our pride is infinite But it is not so much in the rich as in the poore the poorest the basest are many times the proudest prettie is the parable of Iotham the best trees refused to be the King but the bramble affected it did sperare aspirare hope aspire as did the bastard Abimelech Iudg. 9. 15. Such a fine parable is also in the book of the Kings of the Thistle the parable runneth thus The thistle that is in Lebanon sent to the Cedar that is in Lebanō saying Give thy daughter to my sonne to wife The thistle 2 Reg. 14. 9. the begger is proud none worse The Cumane Asse jetteth up and downe with his long eares in a Lions skin Aesops Crow craketh in the feathers of other birds Among fowles the Peacocke for pride challength the soveraignty Hagar the kitchen maide will be proud Gen. 23. Mat. 20. insult over her mistrisse Sara The poore Sonnes of Zebede would sit at Christs right hand and at his left and they that Iob would not set over the dogges of his sheep yet were so proud as they contemned him None prouder then the basest and the meanest If they haue but a little mucke or a few cloddes to commend them a little land they looke aloft and a King must not be their Cousin It is said of them that liue under the North Pole that no plant groweth in Summer for the great heate there nor none in Winter for the extreme cold So no vertue can grow in our Climate not in rich for they are proud nor in the poore for they are prouder We all cōplaine of the envy the quarrelling the strife the suites the troubles of this age but where is the roote of all these but pride Only by pride doth man make contention For where every man contendeth to have preeminence none wil give place to other there can Pro. 13. 10. be no peace We haue the heart of Caesar the stomake of Pompey the one could not indure an equal nor the other a superiour Quisque gerit regnum in pectore every man carryes a King within him When we follow a dead corps to be buried or walke among the graves we can condemne our vanity and insolency every man can be a preacher against pride and cry out Why should men be proud who are but earth and ashes a bubble a vapour a shadow whose breath is in his nostrilles to day a man to morow none to day a Prince to morow a dead carion Quid superbis cinis pulvis Why art thou Psal 39. 5 6. Eccles 10. 9. Mat. 23. 5. proud dust and ashes but wee forget all and like the Pharises love the chiefe places but it is certaine where pride is in the saddle God hateth pride and resisteth it shame is in the crooper for he that exalteth himselfe shal be brought low for glory is like a shadow if a man follow it it goeth from him if he goeth from it it followeth him Before destruction the heart of man is hautie proud these proud men please none not God for Prov. 18. 12. he resisteth them nor their betters for they envy them nor themselves 1 Pet. 5. 5. for they are not so proud as they would be Whom do they please then Certenly the Divell who of a beautifull Angell is made an uncleane ougly spirit humilitas autem hominem Angelo similem Aug. facit superbia Angelum daemonem reddit humility maketh a man like an Angell and pride maketh an Angell a Divell and therefore Paul would not have a Bishop to bee a young man lest he 1 Tim. 3. 6. being puft up fall into the condemnation of the Divell The which words may be taken either actively or passively actively lest the Divell condemne us or passively lest we by our pride be condemned of the Divell or with the Divell Many swell in pride but let them take heed they swell not as Aesops toade did who seeing the Oxe feeding by her envied him and swelled her selfe so big that she swelled her selfe out of her skinne she burst withall yea indeed the proud man is as he that transgresseth by wine he is as a drunkard without reason and sense Hab. 2. 5. whom God will punish and make a laughing stock to all the world for God opposeth himselfe against the proud and who then can stand for them Pride is one of the sinnes that God hateth he hateth 1 Pet. 5. 5. all sinnes but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so saith Salomon These six things doth the Lord hate yea his soule abhorreth seven the hauty eyes a lying Pro. 6. 16. tongue c. See how he placeth pride in the fore-front in the vauntgarde like Vrias The sinne of this age is pride and the pride of this age is monstrous Christ set a little Child among his Apostles Mat. 18. but it had need be a sucking child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an infant not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a child a boy for even children are proud like the saucie boyes of Bethel 2 Reg. 2. 23. Esa 3. 5. Children presume against the ancient and the vile against the honorable servants ride and masters go on foot Paul prophecied of this age Eccles 10 6. Know saith he that in the last dayes shall come perillous times men shal be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud c. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 There is a pride in the Church and Commonwealth hic ubique here every where In the Church all would be Apostles and Prophets and teachers and every man as good as his fellow as Paul 1 Cor. 12. said of the Corinthians docent antequam discunt they teach before they have learned quoth a father of that age so is it now and all Hier. the troubles of the Church come from pride the people thinke they have as much knowledge as the Pastor Arrius the hereticke who sprang up An. Dom. 358. to maintaine his heresy that no sinne were it never so great should be reputed to him that had faith said that God revealed that to him which he concealed from the Apostles Montanus called himselfe Paracletum the Holy Ghost and his two trulles Prisca and Maximilla he named Prophetesses Arrius fell into his heresy for that he could not be Pride the cause of heresy in the Church and disorder in the commonwealth a Bishop The Anomaei said that they knew God as he knew himselfe most heresies have come from pride Si ergo vana gloria te titillaverit dic ei ut Christus Magdalenae Noli me tangere nondum ascendi ad Patrem if therefore pride or vaine glory shall tickle thee say unto it as Christ did unto Magdalen Touch me not I have not yet ascended to my Father Chrysost Bern. In the Commonwealth there is pride for the foot striveth to equall the head the servant would be as the Master the
punished yet but like the malefactor in prison and fetters till the Assise so he in chaines till the generall judgement then his torments as also the torments of all the damned are to be â—ncreased 〈…〉 of the Saints and Angels shall be encreased The Contents of the fourteenth Sermon THe sinne of Sodome and Gomorrah fornication and all manner of uncleannesse the odiousnesse of this sinne the evils that flowe from it the evill it brings upon the Actors described The falls of the Saints Noah Lot Solomon not to be imitated The polygamie of the Fathers discussed not justified The causes of Sodoms uncleannesse The Contents of the fifteenth Sermon SOdomes punishment set out for an example to all uncleane persons So all examples though not for imitation yet for instruction The kinde of their punishment Fire and that eternall This described by divers names by comparing it with elementary fire by the degrees of punishment in it all eternall and irremissible And how God squared their punishment to their sinne and so doth he usually with all sinners The Contents of the sixteenth Sermon MAny of the wicked mentioned two handled 1 They are sleepers 2 Defilers of the flesh In the first what kinde of sleepers 1 Such as sleepe in sinne and security 2 How fitly called sleepers 3 How dangerous this sleepe is and hereupon exhorteth to awake and watch In the second who these defilers of the flesh are what misery God brings on them in this life and will bring in the life to come The hainousnesse of the sinne aggravated by divers arguments The danger and filthinesse set out to make all to loath it The Contents of the seventeenth Sermon A Third sinne formerly mentioned here handled namely Despising Government This shewed by rebellion and despightfull speaking This sinne is odious being the divels sin all rebels his children Christ taught and practised obedience and so did the Apostles and Orthodox Fathers and all Christians even to heathenish and persecuting Emperours rebellion unnaturall a resisting Gods ordinance a cause of all wickednesse and confusion They that despise government doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warre against God and seeke to bring all to confusion these especially the Anabaptists and Papists who are here refuted and reproved and obedience urged The Contents of the eighteenth Sermon THe confutation of raylers and despisers of government by the example of Michael that would not raile on the Devill The distinction betweene an Angell and an Archangell The History of this dspute not extant and the reason thereof The impudency of Satan assaulting an Archangell Meekenesse taught us by the example of the Archangell Christ his Apostles and all the Saints Rayling and cursed speaking though ordinary yet odious dishonours God disgraces our brethren and hurts our selves Whether rayling and cursing be lawfull and how farre further we must learne to governe the tongue The Contents of the nineteenth Sermon A Further reproofe of Raylers whose hearts being poysoned with malice make them uncapable of grace but like dogs to barke and bite and like Serpents to vent poysonous speeches The Separatists infected with this poyson Ignorance for the most part the cause in them and Papists that raile on our Church and Doctrine and in others that they practise this sinne Therefore all should vse the meanes to get knowledge which meanes are briefly described They that raile upon ignorance are condemned much more they that doe it upon knowledge as Iulian the Apostata But the generall cause is Ignorance though in some simple yet in many affected and wilfull and these latter worse then the brute beasts for they make vse of their naturall knowledge these abuse themselves in those things they know The Contents of the twentieth Sermon HAving described and confuted the wicked he execrate them Because they follow the way of Cain which is described to bee 1 Envy 2 Prophannesse 3 Hypocrisie 4 Dispaire Every of which hee describes by many resemblances and fearfull effects and dehorteth from them The Contents of the one and twentieth Sermon HE prosecuteth the second cause why Iude execrate the wicked which was because they became subject to destruction by the deceit of Baalams wages transported by cotetousnesse The odiousnesse of which sinne he describes in divers respects First because iâ— iâ— the 〈◊〉 of all 〈◊〉 Secondly because so many woes are denounced against it Thirdly it is the originall of all sinnes against God and Man Fourthly it deprives of all the beatitudes mentioned in Mat. 5. and of Heaven it selfe Hee dehorts from this sinne by many arguments especially two First because the desire is never satisfied Secondly because things desired be 1 Vncertaine 2 Vnprofitable 3 Hurtfull The Contents of the two and twentieth Sermon HE prosecutes the third cause why Iude execrate the wicked because rebellious as Corah where having prooved all government is Gods ordinance whether Monarchy Aristocraty or Democrity and preferred Monarchy hee concludes rebellion to bee a resisting of Gods ordinance and pernicious to Church and Common-wealth and to the rebels themselves Hee proceeds to the twelve and thirteene verses and observes in them these wicked to be described 1 By their sinnes 2 By their judgement Their sins to be three 1 Epicurisme they eate and drinke without feare feeding themselves 2 Pride like swelling waves 3 Hypocrisie set out by three comparisons There First like clouds without raine Secondly like trees without fruit Thirdly like starres without light Their judgement blacke darkenesse and this after amplified Vers 14. and 15. In the handling from the manner how the Apostle describes these sinners by divers metaphors He observes first that it is usual with the Spirit of God to use such metaphors therfore lawful for all Preachers in their Sermons to do the like Secondly that the creatures beside the consideration of their natures give occasion of morall meditations Hee enters upon the first sinne Epicurisme describes it shewes the drowsinesse of it in respect of the effects and end Hee dehorts from this sinne by many arguments Further in that they are said to feed themselves two things are noted First they doe not glorifie God secondly not releeve others Lastly in that they are said to be blots in their Love-feasts that it is a staine to the godly to eate and feast with those Epicures or other wicked ones And hee describes the Love-feasts the institution abuse and abolishing of them The Contents of the three and twentieth Sermon HEE prosecutes the other two sinnes Pride and Hypocrisie Hee shewes Pride to bee a vice abominable to God in generall In particular hee prooveth it vaine in respect of 1 God 2 Men 3 the Proud themselves That is naturally in all men the godly themselves are sometimes overtaken by it It is expressed both in things pertaining to God and Man many wayes though in all yet most in the worst and it is not onely seene in life but after death it brings shame and destruction temporall and eternall Hypocrisie is
