will not be moved with it O Iesu take away these stony hearts and give us fleshly hearts O duri indurati obdurati filii Adae O durate indurate and obdurate sonnes of Adam quos non movet tanta benignitas whom such great gentlenesse and courtesie cannot move Let us sorrow with Corinth wash Christs feet with Mary let us weepe bitterly 2 Cor. 7. with Peter that wee serve God no better The Sunne knew Christ and therefore against kind was eclipsed the wind knew Luke 7. Mar. 15. Mar. 2. Mat. 14. Mat. 28. Iohn 1. 10. him and therefore left blustring at his word the Sea knew him and therefore bare him up that hee walked drie foote upon the waters the Earth knew him and therefore opened when hee rose the Divels knew him onely vile man knoweth him not Hee came among his owne and his owne received him not but let us receive him and serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse let us obey his commandements feare his judgements and submit our selves 1 Sam. 3. 18. to his blessed will and pleasure saying with Eli It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good THE TENTH SERMON VERS IV. Which were of old before ordained to this condemnation c. Destruction the end of the the ungodly HAving thus described the wicked Which were before of old ordained to condemnation by their life hee commeth now to describe them by their end and here hee preventeth an objection by a figure called Praeoccupatio lest they should take offence and say why doth God suffer these wicked men Hypocrites Atheists Wantons Libertines Blasphemers why doe they prosper why is pride unto them as a chaine why doe the wicked live Psal 73. 6. Iob 21. 7 8. 9 10 11 12 13. and waxe old and grow in wealth their seede is established in their sight with them and their generation before their eyes their houses are peaceable and without feare and the rod of God is not upon them their Bullocke gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her calfe they send forth their Children like Sheepe and their sonnes dance they take the Tabret and Harpe and reioyce in the sound of the Organs they spend their dayes in wealth and suddenly they goe downe to the grave Iude answereth them That God hath ordained them to Iudgement Fret not thy selfe therefore because of the ungodly neither Psal 37. 1. bee envious for evill doers For they shall soone be cut downe as the grasse and withered like the greene hearbe Here they fare well here they have cappe and knee and all the honour that may bee but Respice finem they walke upon ice in the end they fall For evill doers shall bee cut off yea the armes of the wicked shall be broken the Psal 37. 9 10. 20. wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall bee consumed as the fat of Lambs even with the smoke shall they consume away Looke not therefore to their lives but to their end their end is damnation The enemies of Gods Church and Children shall not long flourish For tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soule that doth evill In the end God will raine upon them fire brimstone storme and tempest this shall be their portion to drinke Wheat and Chaffe goe together till they come to the flaile but then the wheat is reserved and the chaffe burned Sheepe and Goats goe together Rom. 2. 9. Psal 11. 6 7. Mat. 3. 12. Mal. 3. 17. 1 Pet. 1. Deut. 32. 19. till they come to the fold but then they are separated Gold and Drosse goe together till they come to the Fornace but then the Gold is the purer and the Drosse is moulten Respice ergo finem looke not unto their lives but unto their end O that they were wise then they would understand this they would consider their latter end For surely the prosperity of the wicked shall not continue it shall have an end and their hope shall be cut off God Prov. 24. 19. hath appointed them to Iudgement they shall have no inheritance in the Kingdome of God Thou seest Pharaoh in his Chariot Exod. 14. pursuing Israel but looke againe and thou shalt see him in the Sea feeding Haddockes Thou seest Nebuchadnezzar in his Palace of Babel vaunting and bragging Is not this great Babel that I have built for the use of my Kingdome by the might of Dan. 4. 27. my power and for the honour of my Majestie but looke againe and thou shalt see him in the wildernesse amongst brute beasts Thou seest Herod in his Throne honoured as an Angell but looke againe and thou shalt see him on the ground amongst Act. 12. wormes Thou seest Dionysius in his Chaire of Gold in Siracusa but looke againe and thou shalt see him in Corinth teaching Boyes tossing a Scepter inferulam A Christian must not bee like Polipheme the one-eyed Giant If with one eye wee see Damocles in a bed of Gold with the other eye wee shall see a Sword hang over him in a haire to dash that pleasure If thou lookest on the prosperity of the wicked looke on his end also which is Damnation Antiochus shall not ever make havoke of the Church the rich man shall not ever ruffle in Silke and purple Senacherib 2 Mach. 9. Luke 16. shall not ever raile on the daughter Sion Sapor of Persia shall not ever bee drawne in a Chariot by foure Kings there will be an Prov. 23. 18. end there will bee an end and their hope shall bee cut off They here used more the Greeke word signifieth noted or written in a booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase often used The Prophet Mal. 3. 16. Malachi useth it saying Then spake they that feared God and the Lord harkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared God and thought upon his name And Christ our Savior useth the very phrase saying Rejoyce not that the Luke 10. 20. spirits are subdued unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven And Saint Iohn useth also the same phrase I saw the dead both small and great stand before the throne and the bookes Apoc. 20. 12. were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of Life And againe the same phrase is used in the description of the heavenly Ierusalem And there shall enter into it no uncleane thing neither whatsoever worketh abomination or Iyes but they which are Gods decree hath two parts Election Reprobation not to be enquired into written in the Lambes booke of Life Not that God needeth any Booke for this is spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our capacitie For hee is God onely wise in him are hid all the treasures of Wisedome Knowledge and Vnderstanding hee knoweth all from everlasting and is the cause of all the Knowledge that is in all both
without measure torment without ease Where the worme dieth not and the fire is never quenched Where the wrath of God shall seaze upon body and soule as the flame of fire doth on pitch and brimstone Oh who can expresse the paines of fire and brimstone stinch and darknesse Without hope of release and comfort Men and Angels cannot doe it if that they should summon a Parliament together for the same end and purpose For as S. Iohn said of the 1 Iohn 3. 2. elect It doth not appeare what we shal be so say I of these evill Angels and of all the rable of the reprobats it doth not appeare what they shal be Iudas Herod Pilate have been many hundred yeares in fire already but yet the greatest is to come Then shall thy lascivious eyes be afflicted with the sight of ghastly spirits thy curious eares affrighted with the hideous howling of damned Divels and reprobates thy dainty nose shal be cloyed with noysome stinch of Sulphur thy delicate tast pained with intollerable hunger thy drunken throate shal be parched with intollerable thirst thy mind tormented to thinke how foolish thou wert for earthly pleasures to lose heavens joyes and incurre hellish paynes thy conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder and thou shalt weepe more teares than there is water in the Sea For the water of the sea is finite but the weeping of a reprobate shall be infinite If any man will aske how it can stand with Gods justice to punish a finite sinne with an infinite punishment S. Gregorie Greg lib 4. Moral cap 12. answereth two manner of wayes First he saith Corda non facta pensat deus God pondereth our hearts not our deeds peccant cum fine qui vivunt cum fine their sinne hath an end because their life hath an end but if they could have lived without end they would have sinned without end Aequum ergo est ut nunquam careat supplicio qui nunquam voluit carere peccato ut nullus daretur illi terminus ultioni qui noluit ponere terminum crimini It is right and just that he should never want punishment which never would want sinne that no end should be given to him of revenge which would make no end of sinning Secondly he answereth thus Quantò major est persona eò major est injuria in illum commissa The greater the person is so much the greater is the trespasse and injurie done unto him An injurie a trespasse done to a meane man a common person that person can bring but his action upon the case against him but a trespas done against a noble man is scandalum magnatum against thy prince and Sovereigne it is death for it is Crimen lesae Majestatis Seing then God is infinite the punishment of the trespasse done against him must be infinite also An other objection is made quomodo paenae inferni perpetuae esse possunt how the paines of hell can be everlasting and how bodies How the pains of hell are eternall can live in those everlasting fires Augustine answereth that the Salamander liveth in the fire and is not consumed in the fire and we have certaine creatures called Crickets that live in hot Aug. de Civitat Dei lib. 21. cap. 2. 4 5. Ovens and Chimnies take them out of those hot places and they dye And further he saith that the ashes of Iuniper being raked up in the coles of Iuniper keepe fire all the yeere an end And againe saith he Take me a Peacocke and dresse it and it will not putrifie but abide sweet all the yeere an end Take me snow and wrap it up in chaffe and it preserves it but take fruit and lay them in chaffe it melloweth and rotteth them Take unslaked lyme and bring it into the Sunne it is cold and throw it into the water and it burneth The adamant is not broken but with the blood of a goat and who can give a reason of this Apud Garamantas there is a fountain so cold in the day that a man cannot drink of the water thereof and so hot in the night that a man cannot touch it for scalding There is a fountaine in Epirus if ye bring torches that burne unto it it puts them out but if ye bring torches that be out it kindleth them There is a stone in Arcadia called Asbestos which being once kindled can never be quenched And there is a stone in Thracia that burneth in the water but put out with oyle The horses of Cappadocia conceive with the wind Thus God dealeth strangely with his creatures why not with the fire of hell these evill Angels and all the damned besides Semper comburentur nunquam consumentur they shall alwayes be burning but never consumed Thirdly it is demanded how the evill Angels and mens bodies Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 21. cap. 10. can be tormented in the same fire Augustine answereth as the soule of the Epulo was tormented in this fire when his body was in hell Lastly note that the day wherein the Angels shall be judged is called a great day He hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse unto the iudgement of the great day It is called a great day and it is so called in three respects Great in respect of the Iudge who is thus described by Daniel I beheld till the thrones were Dan. 7. 9 10. set up and the ancient of dayes did sit Whose garments was white as snow and the hayre of his head like the pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire A firy streame issued and came forth from before him c. And he is described by Saint Iohn thus Apoc. 20. 11 12. And I saw a great white throne and one sitting thereupon from whose face fled heaven and earth and I saw the dead both small and great stand before the throne and the bookes were opened and there was another book opened which was the booke of life and the dead were judged after those things which were written in those bookes And againe the same beloved Disciple describeth him thus I saw heaven open and behold a Apoc. 19. 11 12 16. white horse and he that sate upon him was called faithfull and true and he judgeth and fighteth righteously and his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes and he had a name written which no man The day of the last judgemenr why called the great day knew but himselfe and hee hath upon his garment and upon his thigh a name written The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Thus yee see the greatnesse of the Iudge and in respect of him this day is called a great day Secondly it is called great in respect of the Assistants the Angels Dan. 7. 10. For Thousand thousands shall minister unto him and tenne thousand thousands shall stand before him And hee shall come to judgement Mat.
