amanuenses registers Scriueners to make enrolmēt of thē For as he numbreth the stars calleth thē al by their names as he keepeth tale of the haires of our head so as not one of thē fal away frō vs without his foreknowledge as his prouidēce stretcheth it self to the hādful of meale of the womā of zarepthah to the pitcher of oyle of the preachers widow to the fal of a sparrow frō the house top to the cloathing of the lilleis grasse of the field to the prouission of the young Rauens that call vpon him so much more keepeth hee a Kalender of our dooings and setteth our secret sins in the sight of his countenance Thus Metaphoricallie in this sence are Bookes giuen to God the spirit heere alluding to the custome of the wise to Princes Vniuersities Merchants Maisters of families and such like Princes vse to haue a bill of the names of such as appertaine vnto them that they may knowe what number they haue how to prouide for them in time So the Lord hath his court in heauen to which he hath not chosen al but some before the foundations of the worlde were laide Now the number and names of such he keepeth in as sure and sweet remembrance as if hee had put them into writing Tables for the purpose As God said to Moses I know thee by thy name Exo. 35.12 as Christ saith of himself to the Church Iohn 10.3 He calleth his owne sheepe by name else where Luk. 10.20 willing them to reioyce because their names were written in heauē Vniuersities doe the like when they admitte any into their corporation they cataloguize their names Merchants and Houshoulders serue their memories in matters of moment by notes that they keepe of them So this is the reason and cause of the Metaphor and the signification of the Bookes so often remembred in diuine learning Gods minde therfore is his book the Tables of our hearts are the writing Tables aswel as parchmēt skrolles wherein are thinges engrossed The omniscience of God is the writing it selfe Things are said to be written in a booke that is in the sacred secrets of his brest as he knoweth them altogether We finde three bookes giuen to God in the Scriptures 1. One is of his Prouidence foreknowledge of all things before euer they were 2. Another is of the iudgement 3. The other is of life The sweete singer of Israel saith Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect Psal 139.16 and in thy booke were all my members written which day by day were facioned when as yet there was none of them There is the first booke of his prouidence foreknowledge 2. The second which is the book of iudgement hath two Tomes or volumes 1. The first is his vnderstanding of all our workes and wordes according to which hee will award Iudgement in the day of iudgement so as this is insteed of a rolle in Gods hand wherein the names of all delinquents are set downe and the qualitie of their dooings 2. The other Tome is the booke of euerie ones conscience which shall performe testimonie to things done and vndone which may also bee entitled the booke of life that is of this life which diuine operation in the conscience accusing or excusing scientia conscientiam the knowledge the conscience hath the name of a booke because in that in a manner is read whatsoeuer by the agent hath bene hid 3. The third book is inscribed the booke of life that is of Gods predestination to eternal life which is begun in this life by our stedfast faith in Christ according to the words of Christ Hee that beleeueth in me hath eternal life that is the inchoation first fruits therof after death it must haue consummation perfectiō So the book of life is a register or role in the Lords right hād of the names of such as are preordinated to euerlasting life whom God will alwaies acknowledge to be his Iohn 13.8 2. Tim. 1.19 as our Sauiour saith I knowe whom I haue chosen as St. Paule saith The Lord knoweth who are his This book is oftē spokē of in the scriptures as by Moses Exo. 32.32 when he saith Rase me out of thy book which thou hast written Psal 69.29 By Dauid Let thē be put out of the book of life not be writtē among the righteous By Isaiah he shal be called holy Isai 4.3 that shal be written among the liuing in Ierusalem Ezech. 