to bee seeing it hath the holy Ghost for the Author 2 The penman or writer was Iude or Iudas and of this name our Saviour had two disciples The one called Iudas Iscariot Who for thirty peeces of silver betraied basely sold his Lord and Master Servus Dominum discipulus magistrum homo Deum creatura Mat. 26. creatorem vendidit The servant betraid sold most basely sold his Lord. The disciple his Master man God the creature the Creator Infoelix mercator Iudas O unhappy Merchant Iudas The other called Iudas the son of Alphaeas called also Thaddeus Labbeus who was brother to Iames cosin to the Lord Iesus in the flesh The occasion of which name with the reason therof is set down in the 29. of Gen. the 35 V. For when Leah had borne Iudg. 15. Act. 18. 28. cap. 6. 10. three sons to Iacob she conceived and bare a fourth Sonne saying Now will I praise and confesse the Lord and shee called his name Iudah This Iude was as rare and notable an Apostle to beat downe the Heretickes of that time as Sampson did the Philistines as Apollo did the Iewes as Stephen did the Libertines Cirenians as Paphuntius did the Councell of Nice in Ministers marriage Concerning the Argument of this Epistle it is a stirring The Argument and occasion or this Epistle them up to a Christian life to shew foorth the fruits of faith to ioyne with Words Workes with communication conversation with hearing keeping with profession practice For after planting must come growing after light walking Col. 1. Ephes 5. 9. 2 Pet. 1. Esa 2. 3. Iam. 1. 22. after faith workes after teaching obedience after a good profession some good practice Beside here in this Epistle hee inveigheth sharpely against carnall profession and grosse abusing of Christian Religion And also he admonisheth them to beware of imposters seducers false teachers cunning deceivers which were craftily crept in amongst them drawing men from purity in Religion to impurity of the flesh Whom the Apostle lively painteth out in their severall colours and against whom hee denounceth many Iudgements of God The occasion of writing this Epistle was this It is affirmed by the most learned of all times and agreed upon by the best writers that this Apostle Iude outlived many yea most of the Apostles continuing and preaching in Mesopotomia Pontus Persis and other parts of the world till the Reigne of Domitian the Emperour in whose reigne Iniquity reigned Impiety abounded corruption of manners and dissolution in life raged in every place for many there were that were Wantons in manners and heretikes in opinion against whom hee did lift up his voyce like a trumpet So that this Epistle is notable and written for our learning howsoever some deny this Epistle to bee Cannonicall as Cardinall Cajetane who Esa 58. 1. Rom. 15. 4. calleth it Aprocriphall Which I note the rather to meete with Campian and Reighnolds who say that wee Protestants reject the Scriptures that wee leave no ground for a Christian to rest his Faith on because Luther doubted of Iames his Epistle and wee of the Apocripha But did not Dionisius Alexandrinus say that most of his predecessors reiected the Apocalips Did not the Councell of Laodicia leave it out of the Canon Did not Eumilâ—us Africanus deny the bookes of Esra Iob Paralipomenon Did not Ierome call the history of Davids Marriage a Poeticall fiction an unseemely iest Did not Cardinall Caietane a Piller of the Church a Peere of the Court of Rome accuse the Epistle to the Hebrewes to containe too weake grounds to prove Christs divinitie and yet left they ground for our faith to rest on So that there was no cause for Campian and Reighnolds to pearch on their rowses to clap their wings to crow so lowd to whet their dogges eloquence against us Some Scriptures have beene doubted of of some Churches as the second Epistle of Saint Peter the second and third of Saint John and some have beene reiected of all Churches As the Epistle of Barnabas The Acts of Peter The booke of the Pastor The Gospel of Nicodemus and Thaddaeus c. God hath kept the Scriptures Of the parts the Epistle The person writing it God hath kept the Scriptures in all ages so much as is necessary for our salvation At the giving of the Law it was reserved in tables of stone After the giving of the Law the writings of the Prophets were nailed to the doore of the Temple and reserved in the Lords treasury Before the captivity the Septuagint turned them into Greeke and Ptolomaeus Exod. 34. Heb. 2. the King kept them After the captivitie Ezra gathered all into one volume in the dayes of Artaxerxes and the Church have kept them as Aarons Rod and the pot of Manna and as the two Tables were kept in the Arke c. In the primative Church the Gospell of Mathew was kept in Iewry the Gospell of Marke at Alexandria that of Luke at Antioch that of Iohn and the Apocalips at Ephesus Nam triplex est munus Ecclesiae the Churches office is threefold Sacros libros servare instar testis eos promulgare instar proeconis eos ab aliis discernere to keepe these sacred bookes as a witnesse to promulgate them as a Preacher and to discerne them from other bookes whatsoever And thus the Church hath kept this Epistle of Iude unto this day Fremat licet Câ—jetanus All Tyrants have raged against the Scripture Antiochus for his hatred of the Scriptures is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he beheaded them that had the Bible Dioclesian commanded the bookes of the Scripture to be burnt yet by the wonderfull providence of God they are preserved And thus much being spoken concerning the Author the Penman the Occasion and Argument of this Epistle I will now come unto the Epistle it selfe the which may be divided into five parts First The title or superscription Secondly The Exordium Thirdly A proposition Fourthly Exhortations and dehortations Fiftly The conclusion or the shutting up of the Epistle with a prayer to God But first to begin with the title or superscription and therein observe with me three things First The person writing Secondly The persons written unto Thirdly The Salutation Now the person writing is described three wayes First by his name Iude. Secondly By his calling a servant of Christ Thirdly By his kindred The brother of Iames. But first the person writing is described by his name and that was Iude or Iudas not Iudas Iscariot the traytor but Iudas the brother of Iames and Cousin to the Lord Iesus Christ in the flesh yet both were the Apostles of Christ but this man good and godly that wicked and ungodly For it is nor the name or The Writer by his name and calling described office that makes a good man but the Grace and Mercie of God If outward titles could make good men Iudas Iscariot had beene as good as
World for that is to become a vassall unto our servants it is an uncertaine service to serve the Flesh this master is so cholerick so weake so sickly that wee may looke every day to be turned out of doores and that which is worst of al he is least contented when he is most satisfied It is an unthrifty service to serve the Divell all his wayes are death the more service wee doe him the worse is our estate It is an irreligious service to serve Antichrist for such as have the marke of the Beast shall perish with the beast But he that serves God hath the greatest Lord who is most able and the best Lord who is most willing to preferre his followers and reward his servants Let us then serve him for we are his servants Iure creationis jure sustentationis jure redemptionis By right of creation sustentation redemption If every haire of our head were a life and every life as long as Methuselahs it were too little to serve God True it is that Cham was pronounced the first servant as I observed Gen 3. Gen. 8. before for man was made to rule and not to serve But as sinne brought in the first nakednesse and the first travell of women in paine and the first death and the first sorrow and the first flood so it brought in the first service Onely by Christ wee are Manumised Hominis dignitas in tribus splendet The dignity of Rom. 8. 15. man shineth forth in three things In imagine Dei in the image of God In ejus creationis ex nihilo in his creation of nothing In eius dominio super omnes creaturas in his dominion over all his creatures ut ergo tria haec per peccatum amisit sic per gratiam recuperavit as hee lost these three things by sinne so by grace hee hath recovered them dum Domino servit a quo defecit while hee serves God from whom hee fell Now therefore by grace wee are called servants and if that John 15. Iohn 3. Mar. 3. Gal. 3. be too little wee are called the Friends of God Friends of the bridegroome and if that be too little wee are called Brethren Sisters of Christ if that be too little wee are called The Sonnes of God if that be too little wee are called the Spouse of God the wife of the Apoc. 19. 7. Lambe And if all this bee too little wee are called the members of The Pope no Apostle of God yet cals himselfe servum servorum God and of Christ Iesus O the breadth and length and depth and heighth of the love of God towards us that we should be called not forreiners but servants not servants but friends not friends but brethren not brethren but sonnes not sonnes but wives not wives but members 1 Cor. 12. By the way observe here that the Pope not calling himselfe servum Dei the servant of God but servum servorum a servant of Gen. 9. servants calleth himselfe by a cursed title as Cham was and indeed he is a servant of servants that serveth not Christ But say some hee calleth himselfe a servant of servants to shew his humility Indeed hee is lowly in name as any Apostle but as proud in spirit as the Whore of Babylon that makes herselfe Lady over Kings and Emperours For did not Pope Zachary make Childerike the French King to trot by his bridle three miles together Did not Hildebrand cause Henry the fourth to stand three dayes at his gates with his wife and his child barefooted Did not Clement the fifth make Dandalus Duke of Venice to lye under his Table like a dogge to gather crummes Did not Alexander the third tread on the necke of that noble Fredericke in Venice Did not Innocent depose King Iohn of England Did not Clemens the seventh labour to depose Henry the eighth Did not Pius quintus send a Bull against our Queene Did not Clemens the eighth cause the French King to goe bare-footed to Saint Dennis as a Penitentiary The troubles of these five hundred yeeres past may bee ascribed to Popes all Grecia yet rueth it all Africa the mother of Martyrs feeleth it the German Emperours tossed like tennise balles may not forget it the Kings of France have felt it the States of Italy have beene shaken with it the Kings of England have beene deposed whipped murdered Let King Iohn speake Richard the second Henry the eighth and Queene Elizabeth Is this a servant of servants that will thus insult over Kings and Emperours Oh no no. But to leave him Are we with Iude the servants of Iesus Christ Then must we not onely apply our selves to serve him as I have already said but we must imitate the vertues of Iesus Christ and we must attend his pleasure But first wee must imitate his vertues In our Lord and Master Christ Iesus shined many excellent vertues Yea all vertues Love Patience Humility Meekenesse Mildenesse Mercie Puritie Pietie Constancie Obedience c. these must shine in us else falsely wee are called the servants of Christ Christiani nomen frustrà ille sortitur qui Christum minimè imitatur August de vita Christian◠Quid tibi prodest vocari quod non es In vaine hath hee got the name of a Christian which doth not imitate Christ What doth it profit thee to bee called that which thou art not To bee called a Christian and not to bee indeed a Christian a Saint and not to bee Saint the servant of Iesus Christ and not to bee We must attend to Gods service We owe more to God than servants to their Masters the servant of Iesus Christ Qualis haberi velis talis sias If thou wilt be the servant of Iesus Christ thou must bee holy as hee is holy gracious as hee is gracious mercifull as hee is mercifull yea perfect as hee is perfect though not by adequation for that is beyond our power yet by imitation for that is all our duties Againe are wee Christs servants then must wee attend his Pleasure and depend upon his Will and performe all such holy offices as becommeth servants But as Peter Martyr saith wee In Rom. cap. 1. are contrary to servants we are rather Quarter-masters and checkemate with God for servants bestow all their time in their Masters businesse we no time or little time in Gods matters For our goodnesse is as the Morning cloud and as the Morning dew it Hos 6. 4. goeth away Servants beaten fall to prayers wee being chastised of God fall to murmuring and cursing like Iob that cursed the day of his birth Like Ieremy that cursed him that told his father of a man-child Servants are not familiar with their Masters Iob 3. Ier. 20. enemies wee countenance Gods enemies in all places Many Protestants are like Aesops Crow of divers feathers their Religions like Ioseph his party-coloured coat or like the rainebow of all colours we read how Iehoshaphat joyned with
