praemij aeterni vel temporalis aliquis actus hominis ex quantacunque charitate elicitus est de condigno meritorius apud Deum quia quilibet talis est donum Dei From this I inferre that neither life everlasting nor any other either of another eternall reward or temporall act of man proceeding from never so great charity is meritorious of condignity with God because every such action is the gift of God And Lodovicus Granatensis Lodo. Gran. said Salva me ô Iesu ô vita sine qua morior ô veritas sine qua fallor ô via sine qua err◠ô lumen sine quo in tenebris ambulo Save mee ô Iesus ô life without which I dye ô trueth without which I am deceived ô way without which I wander ô light without which I walke in darknesse in te aliquid sum sine te nihil sum in thee I am something without thee nothing There is not a wise Papist but will say this at a dead lift so said Luther when hee was a Minorite Triplex est benedictio praeveniens adjuvans consummans There is a threefold blessing a preventing blessing an helping Luther blessing and a consummating prima est misericordiae the first is of mercy the second of grace the third of glory Mercy preventeth our conversion grace helpeth our conversation glory perfecteth our consummation Wee can neither thinke any Election Vocation Iustification are of Gods free grace good thing till we be prevented of mercy neither can we doe any good thing till we be holpen of grace nor discharged till we be filled with glory Wherin now differ we from him in the doctrine of Mercy The cause of our salvation is Gods mercy alone his good will and pleasure not our works Concerning election If the question be asked why Abraham was chosen and not Nachor why Iacob Gen. 11. Mal. 1. Rom. 9. 1 Sam. 16. was loved and Esau hated why Moses was elected and Pharaoh hardned why David was accepted and Saul refused why few be chosen and the most forsaken It cannot otherwise be answered but thus it was the good will of God to have it so Non est volentis Mat. 22. Rom. 9. neque currentis sed miserentis Dei It is not of the willer nor of the runner but of God shewing mercy Secondly concerning vocation If the question be why Cornelius the Gentile was called not Act. 10. Mat. 11. Tertullus the Iew Why the babes and little ones of the world not the great men Why the poore the base the vile not the rich the noble the honorable Why the sinners and not the just 1 Cor. 1. 26. Mat. 9. Luk. 14. Mat. 11. 26. Why the beggers by the high way were called and the bidden guests excluded we can rēder no other reason but this It was the good pleasure of God Thirdly concerning Iustification If the question be asked why the Publican went home more justified Luk. 18. then the Pharise Why Mary the sinner and not Simon the Leper Luk. 11. Why harlots and Publicans goe before Scribes and Pharises Mat. 21. Gen. 21. into heaven Why the sonne of the free-Woman was received and the Sonne of the bond-woman rejected being the elder Why Israel which so long sought for righteousnesse found it Rom. 9. not and the Gentiles which sought it not found it We can render no cause but this they sought for it by the works of the Rom. 10. Law not by faith our Iustification is perfect because wee are counted just Iustitia Christi through the righteousnesse of 2 Cor. 5. 21. Christ but our sanctification is unperfect Vt mera gratia servati in Domino non in nobis gloriemur That being saved by meere 1 Cor. 1. 3. grace we may glory not in our selves but in the Lord. Finely truly saith one Proprijs meritis non obtineo regnum coelorum I cannot Bern. come to heaven by mine own merits but Christ in a double right obtaining First by the inheritance of his Father And secondly by the merit of his Passion Altero ipse contentus alterum mihi resignavit he being contented with the one hath resigned the other to me it is our worthinesse to know our unworthinesse Say thou art an unprofitable servant say with Viualdus Non abscondo Luk. 17. peccata sed ostēdo I hide not my sins but I shew them non abspergo sed aspergo I wipe them not away but I sprinkle them non excuso sed accuso I doe not excuse them but accuse them peccata enim non nocent si non placent my sinnes hurt me not if they like mee not Initium salutis cognitio peccati the beginning of salvation is the knowledge of my transgression in this flesh dwelleth no goodnes M. Knoxe said at his death Satan tempted him to Confession the way to salvation desperation but he alledged 1 Tim. 1. 15. that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners after he tempted him to presumption and his merits and he alledged 1 Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why rejoycest thou as though thou haddest not received it And so drave Satan away Let us renounce our owne merits and fly to Christs so shall wee be partakers of eternall life THE FIVE AND THIRTIETH SERMON VIRS XXII And have compassion of some putting difference c. We must use discretion putting difference betwixt sinners THis is the last exhortation the pith and marrow whereof is to teach us to use discretion to put difference of sinners to pitty some to reprove others lastly so to walke betwixt both as that they may hate all sin even the garment of a sinner for the sinners sake the theeves coate the Adulterers coate for the hatred they beare to theft and adultery for wee must hate the evill love the Amos 5. 15. good that wee may bee like our elder Brother Christ Iesus who loved righteousnesse and hated Hebr. 1. 9. iniquitie First generally wee must use discretion and make difference of men we must be like Surgeons and expert Physicians who doe not lay one plaister to all sores nor minister one potion to all patients this is that serpentine Wisedome that Christ requireth of his Apostles Be wise as Serpents bee innocent as Doves Mat. 10. 16. Wisedome mixed with Innocencie and Innocency with it Wisedome without Innocencie is but craft and subtilty and Innocency without Wisedome is dotage and folly the one maketh us Foxes the other Asses joyne them together and wee are perfect Christians wee must have the Word of Knowledge to know what to speake and the Word of Wisedome to Ministers must be discreete know when and where and how and to whom to speake to some mildely to others roughly as occasion requireth this is the precept given to Thessalonica Wee desire you Brethren admonish 1 Cor. 12. 1
God imputeth righteousnesse but yet in the righteousnesse of Christ not in an inherent righteousnesse of our owne as hee is said to have paid the money to his creditour who paid it by another though himselfe was not able And unto this end the Apostle saith that wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption Rom. 4 5 6 7 8. that is in Christ Iesus To the place in the Romanes where Paul saith But to him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse even as David declared the blessednesse of that man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works saying Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not the sin Bellarmine answereth that Paul setteth not downe a full definition of justification For sinne is not remitted saith he except righteousnesse bee infused but yet inchoated onely not perfected and yet the comparison holdeth not betwixt the infusion of light into the ayre and the infusion of righteousnesse into a man similia illustrant non probant similies doe illustrate a thing but prove not Bellarmine argueth from the comparison betwixt Adam and Christ Per Adae peccatum inhaerens peccatores sumus By Rom. 5. the inhaerent sinne of Adam we are sinners therefore per infusionem inhaerentis justitiae justi sumus by infusion of inhaerent righteousnesse wee are righteous I answere that the argument followeth not the comparison holdeth not in the inherence of sinne or righteousnesse but in the adoption or getting From Adam wee have gotten sinne naturally but from Christ supernaturally by faith by which the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed unto us Bellarmine reckoneth up many things which be necessary to salvation out of the second Epistle of S. Peter the first Chapter as how we must joyne Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. with Faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse Good works the way not the cause of the Kingdome of Heaven love But hee doth detorquere writhe and bow the question another way and to another end For wee doe not exclude good works simply from the obtaining of salvation sunt enim via regni non causa regnandi they are the way