that this Text may be applyed vnto Christians for euen of them also more then a good many arâ—â— â—nted with this Ignorance with this Arrogance they maime the truth in contenting themselues with outward Characters little caring for the inward which principally make a Christian and how many doe enter their names into Gods Book in Heauen before euer they looke whether they haue a counterpart thereof written by the finger of the Holy Ghost in their soules And what wonder if this Ignorance breed Arrogancie and they that think better of themselues then they should think worse then they should of others But let vs take care to be sure of our Resemblance before wee crake of our alliance let vs find in our selues Faith and Charitie Abrahams vertues and then hope well that wee are Abrahams children let vs so hope well of our selues that we despaire not of others Gods hands are not tyed his power hath no bounds they that seeme to be of least hope may proue more worthy then our selues But whether we looke vpon our selues or others if we find that of stones we are become the children of Abraham let vs magnisie God according to his mercie which we shall the better doe if wee call to mind what we were and what we are how senslesse we were how litle feeling we had of Gods either words or workes how brutishly wee adored the basest of the creatures Neither were wee only so senslesse but we were most worthlesse also poore soules indeed spirituall Lazars not worth the looking after but with contempt And as we had litle so it was litle wee could doe wee could doe no good either in glorifying God or edifying the Church or increasing our owne comfort wee were as barren to these things as very stones But see now these stones doe liue our hearts are sensible of the influence of Heauen and wee adore only him that liueth for euer hee with a liberall hand hath inriched vs and wee with a cheerefull heart fructifie vnto him wee cannot turne our eyes vpon our selues but wee behold his mercies and wee present before his sacred eyes our most humble duties Thus should we magnifie our God that hath done so great things for vs for vs I say that are the Ofspring of them that were sometimes very stones I end with Saint Bernards Caution Bernard de Scâ—la claust pag. 1253. God indeed can raise of stones children vnto Abraham as sometimes he did Saint Paul yet must we not tempt God and neglecting what is to be done on our part presume that Gods hand will worke all wee must reade the Scripture meditate therein Seeke knocke pray and then we shall find grace the windowes of Heauen will bee opened vnto vs and the hand of God will new mould vs he will mollifie whatsoeuer is stonie in vs and supply whatsoeuer worth we lacke what God can doe that he will doe if we be in any part stones hee will make vs euen in that part also Children of Abraham and if Children then Heires Heires annexed with Iesus Christ. GOd by his grace make vs all Abrahams Sonnes and giue vs all grace to walks Abrahams steps that wee may all finally meete in Abrahams besome Amen The fifth Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 9. And now also is the Axe laide vnto the roote of the trees euerie tree therefore which bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire SAint Iohn Baptist preaching to the vnbeleeuing Iewes shewed them that they were sicke both at head and heart and therefore applied fit remedies to either part Hauing before in your hearing ended the first remedy that is applied to the Heart I began the last time I spake out of this place to intreat of the second remedy which is applied vnto their head Their head was sicke of Ignorance and Arrogancie both double I haue spoken of their Ignorance and the first branch of their Arrogancie their appropriating Abrahams family vnto themselues there remaineth yet one branch of the Text that which checketh their second pride their conumpt of God They did contemne God in that they set light by the Iudgements that were denounced from him marke their ground they thought they had such interest in Abraham that for his sake God would spare them and his wrath should neuer seize on them But they heare from the Baptist that they are not so in the Couenant but they may be blotted out and if they haue not some worth of their owne besides that of their Parent they must looke for an imminent totall finall eradication for Now is the Axe laide to the roote of the trees c. These words are a Parable and therefore they haue a Morall For a Parable is a Comparison of things spirituall vnto corporall wherein the things corporall and spirituall doe mutually giue light each vnto other the spirituall doe guide vs in the setting bounds vnto the corporall and the corporall doe helpe vs to vnderstand the secrets of the spirituall seeing then the spirituall is the key that must vnlocke the corporall sense we can say little to the corporall vntill we haue found out the spirituall But where shall we find it It is not here wee must looke it else where We haue it for a good part in Saint Iohn cap. 15. where Christ speaketh thus I am a Vine you are branches my father is an Husbandman Cap. â— euerie branch in me that beareth not fruit is taken away and cast into the fire Esay is more full and expresse to my Text The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel and Iuda is his pleasant plant hee looked for iudgement and behold oppression for righteousnesse and behold a crie therefore hath the Lord of Hâ—sts reuealed this in mine eare many houses shall be desolate faire â—nd goodly houses left without inhabitants yea hell hath enlarged it selfe the mouth thereof is opened without measure their glorie their multitude their pompe euerie one that reioyceth shall descend into it According to this MoÌ„rall if we breake vp the Parable wee must obserue the Persons therein contained and the Iudgement that is denounced the persons are two God compared to a husbandman surueying his Orchard the Iewes compared vnto Trees of the Orchard Trees planted therein to beare good fruites Of the Iudgement we haue here the Cause and the Parts The cause is the Iewes not liuing sutably to their incorporation which is represented by a Tree not bearing good fruites The parts are two first the Iewes are depriued of that blessed estate wherein they stood the Axe is put to the roote and by the roote they are cut vp so the Parable doth resemble it Secondly they are exposed to the miserie which they deserued they are cast into the fire A fruitlesse tree burning in the fire is the Embleme of a sinner tormented in hell If you lay these two parts together they are a totall a finall desolation for kill the roote kill the whole
contented with so much as he doth reueale but we should spend all our time and paines in obedience and conforming our selues to Gods Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—mil de Sement tom 1 Ioâ—l 2.23 Esay 61. Reuel 21 Gal. 5. Rom 6. Therefore doth Gods Law and a showre of raine come in Hebrew both from one root to signifie that wee should drinke it in as fruit trees doe raine to be the better for it In Ioâ—l it is plainly called the raine of righteousnesse and of raine Athanasius his obseruation is good though the substance of it be but one yet doth it yeild sustenance for diuers fruits Sure I am that the Scripture calleth vs Trees of Life Trees of Righteousnesse and we should bring forth fruits of the Spirit which is called the fruit of Sanctification haue a man neuer so much knowledge if hee goe no farther then knowledge hee can deserue no better a name then the Deuill hath who from his knowledge is called Daemon Nâ—mdicit Qui non seâ—it sed nonâ—â—cieâ—â— fructâ—m â—â—omâ—er enim oportet ferre 〈…〉 Nam cetheri â—â—serâ—cors fueris 〈◊〉 rapinâ—s sis dâ—dities â—on cris bonus but the Scripture denominateth a good man from his vertue Chasidh But there remayneth one note more which Theophylact maketh vpon this description Hee saith not euery tree which hath not borne but euery tree which is not bearing for wee must alwayes bee bearing fruit though the other day thou wert mercifull if to day thou be an extortioner thou shalt not goe for a good tree And God himselfe doth iustifie this doctrine telling vs that all the righteousnesse of an vnconstant good man shall be forgotten Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God 〈…〉 they shall still bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be sat and well liking The Tree described Psal 1. and Reuel 21. confirme this truth To shut vp this description of a member of the Church out of it we must learne these few Lessons First God expecteth to behold in vs rather our workes then his owne what we yeild then what wee receiue and our care must be rather to doe our duties then boast of our gifts seeing for those not these we are called to an account Secondly we must beare fruit according to our kind Men doe not gather Grapes of thornes nor figges of thistles it is vnnaturall for Vines to beare hawes or Figge-trees burres wee betray our selues rather to bee in then of the Church if we beare such fruit and though wee cannot bee challenged for being idle yet shall wee be for being ill imployed If to beare fruit were enough the case of the wicked would bee better then that of the godly for as wild trees commonly beare greater burthens then the grafted or planted you know Aesops reason for it so doe the wicked commonly abound in workes more then the good But God considereth not How many but How good yea the more of euill workes the worse so that when we come to cast vp our account wee must consider not so much the number as the qualitie of them remembring to write vpon the euill vanity of vanities all is but vanity and vexation of spirit for what fruite is there in those things whereof we shall be then ashamed wee must desire to beare that fruit which may abound to our accompt Philip. 4. And so haue I deliuered vnto you so much of my Text as concerneth the persons speaking of them so farre as I haue beene occasioned by their resemblances I come now to the Iudgement whereof wee must consider first the Cause where we shall see that God obserueth his owne Law and cutteth vp no tree in this siege that his vengeance layeth to his Church but such as are no fruit trees It is a clause in the couenant Deut. 2â— that as God maketh vs fruit trees so we should beare good fruits if we faile he is no longer tied to continue vs trees or performe vnto vs the blessing Sanction of his Law Deut. 28. his Iustice requireth that hee make good the second sanction which curseth sinners and come to eradication But to open this cause a little fuller wee must obserue that Gods dealing with men though it bee acted by his Power yet it is ordered by his Iustice neither doth he vse his power vntill he haue examined our deserts this is vndoubtedly true in plagues though not in blessings In blessing he preuenteth vs but he neuer striketh vntill he bee pronoked therefore the Scripture seldome mentioneth any iudgement of God but it prefaceth it with some cause thereof first giuen by man you may reade it in the doome of Adam the old World Sodome Gen. 3.6 1â— Chron. 2. and Israel In this place the not bearing of good fruit is expressed as the cause of the iudgement which followeth the not bearing I say of good fruit For whereas the Commandements of God are Affirmatiue or Negatiue The Affirmatiue are those for which our faculties were giuen vs the performing of the Negatiue are but with standings of such impediments as hinder vs therein Adde hereunto that the Affirmatiue is the measure of the Negatiue so that wee know not how farre we must withstand but by knowing how much we are bound to doe moreouer the Deuill that hee might haue vs at leasure to doe what wee should not maketh vs neglect to doe what we should Because then we should striue to the heighth of vertue for homo est animal officiosum man is made for vertuous action and his commendations is well doing and doing ill is but a necessarie consequent of not doing well as appeareth by the Parable of the vncleane spirit it is impossible for a man to be idle it would imply a contradiction to the definition of the soule therefore the transgression of the Affirmatiue Commandements are here called in question they are alleadged for the cause of Iudgement Si sterilitas in ignâ—m mittitur rapacitas quid meretur Fulgent Serm. de dispen Duplex fructus bonus Gratiae Poenitentiae Aust de Contritione cordis And if Omâ—ssions be so punished what is due to Commissions It is Fulgentius his collection If barrennesse burne in hell what shall wickednesse seele the deeper men goe in sinnes the greater is the account they haue to giue But lest men should not well conceiue this cause wee must learne of Saint Augustine that there is a double good fruit of Grace and of Repentance we should indeed principally take heed of Omissions and bee filled with the fruits of righteousnesse but if insteed of those good fruits we fall into sinnes of commission there is a second good worke wherewith we must relieue ourselues a worke of repentance in the defect of the first this second must succeed Though God might by the Law punish vs for want of the first yet from the Gospel wee haue this comfort that he
will not punish if we doe the second And indeed this being a Sermon of the Gospel supposeth vs to want the first good fruit and challengeth vs that we doe not supply the second The world is very busie in seeking out the cause why so many run heâ—dlong into Hell I doubt not but they which with sobrietie enter the Sanctuarie of God may discerne a higher ground of Gods Iudgements But let no wicked man deceiue himselfe if hee will take the paines but to studie himselfe he shall find that himselfe is the cause of his owne ruine wittingly and willingly refusing to beare that good fruit that should grow vpon such a tree as he is vouchsafed to be barren not only according to the Law but also to the Gospel and then what remaineth but if the cause bee found in him the Iudgement one day light on him And so from the Cause I come to the Iudgement whereof I told you there are two parts As our sinnes are compounded of Omissions and Commissions so is our Iudgement either priuatiue or positiue there is some good which we should doe but we doe not and therefore there is some good which we might haue whereof we misse there is some euill we should not doe but we doe it and therefore there is some euill which we might scape and yet we shall feele it the Omission goeth before the Commission in sinne so doth the priuatiue before the positiue part in Iudgement I begin therefore with the priuatiue figured by the laying of the axe vnto the root and cutting vp of the tree What is the axe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian Tom. 1. pag. 633. saith Nazianzene hee answereth that which cutteth off an vncurable person though God hath done what was fit for his recouerte which you may expound by that of the Poet Cuncta prius tentanda sed immedicabile vnlnus Ense recidendum est When milder Physicke will doe no good we must come to searing and cutting off a rotten member After Gods complaint What could I haue done for my Vine which I haue not done the next newes we heare is the desolution of the Vine and the instrument of desolation is the Axe By the Axe some vnderstand Gods owne hand some the Armie of the Romans both say true for both did concurre Gods hand intelligibly and the Romans sensibly but if we parallel this place with that in Esay Chap. 14. it seemeth more proper to vnderstand the Romans here For the Axe is an instrument and the instrument is distinct from the efficient But howsoeuer the word giueth vs to vnderstand that God wanteth not meanes to execute his vengeance the Scripture obserueth varietie of them sometimes his Bow and Arrowes sometimes his Sword sometimes his Hammer but here his Axe as best fitting an Husbandman that hath to doe with barren trees the axe is laid to the root of such trees What is meant by the root there is some question To passe by the tropologicall interpretations of the word the literall is vnderstood by some to note Abraham by other some Christ And indeed Abraham is immediatly meant as you may gather out of Saint Paul Rom. 1â— If the root bee holy c. and hee is tearmed The Father of the faithfull but mediately Christ is meant who is the root of that root and therefore doth he make all the faithfull branches of himselfe who is their Vine But wherefore is the Axe layed to this root to cut it vp The Axe hath two vses the one to prune the other to cut vp if a tree beare not so much fruit as it should then it is enough to prune away the rotten the watrie branches but if it beare none then cut it vp for the tree that doth no good will doe a great deale of hurt it maketh the ground barren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 13.7 not only by taking vp the roome of a fruitfull tree but by hurting aboue ground and hurting vnder ground it keepeth off the comfortable Sunne from better plants that is the mischiefe that commeth from the barren trees boughes besides which there is another mischiefe that commeth from his roots for they sucke away the iuice that should feed better trees therefore must the Axe be put to them not only to the branch but also to the root Behold the Image of Gods lesser his greater Iudgments if our deuotion be cold God correcteth vs by restrayning our luxuriant affections and cutting off our wastfull lusts hee pincheth vs in things temporall that wee may haue the more appetite to things eternall but if our deuotion be none at all he will no longer indure vs to be the bane of others But wee must not mistake it is not meant that the root shall bee cut vp but the Tree shall bee cut from the root the fruitlesse branches should bee cut off from the cognation which they haue with Abraham Rami iudigni excidentur à cognatione Abrahae Theoph. Iohn 15. Abraham shall continue a root still you heard that proued in my last Sermon much more shall Christ continue a root without whom no tree can bee But the wicked shall take no root in them they shall not be partakers of these roots either sweetnesse or fatnesse they were trees planted in Gods Orchard the choicest of grounds the best manured on which the Husbandman bestoweth his greatest care but they are not suffered to abide there any longer To speake it plainly see what they were and iudge thereby what it is to bee cut off Rom 3.9 Ephes 3. Heb. 12. it is to be depriued of God our Father Christ our Sauiour the Holy Ghost our Comforter the protection of Angels the Communion of Saints the inheritance of heauen a wofull case to indure such losse And yet this is the losse which they endure which haue beene members of the Church and are cut off Infidels as well as Christians are shut out of Heauen yet they that had meanes shall bee more afflicted with the losse then they which neuer had meanes shall bee afflicted with the want of Heauen for Miserum est fuisse foelicem it is a double woe to haue beene happie Hee that is borne poore is not so sensible of pouertie as he that of rich is become poore neither is he so sensible of sicknesse that was neuer well as hee that hath long enioyed his health want is not so bitter as losse This we must consider as the chiefest part of the trees punishment which beareth not good fruit It is the chiefest but not the only part one mischiefe commeth not alone there is another part which is more feared before hand though when wee are in it it is lesse felt and yet the sense thereof must needs be very painfull the word importeth as much the word is fire The curious wits of the Schoolemen misled by their bad Geographie Deigne inferni ca usmodi fit vel in qua mundi vel terrae plaga suturuâ—
