drift of the Apostle is to shew that the Christians comfort standeth in the perfection of their hope The Apostle Hebrews the eleventh chapter and the first verse maketh their hope for to be the definition of faith For though matters Historical and Dogmatical pertain to faith yet chiefly faith hath hope for its object for as Augustine Credimus non ut credamus sed 〈◊〉 speremus therefore the Apostle saith the end of all Scripture is that we may have hope Romans the fifteenth chapter and the fourth verse and that which he affirmeth in the first epistle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter That he which planteth planteth in hope is as much true in all actions the ground whereof is the hope we conceive of some benefit for he that soweth soweth in hope he that saileth saileth in hope and he that marrieth doth it in hope that his estate will be bettered thereby For sure it is that it is but a comfortlesse thing to beleeve that there is everlasting joy and glory laid up in Heaven except a man be perswaded that he shall be partaker of it Exanguis res fides sine spe quia spes fidei exanguis est Amb. And as hope is the blood of faith as the Prophet saith Isaiah the thirtieth chapter and the fifteenth verse In quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength so hope is that which whets diligence and therefore the Prophet saith in the second book of the Chronicles the fifteenth chapter and the seventeenth verse Be strong and let not your hands be weak for your work shall have an end And in the new Testament the Apostle saith Be stedfast and immovable knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord Quod labor vester non erit inanis in Domino the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the fifty eighth verse So nothing is more to be desired than to have hope in the evil day and the means of this hope is to shew forth diligence But for the easier intreatie of the contents of this verse the points which the Apostle holdeth are first That we are not only to beleeve but also to hope Secondly Not with a feeble or faint hope but with the fulnesse of hope Thirdly This hope must not be for an hour as Christ speaketh of St. John John the fift chapter but continuing to the end Then for the means of this hope his request is First That Diligence be used Secondly This Diligence must be shewed forth For the first point the Apostles desire is That they should hope for that which they beleeve wherein standeth the real difference that is between the faith of the Devils and men reprobate and the faith of the Children of God for even to the Devils the Apostle ascribes
feeble but of full measure even the full assurance of hope which shall not be for a time or an hour and so fail but it shall continue even to the end Et factum est praelium in Coelo Michael Angeli ejus praeliati sunt cum Dracone Draco pugnabat Angeli ejus Sed hi non praevaluerunt neque locus eorum ampliùs inventus est in Coelo Apoc. 12. 7.8 Septemb. 29. 1599. AS the Christian Religion is not a Religion of Angels for we doe not adore them with divine honour Colossians the second chapter and the eighteenth verse and though we offer to worship them yet they will not admit of it Apocalyps the twenty second chapter and the ninth verse so on the other side it is not a Religion of Saduces that hold there is no Angels nor spirit Acts the twenty third chapter and the eighth verse but it doth acknowledge that such blessed spirits there be and that God hath erected a ladder that reacheth up to Heaven by which the Angels of God goe up and down to convey Gods blessings to men Genesis the twenty eighth chapter And therefore by all means it opposeth it self against the opinion of those that seek to remove this ladder as if there were no duty to be performed by them towards us For in thankfulnesse to God for this benefit that the Angels have a care of us the Church have thought it good weighing both the one extremity of superstition which Moses compareth to drunkennesse and the other extremity of prophanenesse which he likeneth to thirst Deuteronomie the twenty ninth chapter and the nineteenth verse to keep this Feast And indeed if we consider that those glorious spirits who have the continual fruition of Gods presence Matthew the eighteenth chapter and the tenth verse In whose presence is the fulnesse of all jay Psalm the sixteenth can be content to abandon that place of this felicity to come down and perform duties to the sonnes of men namely to take charge of us and keep us from danger Psalm the ninetie first and the eleventh verse to be as ministring spirits for their sakes that shall be heirs of salvation Hebrews the first chapter This cannot but be reckoned a special favour Secondly Especially if we goe a degree further and consider that they leave their assistance in Gods presence where is all glorie and happinesse to Minister to us that dwell in houses of clay Job the fourth chapter and that for our nobility must derive our selves into corruption and worms Job the seventeenth chapter and the fourteenth verse that such holy spirits should come down upon such sinfull spirits such glorious spirits should Minister to such vile bodies this gives us further cause to remember this benefit Thirdly The manner of this Ministry may be a special motive to stir us up to thankfulnesse This ministry and service done to us is as farre as any can reach that is usque ad consilium fideli auxilium For 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 we see Jacob 〈◊〉 an Angel of God gave him direction what to doe Genesis the thirty first chapter and the eleventh verse So an Angel came forth to teach Daniel to give him knowledge and understanding Daniel the ninth chapter and the twenty second verse And this very book contains nothing else but that which Christ revealed to his servant John by an Angel Apocalyps the first chapter and the first verse that is for matter of counsel And for matter of help there is between Angels and Men 〈◊〉 sociale a holy league indeed whereby they binde themselves that for our 〈◊〉 they may wage warre not only with men but with wicked 〈◊〉 That they doe continually defend us the Prophet teacheth 〈◊〉 the thirty fourth The Angels of the Lord pitch their tents 〈…〉 this fear him whereof we have a plain example in the second of the Kings the sixt chapter and the seventeenth verse For the offensive part of help which they perform to men it is plain that as they defend us from danger so they shew themselves enemies not only to men that seek our hurt but to evil Angels That the Angels are enemies to men that are an enemie to the Elect and Church of God we see it plainly affirmed Psalm the thirty fift and the sixt verse The Angel of the Lord persecuteth them whereof an example in the Egyptians that were enemies to Gods people among whom God sent an Angel to destroy the first born in every house 〈◊〉 the twelfth chapter and Isaiah the thirty seventh chapter where an Angel is sent in the behalf of Ezekiah to destroy the host of Senacherib who was an enemie to Gods people And in this place we see offensive 〈◊〉 in the behalf of Angels against the wicked Angels 〈◊〉 David had relation in those words Psalm the ninty first and the thirteenth verse Thou shalt walk upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon thou shalt tread under foot Wherefore that spirits of such excellencie shall defend us against both wicked men and Angels this is a benefit to be remembred with all thankfullnesse to God and likewise we are to congratulate them that are made by God of such power as Melchizadeck did gratulate Abraham after he had 〈◊〉 the five Kings Genesis the fourteenth chapter and blessed God 〈…〉 his enemies into his hands and as the servants of 〈◊〉 did congratulate David when he saw that the Army 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 the second book of Samuel the eighth chapter and the 〈…〉 So that these congratulations of these blessed 〈◊〉 above all our thankfulnesse to God that hath appointed us such helps is the ground and cause of this solemnity The words divide themselves into two 〈◊〉 First the 〈◊〉 Secondly the Victory or Conquest Concerning the former we are first to consider the 〈◊〉 Combatent and then the fight In the Conquest we are also to 〈◊〉 two degrees For it is said not only That he had not the 〈◊〉 for then he had been of an even hand and might have 〈…〉 but that the Dragon and his Angels were so farre from 〈◊〉 and getting the Victory of Michael and his Angels that they 〈◊〉 the foyl so that their place was not found any more in Heaven Touching the persons that waged this battail they are on the one side Michael and his Angels On the other side the Dragon and his Angels Wherein the first thing is what we must conceive concerning Michael It is sure the Church of God upon many and weighty reasons doth not favour the opinion of those that make Christ to be Michael Michael Daniel the tenth chapter and the thirteenth verse is said to be one of the first Princes or Rulers which is to be understood of some principal Angel and not of Christ who is set up above all Princes and is not to be reckoned among them being the Prince of Princes and Lord of Lords And the Annotation of those that hold this opinion sheweth that
Father This doth distinguish true Christians from Counterfeits which say I know not whether the Father doe give me to Christ and therefore I will not come but to such Christ answers Matthew the eighteenth chapter and the fourteenth verse Non est volunt as patris 〈…〉 de pusillis illis pereat De pusillis dixit saith Augustine non de 〈◊〉 Christ meaneth not such as are little in respect of the world but but little in their own eyes that are not possessed with a spiritual pride of their own righteousnesse as though they need not now to come another time will serve It was the opinion of 〈◊〉 Acts the twenty fourth chapter When I have convenient leasure I will 〈◊〉 for thee So they think another time will be more fit than the 〈◊〉 oceasion and so Christ must wait upon them they may not wait upon Christ. But as the Pharisees despised the counsel of God and would not be baptized by John Luke the seventh chapter and the thirtieth verse so doe these despise the counsel of Christ against themselves whose purpose happily was even at this time to have received them But because they despised his counsel that happeneth to them which besell Saul whom Samuel tels That if he had kept the Lords commandement he had now established his kingdome for ever upon Israel the first book of Samuel the thirteenth chapter and the thirteenth verse but for that he despised the oportunity now it is removed to another And of them that come it may be they will come but with Cains spirit not caring how or what 〈◊〉 they give to God But they must come as given of the Father and not tanquam ab hominibus 〈◊〉 they may not come like him that sate down at the Marriage without awedding 〈…〉 the twenty second chapter Who so commeth in that 〈◊〉 as he shall not be received for that he is not given of the Father so he shall be 〈◊〉 out into utter darknesse Thirdly The promise is They that come after this manner shall not be cast out Which is set out earnestly by Christ with a 〈◊〉 negation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is never at no hand This 〈…〉 for Christ doth performe it and 〈…〉 when the 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 for sakest not them that seeke 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 the meaning is they not only 〈◊〉 God but with him 〈◊〉 joyes and glory 〈◊〉 So he that comes to Christ is 〈…〉 〈…〉 out but received to be a member of 〈◊〉 my 〈◊〉 body 〈◊〉 partaker of the divine nature the second 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chapter