darkened the daughter of Sion in his Wrath that is brought her from prosperity to adversity so hath he darkened Northwalsham And as The Lord cast downe from Heaven Outward afflictions make way to repentance and mercy unto the earth the beauty of Israel that is hath given her a most sore fall so hath hee cast from Heaven to earth the beauty of Northewalsham And as the Lord destroyed the habitations of Iacob so hath hee your habitations and laid wast your dwelling places In the Lowe-Countryes when we see Cities burnt men slaine Churches ruinated Corne-fields Gardens and Orchards destroyed we say then the Spanyards have beene here So whosoever shall see Northwalsham burnt and consumed with fire as it is hee will say The Lord hath beene here The Lord hath done Lament 2. 17. that which he purposed hee hath throwne downe and not spared But Brethren comfort your selves God will receive you if yee will turne For hee is gracious and mercifull long-suffering Psal 103. and of great goodnesse hee will not alway bee chiding neither keepeth hee his wrath for ever Pray therefore with the Prophes Comfort us againe after the time that thou hast plagued Psal 90. 15. us and for the yeares wherein we have suffered aduersity and GOD will restore your losses It is as easye a matter for him to restore them as at the first to give them Thus Iob bare his losses patiently The Lord saith hee gave Iob. 1. 21. and the Lord hath taken away as it pleased the Lord so it is come to passe blessed bee the name of the Lord. Cyrill said of the Cyril Eunomians that they had taken away his goods from him but not Christ from him Augustine said that if GOD should give him all things that were not enough except GOD gave himselfe also to him and then hee had enough Weepe not Agar a well shall spring up in the wildernesse Feare not Sampson a jawe-bone shall slay a Aug. Gen. 21. 15. Iudg. 15. 1 Reg. 12. 1 Reg. 17. whose army of Philistines Die not Elias The Ravens shall bring thee flesh and bread Bee not discomforted widowe of Sarepta the meale in the barrell and the oyle in the cruse shall not waste Faynt not Iewes Five loaves shall Iohn 6. feede five thousand Feare not Daniel Abacucke shall bring thee meate from Iewry Feare not yee men of wallsham Dan. Exod. Ezra 4. God can encline the hearts of all the Countrey to doe you good as hee did the hearts of the Aegyptians to lende to Israell hee can reedifye your Towne as hee did Ierusalem by Nehemiahs Hee can restore your losses as hee did the losses of Iob that you shall be richer at the last than at the first Hee that commanded the whale to cast Ionas on the dry land after three daies hee that turned the rocke into a river and the Flint stone into a springing well Mat. 12. Nomb. 20. he that saved Paul in the depth of the Sea can save you and your goods and will if you rest upon him only rely on Act. 27. the Lord. My brethren know that his eye is not dimme his Esa 39. eare is not heavy his arme is not shortened his heart is not diminished God preserves them that rely on him if we turne to him Hee is rich to all that call upon him be not wanting to thy selfe in faith and God will not be wanting unto thee in help beleeve and throwe not your selves downe so Rom. 10. much The earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compasse of the world and they that dwell therein He made you rich when yee were Psal 24. poore and being poore he can make you rich againe Seeke his kingdome and the righteousnes thereof and all these earthly things shall be Mat. 6. 33. cast unto you THE SIXTEENTH SERMON VERS VIII Likewise notwithstanding these sleepers also defile the flesh and despise goverment Where reprehension doth not amend execration follows SAint Iude in these 8 9 10. and 11. Verses noteth three things First A description of the wicked Secondly A confutation Thirdly An execration For hee ariseth by degrees as the Eagle mounteth in her flight higher and higher So Inde from Description to Confutation from Confutation to Execration Hee proceedeth in the zeale of God as Iehu marched in his chariot valiantly like the fire that first smoaketh and then flameth like the Sunne that warmeth in the morning and burneth at noone tide so at last hee accurseth them woe to them quoth Iude Let them be written among the fooles let them be put out of the Booke of life neither let them be written with the righteous Let their table bee made a snare before them And their prosperitie their ruine let their eyes bee blinded that they see not and make their Psal 69. 22 23 24 25 27. Ioynes alwayes tremble powre out thy anger upon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take them Let their habitation be voyd and none dwell in their tents lay iniquity upon their iniquity and let them not Three kindes of sleepers mentioned in Scripture come in thy righteousnesse Hee prayeth God with Ieremy to powre out his wrath upon them he desireth God with David to arise and scatter them to drive them away as smoke and as waxe melteth before the fire so they might perish and that God would Ier. 10. 25. Psal 69. 1 2. Psal 74. 11. withdraw his hand even his right hand out of his bosome and consume them Now for the description he painteth them out as Zeuxis did the Grapes that deceived the birds as Parrhasius did the sheete that deceived Zeuxis And first he calleth them sleepers Secondly defilers of the flesh Thirdly despisers of Government Fourthly Raylers speaking evill of them that are in authority Fifthly he noteth them to be envious like Caine. Gen. 4. Sixthly Rebellious like Corah Seventhly Covetous like Balaam Numh. 16. Cap. 16. 9. Thus as the Leopard hath many spots so had they many sins as Iosephs coat had many colours so had they many wickednesses Ier. 5. A vertice ad calcem non erat sanitas from toppe to toe there was no soundnesse but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruptions Esa 1. 4. they were a monstrous people A man may say of them as Virgil spake of Polipheme that one-eyed Gyant Monstrum horendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum An huge shapelesse horrid monster without an eye For they had a monstrous body having a drowsie head a lecherous flesh a railing tongue a blasphemous ignorant mouth an envious eye a rebellious hand a covetous heart like Virgils Alecto â—ui nomina mille mille noâ—â—â—di artes that a thousand names a thousand wayes to doe mischiefe a strange body compact of vile members the head of an Asse the flesh of a Goat the tongue of a Serpent the eye of a Basiliske the hand of a Monkey
by breathing some by poyson some by worrowing So is it among the wicked some hurt as beasts one way some another If hee be not an usurer yet is he an oppressor if not a Papist yet a prophane man if not covetous yet prodigall if not voluptuous yet superstitious if not a Lion yet an Aspe But let us put off our beastly affections Nam pejus est bestialiter vivere quà m bestiam esse hoc fuit à natura illud à Diabolo It is worser Seneca to live beastly than to be a beast the one is of nature the other of the Divell Let us then no longer live beastly lest we perish with the beast but live Christianly that so we may see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living THE TWENTIETH SERMON VERS XI Woe be unto them they have followed the way of Caine. Execrable sinners may be execrated FRom the description and confuration of the wicked hee commeth to execration hee riseth by degrees as the Eagle mounteth in her flight like fire that first smoaketh and then flameth he casteth them out of the savour of God and state of salvation Woe be unto them saith he Psal 69. 22 23. c. let their table be made a snare before them and their prosperity their ruine let their eyes be blinded that they see not and make their loynes alway to tremble Powre out thine anger upon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take them let their habitation be void and let none dwell in their Tents Lay iniquity upon their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousnesse let them be put out of the Booke of life and let them not be written with the righteous Thus with Esay he lifteth up his voyce like Esa 58. 1. Mich. 3. 2 Cor. 4. Ier. 5. 24. a trumpet with Micah he is full of power and judgement hee commeth to them as Paul to the Corinthians with a rod with Ieremy his words are as fire and the people as wood and straw to be devoured of this fire Saint Iude had hitherto tempred his stile but now comming to their arch-metropolitan sinnes hee cannot forbeare but breaketh out into these words Woe bee unto them with Iames and Iohn he is become Boanarges the Sonne of thunder he telleth them of nothing but destruction that God Ministers must not in their owne cause be rigorous but in Gods hath bent his bow and made his arrowes ready that God will arise and his enemies shall bee scattered that God will meet them as a shee Beare robbed of her whelps There is no doubt but the Apostle would have spoken mildly unto them would have blessed them as Aaron did the tribes if there had beene any Psal 7. Psal 68. 8. Hos 13. 8. Numb 6. goodnesse in them but seeing their sinnes execrable he commeth to execration and saith Woe be unto them Hee dealeth here with them as Christ did with Corazin and Bethsaida Woe to thee Corazin Woe to thee Bethsaida And as Christ did with the Mat. 23. Pharisees Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees and Hypocrites and as Paul did with the Corinthians when he said Maranatha Anathema be unto them that love not the Lord Iesus Men are unwilling to 1 Cor. 16. heare execrations and woes they would have pillowes sowne under their elbowes with the men of Anathoth they love to be soothed in their sinnes with Achab they cannot abide that Micah should prophesie otherwise unto them than they would have him they would not have the Lords sword drawne against them nor no woe denounced upon them but woe woe and woe againe to them that cause us to sharpen our stile and to cry Woe be unto them And note here that no private revenge no sinister affection carried him to this execration but being moved by the Spirit of God he was inforced to lay the Axe of Gods vengeance to the rootes of their trees and to cry Woe be unto them The Prophets and Apostles in their owne causes are like doves Sine felle without gall or bitternesse but in Gods cause they rowse themselves like Giants Moses prayed for Aaron and Myriam the cause was his Stephen prayed for his persecutors the cause was his but when he commeth to handle the cause of God he calleth them Acts 7. hard-hearted and stiffe necked Iewes So Christ in his owne cause was meeke as a Lambe but in his Fathers cause he rowsed himself like a Lion for he that prayed for his enemies thundred many woes against his Fathers adversaries as the Scribes Mat. 23. Pharisees and Hypocrites Well the Apostle having thus denounced Gods judgement against them saying Woe be unto them he commeth to set downe the cause of this execration the first whereof was envy malice First he calleth them malicious envious like Caine whose sinne the Apostle noteth and dehorteth men not to be As Caine which was of the wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his owne workes were evill and his brothers good A miserable 1 Iohn 3. 12. thing not to hate the man but the vertue of the man the goodnesse of the man this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fight against God like the old Giants we should love good men Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle saith David who shall rest upon thy holy hill God Psal 15. answereth him In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that feare the Lord All Davids delight was upon Envy ever ascendeth maligne vertue and glory them for so he protesteth in the Psalme All my delight is upon the Saints that are on the earth and upon such as excell in vertue We should doe so even Hate the evill and love the good and establish Psal 16. 3. Aâ—os 5. 15. judgment in the gate but we have inverted that order and good men are in most detestation with us As there is no Sunne beame without motes no Tree without barke no garment without mothes no fruit without Catterpillers so no vertue no honour without envy There 's no Iacob whom Esau will not perfecute no David whom Saul will not maligne no Isaak whom Ismael Gen. 27. will not revile and no good man upon the earth whom the envious will not bite teare and devoure For this cause one resembleth envy to certaine Flies called Cantharides for as they light specially upon the fairest wheat and most blowne Roses so envy commonly opposeth herselfe against the best men Invidia virtutis Comes envy is the companion of vertue One resembleth envy unto fire for as fire coveteth the highest places so envy aimeth at the worthiest men As for example Themistocles when he had conquered the navy of Xerxes which in number was most infinite through envy was forced to leave his Country and to live in miserable banishment Aristides which for his vertues was called the just yet through envy as an unprofitable member was