can be no fit obiect for compassion which is the next point of the Text. Touching which compassion we are here taught that it is a restoring of a Penitent in the spirit of meekenesse Meekenesse is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arl. Eth. lib. 4. cap. 5. and a meeke man is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle doth not forbid Anger but commendeth indulgence there is a rod and a spirit of meekenesse that for the impenitent but for the penitent this And certainly without meekenesse there is little good to be done with Penitents for generosus est hominis animus magis ducitur quà m trahitur especially in reformation of the inward man where not so much coaction as perswasion preuaileth therefore if any thing will win the wayward it is meeknesse so thought St AMBROSH Tolle hominem a contentione audacia et habebis eum subiectum by meeknesse the prince of this world is soonest ouerthrowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is likely to recouer a patient soonest that handleth him gentlest Now if it be so in reclayming of a sinner that meekenesse is so requisite how requisite is it in dealing with a penitent sinner If St BERNARDS practise be commendable in iudging of sinne either to excuse the fact or say the temptation was verie strong how tenderly must we respect the humiliation of a sinner And take heed of a pharisaicall pride which satiateth its owne vncharitablenesse vnder pretext of censure and proceedeth contrarie to GODS rule vltra rather then citra condignum with the most when it should be with the least St PAVL did remember and so should we all that we are the seruants of that GOD which desireth not the death of a sinner Members of that SAVIOVR which will not breake a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flaxe Finally Temples of that Holy Ghost which is tearmed in my Text the Spirit of Meekenesse And indeed this vertue is a graffe not of nature but of grace and it argueth the Spirit dwelleth in vs when such fruit springeth from vs. Yea our whole soule must become meekenesse and this vertue must take vp euerie power thereof For such phrases are emphaticall and note not onely the originall but the extent of a vertue it doth argue that the whole inward man should be seasoned with it and concurre to the acting of it But the Spirit of Meekenesse must not be seuered from restoring for compassion should not cherish sinne but rectifie a sinner otherwise it is curdelis misericordia it is as if you should take a man that with a fall hath broken a ioynt and lay him downe vpon a soft bed but not take care to set his ioynts this were to leaue him in perpetuall torture or at least a maymed creature the righteous must smite but their stripes must be a precious balme the Church must censure but it must be for correction not destruction a sinner must be restored to that from which he is fallen It is an error long since condemned in the Nonatians who thought that the Church had no power to restore belieuing Penitents to restore them to that state wherein they were before their fall the very words vsed in my Text refuteth them which comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying compleate and perfect and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuper sheweth that it signifieth a perfect restitution vnto that which the person was before The fall did disgrace and disable so the restoring must recouer inwardly and outwardly inwardly in the peace of conscience and new strength to resist sinne outwardly in the Communion of Saints and the participation of sacred things and charitable society in the course of life In regard of all these the person must be as if he had neuer fallen Finally this restoring in the Spirit of Meekenesse must be without respect of persons and without exception of faults so saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if he be a man that hath fallen Happily we can be contented to shew meekenesse to our kinred our friends not to strangers with whom we haue no such acquaintance But we must exclude none that may be ouertaken and any may be ouertaken that is a man Saint AVSTIN and other of the Fathers worke vpon the name man and shew that implyeth frailtie according to the Prouerbe Gen. 6.9 Humanum est errare and indeed the Scripture is cleare for it the frame of the imaginations of the heart of man is euill and that from his youth continually As we may exclude no person so must we except against no sinne If a man be ouertaken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any kind of sinne our bowels must not be straighter then Christs merits what his blood hath cleansed the Church may not hold vnpardonable therefore ouer great austerie was well condemned in the Councell of Nice which left power in the Bishops vpon iust cause to mittigate the penance which was enioyned by Canons with great seueritie to the terror of the wicked You haue heard what compassion must be shewed the Text moreouer teacheth who must shew it and vpon what ground Touching the partie that must shew it St HIEROME hath a good rule on this Text Homo potest se in voraginem perditionis conijcere non potest sine auxilio se eripere we may cause our owne ruine of our selues but vnto our restitution we need the helpes of others of others amongst whom we must acknowledge an Agent and the Instruments the chiefe Agent is GOD he onely blotteth out all our offences as himselfe speaketh in ESAY and it is He that healeth all our infirmities Ps 103. yet he is pleased to vse means or instruments and they are of two sorts medium impetrationis and medium operationis that is the Church offended this is the Minister In publike scandals GOD ouer and aboue the teares and sighes of the penitent will haue the whole Church to mediate and deprecate his wrath and he will haue the Minister spondere veniam to promise pardon and absolue in his name so that this Text implyeth a power which GOD hath giuen both the Pastor and People inabling each in his order to forgiue sinnes according as we are taught Math. 18. But marke here the words whereby these persons are described least they be proud and suppose their compassion to be arbitrarie which they may shew or withhold at their pleasure they are taught the contrarie by their names which testifie that it is necessarie for them to shew compassion The first name is Brethren Esay 58.7 this name implyeth an argument of compassion for a man may not turne away his eyes from his owne flesh this is true if he were but a naturall man but the spirituall cognation is greater and therefore bindeth more strongly by how much we owe more regard to our supernaturall then to our naturall Father Adde hereunto that their is no shew no pretence of
SERMONS With some Religious and Diuine Meditations BY The Right Reuerend Father in God ARTHVRE LAKE late Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells Whereunto is prefixed by way of Preface a short view of the Life and Vertues of the AVTHOR LONDON Printed by W. STANSBY for Nathaniel Butter 1629. VENERABILI VIRO DOMINO IOHANNI YONG SS THEOL DOCT. DIGNISSIMO ECCLESIAE WINTONIENSIS DECANO HAS REVERENDI IN CHRISTO PATRIS ARTHVRI LAKE BATHONIENSIS ET WELLENSIS OLIM EPISCOPI PIAS ET DOCTAS CONCIONES Obseruantiae ergo L. M. D. D. D. PHILIPPVS MAHAT IOHANNES COOTH THOMAS WOODYATES A SHORT VIEW OF THE LIFE AND VERTVES OF THE AVTHOVR Christian Reader THou hast here a taste of the doctrine of that Reuerend Prelate whom if thou knewest not in his life time I suppose it concernes thee to bee acquainted with now as with a man rare and eminent for all kind of vertue naturall morall theologicall personall pastorall and indeed one of the examples of his time If the lawes of a Preface did permit so much I suppose it would be a labour worth thy acceptance to giue thee a iust storie of his life whereof there is no part but would yeild thee good matter of imitation But leauing that to the pen of some able Historian whom God may stirre vp to write a speciall Volume of the Worthies of our age I hold it my dutie to impart to thee some few of those obseruable passages concerning him which returned to my minde vpon the publishing of this worke not doubting but that by the attentiue reading thereof thou mayest bee as well edified as by the Worke it selfe First then be thou pleased to take notice that this holy man hauing beene noursed vp from his tender age in the exercises of true Pietie and in the studies of various and exquisite Learning first in the famous Schoole of Winchester where he was placed a child and after in New Colledge in Oxford whether he was elected to bee a fellow was in his riper yeares aduanced to diuers eminent places of dignitie in the Church not by any ambitious suit or seeking of his own but by the speciall and J had almost said immediate prouidence of Almightie God who beyond his expectation or desire raised him by insensible degrees to the heighth of Episcopall dignitie thereby giuing vs one proofe among many that notwithstanding our great and manifold sinnes he hath not altogether abandoned the care of his Church For while this man by the naturall inclination and bent of his owne minde affected rather the f Iudges 9.11 fruitfulnesse of the Vine and the fatnesse of the Oliue in a more priuate and retired life then to be a Gouernour ouer the trees as appeared by his willing acceptance of a Fellowship in the Colledge neare Winchester where for a time he liued and could haue beene contented to haue ended his dayes there in sweet contemplation if he had beene let alone Yet God that rules all things so disposed of him that one while by the conspiring votes of a numerous Society hee was euen before he thought of it recalled to the Wardenship of that g 〈◊〉 Marie 〈…〉 Colledge whereof he had beene formerly fellow another while by the speciall grace and fauour of his Maiestie without any suite of his owne likewise preferred first to the Prefecture of the Hospitall of Saint Crosses neare Winchester then to the Deanerie of the Cathedrall Church of Worcester and lastly to the Bishopricke of Bath and Wels where he died Jn all which places of honour and employment first he forgate not the practice of those vertues whereof he had made shew in his more priuate life but continued the same in his Rotchet which he had beene in his Schollers gowne thereby shewing that his vertues were vertues indeed and that hee vsed them not as Stage-players doe their vizards only to act a part in which being done they pull them off and cast them into a corner Jnstances of this kind may be First his Humilitie the Basis as it is well called of all vertue which being a fruit of true Christian mortification and consisting in a low-prising of a mans selfe and his gifts he had studied so well in his younger yeares that in the whole course of his life afterwards there was no tumor of pride appeared but as well in his actions as in his speeches he euer t Rom. 〈…〉 made himselfe equall with those of the lowest sort and that notwithstanding the many temptations which hee had both from the eminencie of his place and excellencie of his parts to doe and speake otherwise Secondly From this and not from the goodnesse of his nature only though that were very good did proceed that singular Affabilitie and easinesse of Accesse which he euer retained to all sorts of men and to those of his owne Coate especially There was no place nor time almost except it were his times of deuotion wherein hee might not bee spoken with by the meanest person and in his speech so farre as lawfully he might hee euer studied to giue the partie content so that although it were not in his power to grant euery mans suite for who can doe that yet I thinke no man can say hee was euer sleighted or superciliously vsed by him 3. Adde hereunto his rare Tranquillitie and Contentednesse of minde which though a man would thinke should agree best with an honourable and plentifull estate yet experience teacheth that it is farre otherwise Accesse of fortunes in most men rather enlargeth then satisfieth desire and new honours breed new ambitions besides the verie employment of great men occasioneth many troublesome disquieting thoughts which a priuate life is naturally free from But this man hauing first framed his mind to haue true contentment in his more priuate fortunes retained the same temper in all the alterations of his estate so that whatsoeuer outwardly befell him either to the better or the worser part he seemed very little to be affected surely nothing disquieted therewithall A strange serenitie of minde in him whereof I take it also to haue beene a good argument that as I haue often heard him say so long as he was in perfect health of his bodie he did neuer g Vide Arist de hist animal lib 4. cap 17. Item Plutarch de Oraeulorum desectu vbi hoc idem refert de Clâ—one 〈◊〉 Thrasymede dreame 4. But a speciall cause of that also may haue beene his great Temperancie or rather Austeritie in diet which was another vertue that hee retained from the time he first tasted Vniuersitie Commons vnto his dying day For as at the greatest and best furnished meales whereat the condition of his place required his presence his feeding was commonly vpon one dish and that none of the daintiest so it is well knowne that when he was not hindered by the extraordinarie resort of strangers vnto him he fasted commonly foure times in the weeke from his supper and
spent that time vntill eight or nine of the clocke at night in framing some Meditation or other vpon a piece of holy Scripture the copies of diuers whereof remained in his Studie at his departure some few of which thou shalt find annexed to this worke for thy vse and benefit 5. As hee was in his diet so in his apparrell recreations and all other outward things belonging to this life a most sparing and temperate vser of Gods blessings and that as well in his richer as in his meaner fortunes so that vnlesse it were in the companie of schollers and in such ingenious and pleasant discourses as are incident thereto wherein he would sometimes expresse much freedome of innocent mirth a man could not obserue that he tooke much delight in any wordly thing whatsoeuer an euident argument that his intellectuall part had the predominancy ouer his sensuall or rather indeed that grace ruled them both and that the Man in him was subordinate to the Christian With these vertues did this good man come furnisht to the Episcopall Chaire and being there hee kept them like as he did also his firme purpose of single life which though it be not of it selfe a vertue t 〈◊〉 part 3 de 〈…〉 but a State yet he that could liue in that state free not only from the act but from all suspition of vncleannesse as J thinke no man in this age liued more free had certainly attained that excellent gift which our Sauiour commends and wisheth them that haue it to make vse of as of a great aduantage and helpe to godlines Matth. 