too Et erunt Tibi They shall be for thee They shall be not one for thee and another for Aaron but Erunt Tibi They shall be both for thee They shall be both thine A third if they can finde they may lay claime to that But both these are for Moses We have then the delivery of them to Moses to make which is a kind of seizin or a Ceremony investing him with the right of them We have beside plaine words to lead their possession and those words operative Erunt Tibi That as none to make them so none to owne them being 〈◊〉 but Moses And what would we have more to shew us Cujus sunt Tubae whose the trumpetts be or whose is the right of calling Assemblies It is Moses's certainly and he by vertue of these stands seized of it To go yet further But was not all this to Moses for his time onely and as it begun in him That power to contiâ—â—e after Moses so to take end with him Was it not one of these same Privilegia Personalia quae non trahuntâ—r in exemplum A priviledge peculiar to him and so no precedent to be made of it Noâ—â—or if you looke but a little forward to the VIII Verse following there you shall see that this power which GOD heer conveyeth this Law of the silver trâ—mpets is a Law to last for ever even throughout all their generations not that gâ—neration onely And there is great reason it should be so that seeing the Vse should never cease the Power likewise should never determine Moses received it as chiefe Magistrate Being then not to determine but to continue it must descend to those that hold Mosâ—s's place I demand then what place did Moses hold Sure it is that Aaron was noâ— the High Priest annointed and fully invested in all the rights of it ever since the eighth Chapter of the last Booke Moses had in him now no other Right but that of the Chiefe Magistrate Therefore as in that Right and no other He received and held them So he was made Custos utriusque Tabulae So he is made Custos utriusque Tubae But who can tell us better then he himselfe in what right he held them He doth it in the third verse of Deuter. XXXIII reade it which way you will Erat in lishrune Rex or in rectissimo Rex or in rectitudine Rex or in recto Regis dum congregaret Principes populi Tribus Israël All come to this that though in strict proprietie of speech Moses were no King yet in this he was in rectitudine Rex or in recto Regis that is in this had as we say Ius Regale that he might and did assemble the Tribes and chiefe men of the Tribes at his pleasure Heerin he was Rex in rectitudine For this was rectitudo Regis A power Regall And so it was holden in Aegypt before Moses even in the law of Nature that without Pharao no man might lift up hand or foot in all the land of Aegypt suppose Gen. 41.44 to no publique or principall motion And so hath iâ— been holden in all Nations as a speciall Power belonging to Dominion Which maketh it seeme strange that those men which in no cause are so fervent as when they pleade that Church-men should not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is have Dominion do yet hold this Power which hath ever been reputed most proper to Dominion should belong to none but to them only Our Saviour CHRIST 's Vos autem non sic may I am sure be said to them heere in a truer sense Mat. 20.26 then as they commonly use to applie it The chiefe Magistrate to succeed in it To conclude then this point If Moses as in the right of Chiefe Magistrate held this Power it was from him to descend to the chiefe Magistrates after him over the people of GOD and they to succeed him as in his place so in this right it being by GOD himselfe setled in Moses and annexed to his place lege perpetuâ by an estate indefeizible by a perpetuall Law throughout all their generations Therefore ever after by God's expresse order from yeare to yeare every yeare on the first day of the seventh moneth were they blowen by Moses first and after by them that held his place and the Feast of the Trumpetts solemnly holden as to put them in mind of the benefit thereby comming to them so withall to keep alive and fresh still in the knowledge of all that this power belonged to their place that so none might ever be ignorant to whom it did of right appertaine to call Assemblies And how then shall Aaron's Assemblies be called with what trumpet they God himselfe hath provided for that in the X. Verse following Aaron's Assemblies how called that with no other then these There is in all the Law no order for calling an Assembly to what end or for what cause soever but this and onely this No order for making any third trumpett Vnder these two therefore all are comprized This order there God taketh that Moses shall permit Aaron's sonnes to have the use of these trumpetts Verse 10. But the use not the property Num. 31.6 They must take them from Moses as in the XXXI Chapter of this Booke Phinees doth But Erunt tibi God's owne words Erunt tibi must still be remembred His they be for all that Moses the owner still the right remaines in him their sounding of them deprives not him of his interest alters not the property Erunt tibi mâ—st â—till be true that right must still be preserved It may be if we communicate with flesh and bloud we may think it more convenient as some do that GOD had delivered Moses and Aaron either of them one But when we see GOD 's will by GOD'S word what it is that Moses is to have them both we will let that passe as a Revelation of flesh and bloud and think that which GOD thinketh to be most convenient Now then if the trumpets belong to Moses and that to this end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The two duties that with them he may call the Congregation these two things do follow First that if he call the Congregation must not refuse to come Secondly that unlesse he call they must not assemble of their owne heads but keepe their places Briefly thus the Congregation must come when it is called and it must be called yer it come These are the two duties we owe to the two trumpets and both these have GOD 's people ever duly performed And yeâ— not so but that this Right hath been called in question yea even in Moses's owne time that we marvell not if it be so now and both these duties denied him even by those who were alive and present then when GOD gave him the trumpets But marke by whom and what became of them The first duty is to come when they be called
there a law is preached CHRIST began we must follow and say every one of us as He saith Praedicabo Legem Nay there is another point yet more strange These very words heere Filius meus tu c. are as good Gospell as any is in the New Testament yet are heere as we see delivered by him vnder the terme of a Law And we may not change His word we may not learne CHRIST how to vse His termes The words are plaine there is no avoiding them a law He calls it and a law it is First then to take notice of both these 1. That CHRIST will preach a law and that they that are not for the law are not for CHRIST It was their quarrell above at the third verse they would none of CHRIST for this very cause that Christ comes preaching the law and they would live lawlesse they would endure no yoke they were the Sonnes of Belial Belial that is no yoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But what agreement hath Christ with Belial 2. Co. 6.15 And then that these words Filius meus tu are a law and so as a law by Christ preached So as in the very Gospell it selfe all is not Gospell some law among it The very Gospell hath her law A law Evangelicall there is which Christ preached and as he did we to doe the like Whereof more is to be said by and by In the meane time it is not without danger to let any such conceit take head as though Christian Religion had no law-points in it consisted onely of pure narratives beleeve them and all is well Had but certaine Theses to be held dogmaticall points matters of opinion â—nd true it is such points there be but they be not all There is a law besides and it hath praecepts and they to be preached learned and as a law to be obeyed of all Looke but into the Grand Commission by which we all preach which Christ gave at his going out of the word Go Mat. 28.19 saith He preach the Gospell to all nations teaching â—hem What to observe the things that I have commanded you Lo heere is commanding and heere is observing So the Gospell consists not onely of certaine Articles to be beleeved But of certaine Commandements also and they to be observed And what is that but Praedicabo legem Now I know not how but we are fallen cleane from the terme Law nay we are even fallen out with it Nothing but Gospell now The name of Law we looke strangely at we shun it in our common talke To this it is come while men seeke to live as they list Preach them Gospell as much