to Gods Kingdome not the cause of our ruling and reigning in Gods Bern. Kingdome but from the obtaining of righteousnes For it is onely Christs righteousnesse that maketh us righteous before God for hee is our wisdome and righteousnesse and holinesse and redemption wisdome to instruct us righteousnes to justify us holines to sanctify us and redemption to free us Hee reasoneth thus Faith without Love doth not justify Therefore faith alone doth not justify for faith worketh by love Gal. 5. I deny the Confequence For though faith bee not alone without other vertues yet it justifieth alone as the hand of the writer is not alone but hath other members adjoyned unto it yet it writeth alone as the eye is not alone and yet it seeth alone and the eare is not alone and yet it heareth alone and yet to speake properly faith doth not justify it is a Metonymicall speech for to speake properly the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith justifieth us faith as the principall cause doth not justify us sed ut causa instrumentalis but as the instrumentall cause non per modum dispositionis sed per modum apprehensionis not by the manner of disposition but by the manner of apprehension For although it doth dispose unto good workes yet it doth not justify in respect of that but in respect of the object which is Christ For the blood of Iesus 1 Iohn 1. 7. Christ Gods Sonne clenseth us from all sinne But Iustification saith hee is motus à peccato ad justitiam a moving from sinne to righteousnesse as illumination is a moving from darkenes to light I grant sed non adjustitiam inhaerentem not unto inherent or infused righteousnesse but imputative Hee argueth that things are denominated from the internall not the externall forme as we call an Aethiopian blacke though he have a white garment on him quia nigredo est illi insita because blacknes is naturally graffed in him Ergo nos justos dici à justitia intra nos non extra nos Therefore wee are said to bee righteous of the righteousnesse that is within us not without us I answere This is true in Philosophy but false in Divinity Here we may say with Paul Beware lest there bee any man that spoile you through Col. 2. ◠philosophy Philosophy may bee used so as shee be content to be a servant not a mistris but when men measure all doctrine by humane reason and philosophicall positions as Bellarmine here doth then Philosophy is to be taken heed of Howlet in the fifth part of his resolution confesseth that works are not the causes of salvation but the path that leadeth Papists at death fly to Gods mercy in Christ and not to merit to salvation the fruits and effects of faith as Christ saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorify your Father which is in Heaven That Paul speaking of the cause of Iustification saying wee conclude that Mat. 5. 16. Rom. 3. 18. a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law is not contrary to Iames speaking of the notes and signes of Iustification saying Yee see then how that of workes a man is justified and not of faith onely This truth God extorted from him as also Iam. 2. 24. from Stephen Gardiner who confessed this at his death but would not have it preached to the people Open that doore quoth hee and then farewell all Hee would bee wiser than God Mounser also granted it and cried Solus Christus solus Christus Christ alone Christ alone And so Sherwin a seminary Priest executed for treason with Campian and others at Tiborne when hee was in the cart ready to dye though he held himselfe a martyr for the Catholike faith acknowledged nowithstanding ingenuously the miseries imperfections and corruptions of his owne vile nature relying wholly upon Christ cried out at his death O Iesus Iesus Iesus bee to mee a Iesus And Bellarmine cites often in his workes out of Augustine Domus Dei credendo fundatur sperando exigitur diligendo perficitur the foundation of Gods house in our soules is faith the walles hope the roofe charity If faith bee the foundation of all other vertues as himselfe affirmes and if it bee our safest Lib. 1. de Rom. Pont. cap. 10. De Iustificatione lib. 5. Cap. 7. course to repose our whole trust in the onely mercy of God Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimū est fiduciam totam in
by breathing some by poyson some by worrowing So is it among the wicked some hurt as beasts one way some another If hee be not an usurer yet is he an oppressor if not a Papist yet a prophane man if not covetous yet prodigall if not voluptuous yet superstitious if not a Lion yet an Aspe But let us put off our beastly affections Nam pejus est bestialiter vivere quà m bestiam esse hoc fuit à natura illud à Diabolo It is worser Seneca to live beastly than to be a beast the one is of nature the other of the Divell Let us then no longer live beastly lest we perish with the beast but live Christianly that so we may see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living THE TWENTIETH SERMON VERS XI Woe be unto them they have followed the way of Caine. Execrable sinners may be execrated FRom the description and confuration of the wicked hee commeth to execration hee riseth by degrees as the Eagle mounteth in her flight like fire that first smoaketh and then flameth he casteth them out of the savour of God and state of salvation Woe be unto them saith he Psal 69. 22 23. c. let their table be made a snare before them and their prosperity their ruine let their eyes be blinded that they see not and make their loynes alway to tremble Powre out thine anger upon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take them let their habitation be void and let none dwell in their Tents Lay iniquity upon their iniquity and let them not come into thy righteousnesse let them be put out of the Booke of life and let them not be written with the righteous Thus with Esay he lifteth up his voyce like Esa 58. 1. Mich. 3. 2 Cor. 4. Ier. 5. 24. a trumpet with Micah he is full of power and judgement hee commeth to them as Paul to the Corinthians with a rod with Ieremy his words are as fire and the people as wood and straw to be devoured of this fire Saint Iude had hitherto tempred his stile but now comming to their arch-metropolitan sinnes hee cannot forbeare but breaketh out into these words Woe bee unto them with Iames and Iohn he is become Boanarges the Sonne of thunder he telleth them of nothing but destruction that God Ministers must not in their owne cause be rigorous but in Gods hath bent his bow and made his arrowes ready that God will arise and his enemies shall bee scattered that God will meet them as a shee Beare robbed of her whelps There is no doubt but the Apostle would have spoken mildly unto them would have blessed them as Aaron did the tribes if there had beene any Psal 7. Psal 68. 8. Hos 13. 8. Numb 6. goodnesse in them but seeing their sinnes execrable he commeth to execration and saith Woe be unto them Hee dealeth here with them as Christ did with Corazin and Bethsaida Woe to thee Corazin Woe to thee Bethsaida And as Christ did with the Mat. 23. Pharisees Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees and Hypocrites and as Paul did with the Corinthians when he said Maranatha Anathema be unto them that love not the Lord Iesus Men are unwilling to 1 Cor. 16. heare execrations and woes they would have pillowes sowne under their elbowes with the men of Anathoth they love to be soothed in their sinnes with Achab they cannot abide that Micah should prophesie otherwise unto them than they would have him they would not have the Lords sword drawne against them nor no woe denounced upon them but woe woe and woe againe to them that cause us to sharpen our stile and to cry Woe be unto them And note here that no private revenge no sinister affection carried him to this execration but being moved by the Spirit of God he was inforced to lay the Axe of Gods vengeance to the rootes of their trees and to cry Woe be unto them The Prophets and Apostles in their owne causes are like doves Sine felle without gall or bitternesse but in Gods cause they rowse themselves like Giants Moses prayed for Aaron and Myriam the cause was his Stephen prayed for his persecutors the cause was his but when he commeth to handle the cause of God he calleth them Acts 7. hard-hearted and stiffe necked Iewes So Christ in his owne cause was meeke as a Lambe but in his Fathers cause he rowsed himself like a Lion for he that prayed for his enemies thundred many woes against his Fathers adversaries as the Scribes Mat. 23. Pharisees and Hypocrites Well the Apostle having thus denounced Gods judgement against them saying Woe be unto them he commeth to set downe the cause of this execration the first whereof was envy malice First he calleth them malicious envious like Caine whose sinne the Apostle noteth and dehorteth men not to be As Caine which was of the wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his owne workes were evill and his brothers good A miserable 1 Iohn 3. 