19.12 Now as the varietie of his preferments in the world did no way hinder him in the practice of these his priuate and personall vertues as hath beene said so did they yeild him a greater furtherance or opportunitie at least of acting some others which J may call publike or Pastorall For first as he had beene alwayes liberall from the time he had any thing to giue so vpon the increase of his fortunes hee improued that vertue euen to a kind of Magnificence I am verily perswaded if hee had attained to that wealth which some of our English Prelates heretofore haue done hee would haue built Churches and Colledges But his forwardnesse in this kind could neuer stay till his purse were full therefore hee neuer attained to the doing of any pompous worke But if it were possible to lay together his ordinarie largesse to the poore at his gates and in the streets his contributions to pious workes of all sorts vpon his owne and others motions his Exhibitions to poore Schollers both abroad and in the Vniuersitie of all which he kept no Kalender J assure my selfe they would arise to as great a summe as the workes of one of the greatest Benefactours of our time Besides his increasing of the allowance of the poore Brethren of Saint Crosse both in diet and otherwise which was worthily continued by his i Sir Peter Yong. Successour his maintayning of two Lectures in New Colledge in Oxford one for the Hebrew Tongue another for the Mathematickes his leading the way to the setting vp of the great Organ in the Church of Worcester and to the founding of a Librarie there as also of another in Welles might well be reckoned as particular instances of his farre extended bountie in this kinde 2. Next his Magnanimitie and Courage appeared well in the gouernment of the Vniuersitie that one yeare wherein he bare the office of Vicechancellour For as they well know that haue had experience of that place the animosity of some spirits there being like k Plutarch in Alexanaro Alexanders horse generous indeed and fit for great seruices but yet fierce and vntractable for the time requires no lesse then an Alexander to curbe them and to bring them to their due temper and pace And such an Alexander was he For notwithstanding all opposition that is vsually made in that kind hee reuiued much of the ancient Discipline there and indeed wrought such a sensible reformation vpon the more distempered parts of the Vniuersity that as J haue credibly heard it was deliberated by those that had the highest care of that place to haue continued him longer therein though a consecrated Bishop had not he of his owne minde desirous to attend his greatest charge shewed himselfe auerse from receiuing any such dispensation 3. Next to his Magnanimitie if not a part of it I may reckon his Contempt of wealth and especially of that manner of getting wealth which is too commonly in vse among them which seeke m Horat. Epist 1 quocunque modo rem Had he made that his rule he might haue beene a rich man But J dare say that in all Elections of Schollers Collations of Orders and Benefices Dispositions of Offices and Grants of Colledge and Church-leases that passed through his hands as there passed in his time very many he neuer fouled them with the least touch of a Gehazi's reward which Integrity of his together with his open-handednesse and house-keeping were the onely causes that he left no greater estate behind him But to come yet more nearely to the discharge of his Episcopall Function His Abilitie to teach which Saint Paul makes one of the principall vertues of a p 1. Tim. 3 2. Bishop as it was very great so did it neuer appeare more then after he came to speake ex cathedrâ for although the acts of gouernment alone may seeme sufficient to take vp a man in that place yet he knowing that there is a double honour which Saint Paul allowes to such as doe not only rule well but also labour in the Word and Doctrine 1. Tim. 5.17 did after the example of Saint Chrisostome Saint Augustine Saint Gregorie the Great and other ancient Bishops whose Homilies wee enioy and read at this day and neuer ceast after he was a Bishop to adorne the Pulpit with his no lesse frequent and assiduous then learned and pious labours Witnesse his ordinary preaching in the Cathedrall Church of Welles his frequent excursions into the Parishes adioyning and indeed his leauing of no place where he came if it were a sit time of preaching vnsupplied Besides all which his ordinarie Discourses were in one kind or other as good as Lectures to those that heard them for indeed he was a man of rare sufficiencie in all parts of Learning and for any doubts that were proposed to him whether historicall textuall practicall or controuersall as his readinesse was singular to take notice of them so was his dexteritie no lesse happy in resoluing them So that to conclude for this point J may say he was a q 1. Kinâ— 1 10. Salomon to his houshold Seruants to the City where he liued an r Orâ—â—alum Ci 〈◊〉 Oracle to any Scholler that resorted to him a Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liuing librarie to the whole Church such a Priest as God himselfe describes by his Prophet Malachie
Causes of flight together and then learne from Saint Iohn Iohn 1.3 20. If our conscience doe accuse vs God is greater then our Conscience and knoweth all things And yet Saint Basil maketh such a liuely Description of the worke of Conscience in Iudgement that a man would thinke nothing could be added to the terrour thereof 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Conscience will so limme out our Liues and be such a Looking Glasse of all our deeds that by an vnspeakable power in a moment of time as we would thinke nothing can better represent our selues to our selues But for all that the Heart of a man is an intricate Labyrinth none knoweth it but God only as God himselfe teacheth in Ieremie 〈◊〉 17 1◠〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 4. As all things are naked before his eyes so will he then bring many things to light which are hid in darknesse When then both these terrours concurre whereof the one so much increaseth the other you will not wonder that the wicked vpon the apprehension thereof betake themselues to flight Flying is their shift but it is a vaine one for whether should they flie when euery creature which at the Creation was made a Souldier in Gods Hoast shall at the last Day become a Iaylour to arrest prisoners and present them at his Assizes What remayneth then but that they that cannot shrinke from the Iudgement â—isdome 17. sinke vnder it For wickednesse condemned by her owne witnesse is very timerous and being prest with Conscience alwayes forecasteth terrible things The man that was but questioned for wanting his Wedding Garment at the Marriage Matth. 2â— grew presently speechlesse Our Sauiour Luke 21. saith that their Iudgement shall come like a snare and indeed in the Psalme we reade that God shall raine vpon the wicked Psal 11. Snares Fire and Brimstone Storme and Tempest this is their partion to drinke Now we know that a Snare doth not only take but ouer-turne the wild beast that is taken therein But if the terrour of the Iudge doe not 〈◊〉 19.12 Vnder whom the mightiest Helpes doe stoope as it is in Iob nor the inextricable suddaines of his Iudgement yet the weight of sinne will crush and beare a Sinner to the ground Dauid in his owne person and conflicts with a guiltie Conscience out of which notwithstanding by Gods mercie he did finally rise yet confesseth that the sense of guilt is like a drowning Floud like a crushing Burden a Burden too Heauie for man to beare and if the righteous that Man after Gods owne Heart when he sell as a man were scarcely saued where shall the Vngodly 1. 〈◊〉 â— and the vnrighteous appeare You see then how true it is that The Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement Causâ cadent cadent persond themselues with their Cause shall fall to the ground they shall both sinke as low as the Chambers of death But Bonâ— concessum quod impijs negatum as Bede noteth though They shall not yet shall The Righteous stand And no maruell for they shall bee free both from the guilt of Conscience and the terrour of the Iudge And why Their hearts are purified by Faith yea purified from dead workes whatsoeuer is mortall is taken from them for Christ Iesus of God is made vnto them Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 〈…〉 the Law of Life which is in Iesus Christ freeth them from sinne and death so that Rom. 8. Matth. 24. there is no condemnation vnto them which are so in Christ And if there bee no Condemnation then may they Lift vp their heads with ioy when Christ commeth 1. Iohn 3. Luke 21 knowing that their Redemption draweth neere If their Conscience doe not accuse them they may haue boldnesse in the Day of Iudgement they shall stand before the Sonne of Man and his Throne shall be vnto them a Throne of Grace But more distinctly The Standing of the Righteous is opposed to the Flying from and Sinking vnder Iudgement if Adam did flie only because hee was Naked that which remedieth the Nakednesse stayeth the flight now Nakednesse stood in Sinne and Mortalitie both these are remedied in the Resurrection of the Iust The Sinne is all taken away by the Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and Sanctification of his Spirit The Mortalitie because as they are quickened by Grace in their Soules so their Bodies of Naturall become Spirituall 1. Cor. 15. and their Corruptible puts on Incorruption their Mortall Immortalitie so then there being no part of Nakednesse left there can remayne no cause of Flying And if not of Flying from then not of Sinking vnder Iudgement for that which is the Cause of Flying is the cause of Sinking also but the state of their Person doth deny al possibility of Sinking the Spiritin their Soule is the Pledge of their Inheritance in Heauen and their Bodies which they shall then receiue are not only Houses from Heauen 2. Cor. 5. but such as are fitted for Heauen both carrie vpward and not downward But marke more particularly 1. Thes 4.16 what the Scripture saith of the Resurrection of the iust The Dead in Christ shall Rise first Yea they onely shall Rise from death for the Resurrection of the wicked is not from but vnto Death from one Death vnto another And therefore in Saint Luke onely the Righteous are called Filij Resurrectionis Luke 20.36 because their Resurrection is vnto Life which is properly a Standing the wicked doe but Rise to take a greater fall they fall from a Temporall to an Eternall Death Secondly As the Righteous shall Rife first so being raysed 1. Thes 4.17 Rapientur in occursum They shall be taken vp into the ayre to meete Christ and so shall euer be with him So that except He fall they shall neuer fall they shall be remoued from the Earth which is the place of falling Thirdly they shall be placed at the right Hand of Christ to be taken vp vnto him is to be admitted to a Beatificall Vision Psal 16. for what is our happinesse but to see Him as He is For in his presence there is fulnesse of ioy and if we be placed at His right Hand there is pleasure for euer more secure Honour and endlesse Life if that support vs no feare of falling we shall certainely stand But to put it out of all doubt When we come to the right Hand Matth 9. we shall be set vpon Thrones and shall with Christ iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel 1. Cor. 6 yea the Angels also so farre shall we be from being wofully Passiue that wee shall bee gloriously Actiue in that Iudgement How we shall Iudge is a curious question I will not now vndertake to resolue it it sufficeth to my purpose that howsoeuer we shall Iudge as many as are honoured with that function may well be held Standers they shall neither Shrinke nor Sinke But we may not forget
inlargeth their worke vpon that obiect to the vtter most he excepts no sin but would haue them all pluckt vp by the rootes Hide thy face from my sinnes blot out all mine iniquities This is King Dauids suite a hard suite you may oubt whether it can be granted you may doubt whether such indulgence may stand with the Diuine Prouidence how he that seeth all can hide his face from any thing and how he can blot out any thing that keepeth a record of all I must therefore in the last place shew you the possibilitie which King Dauid hath of obtayning his desire shew you that such Indulgence doth not preiudice Gods Prouidence and Gods Prouidence not hinder such Indulgence You haue the particulars which are contained in this Text which I will now farther vnfold I pray God it may be to our edification But before I enter vpon the particulars I must giue some light vnto the phrases which are darke because figuratiue and may mis-guide if they bee taken as they sound Whereas then here is mention made of a Face wee may not conceiue that God hath a body made of flesh and bloud they were long since condemned for hereticks that did so grossely mistake the Scripture God in such phrases by a resemblance informeth vs as far as we are capable of his incomparable Essence Consider then the vse of our face it is the instrument of knowledge therein are the senses placed of seeing hearing smelling c. but yet though they appeare there we must not impute the sense vnto the body but vnto the soule that quickens the body Philosophie teacheth that Anima est quae videt quae audit c. and there is sensible proofe of it when the soule is departed from the body though there be an eye left and an eare yet there is neither seeing nor hearing whereupon it followeth that the vertue of seeing and hearing is in the soule these are the faculties of a spirit so that God may haue them though hee haue properly no face hee may haue that which is signified by the face the power of discerning things A second vse that is made of the face is that it serueth for a looking-glasse wherein to behold our affections this vse followeth vpon the former for that which wee apprehend outwardly by our senses doth inwardly content or discontent the euidence of either you may reade in our countenance if it content we looke vpon it cheerefully and turne from it wrathfully if it discontent hereupon it commeth to passe that the face is vsed to note sometimes Gods fauour and sometimes his anger according as that which is presented before him doth please or else displease Out of both these vses of the face applyed vnto God we must learne that there is no perfection in man which is not in God that beflowed it vpon man but wee must conceiue it in God as it beseemeth God according to the vncompoundednesse and infinitenesse of his nature The second phrase of blotting out which presupposeth a Booke wherein things are written is also a phrase borrowed from men whose brittle memory maketh them haue recourse to such helpes least otherwise many of their affaires should either be forgotten by them or denyed by others the Booke supplies both these defects and what is entred there serueth our owne memory and resolueth the doubts of others we haue proofe hereof in our Oeconomicks no good husband which taketh not this course at home and in the Politicks there is no well aduised State that is without a Register and maketh not vse of Annals and Iournals To apply this God is Master of his house the Church the world is his Kingdome wherein hee reignes wee may happily thinke that though hee seeth all yet he may forget much to refute so vaine a dreame the Scripture doth remember his Booke not meaning that his memory wanteth a helpe but that it is as firme as ours is with such a helpe yea much more firme for our helpes are as much subiect to casualty as our selues are but Gods booke is nothing but himselfe and himselfe is no more lasting then is his record we must therfore sublime our thoughts when wee thinke of Gods Booke and fancy nothing which is not Diuine But I leaue the phrase and come to the matter I told you that Gods prouidence intimated by these two phrases consisteth of these two acts the first is Omnia nouit hee hath an vbiquitary Eye all things as Saint Paul speaketh are naked before his eyes Elihu in Iob Heb. 4.13 Iob. 34.21.22 his eyes are vpon the wayes of man and hee seeeth all his goings there is no darkenesse nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselues Psal 139. King Dauid hath made a whole Psalme wherein hee sheweth how vaine a thing it is for a man to seeke a hiding place from God Ecclus. 23.19 The sonne of Syrach in few words The eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter then the Sun beholding all the wayes of men and considering the most secret parts he knew all things ere euer they were created and when they were created hee looked vpon them Cap. 30.1 therefore doth God in Esay cry out against them that take counsell but not of him and that couer with a couering but not of his spirit and it is not without cause obserued as a great folly in our first father Adam that hee thought a thicket of trees would hide him from God The same discase is inherited by his posterity wee may gather it out of the phrase â—om 1â— 12 〈◊〉 3. â—0 Iob. 24.15 16. wherein the holy Ghost describes sinnes calling them workes of darkenesse because as Christ telleth vs Qui male agit odit lucem adulterers and theiues choose darkenesse when they will fulfill their lusts and they that are drunken saith the Apostle are drunken in the night but silly wretches while they thinke no eye seeth them the eyes of God are vpon them 〈◊〉 23.19 Psal 39.12 and hee is priuy to their most inward thoughts for night is to him as the day and darkenesse is as the cleare light This is the first worke of Prouidence Omnia nouit hee knoweth all things The second is Omnia notat he maketh a record of all things that is implied in the Book Psal 139.16 Dan. 7.10 〈◊〉 20 12. 〈◊〉 20.12 cap. 3.5 Often mention is made therof in the Psalms in Daniel in Ezekiel in the Reuelation and the Platonists Mundus intelligibilis and Idaeaes seeme to import the very same but that which I principally obserue is that God doth not see things as if they did not concerne him but as Salomon speaketh his eye-lids try the sonnes of men and hee pondereth all their pathes yea hee doth make a record of them whether they bee good or bad Vers 16. Of the good you haue an excellent place Malach. Chap. 3. when the Atheist had blasphemed then they