13.9 By Ezechiel They shal not be written in the writings of the house of Israel By Daniel Dan. 12.1 Euery one shal be deliuered that shal be found written in the book The new Testament doth often intreate of it Luk. 10.20 Christ toucheth it saying Reioyce because your name is written in heauen that is in the book of life Phil. 4.3 so doth Paule when he saith I beleeue thee faithful yoake-fellow helpe those women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clemēt also with other my fellow labourers whose names are in the book of life so doth the spirit elsewhere in the Reuelatiō There shal enter in it no vncleane thing Reuela 21.27 neither whatsoeuer worketh abhominatiō 〈…〉 Now these bookes shal be opened that is the Lord whose fiery eyes of his omnisciēce peirceth al things that holdeth the ball of the worlde in his hands and keepeth a perfect reckoning of our doings shal set euery ones seueral sinne in his sight And this diuine power shal smite open the doores of our cōsciences which shal cal to remēbrāce our forepassed misdeeds conuict condemne them For there is a booke that is writtē in our hearts which is of the workes of the law the Lord hauing imprinted in thē the notiōs of thē as naturally enduing the verye heathens with iudgement to deuide good from euill to discerne betweene thinges honest and dishonest that no man might hold vp for his defence the target of ignorāce This we shall soone perceiue by our cursory conference of the ten cōmaundements with their politick sanctions 1. Of the first which teacheth that there is a God whom we al stād bound to worship the Orator Cicero saith Cicero Legibus Nulla gens tam sera nulla tam barbara natio in quibus non misideat deorum opinio There is no natiō so wilde and barbarous that is not perswaded that there is a God The Athenians did set vp an Alter Ignoto Deo the vnknowne God Protagoras Act. 17. Abderites that said VVhether there be Gods or no I haue nothing to say was by the Athenians banished for it 2. To the second which is an inhibition of Idolatry the Persians gaue consent who as Strabo writeth 〈…〉 abhomination burned and destroyed their Temples and their Images Cornelius Tacitus storyeth it of the auncient Germaines that they held it verie vnbeseeming the heauenly Maiestie to mure him vp within
of this as it is of two sortes 1. The first is a wrighting in opinion and not indeede the iudgement of the faithfull which is led by charitie being led blind-folde by the Hypocrisie of many who make shewes of Godlynes vse strange fallacies betweene the Temple and the Alter to the enchauntment of their soules as staring vp with their eyes eleuating their hands smiting of their brests hanging downe their heads wagging their lippes sighing weeping and looking demurely with many such mockeries which easily coozen credulous charitable Christians But howsoeuer these haue a name that they liue the courtesie of Christians making the best construction of their painted profession and wrighting them in the Church booke they are not indeede in the wrightings of the house of Israel or in the legend of the liuing For the Lord will strippe them of these vaine shewes and bewray their hollowe hearts and discouer all their knauerie 2. The second sort is vncreated prescience and eternall foreknowledge by which he acknowledgeth and hath acknowledged those whom he hath preordinated to be his Of this saith Augustine Liber iste apertus non admonet deum qui sunt sernandi sed predestinationem eorum significat quibus aeterna dabitur vita Neque enim nescit eos Deus aut in hoc libro legit vt sciat sed potius ipsa eius praescientia de illis quae falli non potest liber est vite in quo sit scripti id est praecognitj This booke that is opened doth not learne God who are to bee saued but it signifieth the predestination of such to whome eternal life shall be giuen Neyther are they vnknowne to God neyther readeth hee in this booke to knowe them but rather his very foreknowledge it selfe of theÌ„ which caÌ„not be deceiued is the booke of life in which they are written that is to say foreknowne Now heere we are to open the vaine of the liuelyest and sweetest question in the Bible VVhether hee whose name is once entred into the booke of life may euer be blotted out that is whether an elect childe of God caÌ„ euer be a reprobate Our answere is negatiue that he caÌ„not the affirmatiue part is most detestable diuelish True faith doth not know what this meaneth to houer between hope feare as the Rauen ouer the Arke between heauen earth Our faith layeth holde vpon the omnipotencie of God as being in security of his wil it being ours by promises before the best witnesses in heaueÌ„ earth vnder the wrighting of his haÌ„d the seale of the blood of the Lambe whatsoeuer hee would haue vs beleeue hee hath liberallie promised of his owne accord which hee would neuer haue done had hee not minded to stand to his bargaine and to be as good as his word But let vs carrie away the cause from euerie gaine-sayer by the power and strong hand of argument Of the iust saith the Psalmist 1. ArgumeÌ„t salme 1. His leafe shall not fade as a tree planted by the right hand of God and ingrafted into the stocke Christ Iesus he so ordering their goings as they shall not turne aside to vngodly counsailes to the waies of the wicked or take vp the seate chaire of the scorneful The Prophet Isaiah speaking of the kingdome of Christ which is the church