we shall never be better then when by prayer we creep as it were into our Heavenly Fathers bosome And thus wee see the profit power and pleasure of prayer the experience of this hath made good men to spend their dayes in prayer David rose at midnight to pray Daniel prayed three Psal 119. Dan. 6. Hist tripart times a day It is reported of Saint Iames that his knees were horne-hoofed with prayer and Nazianzene writeth of his sister Gorgonia that shee was so given to prayer that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth by reason of her continuall kneeling at prayer and Gregory in his dialogues writeth of his Aunt Trasilla being dead that shee was found to have her elbowes as hard as hornes which hardnesse she got by leaning to a deske at which shee used to pray and Saint Ierome writing of Paul the Hermite affirmeth that hee was found dead kneeling upon his knees holding up his hands and lifting up his eyes so that the very dead corps seemed yet to live and by a kind of religious gesture to pray still to God The Iewes beganne the day and ended it with Levit. 1. prayer It is said of Anthony the Hermite that having spent the whole night in prayer hee chid the Sunne at the rising of it saying O Sol mimis properè nobis redijsti O Sunne thou hast returned to us over-soone I am troubled with thy light the greatnesse of Divers kinds of prayer in respect of matter thy light hindreth mee from contemplation and the light of my God and of Bessarion that hee passed twelve dayes and nights in contemplation pavimentum erat lectus the pavement was his bed water his drinke barly his bread and rootes his dainties If we compare with these men we shall be found like the Pigmaei in respect of the great Giants Wee be not men of prayer wee rise in the morning as the wild Asse to his prey and we lie downe at night as dogges do in their kennell The Euchites pray too much wee too little or not at all the Papists prayed in the night but wee neither day nor night But of prayer in respect of the matter there bee divers kindes Petition Deprecation Intercession Expostulation Petition is for good things Deprecation to remove evill things Intercession for others Expostulation against others The Apostle Paul devideth prayer into Supplications Prayers Intercessions 1 Tim. 2. 2. Thankesgiving Supplications are for the removing of evill whether it bee malum culpae or Malum poenae the evill of sinne or the evill of punishment Prayers are for the obtayning of good for God will give good Mat. 7. 11. things to them that aske of him Intercessions are in the behalfe of others so Moses made intercession for the people saying Forgive them or els race mee out of Exod. 32. the booke of life which thou hast written So Christ made intercession for his crucifiers Father forgive them they know not what they doe Thankesgivings are for benefits received Mat. 27. And these foure the Apostle referreth in another place to two heads 1. Requests 2. Thankesgiving Phil. 4. 6. Vnder request hee comprehendeth supplication prayer and intercession But the most usuall distinction is grounded on 1 Thess 5. 17 18. which is Petition and Thankesgiving And in all these kindes of prayer a Christian must be conversant and use them as occasion serves and thus yee see the distinct kindes of prayer in respect of the matter There are other distinctions in regard of the manner the first Mentall and Vocall Mentall is an inward lifting up of the heart to God without any outward manifestation of the same by word such as Moses was when God said unto him Why cryest thou to me yet hee spake Prayer divers in respect of the manner never a word with his tongue onely he sighed and groned Vocall is that which is uttered with words as was the Publicans Exod 14. 15. Luk. 18. when hee cried God be mercifull unto me a sinner Secondly A prayer in regard of the manner of it is Sudden or Composed Sudden when as upon some occasion the heart is lifted up to God either by sighing or speaking such as was Nehemiahs prayer Nehe. 2. 4. and these are called the ejaculations of the heart which as one saith are to bee used as salt with meate with every bit of meate wee commonly take a little salt to season it so when wee doe any thing we must lift up our hearts to God and season our busines by prayer Composed prayer is the powring forth of some solemne prayer to God privately by our selves and such were the prayers that Daniel used to make three times a day Dan. 6. 10. Thirdly prayer is either Conceived or Prescribed Conceived prayer is that which hee who uttereth the prayer inventeth and conceiveth of himselfe and such are most of the prayers recorded in the Scripture Prescribed is when a set constant forme of prayer is layed downe before-hand a thing very frequent in the Scriptures in Numbers God prescribed a set forme of blessing for the Priests continually Numb 6. 23 24. to use and the 92. Psalme was prescribed A song for the Sabbath Mat. 6. day and Christ himselfe prescribed an excellent forme of prayer and S. Paul observes a set forme of blessing in the beginning and end of his Epistles Fourthly prayer is either Publike or Private Publike when a whole Congregation with one joint consent call upon God Private is that which is made by some few together as Elisha 2 Reg. 4. 33. and his servant were alone in a chamber praying for the Shunamites child or when a man prayeth by himselfe alone as did Cornelius and of this kinde of prayer Christ speaketh thus When thou Act. 10. 30. prayest enter into thy chamber and shut the dore and pray to thy Father in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly All these prayers must wee send up to God in the mediation of Christ Nam quid dulcius quà m Genitorem in nomine Vnigeniti invocare Aug. What is sweeter then to call upon the Father in the name of his onely begotten Sonne And they must bee powred out with feare and reverence Our hearts must bee raised from the dunghill of the earth to the glorious Throne of Heaven as the Prophet saith Let our hearts be lifted up Our gestures must be reverent and humble and kneeling is the fittest gesture in prayer Lament 3. 41. and they must bee delivered with fervency For the prayer of Iam. 5. the righteous avayleth much if it bee fervent Prayer is for all times and all things Yea in prayer wee must bee diligent Paul would have the Thessalonians to pray alwayes nay indesinenter orare to pray without ceasing but if any man say they cannot spend so much time 1 Thess 5. 17. in prayer they have other things to attend I
Thess 5. 14. them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded beare with the weake bee patient towards all men Some are wilde heifers and must have a yoake some are rude horses and must have a snaffle some are dull asses and must have a whip and a spurre some are unruly and must bee admonished some feeble and must be comforted some weake and must bee tolerated and towards all we must use patience This doctrine concerneth all but chiefly Ministers they must know who be woolves and who be sheepe who be serpents and who be doves whom to draw and whom to lead when to pipe and when to mourne when to powre in oyle when to powre vinegar when to use the menaces of the Law when to use the promises of the Gospell All ground is not alike some must have a share some a clotting All wood is not to be used aliee some will be plained and is soft some must have a wedge and a beetle All sores are not to bee handled alike some must have searing iron some a seare-cloth So all Christians are not alike to bee handled and it is a notable worke of Gods Spirit to discerne spirits thus Philip discerned not Simon Magus as Peter did Philip 1 Cor. 12. Act. 8. admitted him to Baptisme but Peter spied him in felle nequitiae in the gall of bitternesse In Rome the Magistrate had carried before him Secures fasces hatchets and rods the first for the great the second for the lesse offendors Alterius vitia emendandae alterius frangenda Paul Aug. in Gal. 2. Act. 5. Seneca reprehended Peter to his amendment Peter corrected Ananias to his condemnment Nobilis equus umbra virgae regitur at indomitus nec calcaribus incitari potest A rod will checke a free-horse and a twigge command a gentle nagge whereas the spurre cannot stirre a stubborne jade nor the whippe scare the untamed colt The Nurse when the Child hath a fall will first helpe it up after chide it and if it fall againe correct it so must the Nurse of soules first helpe a brother out of the mire of sinne then chide him for falling into the ditch and if this will not serve applie a sharper corrasive to his sore yet let all this bee done with wisedome and discretion Qui mittit in altum lapidem recidet in caput ejus lest he deale like a man that throwes up a stone rashly in his humour and it falleth downe againe upon his own head Hierom. ad Ruâ—t Monacâ— to teach him wisedome Well wee must have compassion of some for some sinnes are to be pitied we must be so far from hating and rejoycing at their falls that wee ought rather to sorrow and to bee greeved Hereupon saith Paul Brethren if any of you bee overtaken with any fault you that are spirituall helpe to restore him in the spirit of meekenesse Gal. 6. 12. insult not over him but restore him know that thou mayest fall We must be compassionate to such as sinne of infirmity thou art of the same mould he is falne by his own infirmity thou standest by the grace of God Noli superbire be not proud thou standest not of thy selfe Noli superbire but be strong in the Lord and through the power of his might pitty thy brother and restore him with Ephes 6. 10. meekenesse The Word in the originall signifieth to set a thing in joynt as wee doe a legge or an arme dislocated not breaking it but putting it into the place againe when it is out and this is done foure wayes quoth Master Perkins first by reprehending Perkins in his Treatise of the Tongue 2 Sam. 12. generally and covertly as Nathan did David in a parable which entred further into him than if it had beene done roughly Secondly in the place of a reprehension to put an exhortation as are pilles in Sugar so Paul prescribed saying Rebuke 1 Tim. 5. 1. not an Elder but exhort him as a Father and the younger men as brethren c. Thirdly to propound the reproofe in a mans owne person so Paul did saying Now these things Brethren I have figuratively applyed to my selfe and to Apollos for your sake that yee may 1 Cor. 4. 6. learne by us that no man presume above that which is written that one swell not against another for any mans cause Fourthly to reprove but with prefaces insinuations as that we do it of love that we do it of good will so Naamans servant said to his Master saying 2 Reg. 5. 13. Father if the Prophet had commanded thee some great thing oughtest thou not to have done it If we be beleevers of Christ we cannot but lament the fall of a brother and among the members there is such sympathy that if one suffer all the rest suffer with it Wee are the 1 Cor. 12. 26. members of Christ and the members one of another Paul told the Corinthians that in stead of laughing they should have sorrowed What 1 Cor. 5. 