as you will but heare ye no Praedicabo legem no law to be preached to hold or keepe them in And we have gospelled it so long that the Christian Law is cleane gone with us we have lost it if Praedicabo Legem heer get it us not againe But got it must be for as CHRIST preacheth so must we and Law it is that CHRIST preacheth I shall tell you what is come by the drowning of the terme Law Religion is even come to be counted res precaria No law no no but a matter of faire entreaty gentle perswasion neither jura nor leges but onely Consulta Patrum good fatherly counsell and nothing els Consilia Evangelica were a while laid aside now there be none els All are Evangelicall counsells now The reverend regard the legall vigor and power the paenalties of it are not set by The rules no reckoning made of them as of Law-writs none but onely as of Phisique bills if you like them you may vse them if not lay them by And this comes of drowning the terme Law And all for lack of Praedicabo Legem I speake it to this end to have the one terme retained as well as the other to have neither terme abolished but with equall regard both kept on foot They are not so well advised that seeke to suppresse either name If the name once be lost the thing it selfe will not long stay but goe after it and be lost too They that take them to the one terme onely are confuted once a moneth For every moneth every first day of every moneth this verse failes not but is read in our eares And heer a law it is And so was the Christian Religion called in the very best times of it Christiana lex the Christian law and the Bishops Christianae legis Episcopi the Bishops of the Christian law And all the ancient Fathers liked the terme well and tooke it upon them To conclude Gospell it how we will if the Gospell hath not the legalia of it acknowledged allowed and preserved to it if once it lose the force and vigor of a law it is a Signe it declines Heb. 8.13.7.18 it growes weake and vnprofitable and that is a signe it will not long last We must goe look our salvation by some other way then by Filius meus tu if Filius meus tu I say not be not preached but be not so preached as CHRIST preached it and CHRIST preach't it as a Law And so much for Legem 1. Praedicabo Legem Now of this law three things are heer said First Legem turnes back upon Praedicabo And this priviledge it hath that it is materia praedicabilis a law which may nay a law which is to be preached And that Lawes vse not to be Not to be preached To be read upon at times privately but to be preached not any law but this But this is and it serves for a specificall difference to sever it from other lawes and make it a kind by it selfe Even this that it is to be preached To be preached and that even to Kings themselves that make lawes to Iudges themselves that are presumed to be best seene in the law yet they to learne they to be learned in this law Erudimini is the word qui judicatis terram in the X. verse after 2. De quâ dixit Dominus And the reason is for this is a law de quâ Dixit Deus And so is none els And that is a second difference There is a law de quâ dixit homo quam sanxerunt homines which men among themselves make for themselves as by-lawâ—â— are made This is of a higher nature This GOD himselfe made is a Law of His owne making De quâ dixit or rather edixit for so is Amar which GOD enacted first and then gave commandement it should be preached And to whom Dixit ad me Who is that CHRIST First and before all others to be preached by his Sonne His preaching He thought it worth and gave it Him in charge and accordingly wo see He performed it and professed Praedicabo that He will preach it But the third is a reason why it could not be otherwise why it could not 3. Dixit or edixit but be preached Because as I told you out of the
of sorrow anger feare desire are quick have life are very affections indeed in secular matters but dead and dull and indeed no affections at all but plaine counterfetts in things perteining to GOD or that concerne the estate and hazard of our soules To take downe a peccant humour as we call it in our body whereby we feare empaire of our health we can and do enter into a streict and tedious diet and hold out well We can forbeare this and that as we are bidden though we love it well if we be but told it will doe us hurt If for the health of our body we will doe that which for our soules health we will not I cannot tell what to say to us What speake I of health To winne but a prize at a running or a wrestling Abstinct se ab omnibus saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 9. they will absteine from all things 1. Cor. 9.25 and undergoe a streict regiment for a long time before and all is but for a poore Silver gamâ— What shall I say then if we cannot be got to endure so much to obteine the heavenly prize which is in part done as there he saith by castigo corpus meum This for the naturall mans Cum when he will fast Ibid. ver 27. Will ye now see the Scripture's When when that setts us out our time The Scripture's When. They be in a manner the very same Scripture and Nature varie not dictate to us the same time both Our first When What time any great danger hangs and hovers over our heads When in danger that is GOD's time saith Esai 22.12 GOD Himselfe doth then call us to fasting No time then to kill oxen or dresse sheep eat flesh and drinke wine A great paine is there sett upon it GOD must needs take it ill if when He bidds us fast we fall to feast And this when is of greatest example None so frequent in all the Bible as fasts of this nature Never came there danger toward them a 2. Sam. 24. of plague but David b Ioel. 2.12 of famine but Ioël c 2 Chro. 2.3 of warr but Iosaphat d Est. 4.16 of any destruction threatened but not onely good Queene Hester but wicked e 1. Kin. 21.27 Ahab nay even the heathen King of f Ion. 3.5 Ninive to their fasts streight flying to it as to a forcible meanes and so they ever found it to turne away GOD's wrath and so the danger the matter of their feare This is a time When and we then to do it Now if for the effect we fast for the cause much more Of these 2. When in Sinne 1. To punish it of all other our miseries the cause is within our selves Our sinne whereby GOD 's anger is kindled and these ever follow upon it When therefore we would proceed against our selves for sinne a Levit. 16.29 humble our selves the phrase of the Law b Psal. 35.13 chasten our selves of the Psalme c Ezra 8.21 pâ—nish our selves of the Prophetts d 2. Cor. 7.11 take revenge of our selves the Apostle's phrase tum iciunab unt in die illo this is a way then is a time to doe it Fasting is a punishment to the flesh * 1. Reg. 22.27 Modicum panis et pauxillum aquae was a part of Michea's punishment By it as to amerce our selves as it were for abusing our libertie before and making it an occasion to the flesh and thereby to prevent His iudgement by iudging our selves Do de me poenas ut ille parcat It is Augustine This so proceeding of ours to take punishment on our selves it is illex misericordiae saith Tertullian it allures inclines GOD to mercie when He sees us angry with our selves in good earnest and do somewhat His anger ceasses Nam qui culpâ offenditur poenâ placatur whom the fault offends the punishment appeases whither His punishment or ours But He had rather ours then His that we should do it then He. And this to extend to the body also and to the chastening of it For doth the soule onely sinne Doth not the body also And shall the soule suffer sorrow for sinne and shall the body suffer nothing and yet was in the fame transgression If it shall then at least poena damni for poena sensus I am sure we would be more loth to come to And what poena damni but abstinere a licitiâ— quia illicita 〈◊〉 To deny our selves that we might for doing that we might not There is a another 〈◊〉 Secondly As it is a chasti 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 when it is done 3. 