12. thing not to hate the man but the vertue of the man the goodnesse of the man this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fight against God like the old Giants we should love good men Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle saith David who shall rest upon thy holy hill God Psal 15. answereth him In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that feare the Lord All Davids delight was upon Envy ever ascendeth maligne vertue and glory them for so he protesteth in the Psalme All my delight is upon the Saints that are on the earth and upon such as excell in vertue We should doe so even Hate the evill and love the good and establish Psal 16. 3. Aâ—os 5. 15. judgment in the gate but we have inverted that order and good men are in most detestation with us As there is no Sunne beame without motes no Tree without barke no garment without mothes no fruit without Catterpillers so no vertue no honour without envy There 's no Iacob whom Esau will not perfecute no David whom Saul will not maligne no Isaak whom Ismael Gen. 27. will not revile and no good man upon the earth whom the envious will not bite teare and devoure For this cause one resembleth envy to certaine Flies called Cantharides for as they light specially upon the fairest wheat and most blowne Roses so envy commonly opposeth herselfe against the best men Invidia virtutis Comes envy is the companion of vertue One resembleth envy unto fire for as fire coveteth the highest places so envy aimeth at the worthiest men As for example Themistocles when he had conquered the navy of Xerxes which in number was most infinite through envy was forced to leave his Country and to live in miserable banishment Aristides which for his vertues was called the just yet through envy as an unprofitable member was
did undoe in the night so wee learne and unlearne whatsoever wee learne on the Sunday wee forget in the weeke day we may say of our comming to Church as Peter said of his fishing Master wee have Luke 5. 5. travelled all night and have taken nothing So wee have come to the Church twenty thirty forty fifty sixty yeeres some more and have gotten nothing have learned nothing got no Faith no Zeale no Knowledge But to proceed As they must edifie themselves increase and goe forward so the thing that they must increase and goe forward in is Faith for that is the foundation of all Christian Vertues it is Alpha and O mega absque ea nemo potest placere Deo Heb. 11. 6. Rom. 14. 23. Without it no man can please God for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Omnia ergo splendida opera Paganorum Infidelium sant splendida peccata all the glistering workes of Pagans and Infidels bee glistering sinnes their prayers almes fastings the patience of Socrates the justice of Aristides the piety of Epaminondas Faith the originall of all good workes the constancie of Phocion they were but bastard-workes not right workes they are begotten of Hagar not of Sara the free-woman they spring from the waters of Marah not of Siloh from the bitter poole Exanthe not the sweet flood of Hispanis they proceed from feare or vaineglory not from faith For as unto the Tit. 1. 15. pure all things are pure so unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but their mindes and consciences are defiled It is true in all workes that Paul said of prayer How shall they call on him in whom Rom. 10. 14. they have not beleeved Even so how can they glorifie God or love God or serve God in whom they never beleeved Paul making a Catalogue of good men beginneth with Faith and saith By faith Abel offered to God a greater sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11. 4 5 7. 8 20 21 33-34 By faith Enoch was taken away that hee should not see death c. By Faith Noah being warned of God of the things which were not yet seene moved with reverence prepared the Arke c. By Faith Abraham when hee was called obeyed God offered Isaac c. By Faith Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau By Faith Iacob when hee was a dying blessed the sonnes of Ioseph and thus hee goeth on and at the last concludeth that by faith they subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the Aliants c. In every good worke three things are to be considered Origo Finis Vsus The beginning The end and Vse The originall or beginning of every good worke is faith faith is as the Mother and the holy Ghost the Father of all good workes Faith begetteth Love and Love blossometh forth in Vertue and Vertue buddeth foorth in good Workes whereupon Saint Peter inferreth this exhortation Ioyne moreover Vertue with your Faith and with Vertue Knowledge and with Knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5 7 8. Temperance and with Temperance Patience and with Patience Godlinesse and with Godlinesse Brotherly-kindnesse and with Brotherly-kindnesse Love Secondly the end is the glory of God Hereupon saith the Apostle Whether yee eate or drinke or whatsoever yee doe doe all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 1 3â— Thirdly the use is manifold First they are unto us signes of our election and therefore Saint Peter would have us to make our election calling sure by them Indeed our election is sure in it selfe 2 Pet. 1. 10. for God cannot change yet we must confirme it in our selves by the fruits of the Spirit Secondly they edifie others Hereupon saith our Saviour Let your light so shine before men that they may see No life of grace without Faith your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Thirdly that they may stop the mouth of the Adversary For which cause we are willed to have honest conversation among the Gentiles that wheras they doe backbite us as evill doers they may see our good works and glorify Mat. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 12. our Father which is in Heaven Here is the triall of a Christian that proveth us either sonnes or bastards this proveth us dead or alive by Faith wee live this is the spirit and soule of the inner man wee have a name to live yet are wee dead if wee want Iohn 1. 12. Faith There is a double life of grace and of nature Infidels Vnbeleevers are strangers from the life of grace As a tree liveth not without Ephes 4. 18. moysture nor a bird without aire nor the fish without water nor a body without a soule so neither the soule without faith For in that wee live now in the flesh wee live by the Faith of the Sonne of God who hath loved us and gave himselfe for us Yee see Infidels eating Gal. 2. 20. drinking sporting playing yet are they dead they are alive to the world but dead unto God but the faithfull they are dead with Christ unto the world but their life is hid with Christ with God and when Christ which is their life shall appeare then shall they Col. 2 3 4. also appeare with him in glory Pandora carried deadly poyson in a painted boxe and Lusimachus the cutter a leaden sword in a golden sheath and many men a dead soule in a living body the body is alive but the soule is dead as Paul said of the voluptuous widow But shee that liveth in pleasure is dead while shee liveth To conclude faith joyneth us to Christ For Christ dwelleth in 1 Tim. 5. 6. our hearts by Faith Christ uniteth us to God 1 Iohn 5. God assureth Ephes 3. 17. us of life For in him wee live and move and have our being So that no faith no Christ no Christ no God no God no life God Act. 17. 28. so loved the world that hee gave his only be gotten Sonne that whosoever Iohn 3. 16 18. beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting hee that beleeveth in him shall not bee condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already because hee beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God Knowledge is the fountaine of all vertue and Faith is the sea in which they all runne and where they jointly end their course But it is to bee observed that hee calleth it not simply Faith but holy Faith yea most holy Faith he riseth to the superlative degree as David extolled Bashan above all mountaines saying The mountaine of God is like the mountaine of Bashan it is a high mountaine Psal 68. 15. as the mount Bashan As Salomon extolled his huswife above all women saying Many daughters
