8. and bearing of our sicknesses Or to be no richer or no more provident then so To sell all and give it away Luc. 12. and make a treasure in Heaven and all this for fear of Theeves and Rust and Canker and Moths here That which is not allowable in Courts of Justice in criminal Causes To hear Evidence against the King we will admit against God we will hear Evidence against God we will hear what mans reason can say in favor of the Delinquent why he should be condemned why God should punish the soul eternally for the momentany pleasures of the body Nay we suborn witnesses against God and we make Philosophy and Reason speak against Religion and against God though indeed Omne verum omni vero consentiens whatsoever is true in Philosophy is true in Divinity too howsoever we distort it and wrest it to the contrary We hear Witnesses and we suborn Witnesses against God and we do more we proceed by Recriminations and a cross Bill with a Quia Deus because God does as he does we may do as we do Because God does not punish Sinners we need not forbear sins whilst we sin strongly by oppressing others that are weaker or craftily by circumventing others that are simple This is but Leoninum and Vulpinum that tincture of the Lyon and of the Fox that brutal nature that is in us But when we come to sin upon reason and upon discourse upon Meditation and upon plot This is Humanum to become the Man of Sin to surrender that which is the Form and Essence of man Reason and understanding to the service of sin When we come to sin wisely and learnedly to sin logically by a Quia and an Ergo that Because God does thus we may do as we do we shall come to sin through all the Arts and all our knowledge To sin Grammatically to tie sins together in construction in a Syntaxis in a chaine and dependance and coherence upon one another And to sin Historically to sin over sins of other men again to sin by precedent and to practice that which we had read And we come to sin Rhetorically perswasively powerfully and as we have found examples for our sins in History so we become examples to others by our sins to lead and encourage them in theirs when we come to employ upon sin that which is the essence of man Reason and discourse we will also employ upon it those which are the properties of man onely which are To speak and to laugh we will come to speak and talk and to boast of our sins and at last to laugh and jest at our sins and as we have made sin a Recreation so we will make a jest of our condemnation And this is the dangerous slipperiness of sin to slide by Thoughts and Actions and Habits to contemptuous obduration Part II. Now amongst the manifold perversnesses and incongruities of this artificial sinning of sinning upon Reason upon a quia and an ergo of arguing a cause for our sin this is one That we never assigne the right cause we impute our sin to our Youth to our Constitution to our Complexion and so we make our sin our Nature we impute it to our Station to our Calling to our Course of life and so we make our sin our Occupation we impute it to Necessity to Perplexity that we must necessarily do that or a worse sin and so we make our sin our Direction We see the whole world is Ecclesia malignantium Psal 26.5 a Synagogue a Church of wicked men and we think it a Schismatical thing to separate our selves from that Church and we are loth to be excommunicated in that Church and so we apply our selves to that we do as they do with the wicked we are wicked and so we make our sin our Civility And though it be some degree of injustice to impute all our particular sins to the devil himself after a habit of sin hath made us spontaneos daemones Chrysost devils to our selves yet we do come too near an imputing our sins to God himself when we place such an impossibility in his Commandments as makes us lazie that because we cannot do all therefore we will do nothing or such a manifestation and infallibility in his Decree as makes us either secure or desperate and say The Decree hath sav'd me therefore I can take no harm or The Decree hath damn'd me therefore I can do no good No man can assigne a reason in the Sun why his body casts a shadow why all the place round about him is illumin'd by the Sun the reason is in the Sun but of his shadow there is no other reason but the grosness of his own body why there is any beam of light any spark of life in my soul he that is the Lord of light and life and would not have me die in darkness is the onely cause but of the shadow of death wherein I sit there is no cause but mine own corruption And this is the cause why I do sin but why I should sin there is none at all Yet in this Text the Sinner assignes a cause and it is Quia non mutationes Because they have no Changes God hath appointed that earth which he hath given to the sons of men to rest and stand still and that heaven which he reserves for those sons of men who are also the sons of God he hath appointed to stand still too All that is between heaven and earth is in perpetual motion and vicissitude but all that is appointed for man mans possession here mans reversion hereafter