2. To prevent it So hath it alwaies been held to have in it a medicinable forâ—â— a speciall good 〈◊〉 to prevent 〈◊〉 when it is not yet fallen on us or we into it 〈…〉 onely as it 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are like to fall for that we are now leading even entring into tentation This also is a time When. Maâ— 4.1 â— And this time we ground upon CHRIST 's time of fasting His fasting went immediately before His tentation No wayes needfull for Himselfe was CHRIST 's fast None is so simple as to thinke the Tempter would have prevailed against Him though He had taken His meales eat and drunke the fourty dayes before It was not for Himselfe it was for us His fast Exemplarily to teach us it will be a great vantage if prepared by this exercise we shall encounter the evill Spirit Specially if it be some kind of them if an uncleane spirit Ch. 17. ver 21. For that kind is not cast out no nor kept out but either by jejunatis or not at all CHRIST ' s-fasting then before His tentation is to shew us it is good fasting against tentation At least this way we shall weaken his forces by keeping downe our fleshly lusts 1. Pet 2.11 which saith Saint Peter fight against the soule and lying in our owne bosome oft betray us to the fiend For when all is sayd that can be Bernard's saying wil be sound true that Nutriuntur cum carne vitia carnis And if Religion did not Experience teacheth us that Plye the body apace let it be kept high how mellow a soile it proves for the sinnes of the flesh And that if by abstinence we cropp not the budds of Sensualitie they will ripen and seed to the ruine of our soules So there is use both wayes of it 1. Cor. 9.27 1 Vse of castigo corpus for the time past Vse 2 of in servitutem redigo for the time to come Ieiuna quia peccâsti Ieiuna ut ne pecces both saith Chrysostome One as a punishment with reference to sinne already committed The other as a preservative for noli amplius peccare that we commit it not againe Two causes more and two times When. 4. When in want of some good But hath fasting his use in evill things onely and repelling them hath it
contempt against Moses or Aaron 1. And the Rulers have their lesson too First That if they be God's hands then His Spirit is to open and shut them stretch them out and draw them in wholy to guide and governe them as the hand of man is guided and governed by the spirit that is in man Heavenly and divine had those hands need be which are to be the hands and to worke the worke of God 2. Againe they be not only hands but Manus per quam that is hands in actu Not to be wrapped up in soft furr but by which an actuall dutie of leading is to be performed Mose's owne hand in the fourth of Exodus when he had lodged it in his warme bosome Exod. 4.6 became leprous but being stretched out recovered againe Hands in actu then they must be not loosely hanging downe or folded together in idlenesse but stretched out not onely to point others but themselves to be formost in th' execution of every good worke 3. Thirdly Manus per quam ducuntur That is as not the leprous hand of Moses 1. Reg. 13.4 so neither the withered hand of Ieroboam stretching it selfe out against God by mis-leading His people and making them to sinne Leading backe againe into Aegypt a thing expresly forbidden either to the oppression and bondage of Aegypt Deut. 17.16 or to the ignorance and false worship of Aegypt from whence Moses had ledd them For as they be not entire bodies of themselves but hands and that not their owne but God's so the People they ledd are not their owne but His and by Him and to Him to be ledd and directed So much for God's hands Moses Aaron This Honorable title of the hand of God is heere given to two parties Moses and Aaron in regard of two distinct duties performed by them Ye heard how we said before The people of God were like sheepe in respect of a double want 1 want of strength by meanes of their feeblenâ—sse 2 and want of skill by meanes of their simplenesse For this double want heere commeth a double supplie from the hand 1 of strength and 2 of cunning For both these are in the hand 1. It is of all members the chiefe in might as appeareth by the diversitie of vses and services Psal. 20.6 it is put to In Potentatibus dexterae saith the Prophet 2. And secondly it is also the part of greatest cunning as appeareth by the varietâ— of the works which it yeeldeth by the pen the pencill the needle and instruments of musique Psal. 78.72 Psal. 137.5 In intellectu manuum saith the Psalmist in the end of the next Psalme and let my right hand forget her cunning This hand of God then by his strength affordeth protâ—ction to the feeblenesse of the fâ—ock and againe by his skill affordeth direction to the simplenesse of the flocke And these are the two substantiall parts of all leading These twaine as two armes did God appoint in the wildernesse to lead His people by Afterward over these twaine did He yet set another even the power and authority Regall 1. Sam. 15.17 in place of the Head as himselfe termeth it and to it as supreme vnited the regiment of both The consideration of which Power I medâ—le not with as being not within the compasse of this versâ— but oâ—ely witâ— the hands or regiments Ecclesiasticall and Civill Which as the tâ—o Châ—â—ubimâ— did the Arke over-spread and preserve every estate 2. Chron 19.6 One saith Iehosaâ—hat dispensing Res Iehovae the Lord's businesse the other dealing in Negotio regis the â—â—faiâ—es of Estate One saith David intenâ—ing the worship of the Tribes 2. Chron. 19.11 Psâ—l 1 22.4.5 the otâ—er 〈◊〉 tâ—rones for iustice One saith Paul being for us in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things perteiniâ—g to God the other in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.17 1. Cor. 6.3 matters of this present life The one Pro aris the other Pâ—o focis as the very Heathen acknowledge 1. These two are the hands necessarie to the bodie and necessarie each to other First they be both hands and the hands we know are payres Not Moses the hand and Aaron the foot but either and each the hand And as they be a paire of hands so be they also a payre of brethren Not Moses de primis and Aaron de novissimis populi Esay 22. Not Mosâ—â— the Head and Aaron the tayle Not Moses a Quis as Saint Hierome speaketh out of the twenty two of Esay and Aaron a quasi quis but both of one parentage both one mans children 2. Secondly being both hands neither of them is superfluous no more to be spared then may the hands but both are absolutely necessarie and a maymed and lame estate it is where either is wanting The Estate of Israel in the seventeenth of the Iudges without a Civill Governor prooved a very masse of confusion The very same Estate in the second of Chron. Chap. XV. Iudg. 17.6 2. Chron. 15.3 Sine sacerdote docente no lesse out of frame Miserable first if they lacke Iosua and be as sheepe wanting that Shepheard And miserable againe if they lacke IESVS Num. 27.17 Matt. 9.36 and be as sheepe wanting that Shepheard Moses is needfull in the want of water to strike the rocke for us and to procure us supplie of bodily releeâ—e Exod. 17.6 Aaron is no lesse For he in like manner reacheth to every one food of another kinde which we may worse be without even the bread of life and water out of the spirituall Rocke Ioh. 6.48.51 1 Cor. 10.4 Exod 17 8. Ephes. 6 1â— which is CHRISâ— IESVS Moses we need to see our forces ledd against Amaleck for safegard of that little we hold heere in this life and Aaron no lesse to preserve our free-hold in the everlasting life For the great and mightie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the legions of our sinnes the very forces of the Prince of darknesse are ouerthrowne by the spirituall weapons of Aaron's warfare Moses may not be spared from sitting and deciding the causes which are brought before him No more may Aaron whose Vrim giveth answer in doubts no lesse important and who not onely with his Vrim and Thummim giâ—eth counseile but by his incense and sacrifice obteineth good successe for all our counseiles In a word If Moses rodd be requisite to sting and devoure the wicked Aaron's is also to revive the good and to make tâ—em to fructifie If Mose's hand want with the sword to make us a way Aaron's hand wants too with the key to give us an entrance And thus much will I say for Aaron for the Divell hath now left to dispute about Mose's bodie and bendeth all against him that the very first note of difference in all the Bible to know God 's people by is that as Cain and his race begoon at the City-waâ—ls first and let Religion as it might come after