Gods Word the chiefe meanes to restraine lust 339 Lust tempteth to all sinne 340 The best assaulted by lusts but not led by them ibid. All the works of the flesh are from the lusts of the flesh 341 Lusts bring damnation ibid. Lust insatiable 342 Lust defiles body and soule and gives Satan interest in the whole man 343 Lust defaces Gods Image ibid. Lust is in the godly but gaines not in them 344 Sermon 27. THe corruption of the heart is shewed by corrupt speaking 345 The wicked have beene alwayes great boasters with their tongues but performe little with their hands 346 Pride is naturall to us we have it from our first parents 347 Pride the ruine of angels and men ibid. The godly humble in regard of their sinnes not proud of their vertues ibid. Scoffers and slanderers like dogges 348 Good men despise the applause of flatterers and debase themselves ibid. Though we must not endure vaine applause yet wee must free our selves from slanders 349 The most vile usually the most proud and greatest boasters 350 Pride endeth with vanity ibid. Flatterers applaud others for their owne gaine 351 The Popes great boasters 352 Flattery described with the properties and punishment thereof 353 VVe must not listen to flatterers but give God the glory 354 Flattery servile and base 355 Flattering preachers most pernicious ibid. Ministers must reprove the greatest 356 Such as desire to be flattered are occasion of flattery ibid. He that reprooveth doth profit more than he that applauds 357 Flattery to be rejected and despised ibid. Flattery flatterers compared to divers things 358 Flattery gives to vices the names of vertues 359 Sermon 28. CHristians must not live like Heathen infidels 360 The godly and wicked opposite in divers respects 361 Wee must not bee led by the multitude for the greater part are the worser 362 The more glorified the greater joy the more damned the greater torment ibid. Not sufficient to have the VVord unlesse we remember it 363 How wee may heare the VVord profitably that we may find it the savour of life unto life 365 The memory the soules treasury ibid. VVhatsoever doctrine is not remembred is lost 366 Our forgetfulnes and negligence in divine doctrine most grosse ibid. The VVord of God the most sure foundation to build upon 367 The Saints modest in their owne prayse but zealous for Gods glory 369 Circumstances to bee observed in reproving 370 Three sorts of malicious reprehenders condemned 371 Sermon 29. THere have beene scoffers and mockers in all ages 372 Mocking what in Latin whence derived 373 Divers sorts of mockers 374 Mockers of God and religion most odious ibid. Mocking scoffing and jesting the basest fruit of wit 375 Some sinners like Dogges some Hogges ibid. Scoffers punished 376 Mocking a kinde of persecution 378 The tongues of scoffers instruments of persecution 379 Many scoffing Atheists at Christ and Religion 380 Scoffers as the Divels band-dogges so bond-slaves ibid. He is strongest that overcomes his lusts 381 Mortification a signe of justification 383 If no sanctification no glorification 384 Sermon 30. SEctaries cause division in the Church 385 The Church and members thereof love Vnity 386 Dissention the cause of all mischiefe in the Church ibid. Three causes of division in the Church Heresy Schisme Apostacy 387 The difference of these ibid. Pride the cause of Schisme 388 No salvation out of the Church ibid. Heresies though hurtfull in themselves yet God maks them profitable to the Church 389 Heretikes pervert Scriptures to maintaine their errours ibid. The Papists charging us with Sects have more among themselves 390 Satans chiefest engine to hurt the Church is dissention 391 Schisme a grievous sinne ibid. Naturall men perceive not the things of God nor any good 392 By regeneration we are adopted the Sonnes of God 393 Many naturall men exceed Christians in bridling their affections and in some mortall actions 394 Naturall men inventers of Arts and trades 395 Beasts exceed many naturall men ibid. Love makes all things easy 396 A sinner hardly drawne from sinne ibid. Gods grace is to our hearts as the Sunne-beames to the earth ibid. None boast more of the spirit then they that are led by the spirit of error 397 The Popes pride reproved that call onely their Clergy spirituall all other temporall ibid. Naturall men though they have not the spirit of sanctification yet illuminated 398 All grace and true goodnes flowes from Gods Spirit 400 Sermon 31. THe godly and the wicked every way opposite 403 Edification being a building the Saints be the houses 404 VVe must build in our selves temples for the Holy Ghost ibid. Gods VVord the rule and square whereby we must build 405 VVe must endeavour to edify others especially our children 406 VVee must dayly encrease in knowledge grace and goodnes 407 Good men grow dayly in grace and goodnes ibid. The wicked grow dayly worse and worse 408 VVee are none proficients in plenty of meanes ibid. Pride and negligence cause of none proficiciency ibid. VVe bee diligent in seaking knowledge wee shall attaine to it 409 VVe should not build our hope on earth but in Heaven 410 Faith is the originall of all good works 411 No life of grace here or glory hereafter without faith 412 Faith the most excellent of all vertues ibid. Faith is called holy in respect of the effect in the subject secondly of the object thirdly the efficient cause thereof 413 All good works without faith vaine 414 If no holines in life no true faith in heart ibid. Faith is begotten by hearing and encreased also 415 God works not by miracles when hee affords meanes 416 Sermon 32. FAith and prayer may not bee disjoyned 417 Faith the mother of prayer and prayer the meanes to confirme faith ibid. Prayer the meanes whereby wee receive all good things 418 Prayer prevalent over all creatures 419 Prayer pleasant to God and man 420 The Saints have delighted to spend much time in prayer ibid. Divers divisions of prayer into divers kinds in divers respects 421 All prayer must be offered in the mediation of Christ 422 Prayer necessary for all estates for all times 423 Gods wrath powred out upon them that doe not pray ibid. Gods house a house of prayer 424 Prayer comforteth in all estates ibid. ☞ Prayer the food and nourishmert of the soule 405 Prayer sanctifyeth all our actions ibid. Prayer admirable in the effects if in due manner 406 We must pray continually ibid. VVee must pray in the spirit and how 407 The Holy Ghost the Author of prayer yet so as the whole Trinity hath a hand ibid. Prayers must bee spirituall and fervent 409 God regards both the manner and end in all holy duties 410 Our prayers must bee neither tepidae timidae nec temerariae ibid. God heareth not the prayers of sinners except for vengeance 411 God hath promised all good things to prayer ibid. Sermon 33. FAith Prayer and Love have mutuall relation 412 Love the most
AN EXPLANATION OF THE GENERALL Epistle of Saint Iude. Delivered in one and forty SERMONS by that Learned Reverend and faithfull Servant of Christ Master SAMVEL OTES Parson of Sowthreps in Norfolke Preached in the Parish Church of Northwalsham in the same County in a publike Lecture And now published for the benefit of Gods Church by SAMVEL OTES his sonne Minister of the Word of God at MARSHAM 2 PET. 1. 15. I will endevour alwayes that ye also may be able to have remembrance of these things after my departing PROV 13. 9. The light of righteousnesse shineth more and more but the candle of the wicked shall bee put out PROV 13. 