and the fourth verse What is meant by being 〈…〉 appears by the 〈◊〉 out of the dry branch that bringeth forth no 〈◊〉 John the 〈◊〉 chapter which is to be cast 〈◊〉 the fire by the 〈◊〉 that 〈…〉 and is cast out Matthew the fift chapter by the bad fish caught in the net which is cast away Matthew the thirteenth chapter and the fourty eight verse This casting out is a degree to that casting into utter darknesse which Christ speaketh of There is a second for as that is out of the Church as John the ninth chapter and the thirty fourth verse of whom Christ saith Mark the fourth chapter and the eleventh verse but to them which are without the first epistle to the Corinthians the fift chapter and the twelfth verse What have ye to doe with them that are without that is the Heathen And this is nothing but a disposition to the second for as that is to be cast out of the Kingdome of Heaven of which Apocalyps the twenty second chapter and the fifteenth verse for as autem er ant canes and to be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone where their smoak shall ascend for ever where the worm never dyeth and the fire is never quenched where they shall wish for death and death shall flie from them This is the state of them that are cast out But Christ promiseth That who so commeth to him being given shall not be cast out but shall be quit from death and damnation He doth not only receive them and eat with them but receives them into that union that is inter alitum alimentum that is to be one with him which is a greater union than is either between brother and brother or between man and wife for herein is that verified That we are received to be partakers of the Divine nature by partaking whereof he is in us and we in him we and Christ are made one we receive him and he receives us So that as God cannot hate Christ so he cannot but love us being ingraffed into him Thus it comes to passe that we are not cast out but are made partakers of all the good things of Christ who saith to him that comes to him Luke the fifteenth chapter Omnia nostra tua sunt and Matthew the fifteenth chapter Intra in gaudium Domini that is the chief point in this promise As for them that come not to Christ howsoever they deserve to be cast out yet Christ doth not cast them out but they cast out themselves in as much as they sever themselves from this Sacrament which is the holy of holiest and from the memorial of his loving kindness He that commeth not to the Lords Supper sets himself in the state of the Heathen which albeit they have a kinde of prayer and a knowledg no lesse than we yet come not so farre as to celebrate this Sacrament He is in no better state than the Jews and Turks which albeit they beleeve the creation of the world and the last Judgment yet acknowledge not Christ nor come to him tanquam panis vitae But they must come to the Lords Supper if they will be bidden to the Lambs Supper Neither may they defer to come at their own pleasure for it may be now is the time that Christ will receive them and if they neglect the opportunity they shall be cast out as Saul was in the first book of Samuel the thirteenth chapter It remains that we stirre up in ourselves a willingnesse to come For to come is a voluntary action as Christ tells us John the fift chapter Vos non vultis venire adme nam qui venit ideò venit quia voluit venire unlesse we be as willing to come as Christ is to receive all is nothing Matthew the twenty third chapter and thirty seventh verse Quoties volui noluistis How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Therefore we must beware of removing this willingnesse from our selves To this end we must continually pray that Christ will work in us this willingnesse that the Father will draw us by his spirit and say with Peter Matthew the fourteenth chapter and the twenty eight verse Domine mitte me ad te venire let me be in numero pusillorum non timentium one of those little ones that
As it is choragi so epicorigia that is not so compleat of it self but something is to be joyned to it For faith St. Peter the fittest to take instruction from who shewed the failing and wavering of his faith when Christ asked him Lovest thou me he answered Thou knowest that I love thee John the twenty first chapter But how knew he it when he denyed him before a poor Damosel Matthew the twenty sixt chapter And in respect of Christ Luke the twenty second chapter and the thirty second verse I have prayed for thy faith Christs promise and his own experince may perswade us he knew the nature of faith And this is an infallible mark of time faith that it hath joyned virtue and is taught of the Law of God and true faith doth not abrogate the Law nay Romans the third chapter the Law is established by faith Faith must bring in virtue by the hand So in that great chapter of faith having gone through all he faith They chused rather to suffer than to enjoy pleasures of sinne Hebrews the eleventh chapter Paul saith true faith operatur 〈◊〉 per charitatem So Peter here and James the second chapter and the twenty second verse it doth cooperari that is the figne James gives of faith In the first epistle of John the fift chapter the figne of true faith is it overcomes not only the Devil but the world and the pleasures riches honors of the world as in Hebrews the eleventh chapter It is the same signe that Hebrews eleventh chapter and the fourth verse shewed it self in Moses when he refused to be the sonne of Pharaohs daughter And Jude in the twentieth verse saith If it be true faith it is fides sanctificans So they all agree Paul saith Faith must work rightcousnesse Peter It must bring virtue in by the hand John It must overcome the world and Jude saith It is a sanctifying faith not locked up in a mans conscience So that it is no true faith which virtue follows not Adjicite fidei vestrae virtutem virtuti verò notitiam 2 Pet. 1. 5. THE Apostles minde is to shew That the life of a Christian is no single thing but a Quire or Dance and the beginning of the train is faith For if we must be elevated to be partakers of the Divine nature as verse the first it must be a divine thing that must effect this and the first divine thing is divina veritas the same which the Prophets in all ages have described to us Which divine truth we apprehend by faith Now because there may be deceipt in our faith we must take heed that it be not a rotten faith There is fides ficta the first epistle to Timothy the first chapter and the fift verse Faith feigned and a dead faith James the second chapter There is a vile faith as well as a like pretious faith And that we may separate the pretious from the vile Jeremiah the fifteenth chapter And if we will know which is the pretious faith for which Christ prayed in Luke the twenty second chapter it is not that which is alone but which is accompanied with other virtues It must not be totum integrale or Alpha and Omega but like a Quire wherein are diverse parts faith is but a part and the eighth part of Christianity This company is not added ad ornatum but for necessity therefore he exhorts Give all diligence and he that hath not these is blinde To proceed If faith be not all what is that company he speaketh of The first is Virtue A word which the Scripture hath taken from Philosophers whereof all their books are full and albeit we must beware that no man spoile us through Philosophie Colossians the second chapter yet we may not contemne it We are called to glory and virtue verse the third and Philippians the fourth chapter and the eighth verse If any virtue It is not to be taken generally for so it contains all It comprehends not moral virtues more than theological but a more special thing By Virtue is not meant an honest life nor faith but virtue is used either for an active power as in the first epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the twenty fourth verse or some notable effect as Galatians the third chapter and the fift verse It is used either in opposition to weaknesse as in the first epistle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the fourty third verse and the second epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter and the ninth verse Virtus mea perficitur in infirmitate or in opposition to fear as in the second epistle to Timothie the first chapter and the seventh verse Not the spirit of fear but of power By Virtue is meant that acrimena sinapis as Christ speaketh If you had faith but as a grain of mustard-seed this is that must be added to faith then shall that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first epistle of John the third chapter and second verse be accomplished in us then we shall say with Christ in the fift chapter of St. Johns Gospel My Father worketh and so doe I and in the first epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter The Holy Ghost worketh all in all Faith hath no act but the act of assent but the true faith is operative Which power of working is called by Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Paul in the first epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter The spirit of faith The life and work of faith with power 〈◊〉 fidei in virtute the second epistle to the Thessalonians the first chapter and the eleventh verse St. Paul saith in the first epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter and the twentieth verse You shall perceive non sermone sed virtute not only a power to talk well but to work they have a form of faith but doe 〈◊〉 virtutem the second epistle to Timothy the third chapter and the fift verse As it betokens a power of doing well so an ability of induring adversity depends on this virtue For want of this Peter foll asleep Matthew the twenty sixt chapter He came afar off when Christ was apprehended and was afraid of a poor Maid So it was with Peter having nothing but faith but when he joyned with his faith virtue then that was fulfilled Luke the twenty fourth chapter and the fourty ninth verse He is indued with power from above Induemini virtute ex alto When he received the power of the holy Ghost Acts the first chapter and the eighth verse then he was bold Acts the fift chapter and the twenty ninth verse The Apostle calls it strength in the inner man Ephesians the third chapter and the sixteenth verse If a man fear death his strength is small Proverbs the twenty fourth chapter and the tenth verse By this virtue Moses feared not 〈◊〉 the eleventh chapter and the twenty third verse As there is modica
