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A19871
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One of the sermons preached at Westminster the fifth of Aprill, (being the day of the publike fast;) before the Right Honourable Lords of the High Court of Parliament, and set forth by their appointment. By the Bishop of Sarum.
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Davenant, John, ca. 1572-1641.
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1628
(1628)
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STC 6299; ESTC S117129
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22,536
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58
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call mee saying My Father and shalt not turne from me He that will needs call God Father and yet will turne away from him in the course of his wicked life If God call him sonne it will be no more to his comfort then when Abraham said to the glutton in hell Sonne Luke 16. Remember that thou in thy life time tookest thy sinnefull pleasures and therefore now thou must be content to vndergoe eternall torments But yet God hath a farther quarrell against these Couenant breakers and that is not only for their hypocrisie but for their plaine treacherie For as if it were not bad enough to forget the Couenant established betwixt God and them they most traiterously account Heb. 10. Verse 29. the bloud of this Couenant as an vnholy thing and make a new confederacy with Gods knowne enemies the world the flesh and the diuell They shame not to boast and brag of this their new league Esay 28.15 We haue made a Couenant with death and with Hell we are at an agreement But let euery man that by vertue of the Couenant calls God his God detest all by pocrisie abhor all treachery and remember that his happinesse depends not vpon the entring into a Couenant with God but vpon the true keeping of the Couenant And for the more effectuall stirring vp of euery man here present to repentance and newnes of life according to the tenor of the Couenant I wil adde this one thing That whatsoeuer our carriage hitherto hath been this very Couenant may assure vs that Our God and Our Father neither will nor can refuse gratiously to accept vs into fauour vpon our submission and amendment He is ingaged by speciall promise 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people among whom my name is called vpon doe humble themselues and turne from their wicked waies then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne August and heale their land Promissa haec tua sunt quis falli timeat cum promittu ipsa Veritas These are thy promises O Lord and who needs doubt the performance where Truth it selfe makes the Promise But if any man should doubt whether this Promise be strong enough to binde God to accept the submission of a rebellious seruant yet there is no doubt but his tender fatherly affection is strong enough to make him accept the submission of a Repenting Childe Ier. 3.14 Ephraim is my deare sonne therefore my bowels are troubled for him and I will surely haue compassion vpon him saith the Lord. Let vs therefore now at last come vnto our God with humble lowly and penitent hearts and then wee shall speede no worse then the Prodigall childe did That is our louing Father will haue compassion vpon vs hee will run and fall vpon our neckes Luk. 15.20 hee will kisse vs and put the best Robe euen the rich Robe of his wel-beloued Sonnes righteousnes vpon vs. There remaines the other title of Redemption to be briefly touched in regard whereof the Israelites terme God their God and on the other side God also termeth them his peculiar people And this Redemption was twofold God was called their Strong Redeemer and they were stiled the people whom God had Redeemed in regard of that famous and miraculous deliuerance out of the Egyptian thraldome God esteemed this Temporall and Corporall redemption so great a benefit and so forcible an inducement to Obedience that hee thought it fit to bee ingrauen in the forefront of his ten Commandements Yet this is not it which I purpose now to insist vpon There is therefore another Redemption wrought by the bloudy Passion of the Messias obscurely represented in the Leuiticall Sacrifices more plainly described by the Prophets but most euidently painted out vnto vs by the holy Apostles This is our Spirituall and eternall Redemption whereby we are redeemed out of the lawes of the diuell from eternall Death and Damnation of body and soule which otherwise we must haue vndergone indured world without end Now albeit the Generall Power of this redemption extend it selfe vnto the whole world yet the Declaration Application thereof belongs in speciall manner vnto the Church therefore it is the Church which out of this respect calls God her God and it is likewise the Church which for this cause God owns as his peculiar people This is the Redemption whereof euery member of the church ought with holy Iob to take speciall notice Scio quod Redemptor meus viuit Iob 19. I know that my