13. He that despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but hee that feareth the commandement shall be rewarded LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Purslow for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at his Shop at the South Entrance of the ROYALL EXCHANGE 1633. TO THE RELIGIOVS AND RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Knight and Baronet Sir IOHN HOBERT of Blickling Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriffe of the Country of Norfolke SAMVEL OTES wisheth all felicity here and eternall salvation hereafter Right VVorshipfull THese Sermons of my Fathers upon Saint Iude Right worshipfull Sir after that once I was perswaded for Sions sake to have them printed I thought good to dedicate them to your worthy selfe as Saint Luke dedicated his Gospell to Theophilus so I to you another Theophilus a true lover of God and of his Word so right honestly affected to Doctrine and Religion that your Comportment in Gods Church and in all your courses and in all good causes perswades the Countrey your Pietie and Devotion to bee unfained The causes why I present them unto you are these First the true respect you merit from all them who professe Learning Secondly the many excellent gifts worthy of much commendations in your selfe Thirdly that my Father whom God hath taken to his Mercy was sometime Chaplaine to my late Honourable good Lord your Father who now resteth with God his body being layd up in peace and his memory with good men precious and one of the first Chaplaines that ever he entertained Lastly to testifie my owne engagement you being my worthy Patron humbly desiring that as you succeeded your Honourable Father in his Vertues so I may succeed my Father in your favours Touching these Sermons upon Iude the naturall sense thereof is so clearely opened and the Doctrines arising so powerfully applied and enforced and all manner of sinne so reproved that I doubt not but Gods Church and People shall hence reape much benefit which was the Authors onely intent in the exercise of his Ministery But it becommeth not mee to say much they are exposed to publique viewe and as mens eyes shall bee upon them so my prayer to God shall bee that their hearts may be informed and reformed by them For my part I intend especially though I bee of all men most unworthy to bee an instrument herein to further Christs Kingdom which if it may I have my desire howsoever I shall leave it to the blessing of God and your worthy Patronage Now the God of all consolation according to the riches of his Mercy blesse you with the Honorable good Lady your Wife your hopefull Children and whole Familie with all externall internall and eternall blessings of his Spirit that all your actions may bee prosperous your troubles few your comforts many your life long your death blessed your election sure and your salvation certaine Amen Your Worships in all Christian offices to command Samuel Otes Minister of the Word of God at Marsham in Norfolke TO THE GODLY AND Well-affected Reader whosoever COurteous Reader I am bold at the length to present to thy view these Sermons of my Fathers upon the Epistle of Saint Iude which though in this Learned age among so many excellent and accurate Sermons and Treatises it may seeme presumption to publish yet in this sinfull age I thought they might proove most usefull for the beating downe of sinne and convincing the consciences and converting the soules of sinners there being not many of this kinde for though knowledge abound and learning florish and most desire to have their understanding informed and affections pleased yet true godlines and righteousnes is dayly decaying and few desire to have their lives reformed though they have the forme of godlines yet they have denied the power thereof and though they professe they know God yet in their works they deny him Which this man of God considering did bend all his labour and learning to the beating downe of sinne and building up in vertue and saving knowledge wherein how powerfull and prevalent hee was thou mayst ghesse by these Sermons tanquam ex ungue leonem Concerning himselfe his learning life c. It is not meete I should say much seeing I may seeme to speake partially out of affection yet I hope I may without blame give testimony to that truth which all that knew him will acknowledge namely that hee was a faithfull labourer in the worke of the Lord a workeman that needed not to bee ashamed a burning and a shining light burning with zeale shining both by divine Doctrine and godly conversation Burning so as he consumed himselfe to give light to others and shining not onely before his Parochiall charge where hee lived and exercised his Ministery being as an Augustine Sowthreps in Norfolke to that Hyppo a Polycarpe to that Smyrna but the whole Country so as they all knew him a faithfull Samuel a learned laborious and godly Preacher who did empty himselfe to fill others and did waste and consume his strength to instruct the flocke committed to his charge Neither was the lustre of his light confined in that Parish or Country wherein hee lived but shined further into other parts of this Kingdome so as three very Godly and Eminent Persons in this State worthy instruments of Gods glory florishing in their time with many excellent graces and vertues on earth and now all shining glorious Saints in Heaven did take notice of him and did successively entertaine him Chaplaine namely Sir Francis Walshingham Secretary to the State Sir Iohn Popham Lord-Chiefe-Iustice of England and Sir Henry Hobart Knight and Baronet Lord Chiefe-Iustice of the Common Pleas all which notwithstanding hee continued so lowly in his owne eyes and so zealous in his Function as hee neither carelesly nor ambitiously left his Cure to seeke other preferment But having at any time performed his due observance to those Honorable Persons according as hee was engaged hee presently returned to his accustomed weekely and almost daily taske of preaching for his heart was so inflamed with the zeale of Gods glory and yet so ballanced with the feare of God and true humility that neither the learning nor graces that were in his owne heart nor the lustre and grace he had with other did puffe him up with price and this humility and lowlines in his owne eyes Magna
but they that have beene mockers of God and Religion most odious most severely punished yet all condemned as being persecutors carnall lose Libertines though they thinke themselves 〈◊〉 yet they 〈◊〉 the bondslaves of sinne and Satan they are onely free that are the servants of God and subdue their lusts and they have thereby assurance of their election and salvation The Contents of the thirtieth Sermon HEre he condemneth Sectaries that make a division in the Church which is one and the true members thereof preserve unity among themselves these Sectaries are dangerous as Idolaters Three sorts of them viz. Heretikes Schismatikes and Apostates who are described and condemned Pride the root of Heresie and Schisme though the Scriptures the meanes to confute them yet they pervert them to maintaine their errors That we may avoid these wee must keepe our hearts from infidelity our minds from false opinions and our conversation from scandall they are the chiefe Engines Satans vse to overthrow the Church making Sects and divisions either for matters Ecclesiasticall or Temporall These Sectaries are by Iude called naturall men that is unregenerate having no more then they drew from Adam without grace and knowledge of heavenly things yet practised many civill vertues invented Arts and in many things exceeded many that beare the names of Christians though they had but naturall illumination not the Spirit of Sanctification and so Saint Iude addeth having not the Spirit that is the Spirit of God and being without it had no spirituall grace but were led by the spirit of pride errour c. The Contents of the one and thirtieth Sermon HAving noted the opposition betweene the wicked and the godly from the conjunction discretive But that though Sectaries pull downe yet the godly must build up themselves in their holy Faith he justifieth first in the metaphor Edifie hee inferres two things first that we must be builders using the Word of God for our rule or square and confute the Papists that tooke it away secondly that we must encrease daily in knowledge grace and goodnesse and reproove our non-proficiency and shew that it is a propertie of the wicked to decrease and taxe both such as thinke they know enough and such as will not indevour to know exhorting all to use all diligence to learne and to build so as when their earthly tabernacle bee dissolved they may have assurance of a house in the Heavens he proceedeth with the Apostle to the thing wherein hee must be built and that is in their Faith and this not barely named but with a note of excellency above all vertues being called Most holy Faith He sets out the necessity of Faith in all our actions that they may bee pleasing to God and having shewed that Faith is the originall of all good workes he sheweth the end and manifold uses of them Finally that Faith is the life of the soule by it God lives in us and wee shall live eternally with him Hee proceeds to the note of excellency that is called most holy and first shewes the excellency of it above all other vertues and that holy