saith 2. ArgumeÌ„t Isai 9.7 He shal sit vpon his kingdome to order it and to stablish it with iudgemeÌ„t and Iustice from hence foorth euen for euer But this justice is established by faith in the regenerate by which we stand 1. Cor. 1. yea by which we liue Aba 2 If this be out of crie true of the whole church it cannot but be verified of euery singular member therof Ieremie pleasureth vs with as plaine a place as can be saying I wil put my feare in their hearts 3. Argumâ—â— Ier. 32.40 that they Shal not depart from me This so satisfied Augustine as he often to this purpose produceth it Hosea singeth the selfe same song taking his text from the Lordes owne mouth 4. Argumâ—â— Hose 2.19 I wil marry thee vnto me for euer in righteousnes I wil marry thee vnto mee in faithfulnes This Sermon is made to all the elect And the reason staÌ„deth thus Christ knitteth the indissoluble marriage knot with the Church faith being the marriage ring that ioyneth theÌ„ Therfore those whome hee hath thus conioyned to himselfe who shall put a sunder The Lord by the mouth of the Prophet Amos saith 5. Argumâ—â— Amos. 9 1â— I will plant thee vpon their land and they shall bee no more pulled vp againe out of their land The plaÌ„ts are the elect the plot wherein they are planted is the church as ingrafted into Christ they are planted therein by a true and liuely faith Now to these is this promise made they shall be no more pulled vp The Church is founded vpon a Rocke 6. ArgumeÌ„t Math. 7. which all the driuings of tempests cannot stirre that is the machinations of the deuil and all his darlings Hell gates shall not preuaile against this Rocke 7. Argume Math. 16. 8. Argum. Iohn 6.37 It is Christs saying All that the Father giueth mee shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not away For this is the will of my Father that sent mee that of all which he hath giuen mee I should lacke nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day Here is the whole forme structure of our saluation and the compasse and dimensions of it For whereas the father hath giuen vs all to Christ 1. Heere is our election So that we holde of Christ as in Capite our mediator in whome wee were chosen before the ground-worke of the world was laide And whereas those that are thus giuen cannot bee kept from him but must come vnto him 2. There is our effectuall and liuely vocation our comming to Christ being by the feete of our faith nowe in that it is added that such as come vnto him he wil not cast away 3. There is our justification and the gift of perseuerance in Christ The conclusion I will raise him vp againe at the last day 4. Is the hand that pointeth at our glorification Vpon the former wordes of Christ 9. ArgumeÌ„s Rom. 8.29 the Apostle Paul paraphraceth in this wise Those whome he knew before he also predestinate and whome he predestinate them also he called and whome he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified which are the foure ringes and linckes of one chaine that are impartible let down from heauen to draw vs vp thither 1. The first is our predestination to life in Christ 2. The second is our effectual calling to Christ 3. The third is our Iustification by Christ 4. The fourth is our glorification with Christ The last cannot be brokeÌ„ from the first nor the first from the last wherefore it is impossible the predestinate should
A SERMON PREACHED at Paules Crosse the 9. of Iune 1605. Vpon the 20. of the Reuelation the 12. vers treating of these seuerall heads 1. Of the Resurrection of the Flesh 2. Of the Iudgement of the quicke and dead 3. Of the Communion of Saints 4. Of Euerlasting life By Samuell Gardnier Doct. of Diuinitie LONDON Printed for Edward VVhite and are to be solde at the little North-doore of Saint Paules Church at the Signe of the Gun 1605. TO THE RIGHT HONOrable and vertuous Lady Jane Lady Barkley wife to Henry Lord Barkley IN the full affiance I haue in the Lordes mercie which made this poore Sermon welcome to so many eares being preached that hee will direct it to the common comfort being now presented to their eyes printed the importunitie of many of my good friends had successe with me I consecrate it most Honorable Lady vnto you in token of duetie towards you for your great Loue by which I am enabled to labour in this sort and indeede to liue Gods blessing be vpon it and vpon you Your Honors Chaplaine SAMVEL GARDNIER Reuelat. 