of God his Father and so joynt heirs with himself Romans the eighth chapter So Christ saith Ascendo ad Patrem meum Patrem vestrum ad Deum meum Deum vestrum John the twentieth chapter and the seventeenth verse By my death God is made your Father Therefore as a woman travaileth in sorrow but being delivered is glad quia natus est homo So by my death there is a new nativity and you are to be glad that by me you are made the children of God that is by my going away to the Father For the Use as Christ saith of himself non videbitis and again modicum videbitis that is verse the twentieth re shall weep and lament and the world shall rejoyce We are to reckon of the things and persons of this life that is truly said of the modicum videbitis and again modicum non videbitis their continuance is uncertain We have had much peace by the space of fourty one years during which time we saw her which now we see not it was a great time indeed but it was but modicum for a thousand years in Gods sight is but as yesterday Psalm the nintieth As all worldly things are seen for a little time and shortly after are not to be seen So for vado all things in the world are passing they vade passe away as in the first epistle of John and the second chapter The world passeth away The use which we have is the inverting of non 〈◊〉 me videbitis The world saith ye shall see me for a while and within a while ye shall not see me that is the state of the world as in 〈◊〉 the fourteenth chapter Externa gaudia luctus occipit But in Christ the not seeing goeth before and the seeing goeth after that is Psalm the 〈◊〉 Heavinesse goeth before and endures for a night but joy commeth after in the morning But the world setteth on the best wine 〈◊〉 and the worst after but Christ keepeth the best wine till last He that will follow the world shall see some happinesse here and not see after but follow Christ and thou shalt not see here that thou mayest see after Whether of these sights is better the Apostle sheweth in the second epistle to the Corinthians the fourth chapter the things that are seen here are temporal the things that are not seen eternal So that we may have our choyce either to see and not to see or not to see here that we may see hereafter which is better therefore the Psalmists prayer is Let me not see here a little while that I may see eternally So for Vado as we see worldly things a little here and then see them not any more so all worldly things passe and goe but whither the world knoweth not He that seeth not Christ here by the sight of the glasse shall never see him for he goeth to utter dar knesse Vadit ad Judicem non ad Patrem and the smoak of his torment shall ascend continually The godly that have seen Christ shall goe to his Father though through many afflictions seeing Christ saith After a while ye shall not see me to shew that he was mindfull of death We must study and labour that our end be like his that so we may be partakers of his promises I will shew my self to him which was matter of comfort as in the transfiguration That albeit to goe away be a hard way yet we be assured as Christ was that we goe to the Father Whither I goe thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me after John the thirteenth chapter that is to God the Father and to his comfortable presence where we shall have that joy which no man shall take from us John the sixteenth chapter and the twenty second verse Whatsoever joy a man can have here it shall be taken from him but the joy of Gods sight shall never be taken from him We goe to that Father which shall give us an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not the first epistle of Peter the first chapter Adeo provocantes Deum ad indignationem factis suis ut irrumperet in eos plaga donec consistente Pinchaso judicium exercente coercita esset plaga illa Psal. 106. 29.30 THERE is in these two verses mention of the plague And as it is here said the plague was great among them so great as there dyed of it four and twenty thousand Numbers the twenty fift chapter And now God hath laid the same axe to the root of our trees and the same rasor to cut off some of our number Isaiah the seventh chapter and the twenty eighth verse Therefore our state being like theirs while they wandered in the wildernesse Every thing in the Scriptures be written for our instruction Romans the fifteenth chapter We must take direction from this principle what to doe in this case That which is set down touching them is of two sorts First The cause of this plague They provoked God with their inventions Secondly the Cure Phinehas stood up and prayed and it ceased The Cause is double First Their inventions Secondly Gods Anger provoked by them And from these two come both The wrath of God is the 〈◊〉 Cause per quod and their inventions the Cause propter quod So a double Cure Against Gods Anger is opposed as a remedy Prayer and against Inventions the executing of judgement upon these sinners The Prayer is qualified in two sorts First that is Phinehas prayer Secondly He stood up in the cause The first thing to be set down is That sicknesse and mortality of people is causall and not casuall for nothing is more contrary than Chance or Fortune and Judgement For seeing a sparrow cannot light on the ground without Gods providence such is Gods care for them though two of them be sold for a farthing Matthew the tenth chapter it is a senselesse thing to think that ficknesse can befall a man by chance Therefore the Philistims being plagued by God would try whether that disease came of Gods hand or by chance the first book of Samuel the sixth chapter and the ninth verse But the very name of plague signifying originally judgement shews it is no casual thing as in the first epistle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter where he saith They did eat and drink their own judgement that is that many were sick among them and many 〈◊〉 So the mortalitie at Corinth was Gods judgement and so the Latin word plaga being a stripe sheweth the same If a stripe there is a striker so then they are not casual If a Surgeon Physician or Philosopher were to give a reason hereof he will impute the cause to the infection of the aire the putrefaction of the bodies by humors and to conversing one with another and they are good causes of it For so saith God Exodus the ninth chapter and the tenth verse Mases took the ashes of
the furnace and cast them up in the 〈◊〉 and they caused a stink And David in his sicknesse saith Psalm the thirty second His moisture was like the draught in Summer Therefore in the plague of Leprosie Leviticus the thirteenth chapter and the fourty fift verse the Leper was to have his mouth shut up David in that great 〈◊〉 spoken of in the first book of Chronicles the twenty first chapter and the thirtieth verse would have gone to 〈◊〉 but be found he should not feared with the Angel Therefore the servant of God saith Proverbs the fourteenth chapter A wise man 〈◊〉 the plague and shunneth it but the foolish goeth on still But these are not the only causes For besides 〈◊〉 there is some divine thing to be considered for there is no 〈◊〉 but a spirit belongs to it as Luke the thirteenth chapter and the eleventh verse a spirit of infirmity So are we to conceive that besides natural causes there is some spiritual of the sicknesse as 〈…〉 twelfth chapter a destroying Angel So in Davids plague in the second book of Samuel the twenty fourth chapter And 〈◊〉 the thirty seventh chapter and the thirty sixt verse the Angel went forth and slue And Apocalyps the sixteenth chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse The Angels poured out the Vials of the wrath of God and there fell a noysome sore So it is Gods hand that brings in these plagues The cause stands on two parts First Gods wrath 〈◊〉 which all evil things proceed For affliction commeth not from the earth Job the fift chapter and the sixt verse They are sparks of his anger And he is not angry with the waters that they should drown 〈◊〉 the third chapter nor with the aire that it should corrupt but for these things commeth the wrath of God that is for our sinnes 〈◊〉 the fift chapter He doth but make a way to his wrath and then the earth 〈◊〉 up the 〈…〉 Psalm the seventy eighth The sinnes of the people are the cause of Gods wrath Peccata morum goe before peccata humorum There is first corruption of the soul Michah 〈◊〉 first chapter and the third verse All flesh had corrupted their 〈◊〉 Genesis the sixt chapter So there is infection in mens wayes before the streets be infected There is plaga animae the plague in the soul before it appear in the body It is sinne that bringeth sicknesse and death Romans the sixt chapter So they are both joyned Psalm the thirty eighth and the third verse There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne Therefore it is our sinne and infection of the soul that must be looked into If it were some outward cause only it could not be but the plague should stay 〈◊〉 there is so great store of means Jeremiah the eighth chapter Is there no balme in Gilead But he saith Jeremiah the fourty sixt chapter and the eleventh verse Frustra multiplicas medicanda sinne being not taken away physick will doe 〈◊〉 good First the corruption of manners must be holpen and then bodily help will follow Psalm the fourty first Heal my soul for I have sinned against thee And that course our Saviour keeps Matthew the ninth chapter first he saith Thy sinne is forgiven and then Take up thy bed and walk These sinnes he calls inventions Inventions please us greatly and all new things our new omnia better than old Manna Numbers the eleventh chapter But if it be our own inventions then we goe a whoring after it Such is the delight we take in it verse the thirty ninth Our first Parents were of this minde so proud they would not take a rule of life from God but would sicut Dii Genesis the third chapter They set up to themselves graven Images Exodus the 〈◊〉 chapter They have Dii alieni such as their Fathers had Not when men living otherwise then God 〈…〉 I shall have peace Deuteromie the twenty ninth chapter and the 〈◊〉 verse These webbs that we weave our selves and these eggs that we hatch Isaiah the fifty ninth chapter are our confusion and 〈◊〉 God and great reason For Exodus the fifteenth chapter and the twenty sixt verse he saith If thou 〈…〉 to my 〈◊〉 I will lay no disease Ego Dominus 〈◊〉 But if we follow our own inventions we can look for nothing but diseases quid tibi praecipio haec 〈…〉 Deuteronomie the twelfth chapter 〈◊〉 men will be 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 that was Sauls rebellion he would not destroy all as God commanded he was wiser than so But what were these inventions It is said verse the twenty eighth They joyned themselves to Baal 〈◊〉 Numbers the twenty fift chapter that is the sinne of whoring and fornication and that impudently before the congregation committed by Zimry and Cosby It was the adoring of an abhominable Idoll a sinne so grievous as it is said many years after 〈◊〉 not enough of the sinne of Peor Joshuah the twenty second chapter it is a sinne that will not be cleansed at the first And we see daily the sinne of uncleannesse ends with a plague that is infectious For the Cure It is certain As there are natural causes so natural cures of this Diseise 〈◊〉 as some Writers doe hold had this Disease and used not only prayer but a plaister by the Prophets direction Isaiah the fifty eighth chapter But as the cause of the plague is not only natural so here is used a spiritual remedy that is in as much as contrary curantur contrariis viis If the provoking of Gods anger be the Cause of the plague the appeasing of it by prayer must be the Remedy The two remedies are out of the double sense of the word which signifieth prayer and punishing Prayer is an appeaser of Gods wrath not only in other points but in this Numbers the twenty fift chapter They all wept and prayed And David in the second book of Samuel the twenty fourth chapter and the seventeenth verse fled to this remedy I have sinned but these sheep what have they done And Hezekiah being infected with the plague turned himself to the wall Isaiah the thirty eighth chapter And in Salomons prayer the first of the Kings and the eighth chapter where plagues or corrupt agues shall hop here then in heaven And there is a good proportion between this remedy and the disease For if there be a corrupt smell the way to take it away is by the good smell of incense or perfume So as our sinne doth give an evil savour and stink in Gods nostrils so the spiritual incense will remove it and that incense is prayer Psalm the fourty first Therefore the prayers of the Saints are called odours Apocalyps the fift chapter But it must be prayer qualified in two sorts First Phinehas prayer that is the prayer of the Priest So David had Gad to pray for him Hezekiah had Isaiah Lift thou up thy prayer Isaiah the thirty eighth chapter The Corinthians had Gad to pray for them the