and as much as in us lies Heb. 6.6 even crucifie afresh the SONNE OF GOD making a mocke of Him and His piercings These I say for these all and every of them in that instant were before his eyes must of force enter into and go thorow and thorow his Soule and Spirit that what with those former sorrowes and what with these after indignities the Prophet might truly say of Him and he of himselfe In Me Vpon Me not whose body or whose soule but whom entirely and wholly both in body and soule alive and dead they have pierced and passioned this day on the Crosse. 2. The Person à quibus Of the Persons which as it is necessarily implied in the word is very properly incident to the matter it selfe For it is usuall when one is found slaine as heere to make inquirie by whom he came by his death Which so much the rather is to be done by us because there is commonly an error in the world touching the Parties that were the causes of CHRIST 's death Our manner is either to lay it on the Souldiers that were the Instruments Or if not upon them upon Pilate and Iudge that gave sentence Or if not upon him upon the people that importuned the Iudge Or lastly if not upon them upon the Elders of the Iewes that animated the People And this is all to be found by our Quest of Inquirie But the Prophet heere inditeth others For by saying They shall looke c whom They have pierced he entendeth by very construction that the first and second They are not two but one and the same Parties And that they that are here willed to looke upon him are they and none other that were the authors of this fact even of the murther of IESVS CHRIST And to say truth the Prophet's entent is no other but to bring the malefactors themselves that pierced Him to view the body and the wounded heart of Him whom they have so pierced In the course of Iustice we say and say truly when a party is put to death that the Executioner cannot be said to be the cause of his death nor the Sherif by whose commandement he doth it neither yet the Iudge by whose sentence nor the Twelve men by whose verdict nor the Lawe it selfe by whose authoritie it is proceeded in For GOD forbid we should endite these or any of these of murther Solum peccatum homicida Sinne and Sinne onely is the murtherer Sinne I say either of the Party that suffereth or of some other by whose meanes or for whose cause he is put to death Now CHRIST 's owne sinne it was not that he died for That is most evident Not so much by His owne challenge Ioh. 8·46 Quis ex vobis a guit me de peccato as by the report of his Iudge who openly professed that he had examined Him and found no fault in Him No nor yet Herod for Luc. 23.14 15. being sent to him and examined by him also nothing worthy death was found in Him And therefore calling for water and washing his hands Matt. 27.24 he protesteth his owne innocencie of the bloud of this IVST MAN Thereby pronouncing him Iust and void of any cause in himselfe of his owne death It must then necessarily be the sinne of some others for whose sake CHRIST IESVS was thus pierced And if we aske who those others be or whose sinnes they were the Prophet Esai tells us Esa. 53.3 4. Posuit super Eum iniquitates omnium nostrûm He laid upon Him the transgressions of us all who should even for those our many great and grievous transgressions have eternally been pierced in bodie and soule with torment and sorrowes of a never dying death had not he stept between us and the blow and receiv'd it in his owne body even the dint of the wrath of GOD to come upon us So that it was the sinne of our polluted hands that pierced his hands the swiftnesse of our feet to do evill that nailed His feet the wicked devises of our Heads that gored his head and the wretched desires of our hearts that pierced his heart We that looke upon it is we that pierced Him and it is we that pierced Him that are willed to looke upon Him Which bringeth it home to us to me my selfe that speake and to you your selves that heare and applieth it most effectually to every one of us who evidently seeing that we were the cause of this his piercing if our hearts be not too too hard ought to have remorse to be pierced with it When for delivering to DAVID a few loaves Ahimelech and the Priests were by Saul put to the sword if David did then acknowledge with griefe of heart and say I 1. Sam. 22.22 even I am the cause of the death of thâ— Father anâ— all his house when he was but onely the occasion of it and not that direct neither may not we nay ought not we much more juâ—â—ly and deservedly say of this piercing of CHRIST our Saviour that we verily even we are the cause thereof as verily we are even the principalls in this murther and the Iewes and others on whom we seeke to derive it but onely accessaries and instrumentall causes thereof Which point we ought as continually so seriously to thiâ—k of and that no lesse then the former The former to stirre up compassion in our selves over him that thus was pierced the latter to worke deâ—pâ— remorse in our hearts for being authors of it That he was pierced will make our bowells melt with compassion over CHRIST That he was pierced by us â—hat looke on Him if our hearts be not flint as Iob saith or as the nether mil-stone Iob. 41.15 will breed remorse over our selves wretched sinners as we are II. The Act. To looke upon Him The Act followeth in these words Respicient in Eum. A request most reasonable to looke upon Him but to looke upon Him to bestow but a looke and nothing els which even of common humanitie we cannot denie Quia non aspicere despicere est It argueth great contempt not to vouchsafe it the cast of our eye as if it were an Obiect utterly unworthy the looking toward Truely if we marke it well nature it selfe of it selfe enclineth to this act When Amasa treacherously was slaine by Ioab and lay weltring in his blood by the waies side the storie saith that not one of the whole Armie then marching by but when he came at him 2. Sam. 22.12 stood still and looked on him In the Gospell the party that going from Ierusalem to Iericho vvas spoiled and wounded and lay drawing on though the Priest and Levite that passed neere the place relieved him not as the Samaritan after did yet it is said of them Luc. 31 32. they went neere and looked on and then passed on their way Which desire is even naturall in us so that even Nature it selfe enclineth us to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy rich exceeding Eph. 2.7 Eph. 1.8 1. Tim. 1.14 grace overabounding nay grace superfluous for so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and superfluous is enough and to spare superfluous is cleerely enough and more then enough Once dying then being more then enough no reason He should dye more then once That of his death Now of His life He liveth unto GOD. 2. The cause of His living The Rigor of the law being fully satisfied by His death then was He no longer justly but wrongfully deteyned by death As therefore by the power He had He layd down His life so He tooke it againe and rose againe from the dead And not onely rose Himselfe But in one concurrent action GOD who had by His death received full satisfaction reached Him as it were His hand and raised Him to life The Apostles word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the native force doth more properly signifie raysed by another then risen by Himselfe And is so used to shew it was done not only by the power of the Sonne but by the will consent and co-operation of the Father and He the cause of it who for the over-abundant merit of His death and His humbling Himselfe Phil. 2.8.9 and becomming obedient to death even the death of the Crosse not onely raysed Him but propter hoc even for that cause exalted Him also to live with Him in ioy and glorie for ever For as when He lived to man He lived to much miserie so now He liveth to GOD He liveth in all foelicitie This part being oppositely set down to the former living to exclude dying againe living to God to exclude death's dominion and all things perteining to it For as with GOD is life the fountaine of life against death Psal. 36.10 even the fountayne of life never failing but ever renewing to all aeternitie so with him also is torrens deliciarū a maine river of pleasures even pleasures for evermore never ebbing but ever flowing to all contentment against the miseries belonging to deathe's dominion And there He liveth thus not now as the SONNE of GOD as He lived before all worlds but as the Sonne of man in the right of our nature to estate us in this life in the hope of a reversion and in the life to come in perfect and full possession of His own and His Fathers blisse and happinesse when we shall also live to GOD and GOD be all in all which is the highest pitch of all our hope We see then His dying and rising and the grounds of both And thus have we the totall of our Scientes Now followeth our accompt An accompt is either of what is comming to us II. Our Accompt 1. Of our coming in the benefit and that we like well or what is going from us and that is not so pleasing Comming to us I call matter of benefit Going from us matter of duety where I doubt many an expectation will be deceived making accompt to heare from the resurrection matter of benefit onely to come in where the Apostle calleth us to accompt for matter of duety which is to goe from us An accompt there is growing to us by CHRIST 's rising of matter of benefit and comfort such a one there is and we have touched it before The hope of gayning a better life which groweth from CHRIST 's rising is our comfort against the feare of losing this Thus do we comfort our selves against our deathes Now blessed be GOD that hath