or Life or death Whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and yee are Christs and Christ 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Psal 112. 6 7. 9. Gods an elegant Climax or gradation For he riseth by steppes Such a like figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Obiter now that peace and plentie are so farre given unto the Church as is profitable for it and expedient for the setting out of Gods glory The Church sometime eateth ashes as bread and mingleth her drinke with weeping she is as a Pelicane in the wildernesse and like an Owle that is in the desart She is as a Sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house top and her enemies revile her all the day long Sometime she is eaten up like a Sheep and scattered among the Heathen she is sold for nought and made a rebuke Psal 44. 9. 11 12. rebuked of her neighbours laughed to scorne and derided of all Nay sometime she is smitten into the place of Dragons and covered with the shadow of death The Church is oftentimes more hurt by plentie than penurie according to the voice in Constantines dayes Hodie venenum effusum est in Ecclesiam this day is poison powred into the Hierom. Church The Church when it came to Christian Princes to be defended Major erat divitiis virtutibus minor Againe God putteth off her sackcloath and girdeth her with gladnesse He giveth her beauty for ashes and rich apparell instead of sackcloath Psal 30. 12. Esa 61. 3. as he seeth it expedient Non audit ad voluntatem ut audiat ad salutem THE FIFTH SERMON VERS II. And Love bee multiplied Gods love the cause of all good THe third and last blessing which the Apostle here prayeth for is Love which of some learned men is thought to bee the cause of Mercie and Peace For Mercy and Peace are the fruits of Love Love is the fountaine Mercie and Peace the water that floweth from the fountaine Love is as the mother Mercy and Peace as her daughters Love as the cause Mercy and Peace as the effects yea Love is the cause of al blessings as I may say the cause of it selfe yea Causa causarum the cause of causes or Causa causae the cause of the cause or Causa causati the cause of the thing caused God is mercifull because he loveth us and hee loveth us because hee loveth us Eligit quia diligit ideo diligit quia diligit thee hath chosen us because hee loveth us Aug. and therefore hee loveth us because hee loveth us No reason can bee rendred of the love of God but the love of God Let us not buzze too neere the candle with the flye Farsalla lest we burne Let us not soare too high with the Eagle lest wee melt let us not wade too deep with the Elephant lest we drown Let us not bee curious in these things It is enough that Moses setteth downe Love to bee the cause of all blessings So God turned Balaams curse into a blessing unto Israel The cause Moses affirmeth to bee Gods love saying Because the Lord thy God Deut. 23. 5. loved thee So Moses telleth Israel that God did set his Love upon them and did chuse them not because they were more in number than any people For they were the fewest of all people but Because hee loved them Iude here prayeth for it as a most excellent blessing without which all is nothing For as Deut. 7. 7 8. wee say In triviis Hee is poore whom God hateth so hee is rich and happy whom God loveth his favour is as the dew of the Gods love abundant unmeasurable immutable morning as the shadow in the heate and as an haven to them that are tossed as the Cities of refuge to them that are pursued In thy presence saith David is fulnesse of ioy That is where God loveth and favoureth there is perfect felicitie Iohn calleth all men to behold the love of God Behold what love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sonnes of God behold his love that hee calleth us his servants and behold a 1 Iohn 3. 1. 2 Cor. 6. Ephes 2. greater love in that hee calleth us his Sonnes and yet behold a greater love that he calleth us his heyres and coheyres with Christ and yet behold a greater love in an higher degree that he calleth us his Mother Brethren and Sisters but behold the greatest love of all that he calleth us his Spouse or Wife to note that he loveth us with all loves with the masters love as Abraham loved Eleazar with the friends love as David loved Ionathan with the Childes love as Ruth loved Naomi with the Gen. 15. 1 Sam. 16. Ruth 1. Gen 29. husbands love as Iacob loved Rachel What heart of stone is not moved with this love Nati sumus è silice nutriti lacte ferino This love of God is gratuitall free partly because it floweth from his grace and goodnesse and partly because he loveth not for his owne but for our good And it is unmeasurable therefore saith the Apostle Herein is love not that wee loved God but that hee 1 Iohn 4. 10. loved us and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes greater love could not the Father shew than to send his Sonne out of his owne bosome and greater love could not the Sonne shew than to die for his enemies Yea this love of his it is immutable and constant For whom he loveth he loveth to the end hereupon the Apostle calleth God love God is love saith he and not only love for there are many properties and attributes in God as Truth Mercie Iustice Power Eternitie Novit omnia ut veritas tuetur ut salus Iohn 13. 1 Iohn 4. 16. sedat ut aequitas dominatur ut majestas operatur ut potentia manet ut aeternitas he knoweth all things as veritie defendeth all things as health and salvation appeaseth all things as equitie ruleth all things as Majestie worketh all things as omnipotencie and abideth and remaineth as eternitie God is not made of love only as wood of trees as a fountaine of water as a plaister of Balme but all these attributes are in the Lord equally But because God delighteth in love and he reposeth a great part of his glory in love therfore is he described by that attribute of Love by this attribute the Evangelist describeth him God so loved the Iohn 3. 16. Cap. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 18. World that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. And by this attribute the beloved disciple describeth him saying God is love and hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him By this attribute David describeth him As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that love him And againe The loving Psal 103. 13. 17. kindnesse of the
did with Ieremy Qui loquuti sunt ampullas Ier. 11. 21. sesquipedalia verba which spake proud haughty great and stout words Let us reprove in love not as Saul who breathed Act. 8. out threatenings and slaughter against the Congregation of Christ but Let all things be done in love For love is like honey 1 Cor. 16. 14. in bitter broth and sugar in sowre wine it is like the Sunne unto the world and a candle unto the house a light for our journey a line for our life and a rule for our reprehensions Si diligis fac Aug. in Epi. Iohn quicquid vis If thou beest in love doe what thou wilt speake or be silent exhort and rebuke call or cry so it bee in love all is well But wee are like the dogges of Coriben wee speake not but barke and bite one at another Such were the men that Paul Phil. 3. 2. gives us warning of saying Beware of dogges beware of evill workers beware of concision The mother of Nero shewed him her wombe to move him but he unnaturally ript it up but the mother of the seven children shewed them her brests in token 2 Mach. 7. of love and they would not eate Swines flesh to dye for it Sic Bern. ministri proferant ubera non verbera so let Ministers shew their breasts not their battes Docendo non jubendo movendo potius quà m minando procedant let them proceed and goe forward in teaching not in commanding in monishing not in menacing Nam Aug. plus penetrant mollia quam aspera verba milde and gentle speeches doe more penetrate and pierce than tart and bitter As for example the milde zeale of Paul preaching before Agrippa perswaded Chrysost him almost to become a Christian They that goe about In Gods matters we must be diligent and zealous to perswade with roughnesse Quos volunt meliores plerumque faciunt deteriores whom they would amend and make better many times they marre and make worse Ministers must be like unto Paul and handle their people as he did the Philippians kindly Act. 26. 28. Aug. Phil. 4. and lovingly My brethren beloved and longed for my ioy and my Crowne they must strengthen the weake heale the sicke binde up the broken bring againe that which is driven away they must seeke up the lost and not rule with crueltie and rigour they must bee as the Pelicane that feedeth her yong with her heart bloud like the Eagle that carrieth her yong on her wings so much for the first reason Another reason drawne from Iude's person is taken from his paines He gave all diligence to write of Faith In Gods matters wee must be diligent like the Dromedaries of Aegypt like the wilde Asse used to the Wildernesse that snuffeth up the winde Ier. 2. 24. at her pleasure c. wee must bee swift as Hazael or the wilde Roe in the cause of God not creepe nor goe nor run but flye Wee must march on in Religion like Iehu in his Chariot swiftly and couragiously wee must be like the ships of Merchants that bee good under faile Esay compareth the Church unto Esa 60. 8. Doves Who are these that flye like a Cloud and as Doves to their Windowes Doves they flye swiftly and they flye in companies so should we in matters of Religion Demosthenes was ashamed if hee heard the Smiths hammer goe before hee read his booke in the morning Plus olei quà m vini expendisse dicitur hee wrote more than hee dranke If this diligence was in him for humane learning what should be in us for divine Knowledge It is said of Alphonsus King of Naples that hee read the Bible over fortie times in his life such paines did he take for Salvation and so diligent was hee in the worke of the Lord and so must wee Many for the goods of the World Rise early goe to bedde late eate the bread of carefulnesse Psal 127. Looke upon the covetous man hee runnes through thicke and thinne for gold the voluptuous he refuseth no paines in pursuing his pleasures Now this care must bee in the Church for the Religion and the worship of God Let us learne husbandry for our Soules from the husbands of our bodies they are diligent to provide for the body let us be as provident for our Soules let us say with the faithfull Wee o Lord have waited for thee in the way of thy Iudgements the desire of our Soule is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee with my Soule have I desired thee in the Esa 26. 8 9. night and with my Spirit within mee will I seeke thee in the morning Wee must take all paines to doe the Church good Iewell said oportet Episcopum mori concionantem a Bishop must dye preaching Paul for the space of three yeeres ceased not to warne every one Act. 20. 31. night and day hee was as diligent in teaching as Iude was in writing and as diligent must wee be in reading and hearing like Most men more diligent in earthly than heavenly things the men that followed Christ into the Wildernesse and abode with him three dayes hearing him and eating nothing The Artificers left their trades the Chapmen their shops the Merchants their exchange the Mariners their nets the husbandmen their fields and vineyards yea blind Bartimaeus left his cloke Iohn 6. 2. to follow Christ and to heare him Salomon would have men labour for Wisedome as they doe for Silver and then they should have it If it concerne our profit or our pleasure Lord what paines will wee take Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos the unwearied Merchant runnes to the furthest Indies Againe as touching pleasure pernoctant venatores in nive pugiles cestibus contusi non ingemiscunt the Huntsmen sleepe in the Snow watch Tulli. in Tuscuk upon turffes though bruised they are not moved Onely for Faith wee will take no paines though Christ cry unto us Ho every one that thirsteth come unto the Waters and yee that have no mony Esa 55. 1. come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without silver and without money yet wee come not But to proceede why was Iude so carefull and earnest that hee gave all diligence to write unto them It was because he wrote to them of Salvation 〈◊〉 was it that carryed him into this heate as the Apostle said They could not but speake the things which Act. 4. 20. they had heard and seene So Iude gave all dilgence to write of Salvation which hee had heard and seene If a man had as many hands and pennes as Argus had eyes all were too little to write of Salvation the worthinesse and rarenesse of the Argument is such What a care had Paul of his Salvation it carried him away in such sort that hee said Behold I goe bound unto Ierusalem and know not what things shall come
the old world there were but eight beleevers but two Iosua and Caleb and in Christs time we read but of an hundred and twenty beleevers As Aegypt was full of lice Nilus full of Crocodyles Golgotha full of dead mens skulls so is the world full of Infidells He destroyed them that beleeved not And hence commeth it to passe that so many are damned even because they want faith Perditio tua ex te ô Israel thy destruction commeth of thy selfe ô Israel Ex nobis quod damnamur It is of our selves that wee bee damned blame not God but thine owne infidelity For all things Hos 13. Man 5. are possible to them that doe beleeve And therefore Hemingius in his Enchiridion distinguisheth of the word that There is Duplex verbum Damnans Salvans That there is a double word a Damning and a Saving word The damning word is the Law the saving word is the Gospell The Law offereth grace to them that doe it Yee shall keepe therefore Deut. 2. 27. Gen. 3. 5. Levit. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 4. 9. my statutes and my iudgements which if a man doe he shall live in them But the Gospell offereth grace to the beleevers For Christ is the end of the Law unto every one that beleeve For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Faith is ever a chiefe doer in matters of salvation and therefore said Hemingius in his Enchiridion that Causa imperans salutis est pater the Iohn 3. 16. commanding cause of our salvation is God For God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne to save the world Causa obsequens est filius the obedient pliant cause is the Psal 40. 7. Sonne In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will I am content to doe it thy Law is written in my heart Causa consummans est Spiritus Sanctus the consummating cause is the holy Ghost so saith the Apostle But yee are washed but yee are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. but yee are iustified by the grace of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God The instrumentall cause is double Exhibens Recipiens Rom. 1. 18. The exhibiting Cause is the word the receiving cause Faith as therefore a Smith worketh not in cold iron so a preacher worketh not on an Infidell There is no life of God in us till we beleeve Ephes 4. 18. till then our cogitation is darkened and we are strangers from the life of God He that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but hee that Iohn 3. 18. beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God A tree liveth not without moisture Without faith no accesse to God nor a bird without aire nor a fish without water nor a Salamander without fire So the soule liveth not without faith The just doth live by his faith this is the spirit and soule of the inward man we Hab. 2. have a name to live yet are we dead if we want faith I live by faith in the Sonne of God saith Paul who loved me and gave himselfe for Gal. 2. 20. me Infidels therefore are dead men What is the cause that wee profit no more by the word wee beleeve not the preacher that may bee verified of our people which God said to Ezechiel concerning the Iewes They come unto Ezech. 33. 31 32. thee saith God as people useth to come and my people sit before thee and he are thy words but they will not doe them For with their mouthes they make jests and their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and loe thou art unto them as a jesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare thy words but doe them not So we come to the Sermon heare the preacher but we doe not heare him with such zeale and affection as we should wee beleeve not but abuse the word to our owne condemnation why care wee no more for heaven but are so worldly truely we beleeve not God what is the cause that wee live in sinne seeing it is damnable For the wayes of it is death wee beleeve not the Scriptures what is the Rom. 6. 23. 2 Cor. 4. 4. cause of all disorder even infidelity The God of this world hath blinded their eyes our eares are open to heare but not our hearts to beleeve Satan stealeth away the word lest we should beleeve and so be saved But let us make much of the word that wee may Mat. 13. 19. have faith to beleeve For faith nay one dramme of faith is of more worth than all the treasure in the world This that good merchant well knew that sold all to buy it For hee that beleeveth shall not be condemned for every beleevers cause is removed Mat. 13. 24. from the Court of Gods justice into the Court of Gods mercy where hee that beleeveth is not condemned Therefore our care must be with S. Paul that we may be found having the righteousnesse of Christ by faith For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 1. Iesus as all beleevers are and untill thou beest a beleever thou belongest not to God For as the Eagle refuseth her birds till they can mount and soare to the Sunne and as the Raven acknowledgeth not her young ones till they be blacke So God rejecteth the infidels and receiveth none till they beleeve None are the Sonnes of God but the faithfull the rest are bastards I confesse there be degrees in faith The first is a rudiment or entrance Gal. 3. Mat. 12. 20. Rom. 14. 1. Hebr. 10. 22. Rom. 4. 18. which Christ calleth Smoking flaxe The second is a weake faith Him that is weake in faith saith Paul receive unto you The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assurance of Faith Such a faith was in Abraham who above hope beleeved under hope But no faith is abominable and may easily be discerned from a weake faith As a sicke man is knowne from a dead man So a weake faith from no faith Even a desire of Faith is a token of faith For Gods spirit worketh God giues grace according to the measure of Faith that but no faith is accursed For he that beleeveth not is còndemned already There be degrees in faith three examples we have The first of the Ruler of the Synagogue who beleeved that his daughter should revive if Christ would but touch her But the Iohn 3. 18. Iohn 4. woman with the bloody issue beleeved that she should be whole if she touched but the hemme of his vesture But the Centurion beleeved that his servant should doe well if Christ spake but the Luk. 8. Mat. 8. word here is Gradus positivus the positive degree the
by breathing some by poyson some by worrowing So is it among the wicked some hurt as beasts one way some another If hee be not an usurer yet is he an oppressor if not a Papist yet a prophane man if not covetous yet prodigall if not voluptuous yet superstitious if not a Lion yet an Aspe But let us put off our beastly affections Nam pejus est bestialiter vivere quà m bestiam esse hoc fuit à natura illud à Diabolo It is worser Seneca to live beastly than to be a beast the one is of nature the other of the Divell Let us then no longer live beastly lest we perish with the beast but live Christianly that so we may see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living THE TWENTIETH SERMON VERS XI Woe be unto them they have followed the way of Caine. Execrable sinners may be execrated FRom the description and confuration of the wicked hee commeth to execration hee riseth by degrees as the Eagle mounteth in her flight like fire that first smoaketh and then flameth he casteth them out of the savour of God and state of salvation Woe be unto them saith he Psal 69. 22 23. c. let their table be made a snare before them and their prosperity their ruine let their eyes be blinded that they see not and make their loynes alway to tremble Powre out thine anger upon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take them let their habitation be void and let none dwell in their Tents Lay iniquity upon their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousnesse let them be put out of the Booke of life and let them not be written with the righteous Thus with Esay he lifteth up his voyce like Esa 58. 1. Mich. 3. 2 Cor. 4. Ier. 5. 24. a trumpet with Micah he is full of power and judgement hee commeth to them as Paul to the Corinthians with a rod with Ieremy his words are as fire and the people as wood and straw to be devoured of this fire Saint Iude had hitherto tempred his stile but now comming to their arch-metropolitan sinnes hee cannot forbeare but breaketh out into these words Woe bee unto them with Iames and Iohn he is become Boanarges the Sonne of thunder he telleth them of nothing but destruction that God Ministers must not in their owne cause be rigorous but in Gods hath bent his bow and made his arrowes ready that God will arise and his enemies shall bee scattered that God will meet them as a shee Beare robbed of her whelps There is no doubt but the Apostle would have spoken mildly unto them would have blessed them as Aaron did the tribes if there had beene any Psal 7. Psal 68. 8. Hos 13. 8. Numb 6. goodnesse in them but seeing their sinnes execrable he commeth to execration and saith Woe be unto them Hee dealeth here with them as Christ did with Corazin and Bethsaida Woe to thee Corazin Woe to thee Bethsaida And as Christ did with the Mat. 23. Pharisees Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees and Hypocrites and as Paul did with the Corinthians when he said Maranatha Anathema be unto them that love not the Lord Iesus Men are unwilling to 1 Cor. 16. heare execrations and woes they would have pillowes sowne under their elbowes with the men of Anathoth they love to be soothed in their sinnes with Achab they cannot abide that Micah should prophesie otherwise unto them than they would have him they would not have the Lords sword drawne against them nor no woe denounced upon them but woe woe and woe againe to them that cause us to sharpen our stile and to cry Woe be unto them And note here that no private revenge no sinister affection carried him to this execration but being moved by the Spirit of God he was inforced to lay the Axe of Gods vengeance to the rootes of their trees and to cry Woe be unto them The Prophets and Apostles in their owne causes are like doves Sine felle without gall or bitternesse but in Gods cause they rowse themselves like Giants Moses prayed for Aaron and Myriam the cause was his Stephen prayed for his persecutors the cause was his but when he commeth to handle the cause of God he calleth them Acts 7. hard-hearted and stiffe necked Iewes So Christ in his owne cause was meeke as a Lambe but in his Fathers cause he rowsed himself like a Lion for he that prayed for his enemies thundred many woes against his Fathers adversaries as the Scribes Mat. 23. Pharisees and Hypocrites Well the Apostle having thus denounced Gods judgement against them saying Woe be unto them he commeth to set downe the cause of this execration the first whereof was envy malice First he calleth them malicious envious like Caine whose sinne the Apostle noteth and dehorteth men not to be As Caine which was of the wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his owne workes were evill and his brothers good A miserable 1 Iohn 3. 12. thing not to hate the man but the vertue of the man the goodnesse of the man this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fight against God like the old Giants we should love good men Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle saith David who shall rest upon thy holy hill God Psal 15. answereth him In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that feare the Lord All Davids delight was upon Envy ever ascendeth maligne vertue and glory them for so he protesteth in the Psalme All my delight is upon the Saints that are on the earth and upon such as excell in vertue We should doe so even Hate the evill and love the good and establish Psal 16. 3. Aâ—os 5. 15. judgment in the gate but we have inverted that order and good men are in most detestation with us As there is no Sunne beame without motes no Tree without barke no garment without mothes no fruit without Catterpillers so no vertue no honour without envy There 's no Iacob whom Esau will not perfecute no David whom Saul will not maligne no Isaak whom Ismael Gen. 27. will not revile and no good man upon the earth whom the envious will not bite teare and devoure For this cause one resembleth envy to certaine Flies called Cantharides for as they light specially upon the fairest wheat and most blowne Roses so envy commonly opposeth herselfe against the best men Invidia virtutis Comes envy is the companion of vertue One resembleth envy unto fire for as fire coveteth the highest places so envy aimeth at the worthiest men As for example Themistocles when he had conquered the navy of Xerxes which in number was most infinite through envy was forced to leave his Country and to live in miserable banishment Aristides which for his vertues was called the just yet through envy as an unprofitable member was
Tim 3. Mar. 10. Iohn 8. Iudg. 3. Iudg 15. words and in workes this is both to have a shew of godlinesse the power of godlines this is to have both leaves fruit this is to be a true child of Abraham We read of the strength of Shamgar who slew six hundred men with an Oxe goad of Samson who slew a whole Army of the Philistines with a jaw bone of David who smote down a Giant with a pibble stone of Hercules 1 Sam. 17. who overcame a Lion and a Beare and threw downe the birds of Stinphalida and put downe an Amazon a mighty warrior and cut off the head of Hydra but as Lactantius said Lib. 1. cap. 9. these are nothing hee is a stronger man who overcommeth his wrath than hee that overcommeth a Lion he that treadeth under his desires than hee that casteth downe Birds and ravenous fowles he that suppresseth his lust than he that suppresseth the Amazons Hercules for all his strength was a slave to Omphale and sate spinning in a womans attire at her feete with a Rocke and a Distaffe He that is slow to anger is better than a mighty man and hee that ruleth his owne minde is better than hee that winneth a Prov. 16. 32. Citie We are desirous to know the state of our Salvation our Election and Glorification Let us then beginne where God beginneth at the renouncing of our lusts For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and Tit. 2. 12. worldly lusts None can looke for the blessed hope but they that have denyed ungodlinesse worldly lusts None can say There is layd up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse but such as can say I have fought a good fight except they have striven against 2 Tim. 4. 7. their lusts Election is a thing revealed by steps As therefore it is madnesse to a man that climbeth a ladder to labour to set his foot at the first step on the highest step of the Ladder but to beginne at the lowest and so goe to the highest Paul maketh these steps Vocation Iustification Sanctification Glorification Rom. 8. so that if I would come to Glorification the highest step and is in Heaven with God then must I beginne at the lowest step But to prosecute this worthy point farther If I be called of God then am I justified if justified then am I sanctified if sanctified now then shall I be glorified hereafter Paul saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Yea but who Rom. 8. are those Which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit So then if I would know whether I be in Christ Iesus or no I must looke how I walke how I tame the flesh and the lusts of it If I finde that God in mercy hath wrought in me a change a hatred of sinne a love of vertue a zeale to his Gospell a care of his Glory a quenching of my lusts and concupiscence then is the conclusion inferred I am in Christ Iesus I am elected Thus wee If no sanctification no assurance of glorification make our election sure to our selves as the Apostle counselleth us Make your election and calling sure by good works it is known to God before the foundations of the World were laid but it is knowne to us by the effect of it so that still our rule holdeth Rom. 8. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 10. If we will know whether wee bee elected to live in Heaven with God we must ever looke how we lead our lives in earth with men Wee must give all diligence joyne vertue godly manners with our Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 8. Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse with Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and with Brotherly kindnesse Love For if these things be among us and abound they will make that wee shall not bee idle nor unfruitfull in the knewledge of our Lord Iesus Christ If these things bee then are wee happy if God hath changed us from carelesse to careful men and women from drinking riot whoredome prophanenesse to holinesse of life then are wee Gods then Heaven is ours Now live like a Christian among men and ever live like a Saint among the Angels of Heaven But now live in sinne in lusts and pleasures follow the flesh and then rot in the reward of it goe to the Divell and his angels the end of these thing is death I pray you Rom. 6. therefore as you love your life with God another day and assurance of it to your soules in this world Give your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God and fashion not your selves according Rom. 12. 1 2. to this World but bee yee changed by the renewing of your minde and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whosoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to Phil. 4. 8. love whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue or if there bee any praise thinke on these things This desire is the fruit of our life and there is not in the world a better portion This we have chosen and in this we will dwell untill the fulnesse of time that we shall say in our course Nunc dimittis Lord now let thy servant depart in peace These shall assure us that we are the Lords cared Luk. 2. for heere and elected else-where to live with him for ever THE THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XIX These are makers of Sects naturall men having not the Spirit Sectaries cause division in the Church AS before in the former verse he called them Mockers walkâ—ng after their owne ungodly lusts so here he calleth them Sectaries not keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace not remembring that there is Ephes 4. 3 4. but one body one Spirit one faith one God and Father over all which is above all and in us all But these Sectaries set Altar against Altar and cut in sunder Christs seamelesse coate they divide Christ Such were the Corinthians one said I am Pauls another I am Apollos a third I am Cephas a fourth I am Christs Is Christ divided This dividing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 12. is a signe that men are carnall unregenerate so reasoneth the Apostle Yee are carnall for whereas there is among you envying and 1 Cor. 3. 3 5. strife and divisions are yee not carnall and walke as men Who is Paul And who is Apollos but ministers by whom yee beleeved There was a rough Altar in Ierusalem to note the imperfection of the law and there was but one Altar to note the unity of the Church Well Exod. 27. said Ierome Meum propositum est antiquos legere singula probare tenere Iorome quae bona sunt à fide Ecclesiae Catholicae non recedere My purpose is to
read the ancient Fathers to prove and trie every thing and Sectaries seek novelties and admire them to hold that which is good and not to depart from the faith of the Catholicke Church For there is but one dove one spouse one body of Christ Of this sinne the Apostle giveth the Church warning saying Let us consider one another and provoke unto love Hebr. 10. 24 25. and unto good Workes not forsaking the fellowship that we have among our selves as is the manner of some It is the manner of some to turne with the spiders breath the sweet iuyce of flowers into poison to seeke knots in bulrushes to stumble at every straw that stoppeth the course of their eager spirit to breake the bonds of peace to forsake this fellowship that wee should have among ourselves and to single and sever themselves by themselves they busie their braines about Pythagoras numbers Plato's Idea and Aristotles commonwealth they see not at Damascus a strange 2 Reg. 16. 10 11 Altar with Ahaz but they strait-way get the patterne and Vrias the Priest must make them the like at home But what saith Paul concerning these Sectaries I beseech you brethren saith he marke them diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the Rom. 16 17 18. doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne bellies and with faire speeches and flattering deceive the heart of the simple The Prophet David saith Ierusalem a figure of the Church is built as a City that is at unity in it selfe and when the Holy Ghost Psal 122. 3. Act. 2. 1. Act. 4. 32. Iudg. 20. 1. came downe in visible signes upon the Apōstles They were all with one accord in one place and it is said that the whole multitude of them that beleeved in the first times had but one heart and one Soule It is said of Israel that they came together as it had beene one man with the same mind and intent not with as many opinions as persons The Iewes had but one kind of worship prescribed and 2 Chro. 30. 12. that in one only Temple And it is said of Iuda that the hand of the Lord was in Iuda so that he gave them one heart to do the commandement of the King and of the rulers according to the Word of the Lord So if we will become a spirituall building unto God if wee will receive the promise of the Holy Ghost if we will worship God in Spirit and truth if we will have the hand of the Lord upon us we must be at unity and concord with our selves we must abide with one accord and one mind in an house wee must have one heart to doe the commandement of the King and of the rulers we must not leave the Temple to follow every opinion but we must be no makers of Sects but must keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace S. Peter prophesied and foretold of these Sectaries Ephes 4. 3. which privily should bring in damnable heresies even denying the 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. Lord that hath bought them and bring upon thmselves swift damnation and that many should follow their damnable wayes by whom the way of truth saith he shall be evill spoken of and through covetousnesse shall they with fained words make marchandize of you c. There is in a naturall body a quicking soule a radicall humour and a naturall heate and there is in the spirituall body Division sometime more dangerous than Idolatry of the Church the Holy Ghost to give life to it Faith is the radicall humour to continue it and charity as the naturall heate or vitall Spirit carried throughout the Arteries or parts of the Church For All things must be done in love Division and discord 1 Cor. 10. 14. Sects and Schismes are the cause of all evill of all mischiefe this is that Pandoras boxe that Trojane horse from whom all evill and mischiefe doe proceed Example among many other may be the Church of Corinth who beginning about matters of ceremonies and policie proceeded first to division and separation some holding of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas and some of Christ and so to false doctrine denying the Resurrection 1 Cor. 1. 12. and therefore by the Canon of the Apostle to be avoided and Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria told Novatus that it was Euseb de vit Const 2. more grievous to breake the unity of the Church then to commit Idolatry For this saith hee was punished but with the sword but the other with the opening gulfe of the earth swallowing up the Authors and confederates thereof Et non dubitabitur sceleratius esse commissum quod gravius erat vindicatum And there is no doubt but that was more haynously committed which was more sharply and severely punished If yee have bitter Iam. 3. 14 16. envying and strife in your hearts saith the Holy Ghost reioyce not for where envying and strife is there is sedition and all manner of evill wayes There be three Furies in Hell Heresy Schisme Apostacy Saith a learned man Haeresis errorem fundamentalem in side tuetur Heresy defendeth some fundamentall error in the faith Schisma unitatem Ecclesiae ob minuta discindit Schisme cutteth in sunder the unity of the Church for small and trifling things Apostasia rectam fidem religionem penitùs abdicat Apostasie utterly rejecteth and forsaketh the right Faith Religion of God and turneth from the holy Commandements given of God For heresy is occupied about dogmaticall conclusions concerning Faith and beliefe Schisme about rites and ceremonies and other things of no moment For whosoever shall obstinately defend any perverse corrupt opinion is an Hereticke whosoever shall divide himselfe from the Church for manners and rites is a Schismaticke Againe one and the selfe-same errour in divers men hath divers names For a false opinion of God is in a Iew Infidelity in an Ethnike Paganisme in a Christian heresy in a Turke Ignorancy Heresy is only in such as are baptized even as Schisme is Finely said Bibliander that one sinne according to divers effects hath divers names For to doe any thing against the Scriptures saith hee it is sinne or rebellion rather to thinke any thing contrary to the Scriptures it is foolishnesse to contradict them is error to forsake them Apostacy Pride the cause of heresy schisme All these are pardonable if they be not wilfull we must therefore be very watchfull that Satan possesseth not our mind heart or life our mind with perverse doctrine our heart with wicked affections our life with evill manners Study therefore day and night to keep the mind in purity and in the knowledge Hemming of the trueth the heart with pious and holy cogitations and thy life with chast manners and good examples Cyprian saith Vnum tentat diabolus tentat ut
than light can bee from the Sunne or heat from the fire or moisture from water Lastly note that hee saith that this faith is edified and increased If wee had never such measure of faith yet wee must heare dayly by hearing there understood not expressed of Saint Iude for the Word is the foundation Paul in naming the Christian armour coupleth Faith and the Word together Above all take the shield of faith whereby yee may quench the fiery darts of the wicked and take the helmet of Salvation and the swrd of the Ephes 2. 20. Ephes 6. 17 18. Rom. 10. 14. Spirit which is the Word of God Fides ex auditu Faith commeth by hearing As possible for a man to see without eyes or a tree to grow without moysture or a bird to live without meate or a house to stand without a foundation as Faith to bee without the Word Esay cryeth out Heare and your soules shall live Ita Esay 55. 3. Ephes 4. 20. 1 Cor. 1. 21. didicistis Christum Have yee so learned Christ saith the Apostle It pleaseth God through the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve Wee thinke that wee are wise enough that the Preacher can tell us nothing that wee know not and this is the cause of all contempt but if thy knowledge were as great as Salomons to 1 Reg. 4. 29 30 32 33. whom God gave Wisedome and Vnderstanding exceeding much and a large heart even as the sand which is by the sea shoare and Salomons Wisedome excelled the Wisedome of all the children of the East and all the Wisedome of Aegypt and Salomon spake three thousand Proverbs and his Songs were one thousand and five and he spake of trees from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hyssope that groweth out of the wall hee spake also of Beasts and of Fowles and of creeping things and of Fishes I say were thy wisedome as much as Salomons yet must it be holpen with doctrine wee must still be remembred of that which wee know and still know more Yea the Preacher though he be learned teacheth himselfe as well as thee and his owne faith as well thine and speaketh to his owne heart as well as to others such a secret power hath God put into his Word and such is his Ordinance Hee hath given some to be Apostles and some Ephes 4. 11. Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers By these are the Saints gathered thus is Christs body edified thus are the godly repaired thus wee meet in unity of faith Paul bidding the Gaoler beleeve preached unto him the Word Never Act. 16. 31. thinke to goe to Heaven without faith or to have faith without preaching I speake of ordinary faith For God can worke miraculously as in children and deafe men as in Medaelde mentioned by Danaeus and in captives A man may live without meate but all the world cannot assure thee of it thou maist have faith by miracle but neither men nor Angels can assure thee of it where meanes are wee must use meanes Wilt thou fast forty dayes because Moses and Elias did so or goe thorow the red Sea because the Israelites did so Or goe into an hot Exod. 32. Exod. 14. oven because the three children did so Thou mayst perhaps starve then or bee drowned or burned Where God giveth meanes hee giveth no miracles So long as Israel was in the desart God gave Manna but when they came into Canaan where God works not by miracle when hee affords means they might plowe and sow Manna ceased the Starre appeared to the Wisemen in the way but in Ierusalem it vanished for there they might inquire Let us therefore use the meanes and seeing the means of the edifying and increasing of our most holy Exod. 16. Iosh 5. faith is doctrine let us attend unto it even so long as God shall give us a body as an house hands as keepers legs as strong men Eccles 12. eyes as windowes eares as doores and an heart as a Treasure-house THE TWO AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XX. Praying in the Holy Ghost Faith and Prayer inseparable FRom faith hee commeth to prayer for increase of faith and all graces must bee had by prayer where by the way note that the originall of faith is immediatly from God it is his worke so saith our Saviour This Iohn 6. 25. is the worke of God that yee beleeve in him whom he hath sent And for this cause the Apostle calleth Christ Iesus The Author and finisher of our Luk. 17. 5. faith But the increase of faith is by prayer prayer mediate from God by faith is the gift of God and prayer is ever a companion nay the daughter of faith faith the mother and it the daughter for how can wee pray without faith How shall they call upon him in Rom. 10. 14. whom they have not beleeved A question grew betweene Musculus Bullinger and other Churches of Mensbelgarde Num fides sit à Deo petenda Whether faith is to bee begged of God Calvin being to decide the question said that Musculus and Bullinger spake duriusculè somewhat hard Nam nulla oratio nisi fide fundata probatur God alloweth of no prayer except it bee founded on faith For whatsoever is not of Rom. 14. 29. faith is sinne Faith is the mother of prayer and the mother goes before the daughter Augustine proveth that Cornelius beleeved because his Prayer the conduit whereby all good things are conveyed to us prayers were heard Infideli dat Deus fidem at non per orationem sed immediatè God giveth the Infidell faith not by prayer but immediatly A strong faith begetteth many prayers a weake faith weake and few prayers No faith no prayer Paul coupleth them together Act. 10. Aug. Ephes 6. 16 18. as an armour of proofe Above all take the shield of Faith and by and by in the next subsequent verse save one and pray alway with all manner of supplication in the Spirit c. Faith begetteth prayer and prayer increaseth faith For as fire kindleth the wood and the same wood increaseth the flame so faith begetteth prayer Rejoice evermore saith the Apostle and pray continually 1 Thess 5. 16 17. Faith worketh joy for being justified by faith we have peace with God and yet the same joy is augmented by prayer Rom. 5. 1. But now more generally to handle this doctrine because increase of faith and all graces must bee had by prayer for by that hand God reacheth them and in that conduit hee conveigheth them unto us therefore Saint Iude saith Orate per Spiritum Aske seeke knocke and promiseth us that wee shall have find and Mat. 7. 7. that it shall be opened unto us Wee have not because wee aske not Iam. 4. Salomon nameth prayer as the Indian stone that remedieth all diseases For marke his prayer which he powred forth to God in the