2. father is not greeved with the hurt of his children What friend is not greeved at the losse of his friend What shepheard delighteth in the wronging and scattering of his flocke and not in gathering it together How did it greeve Abraham to lose Gen. 17. 1 Sam. 19. Ismael How did Ionathan vexe himselfe for David And how did David rescue a poore sheepe or a Lambe out of the mouth of the Lion And shall not wee rescue a soule out of the mouth 1 Sam. 16. of the Divell If men bee of a contrary minde to us oh doe not hate them but pitty them and instruct them with meekenesse 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. praying God to give them repentance that they may know the truth and that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the Divell which is taken of him at his will Monicha wept so long for Augustine a Manichaean that a Bishop said unto her Filius iot lachrymarum perire non potest A sonne of so many teares cannot perish This affection should bee in us towards a sinner This was in Abraham when hee prayed for Sodom saying Gen. 18. What if there bee but tenne righteous men will you not spare the City And this was also in Moses when hee cryed to God saying Forgive them O Lord or else rase mee out of the Booke of life that thou Exod. 32. hast written And in Esay when hee cried TurneTurne away from mee labour Mâ—n more compassionate toward beasts and beasts to men than men to men not to comfort me I will weepe bitterly because my people perish And in Ieremy when hee wished That his head were a well of water and his eyes fountaines of teares that hee might weepe day and night for the people And this affection was also in Christ when hee wept over Ierusalem saying Oh if thou haddest knowne at the least in this Esa 22. 4. Ier. 9. 1. Luke
to bee seeing it hath the holy Ghost for the Author 2 The penman or writer was Iude or Iudas and of this name our Saviour had two disciples The one called Iudas Iscariot Who for thirty peeces of silver betraied basely sold his Lord and Master Servus Dominum discipulus magistrum homo Deum creatura Mat. 26. creatorem vendidit The servant betraid sold most basely sold his Lord. The disciple his Master man God the creature the Creator Infoelix mercator Iudas O unhappy Merchant Iudas The other called Iudas the son of Alphaeas called also Thaddeus Labbeus who was brother to Iames cosin to the Lord Iesus in the flesh The occasion of which name with the reason therof is set down in the 29. of Gen. the 35 V. For when Leah had borne Iudg. 15. Act. 18. 28. cap. 6. 10. three sons to Iacob she conceived and bare a fourth Sonne saying Now will I praise and confesse the Lord and shee called his name Iudah This Iude was as rare and notable an Apostle to beat downe the Heretickes of that time as Sampson did the Philistines as Apollo did the Iewes as Stephen did the Libertines Cirenians as Paphuntius did the Councell of Nice in Ministers marriage Concerning the Argument of this Epistle it is a stirring The Argument and occasion or this Epistle them up to a Christian life to shew foorth the fruits of faith to ioyne with Words Workes with communication conversation with hearing keeping with profession practice For after planting must come growing after light walking Col. 1. Ephes 5. 9. 2 Pet. 1. Esa 2. 3. Iam. 1. 22. after faith workes after teaching obedience after a good profession some good practice Beside here in this Epistle hee inveigheth sharpely against carnall profession and grosse abusing of Christian Religion And also he admonisheth them to beware of imposters seducers false teachers cunning deceivers which were craftily crept in amongst them drawing men from purity in Religion to impurity of the flesh Whom the Apostle lively painteth out in their severall colours and against whom hee denounceth many Iudgements of God The occasion of writing this Epistle was this It is affirmed by the most learned of all times and agreed upon by the best writers that this Apostle Iude outlived many yea most of the Apostles continuing and preaching in Mesopotomia Pontus Persis and other parts of the world till the Reigne of Domitian the Emperour in whose reigne Iniquity reigned Impiety abounded corruption of manners and dissolution in life raged in every place for many there were that were Wantons in manners and heretikes in opinion against whom hee did lift up his voyce like a trumpet So that this Epistle is notable and written for our learning howsoever some deny this Epistle to bee Cannonicall as Cardinall Cajetane who Esa 58. 1. Rom. 15. 4. calleth it Aprocriphall Which I note the rather to meete with Campian and Reighnolds who say that wee Protestants reject the Scriptures that wee leave no ground for a Christian to rest his Faith on because Luther doubted of Iames his Epistle and wee of the Apocripha But did not Dionisius Alexandrinus say that most of his predecessors reiected the Apocalips Did not the Councell of Laodicia leave it out of the Canon Did not Eumilâ—us Africanus deny the bookes of Esra Iob Paralipomenon Did not Ierome call the history of Davids Marriage a Poeticall fiction an unseemely iest Did not Cardinall Caietane a Piller of the Church a Peere of the Court of Rome accuse the Epistle to the Hebrewes to containe too weake grounds to prove Christs divinitie and yet left they ground for our faith to rest on So that there was no cause for Campian and Reighnolds to pearch on their rowses to clap their wings to crow so lowd to whet their dogges eloquence against us Some Scriptures have beene doubted of of some Churches as the second Epistle of Saint Peter the second and third of Saint John and some have beene reiected of all Churches As the Epistle of Barnabas The Acts of Peter The booke of the Pastor The Gospel of Nicodemus and Thaddaeus c. God hath kept the Scriptures Of the parts the Epistle The person writing it God hath kept the Scriptures in all ages so much as is necessary for our salvation At the giving of the Law it was reserved in tables of stone After the giving of the Law the writings of the Prophets were nailed to the doore of the Temple and reserved in the Lords treasury Before the captivity the Septuagint turned them into Greeke and Ptolomaeus Exod. 34. Heb. 2. the King kept them After the captivitie Ezra gathered all into one volume in the dayes of Artaxerxes and the Church have kept them as Aarons Rod and the pot of Manna and as the two Tables were kept in the Arke c. In the primative Church the Gospell of Mathew was kept in Iewry the Gospell of Marke at Alexandria that of Luke at Antioch that of Iohn and the Apocalips at Ephesus Nam triplex est munus Ecclesiae the Churches office is threefold Sacros libros servare instar testis eos promulgare instar proeconis eos ab aliis discernere to keepe these sacred bookes as a witnesse to promulgate them as a Preacher and to discerne them from other bookes whatsoever And thus the Church hath kept this Epistle of Iude unto this day Fremat licet Câ—jetanus All Tyrants have raged against the Scripture Antiochus for his hatred of the Scriptures is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he beheaded them that had the Bible Dioclesian commanded the bookes of the Scripture to be burnt yet by the wonderfull providence of God they are preserved And thus much being spoken concerning the Author the Penman the Occasion and Argument of this Epistle I will now come unto the Epistle it selfe the which may be divided into five parts First The title or superscription Secondly The Exordium Thirdly A proposition Fourthly Exhortations and dehortations Fiftly The conclusion or the shutting up of the Epistle with a prayer to God But first to begin with the title or superscription and therein observe with me three things First The person writing Secondly The persons written unto Thirdly The Salutation Now the person writing is described three wayes First by his name Iude. Secondly By his calling a servant of Christ Thirdly By his kindred The brother of Iames. But first the person writing is described by his name and that was Iude or Iudas not Iudas Iscariot the traytor but Iudas the brother of Iames and Cousin to the Lord Iesus Christ in the flesh yet both were the Apostles of Christ but this man good and godly that wicked and ungodly For it is nor the name or The Writer by his name and calling described office that makes a good man but the Grace and Mercie of God If outward titles could make good men Iudas Iscariot had beene as good as
did with Ieremy Qui loquuti sunt ampullas Ier. 11. 21. sesquipedalia verba which spake proud haughty great and stout words Let us reprove in love not as Saul who breathed Act. 8. out threatenings and slaughter against the Congregation of Christ but Let all things be done in love For love is like honey 1 Cor. 16. 14. in bitter broth and sugar in sowre wine it is like the Sunne unto the world and a candle unto the house a light for our journey a line for our life and a rule for our reprehensions Si diligis fac Aug. in Epi. Iohn quicquid vis If thou beest in love doe what thou wilt speake or be silent exhort and rebuke call or cry so it bee in love all is well But wee are like the dogges of Coriben wee speake not but barke and bite one at another Such were the men that Paul Phil. 3. 2. gives us warning of saying Beware of dogges beware of evill workers beware of concision The mother of Nero shewed him her wombe to move him but he unnaturally ript it up but the mother of the seven children shewed them her brests in token 2 Mach. 7. of love and they would not eate Swines flesh to dye for it Sic Bern. ministri proferant ubera non verbera so let Ministers shew their breasts not their battes Docendo non jubendo movendo potius quà m minando procedant let them proceed and goe forward in teaching not in commanding in monishing not in menacing Nam Aug. plus penetrant mollia quam aspera verba milde and gentle speeches doe more penetrate and pierce than tart and bitter As for example the milde zeale of Paul preaching before Agrippa perswaded Chrysost him almost to become a Christian They that goe about In Gods matters we must be diligent and zealous to perswade with roughnesse Quos volunt meliores plerumque faciunt deteriores whom they would amend and make better many times they marre and make worse Ministers must be like unto Paul and handle their people as he did the Philippians kindly Act. 26. 28. Aug. Phil. 4. and lovingly My brethren beloved and longed for my ioy and my Crowne they must strengthen the weake heale the sicke binde up the broken bring againe that which is driven away they must seeke up the lost and not rule with crueltie and rigour they must bee as the Pelicane that feedeth her yong with her heart bloud like the Eagle that carrieth her yong on her wings so much for the first reason Another reason drawne from Iude's person is taken from his paines He gave all diligence to write of Faith In Gods matters wee must be diligent like the Dromedaries of Aegypt like the wilde Asse used to the Wildernesse that snuffeth up the winde Ier. 2. 24. at her pleasure c. wee must bee swift as Hazael or the wilde Roe in the cause of God not creepe nor goe nor run but flye Wee must march on in Religion like Iehu in his Chariot swiftly and couragiously wee must be like the ships of Merchants that bee good under faile Esay compareth the Church unto Esa 60. 8. Doves Who are these that flye like a Cloud and as Doves to their Windowes Doves they flye swiftly and they flye in companies so should we in matters of Religion Demosthenes was ashamed if hee heard the Smiths hammer goe before hee read his booke in the morning Plus olei quà m vini expendisse dicitur hee wrote more than hee dranke If this diligence was in him for humane learning what should be in us for divine Knowledge It is said of Alphonsus King of Naples that hee read the Bible over fortie times in his life such paines did he take for Salvation and so diligent was hee in the worke of the Lord and so must wee Many for the goods of the World Rise early goe to bedde late eate the bread of carefulnesse Psal 127. Looke upon the covetous man hee runnes through thicke and thinne for gold the voluptuous he refuseth no paines in pursuing his pleasures Now this care must bee in the Church for the Religion and the worship of God Let us learne husbandry for our Soules from the husbands of our bodies they are diligent to provide for the body let us be as provident for our Soules let us say with the faithfull Wee o Lord have waited for thee in the way of thy Iudgements the desire of our Soule is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee with my Soule have I desired thee in the Esa 26. 