first epistle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter The prayers of all the just are available but specially of the elders therefore send for them James the fift chapter A Serjeant Constable or Scrivener by virtue of his office may doe that which a greater man cannot doe so the prayer of a person called to that holy function may prevail more The Priests are appointed to offer up prayers and the calves of the lips Hosea the fourteenth chapter So Genesis the twentieth chapter Abraham is a Prophet and shall pray for thee Leviticus the sixt chapter and the seventh verse he shall pray for thee Orabit pro eo Sacerdos Therefore Hezekiah saith Lift up thou thy prayers Isaiah the thirty eighth chapter And Saint James saith in his fift chapter The prayer of faith made by the Elders shall save the sick The prayer of the just avails much but especially of the elders and Priests for to such a grace is given as in the first epistle to the Corinthians and the fifteenth chapter Gratia data est 〈◊〉 and this grace is not in vain Secondly But it must be oratio cum statione Phinehas stood up and prayed For as in the first epistle to the Corinthians and the eleventh chapter of a woman uncovered judge whether it be a comely thing to sit still in prayer All things in the Church must be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first epistle to the Corinthians the fourteenth chapter We must please and serve God etiam habitu corporis The Angels of God stood before God Job the first chapter The Cherubims stood and hid their faces Isaiah the sixt chapter And millions of Angels stood before the seat Daniel the seventh chapter Therefore we must conclude our sitting is not pleasing to God Sedentes orare extra Discipulum est The other sense is the execution or judgement And it hath a good relation to sinnes They prayed and wept Numbers the twenty fift chapter but that prevailed not till Phinehas executed vengeance upon the sinne but the vengeance being performed by Phinehas the plague ceased verse the eighth So then the wrath of God will cease if people cease to sinne or if Phinehas the Magistrate begin to punish sinne in the people For punishment is of two sorts First Every man in himself is to punish sinne as David smit his heart in the second book of Samuel the twenty fift chapter and the twenty fourth verse and the first epistle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter judge your selves But if not Moses the Magistrate must take vengeance of sinne for if he will not God himself will set his face against that Magistrate Leviticus the twentieth chapter When the people look not at him that strikes them but to natural causes then shall the hand of God be stretched out still Isaiah the ninth chapter and the thirteenth verse The wrath of God for our sinnes being the cause of this plague we must appease him with prayer and repentance If we fail to doe this the devotion of the Priest and the zeal of the Magistrate must look to it else the plague cannot but still increase Amen Amen Addenda Vae vobis Legis interpretibus quoniam sustulistis Clavem cognitionis ipsi non introstis eos qui introibant prohibuistis Luke 11. 52. Octob. 13. 1590. Place this in the beginning of the book next before the Sermon upon Gen. 1. 1. For this was the Bishops first Lecture in Saint Pauls preached as an Introduction to his following discourse upon the four first chapters of Genesis KNOWLEDGE of 〈◊〉 things is compared by our Saviour Christ to a Key 〈◊〉 the eleventh chapter of Luke and the 〈◊〉 second 〈◊〉 as being a thing necessary both to 〈…〉 in this life the way we should walk in 〈◊〉 the second chapter the tenth and 〈…〉 as also for the entrance into the 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 the life to come For which cause holy men in 〈◊〉 have 〈…〉 to this kinde of knowledge Jeremiah the 〈…〉 chapter 〈◊〉 the thirty fourth verse and these have made it 〈◊〉 delight 〈◊〉 the fifty eighth chapter and the thirteenth verse and prefer it before their daily food Job the twenty third chapter and esteem it above all treasures Proverbs the second chapter and the fourth verse But such as are ignorant and know not these thing 〈◊〉 biddeth to goe out and dwell among beasts Cant the first chapter and the seventh verse as if they were not worthy the company of men and therefore Christ weepeth for them Luke the 〈…〉 chapter as if their case were most 〈◊〉 which knew not that they ought Wherefore God hath given 〈◊〉 means and wayes by which we may come to knowledge The one is the 〈◊〉 of the World by the view of his Creatures 〈…〉 hearing of his word by the Ministry of Men. These two are the two great leaves of this gate and way to Heaven which that 〈◊〉 of knowledge must unlock and set wide open that so we may 〈◊〉 enter therein Which two means are spoken of and 〈◊〉 unto us in Psalm the nineteenth the first and the 〈…〉 And St. Paul beginneth his epistle to the Romans with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first chapter the sixteenth and twentieth verses and it was his order in preaching and teaching men the knowledge of God 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 Acts the seventeenth chapter and the twenty third verse These are as it were the two great books of God which he would have known and read of all men For as his written word is called a scroll Ezekiel the third chapter and the second verse so is the frame of the world 〈◊〉 a book or scroll Isaiah the thirty fourth chapter and the fourth verse God spake once and twice saith David Psalm the sixty second and the eleventh verse Once he 〈◊〉 Job by the view of his Creatures Job the thirty eighth chapter and again he spake to Moses on Mount Sinai shewing his will Exodus 20. 1. These then being the two effectual means to attain to knowledge there is no place in the Scripture nor any book therein that doth more lively expresse them both than this book of Genesis which we have in hand For it setteth out to us the word of God by which all things were made fiet and the Word by which all things are increased 〈◊〉 multiplicamini and the word by which all men were corrupted non moriemini and the word whereby all are restored conteret caput Serpentis which is the word of Promise and of Faith We are willed to enquire for the old and good 〈…〉 〈◊〉 sixt chapter and sixteenth verse Christ warranteth that 〈◊〉 sheweth us both Matthew the sixteenth chapter the seventh and eighth verses It is the ancientest in time for it beginneth with the very beginning It is first in order and in place in the 〈◊〉 of Gods book and therefore I have thought it good to enquire of this way Some doe give this reason why John of all other is called the Divine
because he of all others began with the beginning of all John the first chapter This order we see he took of Moses who first telleth of things past from the Creation till his death and foretelleth of things which were to come to passe in the latter end and which the new Testament doth say is fulfilled The knowledge of both these things past and to come God promised to shew to his Church and after it must we seek Isaiah the fourty first chapter and the twenty second verse and these secrets are no where so fully shewed as by Moses in this book If then we intend to get knowledge and with that key to open Heaven dores and to see the glorious Majestie of God let us take this book in hand which hath in it both leaves at large both the knowledge of the Creation of all Gods works and the knowledge of the wisdome and the true word of God But some may demand What will become of Christ and of his Gospel all this while that we are meditating of Moses and Gods works I answer That if Moses did not testifie and teach us of Christ we would account the time lost which we spend in reading him Philippians the third chapter and the eighth verse and we would leave Moses learning that we might only finde Christ. But St. Paul doth assure us Acts the third chapter and the eighteenth verse that all the Prophets from the beginning of the world did speak of him and among all the Prophets it is said We have found him of whom Moses spake John the first chapter and the fourty fift verse even Jesus the sonne of Joseph And more plainly Christ saith John the fift chapter and the fourty sixth verse Moses doth write and testifie of me And this we shall see plainly in all his books to be true both in evident and direct Prophesies and also in dark and mysticall types and figures The second question is touching Moses himself How he being but a man could come to the knowledge of such secret things which were hidden from other natural men besides being supernatural and beyond mens reach I answer As we cannot have knowledg of a strange Country where we never were but by report or by Letter or relation sent from some which dwell therein so we can have no notice or certain knowledge of God and his kingdome unlesse God first by his letter written make relation thereof to us Has quidem literas dedit Deus Moses attulit God was the writer Moses the Messenger of these holy Writts many things no doubt were taught by instruction and received by tradition from the Patriarchs before as wee see in the fift chapter of Genesis and the twenty ninth verse for so Lamech knew from his fathers that the Earth was accursed by God as it is in the eighteenth chapter of Genesis and the twenty seventh verse Abraham knew from his Ancestors that he was made of dust and ashes Adam leaving it to his posterity as Abraham did teach his family that God revealed to him Genesis the eighteenth chapter and the ninteenth verse But though many things came to knowledge by this meanes yet de eo tempore scribere de quo non erat is a strange matter some may say but wee answer that this was done either knowing it by that pattern which hee saw in the Mount or else by the voice and spirit of God speaking and talking with him to teach him the so things that is hee must needs come by it by the Eye that is by vision or else by the Eare that is by Revelation For as all Scriptures came by inspiration the first of Peter and the first chapter so 〈◊〉 this booke of Moses who writ it not of his own privat motion but by the heavenly direction of the spirit of God And therefore Moses might say as Daniel did Daniel the second chapter and the twenty eighth verse It is not I that can reveal secrets but there is a God of Heaven which declareth them Moses was but the pen of that God did speak If any then shall move that question Matthew the twenty first chapter and the twenty fift verse The Doctrine of Moses whether it is from Heaven or of men We answer That it is of God and from Heaven 〈…〉 hereby appear because he was so publickly and manifestly 〈◊〉 with God and had often and long company and conference with him all Israel seeing him to goe up to the Lord. If any object that Heathens have pretended as much of their Laws and 〈◊〉 they have delivered Moses is able to 〈◊〉 him self from 〈…〉 because this thing was not done in a 〈◊〉 but in the view and before the face of all Israel and that not in a Cave or Den as they but in the top of Mount 〈◊〉 which made that 〈◊〉 of all Israel 〈◊〉 his time ever made any doubt or question 〈◊〉 but still 〈◊〉 him the servant of God 〈…〉 he called them 〈◊〉 and rebellious men Deuteronomie the ninth chapter and the ninth verse And as none durst call his truth in question so they which resisted as Korah and Dathan did were grievously punished by the hand of God And so were Appian and Julian plagued for their blasphemy which scoff and deride these holy Books For so saith Moses to his accusers Numbers the sixteenth chapter the twenty eigth and twenty ninth verses Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to speak these words if these dye not the death of all men c. Another reason to prove that his writings came from Heaven is his Rod and the miracles which God caused him to doe to confirm these things which he spake and wrote which miracles even the Heathen Chronicles doe confesse to this day Last of all Mens writings and books savour of passions and imperfections incident to men Moses is not of self-love partial to himself nor vain-glorious seeking any praise For in his writing he spareth not his own Father Exodus the thirty second chapter and the twenty seventh verse he spareth not Idolatry in his brother nor his sister Cozbies fault no nor his own fault of unbelief for which he confesseth that he could not enter into the promised Land Deuteronomie the thirty second chapter Seeing then all that is of the flesh and earth is flesh and savoureth earthly things this sheweth that Moses writing came from Gods spirit For Moses in all the warres he waged and in all the Laws he wrote he never ascribeth any thing but to the glory of God which gave them by his means exhorting to nothing but this That by holy obedience we should seek his praise The conclusion therefore must be this That seeing it is the infallible word of God sent from Heaven and not invented by men Why doe we not then with all reverence hear him and with all diligence beleeve him as a Prophet sent from God especially seeing it is threatned concerning him by name That whosoever