then they would put it off and say it was but his priuate conceipt The like Stratagem doth the Church of Rome vse they publish their opinions by single men whom we haue refuted they tell vs they are not bound no not to the writings of Bellarmine himselfe As for the Pope he is carefull to resolue few doubts out of his Chaire And so they prouide that they will not be refuted no not when they are refuted But Chrysostome giueth them a good Item Leuis est consolatio si quis in seipso confusus est quod ab alijs ignoratur it is but a cold comfort for a man to set a good face vpon a businesse when the conscience is sensible of its owne confusion Although the Person were but one yet was he no ordinary one hee is set forth here two wayes first as very great in shew great for his learning for he was a Lawyer S. Marke calleth him a Scribe And here I must open one Antiquity more If we looke into the originall of the Iewes Religion which is Moses Law we shall find that God committed the teaching of his people vnto the Priests and Leuites Whereupon is grounded that saying of Mâ—lachi The Priests lips should preserue knowledge Chap. 2.7 and the people should aske the Law at his mouth And to that end were the Priests and Leuites not onely to minister in the Temple and teach in the Synagogues but to be of Councell also in the Synedrion at Ierusalem and in the inferiour Senates throughout the whole holy Land But when corruption had ouer-flowen the Church of the Iewes and the Priests and Leuites had degenerated then started vp certaine vsurpers that tooke vpon them the doctrinall part of their function Of whom Christ speaketh in the Gospell The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses Chaire Matt. 23. Which two seemed to differ as Genebrard thinketh no otherwise then the Canonists and the Schoolemen in the Church of Rome Or to speake more properly to the Iewish aniquities the Scribe was a Textuarie and the Pharisee a Traditionarie Diuine Vnderstand me not exclusiuely for the Pharisee did allow the Text and the Scribe the Traditions but it should seeme they were not both alike studied in or zealous for them both Neither must you thinke that all Scribes were Vsurpers for if they were of the Tribe of Leuie as was Esdras their calling was lawfull But they did vsurpe Moses chaire if they were of any other tribe Much like vnto the orders of Fryers which started vp in the night as it were of Christendome and taking aduantage of the ignorance of ordinarie Pastors encroach't vpon their function and ingrost all Deuotion into their hands When you heare this questionist called a Lawyer you must vnderstand that he was by degree a Rabbin or a Doctor of the Law For there were Nouices which were brought vp at the Doctors feete as Paul at the feete of Gamaliel Yea they had Lay-followers as the Friers haue lay Dominicans lay Franciscans and lay Iesuites who hold it no small ghostly comfort to weare the badge of any of those Fraternities and to be partakers of their merits And the Fraternities doe gladly imbrace such followers they thriue not a little by their Almes and their countenance But such followers are called Disciples they haue not the honour to bee called Rabbins neither come they vnder the name of Lawyers or Scribes Whereupon it followeth that this man was great for his learning But this greatnesse was onely in shew for though they were accounted Doctors by their Nouices yet were they but ill seene in Gods Law Legis verba tenent hi Scribae saith Saint Ambrose vim ignorant they were readie at the Text but altogether ignorant of the sense like Anabaptists and Brownists Christ obserueth two notable defects in them the one was that they did reatch the Ceremoniall Law too farre and the other that they did shrincke the Morall Law too much So that their Key of knowledge did open the Kingdome of Heauen neither to themselues nor others Wherupon Saint Paul doth not without cause moue the question Where is the wise Where is the Scribe 1. Cor. â— Where is the Disputer of this world So wee may conclude of this Scribe that hee was great for learning but that greatnesse was onely in shew He was not great onely for learning hee was great for holinesse also for he was a Pharisee and Pharisees were Saints among the Iewes For they did supererogate liued not onely according to the written Law but according to the traditions also Whatsoeuer did concerne solemne prayers or religious worship was learned from them and they were a Law vnto the people Auiâ—â—â—â— 18 cap. 2. lib 17. cap. 13. â—â—de â—eâ—â— Iudâ—â—â—â— lib. 2 cap. cap 7. Flauius Iosephus saith that they had gotten such Authority by their holinesse that though they did oppose King or Priest yet the people would giue credit to them I wil not trouble you with particularizing their superstitions they were as apish as the Friars are And they were as great busie bodies as either the Iesuits or our precisians are But all this holinesse was but in shew if the things themselues did not speake it our Sauiour Christ in the Gospel doth paint out the vanity thereof Saint Paul after hee had beene a Pharisee and was become a Christian telleth vs that he accounted all his Pharisaisme was no better then losse and dung Phil 3. Heres 16. Epiphanius passeth a very true censure vpon it when he telleth vs that it was spontanea superflua Religio nothing but a packe of will-worship and that which setteth a man neuer a whit forward towards Heauen nay it set them backward rather Christ giueth the reason they made the commandements of God of none effect by their Traditions Mat. 15.6 or at least they leauened them So that when I say he was a great man whom they made their Champion I meane great in their eyes but not indeed or in Christs eyes What he was indeed and what he appeared to Christ is intimated by that which followeth he came with a sword in his heart hee was a Tempter what is that but a Diuell It is one of the Titles which Saint Paul giueth vnto him and all Tempters doe resemble him Tempters in that sense which is here meant for God is said to tempt not as ignorant of vs but to make vs to know and shew our selues and not with any ill meaning towards vs but intending our good But diuelish Temptation proceeds either from Infidelitie when it is bent against God and sheweth that wee doe not beleeue that which wee ought to acknowledge in God namely his Wisedome his Power his Holinesse c. so the Iewes are said to haue tempted God in the Wildernesse or else it proceeds from malice when it is bent againstman and seeketh some aduantage to worke his destruction The temptatation that in my Text is bent against Christ is
the onely reason why I must loue my selfe And this will lead vs to another note Christ saith that wee must loue our neighbour as our selfe but not for our selfe that were amor concupiscentiae but ours must bee amor amicitiae hee that loueth for himselfe ceaseth to loue 2. Cor. 12. if he cannot and when he doth not speed of his owne benefit but hee that can say with Saint Paul Quaero vos non vestra will say with him Idem I will loue you though the more I loue the lesse I am beloued Such loue is a stable loue like that of Booz towards Ruth whereof Naomi said the man will not be at rest vntill he hath finished the matter But yet obserue that though a man must loue his neighbour rather for his neighbours sake then for his owne that loueth him yet must hee not doe it so much for his neighbours sake as for Gods towards whom hee must bend all his neighbours loue as being the vpshot of humane felicitie This which I haue obserued in thesi or in generall concerning our neighbour must bee applyed in hypothesi and fitted to euery degree of neighbours Though they be knit together by naturall or ciuill obligations which yeeld reason of lower degrees of loue yet must not Christians rest there they must improue their loue vntil they haue brought it as high as this measure of grace Parents loue their children Gouernours those that are commited to their charge Citizens Friends loue each the other but whatsoeuer else causeth this loue wee loue them not as our selues except first hauing qualified our selues with the loue of God we qualifie them therewith also It is a question whether As bee a note of similitude or equality so that it is enough to loue our neighbour with such a loue as wee loue our selues though not with so great A needlesse question if Christs words bee vnderstood as I haue opened them If you take them in the first sense as the measure of our mutuall loue is dictated by the light of Nature there can be no doubt but the measure must be equall for how can I suppose my selfe in another mans state and him in mine and in reason deale any iot worse with him then I would haue him leale with me if the case were altered to scant the measure if it were but in the least graine is plaine philautie or corrupt loue of a mans selfe Take the measure in that sense which is dictated by Grace and that will admit no inequalitie of loue for should I loue the loue of God in any man lesse then I doe in my selfe that would sauour of enuy at the least if not implerie for I should haue an euill eye when God is good yea I should not as I ought take comfort in the highest aduancement of the honour of God The Scripture teacheth vs to doe farre otherwise A new Commandement giue I vnto you saith Christ that you loue one another as I haue loued you that you also loue one another Ioh 13. Now you know how Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs forgetting as it were all the content that hee tooke in his owne Holines and Happines that he might promote ours Saint Iohn applies it to vs 1. Ioh. 3. Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because hee laid downe his life for vs and we ought to lay downe our liues for the Brethren Take an instance in Saint Paul Phil. 2. If I be offered vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith that is in working and increasing it I ioy and reioyce with you all for the same cause also doe you ioy and reioyce with mee Or if this instance doe not satisfie because that Saint Pauls death which hee wished was a martyrdome and though hee preferred the loue of the Brethren before his corporall life yet therein he manifested the greater loue to God for higher in his loue to God during this life a man cannot ascend then willingly to bee a Martyr to to seale Gods truth with his bloud and confirme the faith of the Church Rom 9. S. Paul hath another of a higher straine concerning the loue of our neighbour which be vtterth with a sad Preface testifying that hee is earnest and well aduised I say the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience also bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost that I haue great heauines and continuall sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my selfe were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh Diuine brotherly Loue how dost thou transport the Apostle to whom Hell is not terrible nor the losse of Heauen grieuous so the Israelites might escape the one and obtaine the other And did hee not then loue them more then himselfe But might hee doe it and may wee imitate him herein Surely hee might without any offence to God testifie his wish because hee doth not contradict Gods decree which will not haue Holinesse vnhappie but supposing there were a posibility that a man hauing no sinne might bee subiected to those torments hee meanes that he could be contented to vndergoe euen the torments of Hell so the Israelites might haue the grace to belieue in Christ and to haue such a minde is no sinne but it bringeth Charitie to the highest pitch to which it can possibly be raised in a Creature Neither is there any reason why we may not imitate him herein seeing what was vertuous in him cannot be vicious in another man But indeed it is not to bee expected that our Charitie will euer fall into so heauenly an Ecstasis it is well if we come so farre as to loue our neighbour as our selfe although it is not improbably obserud by some vpon those passages which before I cited out of Saint Iohn that the Law which biddeth vs loue our Neighbour as our selfe could not teach perfect Charity because the Iewes being vnder age were not capable of so profound a doctrine and therefore Christ vnder the new Testament goeth farther with the Church being of ripe age and would haue Christians loue their neighbours more then themselves this is a new or Euangelicall Sicut Which being true Aquinas his conceipt followed by many Romanists must needs be false who teacheth that it is against nature moralitie and Charitie for a man to loue his neighbour more then himselfe except happily wee will distinguish betweene the inward affection and the outward action of Charitie the inward affection must be equall to all at least as great as to our selues but in outward action because it is impossible for vs to doe this good vnto all we must dispense it as farre as our abilitie will reach proportioning our indeauour according to the number and strictnesse of obligations whereby wee stand bound to persons for so is Pauls rule Galath 6. While we haue time let vs doe good to all men especially to those that are of the Houshold of faith and in
the more choice God had the more grace hee vouchsafed to them whom hee chose so that wee must resolue the words thus Although all the world be mine yet thou shalt be to me and so the Offer will appeare absolutely free What shall we say then vnto these things Surely as God hath little cause by reason of our vilenesse to ioy that wee are His so wee haue great cause by reason of our happinesse to ioy that God is ours who would be ambitious after any woddly thing that may be partaker of this gracious prerogatiue And all Nations may partake of it It is true that these words were spoken to Israel and therefore the Iewes at this day count all Nations slaues beside themselues appropriating vnto themselues this Prerogatiue but their pride should blush when it considers that God hath so many hundred yeares stript them of their spirituall ornaments and made them corporall slaues to all the World 1 Epist 2. Saint Peter applies this very text vnto Christians and the foure and twentie Elders confesse thus vnto Christ Reuel 5. Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of enerie kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests These words then belong to Vs Rom. 11.20 yet must wee not bee high-minded but feare Gen 49. if Israel lost his primogeniture so may we God may say to vs as Iacob said to Reuben for his sinne Non excelles thou shalt bee disinherited Hos 1.9 Gnammi may become Lo-Gnammi they are Gods people may cease to bee his people What is the way to preuent it Surely dutie to consider of this gracious Prerogatiue and indeuour carefully to partake thereof If we esteeme it as it deserues and desire it as we ought we shall not faile to haue it and by it be entred into the houshold of Saints those Saints whose memory wee solemnize this day for they became such by this Prerogatiue and this Prerogatiue will make vs such if wee bee Gods peculiar treasure here on earth wee shall be it much more in the kingdome of heauen by how much our gold shall be freer from drosse and no cloud shall dimme our precious jewels If we be Kings here in the state of grace our kingdome is but like that of Dauid full of warre but when wee come to heauen our kingdome shall be like that of Salomon it shall bee a kingdome of peace And our Priest-hood which is now often interrupted and neglected often shall neuer depart from before God and wee shall sacrifice to him day and night Finally holy wee are now rather in the good purpose of our minde then in the performance of our life but then we shall bee Trees of life euer laden with kindly fruit fit to honour to cheare both God and men LEt vs all pray for and God grant vnto vs all such a beginning of this gracious Prerogatiue in this life that we may haue the full consummation thereof with all the Saints departed in the life to come Amen Remember me O Lord with the fauour of thy people visit me with thy saluation That I may see the felicitie of thy chosen and reioyce in the ioy of thy people and glorie with thine inheritance Psal 116. The fifth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 5. Now therefore if yee will obey my voice c. Then shall yee be c. IN the first message which from mount Sinai God sent by Moses vnto Israel I haue told you heretofore that there are contained two remarkable points the first sheweth what God requires the second what God offers I told you then also that the Text leadeth me to consider these two points first seuerally then ioyntly I haue already considered them seuerally I haue shewed you what they meane it remaineth that I now consider them ioyntly that I shew you how they depend one vpon the other And this Obseruation I draw from the reference of these two particles If and Then If yee shall obey my voice c. Then yee shall be vnto me c. But to deale more distinctly Out of this reference we may draw too good Obseruations The first Wee must not exspect what God doth offer except we performe what God doth require for thus speaketh the Text If yee shall heare my voice and keepe my Couenant Then shall yee bee vnto me c. The second We may not slicke at that which God requires because that which God offers doth infinitely exceed it that will be euident if wee compare them as they are laid downe in the Text Yee shall be vnto me a peculiar treasure aboue all people a Kingdome of Priests an holy Nation If you heare my voice and If you keepe my Couenant Now there is no comparison betweene these Out of these two Obseruations doe arise two other for this reference will teach vs that Our faith and our Charitie must goe before our Hope for wee must heare Gods voice which is the worke of faith and keepe Gods Conenant which is the worke of Charitie before we can exspect to be Gods peculiar treasure a Kingdome of Priests an Holy Nation which blessings are the matter of our Hope And backe againe Our Hope must keepe in heart both our Faith and Charitie for he that is thus resolued that he shall bee Gods peculiar treasure a King to him and his Priest finally Holy to the Lord no doubt no danger will stay him will quell him from hearing Gods voice and keeping Gods Couenants he that so hopeth will beleeue and loue God These are the particulars wherewith I will endeauour God willing to order and quicken yours and mine owne faith hope and charitie I pray God wee may all so listen to them as those that meane to liue by them But before I open them vnto you I must acquaint you with a difference of Gods spirituall promises of them some are Absolute some are Conditionals wee may not confound them Absolute are all those prophecies of the Messias to come and the worke of Redemption foretold and presigured in the Old Testament whereof in the New we read the full accomplishment they take vp the first part of our Creed and of all these absolute promises Gods saying in Esay is true My counsell shall stand and I will accomplish all my will Cap 46. mauger all the infidelitie of man and the machinations of Satan without great absurditie yea impietie cannot these promises bee conceiued to depend on the will of any ereature Angell or man Conditionall promises are those which concerne particular persons or states participation of Christ incorporation into the Church fruition of crernall life of all these the rule of Saint Austin is true Quifecit te sine te non saluabit te sine te euerie person euerie state must put their hands to this worke or else it would neuer goe forward My Text doth containe a Promise of this later sort a Conditionall not an Absolute