20. Vers 12 ¶ And J sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened and an other Booke was opened which is the Booke of Life and the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the Bookes according to their workes HEere is cluster and multiplicitie of Christian Catechisme as including and concluding these foure Articles of the catholique faith 1. The resurrection of the flesh touched in the standing of the dead before God 2. The iudgement of the quicke and the dead noted in the opening of the Bookes out of which they haue the sentence of iudgement reade them 3. The Communion of Saints 4. Euerlasting life not obscurely insinuated by the other booke entitled The Booke of life heere spoken of This sentence is an absolute descriptiō of the iudgement wherin we haue these circumstāces 1. The persons standing in the iudgement to bee tryed All. 1 Greate 2. Small of what note marke soeuer they be 2. The manner of trial proceeding with them by the billes of enditement found out against thē in the opening the bookes 3. The doome definitiue of double nature 1. Absolution 2. Condemnation according to the propertie and condition of their workes The precedencie is an introduction to this which telleth vs the person of the iudge in the immediate verse before which is Christ the Sonne of God the Sonne of man John 5.22 to whome all the iudgement is committed by the father being the predestinate man by whome he will iudge the world in righteousnes Act. 17.31 whose maiestie is there depicted vnto vs in his orient colours answerable in effect to that which Augustine saith videbitur terribilis qui visus est contemptibilis demonstrabit potentiam qui demonstrauit patientiam He shall be seene terrible that hath bene seene contemptible and he shall manifest his power as hee hath shewed his patience And thus I pretermit the purport of the premises with this sentence of monition giuen you out of Augustin August in Psal 66. Deut se corrigendos dent se dirigendos ei qui videt iudicandos Let them yeeld to be corrected let them yeeld to be directed to him that one day shall see them all detected That which is first in nature is heere handled first in order the learning of the resurrectiō the fore runner of the iudgement the consequents thereof taught in the verie entrie in these wordes I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God The resurrection is the hand that holdeth vp religiō by the head the life and soule of it the first stone that we are to lay in our spiritual building or rather the foundation that beareth vp the building the anker of our hope the certaintie of our saluation called by Tertullian Ianua regni caelestis The doore whereat wee enter into the Kingdome of heauen the Godly therby going to the ioyes the wicked to the tormēts prepared for them the referēce of our faith by the same Godly Father Fiducia Christianorum est resurrectio mortuorum Our Christian expectation is the corporall resurrection which is grounded on the Doctrine of Saint Paul who bringeth in bundles of reasons for it by order of iust consequence thus If there were no resurrection 1. Then were our preaching vaine 1. Cor. 1◠1. 2. Your faith of none effect 3. VVee should be found false witnesses 4. The dead were quite vndone 5. VVe were yet in our sinnes 6. Of all men Christians were most miserable As if he shold haue said take away the resurrection and take away altogeather our preaching your beleeuing burne the Bible throw downe pulpits lay our churches euen with their foundations play the Epicures belli-gods and liue as ye list For the Bookes are found lyars the Prophets Apostles haue fed vs with fables they are as Fountains dryed vp But our foundations are in the holy hilles and not in the valleies of humane reasons we know what wee beleeue and wee lay stedfast holde of the resurrection of faith towards Christ Psal 3.21 VVho shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe But yet there is more oppugnation and insurrection against this sweete Article of the resurrection then against any parcell of Diuinitie beside the deuill and his blacke guard bending and banding themselues against this withall the might and mallice that they can 1. By Gentils 2. By Iewes without and within the Liberties of the Church Without by the Peripatecians and almost al the broode of Brainsicke Philosophers and schoole of Epicures among whome heere what Seneca Seneca ad Martiam one of the best of that bunch saith Mors omnium solutio est et finis extra quam mala nostra non exeant Death is the Period and determination of al things beyond which they cannot goe And he standeth to reason it and maintaine it in this wise Quo modo potest miser esse qui nullus est How can he be a wretched man that is no man But there are in the Church that speake proudlye and peruersly against this excellent Diuinity eyther marring it altogether or which is little better making it in their owne moulds casting cloudes fume vpō the cleare light of the Scriptures making a spiritual resurrection cōsisting in our renuāce regeneration Such were the Sadduces among the Iewes put to a non plus Mat. 22.33 and silence by our Sauiour Such were Hymeneus and Philetus while the Apostles liued taught among them taxed by saint Paul in his letter to Timothee 2. Tim. 2 1◠Such were the Athenians verie troublesome to the same Apostle no sooner he touched this text of the resurrection how be it they heard him willingly the forepart of the