earth and heaven is appointed for rest and stands still and therefore God proceeds in his own way and declares his love most where there are fewest Changes This rest of heaven he hath expressed often by the name of a Kingdom as in that Petition Thy kingdom come And that rest which is to be derived upon us here in earth he expresses in the same phrase too when having presented to the children of Israel an Inventary and Catalogue of all his former blessings he concludes all includes all in this one Et prosperata es in regnum I have advanced thee to be a kingdom which form God hath not onely still preserv'd to us but hath also united Kingdoms together and to give us a stronger body and safer from all Changes whereas he hath made up other Kingdoms of Towns and Cities he hath made us a Kingdom of Kingdoms and given us as many Kingdoms to our Kingdom as he hath done Cities to some other Gods gracious purpose then to man being Rest and a contented Reposedness in the works of their several Callings and his purpose being declared upon us in the establishing and preserving of such a Kingdom as hath the best Body best united in it self and knit together and the best Legs to stand upon Peace and Plenty and the best Soul to inanimate and direct it Truth
that our Deeds are the true seals of that love which was also love Ambrose when it was in words But Ne quod luxuriat in flore attenuetur hebetetur in fructu lest that tree that blew early and plentifully blast before it knit second your good words with actions too It is the Husbandry and the Harvest of the righteous man as it gather'd in David The Mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom Psal 37.30 so we read it there it is in the Tongue in words onely The Vulgar hath it Meditatur He Meditates it so the heart is got in But the Original Hagah is noted to signifie fructificavit He brings forth fruits thereof and so the Hand is got in too And when that which is well spoken was well meant and hath been well expressed in Action that 's the Husbandry of the righteous Man then his Harvest is all in It is the way of God himself Philo Judaeus notes Exod. 20.18 that the people are said to have seen the noise and the voice of God because whatsoever God says it determines in Action If we may hear God we may see him what he says he does too Therefore from that example of God himself S. Gregory directs us We must says he shew our Love Et veneratione sermonis Ministerio largitatis what a fair respect in words and what a reall supply in Deeds Nay when we look upon our pattern that is God Tertullian notes well That God prevented his own speaking by Doing Benedicebat quae benefaciebat first he made all things Good and then he Blessed them that they might be better first he wrought and then he spoke And so Christs way and proceeding is presented to us too so far from not Doing when he speaks as that he Does before he speaks Acts 1.1 Luke ult 19. Christ began to Do and to Teach says S. Luke but first to Do. And He was mighty in Deeds and in words but first in Deeds We cannot write so well as our Copy to begin alwayes at Deeds as God and his Christ But yet let us labor to write so fair after it as first to afford comfortable words and though our Deeds come after yet to have them from the beginning in our intention and that we do them not because we promised but promise because we love to do good and love to lay upon our selves the obligation of a promise The instrument and Organ of Nature was the eye The Natural Man finds God in that he sees in the Creature The Organ of the Law which exalted and rectified Nature was the Hand Fac hoc vives perform the law and thou shalt live So also the Organ of the Gospel is the Ear for faith comes by hearing But then the Organ of faith it self is the Hand too A Hand that lays hold upon the Merits of Christ for my self and a Hand that delivers me over to the Church of God in a holy life and exemplary Actions for the edification of others So that All All from nature to Grace determines in Action in Doing good Sic facite Deo so do good to God in reall assisting his cause Sic facite Diis so do good to them whom God hath called Gods in reall secondings their religious purposes Sic facite Imaginibus Dei so do good to the Images of God in reall relieving his distressed Members as that you do all this upon that which is made the Reason of all in the second part of this text Because you are to be judged by the law of liberty Timor futuri judicii hujus vitae praedagogus Part. II. Basil Our School-Master to teach us to stand upright in the last judgement Judicium is the Meditation and the fear of that judgement in this life It is our School-master and School-master enough I said unto the fool Psal 75.5 thus and thus says David And I said unto the wicked thus and thus says he for says he God is the Judge He thought it enough to enlighten the understanding of the fool enough to rectifie the perverseness of the wicked if he could set God before them in that Notion as a Judge for this is one great benefit from the present contemplation of the future judgement