Redeemer liueth And not onely so but I know that this my Redeemer hath ransomed both my body and soule not with gold or siluer but with his owne precious bloud 1 Cor. 6.20 to the end that being thus Bought with a price I may glorifie him both in body and soule If all which hath beene formerly vrged cannot perswade men to returne to the obedience and seruice of God yet this Motiue that he is Our God and that by Right of Redemption should inforce vs thereunto Our Creation out of nothing was an infinite benefit and ties vs straitly to God our Creator But this our Redemption at such an inestimable price when we were worse then nothing is infinitely greater then that other infinite benefit and ties vs in a more strait band vnto God our Redeemer Our Creation cost God no more but the word speaking Dixit factum est hee said it and hee did it but our redemption was not so easily wrought Multa tulit fecitque Deus sudauit alsit What man so thanklesse that would not for euer acknowledge him for his good Lord and Patron and striue to doe him all acceptable seruice who had but redeemed him from the Turkish slauery and rowing chained in their gallyes How much more then stand we obliged in all duty and seruice vnto our God who hath redeemed vs from beeing the slaues of Sathan from the chaines of darkenesse and euerlasting damnation They haue no sense of this Redemption nor no part as yet in it who are not inflamed thereby to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse Tit. 2.14 and to become a peculiar people vnto him zealous of good workes But alas where shall God our Redeemer finde such zealous seruants amongst millions of men that confesse and professe themselues to be redeemed with his blood The World and the Flesh haue a world of Seruants at command nay the diuell himselfe is so well attended that Saint Cyprian brings him in thus bragging against our Sauiour Christ and insulting ouer vs silly and sinfull wretches Serm. de Eleemosyna Ego pro istis necsanguinem fudi c. I haue spilt no one drop of bloud for any of these I haue taken no paines to doe them any good nay all my study and paines euer was and euer shall be to bring them to death and eternall damnation Notwithstanding all this Ibid. Tuos tales demonstra mihi Christe O Christ if thou canst shew me so many so busy so painefull so dutifull seruants of thine as I am able to shew vnto thee euery where of mine O what a shame is it vnto vs all that beare the name of Christians Hec dici potuisse non potuisse refelli That such things may truely bee obiected against vs by the diuell and cannot truely be denied or confuted by vs. O what a griefe is it vnto our Lord Christ that a cursed Murtherer should be able to entise away so many seruants from a blessed Redeemer This point should rather be prosecuted with teares then words nothing now remaines but that euery man heere present search into his owne heart and life inquire and finde out his owne proper sinnes turne speedily from his wicked waies and that all of vs say with a ioynt and constant resolution as these Israelites did Behold wee come vnto thee for thou art the Lord our God THat Almighty God who hath this day called vs vnto him by his word draw vs vnto him by the effectuall operation of his holy Spirit that so renouncing the seruice of the World the Flesh and the Diuell and returning vnto the Seruice of our true Lord wee may recouer his fauour here and enioy his euerlasting fauour hereafter Grant this most mercifull Father for the infinite merits of thy wel-beloued Sonne to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be ascribed all Praise Power Maiesty and Dominion this day and for euer Amen FINIS
saying Behold wee come vnto thee to begge that which we know wee cannot merit Rom. 3. For all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God and haue no other hope to obtaine it Rom. 6. but by way of free gift through Iesus Christ our Lord. And yet let me tell you this that if we come vnto God for it as we should that is by faith and holinesse of life this verie comming is a most certain leading way thereunto though not a deseruing cause thereof It is a short but a sound determination of S. Bernard that good works or a godly life is Viaregni non causa regnandi The Apostle hath taught vs the same doctrine Rom. 2.2.7 that by continuance in well doing wee seeke glory and honour and immortalitie and eternall life But alas how manie be there in the world that dream they seek after eternall life and yet neuer take this direct course of comming vnto God for it Will your proud Papisticall merit mongers come to God for it and begge it at his hands No sure They will rather vrge God to bring it vnto them and paie it as a due debt which by their condigne merits they haue long ago deserued secundum aequiualentiam rei adrem as their Iesuiticall Doctors haue taught them to speake Doe prophane Epicures and vngodly worldlings seeke it by comming vnto God for it No questionlesse They rather seeke it from the diuell as if they beleeued not onely that boasting lye of his Luke 4. All the