considered that considering how God hath plagued them in the Devil we should beware that we fall not into the like sinnes Touching the Curse of God As it is the first so the greatest part of this Sentence And is a punishment most fearfull for all men doe abhorre to be cursed and to incurre the displeasure of a man much more of God whose word is his deed so that he no sooner speaks but it is done Jacob was loth to doe any thing to deceive his Father because so saith he I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Genesis the twenty seventh chapter Indeed as the Wise-man speaks the curse that is causelesse and proceeds from foolish people shall not light upon a man Proverbs the twenty sixt chapter and the second verse But if a godly man such as Jacob and Isaac were doe curse it shall not fail but come to passe Much more shall the curse of God take effect for it shall come into a mans bowels like water and like oyle into his bones Psalm the hundred and ninth the seventeenth verse For the meaning of this Curse the Holy Gohst hath set down a large commentary in 〈◊〉 the twenty eighth chapter and in Leviticus the twenty sixt chapter and the Prophet saith Gods curse is a flying book twenty cubits long and ten cubits braad containing the curse that gotth over the whole earth 〈◊〉 the fift chapter and the third verse It is a book written within and without with lamentations mournings and woes Ezekiel the second chapter By these places it appeareth how large Gods Curse is in respect of this life But if with this we joyn that which Christ addeth concerning the life to come that is everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Matthew the twenty fift chapter his curse will appear to be farre more large Secondly There is no malediction but in regard of some evill The evill that procured this curse unto the Devill was the evill of his malice which he shewed not only in speaking evill of God but in seeking to destroy man both in body and soul And his malice appears herein because he did those things being not provoked thereunto and for that he did it without any 〈◊〉 to himself As the Devill is malicious so are all they that are of that evill one Cain had no other cause to hate his Brother and to slay him but because his works were righteous and his own evill in the first epistle of John the third chapter and the twelfth verse The 〈◊〉 persecuted Christ not for any evill that they found in him worthy of death but only of envy Mark the fifteenth chapter and the tenth verse Thus to sinne of malice is a thing so displeasing unto God as albeit he did in mercy forgive men when they sinned through frailty yet he will punish their own inventions Psalm the ninty ninth and the eighth verse and therefore against such the Prophet prayeth Be not mercifull to those that offend of malicious wickednesse Psalm the fifty ninth and the fifth verse But consume them utterly in thy wrath that they may perish verse the thirteenth Where the Lord saith Cursed art thou and not be thou he sheweth that the curse commeth not from God but from the Devils malice and so whatsoever misery betideth us it is nothing else but the sparkles of our own sinnes Job the fift chapter and the ninth verse and as the Psalmist saith They are the dreggs of Gods wrath Psalm the seventy fift for as the Prophet speakes Wee our 〈◊〉 batch the 〈◊〉 egge that is sinne and the Serpent that is bred of this egge is the curse of God inflicted upon us both in this life and the life to come We doe first by sinne as it were cast the seed and the crop that we 〈◊〉 is all manner of misery and calamity Isaiah the fifty ninth chapter and in Justice God doth reward us thus for the wages of sinne is not only punishment with sicknesse povertie and such like in this world but hereafter with eternall death and destruction both of body and soul Romans the sixth chapter the twenty third verse In that God speaks by way of comparison Cursed art thou 〈◊〉 all beasts he doth not drop a curse upon the Serpent but as Daniel speaks the curse is 〈◊〉 upon him Daniel the ninth chapter and the eleventh verse And that this curse was verified in the visible Serpent appears hereby that not only Men but even all beasts doe shun the Serpent as a Creature principally accursed of God much more it is true in the invisible Serpent the 〈◊〉 for not only the godly but even the wicked that are of their Father the Devill 〈…〉 stick to curse him The visible Serpent being an unreasonable creature could not be so malicious But the invisible Serpent the more policie he hath the more pernitious and hurtfull he is 〈◊〉 he is so malicious that as he himself is fallen from his first estate and hath plunged himself in the bottom of Hell so he laboureth to bring all men into the same estate therefore thus was his malice rewarded Now to the two other branches of this Sentence where we shall finde two 〈◊〉 punishments for two sorts of sinnes for pride must have a 〈◊〉 and lust must loath and we shall see that they are both rewarded accordingly as Salomon saith That Pride goeth before dejection Proverbs the sixteenth chapter and the eighth verse So the Devil having 〈◊〉 himself must be thrown down to creep upon the ground for it is great equity that he that would fly should creep And as it was meet that glory should end in shame Philippians the third chapter so is it as meet that God should punish inordinate last with loathsomnesse And this is the course of Gods Justice as the Wise-man saith in Proverbs the twentieth chapter and the seventeenth verse The bread that is gotten by deceipt is sweet but at the last it will fill the mouth with gravel All the sinnes of the world may he reduced to these two that is The desire of greater glory than God hath appointed to us And of greater pleasure than is lawfull for us First we are to inquire How the first of these two punishments is verified in the visible Serpent for we know that all Creatures saving Man are dejected and creep as it were upon their belly and as one saith 〈◊〉 their breast between their feet only man being lift up with his countenance is taught not to set his minde upon earth but to meditate upon heavenly things But as Jonathan went of all four when he climbed up to the rock upon his hands and feet the first book of Samuel the fourteenth chapter and the thirteenth verse so doth man somtime grovel and creep upon earth when he is earthly minded But the difference that is between the Serpent and other beasts is this The Serpent having no legs lyeth flat upon his belly and is therefore
And Christ saith My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me John the fourth chapter by which is signified the delight and contentment of the minde So whatsoever the Serpent delights in that he may be said to eat and seed upon Secondly this word implyeth not only a delight but a devouring and a destroying as in the Prophets it is said The sword and famine shall devour the second book of Samuel the third chapter and the twenty sixt verse not that it can devour but is a means to consume and destroy This eating the Apple ascribes to the Devil when he saith of him That he goeth about seeking whom he may devour the first epistle of Peter the fift chapter and therefore he is said to stand by ready to devour the child so soon as it should be brought forth Apocalyps the twelfth chapter that is there is none so soon born anew in the Church of spirit and water but the Devil seeks presently to kill it And in 〈◊〉 two points standeth the spiritual eating of the invisible Serpent For the dust which is appointed for his food there is a spiritual thing correspondent also to it for where God promiseth unto Abraham Thy seed shall be as the dust Genesis the thirteenth chapter and as the starres of Heaven Genesis the twenty second chapter upon these places the Fathers gather That of Abraham should come both a dusty and earthly generation not expressing the faith and obedience of Abraham and also a heavenly generation that should shine and give light to the world as it were starres with the purenesse of their life And David saith plainly That the ungodly art as dust Psalm the first for whatsoever lyeth along upon the earth will 〈◊〉 dust the earth it self being without moisture turneth to dust so that the least winde that comes bloweth it away So the idle person that lyeth along and hath no vocation to follow doth gather dust and is subject to be scattered with the wind And they that somtime had some moisture and dew from Heaven if they lose it so as their soul waxe dry Numbers the eleventh chapter the Devil will send them a winde that shall carry them away for his delight is to be in dry places Matthew the twelfth chapter and in places without moisture Luke the eleventh chapter The winde wherewith they shall be carried away is every winde of doctrine Ephesians the fourth chapter Therefore we must beware that we be not clouds without water as Jude calls the wicked verse the twelfth and that we fall not from our own stedfastnesse the second epistle of Peter the third chapter and the first verse which we cannot chuse but doe if we loath prayer and other spiritual exercises whereby the dew of Heaven doth descend upon us And as it is in Religion so also in matter of the Common-wealth wherein we shall finde that this drynesse is a cause of much evil for those light and idle persons which Jerohoam took unto himself turned to his destruction the second book of Chronicles and the thirteenth chapter Seeing the Devil delights in these dry souls and loose parts of the earth how is it a punishment laid upon him to feed on them It is indeed a punishment he would have other meat for so soon as 〈◊〉 is borne anew by regeneration the Devil is ready to devout the childe Apocalyps the twelfth chapter So he would have devoured Christ himself Matthew the fourth chapter So he desired to have sed on Job and all other godly men which are the starres of Heaven But he is excluded from that food and is to feed only upon the wicked who being dry and destitute of the grace of God are fitly compared to the dust And as the Devil himself is accursed so they that are allotted to him for food are cursed Children the second epistle of Peter the second chapter Thirdly It is said all the dayes of thy life This punishment is laid upon him as God speaks here because thou hast done this upon him not as he is the red Lyon but the Tempter as he is a spirit he is immortal and hath no end of life but the dayes of his temptation shall have an end at the comming of Christ to judgement as he is the red Dragon condemned in Hell he hath no end but shall goe into everlasting fire where he shall have no end of torment The Dragon the old Serpent is loose but for a little season but after he shall be bound and cast into the bottomlesse pit Apocalyps the twentieth chapter the second and third verses Here is matter of admonition That we avoid those sinnes which we see so severely punished by God in the invisible Serpent especially Malice in speaking evil of God and hurting our neighbours Then to beware of Pride which God doth punish with basenesse Lastly to detest the prosecuting of our own inordinate lust because that will deprive us of the blessed food so as we shall have nothing to feed upon but the dust We must not putrifie in idlenesse but get up and take our strength unto us and cherish the moisture and dew of Heaven which we have received Isaiah the fifty second chapter So here is matter of faith and comfort for this Curse pronounced by God upon the Devil turns to a blessing to us For Adam and Eve had cause of comfort seeing that God took their fall wrought by the Devil so grievously God here professeth himself an enemy to the 〈◊〉 that was and is our enemy and so giveth us hope that howsoever we by his perswasion are fallen from our first estate yet he will be mercifull to us Praeterea inimicitiam pono inter te mulierem hanc similiter que inter semen tuum semen hujus Gen. 3. 