first in regard of the subject purifying the heart and making our persons and 〈…〉 Secondly in respect of the object the holy Trinitie Thirdly in respect of the officient cause the holy Ghost and hence concluded that the Papists workes are not holy being not done in Faith and that the wicked have no Faith because no holinesse And lastly he sheweth that this holy Faith must be begotten by hearing the holy Word of God The Contents of the two and thirtieth Sermon HAving set out the relation betweene Faith and Prayer and the manifold and marveilous effects of Prayer and that it is not onely powerfull but pleasant to God and the Saints themselves he descends to divide Prayer into divers kinds in divers respects and sheweth how all must be uttered Hee proceedeth further to set out the excellency of Prayer by many resemblances and manifold effects and uses having spoken of Prayer in generall he comes to shew that it must bee in Spirit and sheweth what it is to pray in the Spirit and that hee deâ—ineth so as either the holy Ghost must be the Author of Prayer being the Author of all Graces yet so as the holy Trinity have a hand in it or secondly that our Prayers must be spirituall and zealous not carnall and with the lips hee reprove the Papists that require but an actuall intent and sheweth it is the manner not matter that God respects That wee must take heed that neither businesse nor multitude of cogitations steale away the times of prayer but that wee pray alwayes with pure zealous and faithfull hearts and then we may relye upon his promises for all good things The Contents of the three and thirtieth Sermon HAving breifly shewed the relation betwixt Faith Prayer and Love he instanceth in Love setteth out the excellency of it above all vertues bewailes the want of it and exhorts unto it yet distinguisheth and sheweth it must be the Love of God which we must keepe our selves in this he describes by foure properties that it must bee 1 Holy 2 Iust 3 True 4 Constant And condemnes the love of Atheists carnall wordly men and Papists distinguisheth the love of God into 1 His love to us 2 Our love to him His love to us though infinite yet described in divers respects 1 By comparison 2 By distinction First into his love 1 Immanent 2 Transient Secondly 1 Generall 2 Speciall Thirdly 1 Temporary 2 Sempiternall Our love to god he sheweth to be an effect of his love to us and uses foure reasons to excite us to the love of God First à mandato from the Commandement of God Secondly 〈…〉 from the Law of equity Thirdly à commodo from the manifold good that redounds to us by it Fourthly 〈…〉 from our duty he being our Father Lastly he sheweth the manner how we should performe it and taxeth our fayling in the manner The Contents of the foure and thirtieth Sermon FIrst observing how Saint Iude having give divers Precepts to the godly commforts them with the hope of eternall life he shewes this to bee the duly meanes to support the soules of the faithfull and entreth into a large learned and elegant discourse concerning eternall life and the joyes of Heaven and sets them out firtst to bee in themselves both unspeakeable and incomprehensible yet that may be guessed at by comparison with the most excellent earthly things and setteth out the glorious estate of the Saints both in body and soule and reprooves such as are so delighted with this life as they thinke not on eternall life and confutes divers erronious conceits concerning this life and againe describes it 1 By the eternity 2 Infinite extent of the place 3 The infinite kindes of pleasures Lastly having set out the glorious estate hee sheweth the meanes how wee should attaine to it and that not by our merits but Gods mercies
or Life or death Whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and yee are Christs and Christ 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Psal 112. 6 7. 9. Gods an elegant Climax or gradation For he riseth by steppes Such a like figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 2 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Obiter now that peace and plentie are so farre given unto the Church as is profitable for it and expedient for the setting out of Gods glory The Church sometime eateth ashes as bread and mingleth her drinke with weeping she is as a Pelicane in the wildernesse and like an Owle that is in the desart She is as a Sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house top and her enemies revile her all the day long Sometime she is eaten up like a Sheep and scattered among the Heathen she is sold for nought and made a rebuke Psal 44. 9. 11 12. rebuked of her neighbours laughed to scorne and derided of all Nay sometime she is smitten into the place of Dragons and covered with the shadow of death The Church is oftentimes more hurt by plentie than penurie according to the voice in Constantines dayes Hodie venenum effusum est in Ecclesiam this day is poison powred into the Hierom. Church The Church when it came to Christian Princes to be defended Major erat divitiis virtutibus minor Againe God putteth off her sackcloath and girdeth her with gladnesse He giveth her beauty for ashes and rich apparell instead of sackcloath Psal 30. 12. Esa 61. 3. as he seeth it expedient Non audit ad voluntatem ut audiat ad salutem THE FIFTH SERMON VERS II. And Love bee multiplied Gods love the cause of all good THe third and last blessing which the Apostle here prayeth for is Love which of some learned men is thought to bee the cause of Mercie and Peace For Mercy and Peace are the fruits of Love Love is the fountaine Mercie and Peace the water that floweth from the fountaine Love is as the mother Mercy and Peace as her daughters Love as the cause Mercy and Peace as the effects yea Love is the cause of al blessings as I may say the cause of it selfe yea Causa causarum the cause of causes or Causa causae the cause of the cause or Causa causati the cause of the thing caused God is mercifull because he loveth us and hee loveth us because hee loveth us Eligit quia diligit ideo diligit quia diligit thee hath chosen us because hee loveth us Aug. and therefore hee loveth us because hee loveth us No reason can bee rendred of the love of God but the love of God Let us not buzze too neere the candle with the flye Farsalla lest we burne Let us not soare too high with the Eagle lest wee melt let us not wade too deep with the Elephant lest we drown Let us not bee curious in these things It is enough that Moses setteth downe Love to bee the cause of all blessings So God turned Balaams curse into a blessing unto Israel The cause Moses affirmeth to bee Gods love saying Because the Lord thy God Deut. 23. 5. loved thee So Moses telleth Israel that God did set his Love upon them and did chuse them not because they were more in number than any people For they were the fewest of all people but Because hee loved them Iude here prayeth for it as a most excellent blessing without which all is nothing For as Deut. 7. 7 8. wee say In triviis Hee is poore whom God hateth so hee is rich and happy whom God loveth his favour is as the dew of the Gods love abundant unmeasurable immutable morning as the shadow in the heate and as an haven to them that are tossed as the Cities of refuge to them that are pursued In thy presence saith David is fulnesse of ioy That is where God loveth and favoureth there is perfect felicitie Iohn calleth all men to behold the love of God Behold what love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sonnes of God behold his love that hee calleth us his servants and behold a 1 Iohn 3. 1. 2 Cor. 6. Ephes 2. greater love in that hee calleth us his Sonnes and yet behold a greater love that he calleth us his heyres and coheyres with Christ and yet behold a greater love in an higher degree that he calleth us his Mother Brethren and Sisters but behold the greatest love of all that he calleth us his Spouse or Wife to note that he loveth us with all loves with the masters love as Abraham loved Eleazar with the friends love as David loved Ionathan with the Childes love as Ruth loved Naomi with the Gen. 15. 1 Sam. 16. Ruth 1. Gen 29. husbands love as Iacob loved Rachel What heart of stone is not moved with this love Nati sumus è silice nutriti lacte ferino This love of God is gratuitall free partly because it floweth from his grace and goodnesse and partly because he loveth not for his owne but for our good And it is unmeasurable therefore saith the Apostle Herein is love not that wee loved God but that hee 1 Iohn 4. 