Temple When a man shall trespasse against his neighbour and he lay upon him an oath to cause him to sweare and the swearer shall come before 1 Reg. 8. 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38. thy Altar in this house then heare thou in Heaven and doe and iudge thy servants that thou condemne the wicked to bring his way upon his head and justify the righteous and give him according to his righteousnesse When thy people Israel shall bee overthrowne before the enemy because they have sinned against thee and turne againe unto thee confesse thy name and pray and make supplication unto thee in this House Then heare thou in Heaven and bee mercifull unto the sinne of thy people Israel And when Heaven shall be shut and there shall bee no raine because they have sinned against thee and shall pray c. Then heare thou in Heaven and pardon the sinne of thy servants When there shall bee famine in the land when there shall bee pestilence when there shall be blasting mildew grashopper or caterpiller when their enemy shall besiege them in the Citties of their land or any plague or any sicknesse and they make their prayers before thee heare them and bee mercifull unto them c. Thus prayer is a remedy against all mischiefe Physicians for divers diseases have divers remedies but a Christian for all and every disease hath but one only remedy and that is prayer For Whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved fides est janua ad misericordiam Ioel. 2. 32. oratio est clavis quae januam reserat Faith is the gate to mercy and Prayer is the key to unlocke this gate Hereupon saith Saint Iames Is any man among you sicke Let him pray and the prayer Jam. 5. 13 15. of faith shall save the sicke Prayer is profitable powerfull and pleasant it is every way profitable first to obtaine every good thing Verily verily saith Christ I say unto you whatsoever yee aske Prayer prevalent with not only the creature but Creator the Father in my name hee will give it you Secondly to prevent judgements present or future Note for this purpose the prayer of Salomon before mentioned Thirdly to confirme and strengthen us in all spirituall graces By Christs prayer was Peters faith kept Iohn 16. 23. 1 Reg. 8. 33. Luk. 22. 32. Col. 1. 9. Act. 8. 22. from sayling and the Apostle prayed for the Colossians That they might bee filled with knowledge c. increasing therein and strengthened Fourthly to obtaine remission of sinnes For which cause Saint Peter said to Simon Magus Pray God that if it be possible the thought of thy heart may bee forgiven thee Whereby hee giveth us to understand that if remission of sinnes may bee obtained by any meanes prayer is the meanes And this also Christ hath taught us when hee willed us to pray thus Forgive us our trespasses as wee Mat. 6. forgive them that trespasse against us Fifthly prayer sanctifieth all Gods creatures unto us so saith the Apostle The creature is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer To conclude prayer is profitable 1 Tim. 4. 5. unto all things it is like unto Iacobs ladder by which Gods blessings descended downe upon us or as Catena aurea a golden Isidor de fâ—uctu Orandi chaine by which we ascend up to God And as prayer is profitable so is it powerfull For it prevaileth over all creatures whether reasonable or unreasonable and of reasonable both visible as man and invisible as Angels whether evill or good yea it prevaileth with the Creator himselfe Daniel by prayer stopped the Dan. 6. 12. mouthes of Lions among whom hee was cast by Davids prayer 2 Sam. 15. 31. Gen. 32. was Achitophels wisdome turned into foolishnes by Iacobs prayer was Esaus wrath alayed by Mardochaeus and Esters prayer was Hamans malice like Sauls sword turned into his owne bowels by Est 4. 6. cap. 7. 10. 2 Reg. 19. 15. Ezechias prayer was the whole host of Senacherib overthrowne one faithfull mans prayer is more forcible than the power of an whole army Witnes the example of Moses who lift up his hands Exod. 17. 11. while Israel fought against Amalech and prevailed When Marcus Aurelius had almost lost his army in Germany for want of water the Christians in his campe prayed and God sent raine in great Eusib abundance And Theodoret affirmeth that Theodosius in a battell Theodo that hee fought being in danger to be overthrowne and his men ready to fly prayeth and God giveth him the victory For as Origen saith One man prevaileth more in prayer then innumerable sinners do with fighting Orig. By prayer the Divels are cast out for there is a kinde of Divels that go not out but by fasting and prayer Mat. 17. 11. If Christ would have prayed hee might have had more then Mat. 26. 53. twelve legions of Angels to guard him and defend him At Elishaes prayer the mountaines were full of charrets and horses of 2 Reg. 6. 17. fire round about Many admirable and extraordinary things have Gods children in all ages effected by prayer By prayer Abraham obtained favour for Ismael by prayer Moses divided the red sea by prayer Ioshua made the Sunne to stand still in the middest of heaven by Prayer pleasant to God and man prayer Anna became fertile by prayer Ezechias procured a longer life by prayer Iudith destroyed Holofernes and Ester saveth the Iewes by prayer Susanna is saved from the unjust Iudges Daniel from the Lions and Peter from Herod by prayer the Leper is cured the Publican justified the Divels scared Heaven gates opened the fetters loosed and iniquity vanquished by prayer wee have accesse unto the throne of grace It is a great blessing that God in his Word vouchsafeth to speake to man but not comparable to this that man should talke with God Yee see the power of prayer Thirdly prayer is a pleasant thing to God and man To God and therefore resembled to the incense Let my prayer come forth as the incense and let the lifting up of my hands bee an evening Psal 141. sacrifice For as the sent of incense is pleasant to the nosthrils of man so are the prayers of the Saints unto God for when they Chrysost ascend to heaven God seemeth to smell a sweet savour like the incense Prayer also is pleasant and delightfull unto man For if it were a pleasure to Iacob for to speake to Rachel and to Ionathan with David what a pleasure is it for a devour soule to speake unto God Oratio locutio est ad Deum quando legis Deus tibi loquitur quando oras cum Deo loqueris Prayer is a speaking to God when Aug. thou readest God speakes to thee when thou prayest thou talkest with God The child is never better then when it is in the fathers or mothers lappe so
substance remaine ever 81 The Scriptures immutable tradition uncertaine 82 Divers acceptions of Saints ibid. The Saints onely the subjects of true Faith 83 The wicked usurpers of Gods gifts ibid. Whatsoever they have is for the Saints sake 84 Sermon 8. THe Church and Religion hath many adversaries 85 Every thing hath its contrary ibid. Religion cause of division 86 Religion must bee maintained to death ibid. Secret enemies most dangerous especially such as in a shew of Religion seeke to undermine Religion ibid. The Divell opposeth the Church sometime as a Lion by cruelty sometime as a Serpent by subtilty but he hurts most by subtilty 87 Poperie prevailes most by policy and fraud 88 All Atheists without God before regeneration and conversion 89 There is a two-fold life the one of Nature the other of Grace 90 Most men live as Naturalists ibid. Atheists worse than Divels ibid. Nature teacheth that there is a divine Power 91 Gods power ruleth in all things and doth often change the course of Nature ibid. Reasons to prove the divine Power 92 Religion is more in profession than practice 94 Many by their lives seeme Atheists ibid. Vngodlinesse hath two branches iniquity in life and manners and impurity in Religion ibid. Many turne the grace of God into wantonnesse ibid. Gods grace and bounty ought to leade to Repentance not to make men presumptuous 95 Afflictions make us seeke God 96 Prosperitie makes us forget him and grow rebellious 97 Wee may not despise or renounce the creatures or blessings of God as the Stoicks Anachorites Hermites c. have done ibid. Epicures their practice described and their end 98 vnde 99 Popish Doctrine tends to licenciousnesse ibid. Sermon 9. GOd is denied many wayes 101 They that professe God and live ungodly denie him ibid. Six degrees in sinne ibid. Gods creatures declare him foure wayes 103 God is present foure wayes ibid. The wicked that deny God here shall hereafter feele and acknowledge him ibid. God is one in substance three in person ibid. The Heathen worshipped many gods and the Papists invocate many as Gods yet there is but one onely true God ibid. The unity and trinity in the God-head illustrated by divers resemblances 104 Christ is denied many wayes 105 Faith is most eminent and confident in persecution ibid. Christ is denied when either the sufficiency or efficacy of his death is denyed 106 Knowledge and profession of Christ without practice nothing worth ibid. The Papists deny the offices of Christ consequently 107 Christ onely paid the full ransome for our Redemption 108 Christ our Lord jure Creationis Redemptionis ibid. Divers effusions of Christs bloud especially five 109 Christs passions for us require that wee should consecrate our whole selves and all the service of our soules and bodies him 110 Sermon 10. DEstruction the end of the ungodly 112 Looke not on the present estate but the end of the wicked 113 God is said to write in a booke for the certenty of his decree 114 Gods decree hath two parts Election Reprobation ibid. The causes of either not to bee inquired after 115 Gods judgements often secret alwayes just ibid. Wee must not pry into Gods secrets ibid. Gods will the cause of our election not faith or works 116 Five signes of election 117 Our election perfected by many degrees 118 Reprobation a second part of Gods decree 119 And as he electeth some so hee reprobates others ibid. As all things els have their contraries so the elect theirs namely the reprobate 120 God ordereth sinne but urgeth not to it ibid. Mans sinne and destruction come from himselfe 121 Three opinions concerning Gods dealing in sinne 122 How God is said to cause evill ibid. How God dealeth in reprobation 122 More then Gods bare permission in sinne ibid. How God is said to harden and to blind 124 God worketh by evill men not in them ibid. God Satan and Men concurre in the same action yet have different ends 125 Sermon 11. THough we know much yet we had neede be put in remembrance 527 Continuall instruction like the continuall dropping of raine ibid. Itching eares listen after novelties rather then wholesome doctrine 129 Preaching alwayes necessary otherwise the soule decayes in grace 130 If instruction faile Satan prevailes ibid. Meditation recordation chiefe meanes to enrich the soule 131 God first offereth mercy before hee inflict judgement 132 Gods abundant mercies and miraculous deliverances of the Israelites 133 Gods wrath upon the Aegyptians ibid. Gods abundant mercies to England 135 God allures by mercyes before hee punisheth 136 Contemners of Gods mercies severely punished ibid. Sinne pleasant in the committing in the end damnable 137 God suffereth the wicked till their sinne be at the full 139 God punishes some sooner some later ibid. Looke not on their present estate but their end 140 Sermon 12. INfidelity the cause of Israels destruction 140 And of their sinne the roote 141 Faith the gift of God 143 And the originall of all vertues ibid. True faith is in few 144 Most men led by the flesh rather than by the Spirit ibid. Faith hath a triple foundation ibid. Faith threefold justifying of miracles hystoricall 145 The causes of Salvation ibid. The just live by Faith if no Faith no accesse to God no interest in him 146 Degrees of Faith ibid. God giveth grace according to the measure of Faith 147 Faith all in all in applying and assuring Salvation ibid. The Angels that fell committed many sinnes in one ibid. Wee must bee wise according to sobriety 148 Angels though Spirits in essence yet appeared in divers formes ibid. The sinne of Angels in generall was Apostacy 149 Some Apostacy is unpardonable ibid. Why the Angels that fell were not restored 150 Three reasons of Dorbell why the wicked shall bee punished in Hell more than the Divels recited rejected ibid. All apostacy dangerous though some not damnable ibid. It is the end that crownes all our actions 151 The Christian must be alwayes increasing ibid. The wicked grow worse and worse 152 There is a decay in most ibid. The estate of Angels considered in regard of three severall times namely of Creation Confirmation last Iudgement 153 Divers names of Angels 154 Whence the Angels fell ibid. God the head but not the Redeemer of the good Angels 155 The time of the fall of Angels uncertaine as also the places whither ibid. The Divels though many in number yet there is one chiefe 156 How the Divell is said to worke and to be in the wicked ibid. The Divels though malicious Spirits yet agree in mischiefe 157 Division the cause of confusion 158 Sermon 13. THe case of the Angels most fearefull to be cast out of Heaven 159 Their abode is not certaine but some in the Ayre some in the Earth some in the Sea 160 The Divels malice infinite but his power by God limited ibid. Satan is said to be loosed Apoc. 20. 7. not simply but comparatively 161 The Divels and wicked