regenerated us to a lively hope 1. Pet. 1.3 by the resurrection of IESVS CHRIST Thus do we comfort our selves against our friend's death Comfort your selves one another saith the Apostle with these words what words be they 1. Thes. 4.18 Even those of our SAVIOVR in the Gospell Resurget frater tuus Thy brother or thy Father or thy friend shall rise againe And not only against death Ioh. 11.23 but even against all the miseries of this life It was Iob's comfort on the doung-hill well yet videbo Deum in carne mea I shall see GOD in my flesh Iob. 19.25 And not in our miseries alone but when we do well and no man respecteth us for it It is the Apostle's conclusion of the Chapter of the resurrection Be of good cheer yet 1. Cor. 15.58 labor vester non erit inanis in Domino your labour is not in vaine in the LORD you shall have your reward at the resurrection of the just All these waies comfort commeth unto us by it ◠Of our 〈…〉 1. The duty 〈…〉 But this of ours is another manner of accompt of duety to goe from us and to be answered by us And such a one there is too and we must reckon of it I adde that this heer is our first accompt you see it heer called for in the Epistle to the Romans the other commeth after in the Epistle to the Corinthians In very deed this of ours is the key to the other and we shall never find sound comfort of that unlesse we doe first well passe this accompt here It is I say first because it is praesent and concerneth our soules even here in this life The other is future and toucheth but our bodies and that in the life to come It is an error certainly which runneth in mens heads when they heare of the resurrection to conceive of it as of a matter meerely future and not to take place till the latter day Not only CHRIST is risen Colos. 3.1 but if all be as it should be We are already risen with him saith the Apostle in the Epistle this day the very first words of it and even here now saith S. Iohn is there a first Resurrection Apoc. 20.6 and happie is he that hath his part in it A like error it is to conceit the resurrection as a thing meerely corporall and no waies to be incident into the Spirit or Soule at all The Apostle hath already given us an Item to the contrarie in the end of the fourth Chapter before Where he saith He rose againe for our Iustification Chap. 4.25 and Iustification is a matter spirituall Iustificatus est spiritu sayth the Apostle of CHRIST himselfe Verily here must the spirit rise to grace or els neither the bodie 1. Tim. 3.16 nor it shall there rise to glorie This then is our first accompt that accompt of ours which presently is to be passed and out of hand this is it which first we must take order for 1. To be like CHRIST The summe or charge of which accompt is sett downe in these words Similiter vos That we be like CHRIST carie his Image who is heavenly as we have caried the Image of the earthly Be conformed to his likenesse that what CHRIST hath wrought for us the like be wrought in us What wrought for us by his
â—o become a prisoner as 1. Reg. 1.43 Shemei did Therfore sweare and be sworne in those causes and questions whereto Law doth bind to give answere though Fine and Commitment doe ensue upon them This question remaineth If a man have sworne without those what he is to doe when an oath binds when it doth not We hold No man is so streightened between two sinns but without committing a third he may get forth Herod thought he could not and therfore being in a streight betwixt murder and periurie thought he could have no issue but by putting Saint Iohn Baptist to death It was not so for having sworne and his oath proving unlawfull if he had repented him of his unadvisednesse in swearing and gon no further he had had his issue without any new offense 1. If then We have sworne to be simply evill the rule is Ne sit Sacramentum pietatis vinculum iniquitatis 2. If it hinder a greater or higher good the rule is Ne sit Sacramentum pietatis impedimentum pietatis 3. If it be in things indifferent as we terme them absque grano salis it is a rash oath to be repented not to be executed 4. If the oath be simply made yet as we say it doth subiacere Civili intellectui so as GOD'S oath doth Ieremia 18.8 and therefore those conditions may exclude the event and the Oath remaine good 5. If in regard of the Manner it be extorted from us the rule is Iniusta vincula rumpit Iustitia 6. If rashly Penitenda promissio non perficienda praesumptio 7. If to any man for his benefit or for favour to him if that partie release it it bindeth not A SERMON PREACHED AT VVHITE-HALL upon the Sunday after EASTER being March XXX AN. DOM. MDC IOHN CHAP. XX. VER XXIII Quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis Et quorum retinueritis retenta sunt VVhose-soever sinnes ye remitt they are remitted unto them and whose-soever ye reteine they are reteined The Conclusion of the Gospell for the Sunday THEY be the words of our SAVIOVR CHRIST to his Apostles A part of the first words which he spake to them at his Epiphanie or first apparition after he arose from the dead And they contein a Commission by him graunted to the Apostles which is the summe or contents of this Verse Which Commission is his first largesse after his rising againe For at his first appearing to them it pleased him not to come empty but with a blessing and to bestow on them and on the world by them as the first fruicts of his resurrection this Commission a part of that Commission which the sinfull world most of all stood in need of for remission of sinnes To the graunting wâ—â—reof He proceedeth not without some solemniâ—ie or circumstance The Summariâ— proceeding in it well worthy to be remembred For first Verse 21. he saith As my father sent me so send I you which is their authorizing or giving them their Credence Secondly Verse 22 He doth breath upon them and withall inspireth them with the Holy Ghost which is their enhabling or furnishing thereto And having so authorized and enhabled them now in this Verse heer He giveth them their Câ—mmission and thereby doth perfectly inaugurate thâ—m into this part of their Office A Commission is nothing els but the imparting of a power which before they had not First therefore he imperteth to them a power a power over sinnes over sinnes either for the remitting or the reteining of them as the persons shall be qualified And after to this power he addeth a promise as the Lawyers terme it of Ratihabition that he will ratifie and make it good that His power shall accompanie this power and the lawfull use of it in his Church for ever The dependence in respect of the time Why not before Esai 53.10 Heb. 9.22 Mat. 16.19.18.18 And very agreeably is this power now bestowed by him upon his resurrection Not so conveniently before his death because till then he had not made his soule an offering for sinne nor till then he had not shed his bloud without which there is no remission of sinnes Therefore it was promised before but not given till now because it was convenient there should be solutio before there were absolutio Not before he was risen then Why now And againe no longer then till he was risen not till he was ascended First to shew that the remission of sinnes is the undivided and immediate effect of his death Secondly to shew how much the world needed it for which cause he would not with-hold it no not so much as one day for this was done in the very day of his resurrection Thirdly But specially to set forth his great love and tender care over us in this that as soone as he had accomplished his owne resurrection even presently upon it he setts in hand with ours and beginneth the first part of it the very first day of his rising The Scripture maketh mention of a first and second death and from them two of a first and second resurrection Both expresly sett downe in one verse Apoc. 20.6 Happy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for over such the second death hath no power Vnderstanding by the first the death of the soule by sinne and the rising thence to the life of grace by the second the death of the body by corruption the rising thence to the life of glorie CHRIST truly is the Saviour of the whole man both soule and body from the first and second death But beginneth first with the first that is with sinne the death of the soule and the rising from it So is the method of Divinitie prescribed by himselfe Mat. 23.16 First to cleanse that which is within the soule then that which is without the body And so is the methode of Physique first to cure the cause and then the disease 1. Cor. 15 56. Now the cause or as the Apostle calleth it the sling of death is sinne Therefore first to remove sinne and then death aâ—â—erwards For the cure of sinne being performed the other will follow of his owne accord As Saint Iohn telleth us He that hath his part in the first resurrection shall not faile of it in the second The first resurrection then from sinne is it which our Saviour Christ heer goeth about wherto there is no lesse power required then a divine power For looke what power is necessarie to raise the dead bodie out of the dust the very same every way is requisite to raise the dead soule out of sinne For which cause the Remission of sinnes is an Article of faith no lesse then the Resurrection of the body For in very deed a resurrection it is and so it is termed no lesse then that To the service and ministerie of which divine worke a Commission is heere graunted to the Apostles And first they have heer their sending from GOD the Father their inspiring