15. Jul. 2. 1598. IN this verse we have the second part of the Sentence given by God upon the Serpent The former part concerned the Serpent himself but this part hath respect also to us and is much more grievous unto him than the other three branches And it is that which he doth most hardly digest Concerning which as it directly containeth a Commination and Curse so as we must acknowledge it to be Gods doing and to be marvellous in our eyes Psalm the hundred and eighteenth In this Curse is 〈◊〉 a singular Blessing and in this 〈◊〉 we have a great and pretious promise the second epistle of Peter the first chapter and the fourth verse Touching this verse nothing can be spoken good enough seeing upon it the new Testament hath his foundation and that all the rest or the Scripture is nothing else but a Commentary upon it for there beginneth a new creation of all things and the new 〈◊〉 which the Apostle speaks of in the second epistle to the 〈◊〉 the fift chapter and the sevententh verse For seeing the world which was lately created by God was presently corrupted by the malice of the Serpent it hath pleased God
to the woman and her seed Here the wisdom of God doth observe a wonderfull proportion between the Devils fault and the punishment Before his evil speaking was rewarded with curse his Pride with creeping his Lust with loathsome feeding on the dust and here that visor and shew of friendship whereby he tempted our first Parents to transgresse Gods Commandement is taken away by open hostility He made a great shew of love and good will to Adam and Eve and as one saith howsoever he were indeed a cruel adversary yet he pretended himself in outward shew to be a faithfull Counsellor But this preposterous agreement of theirs with Hell and death Isaiah the twenty ninth chapter is broken off by God himself who instead of the Devils love fained saith I will put open enmity between thee and the woman By the successe which our Parents had of the Devils fained good will it is easie to be seen that no temptation is so dangerous as that which is offered by way of compassion and friendship and therefore when Peter said to Christ in Matthew the sixteenth chapter and the twenty second verse Master pitie thy self Christs answer was Get thee behinde me Sathan and therefore God useth to plague such preposterous loves and wicked agreements with deadly hatred So God punished the 〈◊〉 of Abimlech and the men of Sichem with bitter hatred for he sent an evil spirit between them which made them break their promise made to Abimelech Judges the ninth chapter and the twenty third verse The end of the preposterous love which Ammon bare to Thamar was such as his hatred wherewith he hated her after was greater than ever his love was the second book of Samuel the thirteenth chapter and the fifteenth verse So Judas having made a wicked compact with the high-Priests and Scribes to betray Christ into their hands was rejected of them after What is that to us Look thou to that Matthew the twenty seventh chapter Touching the enmity between the Serpent and the woman three things are here set down by God First that it shall be personall between thee and the woman Secondly it shall be mortal enmity such as shall never be forgotten but the Posterity shall continue it between thy seed and hers Thirdly it shall be a mortal and deadly hatred the woman and her seed shall break the Serpents head Further when God saith not only that thus it shall be but that he himself will be the Author of this enmity as he saith I will put we are to consider two things First That God himself is the ruler and stirrer up of our inward affections that he is not only the searcher of our hearts Acts the first chapter but the turner of mens hearts Proverbs the twenty first chapter for so he turned the Kings heart toward Esther and gave her favour with him Esther the fift chapter When a mans wayes please the Lord he will turn the hearts of his enemies so that they shall be his friends Proverbs the sixteenth chapter and the seventh verse Thus he turneth mens mindes both in good and evil things When the Serpent and our Parents conspired together in that which was evil God turned their hearts and made them hate one another So when all People and Nations that were escaped our of the flood conspired to build a Tower God himself counfounded and scattered them Genesis the eleventh chapter So as he is the God of peace in good things so in evil things he will be the God of discord and therefore he saith I came to send a sword on earth Matthew 10. Secondly As by these words he sheweth that all our affections are in his hand so he teacheth us that where he proclaimeth enmity we ought not to compound or make any peace Because God saith I will put enmity between the Serpent and the seed of the woman therefore we must not make any league with the Devil sinne the world or our own lusts but wrestle or be at warre with them continually The persons between whom this enmity is proclaimed is the Serpent and the Woman which must first be literally understood of the visible Serpent for that Creature of all other doth strike a terror into man when he seeth him so that presently man is inflamed with hatred against the Serpent Here this question ariseth Whether this antipathy that is naturally between Man and the Serpent were before the Curse or only after The answer is That there was a hatred between them from the beginning as of the Wolf with the Lamb and the Lyon Isaiah the eleventh chapter and Isaiah the sixty seventh chapter but this hatred did not shew it self between them but was stayed with the same grace by which man should have been preserved from death if he had not sinned There is an antipathy between the body of man and fire so as the one is apt to destroy the other as by grace this was stayed in the three Children that were call into the furnace Daniel the ninth chapter Water would naturally drown the body of man being heavy but by grace nature is stayed as when Peter walked upon the water Matthew the fourteenth chapter And the Lyon is a beast given to devour being naturally hatefull but when Daniel was cast into the Lyons den God by his grace preserved the Prophet so as the Lyons had no power of him Daniel the sixt chapter So the hatred that is in man toward the Serpent naturally did not shew it self in the Creation as it doth now that man is fallen from his Innocencie The same is also verified in the invisible Serpent if we compare spirituall things with spirituall in the first epistle to the Corinthians the second chapter For though Adams wife were in regard of sin rather the mother of the dead than of the living as she is called in the third chapter of Genesis and the twentieth verse yet for the hope of life which God doth offer unto us in this feed Adam calleth her not amisse The mother of the living for that she was a resemblance of the Church within All that will be pertakers of Salvation must be born anew to lead a spirituall life For in the twelfth chapter of the Apocalyps the Church is compared to a woman with Child and the Devil to a Dragon persecuting the woman to shew the spirituall enmity that is between the Devill and the faithfull between whom God doth here forerell there shall be perpetuall hostility The seed of the woman principally and by way of eminency is Christ as St. Paul expounds it in the third chapter to the Galatians and the Church which is called Christ in the first epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter and the twelfth verse doth by the preaching of the word conceive a spirituall seed and travail till she have brought forth Galatians the fourth chapter and the old Serpent of whom Christ faith in the eighth chapter of St. John You are of your father the Devil
hath no doubt a seed that is the wicked which are his Children which are alwaies at warre with the seed of the Church As the seed of Serpents doth prove to be Serpents so for that wicked men are the seed of the old Serpent Christ calls them Serpents Matthew the twenty third chapter and because Judas was the child of the Devil therefore Christ calleth him a Devil John the sixth chapter the seventieth verse The reason why the wicked are called Serpents is because they stop their cares like Serpents and will not hear the voyce of the 〈◊〉 salm the fifty eighth because they sharpen their tongues like Serpents and hide Adders poyson under their lips Psalm the hundred and fourtieth that is blaspheme God and speak evil of men So 〈◊〉 as the Elect are the seed of the woman spiritual so the wicked and 〈◊〉 are the cursed seed of the spiritual Serpent And God pronounceth that there shall be perpetual hostility between them There is a corrupt seed Isaiah the first chapter and the fourth verse The other a holy seed Isaiah the sixth chapter and the thirteenth verse Our Saviour expounds the good seed to be the children of the kingdome and the cockle to be the children of the world Matthew the thirteenth chapter and the thirty eighth verse The Apostle compares the children of God and the children of the Devil together the first epistle of John the third chapter and the tenth verse between these is that perpetual enmity that is here spoken of The same is between the Church of God Acts the twentieth chapter and the Synagoue of Sathan Apocalyps the twenty ninth chapter between the two Cities the Citie of God whose foundation is upon the holy hill Psalm the eighty seventh and great Babylon Psalm the hundred thirty seventh and Apocalyps the eighteenth chapter between the two Camps or Tents whereof the Prophet speaks that is the Tabernacles of the Lord God of Hostes and the Tents of the ungodly Psalm the eighty fourth This enmity is within every one of us as Peter speaks Abstain from fleshly lusts which wage warre against the soul the first epistle of Peter the second chapter and the eleventh verse We wrestle not with flesh and blood but with spiritual wickednesse Ephesians the sixth chapter therefore he saith The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to overthrow strong holds the second