10. loved us and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes greater love could not the Father shew than to send his Sonne out of his owne bosome and greater love could not the Sonne shew than to die for his enemies Yea this love of his it is immutable and constant For whom he loveth he loveth to the end hereupon the Apostle calleth God love God is love saith he and not only love for there are many properties and attributes in God as Truth Mercie Iustice Power Eternitie Novit omnia ut veritas tuetur ut salus Iohn 13. 1 Iohn 4. 16. sedat ut aequitas dominatur ut majestas operatur ut potentia manet ut aeternitas he knoweth all things as veritie defendeth all things as health and salvation appeaseth all things as equitie ruleth all things as Majestie worketh all things as omnipotencie and abideth and remaineth as eternitie God is not made of love only as wood of trees as a fountaine of water as a plaister of Balme but all these attributes are in the Lord equally But because God delighteth in love and he reposeth a great part of his glory in love therfore is he described by that attribute of Love by this attribute the Evangelist describeth him God so loved the Iohn 3. 16. Cap. 10. 16. 1 Iohn 4. 18. World that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. And by this attribute the beloved disciple describeth him saying God is love and hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him By this attribute David describeth him As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that love him And againe The loving Psal 103. 13. 17. kindnesse of the
Naboth wold not deliver up the vineyard of his fathers he must not deliver up the vineyard of the Lord. 1 Reg. 21. Here note three things 1 That Faith is a gift 2 That it is once given 3 That it is given unto the Saints And first that faith is a gift it is evident by the Apostles owne words where he calleth Christ The author and finisher of our faith as the Athenians were called Inventrices perfectrices omnium doctrinarum the inventers and perfecters of all good learning The Hebr. 12. 2. Romanes had their learning from the Grecians the Grecians from the Aegyptians and the Aegyptians from the Chaldees and they from Adam Seth Noah the old Patriarchs but the Church 1 Cor. 2. 22. Act. 7. 222. hath all her learning religion faith from God he gave it at the first and he confirmed it at the least He gave some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists some Pastours and teachers for gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification Faith diversly taken of the body of Christ till wee meete together in the unitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God c. Luke having spoken of Stephens faith noteth the cause of it that is that Stephen was full of the Spirit Ephes 4. 11. Act. 7. 55. Gal. 5. 22. 1 Cor. 12. 9. Rom. 3. 3. For God worketh it by his Spirit All good workes are the fruits of the Spirit therefore faith The fruits of the spirit are love ioy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith c. and it is reckoned up among the gifts of the spirit To another is given faith saith the Apostle by the same spirit But faith is in the Scriptures diversly taken sometimes it is given to God and it signifieth his faithfulnesse in his promises In this sense the Apostle useth the word saying Shall their unbeleefe make the faith of God of none effect when it is given to man it is taken seven manner of wayes First it is taken for Fidelity as it is a vertue in the second Mat. 23. 23. table So Christ useth the word where speaking to the Pharisees he saith Yee tythe Mint Anise and Commin and leave the weightie matters of the Law as iudgement and mercie and faith Secondly It is taken for the doctrine of faith and Christian Religion so it is said Many were added unto the faith that is to Act. 6. 7. Christian Religion And againe God opened the doore of faith unto the Gentiles that is of Religion Act. 14. 27. Thirdly It is taken for profession of religion thus Elimas is Act. 13. 8. charged To turne the Deputie from the Faith that is to make no more profession of Religion Fourthly It is taken for Christ himselfe by a Metonymie who is both the object and cause of faith So the Apostle useth the word saying But after that faith is come wee are no longer under a Gal. 325. schoole-master Fifthly It is taken for knowledge only and thus the Divels are said to beleeve Sixthly It is taken for the gift of working miracles If I had 1 Cor. 13. 2. all faith so that I could move mountaines c. Lastly It is taken for that grace by which felicity and the chiefe good is applied and thus it is taken in my Text. And this the Apostle Paul cals the faith of Gods elect For none but the elect have it al the elect have it at one time or another and once had it can never be finally and totally lost but it continueth with them till they come to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living then they shall have no more need of it It is therfore called Saving faith because it brings us to salvation Ephes 2. 8. And Iustifying faith because it is that meanes or instrument which Gods spirit worketh in us whereby wee apply unto our selves Christ Iesus in and by whom wee are iustified And Sanctifying faith because by it God purifieth our hearts This saving iustifying sanctifying faith is Gods gift for hee is the Authour of this faith From whom every good gift and every perfect gift commeth And that which is said of Lydia is true The meanes to beget faith of all the faithfull That the Lord opened the heart of Lydia so that shee beleeved And Christ saith This is the worke of God that yee beleeve not the worke of the Father alone or of the Sonne alone Iam. 1. 17. Iohn 6. 29. or of the Holy Ghost alone but of the whole Trinity For this is one of the workes of God which are said to bee Ad extra and therefore attributed to all the three persons To the first where Christ saith No man can come unto me that is beleeve except the Iohn 6. 44. Father draw him to the second where the Apostle calleth Iesus The author and finisher of our faith to the third where the Apostle reckoneth faith amongst the fruits of the spirit And the onely Hebr. 12. 2. thing that moved God to worke this precious gift in us is his meere good will So saith our Saviour It is so Father because thy good pleasure was such And the end at which he aymed in working Mat. 11. 26. this grace is first the setting forth of his owne glory secondly the salvation of mankinde and therefore S. Peter calleth salvation The end of our Faith 1 Pet. 1. 9. This doctrine serveth to humble us to let us see that it is not in our power that faith is not hereditary God beginneth it and increaseth it and finisheth it The Apostles prayed Lord increase Luk. 17. our faith The meanes to get this â—aith is double Outward Inward The outward meane is the word hereupon saith the Apostle How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10. 14. Rom. 10. 8. and thereupon thus concludeth faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and hereupon it is called The Word of faith And Paul saith of the Ephesians that they beleeved After they Ephes 1. 13. heard the Gospell And finely saith Chrysostome Accenditur fidei lampas igne divini verbi the lampe of our faith is lighted by the fire of the divine word And this faith is wrought in us both by reading and preaching of the word and both are commended and ordeined of God and first for reading God himselfe commandeth it and by reading S. Augustine was converted for he confesseth Deut. 3. 1. 9. of himselfe that being inclined to the heresie of the Manichees he heard a voyce saying Tolle lege take up and read meaning the booke of God which he presently did and so by reading was converted for surely the reading of the word is a meanes appointed of God to the begetting of faith and raising up the Kingdome of God in the hearts of men And to