243 The envious is fretted at good and glad at the evill betides any ibid. Cain was prophane and grudged at Gods sacrifice 244 Many like Cain grudge to give that is good to God ibid. Gods Ministers are to have honourable maintenance 245 Sacriledge odious among the Heathen they have observed the vengeance of their gods have followed such as have beene sacrilegious ibid. God himselfe hath punished sacriledge in all ages 246 Hypocrites and dissemblers pretend good intend evill ibid. God detesteth hypcrisie and falshood 247 Desperation the bane of the soule excluding Gods mercie ibid. Sermon 21. COvetousnesse the roote of evill and ruine of good 249 Many woes against covetousnesse 250 The covetous man trusteth more in his riches than in the blessed Trinity ibid. Covetousnes deprives the covetous of the 8. beatitudes and makes them subject to the contrary curses 251 Covetousnesse insatiable 253 Covetousnes excludes out of Heaven ibid. Riches unprofitable to soule and body credit and estate 254 A couetous minde never satisfied 255 Vsurers more cruell than wilde beasts ibid. Riches uncertaine not to bee relied on 256 Riches unprofitable if in superfluity 257 Riches preserve not neither from temporall nor spirituall evils 258 Riches not hurtfull by nature but by corruption ibid. Riches hurtfull to the outward and inward man 259 Sermon 22. GOds mercy contemned draweth on judgement 261 The utility and necessity of both Magistracie and Ministery in Church and Common-wealth 262 Government necessary for preservation of states ibid. Three formes of Government viz. Monarchy Aristocracy Democratie ibid. Reasons why Monarchy the best 263 All lawfull government of God ibid. Rebellion pernicious not onely to states but to the Rebels themselves 264 Resemblances being ordinary teach best 266 Preachers may use humane learning but the Word must be his ground to give light 268 The creatures afford a double consideration one naturall another morall or spirituall 269 Epicurisme hath many sinnes accompanying it ibid. Drunkennesse and glutonny odious and pernicious 270 Nature teacheth temperance and sobrietie 271 Wee are most prone to sinne in our drunkennesse ibid. Drunkennesse makes uncapable of Gods spirit and spirituall graces 272 Gluttonous Epicures neither glorifie God nor releeve the poore ibid. Dangerous to converse with Epicures lest stained by them 273 How one may converse with the wicked 274 Love-feasts how used abused abolished 275 Sermon 23. PRide many wayes occasioned every way odious to God 277 Pride vaine in three respects 278 Pride hath beene in all places and all sorts ibid. The godly sometime overtaken by it ibid. Pride is expressed in the things that pertaine to God sixe wayes 279 Pride shewes it selfe many wayes ibid. The proud man insulteth over all 280 Though all prone to pride yet usually the basest proudest ibid. Pride the cause of contention ibid. Pride makes us forget our mortalitie ibid. The proud odious to all God Angels Men onely please the Divell 281 God detesteth pride ibid. Pride is both in Church and Common-wealth and causes heresie in the one and disorder in the other 282 Pride so puffes up men as they become not onely foolish but phrentike ibid. Pride brings shame and destruction 283 Pride will shew it selfe after the death of the proud 284 Knowledge and riches the cause of pride ibid. True zeale like fire that kindleth and burneth by degrees till it come to a full flame 285 Hypocrisie most odious to God and severely punished by him ibid. Sincerity most pleasing to God 286 Christ pronounced against no sinne so many woes as against hypocrisie 289 Hypocrisie blasphemy ibid. Hypocrites make faire showes without truth inwardly pretend religion when they intend the subversion of it 290 Sincerity very rare hypocrisie hath banished 292 Men often compared to trees to shew that God lookes for fruits or wee must looke for the axe ibid. Many carnall gospellers few true professours 293 Most like trees twice dead both in words and deeds 294 Wee must take heed of the sinne of hypocrisie lest wee indure the punishment ibid. Sermon 24. HEll set out by divers names yet none sets it out sufficiently but are as shadowes or the beginning of sorrowes 213 Hell torments amplified being opposed to the joyes of Heaven 297 The damned every way tormented 298 The effects of Gods wrath in afflicting Christ bearing our sinnes and punishing others temporally may serve to set out the torments of the damned whom he punisheth eternally 299 The damned suffer all punishments both of losse and sense 300 The horror of hell should make us abhorre sinne 301 Nothing more hard then the impenitent heart 302 Hell torments as unspeakable so everlasting and irremissible 303 Hell fire compared with our elementary fire in five respects 304 Iudgement and damnation necessary to be preached in time of sinne and security 306 The wicked shall be tormented according to their sinnes the greater sinnes the greater punishment 307 Sermon 25. THere must bee a tyme of manifesting Gods Iustice as well as his power and mercy 301 Antiquity with verity most authentike 308 Traditions equalled with Scriptures by Bellarmine and the Papists ibid. The Scriptures all sufficient for faith and manners 311 Though some scriptures are lost yet so much as is necessary to salvation is preserved ibid. Iudgement fourefold 312 Iudgement generall must needs be as prooved by Scripture ibid. The second person of the Trinity shall judge 313 Christ shall judge as man and why 314 Though Christ shall come in his humanity to judge yet with power and great glory 315 Iudgement fearefull to all much more to the wicked ibid. Christs second comming to judgement compared with his first 316 Christs glory appeared in his humility at his first comming 317 The greatnes of Gods mercy at first aggravates the severity of his justice at the last 318 God hath two Courts Forum misericordiae Forum justitiae Ibid. Gods judgement impartiall 319 Iudgement shall be generall of all men and of every Worke Word Thought 320 Swearers blasphemers most abominable 322 Gods judgement most certaine 324 The conscience of the wicked tell him there will be a judgement 325 The consideration of Christs comming to judgement ought to terrify the wicked comfort the godly instruct all 326 Sermon 26. MVrmuring two-fold against God and against men 329 Murmuring and discontent in most ibid. Murmuring the sinne of the Israelites 330 Murmurers never content ibid. Murmurers severely punished 331 We must patiently subject our wils to Gods 332 The remedies against murmuring ibid. The Saints have bene discountenanced yet subjected their wils to Gods will and have been pacified and comforted 334 Man murmures against man for diuers causes 335 All estates are discontent and murmure against others 336 Murmuring the property of base and envious persons ibid. The lusts of the flesh must be tamed 337 God uses many meanes to teach us to tame our lusts ibid. Most men rather follow their lusts than obey Gods Word 338 Evill thoughts and inordinate affections must be vanquished ibid.
Gods Word the chiefe meanes to restraine lust 339 Lust tempteth to all sinne 340 The best assaulted by lusts but not led by them ibid. All the works of the flesh are from the lusts of the flesh 341 Lusts bring damnation ibid. Lust insatiable 342 Lust defiles body and soule and gives Satan interest in the whole man 343 Lust defaces Gods Image ibid. Lust is in the godly but gaines not in them 344 Sermon 27. THe corruption of the heart is shewed by corrupt speaking 345 The wicked have beene alwayes great boasters with their tongues but performe little with their hands 346 Pride is naturall to us we have it from our first parents 347 Pride the ruine of angels and men ibid. The godly humble in regard of their sinnes not proud of their vertues ibid. Scoffers and slanderers like dogges 348 Good men despise the applause of flatterers and debase themselves ibid. Though we must not endure vaine applause yet wee must free our selves from slanders 349 The most vile usually the most proud and greatest boasters 350 Pride endeth with vanity ibid. Flatterers applaud others for their owne gaine 351 The Popes great boasters 352 Flattery described with the properties and punishment thereof 353 VVe must not listen to flatterers but give God the glory 354 Flattery servile and base 355 Flattering preachers most pernicious ibid. Ministers must reprove the greatest 356 Such as desire to be flattered are occasion of flattery ibid. He that reprooveth doth profit more than he that applauds 357 Flattery to be rejected and despised ibid. Flattery flatterers compared to divers things 358 Flattery gives to vices the names of vertues 359 Sermon 28. CHristians must not live like Heathen infidels 360 The godly and wicked opposite in divers respects 361 Wee must not bee led by the multitude for the greater part are the worser 362 The more glorified the greater joy the more damned the greater torment ibid. Not sufficient to have the VVord unlesse we remember it 363 How wee may heare the VVord profitably that we may find it the savour of life unto life 365 The memory the soules treasury ibid. VVhatsoever doctrine is not remembred is lost 366 Our forgetfulnes and negligence in divine doctrine most grosse ibid. The VVord of God the most sure foundation to build upon 367 The Saints modest in their owne prayse but zealous for Gods glory 369 Circumstances to bee observed in reproving 370 Three sorts of malicious reprehenders condemned 371 Sermon 29. THere have beene scoffers and mockers in all ages 372 Mocking what in Latin whence derived 373 Divers sorts of mockers 374 Mockers of God and religion most odious ibid. Mocking scoffing and jesting the basest fruit of wit 375 Some sinners like Dogges some Hogges ibid. Scoffers punished 376 Mocking a kinde of persecution 378 The tongues of scoffers instruments of persecution 379 Many scoffing Atheists at Christ and Religion 380 Scoffers as the Divels band-dogges so bond-slaves ibid. He is strongest that overcomes his lusts 381 Mortification a signe of justification 383 If no sanctification no glorification 384 Sermon 30. SEctaries cause division in the Church 385 The Church and members thereof love Vnity 386 Dissention the cause of all mischiefe in the Church ibid. Three causes of division in the Church Heresy Schisme Apostacy 387 The difference of these ibid. Pride the cause of Schisme 388 No salvation out of the Church ibid. Heresies though hurtfull in themselves yet God maks them profitable to the Church 389 Heretikes pervert Scriptures to maintaine their errours ibid. The Papists charging us with Sects have more among themselves 390 Satans chiefest engine to hurt the Church is dissention 391 Schisme a grievous sinne ibid. Naturall men perceive not the things of God nor any good 392 By regeneration we are adopted the Sonnes of God 393 Many naturall men exceed Christians in bridling their affections and in some mortall actions 394 Naturall men inventers of Arts and trades 395 Beasts exceed many naturall men ibid. Love makes all things easy 396 A sinner hardly drawne from sinne ibid. Gods grace is to our hearts as the Sunne-beames to the earth ibid. None boast more of the spirit then they that are led by the spirit of error 397 The Popes pride reproved that call onely their Clergy spirituall all other temporall ibid. Naturall men though they have not the spirit of sanctification yet illuminated 398 All grace and true goodnes flowes from Gods Spirit 400 Sermon 31. THe godly and the wicked every way opposite 403 Edification being a building the Saints be the houses 404 VVe must build in our selves temples for the Holy Ghost ibid. Gods VVord the rule and square whereby we must build 405 VVe must endeavour to edify others especially our children 406 VVee must dayly encrease in knowledge grace and goodnes 407 Good men grow dayly in grace and goodnes ibid. The wicked grow dayly worse and worse 408 VVee are none proficients in plenty of meanes ibid. Pride and negligence cause of none proficiciency ibid. VVe bee diligent in seaking knowledge wee shall attaine to it 409 VVe should not build our hope on earth but in Heaven 410 Faith is the originall of all good works 411 No life of grace here or glory hereafter without faith 412 Faith the most excellent of all vertues ibid. Faith is called holy in respect of the effect in the subject secondly of the object thirdly the efficient cause thereof 413 All good works without faith vaine 414 If no holines in life no true faith in heart ibid. Faith is begotten by hearing and encreased also 415 God works not by miracles when hee affords meanes 416 Sermon 32. FAith and prayer may not bee disjoyned 417 Faith the mother of prayer and prayer the meanes to confirme faith ibid. Prayer the meanes whereby wee receive all good things 418 Prayer prevalent over all creatures 419 Prayer pleasant to God and man 420 The Saints have delighted to spend much time in prayer ibid. Divers divisions of prayer into divers kinds in divers respects 421 All prayer must be offered in the mediation of Christ 422 Prayer necessary for all estates for all times 423 Gods wrath powred out upon them that doe not pray ibid. Gods house a house of prayer 424 Prayer comforteth in all estates ibid. ☞ Prayer the food and nourishmert of the soule 405 Prayer sanctifyeth all our actions ibid. Prayer admirable in the effects if in due manner 406 We must pray continually ibid. VVee must pray in the spirit and how 407 The Holy Ghost the Author of prayer yet so as the whole Trinity hath a hand ibid. Prayers must bee spirituall and fervent 409 God regards both the manner and end in all holy duties 410 Our prayers must bee neither tepidae timidae nec temerariae ibid. God heareth not the prayers of sinners except for vengeance 411 God hath promised all good things to prayer ibid. Sermon 33. FAith Prayer and Love have mutuall relation 412 Love the most