true Oliue is the Iew and if the Gentile partake of the fatnesse thereof he must be grafted thereinto and become a Branch of that Oliue To the Ephesians more plainly more fully he maketh the receiuing of the Gentiles into the Church to bee an admission into the Couenant into the Common-wealth of Israel Ephes 3. a becomming one body with them But as the Gentile becommeth a Iew so is it not a Iew according to the flesh but according to the spirit A Sonne of Abraham he is but a spirituall Sonne the partition wall is taken downe yea the Arke it selfe is remoued Ieremy 3. and the Ceremonies which cloath the Religion of the Iewes cease they are not imposed vpon the Gentiles Yea the Iew himselfe becommeth a Gentile the Iew I say becommeth a Gentile carnally as the Gentile becommeth a Iew spiritually Of the ten Tribes it is most cleare that after their Captiuity they neuer returned and there is no such Nation to be heard of in the world they are mingled with other Nations and become Gentiles according to the flesh And as for the other two Tribes that made vp the Kingdome of Iuda many thousands of them were conuerted to the Christian Faith in the daies of the Apostles and yet there is not extant any Nationall Church of them neither was there long extant any they also are become Gentiles according to the flesh And God that buried the bodie of Moses so that it could not be found lest the Iewes should commit Idolatry with that body whereby God had wrought so great Miracles seemes also to haue as it were buried so many Iewes as became Christians by mingling them with the Gentiles lest that superstition which hath besotted the Gentiles to goe a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land should haue wrought more strongly in making them dote vpon that holy people But God hath turned all the world into a Canaan hath of all Nations compounded the Israel of God Of a truth saith St. Peter I see there is no respect of Persons with God but in euery Nation whosoeuer beleeueth and feareth God is accepted of him There is neyther Iew nor Gentile Graecian nor Barbarian bond nor free but all are one in Christ all are contained vnder this name Vs. In the Prophet vpon this ground Israel seemes to note the Gentiles Ezek. 37. when both Iuda and Israel are remembred to bee conuerted to God and the whole house of Iacob You see of what Nation the People is now see of what Condition Borne to Vs giuen to Vs. And who are we for whom God hath done this Gifts are bestowed vpon Persons eyther for their worth or for their need For their worth and so they are Munera honoraria they are presented in dutifull acknowledgement of their worth whether it be worth of vertue or worth of degree For their need and so they are Munera eleemosynaria conferred out of a pitifull compassion of others wants This gift is not of the first kinde it cannot be Honorarium There was no worth in vs which God should honour with this gift bestowed vpon vs. Our degree was of no regard our vertue of much Iesse the former was none in comparison and the later was none at all It must then be Munus eleemosynarium and indeed so it was the Scripture so speaketh of it Through the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from on high hath visited vs so saith Zacharie And St. Paul Tit. 3. After the kindnesse and loue of our Sauiour towards man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his mercy he saued vs. And indeed it was a worke of great mercy For whereas there is but duplex malum malum Poenae and malum Culpae a double euill of Sinne and Woe we were plunged deepe in both deep in Sin deepe in Woe To pity him that is deep in woe is not strange it seemeth to be the proper act of Mercy but pity towards Malefactors the Philosophers acknowledge none No man say they pitieth a Thiefe when he goeth to the Gallowes or a Murderer feeling the stroke of Iustice how much lesse would they pity them if the sinne were against themselues and that committed by a Vassall against his Lord a Vassall that had receiued much fauour against his Lord from whom he receiued it In such a case they acknowledge no pity Yet this is our case and we haue found pity so great pity that Christ was borne for Vs and Christ was giuen vnto Vs. So that of this pity as well Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely the Cause but the Occasion must be found in God It is cleare that the proper Cause is the goodnesse of God and it is as cleare that the occasion also must bee fetched from him Were there onely malum Poenae in vs there might bee found in vs an Occasion of Mercie but seeing there is also malum Culpae there cannot but bee an Occasion of Iustice Our double Euill worketh a double Occasion and so maketh Mercie and Iustice as it were to striue in God And indeed both take their occasions Natus satisfied Iustice for a Person came forth that was able to giue full satisfaction vnto Iustice but Datus satisfied Mercy because this Person was freely bestowed vpon Vs. So that if we put Borne for Vs and Giuen to Vs together we see the sweet Harmony that is in the Quire of Gods Attributes None singeth alone they concent together yet so that some one doth most loudly speak the praise of God and in our case Mercy reioyceth ouer Iudgement For though our sinnes haue occasioned Iustice and therefore Christ was borne for Vs that he might satisfie that iustice that was too heauie for vs yet our Woe occasioned Mercy which gaue Christ vnto Vs that in our own Person we might enioy the Blessings of God We are borne for our selues that we may liue and haue all the comfort of our life present to come blessings which we wanted and by which when we receiue them our state is the better It is not so with Christ he was borne for others not for himselfe and giuen to others not to himselfe for what wanted he whereof he needed a supply Hee was in the forme of God and what good is there that is not in the Nature of God which is the ouerflowing Fountaine of all good Looke vpon the State of Christ this Point will appeare clearly No man will doubt but his Birth was for the good of others that considereth that his glory is not his owne but ours He sitteth indeed at the right hand of God and is lifted vp aboue all Angels and Arch-angels and euery Name that is named in Heauen and Earth in this World and that which is to come but what gaineth he by it who was from eternity most high in the glory of his Father Christ himselfe affirmeth it Iohn 17. Glorifie mee O Father with that glory
they be Natiue and not Electiue they must needs haue a most free absolute Power And such Christs is Natus Rex it is the expresse letter of my Text And the Wisemen that came to present him Matth. 2. asked for him that was borne King of the Iewes Nay Christ himselfe when Pilate asked him whether he were a King replyed for this cause was I borne And Pilate set vp this stile ouer his Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes which he would not alter though he were much importuned by the Scribes and Pharisees The places of the Prophets are very cleare Esay 32. Ier. 23. but specially Dan. 7. all of them beare witnesse to the Kingdome of Christ So that wee must acknowledge in Christ a Kingly power such a Power as none must dare to dispute the verity of his Word as curious and scoffing Atheists and Epicures doe or resist his Authority as proud Pharaohs and Senacheribs Christ can brooke neyther But as Christ is called a King so here is an addition vnto his Title his Throne and Kingdome are termed the Throne and Kingdome of Dauid And indeed Christs Pedegree is by St. Matthew and St. Luke fetched from King Dauid Himselfe calleth himselfe in the Reuelation The roote and generation of Dauid The Apostle telleth vs that be was of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh And how often in the Gospell is he called The Sonne of Dauid In the Prophets euen Dauid himselfe sometimes and sometimes The branch of Dauid Finally the Angell in the first of Luke telleth the Virgin Mary That Christ shall sit vpon the Throne of his Father Dauid But how can that bee seeing that which Dauid had Christ had not and what Dauid had not Christ had Christ had not the Temporall state of Dauid that was fallen into the hands of Herod the great and the Spirituall state of Christ Dauid had not His Kingdome was Temporall How then could Christ be said to sit vpon his Kingdome Although it were granted that by succession Christ was the right heire to the Crowne of Israel yet seeing the Scepter was departed and the Law-giuer gone the Tabernacle of Dauid was downe we cannot finde a Truth of these words we cannot if wee vnderstand them literally but if mystically wee may And St. Pauls rule is our guide All things yea and persons too if they were eminent came to the Israelites in Types 1 Cor. 10. they had shadowes of good things to come St. Bernards rule is true This Throne of Dauid which Christ sate on was not sedes Typica but Vera not Corporalis but Spiritualis not Temporalis but Aeterna yet so that Illa was huius Imago the Temporall of the Eternall the Corporall of the Spirituall the Typicall of the true Throne Dauids state of the state of the Church And indeed there is an excellent Analogie betweene the Person of Dauid and Christ as both were Kings Dauid was anointed to be a King long before hee was possessed of his Kingdome and so was our Sauiour Christ anointed with the holy Ghost long before he entred into his Glory For though he did many acts of a Gouernour Propheticall and Priestly yet few Regall acts before his Resurrection and those which hee did hee did them rather with the efficacie than in the Maiestie of a King for his outward Man represented nothing lesse But after his Resurrection and Ascension Efficacie and Maiestie conioyned and he sate him downe at the right hand of God and now doth he gouerne in the glory of his Father Secondly as there was a distance betweene Dauids Vnction too and Possession of the Crowne so was that a troublesome time few quiet dayes had he being persecuted both abroad and at home by Saul by his Seruants Euen so our Sauiour Christ entred not into his glory but by many afflictions all kinde of Enemies pursue him with all kinde of malice so that his life was a continuall Crosse And as Dauid so Christ the nearer he drew to his Crowne the sharper was his Crosse Thirdly as King Dauid first possessed only the Tribe of Iuda and after some yeares the ten Tribes euen so our Sauiour Christ at first possessed only the Iewes and after some time inlarged his Church vnto the Gentiles Fourthly Dauid being possessed of his Kingdome spent many years in repressing the Foes of his Kingdome Philistines Amonites Syrians c. and at length fate downe in peace and ruled with Iustice and Iudgement in much Prosperity euen so our Sauiour Christ though ascended into Heauen and reigning there yet shall he be vntill the generall Resurrection subduing his Enemies vnder his feete and freeing his Church from troubles and calamities when that is done then shall he rule and reigne with his Church in much peace and ioy These and such like Analogies are obseruable in comparing of Christ and Dauid which are the cause why the Kingdome of Christ is called The Kingdome of Dauid But yet in the letter of the storie which is the ground of this comparison you shall finde many Hyperboles reade the 89. Psalme the 72. Psalm the 132. to say nothing of diuers places of the Prophets which seeme to exceede the truth if they be applyed to King Dauid whereby the holy Ghost giueth vs to vnderstand that they must bee applyed to a greater than Dauid And indeed the phrases that are in these reall Allegories or Types must be vnderstood of the Corporall part but Quodammodo in a measure answerable vnto them the fulnesse of their truth appeares in the Spirituall And some Diuines obserue Ezâ—k 21.26 37 that The Throne of Dauid is not that which Dauid possessed but that which was promised to Dauid for his sonne And indeed in 2 Sam. 7. the Promise though it be made vnto Dauid yet is it made for his sonne his sonne is Christ It was not meant of his immediate Sonne otherwise than in a Type but it was meant of his Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Messias or Sauiour of the world As also the Promise made to Abraham was made for his Sonne which in appearance seemed to be Isaac but St. Paul to the Galathians telleth vs that that seed is Christ Well then this Kingdome is the Church and therein Christ sitteth as in his Throne it is the Gouernment thereof that is committed vnto him And here wee may not dreame of a corporall Kingdome and turne the truth into a Type St. Paul hath told vs that The Kingdome of God is neyther meat nor drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy of the holy Ghost And Christ in the Gospell The Kingdome of God is within you The Parables of the Kingdome if you looke to their Morall imply as much all sound things and persons spirituall Grosse then is the vsurpation of the Bishop of Rome who in Christs name contrary to Christs rules combines both Swords the Spirituall and the Corporall And they that vnderstand The Kingdome of Christ carnally as if all
and giue the world a good testimonie that we are the subiects of the Prince of peace I will set God before mine eyes and I will try how mine eyes can behold God and if I finde that mine eye delights to behold him that his countenance puts gladnesse into my heart when I doe behold him I am sure we are at Peace For were wee not eyther I haue no eyes and doe not see him or when I doe I shall be confounded with the sight of him I will open mine eares and I will heare God in his Word and if when I heare him the Law of his mouth is sweeter vnto mee than hony and the hony combe I know we are at peace were we not I must needs be like Adam heare and fly And if in the dayes of my mortality I can attaine this Peace of Perfection I doubt not but in the dayes of my immortality I shall attaine vnto that higher peace the peace of Retribution all teares shall be wiped from mine eyes all sickenesse from my body all blindnesse from my vnderstanding all vntowardlinesse from my will This ciuill discord of the flesh and the spirit and that greater betweene my conscience and God how much more these lesser discords that are between me and other men shall fully cease and be abolished for euer the Prince of Peace shall consummate my peace And so haue you those two titles of Christ which shew that we must vnderstand spiritually those two former titles which you heard before doe royally belong vnto him I should now farther shew you that the Scripture giues Christ many names because one or few cannot fully expresse him or at least we cannot fully sound the depth of that name when it is giuen vnto him The name of Iesus is a rich name and so is the name of Christ the vsuall names by which our Sauiour was called but the riches of those names are vnfoulded vnto vs in these particular titles and wee must take these as Commentaries vpon those for as it is in the eleuenth of this Prophecie The spirit which rested vpon Christ was manifold how manifold the holy Ghost doth there describe in abstracto but here to like purpose he speaketh of Christ in concreto The time will not suffer me to parallel these and the like places this is our Rule That as our nature delights in variety so there is a variety in Christ to giue full content vnto our nature and wee must not lightly passe by any one of his titles seeing euery one of them promiseth so much good vnto vs. O Lord that being my Lord art pleased to be my Father such a Father as that I neede not feare that I shall euer be an Orphan and hast prouided me an inheritance that shal be as lasting as my selfe that when all other fayle mee shall bee enioyed by mee an inheritance most comfortable because therein consists my Perfection and thy Retribution the Retribution of glory wherewith thou dost crowne the Perfection of grace grant that I neuer want that piety which I owe vnto my Father that charity which I owe vnto my Brethren Let my heart goe where my best treasure is and let that peace which passeth all vnderstanding haue the vpper hand in me Let me feele it let me practise it so in heart that I may haue the fulnesse of both sense and practice of it in the Kingdome of Heauen Amen THE SIXTH SERMON Of the increase of his Gouernment and Peace there shall bee no end vpon the Throne of Dauid and vpon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it c. IN Christ whom the Prophet describeth here vnto vs I obserued a double excellencie one of his Person and another of his State The first I haue already handled I come now to the second the excellencie of the State Which stands in a boundlesse growth of the Kingdome and a constant policie of the King that is the effect wherof this is the cause But more particularly in the effect obserue that there is a growth the Prophet calleth it an increase a growth of the gouernment and a growth of the peace both partake of the same increase And the increase of both is boundlesse there is no end of it no bounds of place it ouerspreadeth all no bounds of time it endureth for euer the word beareth both Of this effect or boundlesse growth of the Kingdome the cause is the constant policie of the King Which consisteth in the exercise of his two roy all indowments of his wisedome Hee shall order and to order is nothing else but to employ that wisedome which Christ hath as a wonderfull Counsellour of his power He shall support and to support what is it but to employ his power the power that he hath as he is a mighty God hee employeth them both his wisedome his power But they may bee employed eyther well or ill according as the rule is by which they proceed Christ employeth them well his rule is good it is iudgement and iustice he cals all to an account and measures to all as they are found vpon their triall This is the policie And herein he is constant he continueth it without ceasing from henceforth euen for euer So that of the euerlasting effect there is an euerlasting cause You see what is the summe or substance of this second excellencie but that you may see it better let vs runne ouer the parts briefly and in their order And first we are to obserue how answerable the excellencie of the state is to the excellencie of the person one goeth not without the other Christus naturalis will haue Christum mysticum conformable vnto him the body to the head Where he vouchsafeth an vnion of persons he vouchsafeth a communion also in the dignity of the persons It appeares in the name he is called Christ which is annoynted with oyle of gladnesse and we are called Christians we partake of the same oyle His name is but an oyntment poured out as it is in the Canticles Cap. 1.3 poured out like that precious oyle vpon Aarons head which ranne downe to the skirts of his garment Cap. 60. All Christs garments and the Church in Esay is compared to a garment smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia as it is Psalme 45. This is taught by diuers Similies Of the wiues communicating in her husbands honour and wealth The branches partaking of the fatnesse and sweetnesse of the roote The members deriuing of sense and motion from the head So that our King is not like the bramble that receiueth all good and yeelds none to the state but hee is like the Fig-tree the Vine the Oliue they that pertaine to him are all the better for him they are conformable to him if he haue an excellencie they shall haue one also A good patterne for mortall Kings and Gouernours who should herein imitate the King of Heauen that as when a man seeth an excellent work he ghesseth that the