that whosoever does truly and advisedly believe that ever he shall come to that judgement is at it now He that believes that God will judge him is Gods Commissioner Gods Delegate and in his name judges himself now Therefore it is a useful mistaking which the Romane Translation is fallen into in this Text in reading it thus Sicut incipientes judicari So speak ye and so Do as they upon whom the judgement were already begun For Qui timet ante Christi Tribunal praesentari Aug. He that is afraid to be brought to the last judgement hath but one Refuge but one Sanctuary Ascendat Tribunal Mentis suae constituat se ante seipsum Let him cite himself before himself give evidence himself against himself and so guilty as he is found here so innocent he shall stand there Let him proceed upon himself as Job did 9.28 and he is safe I am afraid of all my sorrow says he Afraid that I have not said enough against my self nor repented enough Afraid that my sorrows have not been sincere but mingled with circumstances of loss of health or honour or fortune occasioned by my sins and not onely not principally for the sin it self I am afraid of all my sorrowes sayes he but how much more then of my mirths and pleasures To judge our selves by the judgement of flatterers that depend upon us to judge our selves by the event and success of things I am enriched I am preferred by this course and therefore all 's well to judge our selves by example of others others do thus and why not I All these proceedings are Coram non Judice all these are literally Praemunire cases for they are appellations into forraigne Jurisdictions and forraigne Judicatures Onely our own conscience rectified is a competent judge And they that have passed the triall of that judgement do not so much rise to judgement at last as stand and continue in judgement their judgement that is their triall is passed here and there they shall onely receive sentence and that sentence shall be Euge bone serve Well done good and faithfull servant since thou didst enter into Judgement in the other world enter into thy Masters Joy in this But howso ever we be prepar'd for that judgement well or not well and howsoever the Judge be disposed towards us well or not well there is this comfort given us here that that judgement shall be per legem by a Law we shall be judged by a law of Liberty which is our second branch in this second part Per Legem The Jews that prosecuted the Judgement against Christ durst not do that without pretending a Law Habemus legem say they we have a law
himself is purus actus all action all doing comfortable words are good cordials they revive the spirits and they have the nature of such occasional physick but deeds are our food our dyet and that that constantly nourishes us 1 Jo. 3.18 Non verbo sayes the Apostle Let us not love in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth Not that we may not love in words but that our deeds are the true seals of that love which was also love when it was in words Ambro. But Ne quod luxuriat in flore attenuetur habetetur in fructu Least that tree that blew early and plentifully blast before it knit Second your good words with actions too It is the husbandry and the harvest of the righteous man as it is gathered in David The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdome Ps 37.30 So we read it there it is in the tongue in words only the vulgar hath it Meditatur he meditates it so the heart is got in But the original Hagah is noted to signifie fructificavit he brings forth fruits thereof and so the hand is got in too And when that which is well spoken was well meant and hath been well expressed in action that 's the husbandry of the righteous man then his harvest is all in It is the way of God himself Philo Judaeus notes Exo 20.10 That the people are said to have seen the noise and the voice of God because whatsoever God sayes it determines in action If we may hear God we may see God what he sayes he does too Therefore from that example of God himself Saint Gregorie directs us we must sayes he shew our love Et vaneratione sermonis et ministerio largitatis with a fair respect in words and with a reall supply in deeds Nay when we look upon our pattern that is God Tertullian notes well That God prevented his own speaking by doing Benedicebat quae benefaciebat first he made all things good and then he blessed them that they might be better first he wrought and then he spoke And so Christs way and proceeding is presented to us too so far from not doing when he speaks as that he does before he speaks Christ began to doe and to teach Act. 1.1 Luk. ult 19. sayes St. Luke but first to do And he was mighty in deeds and in words but first in deeds We cannot write so well as our copy to begin alwayes at deeds as God and his Christ but yet let us labor to write so fair after it as first to afford comfortable words and though our deeds come after yet to have them from the beginning in our intention and that we doe them not because we promised but promise because we love to do good and love to lay upon our selves the obligation of a