priuat walles according to humane shape to shadow him And Numa the secoÌ„d King of the Romains as Plutarch relateth held it verie heynous that any should comprehend the inuisible God vnder the similitude of a visible creature 3. The third precept against blasphemie and prophane vse of this great name was as duely practised among them Theophrastus noteth Pericles with his inckhorne for an absurd fellow as shewing to a frieÌ„d of his in his sicknes certaine charmes which old Beldams had tyed about his neck vnder which the name of God was inuocated and prophaned Tullus Hostilius was stricken out of life by a thunder bolte and was depriued of solemnitie of funeralles because it was in his minde to haue called out Iupiter and so to haue cast abuse vpon his name 4. The fourth of the Sabaoth was by them solemly obserued which their Lawes in that behalfe prouided aboundantly doe testifie but heerein wee are to giue them the blame that they pestred and cloyed the Religion of the Sabaoth with such a crew of jdle and nastie ceremonies Now this common sentence of theirs then in euerie ones mouth That which thou wouldest not haue done to thee doe not to another is the somme Epitomie of the cannons of the second Table but yet let vs in a word particularize vpon them 5. How they esteemed of Parents and of the aged and gray headed that goe also in Diuinity vnder the name of parents bee their owne Authors judges It is Menanders saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great Gods are to wisemen their Parents The same Poet also saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will that thou haue thy Parents in all honor Valerius giueth vs a memorable example of a Daughter who being charged vpon paine of death not to bring any succour to her Mother being adiudged to die by famishment in prison hauing accesse to her releeued her nothwithstanding with the milke of her brestes which was so admired as it effected the womans pardon But how could this haue bene saith Valerius had not the verie instinct of nature weitten this law of loue within her heart hence it is that Solon thought it superfluous to giue a decree against Parricides as not imagining that any could so put off nature as to bereaue them of their life of whome they had their life And how they rogarded those that were in yeares Parents for their age this custome of theirs sheweth Credebant hoc grande nefas et morte piandum Si Iuuenis vetulo non assurrexerit They did account it a prodigious impiety and capital for the young men not to rise vp and to doe reuerence to the aged 6. Murther was of that execrable nature vnto them as Romulus confoundeth these two words together homicidium and parricidium adiudging homicide Paricide al one yea the punishment therof was so exquisite as there was not a man slaine by priuate haÌ„d within the walles of Rome for the space of sixe hundred and twentie yeares after that Citye was founded as Dion Halicarnasseus doth report 7. How by nature the heathens abhorred whoredome and were therin a law vnto themselues before the law of God was giuen the examples of Pharao Abimilech shewes who assaulted Sara in ignorance that she was anothers wife 8. Theft by the Athenian Law-giuer Draco was punished by death by Solon by double daÌ„mage and by the Romaines according to the proportion of the fellony yea Vsurie which is thefts Daughter is consorted by Cato the elder to murder 9. They made such prouision against false testimony as it was enacted among theÌ„ that none shold be a witnes in his own cause though the matter were neuer so meane as Cicero saith Cic. 2. Osi And their saw also excepted against such who were knowne to be enemies to that person against whome they should giue witnes as the same Orator telleth vs giuing vs this reason for it Ementiuntur enim sape in eos quos oderunt Men will easily lye against such whome they hate among the Indians euery lyar was verie sharply censured 10. The last was verie requisite to curbe our affections Sophocles calleth this affection of coueting that is an others a furious commaunder It was the answere of Leonides to Xerxes egging him to defection and promising him the Grecian monarchie vppon that condition If thou knewest what thinges were honest in this life thou wouldest forbeare to couet that which is anothers as for mee I had rather die then doe it But heere the natural mans conscience is as a book clasped and shut vp euery maÌ„ being willingly ignorant of that which the Lord with an iron pen hath thus written in his heart eyther