Kingdomes of the earth are mine and to whomsoeuer I will I giue them But as if they beleeued that which the Father of lyes durst not affirme that the kingdome of Heauen was at his dispose and that by his seruice it might be gained Last of all Doe hypocrites thinke you and dissemblers come to God for eternall life Nothing lesse They make a shew sometimes of comming towards God drawing very neere vnto him but in their hearts they are resolued neuer to come at him It should seeme they thinke to get into heauen not by comming vnto God in the plaine and direct way of a liuely Faith and a holy life but by deceiuing God and shipping in at some blinde back-dore of their owne making But to shut vp this point and withall the former part of my Text. Let euery man that desires either pardon of his sins or release from Gods iudgements that hopes either for infusion of sanctifying grace here or participation of eternall glorie hereafter come to God for all these and come to him in that direct way which he hath appointed And thus much for the Israelites protestation of obedience We are now come to the other branch of my Text which containes a Declaration of those Motiues which induced them to obey in these words For thou art the Lord our God Heere is a double chaine to binde men vnto obedience The strong iron chaine of Gods infinite Power and vniuersall dominion which ties all men alike For thou art the Lord The pleasant golden chaine of Gods speciall loue and mercy which in speciall manner tied these Israelites vnto him Our God He that acknowledgeth God to be the vniuersall and Omnipotent Lord ouer all the world feare should driue him to obey his commands He which beleeues him to be His God loue should draw him to obey his commands He whom this double chaine cannot binde vnto obedience is in a farre worse case then that Demoniack in the Gospell Marke 5.3 Whom no man could binde no not with chaines Let vs beginne with the former God is heere acknowledged The Lord. Not a Lord ouer this or that Nation within the precincts of this or that place but The Lord ouer all nations ouer all countries ouer all Lords ouer all Creatures I am The Lord this is my name and my glory I will not giue to another Esay 42.8 Now God is such an vniuersall Lord in three respects First he is the Lord Creator that makes all his subiects that makes the subiects of al other Lords yea that makes the Lords themselues and that out of Nothing Our bodies with all the members thereof our soules with all the faculties thereof are of his making Psal 100. It is hee that made vs not we our selues Not our earthly parents who were vnable to frame the least part of our bodies much more vnable to breath into vs liuing soules Qui silium generat Lactantius non habet potestatem vt concipiatur vt nascatur vt viuat He which begets a childe hath neither the conception the birth nor the life of his owne childe within the limits of his power If our Parents had beene our Makers wee had beene but like dead idols which haue eyes and see not eares and heare not hands and handle not feet and walke not This ground worke beeing now laid that God is the Lord of all men by creation let vs consider whatforce this ought to haue in drawing vs to obedience First I am sure that God himselfe iudgeth it a most forcible motiue Why else should he set such a Memento vpon it Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth Eccles 12. Out of doubt God knew that it was impossible euen for a young man to grow rebellious whilst he remembers the Lord to be his Creator Why should God charge euery wicked and vngodly man Deut. 32.18 with an Oblitus es Domini Creator is tui Thou hast forgot the Lord thy Maker but that he knowes if this were not forgotten his commands would neuer be disobeyed Not onely God but all good men haue conceiued the force of this motiue to be so great that vpon the apprehension thereof they presently conclude in their owne soules Come let vs fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker If Grace were wanting yet Reason is able to make this inference If God be my souereigne Lord by right of Creation I cannot resist him but to mine owne destruction For woe will be vnto him that striues with his Maker Esay 4.9 This reason makes all creatures though deuoid of reason ready to obey at Gods beck God made the Sunne and therefore if hee bid it stand still in the firmament it dares not but stand if he bid it goe backe so many degrees it dares not but goe backe though in its owne nature it reioyceth like a Gyant to runne his perpetuall course God made the fire therfore if he forbid it dares not burne the three children no not singe so much as one haire of their heads The like obedience to their Creator hath shewen it selfe in the most fierce beasts in the most rauening birds in the most venemous Serpents What shall we say then is the cause that this most forcible reason hath so little force in moouing reasonable men vnto obedience That whereas euery childe if he bee asked who made him can presently answer God yet few men when GOD who made them