8 9. night and with my Spirit within mee will I seeke thee in the morning Wee must take all paines to doe the Church good Iewell said oportet Episcopum mori concionantem a Bishop must dye preaching Paul for the space of three yeeres ceased not to warne every one Act. 20. 31. night and day hee was as diligent in teaching as Iude was in writing and as diligent must wee be in reading and hearing like Most men more diligent in earthly than heavenly things the men that followed Christ into the Wildernesse and abode with him three dayes hearing him and eating nothing The Artificers left their trades the Chapmen their shops the Merchants their exchange the Mariners their nets the husbandmen their fields and vineyards yea blind Bartimaeus left his cloke Iohn 6. 2. to follow Christ and to heare him Salomon would have men labour for Wisedome as they doe for Silver and then they should have it If it concerne our profit or our pleasure Lord what paines will wee take Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos the unwearied Merchant runnes to the furthest Indies Againe as touching pleasure pernoctant venatores in nive pugiles cestibus contusi non ingemiscunt the Huntsmen sleepe in the Snow watch Tulli. in Tuscuk upon turffes though bruised they are not moved Onely for Faith wee will take no paines though Christ cry unto us Ho every one that thirsteth come unto the Waters and yee that have no mony Esa 55. 1. come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without silver and without money yet wee come not But to proceede why was Iude so carefull and earnest that hee gave all diligence to write unto them It was because he wrote to them of Salvation 〈◊〉 was it that carryed him into this heate as the Apostle said They could not but speake the things which Act. 4. 20. they had heard and seene So Iude gave all dilgence to write of Salvation which hee had heard and seene If a man had as many hands and pennes as Argus had eyes all were too little to write of Salvation the worthinesse and rarenesse of the Argument is such What a care had Paul of his Salvation it carried him away in such sort that hee said Behold I goe bound unto Ierusalem and know not what things shall come
the old world there were but eight beleevers but two Iosua and Caleb and in Christs time we read but of an hundred and twenty beleevers As Aegypt was full of lice Nilus full of Crocodyles Golgotha full of dead mens skulls so is the world full of Infidells He destroyed them that beleeved not And hence commeth it to passe that so many are damned even because they want faith Perditio tua ex te ô Israel thy destruction commeth of thy selfe ô Israel Ex nobis quod damnamur It is of our selves that wee bee damned blame not God but thine owne infidelity For all things Hos 13. Man 5. are possible to them that doe beleeve And therefore Hemingius in his Enchiridion distinguisheth of the word that There is Duplex verbum Damnans Salvans That there is a double word a Damning and a Saving word The damning word is the Law the saving word is the Gospell The Law offereth grace to them that doe it Yee shall keepe therefore Deut. 2. 27. Gen. 3. 5. Levit. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 4. 9. my statutes and my iudgements which if a man doe he shall live in them But the Gospell offereth grace to the beleevers For Christ is the end of the Law unto every one that beleeve For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Faith is ever a chiefe doer in matters of salvation and therefore said Hemingius in his Enchiridion that Causa imperans salutis est pater the Iohn 3. 16. commanding cause of our salvation is God For God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne to save the world Causa obsequens est filius the obedient pliant cause is the Psal 40. 7. Sonne In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will I am content to doe it thy Law is written in my heart Causa consummans est Spiritus Sanctus the consummating cause is the holy Ghost so saith the Apostle But yee are washed but yee are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. but yee are iustified by the grace of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God The instrumentall cause is double Exhibens Recipiens Rom. 1. 18. The exhibiting Cause is the word the receiving cause Faith as therefore a Smith worketh not in cold iron so a preacher worketh not on an Infidell There is no life of God in us till we beleeve Ephes 4. 18. till then our cogitation is darkened and we are strangers from the life of God He that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but hee that Iohn 3. 18. beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God A tree liveth not without moisture Without faith no accesse to God nor a bird without aire nor a fish without water nor a Salamander without fire So the soule liveth not without faith The just doth live by his faith this is the spirit and soule of the inward man we Hab. 2. have a name to live yet are we dead if we want faith I live by faith in the Sonne of God saith Paul who loved me and gave himselfe for Gal. 2. 20. me Infidels therefore are dead men What is the cause that wee profit no more by the word wee beleeve not the preacher that may bee verified of our people which God said to Ezechiel concerning the Iewes They come unto Ezech. 33. 31 32. thee saith God as people useth to come and my people sit before thee and he are thy words but they will not doe them For with their mouthes they make jests and their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and loe thou art unto them as a jesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare thy words but doe them not So we come to the Sermon heare the preacher but we doe not heare him with such zeale and affection as we should wee beleeve not but abuse the word to our owne condemnation why care wee no more for heaven but are so worldly truely we beleeve not God what is the cause that wee live in sinne seeing it is damnable For the wayes of it is death wee beleeve not the Scriptures what is the Rom. 6. 23. 2 Cor. 4. 4. cause of all disorder even infidelity The God of this world hath blinded their eyes our eares are open to heare but not our hearts to beleeve Satan stealeth away the word lest we should beleeve and so be saved But let us make much of the word that wee may Mat. 13. 19. have faith to beleeve For faith nay one dramme of faith is of more worth than all the treasure in the world This that good merchant well knew that sold all to buy it For hee that beleeveth shall not be condemned for every beleevers cause is removed Mat. 13. 24. from the Court of Gods justice into the Court of Gods mercy where hee that beleeveth is not condemned Therefore our care must be with S. Paul that we may be found having the righteousnesse of Christ by faith For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 1. Iesus as all beleevers are and untill thou beest a beleever thou belongest not to God For as the Eagle refuseth her birds till they can mount and soare to the Sunne and as the Raven acknowledgeth not her young ones till they be blacke So God rejecteth the infidels and receiveth none till they beleeve None are the Sonnes of God but the faithfull the rest are bastards I confesse there be degrees in faith The first is a rudiment or entrance Gal. 3. Mat. 12. 20. Rom. 14. 1. Hebr. 10. 22. Rom. 4. 18. which Christ calleth Smoking flaxe The second is a weake faith Him that is weake in faith saith Paul receive unto you The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assurance of Faith Such a faith was in Abraham who above hope beleeved under hope But no faith is abominable and may easily be discerned from a weake faith As a sicke man is knowne from a dead man So a weake faith from no faith Even a desire of Faith is a token of faith For Gods spirit worketh God giues grace according to the measure of Faith that but no faith is accursed For he that beleeveth not is còndemned already There be degrees in faith three examples we have The first of the Ruler of the Synagogue who beleeved that his daughter should revive if Christ would but touch her But the Iohn 3. 18. Iohn 4. woman with the bloody issue beleeved that she should be whole if she touched but the hemme of his vesture But the Centurion beleeved that his servant should doe well if Christ spake but the Luk. 8. Mat. 8. word here is Gradus positivus the positive degree the
up thy Dan. 5. 2. 22. selfe against the Lord of heaven c. And so a number that see the judgement of God upon their fathers and friends and yet they come not their owne hearts and say with David It is I that have sinned and my fathers house and what have these sheepe done let thy 2 Sam. 24. 17. hand be upon mee and my fathers house and not upon this people The fall of Adam was the juster in that he tooke no heed by the fall of Angels The sinne of the old world was the greater they saw Gen. 8. and heard both of the fall of Angels and of the fall of Adam and yet these examples could not make them beware Thus Paul reasoned with the Romanes for that they learned not by the example of the Iewes he calleth them to a second view of it Behold saith hee the bountifulnesse and the severity of God towards them which have fallen severity but towards thee bountifulnesse if Rom. 11. 22. thou continue in this bountifulnesse or else thou shalt be cut off This is the end of all Scripture to apply examples and doctrines to us for the increase of knowledge and conscience Thus Absalom is an example to all rebels how they lay their hands on the Lords 2 Sam. 17. 2 Sam. 15 Acts 5. 2 Pet. 2. 2 Reg. 9. annointed Achitophel to all bad counsellors Ananias to all lyers Herod to all persecutors Balaam to all greedy wretches Iezâ—bel to all proud women Therefore Moses upbraideth Israel that they seeing the examples of them that worshipped Baal-peor yet runne into the same sin he maketh them stocks blocks beasts without eyes saying The Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heare unto this day Deut. 29. 4. To apply this Hath France been plagued so that their channels have overflowed with blood not with water Hath God plagued Flanders that their children be fatherlesse their wives widdowes their houses turned over unto strangers their lands to aliens hath Germany been grieved Scotland distressed and we regard it not we are blinder than Pharoah and more beasts than Nebuchadnezzar To tame a Lion they use to beat a little dogge before him So to tame us of a Lion-like nature God hathbeaten France Flanders Germany c. Tune tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet O England looke unto thy selfe end let thy neighbours fire make Examples not regarded aggravate punishment thee take heede of approching flames As God said of Babell Come downe and sit in the dust so virgin daughter Babel c. So say I Come downe and sit in the duste o virgin daughter England There is no throne o daughter of the Chaldeans For thou shalt no more be Esa 47. 