1. To come when they be called and this was denied in the XVI Chapter following Ver. 12. by Core Dathan and their crew Moses sounded his trumpet sent to call them they answer flatly and that not once but once and again Non veniemus they would not come not once stirre for him or his trumpet they A plain contradiction indeed neither is there in all that Chapter any contradiction veri nominis true and properly so to be called but onely that You know what became of them they went quick to hell for it and wo be to them Iude 11. even under the Gospell saith Saint Iude that perish in the same contradiction the contradiction of Core The second duty is To be called yer they come this likewise denied 2. To be calleù yer they come even Moses himselfe that they in his place may not think strange of it in the XX. Chapter of this very book Water waxing scant a company of them grew mutinous and in tumultuous manner without any sound of the trumpet assembled of themselves But these are branded too the water they got is called the water of Meriba Cap. 10.13 and what followed you know None of them that drunk of it came into the Land of Promise GOD swore they should not enter into His rest Now as both these are bad so of the twaine this latter is the worse Called and came not Came uncalled The former that came not being called do but sit still as if they were somwhat thick of hearing But these latter that come being not called either they make themselves a trumpet without ever a Fac tibi Or els they offer to wring Moses's trumpet out of his hands and take it into their owne Take heed of this latter it is said there to be adversus Mosen even against Moses himselfe It is the very next forerunner to it it pricks fast upon it For they that meet against Moses's will when they have once throughly learned that lesson will quickly perhaps grow capable of another even to meet against Moses himselfe as these did Acts 19.40 Periclitamur argui seditionis saith the Town-Clark We have done more then we can well answer We may be indicted of treason for this daye 's worke for comming together without a trumpet and yet it was for Diana that is for a matter of Religion You see then whose the Right is and what the duties be to it and in whose stepps they tread that deny them Sure they have been baptized or made to drink of the same water the water of Meriba that ever shall offer to do the like to draw together without Moses's Call And now to our Saviour CHRIST 's question In the Law how is it written How reade you Our answer is There it is thus written and thus we read That Moses hath the Right of the trumpets that they to go ever with him and his successors and that to them belongeth the power of calling the publique Assemblies Agreeable to the Law of Nature This is the Lâ—w of GOD and that 〈◊〉 jâ—diciall Law peculiar to that people alone â—ot agreeable to the Law of Naturâ— and Nationâ— â—wo Lawes of force through the whole world For even in the little Empire oâ— the â—ody naturall Principium motus the 〈◊〉 of all motion is in and from the head There all the knots or as they call â—hem all thâ— â—onjugations of fine 〈◊〉 â—â—ve their head by which all the body is moved And as the Law of Nature To the Law of Nations by secret instinct by the light of the Creation annexeth the organ to the chiefest part even so doth the Law of Nations by the light of Reason to the cheefest Person And both fall just with the Law heere written where by Erunt Tibi the same â—rgan and power is committed to Moses the principall Person in that Common 〈◊〉 The Law of Nations in this point both before the Law written and since where the Law written was not knowne might easily appeare if time would 〈…〉 their generall order for conventions so to be called and in their generall 〈◊〉 to all conventicles called otherwise 〈◊〉 the Heathen lawes made all such Assemblies unlawfull which the highest aâ—thority did not cause to meet yea though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say Solon's Lawes yea though sub praetextu Religionis say the Romane Lawes Neither did the Christian Emperors thinke good to abate any thing of that Right Nay they took more straight order For besides the exiling of the person which was the Law before they proscribed the place where under pretence of Religion any such meetings should be But I let them passe and stand onely on the written Law the Law of GOD. We have Law then for us That Moses is ever to call the Congregation But though we have Law Mos vincit Legem Custome over-ruleth Law And the Custome or practise may go another way and it is practise that ever best bewrayeth a Power How then hath the practise gone It is a necessarie question this and pertinent to the Text it selfe For there is a Power granted and in vaine is that Power that never commeth into act Came then this Power into act It is a Power to call the Congregation together Were the Congregations called together by it A grant there is That Erunt Tibi So it should be Did it take place was it so Erantne illi Had he it Did he enjoy it Let us looke into that another while what became of this Grant what place it tooke The practise or use of this Power among the Iewes Deut. 4.32 And we shall not offend Moses in so doing It is his advice and desire both that we should enquire into the daies past that were before us and aske even from one end of heaven to the other to see how matters have been caried So that as our SAVIOVR CHRIST sendeth us to the Law by His In Lege quid scriptum est so doth Moses direct us to the vse and practise by his Interroga de diebus antiquis I do aske then These trumpets heere given this power to call together the Congregation how hath it beene used Hath the Congregation been called accordingly in this and no other manner by this and no other Power It hath as shall appeare and I will deale with no Assemblies but onely for matters of Religion By Moses Of Moses first there is no question It is yeelded that he called them and dismissed them Iosua Ios. 1.17 And even so did Iosua after him no lesse then he and they obeyed him in that Power no lesse then Moses And as for that which is objected concerning Moses that he for a time dealt in matters of the Priest's Office it hath no colour in Iosua and those that succeeded him The Covenant and the renewing of the Covenant are matters meerely spirituall yet in that case did Iosua Iosua not Eleazar assemble all the
as it were in scorn of this Congregation and of all the Gods in it These go to the foundations for so are the Lawes undermine them and in a sort though after another manner seek to blow up all Great pitie but this Congregation heere should looke well to the foundations of all Great pitie that it should be overcome of their evill Rom. 12.21 but that their evill should be overcome of our Good and this of yours goe beyond them It is not to goe through all Generally Quid populo quòd flet 1. Sam. 11.15 what the congregations of men have just cause to complaine of the Congregation of Godds sit to redresse Whatsoever Synagoga Satanae per malos mores These to be helped with good lawes doth put out Synagoga Deorum per bonas Leges is to set in joint againe And that is the proper worke of this Assembly to make Lawes And that is properly the worke of GOD His worke at Sinai and at Sion both And in truth There is but one Lawgiver and that is GOD saith S. Iames Chap. 4. Ver. 12. As till Ego dixi till then there was but one GOD but togither with His Name He imparted also His power and made you a Congregation of Lawgivers and of Godds both at once A high Power the highest in earth save one Next to the Scepter in Iuda's hand is the Lawgiver betweene his feete even with Iacob Gen. 49.10 And so with Salomon After Per me Reges regnant Pro. 8.15 presently followes Et Legum conditores justa decernunt To this so high a worke a whole Synagogue of wisedome is little enough to bring into course that is out to set the foundations fast against this