not acknowledging his misdoings with Giezi who could say to his Maister 2. King 5. Thy seruant was no where or else pleading a good intention in defence of a bad actioÌ„ 1. Sam. 15. as Saul did to Samuel that vnder colour of sacrifice would protect 〈◊〉 disobedience If there bee but a bush in the thicket of Paradice Gen. 3. thither will Adam conuay himselfe to shrowde his nakednesse and if there bee any shift in the worlde though it bee neuer so balde and miserable the Sonnes of Adam will be boulde with it Dauid would neuer haue knowne the man that was Nathans declamation and the principall of the Parable if the Preacher had not pluckt him by the sleeue and roundlye made him the applycation of it saying Thou art the man The accusers of the woman taken in adultery drewe a formall Bil of inditement against her 2. Sam. 12. Iohn 8. and followed it to the full But when Christ wylled them to lay their handes vppon their owne hartes they put vp their papers and shrunke away suddenly If an othe would haue gone for payment Peter had a lustie one at commaundent in the deniall of his Maister to put of a daunger I know not the man So long as there were eleuen els vpon whom Christes prediction of a traytor to come out of the company of the twelue Math. 26. might be cast Iudas would make a question of it though hee knew it to be questionles Maister is it I But in the iudgement Adam shal be put besides his apron of figge leaues Sara besides her Tent Thamer besides her maske and euerie mans conscience shal say vnto him as Achab to Elias Hast thou found me O my enemy Quando Deus iudex erit alius testis quam conscientia tua non erit 〈◊〉 iudicem iusâ—um et conscientiam tuam August 〈◊〉 Psalme 36 noliâ—â—mere nisi causam tuam Si causam malam non habueris nullum accusatorem pertimnesces nullam falsum testem refelles nullum veruÌ„ requires WheÌ„ God saith Augustin shal be thy iudge there shal bee no other witnes then thy conscience Betweene this iust judge thy conscience doubt nothing but thy cause if thy cause bee not bad thou shalt feare no promooter thou shalt not challendge any
false witnes nor call for any that is true Againe saith the same father Interrogat te non alium de te interrogat te non vt discat a te sed vt coufuÌ„dat te He asketh thee not any other of thee hee asketh thee not to learne of thee but to confound thee Augustin giueth vs a coppie of the inditement by the iudge which shal be put to the conscience to reply vnto formed in this wise Suscepi dolores tuos vt tibi gloriam darem suscept mortem tuam vt in eternum viueres conditus iacui in sepulchro vt tu regnares in caelo Cur quod pro te pertuli perdidisti Redde mihi vitam tuam pro qua meam dedi Tu despexisti in â—omine deum in infitmo salutem in via reditun in Iudice veniaÌ„ in crace vitani in supplicijs medicinam I vndertooke thy sorrowes to bring thee to glorie I suffered this death to giue thee eternal life I lay buried in earth that thou mightest raigne in heauen why hast thou lost that which I haue bought Giue mee this life for which I gaue thee mine Thou hast despised in man this God in infirmitie this strength in the way thy returne in the iudge thy pardon in the torments thy medicines To all this shall the conscience which is insteed of a thousand witnesses giue testimony consent which shall be as Barnard saith Testis Iudex Tortor witnes Iudge Executioner Ipsa accusat Ipsa iudicat ipsa punit Ipsa damnat That inditeth that iudgeth that punisheth that damneth The shield of ignorance which we shal then hold vp shal be turned into a spiders web The conuiction of the conscience is an argument vnresistable The truth wherof by sencible experience is known to euery one that hath but a dramme of ordinarie vnderstanding For howsoeuer we may bleare the eyes of men yet we cannot plucke out the eyes of our minde and knowledge We may beguile a Iudge by subtiltie and terrifie an informer by our insolencie but wee cannot escape the arraignment iudgement of conscience which maugre our hearts shall sift our misdeedes to the coursest branne bring them to the light proclaime them on the house top and shall set downe torments before vs for time and times and when there shal be no more time and set nothing but terrors about vs which the Poets vnderstand fuciarum taedis ardentibus by the burning tapers of furious and hellish hagges To conclude our selues being iudges wee cannot be acquainted And there cannot be a greater punishment in humane inuention then thus to carry our accuser in our bosome and this is the Opening of the bookes heere spoken of Gods omniscience calling into our knowledge all our misdeedes and our vnrestie conscience in the guiltines thereof openly acknowledging them We haue many dueties red vs in this lecture of the opening of the bookes 1. As first of humiliation