1. called tender and delicate Take the milstones and grinde meale lose thy locks make bare thy feete uncover thy legges passe thorow the flouds Thy filthynes is discovered and thy shame shal beseen Thou shalt no more be called the mother of kingdomes Lay thy hand therfore O virgin daughter England upon thy heart repent of thy sinnes and God will repent of his plagues turne away from thy sinnes and God wil turne his face from thy sinnes and blot out all thy misdeeds And thus much being spoken as touching the end of Sodomes punishment I come now unto the punishment it selfe and that is double First fire Secondly Eternall fire But first fire For among the judgements of God fire ever hath beene a principall We use to say that fire and water have no mercy and it is so therefore when God would punish notorious sinnes he plagued them with fire When the uncleane lusts of Sodome cried up to heaven The Lord rained fire and brimstone from Gen. 19. the Lord out of Heaven upon them and destroied them When Israell lusted after flesh God sent fire into the host which burnt amongst Numb 11. 1. them and consumed the utmost part of the Host When the Captaines of Ahaziah came prowdly against Elisha the man of God they 2 Reg. 1. and their Fifties were consumed with fire The two notable whoremongers of Iuda were burnt with fire in so much as it Luk. 9. grew to a proverbe in Iuda The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and Gen. 6. like Abab whom the King of Babell burnt in the fire The Samaritans refusing to lodg the Lord Iesus the Apostles would have prayed 2 Pet. 3. for fire to come from heaven to destroy them When Christ Iesus will come to judgement he will come in fire Once the world was drowned and then it shal be burned For The heavens shall passe in manner of a tempest the Elementes shall melt for servent heat the earth Mat. 25. 41. and all that is therupon shall burne And when he will judge the 2 Thess 1. 8. world to a certaine set punishment it is to fire Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire This is the punishment of the damned For when the Lord shall shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels In flaming fire they shal be throwen into a burning Lake The paines of hell are described many wayes they are called Vermis conscientiae a worme of Conscience Tenebrae exteriores utter Mar. 9. 4. Mat. 22. 13 Apoc. 20. Luk. 6. 25. Mat. 25. 41. 2 Thes 1. 8. Esa 30. Apoc. 19. darkenesse Secunda mors the second death fletus stridor dentium weepings and gnashing of teeth the place of Divels losse of Gods presence want of his countenance Tophet and the vallie of mourning but chiefly fire and the burning lake O what an horror is it ever to feele a gnawing worme ever to lie in darknesse to see death ever to weepe and gnash our teeth to be among Divels to fry in fire But as the Poet unable to se out the sorrowes of Niobe Fire fearefull hell fire more fearefull was driven to wrappe up her heade in a cloud so words fayle me you cannot heare it my tongue cannot expresse it all our hearts cannot comprehend it the paines of hell are unspeakeable as the joyes of heaven are incomprehensible As the one cannot be 1 Cor. 2. 8. perceived by the eye nor received by the eare nor conceived by the heart no more can the other If a man were in the fire an hower He would give a hundred thousand pound to come out of it and yet our fire is no more to hell fire than a painted fire is to our fire Horresco referens I tremble I quake rehearsing it Tremble o tremble yee blaspemers that tosse Gods name like to a tennis balle The flying booke of Gods vengeance which is Zach. 5. 1. 2. 3. twenty cubites long and tenne cubites broad wherein is written Ier. 5. 8. 9. the curse that goeth forth oyer the whole earth will seize upon them and cut them of on this side and on that Tremble yee whoremongers which like stoned
incontinent person to incontinency shee denied but not relinquishing his suit at last shee calleth for a panne of coales and desireth him for her sake to hold his hand in that panne of coales one houre hee answered it was an unreasonable request She replied Is my request unreasonable to have you hold your hand in this panne of coales one houre how vnreasonable is yours which would have have mee Why our Lusts are by Saint Paul called members to yeeld to that which will burne body and soule in Hell flames for ever And so she sent him away packing and so must all chast bodies answere these defilers Besides all this this sinne of whoredome is an abominable sinne because God forbids it and all good men abhorre it Ioseph chused rather to indanger his life than to defile himselfe with his filthy Mistrisse Susanna before shee would suffer the filthy Iudges Gen. 39. 12. to defile her adventured her bodie to the fire and burned had she beene had not God delivered her but in this sinnefull age many will adventure their lives to doe it and are so farre from Iosephs Dan. 13. 45. and Susannaes affection from flying filthinesse that like Reuben they cannot rest day nor night till they be of the number of these defilers of the flesh Anger and lust are so such raging affections in man that they can hardly be resisted but be they as deere unto us as our hands and our eyes yet they must be plucked out and cut off Paul compareth Mat. 18. 8 9. lust unto a member first because actuall sinnes in relation to originall sinne are so many members as grow from Secondly by a Metonymie of the subjects lust may bee called a member because it is brought to action by the helpe and service of the members And thirdly because many men delight and take pleasure in their turpitude and filthinesse as in their members But howsoever it bee a member yet it must bee mortified so saith the Apostle Mortifie Col. 3. 5 6. Gal. 5. 24. your earthly members Fornication Vncleanenesse unnaturall Lust c. and it must bee crucified also For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Qui ergo sordescit sordescat Act. 8. 20. ad huc Let him that is filthy bee filthy still Et pereat secum voluptas let his voluptuousnessy perish with him as Simon Peter said to Simon Magus in another sense Saint Ierome cryeth out against Hierome this sinne after this manner O ignis infernalis luxuria cujus materia gula c. O thou infernall fire of letchery and whoredome whose matter and nourishment are gluttony and drunkennesse the flame is Fervor concupiscentiae The heate of concupiscence the sparkes are corrupt speeches and filthy communication the smoke infamy and disgrace the acts adultery fornication uncleanenesse and the end Helltorments But to proceed Saint Peter speaketh of men that have eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease to sinne beguiling unstable soules 2 Pet. 2. 14. Many have eares full of slander as Doeg and Saules parasites Many have mouths full of blasphemy as Goliah who railed upon the hoast of the living God Many have throats full of gluttony as the Philippians whose God was their belly and glory their shame Many have their hands full of bribery as the Pharisees which made 1 Sam. 22. 1 Sam. 17. 3 6. Phil. 3. 17. Mat. 23. 25. Gen. 21. 47. cleane the utter side of the cup and platter but within were full of briberie and excesse And many have their hearts full of rancor and malice as Esau who 〈◊〉 â—â—cob because of the blessing and purposed to slay Iacob But most men have eyes full of adultery but such uncleane Adultery a sin very common in Italy eyes shall never see God to their comfort Ieremy said of that time that they were all adulterers And assembled themselves by companies in harlots houses they rose up in the morning like fed-horses Ier. 5. 7 8 9. every man neighed after his neighbours wife shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soule be avenged of such a nation as this Hosea said of Israel that they were all as the Oven of a Baker for as the Bakers Oven is seldome cooled so their lust is seldome Hos 7. 4. satisfied CHRIST called the Pharisees An adulterous generation as if they all had beene Whoremongers Mat. 16. 4. And Paul said of most men that they bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potius quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of godlinesse But take 2 Tim. 3. away your fornication out of GODS sight and your adulteries from betweene your brests lest God strip you naked and discover your filthinesse Hos 2. 2 3. to your confusion One writeth of Genna in Italy that all of them bee either Lovers or Lechers As the Moabite walloweth in his vomit as the dogge tumbleth in carion as the Eeles lye in mud as the Beetles sing in dung so the Italians boast of lechery all are either Lovers or Lechers Master Askam said of Venice that whoredome was as indifferent as a shooe or a pantofle Bishop Iewell said of Rome that in the yeere 1564. after a reformation there there were found eight and twenty thousand Curtesans Harding justified the stewes and Iasin Pratensis hath written a booke de ratione gignendi liberos de mille modis concubandi and Iohannes Atlassa an Archbishop hath written a booke in praise of Sodomitry And most Papists hold this with Pighius and them of Colon Sinon castè tamen cautè if not chastly yet warily yet condemne they marriage For as Severus the Hereticke held a woman to be the workemanship of the Divell and a man also from the Navell downeward So Innocent the eighth and Pope Siricius condemned marriage alledging the words of the Apostle that They which are in the flesh cannot please God Thus like the second Rom. 8. 8. Nicene Councell under Irene they racke all Scripture perverting them to their owne destruction like Foxes they spoile 2 Pet. 3. 16. Cant. 2. Psal 80. the Lords Grapes like Wilde-Boares they roote up all the Vineyard Whoredome was wont to bee the sinne of Naples afterwards the sinne of France and now the sinne of England Saint Hierome saith that it is no wisedome to sleepe neere a Serpent it may bee that hee biteth thee not but it is forty to Hierome librâ— de regula monachorum cap. 9. one but that it stingeth thee A vino muliere inquit fuge flee from wine and women saith hee ne te capiat ejus oculus lest her eye catch thee The lips of a strange woman drop as an hony combe and her mouth is more soft than oyle but the end of her is bitter as Wormewood and sharpe as a two-edged Sword her geete goe downe Prov. 5. 3 4. to death and her steps tooke
and with his foot pusht it off againe Hildebrand caused Henry the 4. to stand three dayes at his gates bare-footed and bare-legged before hee would open his gates unto him Thus have they tossed government up and downe and have put them out of their places Chrysostome and Tertullian call them the chiefe men of the earth and next to God and Saint Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most excellent Our latter Papists 1 Pet. 2. 13. call civill Magistrates carnall Lords humane creatures and is not this to take away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soveraigne and supreme authority from them that ought to have it which Iesus Christ denyed to his Ministers and servants saying The Kings of the Gentiles Luke 22. 25. beare rule over them and they that beare rule over them are called gratious Lords but you shall not so Let us therefore Brethren be subject to the higher power and never despise government Let us subject our selves to every ordinance of Ro◠13. 1. man for the Lords sake For by them we reape much good for governours are appointed of God For the punishment of evill doers but 1 Tim. 2. for the laud of them that doe well under them we lead a quiet and a godly life and where as there is no government there is no order and whereas there is no order Ibi ruinae ostium patet the doore is open to ruine and destruction Hereupon saith a Father Malum quidem est ubi est nullus principatus c. It is a passing evill whereas there is no government for take from the Quier the Chanter and the Song will neither be in good tune nor in good order take from the Souldiers the Captaine and the same cannot march on either in due number or decent manner take from the Ship the Pilote and it must needs miscarry take from the flocke the Shepheard and they must needs be scattered and so take from the people Governours and they must come to destruction ye see therefore the good of Government And to disobey oras Iude speaketh To despise Government it is dangerous Paul saith They that resist shall receive to themselves Rom. 13. damnation And he reckoneth up disobedient persons among those that shall not come into the Kingdome of God I will conclude Gal. 5. with the admonition of Salomon My sonne feare the Lord and the King and meddle not on any pretence with them that are seditious Prov. 24. 