Synagogue of Satan And this lo is the ordinarie and continuall danger I spake of But for all this danger 2 Vpon special occasion By Synagoga inimicorum we might well enough stay a longer time and not come togither ther is no such present hast to meet with that There is another I take it more pressing as I sayd before upon a more speciall present occasion Will you but looke over into the next Psalme following into the beginning of it there you shall find another Congregation a second casting their heads and confaederate togither Psal. 83.3 Ver. 6. hable to putt foundations and all out of course And then he reckons up a rabble of them Edomites the Edomites first and you know what they cried Psal. 137.7 Exinanite usque ad fundamenta Vp with all foundations and all the Edomites and Ismaelites and Moabites and Agarenes Gebal and Ammon and Amalek And at last Assur also was joyned with them Assur that even then purposed and after did eat them all up one after another yet he was then joined with them Such a Congregation it is said there is now abroad and what will they do No harme bring nothing out of course they say But it will be the wisedome of this Congregation to be provided for them theâ— should not do as they saye This Psalme stands before that that this Congregation may be before hand with that 〈◊〉 â—nd perfect 〈◊〉 to be wished before all no man doubts of 〈◊〉 If it be possible is 〈…〉 us lieth 〈◊〉 12 1â— peace with all men But Peace wil be had with neâ—â—e 〈◊〉 lesse assurance and with never the worse conditions if the Câ—â—â—â—egation be well appointed that seeke it And this iâ— the second worke of this Congregation if not the first Thereforâ— it may be thought at this time called togither that there may 〈…〉 Consilij soundly to advise of it and Multitudo Auxilij 〈…〉 go through with it The Text intends this of helpe specially 〈…〉 some translations it is the Congregation of the Mighty but howsoâ—ver the very name is taken from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Name of GOD that is given Him for His Strength and Power Of those that are Mighty and so can shew themselves of those is this Congregation Ever remembring this that they who assemble for an End assemble also to devise how to furnish meanes to compasse that End and indeed of the End properly we consult not but of the meanes rather Our SAVIOVR CHRIST Luc. 14.31 spoke with His owne mouth Who will ever resolve upon Warre but they will sit downe first and set downe what forces wil be needfull and how much they will stand in and how that is to be had or levied that as the wise 〈◊〉 saith Respondit omnibus Answers takes order for all Eccles. 10.19 â— From Deorum Thus for the Synagogue What for GOD There is no doubt blessed be GOD for it but what Moses said of Iuda His owne hands shal be sufficient for him Deut 1â— 7 if thou LORD helpe him against his enemies may be said of this our Land If GOD helpe us sufficient enough And He will helpe Vs if we helpe Him Helpe GOD what a word is that Even the very word Iud. 5.23 the Angel used when he laid a curse upon Meroz for not comming to helpe the LORD againe lest we might thinke it scaped him upon deliberation he saith to helpe the LORD against the mighty that is Sisara and Iohn's mighty preparations Ever where the right is there GOD is when that in Danger GOD in danger they that helpe that helpe Him and He will help them If the congregation GOD GOD the congregation Iud. 5.20 They will fight from heaven then the starrs in heaven will fight in 〈◊〉 courses for us And then it will be an Auxiliarie warr right And in signe that he will so when they are mett togither about these matters GOD 〈◊〉 him selfe heere in person and stands among them GOD in the Congregation of Godds what more proper and kindly And so much for the Godds and for their Congregation III. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 for the two acts of GOD in and upon this Congregation His 〈…〉 Iudging 1. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—ointly After apart 1. Iointly They 〈…〉 first these two as two Correctors of the two former 〈…〉 lest the 〈◊〉 of the Congregation should be exalted above measure with this deifying revolution Secondly 2 To put a difference betwen them and God as two Markes of differenâ—e betweene the first GOD and the last Godds so to let them see what manner of Godds they be indeed how differing from Him GOD stands This may well referr to that in the sixth Verse But you shall fall A standing GOD He who onely stands and will stand God sâ—ands they fall when they all shall fall and fall even to dust every God of them And this could not be told us in a fitter place the place where we stand is compassed about with a Congregation of these fallen Godds these same Dij caduci with Monuments of the mortalitie of many a great Elohim in their times And let me tell you this that in the Hebrew tongue the Grave is called a Synagogue
hebrew sheweth there is a reason there is a cause why it commeth 1. Sam. 6.9 And the english word Plague comming from the Latine word Plaga which is properly a stroke necessarily inferreth a Cause For where there is a stroke there must be One that striketh And in â—hat both it and other evill things that come upon us are usually in scripture called Gods judgements If they be iudgements it followeth there is a Iudge they come from They come not by adventure by chance they come not Chance and Iudgement are utterly opposite Not Casually then but Iudicially Iudged we are For when we are chastened we are judged of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.32 There is a Cause Now what that Cause is Concerning which 1. That Cause is 1. Naturall if you aske the Physitian he will say the cause is in the aire The Aire is infected the Humors corrupted the Contagion of the sicke comming to and conversing with the sound And they be all true causes The Aire For so we see by casting * The aire infected ashes of the furnace towards heaven in the aire the aire became infected and the plague of botches and blaines was so brought forth in Egypt * Exod. 9.8 The Humors For to that doth King David ascribe the Cause of his disease that is that his moisture in him was corrupt dried up 2 The Humors corrupted Psal. 32.4 turned into the drought of Summer Contagion Which is cleare by the Law where the leprous person 3 Contagion Levit. 13.45.46 52. for feare of contagion from him was ordered to crie that no body should come neere him To dwell apart from other men The clothing he had worn to be washed and in some case to be burnt The house-walls he had dwelt in to be scraped and in some case the house it self to be pulled downe In all which three respects Salomon saith Pro. 14.16 A wise man feareth the Plague and departeth from it and fooles runne on and be carelesse A wise man doth it and a good man too For King David himselfe durst not go to the Altar of GOD at Gibeon to enquire of GOD there because the Angel that smot the people with the plague stood betweene him and it 1. Chro. 21.30 that is because he was to passe through infected places thither But as we acknowledge these to be true that in all diseases 2 Supernaturall By which GOD. and even in this also there is a Naturall cause so we say there is somewhat more something Divine and above â—ature As somewhat which the Physitian is to looke unto in the plague so likewise something for Phinees to do and Phinees was a Priest And so some worke for the Priest as well as for the Physitian and more then it may be It was King Asa's fault He in his sicknesse looked all to Physitians and looked not after GOD at all That is noted as his fault It seems 〈…〉 It seemes his concâ—it was there was nothing in a disease but 〈◊〉 nothing but bodily which is not so For infirmitie is not only 〈◊〉 bodily there is a Spirit of infirmitie we finde Luc. 13.11 And some 〈◊〉 spirituall there is 〈◊〉 infirmities something in the soule to 〈◊〉 â—ealed In all â—ut specially in this Wherein that we might knoâ— it to be spirituâ—ll we finde it oft times to be executed by spirits We see an 〈◊〉 destroying Angel 〈…〉 12.13 in the Plague of Egypt another in the Plague in Swaâ—â—â—rib'â— Campe 〈…〉 â—7 36 〈…〉 21.16 〈…〉 16.2 a third in the Plague at Ierusalem under David 〈…〉 pouring his phiall upon earth and ther fell a noysome plague upo◠〈◊〉 and beast So that no man looketh deeply enough into the Cause of this sickenesse unlesse he acknowledge the Finger of God in it over 〈◊〉 â—bove any causes naturall 〈…〉 GOD then hath his part GOD But how affected GOD provoked to aâ—ger so it is in the Text his anger his wrath it is that bringeth the plague among us 〈…〉 The Verse is plaine They provoked him to anger and â—he plague brake in among them 〈…〉 Generally there is no evill saith Iob but it is a sparke of GOD 's wrath And of all evills the Plague by Name There is wrath gone out from the LORD 〈◊〉 21.7 and the plague is begunn saith Moses Num. 16.46 So it is said GOD was displeased with David he smot Israël with the plague So that if if there be a plague GOD is angry and if there be a great plague GOD is very angry Thus much for By what for the anger of GOD by which the plague is sent Now for what 〈…〉 â—hich 〈…〉 general There is a cause in GOD that he is angry And there is a Cause for which he is angry For he is not angry without a cause And what is that cause For what is GOD angry What is GOD angry with the waters when he sends a tempest it is Habacuk's question 〈…〉 Or is GOD angry with the earth when He sends barrennesse Or with the aire when he makes it coÌ„tagious 〈…〉 5. 