and repentance This was that the Apostle would inferre out of the Sermon that hee made to the Athenians of the iudgement the Text whereof was Act. 17.32 The Lord hath appointed a day wherein he wil iudge the world in righteousnes For all our new Doctrine wee keepe still the old conuersation But for Gods sake let vs thinke of the counte day and preuent the iudgemeÌ„t to come with newnes of life as Iacob by rewards sent before him aswadged the furie of his Brother Esau Let vs meete the Lord in the way Amos. 4.12 1. Sam. 25. it is the counsell of the Prophet Amos As Abigail met Dauid in the way to her great good For by this she staied the sword of his vengeance and by this wee shall stay a more deuouring sword drawne long agoe out of the scabbard of his patience To this end saith the Apostle If we would iudge our selues 1. Cor. 11.31 we should not be iudged A former iudgement taken out of our selues shal be a Supersedeas to the second judgement that must else come out against vs. To the due performaÌ„ce wherof these foure things are required 1. A due examinatioÌ„ of our selues 2. Kings 5 because the flesh is as Giezie that lyeth to his Maister that is to his soule and will not acknowledge what it hath done Wherefore as Elisha examined him so must the soule examine the bodie Iudg. 16.6 And as Dalilah examined Sampson in what part his strength was so is euerie one to examine himselfe in what part his weakenes is As Iehu did examine Iehonadab 1. King 10.15 whether his heart stood right toward him so wee are to examine our selues whether our heart stand right towards God Paul willeth vs to trye althings wherefore it followeth by needful consequence 1. Thes 5. that we should trie our selues Isaack tryed his Children before he blessed them Salomon tried who was the right mother The Ephramites were tried before they could passe IordaÌ„ Grasiers try their Oxen Merchans their golde wisemen their seruaÌ„ts Therfore we are much more to try our selues 2. Hauing found out our sinnes in the next roome we must confesse them vnto the Lord. In this duetie lyeth a great part of Gods glory as Iosua saith to Achan My Son giue glory to God and confes what thou hast done Iosue 7 Cypian It is Ciprians graue saying Somnium narrare vigilantis est et vitia confiteri sanitatis indicium est To deliuer our dreame it is a token of wakefulnesse and to acknowledge our misdeedes it is a signe of healthfulnesse which Seneca sheweth by similitude when he saith Vulnera clausa plus cruciant Seneca Woundes that are stopped are more paineful to vs which hath iust application vnto the stoppage of our spiritual woundes And how they will tormeÌ„t vs Gregory deliuereth Si non confessus lates inconfessus damnaberis it vncoÌ„fessed thou hast hid Greg. vnconfessed thou shalt be damned 3. Vppon this our confession wee must proceede vnto a iudgement and condeÌ„nation of our selues to stop the greater iudgement and condeÌ„nation Wherfore August saith Aug. Peccatum puniendum est aut ate aut a deo si punitur a te tune punitur sine te si vero a te non punitur tecum punietur Sinne must eyther bee punished by thee or by God If it be punished by thee it shall bee punished without thee If it be not punished by thee it shal be punished with thee Wherfore Bernard taketh bond by decree of himselfe to performe this part of duetie Bernard in Canti serm 24. Hee saith hee wil present himselfe to his judge Iudicatus non iudicandus alreadye iudged and not bee iudged 4. Lastlye to saue our selues from destruction let vs call for the Psalme of mercye for our neck-verse which is so infinite as no affection of nature or proportion of creature is able to expresse The height of the heauen aboue the earth the widenesse from the east to the west the tender loue of Parents to their Children of Eagles
which is of our selues there is nothing more certaine then that wee may loose it being so sinfull as wee are and death and not glorye being the stipend of iniquitye But second in respect of God that hath chosen vs of Christ in whom we are chosen this crown can neuer be taken from our heades being set on by him that can neuer repent himselfe of any thing that he dooth Whereas they obiect to vs the churches of the Ephesians Thessalonians 2. Obiect Ephes 1.4 1. Thes 14 1. Pet 1.1 and scattered Iewes who were called Elect by the Apostles and yet manie of them afterward were relapsed wee answere that there are two sortes of judgements 1. There is a judgement of certainty 2. There is a judgement of charitie 1. That which is of certaintye is in God onely it is in men but in part so farre foorth as they haue certificat from God of any mans estate 2. But that which is of charitye is belonging to vs all it being our parte to leaue the Lordes sacred secrets to himselfe and to iudge the best of euerie one