According to these Principles the points which wee are to consider in this description are the Soueraignity and Community of that good which we must seek and shall find in Christ in Christ as he was incarnate or first came into the world But before I come to these particulars I must cleare my Text from some ouer-shallow interpretations that haue fastned thereon For whereas in Christs first comming two things are to be obserued 1. the principall and 2. the accessories his person and those things that did attend him many passe ouer the principal and apply these words only to the accessories The Prophets doe speake of two remarkeable Accessories The one is the Munificencie of the Gentiles the other is the Obedience of their Persons both were to be of the best sort The Psalme touching the Munificencie Psalme 72. saith that the Kings of Tharsis and of the Iles should bring presents the Kings of Seba and Sheba should giue gifts The Prophet Esay cap. 49. 60. doth particularize the Gold the Siluer the Iewels the Plants the Beasts all kindes of choyce things that were to bee tendred vnto Christ And the Story of the Church shewes that this was accomplished not only mystically but euen literally We commemorate on this * Epiphanie Mat. 2. Day the oblation of Gold of Myrrhe of Frankincense which was made by the wise men vnto Christ In the Acts cap. 4. verse 37. we reade that those Christians which had possessions sold them brought the price and layd it at the Apostles feete The first Christian Emperours how open handed were they in erecting and prouiding for Places and Persons dedicated vnto Christs seruice And as of other Countries so the Christian Kings and People of this Iland haue left honourable memorials of this kinde in their magnificent Foundations and munificent Endowments thereof All these followed the rule of Gods Law whatsoeuer they offered vnto him it was euer of the best But by the way let me obserue vnto you That the floud of our Ancestours liberality rose not so high but their Posterities sacriledge hath taken it downe to as low an ebbe and the saying of a great but no good King of this Iland pleaseth too many that liue on the spoyles of the Church William Rufus Christs bread is sweete They are farre from offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septaugint doe render my Text the choyce Treasure of the Nations the first of those Accessories which was to attend the comming of Christ A second Accessorie foretold by the Prophet are the Persons that should honour him euen the choysest of persons For although Saint Paules rule be Brethren you see your calling not many wise not many noble not many mighty c. yet that negatiue doth containe an affirmatiue and implyes that some euen of the best ranke should submit themselues and be homagers vnto Christ bee nursing Fathers Esay 48. and nursing Mothers of his Church Where the Prophets speake of the wealth they speake also of Persons reade the fore-cited places and take notice withall of a difference in this kinde that God was pleased should be before the comming of Christ and after Before the comming of Christ many of the Persian Kings as likewise of the Grecians gaue their goods but not themselues vnto God they prouided sacrifices for the Temple at Ierusalem but themselues went on in their Idolatry After the comming of Christ it was otherwise great personages gaue themselues first and then their goods vnto Christ the Wise men vpon this day first prostrated their bodies and worshipped then they opened their Treasures and offered vnto Christ Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathea great and rich men first beleeued then bestowed a funerall vpon Christ the like may we say of all Christian Emperours Kings Potentates And indeed Christ seeketh not ours but vs and careth not for our goods 2 Cor. 8. if wee dedicate not our selues vnto him both will doe well and wee shall doe well if wee deserue the Macedonians commendation of whom St. Paul saith that they gaue themselues first and then were bountifull to the Saints These were Accessories where with God was pleased Christs first comming should be honoured But these doe not containe the true at least the full meaning of my Text for surely these were not the cause of shaking the great and little World neither were these either persons or goods improuements of the glory of Zorobabels Temple for little of this Prophecie was accomplished while that Temple stood Malachie cap. 3. therefore giues vs a better interpretation and more agreeable to the words of my Text The Lord whom you seeke shall suddenly come to his Temple the Angell of the Couenant whom yee delight in or desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts And indeed Christs Person was the true attractiue of all other persons of their goods also they had neuer come except hee had come first Therefore the Iewish Rabbins Galatinus though they doe not beleeue that Iesus is the Christ yet doe they vnderstand this Text of the Messias And St. Hierome renders the phrase Desideratus Omnium Gentium The Person that is desired of all Nations purposing in those words to point out our Sauiour Christ Finally St. Paul Heb. 12. if you marke well his drift fauours this interpretation Wherefore I take it for a plaine truth that if not solely yet principally Christs person is meant by this phrase The desire of all Nations Let vs come then at length to the Points which I obserued in it The first is the soueraignity of good that cannot be lesse which is the desire of all Nations And marke that the word is abstract not concrete the Text calleth him not the person desired but the desire Now these abstract titles when they are giuen to God or Christ import two things The first is That all his nature or whatsoeuer is in him is that which he is called and secondly That all whatsoeuer is comprehended vnder that title is in him and cannot be had but by participation of him In this sense is God and Christ called truth righteousnesse holinesse c. these attributes are his nature and are not imparted to any but those that haue communion with him To our present purpose Christ is called desire it followeth by vertue of the word that he is totus desiderabilis altogether and in euery part desirable and totum desiderabile whatsoeuer the heart of a man can desire And if he be these two then certainely hee is the soueraigne good Take them asunder And first see how he is totus desiderabilis I might send you to the Song of Salomon where the spouse limmeth out his amiablenesse from top to toe or to the marriage Psalme which in few words tels vs Psal 45. That he is fairer than the sonnes of men or to those words of Saint Iohn 1 Epist c. 3. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and wee
this filling grace is nothing else but the Holy Ghost But by the Holy Ghost we must vnderstand not onely his gifts but also his person both are bestowed on vs the gifts to qualifie vs and the person to continue and increase these qualities in vs. And herein stands a great difference betweene Adam created and Adam redeemed Adam had rich gifts but hee had not the promise of the Spirit to perpetuate his gifts but we haue in Christ And indeed Christ is the Giuer St. Paul saith so but the Psalmist makes him a Receiuer they are easily reconciled for he receiued that which he gaue Therefore Christ here is vnderstood as hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and Man hee receiued as Man that which he gaue as he was God And he gaue this discreetly according to a measure not his power but his wisedome moderated his gift and his wisedome had an eye to the comelinesse and commodity of his mysticall Body the Church And although he gaue discreetly he gaue vniuersally to euery one is his grace giuen euery member hath a marke of his fauour and hath some gift wherewith he may stead the Church And thus farre we came the last Sabbath in opening what Christ doth we must now goe on and see another point herein contained in this 11. Verse Christ giues grace but hee giues it not without meanes for hee giues Ministers And of these Ministers this Verse doth shew vs the different degrees and the common originall the different degrees for some are Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists c. the common originall for Christ giues them all Of these points God willing briefly and in their order First then Christ that is our means vseth means himself giues grace before he giues grace To vnderstand this we must obserue a distinction of grace There is grace of Adoption and grace of Edification the first makes Christians the second maketh Ministers Christ giues the latter that by it he may giue the former The Ministers Calling then stands in grace of Edification that is in ability to bring others to the state of Christians Christ could doe it of himselfe he that at first made man after his Image could repaire that Image againe in man And that he can doe it he sheweth plainly in those whom he first cals and maketh meanes to call others of these wee haue patternes Adam Abraham the Apostles So that though causa salutis be coniuncta yet it is arbitraria the vse of meanes in our saluation is not necessary but voluntary no Minister may dreame that Christ doth vse him because he needs him he must rather acknowledge how much he is bound to Christ that he vouchsafeth to vse him though he hath no need of him He doth honour him with the name of a Co-adiutor and fellow-labourer in the whole course of mans conuersion Ministers beget vs to Christ they nourish vs in Christ they binde and loose our soules they open and shut Heauen and in a word they saue All these things Christ doth by them and the people must acknowledge causam coniunctam the co-operation of the Minister with Christ St. Paul doth excellently expresse it by the resemblance of an Epistle written whereunto he compares the Corinthians 2. Cor. 3. and makes the author thereof the Spirit and himselfe Hee vseth another similitude of Husbandry 1. Cor. 3. whereunto concurreth God and himselfe The foolishnesse of Preaching and the demonstration of the Spirit goe together and Faith is wrought by Gods Word but as it is heard from men The people then may not seuer these they may not looke for inspirations from heauen without preaching on earth nor thinke that preaching on earth will preuaile without inspiration from heauen But causae coniunctae are eyther coordinatae or subordinatae they are both of equall power or one hath soueraignty ouer the other Christ concurres with man and man with Christ But farre be it from vs to thinke that their power is equall in this businesse no Dominium est Christi Ministerium hominis Christ is Lord man is but the seruant and therefore whatsoeuer man doth he must doe according to his instructions he may not presume to doe more or lesse Balaam could tell Balaac so and St. Paul deliuers nothing but what be receiued of the Lord. We may not make new Articles of Faith nor institute new Sacraments we may not publish any other Couenant betweene God and man than our Master is pleased to enter into nor set to any other seales than his The Angels behold Gods face alwayes to direct their seruice and Christ did not his owne but his Fathers will when hee was on earth and shall man arrogate more vnto himselfe No he must still remember his subordination and venter no farther than he hath commission I haue not yet opened enough the inequality betweene Christ and vs in this worke for indeed a Minister is not only a subordinate cause but also no better than an instrument the efficacy of all that hee doth proceedeth from him that vseth it Other Soueraignes giue their charge and leaue their seruants to vse their owne faculties in dispatch of their businesse and the worke is no greater than their faculties can compasse the Embassadors and Commissioners of Princes beare witnesse to this truth according to their weaknesse or wisedome doth their errant speede But it is not so in that worke wherein Christ and the Minister concurres it is true that the Minister must vse the vttermost of his endeauour and husband his talent to the best aduantage but his planting his watering his watching his building is of little force except the worke be set forward with a stronger hand except Christ giue increase there is an inward influence which is soly Christs and produceth the Heauenly light and life In regard of this Ministers are but Imagines as Saint Ambrose speaketh in Psal 38. they do but outwardly delineate and represent in the Word and Sacraments what Christ doth powerfully worke by his Spirit So that the Minister seeth how farre hee is employed and how short hee comes in this worke of equality with Christ And seeing Christ will haue our ministry vsher as it were his efficacy and will haue the people to reuerence our words if they meane to bee partaker of his workes Chrysostome speaketh not amisse when he saith that we doe in potestate seruire so serue our Master that we haue authority ouer the Church and so we need not be ashamed nor may be contemned whose seruice is so honourable And thus much in generall of the calling of the Ministry I come now to speake of their degrees And here we must marke that they haue all a degree aboue others but yet they differ in degrees betweene themselues grace of Adoption is common to all the Church not so grace of Edification the Apostle implyes it in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 restraining the later grace to some few And indeed if all should haue
haue not been carefull to bring them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to the knowledge of Christ and participation of the Gospel Much trauelling to the Indies East and West but wherefore some go to possesse themselues of the Lands of the Infidels but most by commerce if by commerce to grow richer by their goods But where is the Prince or State that pitieth their soules and without any worldly respect endeauours the gaining of them vnto God some shew we make but it is but a poore one for it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an accessorie to our worldly desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not it is not our primarie intention wheras Christs method is Mat. 6.33 first seeke ye the kingdome of God and then all other things shall be added vnto you you shall fare the better for it in your worldly estate If the Apostles and Apostolicke men had affected our saluation no more we might haue continued till this day such as somtimes we were barbarous subiects of the Prince of darknesse Those of the Church of Rome boast of their better zeale for the Kingdome of Christ but their owne Histories shew that Ambition and Couetousnesse haue beene the most predominant Affections that haue swayed their endeauours and they haue with detestable cruelty made their way to those worldly ends in stead of sauing soules haue destroyed millions of persons We should take another course for their conuersion yea the same that was taken for ours and if wee doe it is to be hoped God will continue vs his people and adde daily to his Church such as shal be saued For Popish Recusants let me speake a word their case is mixt consisting partly in ignorance of the truth and partly in the seed of disloyaltie Wee haue made many good Lawes if not to roote out at least to keepe downe so much of their corruption as is dangerous to the State it were to bee wisht that greater care were taken for informing their consciences and indeed there should our Lawes beginne with them vnder a reasonable paine to vrge them to conference for why should we doubt but that God would blesse the honest endeauours of the Ministers of the truth who permits the Seducers to steale away so many hearts from God and the King Of this we may be sure that eyther God will worke that which we wish the recouery of those which are seduced or at least their obstinacie will bee without all excuse and the punishment thereof by sharpe Lawes will be no more than is iust in the sight both of God and man The neglect of this care of infidels and recusants is no small cause of that great distresse which at this day is fallen vpon the reformed Churches and God thereby calleth vpon vs to amend these defects Let vs vse our punishment well and let Gods chastisement prouoke vs to a better life though it seeme grieuous to vnderlie Gods heauy hand yet it is much more grieuous to be neuer a whit the better for the plagues for it is a second refusing of grace the same God that doth at first recommend vnto vs pietie by