6. No indeed His anger is not against the Elements they provoke him not Against them it is that provoke him to anger Against men it is and against their sinnes and for them commeth the wrath of GOD upon the children of disobedience And this is the very Cause indeed As there is Putredo humorum so there is also putredo morum And putredo morum is more a Cause then putriedo humorum 1 The Corruption of the soule the 〈◊〉 7. â— 2 corrupting of our waies more then the 〈◊〉 6.12 corrupting of the aire The 〈◊〉 8.38 Plague of the Heart more then the sore that is seene in the body 〈◊〉 5.32 The cause of Death that is sinne the same is the cause of this 〈◊〉 38.5 kinde of death of the plague of mortalitie And as the â—panâ— Balme of ilead and the 〈◊〉 48.46 Physitian there may yield us helpe when GOD'S wrath is removed so if it be not no balme no medicine will serve 〈◊〉 us with the Woman in the Gospell 〈◊〉 5.26 spend all upon Physitians we shall bee never the better till we come to CHRIST and he cure us of our sinnes whâ— is the onely Physitian of the diseases of the soule 〈◊〉 â— 2 And wiâ—â— CHRIST the cure beginns ever withiâ— First Sonne thy 〈◊〉 be for giventhee and then a fier â—ake up thy bed and walke His sinnes first and his limbes after As likewise when we are once well CHRIST'S councell is sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee As if sinne would certainely bring a relapse into a sicknesse But shall we say the wraâ—h of GOD for sinnes indefinitely Particular sinn That were somewhat too generall May we not specifie them or set them downe in particular Yes I will point you at three or foure First this
Plague heere as appeareth by the XXVIII Verse 1 Fornication the Verse next before came for the sinne of Peor that is for fornication as you may read And not every Fornication but fornication past shame as was that Zamri there with a daughter of Moab Num. 25.1 And indeed if we marke it well it fitts well For that kinde of sinne fornication doth end in Vlcers and sores and those as infectious as the Plague it selfe A proper punishment such sore for such evill Secondly 2 Pride David's plague of seventy thousand which we mention in our Prayer that came for Pride plainly 1. Chro. 21.14 His heart was lifted up to number the People And that seemes somewhat kindly too and to agree with this disease That pride which swells it selfe should end in a tumor or swelling as for the most part this disease doth Thirdly 3 Baptisme Esai 37.36 Zenacherib's plague it is plaine came from Rabshakeh's blasphemie Blasphemie hable to infect the aire it was so foule In which regard Aaron's act might be justified in putting odours into his Censer Numb 16· 46. to purifie the Aire from such corruption And last the Apostle setts downe the Cause of the plague at Corinth 4 Neglect of the Sacrament 1. Cor. 11.30 For this Cause saith he that is for neglect of the Sacrament Either in not caring to come to it or in comming to it we care not how For this cause is there a mortalitie among you and many are sicke and many are weake and many are fallen asleepe And this is no new thing Exo. 4.24 Moses himselfe his neglect of the Sacrament made him be striken of GOD that it was like to have cost him his life And he saith plainly to Pharao If they neglected their sacrifice GOD would fall upon them with the Pestilence Exo. 5 3. which appeaâ—eth by this that the Sacrament of the passeover and the bloud of it was the meanes to save them from the plague of the destroying Angel in Egypt A little now of the Phrase The phrase for sinne Theiâ— inventions that their sinnes are heere called by the name of their inventions And so sure the yare as no waies taught us by GOD but of our owne imagining or finding out For indeed our inventions are the cause of all sins And if we look wel into it we shal find our inventions are so By GOD'S injunction we should all live his injunction is In matters of Râ—ligion Deut. 12.8 You shall not do every man what seems good in his own eyes or finds out in his own braines but whatsoever I commaund you that only shall you do But we setting light by that charge of his out of the old disease of our Father Adam Eritis sicut Dij scientes bonum malum thinke it a goodly matter to be wittie and to find out things our selves to make to our selves to be Authors and inventoâ—s of somewhat that so we may seem to be as wise as GOD if not wisâ—r and to know what is for our turnes as well as he if not better It was Saul's fault GOD bad destroy Amalâ—k all and he would invent a better way to save some forsooth for sacrifice which GOD could not thinke oâ— And it was Saint Peter's fault when he perswaded CHRIST from His passion 〈…〉 and found out a better way as he thought then Christ could devise This is the proud invention which will not be kept in but makes men even not to forbeare in things perteining to God's worship but there to be still devising new tricks opinions and fashions fresh and newly taken up which their Fathers never knew of And this is that which makes men 〈…〉 17. that have itching eares to heape to themselves Teachers according to their owne lusts 〈…〉 3. which may fill their heads full with new inventions 〈…〉 And this is that that even out of Religion in the common life spoiles all The wanton invention in finding out new meats in diet in inventing new fashions in apparel which men so dote on as the Psalme saith at the 39 th Verse as they even goe a whoring with them with their owne inventions and care not what they spend on them And know no end of them but as fast as they are weary of one a new invention is found out which whatsoever it cost how much soever it take from our Almes or good deeds must be had till all come to nought That the Psalmist hath chosen a very fit word that for our inventions the plague breakes in among us for them as for the primarie or first moving cause of all Indeed for them as much and more then for any thing els We see them 1 First that a Cause there is 2 That that cause is not only naturall but that God Himselfe hath a hand in it 3 God as being provoked to anger 4 To anger for our sinnes in generall and for what sinns in speciall For our sinns proceeding from nothing but our inventions Which cause if it continue and yet we turne not to the Lord as Amos the 4. then will not his anger be turned away but his hand wil be stretched out still as Esai the 9. And no way to avoyd the one but by appeasing the other 〈…〉 Cure For the cure now One contrarie is ever cured by another If then it be anger which is the cause in God anger would be appeased If it be Inventions which is the cause in us of the anger of God they would be punished and removed That so the Cause being taken away the effect may cease Take away our inventions Gods anger will cease Take away God's anger the plague will cease Two Readings we said ther were 1 Phinees prayed or 2 Phinees executed judgement Palal the Hebrew word will beare both And both are good And so we will take them both in 〈…〉 Prayer is good against the plague as appeareth Not onely in this plague in the Text 〈…〉 25.6 〈◊〉 24.17 wherein all the Congregation â— were weeping and praying before the dore of the Tabernacle But in King b David's plague also where we see what his prayer was and the very words of it And in c Esai 38.3 Ezekia's plague who turned his face to the wall and prayâ—d unto GOD and his prayer is set downe GOD heard his prayer and healed him And for a generall rule d 1. King 8.37.38.39 If there be in the Land any pestilent disease Whatsoever plague whatsoever sicknesse it be the prayer and supplication in the Temple made by the people every man knowing the plague of his own heart God in heaven will heare it and remove his hand from afflicting them any further And it standeth with good reason For as the Aire is infected with noisome sents or smellâ— so the infection is removed by sweet odours or incense which Aaron did in the Plague put sweet odours in his Censer