promise The instrument and organ of nature was the eye the natural man finds God in that he sees in the creature The organ of the Law which exalted and erectified nature was the hand Fac hoc et vives perform the law and thou shalt live So also the organ of the Gospel is the ear for faith comes by hearing but then the organ of faith it self is the hand too a hand that layes hold upon the merits of Christ for my self and a hand that delivers me over to the Church of God in a holy life and exemplary actions for the edification of others So that all all from nature to grace determines in action in doing good Sic facite Deo so do good to God in reall assisting his cause Sic facite Diis so do good to them whom God hath call'd Gods in reall seconding their religious purposes Sic facite imaginibus Dei So doe good to the images of God in real relieving his distressed members as that you doe all this upon that which is made the reason of all in the second part of this Text Because you are to be judged by the law of libertie Timor futuri judicii hujus vitae paedagogus 2. Part. Basil judicium Our School-master to teach us to stand upright in the last judgment is the meditation and the fear of that judgment in this life It is our school-master and school-master enough I said unto the fool thus and thus sayes David Ps 75.5 And I said unto the wicked thus and thus sayes he for sayes he God is the Judg He thought it enough to enlighten the understanding of the fool enough to rectifie the perversness of the wicked if he could set God before them in that notion as a Judg. For this is one great benefit from the present contemplation of the future Judgment that whosoever does truly and advisedly believe that ever he will come to that Judgment is at it now he that believes that God will judg him is Gods Commissioner Gods delegate and in his name Judges himself now Therefore it is a useful mistaking which the Roman translator is faln into in this text in reading it thus Sicut incepientes Judicari so speak ye and so do as they upon whom the Judgment were already begun for qui timet ante Christi tribunal praesentari August he that is afraid to be brought to the last Judgment hath but one refuge but one Sanctuary Ascendat tribunal mentis suae et constituat se ante seipsum let him cite himself before himself give evidence himself against himself and so guilty as he is found here so innocent he shall stand there Let him proceed upon himself 9.28 as Job did and he is safe I am afraid of all my sorrows saies he afraid that I have not said enough against my self nor repented enough afraid that my sorrows have not been sincere but mingled with circumstances of loss of health or honor or fortune occasioned by my sins and not only not principally for the sin it self I am afraid of all my sorrows saies he but how much more then of my mirths and pleasures to judg our selves by the Judgment of flatterers that depend upon us to judg our selves by the event and success of things I am enrich'd I am preferd by this course and therefore all 's well to judg our selves by example of others others do thus and why not I all these proceedings are Coram non Judice all these are literally praemunire cases for they are appellations into faraign Jurisdictions and foraign Judicatures Only our own conscience rectified is a competent Judg and they that have pass'd the tryal of that Judgment do not so much rise to Judgment at last as stand and continue in Judgment their Judgment that is their tryal is pass'd here and there they shall only receive sentence and that sentence shall be Euge bone serve well done good and faithful servant since thou didst enter into Judgment in the other world enter into thy Masters joy in this But howsoever we be prepared for that Judgment well or not well and howsoever the
to be angry for this 4. 3. and after about the Gourd dost thou well to be angry for that he replies I do well to be angry even unto death How much worse a death then death is this life which so good men would so often change for death But if my case be St. Pauls case Quotidie morior 1 Cor. 15.31 that I die dayly that something heavier then death fall upon me every day If my case be Davids case Tota die mortificamur psa 44.22 all the day long we are killed that not only every day but every hour of the day something heavier then death fals upon me though that be true of me conceptus in peccatis I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me 51. 