a murderer in hand a lyer in tongue if not in himselfe yet in his members As hee was against Moses by Corah Dathan and Abiram David by Doeg Ieremy by the men of Anathoth Paul by Tertullus Iohn Baptist by Apoc. 12. 10. Iohn 8. 44. Numb 16. Psal 52. the Scribes yea Christ by the Pharisees but Dathan and his company perished in an earth-quake Doeg was rooted out the men of Anathoth were captivated the Scribes were confuted the Pharisees put to silence Maledicere est adeo illicitum ut peccatuin est maledicere diabolo to speake evill or to rayle is so unlawfull that it is a sinne to curse or banne the Divell Michael would not rayle no more ought we to rayle or revile one another when as difference shall chance to arise amongst us He that calleth his brother foole contemptuously or opprobriously is in danger of Hell Mat. 5. 22. fire And Saint Paul saith Let all sowernesse or bitternesse or wrath or anger and out-cryes and blasphemies be quite taken from among you with all maliciousnesse be courteous one to another and pittifull forgiving Ephes 4. 31. one another even as Christ forgave you And in another place Let your patient minde be knowne to all men The Lord is even at hand As though he should say will ye be malitious spitefull reviling Phil. 4. 5. your brethren and the Lord is at hand will yee be falling out one with another and his comming so neere And yet as Ephraim was full of drunkards Crete full of lyers Ephesus full of Idolaters so the world is full of raylers of whom it may be said as Hierome said of Ioviman Tacere nesciunt quia nunquam didicerunt bene loqui they know not to be silent because they never learned Hierome to speake well Erasmus speaking of this rayling age saith that there be three things to keepe the tongue in First it hath many strings these strings should curbe it in Secondly there is a double ditch of teeth and thirdly two walls of lips yet all will not hold in the tongue Dimidiam partem vitiorum in mundo sibi vendicat lingua the tongue challengeth halfe the vices in the Gregor Naziau world for what vice almost floweth not from the tongue rayling reviling lying swearing blasphemie perjury slander c. all these be the vices of the tongue Hermophilus offending with his tongue perpetuum silentium sibi indixit in joyned his tongue perpetuall silence And Pambo in three months would not speake till he had learned the first verse of the 39. Psalme which runneth thus I said I will take heed unto my wayes that I offend not in my tongue Et melius est certè nil loqui Psal 39. 1. quà m malè loqui It is much better to be silent and to speake nothing than to speake evill therefore saith the Apostle As elect of God holy and beloved put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of Col. 3. 12 13. mind meeknesse long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another Of all victories it is the greatest to forbeare being provoked Michael would not revile the divell and wilt thou revile thy brother yet many passe not what they say what speeches Mildnesse a meanes to stay a rayling tongue they give it if they be offended The Schollers of Pithagoras kept silence for five yeeres it were to be wished that these might be enjoyned silence alway except they could speak better Epictetus reduced all vertues into two heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abstaine sustaine and he reduceth all vices into two heads Impatiency and Incontinency when injuries are not borne nor pleasures eschewed Spirtus Dei neque mordax the spirit of God is neither a lyer nor a biter a rayler let us then give courteous speeches Not rendring evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke 1 Pet. 3. 9. Againe hard words rayling cursed speaking hurt our selves and doe no good to the adversaries Mollis sermo frangit iram a soft answer putteth downe displeasure for as a Canon-shot is Prov 15. 1. repelled with wooll not with brasse as wild-fire is quenched with milke not with water as the Adamant is broken with the blood of a Goat and not with an hammer as the wrath of an Elephant is appeased not with swords but with Mulberries So malice is an adversary in a rayler is quenched with lenity not with reviling like a Lion that is mitigated with the humblenesse of a beast unto him Hereupon saith Paul If thine enemy Rom. 12. 20. hunger feed him if he thirst give him drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head that is thou shalt win him Therefore saith Ambrose to Calligonus Ego patior audiam quod est Episcopi I will suffer and heare which is the part of a Bishop Tu ages loqueris quae sunt carnificis thou doest and speakest which belongeth to a murtherer and cruell person Regium est audire mala à quibus laudare esset pudor it is a princely thing to heare evill of them of whom it is a shame to be commended Leave them to God Dominos illos increpabit the Lord shall rebuke them yea The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud Psal 12. 3 4. things Which have said with our tongues we will prevaile wee are they that that ought to speake Who is Lord over us Shemei shall not ever 2 Sam. 16. 5. Dan. 14. Dan. 6. raile on David the Iudges shall not ever accuse Susanna the idolaters shall not ever speake evill of Daniel Doeg shall not ever slander Abimelech the Arrians shall not alway defame Athanasius 2 Sam. 22. as they did for Arsenius God will make their innocency as Psal 37. 6. the light and their judgement as the noone-day Here a question may be moved whither a Christian may at any time curse and speak hardly to the wicked and rebuke them Some object Levit. 19. Non maledices surdo Thou shalt not curse the Levit. 19. 14. deafe nor put a stumbling blocke before the blind They say that wee may not say Racha or foole to our brother much lesse may wee Mat. 5. use hard words rayling sentences they quote Paul to the Romanes Blesse them that persecute you blesse I say and curse not Cum Rom. 12. 14. maledico edere non licet we may not eate with a rayler They alledge the example of Christ Who when he was reviled reviled not 1 Cor. 5. 11. againe And that of Paul Wee are reviled and yet wee blesse Wee Lawfull to curse sinne though not sinners are persecuted and suffer it Wee are evill spoken of and yet wee pray To all these I answere in two words that in all speeches wee must regard two things The goodnesse of the cause and cleerenesse 1 Cor. 4. 12. 13. of our minde that wee speake not of spleene of affection of revenge
but to draw the party to remembrance And so there is place left in the Church as well for Cursing as Blessing for rough as for milde speech so that Gods glory bee sought in the suppression of sinne Vt omne os obstruatur that every mouth may be stopped and that all glory may bee given to God Thus we Gen. 3. cap. 9. Deut. 27. read that God cursed the Serpent that Noah cursed Cham of the twelve tribes sixe of them stood on Mount Garazim to blesse and sixe on mount Hebal to curse all the people to say Amen Iacob uttered a dire imprecation upon Simeon and Levie saying Curbe Gen. 49. 7. Mat. 23. Mat. 13. their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell And lest any should restraine this to time of the Law Note that Christ pronounceth many woes against the Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites in one Chapter And hee cried woe to the impenitent saying Woe be to him by whom offences come And againe Woe bee Mat. 11. Mat. 26. to thee Corazim Woe bee to thee Bethsaida c. And againe Woe to that man by whom the Sonne of man is betraied it were good for that man if 8 Cor. 16. hee had not beene borne And againe Woe to the World because of offences And Simon Peter cursed Simon Magus saying Thy money perish 2 Tim. 4. 14. with thee And Paul cried Maranatha Anathema to them that love not the Lord Iesus And hee cursed Alexander the Copper-smith Act. 13. 10. Gen. 49. He hath done mee saith Paul much evill the Lord reward him according to his workes And so hee cursed Elimas the sorcerer and called him the Child of the divell an enemy to all righteousnesse But yet wee must curse the sinnes not the party So Iacob cursed Apoc. 2 the rage of his Sonnes not themselves So God hated the deeds of the Nicholaitans not the men Yea sometimes both sinnes and men may be cursed if they give signes of reprobation So the Church prayed against Iulian not for him And Saint Iohn 1 Iohn 5. 16. tels us that there is a sinne unto death I say not that thou shouldest pray for it But to leave all this Michael striving with the Divell durst not give him a railing sentence but saith The Lord rebuke thee Let us learne this lesson of Michael in all reproaches and bitter speeches of our brethren to say unto them The Lord reprove thee for passion must not overmaster us But these railers wee must answere sometime with silence for unto many natures to answere againe is to put fuell to the fire for anger is fire and words are fuell But if silence will not serve the turne then it is good to give place unto it I meane to goe away from Rem 12. 19. a railing person till his anger be over and if that will not serve the turne then answere him as Michael did here the Divell The Lord reprove thee And in any wise take heed you prouoke We must give account of idle much more of evill words not anger for the forcing of Wrath bringeth forth strife as the churming of milke bringeth forth butter and wringing the nose bringeth forth bloud Let us therefore avoyd the customary sinnes of passions and not answere evill for evill or rebuke for rebuke but say with Michael The Lord rebuke thee And with David Iudge me o God and Prov. 30. 33. Psal 43. 1. defend my cause against the unmercifull people that is the cruell company of mine adversaries deliver me from the deceitfull and wicked man The Lord rebuke thee This teacheth us as to avoyd all railing so to study carefully and diligently the government of the tongue and to beware of rotten speeches The mouth is the messenger of the heart and from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A filthy tongue argueth a filthy heart an unbridled tongue a licencious heart A poisoned tongue that belcheth out nothing but banning and cursing railing and reviling speeches doth manifest a cursed and corrupt heart Our Saviour saith A Mat. 12. 13 good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth goodthings and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill things but I say unto you that of every idle word that men shall speake they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement If then at the end of the end of the world and day of judgement wee must reckon and account for idle words How much more for our railing reviling speeches Let us therefore hearken unto the counsell of the Apostle Let not corrupt communion proceed out of your mouths but that which is good to the use of edifying that may Ephes 4. 29. minister grace unto the hearers Wee should be of a patient nature and follow the example of Michael who striving with the Divell durst not give him a railing sentence but say The Lord rebuke thee If an Archangell abstaine from all railing having to doe with the Divell the greatest enemie of God and his people wee that have to do with bad men must not take liberty to our selves to use reviling speeches We must commit revenge unto God who hath said Vengeance is mine I will repay THE NINETEENTH SERMON VERS X. But these speake evill of those things they know not c. Malice turnes men into dogs THis is the fourth note that he giveth unto the wicked you shall know them by their evill speaking they are like unto blacke-mouthed Rabshakeh they rayle on God and good men He calleth them first sleepers secondly defilers of the flesh thirdly despisers of government and here raylers they speake evill of all things As fire lyeth not long in the stubble or in the flaxe but the flame breaketh out so hatred lyeth not long in these mens hearts but breaketh out in evill speeches and many times They will speake evill of things they know not Munster writeth of men in India Qui non loquuntur sed latrant which speaketh not like men but barke like dogs so these barke like dogs against the Moone Gorgon turned men into stones and Circe changed them into swine and malice turneth these men into doggs like Hecuba at the siege of Troy for their rayling David saith The wicked speake evil from their mothers wombe even from their belly have they erred and speake lyes their poyson is even as the poyson of Psal 58. 3 4. a serpent like the deafe Adder that stoppeth her eare that is they passe in malice and subtilty the crafty Serpent the first thing they doe is to speake evill it is Alpha and Omega first and last with them As the serpent vomiteth up her poyson before she drinketh Malice in the heart â—he cause of rayling in the tongue of a cleare fountaine so this is the sinne that must bee avoided before we drinke of the water of life the Word of God Lay