21. and despise not government If Governours be impious pray for their piety if tyrannous pray to God to inspire them with clemency Pray for Kings saith Paul yea though they were such as Gentiliter vixerunt lived Heathenishly saith Optatus Milenitanus THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON VERS IX Yet Michael the Archangel when hee strove against the Divell and disputed about the body of Moses durst not blame him with cursed speaking but said the Lord rebuke thee Raylers confuted by Michael the archangels example THese words containe the confutation of those heady and unruly spirits that despise government and hee confuteth them two waies first Michaell the Archangell would not raile in a dispute betweene him and Satan how dare then these pesants base and vile men take upon them to speake evill for there is no comparison betweene men and Angels for God hath made men lower than the Angels indeed in the last day our Psal 8. 5. Mat. 22. honour shall be like unto them but not till then Secondly Michael and the Angels durst not rayle on the Divell that cursed creature how dare then these chips and draine of the people and skum of the world raile on Rulers and dignities ordained of God Or the reason may thus be contracted An Archangell would not give judgement these men judge and censure all estates an Archangell dispute these condemne hearing no cause an Archangell durst not raile these dare speake all evill for Pride is a chaine unto them and cruelty covereth them as a garment They are Ps 73. 6. 8 9. licentious and speake wickedly they talke presumptuously They set No Scripture lost that is necessary for salvation their mouth against Heaven and their tongue walketh thorow the earth This History Totidem syllabis is not recorded in the Bible and yet we must not thinke that Iude fained it but rather that there is much Scripture lost which we have not seeing that Antiochus in the Law and Dioclesian in the Primitive Church burned the Scriptures and all Libraries we want the Booke of the battels of the Lord mentioned by Moses the Booke of the righteous Numb 21. 14. cited by Iosua and we want much of the Chronicles of Israel Ios 10. 13. 2 Reg. 16. and Iuda we have not the Bookes of Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer the Booke of Nathan the Prophet and the Booke 2 Chron. 12. 15. of the Prophecie of Ahiah wee want many of Salomons Bookes who wrote of beasts stones herbes trees from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hysope on the wall as you may read 1 Reg. 4. Origen 1 Reg. 4. Origine lib. ◠de principiis saith that this Text was taken from a Booke called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ascention of Moses so say Clemens Alexandrinus Didimus and Athanasius For so say they Paul alledged Epimenides Aratus and Menander why might he not then quote this saying Others saw that it was delivered by tradition from hand to hand Tit. 1. 12. Act. 17. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 23. 2 Tim. 3. 8. So Iannes and Iambres are named and that speech uttered by the Apostle Remember the words of the Lord Iesus how that he said It is a blessed thing to give rather than to receive It is not orderly so written in any place of Scripture yet it is gathered by divers places Acts. 20. 35. in effect Papists here cry out that Iude alledged some prophane Author or some tradition ergo non solum haerendum est Scripturis therefore we must not onely cleave unto the Scriptures I confesse Paul cited some things from prophane Writers but it was not to confirme any dogmaticall conclusion concerning faith and beleefe for as touching these things they cited only the Scriptures but when they came to intreat of manners then they borrowed some things of the Ethnicke and Heathen and that to this end to shame Christians But Christ said Scriptum est it is written non traditum est not is it a tradition Thus Sadnele answered Turrianus and so I in this cause answer Stapleton Staphilus and the Iesuites Michael is here named who is also named by Daniel and by Dan. 12. 2. Apoc. 12. 7. Saint Iohn this Michael is here called an Archangell but I will first speake concisely of Angels then of Archangels In the Scripture five good Angels are onely named The first is Michael as here in this my Text and also by the Prophet Daniel the Dan. 10. 13. Dan. 8. 16. Luk. 1. Esdr
abate your sinnes that God may abate your punishment Nay cast away all your workes of darkenesse that yee may never come into the place of darkenesse the Divels dungeon where the worme dyeth not where the fire goeth not out but continuall weeping and gnashing of teeth howling yelling and crying without ease of paine or comfort of mind that is such endlesse misery as the griefe thereof can neither be conceived of us nor expressed of them that feele it THE FIVE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XIV XV. And Enoch the seventh also from Adam prophesied of such saying Behold the Lord commeth c. Antiquity with Verity bring Authority to Doctrine HEre hee describeth the judgement of God at large which is ready to hasten nay to full upon these Epicures and Hypocrites and all proud swelling men yea and upon all ungodly persons whatsoever For as the power of the Lord had her day in the creation of the World and the mercy of God her day in redemption of man the little World so the justice of God must have her day in the just punishment of the unjust and wicked of the world This text of judgement devides it selfe into foure branches 1 That there shall bee a judgement 2 That the Lord shall be the Iudge 3 The manner of the judgement 4 The end of it To condemne all the ungodly of their evill deedes and cruell speakings against God But first he citeth his Author and saith that Enoch the seventh prophesied of such men that is of such Epicures of such proud swelling persons of such hypocrites Enoch is named the seventh Though some Scripture bee lost yet it is supplied in others and is perfect from Adam for Adam Seth Enos Kenan Mahalaleel Iared lived before him and dyed onely he was taken up alive into Heaven as was Elias in a firie chariot Tanquam candidati resurrectionis as the forerunners of the resurrection So that note here the antiquitie of the Prophesie of Enoch which Iude citeth to purchase authority unto the doctrine antiquity joyned with verity is of great force Quod primum illud verum quod posterius illud falsum whatsoever is first that is true what is later that is false Ieremy sendeth men to the old wayes Stand in the way saith he and behold aske for the old way and walke Ier. 6. 16. therein ye shall finde rest unto your soules Christ debating a question sendeth them to Antiquity saying Ab initio non fuit sic from Mat. 19. 8. the beginning it was not so Ab initio non Papae non Cardinales c. from the beginning no Popes no Cardinals no Patriarches c. therefore shall they not continue for ever sed eradicabuntur but shall be rooted out So reasoned the Wise man for idols saying Wisd 14. 12. cap. The inventing of Idols was the beginning of whoredom and the finding of them is the corruption of life for they were not from the beginning neither shall they continue for ever Sed vetusta consuetudo sine veritate vetustus Cypr. error an old custome without truth is but an old error The Papists to warrant their traditions and unwritten verities mightily urge the Prophesie of Enoch but this prophesie is not counterfeit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inscriptum quiddam but wee must know that much Scripture is lost which we have not which might bee when Antiochus and Maximine caused the bookes of the Law to bee burnt We lacke many of Salomons workes who wrote of all things from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hysop on the 1 Reg 4. wall In that God hath not given us the bookes of Nathan of 1 Chro. 29. 2 Chro. 9. Gad of Iado of Shemaia of Athia the Shilonite of Iohn the sonne of Hanani c. It is not for that the Scriptures are unperfect and to bee supplied with unwritten verities but for some other causes best knowne to God They say the Scriptures are unperfect and therefore have added their unwritten traditions which they call Apostolicall unto the Scriptures to make the totall rule of Faith the Scriptures making but one part thereof and their traditions another as it appeareth by the late Trident Councell and of Bellarmines exposition thereof The Councell saith Omnes libros veteris novi Testamenti necnon traditiones ipsas Sess 4. decret 1. tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel ore tenus a Christo vel à Spiritu Sancto dictatas continua successione in Ecclesia Catholica conservatas pari pietatis affectu reverentia suscipit ac veneratur Tridentina Synodus that is All the bookes of the old and new Testament as also the traditions themselves pertaining both to Faith and manners as being either pronounced by the mouth of Christ or delivered by the holy Ghost and by continuall succession preserved in the Catholike Church the Councell of Trent receiueth and honoreth with like and equall affection of pietie The Papists hold the Scriptures insufficient without traditions and reverence And Cardinall Bellarmine writeth thus Asserimus in Scripturis non contineri expressè totam doctrinam necessariam sive de fide sive de moribus proinde praeter Verbum Dei scriptum requiri etiam Verbum Dei non scriptum idest divinas Apostolicas traditiones that is Libro de verbo Dei non Script cap. 3. We affirme that in the Scripture is not contained expressely all necessary doctrine whether of faith or manners and therefore beside the written Word of God is required also the unwritten word of God namely divine and Apostolicall traditions And againe he saith Scripturae sine traditionibus nec fuer unt simpliciter necessariae necsufficientes The Scriptures without traditions were Ibid. cap. 4. neither simply necessary nor yet sufficient And againe Dico Scripturam etsi non sit facta praecipuè ut sit regula fidei esse tamen regulam Ibid. cap. 12. fidei non totalem sed partialem totalis enim regula fidei est Verbum Dei sive revelatio Dei Ecclesiaefacta quae dividitur in duas regulas partiales scripturam traditiones I say that the Scripture though it were not made especially to be the rule of faith yet it is the rule of faith not in whole but in part For the whole rule of faith is the Word of God or the revelatiō of God made unto the Church which is devided into two partie-rules Scripture and traditions Besides they further alledge that the Church was 2249. yeeres before the Word written but how shall that appeare that the Church then had not the written Word Why Moses citeth a booke called The warres of the Lord and in Iosua the booke of the iust is cited and it may bee that Noah Abraham Numb ◠Ios 10. and Isaac wrote those things that did belong to those times Iude also in this Epistle eiteth the booke of Enoch Papists alledge that