sweetning it with temporall blessings when that course speedeth not tryeth whether wee will bethinke our selues if we smart for our vntowardlinesse and certainly his case is desperate who is the worse for his stripes as you may reade in Gods complaint passionately exprest by Esay Cap. 1. Cap. 5. Cap. 4. by Amos and Ieremie hath illustrated it by an excellent simile of reprobate siluer which is molten in vaine because the drosse cannot bee separated from it Amend then wee must That is not enough we must be constant in our amendment we must feare God all the dayes of our life that is true Repentance when a man so turneth to God that he doth not returne againe like a dogge to his vomit or a sow to wallow in the myre Relapses are dangerous as Saint Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 2.21 and our Sauiour Christ tels the recouered lame man in the Gospel Iohn 5. Behold thou art made whole goe thy way sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thee I will hearken saith the Psalmist Psal 85. what the Lord will say vnto me for he will speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they returne not again vnto their folly We should all remember Lots wife who for looking backe was turned into a pillar of salt Animae in vitia relabentis accusatricem a visible inditement of relapsing soules Most men are to God-ward like Planets sometimes in coniunction with him sometimes in a more or lesse aspect too often in plaine opposition but let vs take heed we be not in the number of those wandring stars of whom St. Iude speaketh to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer To begin well and not to go on is as if a man should put a soueraigne plaister to a dangerous wound and after a while teare it off againe thinke you that man would bee the better for his salue or the worse rather you heard before our sinnes are wounds and although repentance be a soueraigne salue yet proueth it not such vnto vs except it be lasting There is a good reason giuen by St. Bernard Cecidimus in lutum lapides our sias are like vnto fals into the myre wherein there are stones the mud doth soile vs and the stones bruise vs we may soone wash away the myre but we cannot so soone recouer our bruise euen so the guilt of our sin is sooner remitted than the corruption can be purged Therefore Repentance taketh time to restore our spirituall health and doth not compasse it but with much fasting watching praying almesdeeds c. and is watchfull ouer vs that second wounds make not the first more dangerous in a word being deliuered from our enemies and the hands of all that hate vs we endeauour to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Here are added two motiues vnto this constant amendment taken from the place wherein they liue It is true that wheresoeuer they liued they were to feare God all the dayes of their life because God is euery where a knower of the the heart a rewarder of men according to their workes But the place of their aboad put no small obligation vpon them first because it was an eminent place eminent corporally a good Land a Land flowing with milke and honey eminent mystically for it was the seate of the Church and a type of heauen and who should bee fruitfull in good workes rather than they that dwell in a fruitfull Land and holinesse beseemeth Gods house for euer But to sin in the Land of Immanuel in the Land of vprightnesse is no small improuement of sin and hee that is barren of good works in a fruitfull Land shall haue the earth that brings forth her increase rise vp in iudgement against him Our Countrey hath both
Adoption he was not carelesse of a holy life of the common Endowment not the grace of Edification the proper Endowment hee was no vnprofitable seruant neyther stood he in the market place idle when hee should labour in his Lords Vineyard Secondly vnto his vse of these gifts there concurred more workers than one Hee tels vs Who they were and What was eyther of their preheminence They were two Himselfe I laboured and Gods grace that laboured also with him Either of these workers had their preheminence St. Paul had He laboured more than all and that in either grace He striued to exceed all in holinesse of Life and in the painefulnesse of his Ministrie As St. Paul had a preheminence in working so had grace also it had a preheminence aboue St. Paules preheminence yea St. Paul doth confesse that hee doth owe all his preheminence in working to the preheminent working of Gods grace I laboured more than all yet not I but Gods grace that was in me When we haue thus considered the particular branches we shall point at two good obseruations that arise out of the whole bodie of the text they are St. Paules Sinceritie and his Modestie Sinceritie in giuing God his due glorie he ascribeth vnto God the originall the gifts the vse of whatsoeuer was good in him or was done well by him And there can be no greater Modestie vsed by a man in speaking of himselfe than St. Paul expressed here in his extenuating and correcting speeches He was a member of Christ a Minister of the Church he mentioneth neither he contenteth himselfe with this commendations I am that I am And for his vse of Gods gifts hee attributeth no more vnto himselfe than that which was next vnto nothing Gods grace bestowed on me was not in vaine so he extenuateth his worth And because hee was to say something more of himselfe to stoppe the mouthes of his maligners I laboured more than all he presently correcteth himselfe as if he had ouer-reached hee drownes all the conceit of his owne eminencie in the contemplation of the much greater preheminence of the grace of God I haue opened the contents of this Scripture which God willing I shall now farther vnfold and haue an eye in vnfolding of them vnto this present occasion And because they will concerne both Pastors and People I shall desire both to follow me with their religious attention First then wee are to see whence the Alteration of St. Paul did spring I might in a generalitie tell you it sprang from Heauen so we find in the Acts of the Apostles De grat 〈◊〉 arbitr cap. 5. and St. Austine hath obserued it And indeede it is no fruit that springeth from the earth the earth may make men of better become worse by reason of mans mutabilitie and the kingdome of darknesse but if of worse men become better the cause thereof must bee sought in heauen Especially if as St. Paul of wolues they become sheep of blasphemers beleeuers of persecuters preachers of the Faith But I told you this heauenly cause is powerfull and mercifull powerfull God is the Cause And the cause cannot be lesse than God for the Alteration is a Creation so it is called by St. Paul 2 Cor. 5. Euery one that is in Christ is a new Creature Now Creation as wee reade in the entrance of our Creede is a worke of an Almighty power And indeed it must bee so for it produceth things either ex non ente simpliciter out of nothing at all or else ex ente non disposito out of that which in nature hath no possibilitie to become that which it is made yea St. Paul meaning to shadow our new Creation by the old chooseth the branch wherein the subiect was so farre from being disposed that it was directly opposite to that which it was made God which commanded light to shine out of darkenesse is he which hath shined into our hearts to giue vs the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. St. Paul Rom. 11. vseth another similitude of graffing a branch of the wilde Oliue into the true but contrary to nature For nature aduiseth to set sweet graffs into sowre stocks and though it be naturall for the stocke to be vehiculum alimenti to conuey the nourishment to the graffe yet naturally virtus temperamenti the qualitie of the iuice is from the graffe not from the stocke But in our supernaturall graffing it is farre otherwise the branch of a wilde Oliue is made partaker not only of the roote but of the fatnesse also of the true Oliue Being then a worke so contrary to nature it must needs be a work of the God of nature And indeed we learne in St. Iohn cap. 1. that the Sonnes of God are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Hee of his owne will begetteth vs by the word of truth that we should be the first fruits of his Creatures Iames 1. As the Cause is most powerfull so is it also most mercifull for the Attribute that preuaileth with God in this worke is grace All good gifts before the fall vouchsafed Angels and men proceeded from his goodnes but after the fall his fauours are ascribed to his mercie which mercie the Scripture vsually vnderstandeth in the name of grace for mercie is nothing else but sauing grace Now grace then importeth free loue Tit. 2. for it excludeth all merit for Quis prior dedit Who euer preuented God in well doing that God should make him amends Grace giueth not merenti to one that deserueth rather it giueth immerenti to an vnworthy person to man polluted with his owne blood grace saith Thou shalt line Ezek. 16. Yea dat contraria merenti grace is indulgent euen before a man is penitent God setteth forth his loue in that when we were enemies Christ dyed for vs Rom. 5. And such was the grace that altered St. Paul as St. Austin obserues vt tam magna efficacissima vocatione conuerteretur Paulus gratia Dei erat sola quia eius merita erant magna sed mala St. Paul doth very iustly ascribe the change that was made in him to this powerfull and this mercifull Cause And seeing we are all by nature children of wrath we must all ascribe our Regeneration to the same Cause Tit. 3. It is worse deceipt than that of Alchemie for a creature to assume vnto himselfe the transforming of a sinner God only can change as earthly mettals so earthly men of vessels of dishonour make vessels of honour of vessels of wood make vessels of gold and of vessels of wrath make vessels of mercie Who is found of them that seek him not and manifested to them that enquire not after him Esay 65. This destroyes the errour of the Pelagians And let them that are receiued into grace remember to whom they are indebted for it it will make
Good Lawes and good men are like vnto a Vine that beareth grapes yeelding pleasant liquour to cheere both GOD and men But a Vine must haue a prop or else it will fall to the ground and there all the grapes will rot Of the Lawes wee doe quickly perceiue that same of the Poet true Mores trahunt leges in potestatem sui euerie man would bee a Law vnto himselfe a Law of vnrighteousnesse and as for good men the better they are the worse they should fare they should not bee thought worthie to breathe but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it neuer appeares how powerfull a law is till a law is in the hands of a good Iudge then all stand in awe of it and good men if they haue a sunctuarie to betake themselues vnto and a good Iudge is such a sanctuarie dare boldly professe and practise goodnesse wherefore what in Aeschilus is said of Atlas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that may bee affirmed of good Iudges on whose shoulders the Pillars of the Church and Common weale doe rest They beare them vp So we translate but the word is more significant it is borrowed from architecture and hath reference to Mesharim that is gone before a terme of the same art also and imports that a Iudge so soone as euer hee hath applyed his rule and findes a Pillar to incline he falleth to setting of it straight no lesse than a good surgeon must a good Iudge iustissimas facere luxationum compositiones neuer leaue mouing of the bone till hee hath set it in his iust place no more must a Iudge leaue reforming of a person till hee is come into good order No doubt but it will fall out that as in setting of a ioynt the patient will bee impatient so austere reformation will bee impugned with much murmuring for exitium suum mali pronâ cupiditate desiderant yet must you haue a Lions heart which is commended in a good Surgeon or Physitian and as Iulius Firmicus spake to Magistrates so doe I vnto you Subuenite miseris libertate pereuntibus melius est vt liberetis inuitos quà m vt volentibus concedatis exitium and you shall finde the saying of Salomon true in the end that hee that reproues a man shall finde more thankes at the last than hee that flattereth him with his lippes and they will say with Saint Bernard Homil. 55. in Cantic Bonum indicium quod me illi districto diuinoque subducit Wee haue good cause saith Saint Austine to thanke GOD that himselfe doth not strike so soone as wee sinne but expects our repentance and thereunto calleth vs by many meanes and no small one is the tribunall of the Iudge hee hath the rectifying of all crooked Pillars to set them straight yea and keepe them straight also the awe wherein they must stand of you must make euerie man carefull to keepe his place and if you faile wee haue iust cause to feare Ne collapsa ruant subductis tecta Columnis For if the light bee darkenesse how great is that darkenesse and if the salt bee vnsauorie wherewith shall it bee seasoned and what will become of the Common weale if our eyes see that which Salomons did vnder the Sunne The place of iudgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousnesse that iniquitie was there It is much euill that the State shall fare so ill but it is an euill that must bee feared by you for a Iudge is guiltie of whatsouer hee might and did not reforme and your account will bee the heauier the more you suffer to scape vnpunished Wherefore seeing GOD hath done you this honour to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I told you that you are a part of the politique person of the King yea as CHRIST is lapis angularis the corner stone of the Church so you are also of the Common weale falsifie not your names faile not the Pillars beare out and vp both Lawes and good men deliuer him that suffereth wrong from the hand of the Oppressour and be not faint hearted when you sit in iudgement be as a Father vnto the fatherlesse and in stead of a Husband vnto their Mother so shall you bee the sonnes of the most high and he shall loue you more than your mother doth Eccles 4. The last point is that which calleth for your attention to euerie of these former points Selah I told you it is the character of a remarkeable sentence There bee diuerse coniectures at the meaning of this word but the likeliest is that which iudgeth of it by the matter whereunto the Holy Ghost commonly doth apply it Some take it intensiuely as if it did note a superlatiue degree some protensiuely as if it did note a perpetuitie of time I will ioyne both surely this sentence is such as you cannot thinke vpon it eyther too much or too long yea euerie branch of it deserues a constant deepe meditation Your person doth for it represents the King yea GOD himselfe and deserues not that a Selah your office you are the common measure of all mens causes and ouer-rule all mens partialitie deferues not that a Selah your assemblies are sacred many waies sacred how can you looke on them without a Selah and that which you enquire after in them what is it but vprightnesse how conformable they are in their liues vnto the Lawes surely that deserues a Selah but when you finde how much men haue gone astray and swarued from that euen rule that will raise your Selah to a higher pitch Finally the benefit expected from you to set right what is awry doth deserue the highest Selah there is not an ordinarie point in the text therefore must you entertaine it with more than an ordinarie regard I must end The summe of all is Iudges are sacred persons trusted with the allowed standard of the Common weale to call the people to it and by it to examine their liues that finding how farre they haue declined they may set and keep all vpright O Lord that hast vouchsafed this honour vnto men and art pleased that such trust should bee reposed in them giue them grace to tender their honour in beeing carefull of their charge Blesse this sacred Assembly that all triacts therein may passe now teach vs Surely first discreetly to distinguish times then to solemnize extraordinarie times religiously These two points are amplified throughout the whole Psalme but wee haue a good taste of them in those words that now I haue read vnto you Here we shall learne first to distinguish times All times are not alike there are nights aswell as there are dayes the time here remembred is a day a remarkable day it hath the two markes of a Festiuall set vpon it To the making of a Festiuall two things must concurre Operatio diuina Recognitio humana there must be some extraordinarie worke of God done thereon and man must make a speciall acknowledgement thereof Both these are euident in my text