epistle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter and the fourth verse And the thing that God aimeth at is that there be not only an enmity between these two Cities and Camps but that this enmity be perpetual and send at the least to the killing of sinne and to the vanquishing of Sathan So soon as this Sentence was given there was enmity between Cain the seed of the Serpent who was of the evil one the first epistle of John the third chapter and the twelfth verse and Abel who was spiritually be gotten by the Church of the seed of the world Genesis the fourth chapter Ismael and Isaac the one being born after the flesh the other after the spirit persecuted one another Galatians the fourth chapter He that was of the Serpents seed mocked and derided the seed of the woman Genesis the twenty first chapter and the ninth verse Jacob and Esau being divers seeds the one hated the other and vowed to kill the other Genesis the twenty seventh chapter and the fourty first verse Lastly This enmity was practised between the Church of God Apocalyps the twelfth chapter and the Synagogue of Sathan Apocalyps the nineteenth chapter Of these spiritual Combats the Scripture hath many examples and therefore it is called The book of the warres of the Lord Numbers the twenty first chapter and the fourteenth verse The Serpent deserved to have been utterly destroyed and God who calleth things that were not as if they were Romans the fourth chapter and the seventeenth verse was able to have destroyed him at least to have chained him up that he might not trouble his servants as he will at the last day Apocalyps the twentieth chapter and the tenth verse but the Councel of God in suffering him still to practise his malice against us is for our good that we should be still exercised and kept in a warre for as Christ saith What thanks is it Luke the sixth chapter and thirty second verse and what praise is it to obtain eternal life the first epistle of Peter the second chapter and the twentieth verse unlesse in this life we doe somthing towards it The Apostle saith No man is crowned except he strive aright the second epistle to Timothy the second chapter and the fifth verse Therefore God hath appointed us an enemy that is the Devil whom we must continually fight with If we resist his allurements by pleasure and his terrors in oppressing us with crosses we shall at the length be crowned with the crown of life and then he will according to his promise tread down Sathan under our foot so that he shall not trouble us any more Romans the sixteenth chapter and the twentieth verse But in the mean time he is opposed against us by the wise Councel of God as an enemy that we should continually strive against him As this is a threatning to the Devil so it is a promise in respect of us and that a promise of grace to be shewed us that are of the seed or the woman without which grace we cannot strive with the Serpent nor once conceive any desire to resist him And therefore if we have any desire to resist the Devil and his temptations it is not of any natural power of our selves but the grace of Gods spirit working in us who saith I will put enmity between thy seed and the woman Whereupon whereas the Apostle saith that by reason of the continual rebellion that is between the flesh and the spirit we cannot doe that we would Galatians the fifth chapter and the seventeenth verse Augustine saith that yet we are bound to thank God that he gives us his spirit to stirre us up to the resisting of the flesh and the corrupt lusts thereof for hereby he perform his promise which he makes in this place And except we had the grace of his spirit it were impossible for us but that we should be at agreement with the flesh and like well of the temptations thereof for naturally we are given to make league with bell and death Isaiah the twenty ninth chapter and the fifteenth verse to be friends with our 〈◊〉 and worldly lusts which doe still solicite and perswade us to break Gods Commandement and Law And if by the special grace of God he work in us some dislike of our flesh and the corruption thereof for a time yet this is not perpetual and though it did continue perpetually yet it is not 〈◊〉 mortal and to the death for we never labour to kill sinne and to 〈◊〉 the old man utterly but all that
we can doe is to bruise his head And many are so 〈◊〉 from that that they fetch balmes and oyntments to heal his head so soon as it is wounded Instead of treading him under our 〈◊〉 many doe tread under their feet the Law and word of God as Samuel speaks in the first book of Samuel the fifteenth chapter and the twenty third verse and tread under feet the blood of the Covenant Hebrews the tenth chapter and the twenty ninth verse which God appoints as a means to 〈◊〉 us in this fight By nature we are enemies to God and to the crosse of Christ Philippians the third chapter and the eighteenth verse except God vouchasafe us the benefit of this promise and make this enmity between the Devil and us We see this enmity was fulfilled between the Devil and Christ that was the seed of the woman for they say What have we to doe with thee Jesus Matthew the eighth chapter and the twenty ninth verse and between him and the wicked Jews which were of the Serpents seed which said to Christ Behold a glutton and a wine drinker a friend to Publicans and sinners Matthew the eleventh chapter and the nineteenth verse And thus still the Devill and his generation doe oppose themselves against Christ and the faithfull that are born anew of the immortal seed of the word the first epistle of Peter the first chapter and the twenty third verse But as for the ungodly the Devil doth never disturb them for in them the strong armed man bath 〈◊〉 full possession so as all that he hath is in peace Luke the eleventh chapter and the twenty second verse And the Devil doth no sooner hold up his hand to them but they are ready to doe whatsoever he will But he that hath not his part in this hostility and spiritual conflict with the Serpent shall have no part in the promise of victory which is made to the godly Hoc conteret tibi caput tu autem conteres buic calcaneum Gen. 3. 15. Aug 10. 1598. IN this last part of the Curse pronounced by God upon the Serpent there are two points First a proclaiming of warre Secondly a promise of Victory the summe whereof is the breaking of the Serpents head as the holy Ghost speaks here or as the Apostle saith in the first epistle of John and the third chapter the loosing of the works of the Devil In the proclaiming of enmity we have to consider First the enmity it self Secondly the persons between whom it shall be Touching the enmity we shewed first That it is kindly that preposterous love and amity should end in hatred and mortal enmity as it fell out between the Serpent and the woman Secondly That God is the author of this enmity who saith of himself I will put enmity Whereupon we gather That as God is the stirrer up of all affections so especially of that hatred which is between good and evil 〈◊〉 and error between Babel and Sion the Tents of the godly and the wicked as they are opposed in the eighty fourt Psalm And therefore as it is Christs rule That no man should separate that which God hath joyned Matthew the nineteenth chapter so where God promiseth that he will 〈◊〉 the wicked and the godly let no man seek to conjoyn them nor make peace when his will is there should be mortal hatred and warre The persons are the Woman and the Serpent By the Woman is meant not Eve as she is the mother of them that dye but the Church which is signified by her in regard whereof she is called The mother of the living Genesis the third chapter and the twentieth verse As allo the bodily Serpent is not meant but the Devil that old Serpent The first thing then to be noted in the persons is That as there is naturally a hatred between the Woman and the visible Serpent so God threatneth this as a punishment to be laid upon the Devil That there shall be continual warre and harred between him and the Church Secondly This enmity shall not be for a time for he contents not himself to say I will put enmity between thee and the Woman but that it shall continue between their seed that is it shall be hereditary to abide till the worlds end so long as God hath a Church By the seed of the Woman is understood the faithfull that are born and begotten in the Church which is the mother of us all Galatians the fourth chapter By the Serpents seed is meant the wicked whom Christ calls Serpents and a generation of Vipers Matthew the twenty third chapter and the thirty third verse Thirdly It shall be no light harred but deadly and mortal for it shall proceed to grinde one another to powder The hatred which the Church beareth towards the Devil is such as shall break his head in peeces as an earthen vessel is broken so that it shall not be fit for any use not so much as to fetch fire in any peece of it Isaiah the thirtieth chapter and the fourteenth verse Wherefore touching this former part As it is a great punishment for a proud man to have them set before him whom he thinks to be farre under him so for as much as the Devil hold us captive at his will the second epistle to Timothy and the second chapter it is a grievous curse which God layeth upon him that we shall not only be set at libetry from him but have the mastery over him and trample him under our feet Secondly for our selves As it is a blessing for a man not to be deceived of him whom he thinks to be his friend so God vouchsafeth us a great blessing in that he promiseh to ftirre up in us a hatred against sinne and the Devil so that we shall not make a league with hell nor an agreement with death Isaiah the twenty eighth chapter but shall still be at enmity with him Contrari wise if we make truce with the Devil and please our selves in our sinnes then are we accursed and like the fool that laugheth when he is lead to the Stocks to receive correction Proverbs the seventh chapter Thirdly It is a general Prophecie That if God 〈◊〉 not enmity between us and the Serpent in this life he will set enmity between us and himself in the life to come so that we shall say How have we hated instruction and our hearts despised correction proverbs the fift chapter and the twelfth verse Sinne goeth down sweetly but in the end it will bite like a Serpent Proverbs the twenty third chapter and the thirty second verse Thus we see that because we did abuse that general peace that was between us and the Creatures God hath thought it necessary to stirr up war between us so that we shall have the Devil an adversary to us And as he tempted us to evil so we shall still be enemies to him God indeed might easily have destroyed the Devil for causing us