which is written in Ieremie I will put my Lawes in their minds and in their hearts will I write them And they alledge the saying of Ier. 51. Paul Yee are our Epistle written not with inke but with the Spirit of the living God Nay they say further that the Apostles went beyond 2 Cor. 3. yond their Commission when they did write the Scriptures for they were commanded to preach not to write But the Apostle Mat. 28. 19. to the Hebrewes while he doth write the doctrine of the new Covenant alledgeth the forenamed sentence of Ieremy and Paul had already written two Epistles to the Thessalonians and the former Epistle also to the Corinthians when as hee said Tee are our Epistle witten not with inke c. But as Carpocrates Cerdo Manes rejected the bookes of the Law and Cerinthus all the Gospell except Mathew and Severianus and Paulinus the Epistles and Actes of the Apostles so Papists doe accuse the whole Scripture of imperfection and ambiguity Paul being ready to finish his course and to bid a farewell to the world as appeareth in his second Epistle to Timothie when as already the bookes of the New Testament were written saith thus unto Timothie The whole Scripture is given by inspiration and is 2 Tim. 3. 16. profitable to teach to improve to correct and instruct in righteousnesse All things necessary to salvation contained in Scripture where hee bringeth the whole Scripture unto foure heads doctrine redargution correction instruction doctrine is occupied about the chiefe points of faith and religion Redargution confuteth errours in faith and religion instruction comprehendeth information of manners correction is occupied in reproving and punishing delinquents If the Word of God be a two-edged sword to wound the Divell If it bee the hatchet to cut off the head of all hereticks If the Word be mighty in operation entreth thorow even to the dividing asunder of the soule and of the spirit of the ioints and of the marrow If it bee a lanterne unto our feeâ— and a light unto our paths If Christ used no other weapon to repell the Divell but the Word saying It is written If Apollo confuted the Iewes openly proving by the Scriptures Iesus to be Christ If Christs proofes were Scriptum est and his demands Quomodo legis How read you and his Apologies Scrutamini Scripturas search the Scriptures certainly in the Scriptures is contained alone all things necessary to salvation I will therefore conclude this point with the saying of Augustine Neither will I alledge the Councell of Nice neither shalt thou August lib. 3. cap. 14. aduers Maxim alledge the Councell of Arimine against me by the authority of the Scriptures Let us weigh matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason There is no cause therfore why Papists should take the wings of the morning and fly from the written Word unto unwritten verities that the fathers of Colen should call the Scriptures A nose of waxe that Pighius should tearme it The Leaden rule of the Lesbian building that other Papists should tearme it A shipmans-hoase A black Gospell Inken divinity If any will adde or Apoc. 22. detract from it let the curse be pronounced upon him and let all the people say Amen It is false that we have the Baptisme of infants the celebration of the Sunday the distinction of the persons in the Trinity the number of the bookes of the Scripture by tradition not by the written Word God hath kept his law in the Arke and all Popish Philistines could not keep the Arke 1 Sam. 5. Iohn 20. from us These things are written that yee may beleeve Traditions are gathered of an evill egge digge the Papists never so deep they shall not find the myne nor spring of them in the Primitive Church they labour to put life into a dead carcasse of them but it will not be Avant therefore yee Anabaptists with your revelations Avant yee Montanists with your new comforter Avant yee Iewes with your Cabal and Talmud Avant Trent Councell and Papists with your Traditions our salvation is Christ for There is no other name given unto men whereby they shall be saved save only by the name of Iesus The way to salvation is faith the guide Act. 4. 12. to this way is the Scripture Hereupon saith Paul Yee are no longer forenners and strangers but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and There is a foure-fold iudgement Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone So much for the Author cited Enoch the seventh from Adam Now to the thing prophesied which is judgement and therein Ephes 2. 19 20. first we have to observe that there shall be a iudgement There is a fourefold judgement The first judgement was that that was accomplished of man and Angels at their first fall The Angels that fell were judged and throwne out of Heaven Adam that fell was judged and throwne out of Paradise Gen. 3. Secondly There is a middle judgement and so God judgeth the wicked and the godly every day Visiting â—â—eir sinnes with Psal the rod and their offences with the scourge There is a third a particular judgement in the day of every mans death of Lazarus and good men to Heaven of Dives and bad men to Hell and of this particular judgement the Author Luk. 16. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes speaketh thus It is appoynted for all men once to dye and then commeth the Iudgement Hebr. 9. 27. Fourthly there is generall judgement of quicke and of dead whereof Enoch prophesied here saying The Lord will come with thousands of his Saints to give iudgement c. But some will say Why should God judge man after death since hee hath his judgement at his death I answere that in death wee have a particular judgement but God will also have his generall Aug. judgement Secondly In death we have the judgement of the soule But God will judge both body and soule Thirdly In death wee have a secret Doome But God will have an open Assise a publike Sessions and a manifest Iudgement Concerning which generall Iudgement I could produce a cloud of Scriptures to avouch it both out of the old and new Testament Ezechiel saith An end is come an end is come it is looked for Behold it is come Moses also prophesied of this Iudgement Deut. 32. and David Psal 50. and Salomon Eccles 11. 9. and Daniel Cap. 7. 13. and Ioel Cap. 3. and Malachy Cap. 4. So did Christ himselfe Mat. 24. and Paul the Apostle of us Gentiles 2. Thes 5. and Peter 2. Pet. 3. and Iohn 9. Apoc. 20. Neither is this assurance of the judgement to come warranted by the words of Gods servants onely but the Lord hath left many workes of his own to teach us that hee will once at length for all judge the whole
of the Ayre He counteth all the haires of our head Hee putteth all the teares of the afflicted into his bottle Hee knoweth the cattell upon a thousand mountaines All our members were written in his booke before we were borne Now if hee call the starres by their names if hee number our steps if hee tell the sparrowes if hee count the haires of our head if hee register the teares of the afflicted if hee know all the cattell on the mountaines if he wrote our members in his booke long before wee were borne then surely hee hath written all our sinnes in his booke as is said by Ieremy The sinne of Ier. 17. 1. Iudah is written with a penne of â—ron and with a point of a Diamond graven upon the table of his heart Infinite are the sinnes of one yeere of one moneth of one weeke yea of one day how many vaine thoughts idle words ungodly workes passe from us in one day David said they passed the haires of his head hee said that hee could not number them Job said that wee drinke iniquity like water Esay said Wee draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne like cart ropes Salomon saith that the mouth of the wicked swalloweth iniquity A thousand idle words yea oaths wee utter in one day Septi es in die cadit justus the righteous sinneth seven times a day that is many times in a day what by committing of evill what by omitting of good how often then in our whole life and yet not one sin doth escape God What is done in earth is registred in heaven in one moment it is in Gods debt-booke And herein is Gods omniscience herein differeth the knowledge of God from that of Thoughts and words shall be iudged as well as workes men and divels Deus scit praesentia praeterita futura God knoweth things past present and future they know not things future God onely knoweth the thoughts of our hearts they onely our words and workes not our thoughts Yea every thought also shall bee judged We say Thought is free but God shall arrest it indite it arraigne it it shall hold up the hand at the barre of God for the Law is spirituall and bindeth as well the spirit as the body so saith the Apostle We know that the Law is spirituall so that it can judge the affections of Rom. 7. 14. Psal 44. 21. the heart God knoweth the secrets of the heart A true hand and a true heart a chast body and a chast minde must goe together else all is lost O Ierusalem wash thy heart from thy wickednesse Ier. 4. 14. that thou maiest be saved how long shall thy wicked thoughts remaine within thee Not deedes but thoughts must bee washed and cleansed As our deeds and thoughts so our words shall be judged All the cruell speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against God shall come to iudgement It will bee said here that none are so mad as to speake against God Yes and men speake against God two wayes First when they speake against any ordinance of God 1 Secondly when we speake against the servants of God 2 Against the ordinance of God as thus Stephen charged the Iewes that they resisted the holy Ghost yet resisted they but his Act. 7. 51. 1 Cor. 10. 21. word The Corinthians were said to provoke God for being present at Idols feasts The Apostle charged the Iewes to rise up against the Lord Iesus for that they resisted the preaching the doctrine of Act. 4. 27. Iesus Againe men speake against God when they speake against the servants of God as thus Christ codemneth Paul for persecuting Act. 9. 4. him yet persecuted he but the Saints of Ierusalem The people in contemning Samuel cast God away So God told Samuel 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not cast thee away but mee away And well said said Gamaleel that to strive against the Apostles had beene to strive Act. 5. 39. against God So Moses told Israel Your murmurings are not against Exod. 16. 7 8. us but against the Lord. But among all that speake against God our swearers are the chiefe The Prophet said Hee was a man of polluted lips but no Esay 6. lip more polluted than the swearers they spue out their venim against God spit him in the teeth justle with him for his chaire throw him into the channel trample upon him with their filthy feet making his name a tennise ball a page and waiting-man to their choller Because of oaths the land shall mourne and mens mouthes now are dyed red with oaths they make no conscience to speake against God many mens hearts be all earth their stomakes all water their braines all ayre and their tongues all fire being set on fire of hell Saint Ambrose telleth us of a dogge that pulled Swearing and falshood came into the world together out the throate of him that murdered his master Shall a dogge doe this for him that giveth him a crust of bread and shall not our wrath kindle against them that have killed the Iam. 3. 6. Ambr. libr. 6. Hexam Lord Iesus Mens sinnes mens oathes mens blasphemies and perjuries have pierced him and nailed him and let out his heart blood These were the nailes and speare that lanced him Iudas Pilate Herod could have done nothing unto him if these our sinnes had not given them strength One saith that three members of the body are hardly governed the heart the reines the Vinaldus libr. de cont tongue In the heart is vanity in the reines is pleasure in the tongue is falshood perjury blasphemy He that can rule these three is a persect man So saith the Apostle If a man sinne not in Iam. 3. 2 3 4. word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the body behold wee put bittes into the horses monthes that they should obey us and wee turne about all their body behold also the ships that though they be great and are driven of sierce winds yet are they turned about with avery small rudeer wheresoever the governour listeth Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth of great things Behold how great a thing a little fire kindleth and the tongue is a fire yea a World of wickednesse c. Better it is that men should never speake then to sweare and blaspheme and so speake against God Vita mors est in potestate linguae life and death is in the power of the tongue Metalls are iudged by the sound whether they be gold or brasse A man is iudged by his speech whether he be good or evill if his words be brazen his heart cannot be golden Chrysostome noteth that swearing came into the world when all untrueth entred into the World and all villany In the first age men were beleeved on their word but in the ages following they were scarce beleeved on their oath lying brought swearing swearing brought per