5. There I died one death though that be true of me natus filius irae I was born not only the child of sin but the child of the wrath of God for sin which is a heavier death yet Domini Domini sunt exitus mortis with God the Lord are the issues of death and after a Job and a Joseph and a Jeremy and a Daniel I cannot doubt of a deliverance and if no other deliverance conduce more to his glory and my good yet He hath the keyes of death Apo. 1.18 and he can let me out at that dore that is deliver me from the manifold deaths of this world the omni die and the tota die the every daies death and every hours death by that one death the final disolution of body and soul the end of all But then is that the end of all Exitus a morte Incinerationis is that dissolution of body and soul the last death that the body shall suffer for of spiritual deaths we speak not now it is not Though this be exitus a morte it is introitus in mortem though it be an issue from the manifold deaths of this world yet it is an entrance into the death of corruption and putrifaction and vermiculation and incineration and dispersion in and from the grave in which every dead man dies over again It was a prerogative peculiar to Christ not to die this death not to see corruption What gave him this privilege not Josephs great proportions of gums and spices that might have preserved his body from corruption and incineration longer then he needed it longer then three daies but yet would not have done it for ever What preserv'd him then did his exemption and freedome from original sin preserve him from this corruption and incineration 'T is true that original sin hath induc'd this corruption and incineration upon us 1 Câ—â— 15.33 If we had not sinn'd in Adam mortality had not put on immortality as the Apostle speaks nor corruption had not put on incorruption but we had had our transmigration from this to the other world without any mortality any corruption at all But yet since Christ took sin upon him so far as made him mortal he had it so far too as might have made him see this corruption and incineration though he had no original sin in himself What preserv'd him then did the hypostatical union of both natures God and man preserve his flesh from this corruption this incineration 't is true that this was a most powerful embalming To be embalm'd with the divine nature it self to be embalm'd with eternity was able to preserve him from corruption and incineration for ever And he was embalm'd so embalm'd with the divine nature even in his body as well as in his soul for the Godhead the divine nature did not depart but remain still united to his dead body in the grave But yet for all this powerful imbalming this hypostatical union of both natures we see Christ did die and for all this union which made him God and man he became no man for the union of body and soul makes the man and he whose soul and body are seperated by death as long as that state lasts is properly no man And therefore as in him the dissolution of body and soul was no dissolution of the hypostatical union so is there nothing that constrains us to say that though the flesh of Christ had seen corruption and incineration in the grave this had been any dissolving of the hypostatical union for the divine nature the Godhead might have remain'd with all the elements and principles of Christs body as well as it did with the two constitutive parts of his person his body and soul This incorruption then was not in Josephs gums and spices nor was it in Christs innocency and exemption from original sin nor was it that is it is not necessary to say it was in the Hypostatical union But this incorruptibleness of his flesh Psa 16 10. is most conveniently plac d in that non dabis Thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption We look no farther for causes or reasons in the mysteries of our religion but to the will and pleasure of God Mat. 11.26 Christ himself limited his inquisition in that Ita est even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight Christs body did not see corruption therefore because God had decreed that it should not The humble soul and only the humble soul is the religions soul rests himself upon Gods purposes and his decrees but then it is upon those purposes and decrees of God which he hath declared and manifested not such as are conceiv'd and imagin'd in our selves though upon some probability some verisimilitude So in our present case Act. 2.31.13.35 Peter proceeded in his sermon at Jerusalem and so Paul in his at Antioch they preached Christ to be risen without having seen corruption not only because God had decreed it but because he had manifested that decree in his Prophet Therefore does St. Paul cite by special number the second Psalme for that decree and therefore both St. Peter and St. Paul cite for that place in the 16. Psal for v. 10. when God declares his decree and purpose in the express word of his Prophet or when he declares it in the real execution of the decree then he makes it ours then he manifests it to us And therefore as the mysteries of our religion are not the objects of our reason but by faith we rest in Gods decree and purpose it is so O God because it is thy will it should be so so Gods decrees are ever to be considered in the manifestation thereof All manifestation is either in the word of God or in the execution of the decree and when these two concur and meet it is the strongest demonstration that can be when therefore I find those marks of Adoption and spiritual filiation which are delivered in the word of God to be upon me when I find that real execution of his good purpose upon me as that actually I do live under the obedience and under the conditions which are