ninth verse he is brought forth of his Goal and arraigned having his indictment and accusation laid against him and he is permitted to speak for himself in the tenth verse he pleadeth not guilty alledging reasons why in the eleventh verse God traverseth the cause by joyning issue with him and in the twelfth verse we have seen his confession and his allegation why sentence should not proceed against him Now in this the other party guilty which was accused before is brought to her triall in which for the Judicials and manner of proceeding the generall intent of God is not only to convent before him a Malefactor but not to give over untill he hath found out the principall that is to finde who hath been chief in the trespass and as some say to make diligent search whose hand was deepest and most 〈◊〉 in this offence In Physick we are taught to search to the bottom and goe to the Core In Logick we are taught to bring and reduce every thing that is said or reasoned upon unto the principall action or rule by which it is scanned In Divinitie it is a point especially materiall as our Saviour Christ saith to goe to the beginning and first institution of things to see how it was then And this is Gods course in judgment to find out the principall and chiefe cause of evill things which are committed The way and manner of finding this out is by inquirie and by way of interrogations ministring interrogations unto him for all crimes and sinnes being works of darkness and therefore as much as may be hid and concealed from apearing in the light and sight of men therefore the praise and labor of a Judge is to finde and search it out that being brought to light ill works may be reproved the third of John and the twenty first verse For this cause this duty is enjoyned by God to all Judges after two waies the thirteenth of Deuteronomie and the fourteenth verse ut perscrutarentur interrogarent that by search and diligent inquirie the truth might be boulted out It is the course to be taken in the case of murder the twenty first of Deuteronomie and the fourth verse In the case of adultry the fisth of Numbers and the fourteenth verse In the matter of theft the twenty second chapter of Exodus and the eighth verse 1 Reg. 8. 31. And it is the course which may be holden in any Crime or Cause whatsoever that upon good and sufficient presumptions and detections they may proceed to inquire diligently and the party called in question is bound to make answer to purge and cleanse himself which is suspected or accused for this is the ground and foundation on which God frameth his action against Eve Adam saith that thou his wife diddest intice perswade him to eate thereof The question therefore which I demande of thee is why hast thou done this And this is that to which she is bound to answer Now if we looke to her answer which she maketh unto the interrogatorie propounded to her we shall see it very frivolous for God asketh quare and she answereth to quis Some think that it was for fear or shame or else as others say for the defect of a right and a true cause For well may one alledge the tempter and occasion which moved or sollicited us to sin but otherwise no right or proper cause of sin can be assigned But howsoever it is we must take her answer as it is First we see that she is not mute or silent but knoweth how to shape an ill answer and to make an excuse as well as her husband God saith in the fiftieth Psalme and the one and twentieth verse because I held my tongue and envyed no more against mens sin therefore the Devill hare Eve in hand that Adams excuse went for good payment and put God to silence as if it had been so full an answer to God as that he could say no more against him and therefore seeing that held so well he perswadeth the woman to take the same course for we shall perceive that both her and her answer are so like as if they had been framed in one forge for the like pride we see in both which will not seem so ill as they are but doe lay the fault upon another to excuse themselves Secondly the method and form of answering is alike and even the same in both their answers but the substance and matter of the excuse is not one and the same for Adams excuse was his wife Eve but her excuse is the Serpent so that if we compare Adams answer and Eves together we shall see in what they agree and wherein they differ both of their confessions are extort and indirect both are maimed and unperfect and neither of them can plainly say peccavi c. Usus Out of which we learn that both these came from one Schoolmaster Sathan the Author Accuser and Procter of all sinne and he doth mankind more hurt when he is an Advocate and Proctor giving us counsel how to defend and excuse our sinne than when he is an accuser accusing us of sin to God the Judge of all because when the Devill is only an accuser against us Christ will be our Advocate to plead our cause for us and an Intercessor and Mediator for us to his Father and he being on our side we need not fear though he Devill be against us But if we entertain the Devill for our Proctor Christ will be a 〈◊〉 Judge against us to condemne us and oppose himself to the Devill Therefore the Devill careth not what excuse we alledge though they lay the blame of their sinne upon him he is content to beare it rather than they should confesse their sin plainly and make Christ their Advocate To cover and conceale sinne is a double sinne and not to confesse it plainly is partly pride and presumption or else servile fear and dispaire fearing lest they should confesse all to God as though he had not goodnesse or mercy enough to forgive them or else they conceale it of pride presuming that God cannot see and finde out that which they dissemble and hide from the eyes of men So we see that it is a compound sinne though the woman be in impari sexu yet she is pari superbiâ as proud as he and as farre dead in hiding and dissembling sinne as he and as well able to say for herself as he A difference of Confessing finnes thus pride maketh men ashamed to confesse or else so to confesse that one may see a plain difference between the confession of a proud and a poor humble sinner between the confession of the good and faithfull and the evill Infidells Between Sauls confession and Davids Sauls confession smelleth of pride in the first booke of Samuell fifteenth and the thirtieth verse Peccavi saith he sed honora me That is he would so confesse his sin that he might keepe
this Judgement here is not only a conjunction of mercy and justice but here mercie triumpheth over justice for though God depriveth us of this tree yet he planteth a better the seed whereof giveth a fruit better than of that that is of eternal life Zecharie in his third chapter the eight verse telleth you that the branch of this tree is his servant He is the green tree spoken of in the twenty third of Luke the thirty first verse And the right of them that doe his commandement is to be ingrafted in this tree of life Revelations 22. 14. and in the second of the same book the seventh verse Christ is called that tree of life in the Paradise of God Ne jam The ancient Fathers out of ne jam lest now he put forth his hand doe gather that though he were now debarred to put forth his hand and take of that tree of life yet God gives him comfort that yet hereafter he should not be debarred of the putting out of his hand to take hold of the other tree of life Jesus Christ. Mans pride God saith here that Man would be like one of us such was his pride and disobedience Christs humility to help that the Sonne of God will be like one of us such was his love and humility The Fathers upon the fiftieth of Esay the sixth verse say that Christ was Vir doloris he was smitten scoffed and spit upon like one of us He was tempted in all things sinne excepted like one of us the fourth to the Hebrews the fifteenth verse though he were not subject to our infirmities yet was he subject to our passions he lived he suffered he dyed like one of us Ecce homo God saith here of Adam in his judgement Ecce homo and 〈◊〉 in Christs judgement saith Ecce homo behold the man So that God became man like one of us to meet with this that Adam would be like God He suffered all miserie like one of us And he himself bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being delivered from sinne might live in righteousnesse the first Epistle of Peter the second chapter the fourth verse In a word behold the Sonne of God is become like one of us that we may become like unto him and hath sound in himself the tryall of our infirmities He I said is become like one of us according to that place in the 17. of Johns Gospel 21. verse which are Christs own words that as I am in the Father and the Father in me so you all may be also one in us and in the twenty fourth verse there following Christ saith Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me even where I am This then is here the separation of us from God but by Christ we are reunited into Christ as he is into his Father and hereby is a restitution to the place where Christ is there shall we be And to conclude we shall be restored to life to glorie to 〈◊〉 to be indeed like to God by incorporating us into this tree of life Whereby most great and pretious promises are given unto us that by them we should be partakers of the heavenly nature and that we should fly this earthly corruption the second of Peters Epistles the first chapter and the fourth verse And though the miseries of this life be great yet according to St. Pauls words they are not to be compared to the joyes of the next life which are eternall Emisit itaque eum Jehova Deus ex horto Hedenis ad colendum terram illam ex quâ desumptus fuerat Gen. 3. 23. Januar. 21. 1598. THat which was lest before as a broken speech and unperfect is here supplyed and at large expressed The execution of Adams Judgement for in these two are conteined the execution of the former Precept And in these two are the two parts of the Execution His sending out of Paradise In this is the first part the sending him out of Paradise Four parts hereof and this very verse doth offer in it self four several points to be handled First The sending forth Secondly from Eden Thirdly Whither To the Earth Fourthly To what end To till the Earth whence he was taken 1. His sending First then touching the sending Sending as a motion from place to place as an ordinarie moving it is indifferent The Angel in the sixteenth of this Book the eighth verse asketh Hagar from whence and whither she goeth and biddeth her returnback So that we must come to the other part Whither for the sending is known to be good or evill by knowing whether the place whereto they are sent be good or evill as to be sent with the Children of Israel out of captivity is good from bad to better But when the place from whence is good and the place whither is bad the sending from such a place to a worse is a penal punishment as here it was to Adam and Eve 2. To the Earth Secondly then They were sent to the Earth from Paradise To live then in the Earth is the state of us all yet we had no experience with Adam of this blessed state of Paradise but they had tryall and experience of all the pleasures of Paradise so much more penall was it to them to be deprived of a garden of a garden of Gods own planting full of all variety and contentment of a garden the like whereof all the cunning and travail of man shall never make and to come from thence to a ground untilled barren and full of thistles whereof he that had lived before at ease must now be the tiller himself for it shall not be tilled nor dressed to his hand God dealt not here with Adam as he dealeth with the Children of Israel He bringeth them from capativity to a Land filled with Cities which they builded not full of goods which they brought not of wells which they digged not vineyards olive trees which they planted not Deut. 6. 11. There is a great difference from the sending them to a land so dressed and provided and to a place shall bear naught but thistles and thornes which with all his labor and travail he shall not recover to the least part of the excellencie of this garden If Adam had been sent to a place where fruit had grown without labor or fruitfull with labour it had been somewhat but he is sent to the Earth cursed before by God in the seventeenth verse from a place fully blessed from a garden to the ground from pleasure to labour 3. From whence he was taken Thirdly Unto the earth whence he was taken This is not unprofitably added for there is use of this interram de quâ sumptus The ancient Fathers doe gather hence first this use That it is a remedy against pride and for humility hereby they should remember their former and present state they should