that we should bow before him the knees of our hearts no lesse then the knees of our bodies when we lift vp our hands vnto GOD we should lift vp our Soules also and our eyes should not behold Heauen but our faith should pierce vnto the Throne of GOD. Finally there is no Ceremoniall Law which should not attend some Morall as the shadow doth the body or the body should the soule the Sonne of SYRACH hath made a whole Chapter that teacheth this Lesson But the Iewes put a sunder what GOD had conioyned Cap. 35 they shewed much zeale for the Ceremoniall but were carelesse of the Morall Law expressed much submission of their bodyes but little deuotion of their Soules and drew neere with their lips but their hearts were farre from God Of this GOD complaineth ESAY 1. and doth passionately vary tearmes to expresse his dislike thereof they solemnized their Feasts and offered Sacrifices and assembled themselues in his House Esay 1 But what saith GOD To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices Who required your presence to tread in my Courts I hate your solemne Feasts The cause of all is Your hands are full of blood In the last of ESAY GOD is much sharper He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man Cap. 66. he that sacrificeth a lambe as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered swines blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol Marke the Reason They haue chosen their owne wayes and their soule delighted in their owne abominations You see then that in seruing GOD we may offend him grieuously if we seuer those things which he hath coupled for our seruice then will be plaine hypocrisie and Hypocrifie is by a Prouerbe noted to be double iniquitie And iustly is it so noted for therein we do first Interpretatiuè deny that GOD is the Searcher of the heart in that we doe not approue our heart to him Secondly we doe expresly preferre the Diuell before GOD in that we giue the better part I meane our Soule to the Diuell and reserue onely the worser part that is our bodyes for GOD. This should all that present themselues in GODS House seriously thinke on especially you that make shew of a solemne Penitent but such a shew as betrayeth that there is no broken heart within you nor contrite spirit seeing there appeareth so little euidence thereof in the outward man Be you assured that so repenting for sinne you doe but add vnto your sinne you are a transgressor of the Law in regard of your Separation of the Ceremoniall from the Morall Law But there is an other transgression of the Law which is the direct and immediate violation of the Morall part thereof This is the greater sinne and doth more apparently deserue such a name for the former though it be a sinne yet it is a cloaked sinne it maketh some faire shew in the eyes of men how vgly soeuer it is in the eyes of GOD but this walketh vnmasked and appeareth as it is Secondly the former is Malum quia prohibitum euill vpon no other ground but because by a positiue Law it is forbidden it is onely extrinsically euil the other is prohibitum quia malum by no meanes to be done though there were no positiue Law that did forbid it the euill thereof is intrinsicall for it is the violation of the Image of GOD according to which man was made and according to which he should liue In the particular Case that concernes this Penitent GOD that gaue a rationall facultie vnto the soule of man whereby he should order the sensitiue in the vse thereof would haue a man shew himselfe to be better then a beast And how doth a man differ from a beast that hath vnbridled lusts and neglect not onely sacred wedlocke but the degrees of Affinitie and Consanguinitie within which GOD and Nature require that his lusts be stinted This should you that are the Penetent seriously thinke on and measure the grieuousnesse of your sinne by this these things as well the transgression of the Morall as the seperation thereof from the Ceremoniall But the grieuousnesse of sinne is argued not only from what is done but also from the doing of the same Aliud est peccare aliud peccatum facere saith St AVGVSTINE It is one thing to sinne another thing to be giuen ouer to sinne and his distinction is not idle for it is grounded not onely vpon St IOHNS phrase 1 Iohn 3. but also vpon St IAMES his gradation Men are first inticed by their lusts Cap. 1. then lust conceaueth and brings forth sinne and sinne being perfected brings forth death and this perfecting of sinne is properly the doing of sinne All men sinne but they that haue grace take heed of doing sinne feare and shame are both shaken off by those that goe so farre they endeauour not so much as to hide their sinnes Of these Iewes our Psalme saith They sate they spake they ran they wrought euill they consented one with another and were professors of a wicked life And little better is the case of this Penitent who for many yeeres hath openly in the eyes of the world notwithstanding the clamor of many that iustly did detest it liued in abominable Incest which doth much aggrauate his sinne There is a third Aggrauation in my Text taken from the Person that doth commit the sinne Thou hast done these things And the circumstance of the Person doth much improue the foulenesse of a fault No man should sinne against GOD but they that are most bound should forbeare most Now the Iewes had a double Obligation one by Nature the other by the Couenant They were GODS Creatures and GOD vouchsafed to contract with them Not to performe the dutie which we owe especially when we haue solemnly vowed it maketh vs guiltie in a high degree And euerie one within the Church if he doe sinne is so farre guiltie his Vow in Baptisme will presse him no lesse then the Condition of his Nature And this must you that are the Penitent ponder in your Soule that you may answerably hereunto feele the burden of your sinne I doe not amplifie these things without Cause they must be the rather marked because the deeper the Iewe was in guilt the greater was GODS Patience Notwithstanding their double offence their Seperation and Transgression their double Obligation of Nature and Vow their double sinning in that they did not onely act but professe sin yet did GOD hold his peace he proceeded not against them but with great Patience GODS Patience is noted by his Silence the word signifieth to be deafe and dumbe and putteth vs in mind of a double voyce a voyce of sinne and a voyce of Iudgement That sinnes haue a Voyce you may read Gen. 4. where ABELS blood doth cry and in the Storie of Sodome Gen. 18. the voyce of whose sin came vp to
Heauen In HABAKKVK the stones and timber of the King of Babylons house built with blood doe cry Finally Iames 5. in St IAMES the wages of the hireling kept from him doe cry and come into the eares of the Lord of Hosts Cap. 6. And as sinnes so iudgements haue a Voyce MICAH hath a notable place The voice of the Lord cryeth vnto the Citie the Man of Wisdome will see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it And the Lord is sayd to make his iudgement to be heard from Heauen When then GOD saith I was deafe and dumbe he meaneth that though the cry of the sin were loud yet he did not heare it he was deafe neither did they heare from him though there was iust cause he was dumbe In these two points stands the Patience of GOD. Where-hence we learne that when we are free from plagues we must not conclude that we are without sinnes crying sinnes The cause of our peace is often times not our owne innocencie but GODS patience it is not because our sinnes hold their tongues but GODS iudgments hold theirs notwithstanding our guilt he is silent And here appeareth a great difference between God and Men Men are as soone moued as they are prouoked few can hold their hands scarce any their tongues so sensible are we of wrongs and so reuengefull according to our power Not so GOD it is one of the characters of his Nature to be long suffering euen when he is grieuously offended he can hold his Tongue not onely his Hands Behold an euidence hereof in this Penitent whose incestuous life GOD hath forborne so many yeeres though he might haue rewarded him according to his deserts when he first fell into this foule offence yet hath GOD lent him many yeeres and expected his repentance But what vse doe men make of GODS patience Surely the Iewes did but verifie the old saying veterem ferendo iniuriam inuit as nouam the more GOD forbeares the worse we waxe GOD holds his peace that we might speake is deafe that we might heare Rom. c. 2. but enormous sinners make vse of neither they abuse the patience and long suffering of God and like IESABEL though GOD giue space to repent they repent not Reuel 2 21. We should heare our sinnes that GOD might not heare them we should heare them speaking to the eare of our Consciences whereinto if they did enter they would not ascend higher into the eares of GOD. And seeing GOD is dumbe that we might speake we should speake to GOD by repentance and then GOD would not speake vnto vs by vengance according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.31 If we did iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But what doth the Iewe He grosly abuseth this patience of GOD in stead of so hearing and speaking he thinketh that God is like vnto himselfe Behold the world turned vpside downe GOD made man after his owne Image and see man would faine square GOD after his Image whereas the creature should resemble the Creator the Creator is drawne to resemble the creature An absurd conceit is it in reason how much more in Religion When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patterne into the Exemplification but yet might it be excused if so be man were vnderstood as he was made of GOD for we vse in Diuinitie out of the obseruation which we make in the nature of man to draw descriptions of the nature of GOD because whatsoeuer is in the effect is but much more emminently in the efficient so we talke of the Truth the Righteousnesse and Holinesse of GOD guessing at them by those sparkes of vertue which appeare in man But the conceit of these men is not so good for thus must the words be knit Thou thoughtest that I was like vnto thee which hast done these things and such a thee is a sinfull thee so that GOD is not onely resembled vnto man but vnto a sinfull man outragious blasphemie It was a great sinne which ADAM committed when he affected to be like vnto GOD though it were in an holy attribute the attribute of his Knowledge How fearefull a sin then is it not onely to debase GOD to be like vnto men but also to be like vnto him in a hellish Attribute the Attribute of sinne There are three steps of Atheisme Psal 94.7 It begins with Tush God doth not see and is there vnderstanding in the Highest It goeth on to Tush God doth not care Scilicet is superis labor est ea cura quietos solicitat The Lord will doe neither good nor euill as the Prophet speaketh It commeth at length to We account the proud blessed Malach. 3.15 and they that tempt God are exalted Of these Atheists the first turne God into an Idol giuing him eyes that see not and eares that heare not The second make him an idle or carelesse God as if he did onely looke on and leaue euerie man to shift for himselfe The last doe plainly turne God into the Diuel for their blasphemie is not onely priuatiue denying GOD to be what indeed he is but also positiue fastning vpon GOD what is cleane opposite to his Nature so that it is not without cause that our vulgar English hath Thou thoughtest wickedly for it is a most wicked thought We must then take heed how we entertaine sinne seeing we shall grow worse and worse by degrees There are inborne principles of honestie and pietie which are sensibly felt when we first fall to sinne the further we goe the lesse are they felt and when we grow senslesse of them then fall we to apologize for sin and there can be no stronger apologie then to make GOD our consort for it is a principle stampt in our nature That God is the soueraigne good whatsoeuer then is either from him or in him must needs be good so that if a wicked man can make GOD either the Author or Patterne of his sinne he need no sayrer colour nor stronger argument wherewith to resolue either himselfe or others that bitter is sweet darknesse light death life and good euill And the Diuel knoweth that we will sinne securely when we are resolued that by sinne we doe GOD good seruice he that reads the stories of the Heathen gods shall find that one of the greatest prouocations that the world hath had vnto sinne hath beene the worship of such gods as their owne Poets describe theirs to be stained with all kind of sinnes The Fathers that wrot against them IVSTIN MARTYR CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS EVSEBIVS LACTANTINS ARNOBIVS and Saint AVSTIN insist much vpon this point when they defend Christian Religion against the Gentile And who can tell whether GOD in this place doth not taxe such Gentilisme in the Iew And intimate that their Idolatry was a cause of their impuritie for it is plaine in the Prophets that they worshipped Idols of all Nations You
his authoritie should hold them in when they would run riot if he doe not he offends grieuously How grieuously then doth that father offend which giueth an ill example to his child Allureth her to such detestable sinne Yea doth act the sinne with her If Incest be of it selfe haynous your fatherhood maketh it much more haynous And as for you that are the daughter no small accesse is made vnto your sinne by being the daughter of your mother for sinnes are improued by their persons that act them If it had beene an enemie that had done me this wrong I could haue borne it saith DAVID but it was thou my familiar friend c. Whosoeuer had wronged your mothers bed it had beene a wickednesse but to be thus wronged by her owne daughter wherein it is hard to say whether she haue more cause to lament in regard of her owne or of your person it cannot but adde much to your sinne These things should you that are the Penitents take to heart and adde them to the measure of your sinne for of haynous they make it much more haynous I passe at length from the sinne to the doome giuing you by the way this note That GOD addeth doomes to sinnes grieuous doomes to haynous sinnes that we may be held in by the feare of the one when we would not forbeare vpon the fight of the other for such is our weaknesse that though a sinne be represented vnto vs as most vgly most odious yet sensualitie doth so preuaile that we are caried away with the pleasure without any regard of the filthinesse thereof if any thing stay or stagger vs herein it must be paine which often maketh vs to bethinke our selues and take heed when we are euen ready to rush into sinne But touching the doome here in my Text we must first take notice that there is no respect of persons with God both must be punished the man and the woman and punished alike You would thinke that the case of the one were more fauourable then the other the Temptedst more fauourable then the Temptors The daughter may plead the power which her father had ouer her whom she durst not resist and thereby seeme to deserue fauour But this is no Plea at GODS Barre for children must remember that they haue an heauenly as well as an earthly Father and that they may not offend the one to pleasure the other A second thing obseruable in the Doome is that both the women are subiected to the same punishment which may seeme verie rigorous For what hath the lawfull wife deserued Therefore some vnderstand the words by a Synecdoche and by the women vnderstand either of them that shall be found guiltie whether it be the mother that defileth the daughters bed or the daughter that defileth the mothers bed But it may be that both may well deserue death If the mother be the wife and consent that her daughter should goe in to her father or if the daughter be the wife and consent that her mother should goe in to her husband such consent yea if it be but conniuency and patience it is abominable wickednesse How farre the mother was priuie to this daughters sinne I know not but if she were in any sort she deserueth to be punished no lesse then her child and the child with the father are to be punished most seuerely they are to be burnt with fire And here consider first how well the doome is fitted to the sinne the doome is fire and so is the sinne also If I haue beene deceiued by a woman saith IOB this were a fire that would burne to destruction Cap. 31. Prou. 6. And SOLOMON speaking of adulterie moueth this question Can a man take fire in his bosome and not be burnt He that is a fornicator in the body of his flesh saith the sonne of SYRACH will not cease till he haue kindled a fire Cap. 23. 1 Cor. 7.9 Finally St PAVL giueth this rule It is better to marrie then to burne burne in the lust of Incontinencie Seeing then this lust is a fire GOD doth punish a sier with a sier a sinfull with a painfull fire But the Iewish Rabbins or Antiquaries doe obserue that the Iewes had two kinds of burning of malefactors one was by opening their mouthes and pouring in moulten Lead this was called Combustio animae saluo corpore it tooke away the life of the partie and yet left no marke of the fire in the outward lineaments of his body The other was by laying of fewell round about the body which set on fire did presently consume it into ashes and is the burning meant here in my Text for it saith they should be burnt with fire And indeed this kind of burning of Incontinent persons is verie ancient Gen. 3â— Before the giuing of MOSES Law IVDAH would haue practised it vpon his daughter in Law TAMAR The Prophet MICAH alludeth hereunto in his first Chapter and EZEKIEL in his 16. St IOHN in his Reuelations speaking of the Whore of Babylon Cap. 17. 18. prophesieth that she shall perish by fire So that fire seemeth to haue beene the punishment of Whores not onely if she were the Priests daughter but whosoeuer she were the allusion else would not be so frequent And yet we read that adulterers were to be stoned to death whether after stoning they were also burnt is worth the inquirie for sometimes they were both practised vpon the same malefactors as it is cleere in the storie of ACHAN In the former degree of Incontinencie specified before my Text the Holy Ghost is silent and doth not specifie any particular kind of punishment by meanes whereof Interpreters doubt what punishment was to be inflicted Some conceiue that stoning mentioned in the beginning of the Chapter must be extended to all that follow the Iewes they limit it thus where the Law saith they shall dye the death and their blood shall be vpon them there stoning is meant but if it be onely they shall dye the death then the partie was to be strangled But I will not trouble you with these Antiquities onely this I will obserue vnto you that the specifying of a particular punishment here and not in the former degree of Incontinencie may well import some extraordinarie haynousnesse in this sinne especially if you consider the sharpenesse thereof they shall be burnt with fire Viui comburentur saith the Vulgar they shall be burnt aliue now you know that fire is a bitter tormenter and an vtter consumer it afflicteth extreamly while the partie liueth and it vtterly abolisheth the being of the body together with the life both which proue the punishment to be verie sharpe verie seuere it giueth no rest while we are and abolisheth vs as if we neuer had beene But this was a politike Law of MOSES what is that to vs We haue no such Law and that Law doth not bind our State True it doth not and happy is it for