that giueth his name to Christ maketh a good profession and sheweth the fruites thereof in outward conuersation God hauing reuealed to vs nothing to the cōtrary 2. Also the elect are so called of the chiefe part as an heape of corne is called corne though it standeth moste vppon chaffe But they thinke they hold vp Alax his shield vnto vs when they tell vs of that which Moses saith 3. Obiection Exod. 32. Blot me out of the Booke of life 1. I wil not answere them that that is ment of the Booke of the Lawe which hee had penned as some men doe because it is a base exposition and vnworthye a man of such a spirit as if hee had throwne out these wordes in his hastinesse and heate of his blood 2. Neyther will I vnderstand them of the Booke of this present life as if hee chose rather to bee strangled then to liue in his bones albeit manye Captaines are content to dye for the common good and therefore some would charge vs with this sence But because it seemeth as golde that is too light we wil not receiue it 3 Neyther shall I giue them reference to the book of the couenant to the Catalogue of communion of Saints of the church as if Moses would be out of the Rubrick in the Kalender of the church because we take it that Moses had a further prospect and a higher reach then this 4. Wherefore wee will willingly receiue the meaning they doe like of that is of depriuation of eternall life as if hee should haue said put mee out of thy predestination booke implying this condition if it be possible But he knewe it to be impossible If anie shall thinke it an absurditye in him to come in with an impossible conditiō I choake them with the like of our Sauiour Christ who not being ignorant that he could not possible auoide the deadly cuppe of the red wine of Gods wrath that was giuen him to drinke yet put vp this forme of petition to his father Father if it bee possible let this Cup passe from me The like prayer hath Dauid against his enemies 4. Obiect Psal 69.29 Let them be blotted out of the book of life wee reply thus to that that their names were neuer in the booke of life but in the charitable opinion of men whom their hypocrisie beguiled This Doctrine is much vseful but the chiefest grace it hath is the cōfort it giueth vs in the greatest tēptatiōs that besiedge vs while we haue in liuely louelye remembrance the loue of God towards vs wherby wee are grauen with an iron penne in leade or stone for euer in the Booke of Gods minde and so can neuer bee expugned or forsaken VVhy then should wee bee afraide in the daies of euill when the iniquities compasse vs to the beeles It is Dauids sweete aphorisme with the double spirit of Elias to haue a plause and aclamation giuen vnto it I know nothing more detestable to God and dangerous to our selues then to dispaire of Gods mercie which is to turne his truth into a lye and set Sathans suggestions before his gracious promises Wherfore we are of Hieroms minde that Iudas his treason was not so great as Iudas his desperation The reason whereof is giuen by Isidore because his transgression was but the death of the soule but his desperation the introduction into the verie hell of damnation Wherfore put but off the helmet of this hope which couereth the braine panne and the Target of faith which hideth the heart and we perish vnquestionably Wherfore be we not worser then Lyons to rise vp against our selues but behold the Lambe of God whose blood let it bee sprinckled on the dore postes of your hearts One deep swalloweth vp another the depth of his mercies the depth of our sinnes Desperation is a disease incurable For the Phiscitian would put to his helping hand and recouer vs and wee with our nailes vndoe all againe Nil miserius misero non miserante seip sum Nothing is more miserable then a miserable man that commiserateth not himselfe Though it was the saying of an heathen a Christian well may vse it Qui nihil potest sperare desperit nihil He that can hope for nothing let him dispaire of nothing Christ hath sowed in teares that wee might reape in ioy He hath troden the wine-presse of Gods wrath that wee might drink the wine of his loue be drunken with it He hath borne the heate and burden of the day that the wages might be ours He hath giuen vs a cup of saluation that we drincking it down might driue away all dread and desperation wherefore we hold vp our heads stand fast against all the assaults of our enemies in this life after which we shal enioy the place to which we haue of old by the Father been written and prepared and which by Christ of late hath bene purchased to which by the spirit vnto the day of redemption we are sealed Now to these three persons one eternall and euerliuing God bee all honor praise power thankes-giuing ascribed in the congreation of Christ Iesu now and for euer Amen FINIS