Cap. 21. 27. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Col. 1. 9. Iob. 14. Iob. 38. 36. Men and Angels Hee calleth all the starres by their names he hath put Wisedome in the reines and hath given to the heart understanding his Wisedome is infinite But let us see the certainty of his Iudgements for as the voice vanisheth but litera scripta manet So the damnation of the wicked is certaine his heart cannot endure nor his hands be strong that is hee shall never bee able to defend himselfe he shall be as drosse as brasse Ezech. 22. 14. 18 as tinne and iron and lead in the middest of the fornace as God shall melt them that is destroy them But to proceede orderly the decree of God hath two parts Election and Reprobation That some are elected appeareth by many testimonies of the Scripture Paul saith Whom hee hath predestinate them hath hee also called c. Moses willeth Israel to Remember the dayes of old when Deut. 32. 8. the most high God divided their inheritance when he separated the sonnes of Adam c. And Paul saith That God hath chosen us in him that is Christ before the foundation of the World Wherefore some are Ephes 1. 4. Rom. 9. 17. elected some not For he hath Mercie on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth God hath made all things for his glory yea even the wicked for the day evill If any will goe further and say why will God be thus glorified The Apostle answereth him that hee will have mercy on him to whom hee will shew Mercy and he will have Rom. 9. 15. 18. compassion on him on whom he will have compassion And againe he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will hee hardeneth hee doth as pleaseth him even as the Psalmist saith Our God is in Heaven he doth whatsoever hee will Christ giveth no other reason It is so O Psal 115. 3. Mat. 11. 26. Psal 39. 9. Father because thy good pleasure was such Obmutui quoth David quia tu Domine fecisti I became dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou diddest it But if any proud man go yet further and say Why will God have it so It is a proud question for either man or Angell and the Apostle answereth him O man who art thou that pleadest with God Shall the thing formed say Rom. 9. 20 21. to him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus hath not the Potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour Inscrutabilia sunt Dei judicia and therefore the Apostle breaketh out saying O the deepenesse of the riches both of the Wisedome and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Iudgements Rom. 11. 33. 34. and his wayes past finding out for who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who was his Counsellor I say with Augustine Cave praecipitium Take heed of a breake-neck With Iob lay thy hand Gods will most perfect his proceedings most iust oâ—â—y mouth With David meddle not with matters above thy reach Quae supra nos nihil ad nos What are above us pertaine not to us With Paul Sape adsobrietatem Presume not to understand above that which is meete to understand but that yee understand according to sobrietie Iob 39. 37. Psal 131. 1. Rom. 12. 3. Gods glory is above the Heavens wee may barke at it as Dogges doe against the Moone but we cannot pull it downe To speake more fully Gods will is a reason of all reasons it is the rule of all equitie Ideo vult quia vult Hee will because he will Eâ— ideo justum est quia vult and it is therefore just because hee will Tangere vis coelestes ignes liquesces wilt thou touch these Lipsius Heavenly fires thou shalt melt Scandere vis in providentiae montem wilt thou climbe up into the high mount of Gods Providence Cades thou shalt fall Natabis in abysso Dei wilt thou swimme in Gods bottomelesse waters Mergeris thou shalt be drowned Thou seest a little living creature the Flye buzzing about the Candle till shee bee burned So our minde waxeth wanton about Gods secrets till wee be overwhelmed The will of God is Causa causarum the cause of causes Cui licet quod libet nil libet nisi quid licet The Iudgements of God are August oftentimes secret hid but never unjust Let us learne Heavenly things by Earthly A man hath in his house vessels of Gold and of Clay for his use and pleasure That a Prince pardoneth one malefactor and punisheth another and yet justly That a Creditor exacteth tenne pounds of one Debtor and remitteth twenty pounds to another and yet in the one is but just in the other is mercifull So God damning some is just and saving other is mercifull and in neither cruell or unjust David compareth the judgements of God to a great Deepe saying Thy Iudgements are like a great Deepe wee cannot Psal 36. 6. wade in them Finely saith Augustine Tu homo expectas a me responsum ego sum homo itaque ambo dicentem audiamus O homo tu quis August ser 10. de verbis Apost es melior est fidelis ignorantia quam temeraria sententia Petrus negat Latro credit O altitudo quaeris turationem ego expavescam tu rationare ego mirabor tu disputas ego credam altitudinem video profundum non pervenio O altitudo Thou O man expectest an answere from me and I am a man as well as thou let us therefore both heare another speaking O man who art thou Faithfull Ignorance is better than a rash unadvised Sentence Peter denyeth the Theefe beleeveth O height thou demandest a reason of this I will feare and tremble thou reasonest I will wonder thou disputest I will beleeve I see a depth but I cannot come to the bottome O depth But we as though God had made us his fellowes as though wee were of privie Councell will rush into his Chaire and determine rashly of his Iudgements Some grant election but then they adde that it standeth upon our workes that godly are elected because they will bee holy but wee are elected that we God elects us of his free Grace may be holy not because we will be holy Holines is the 〈◊〉 or effect not the cause of election So saith Paul He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that wee should bee holy and without blame before him in love who hath predestinate us to bee adopted Ephes 1. 4 5. through Iesus Christ unto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his Will As if Paul had said that he considered nothing without himselfe but therefore chose us because hee loved us no cause can bee rendred of our election but the Will of God Vocavit 2 Tim. 1. 9. nos Deus non secundum opera c. he hath called
of men and yet no cause of that evill Another useth this Simile That as in cutting with a bad knife the cutting is of my selfe but the evill cutting is of the knife So the action is of God but the evill of the action is of our selves Augustine affirmeth Deum per malos agere Lipsius August in Enchiridion ad Laurentium that God worketh by evill men Deus enim inquit ille jussit Shemei Davidimaledicere for God saith he commanded Shemei to curse David Againe he saith In peccato peccatoris nihil esse positivum sed privativum In the sin of a sinner nothing is positive but privative So God is said to make blind whom he inlightneth not to harden whom he softeneth not and to reprobate whom he calleth not effectually But I will conclude this point with the saying of two worthy men Augustine and Fulgentius Augustine The causes of Reprobation are hidden but iust saith thus Deus operatur in cordibus hominum ad inclinandas voluntates eorum quocunque vult sive ad bona pro sua misericordia sive ad mala pro ipsorum meritis God worketh in the hearts of men to incline their wils to whatsoever hee will either to good things by his mercy or to evill by their deserts And Fulgentius saith thus Deus licet author non sit malarum cogitationum ordinator est tamen malarum voluntatum de malo opere cujuslibet mali non desinit ipse bonum operari Although God be not the Author of evill cogitations yet is hee the orderer of evill wils and of the evill worke of every evill man hee ceaseth not to worke a good worke Beza hath three Aphorismes against Castellio Primùm causas reprobationis esse à nobis absconditas sed tamen justas alioquin judicium esset penes lutum non penes figulum First the causes of reprobation are hid from us yet they bee just otherwise the judgement were in the power of Clay not of the Potter Secondly Deum non simpliciter creare quenquam ad exitium that God not simply hath created any to destruction but the causes 1 Hosca 13. 2 Pet. 2. of destruction are of himselfe Perditio tua ex te O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe O Israel and the Apostle saith that the wicked perish through their owne corruption Thirdly Deum non spectare reproborum exitium ut ultimum finem sed gloriam suam quae in eorum justa condemnatione lucet that God beholdeth not the destruction of the wicked as the last end but his glory which shineth most brightly in their condemnation As Salomon saith The Lord hath made all things for his glory even the wicked for the day of evill So that the justice of God shall appeare to his glory even in the destruction of the wicked The second opinion is of them Qui dicunt Deum omnia permittere sed non velle which say that God permits and suffers all things but hee willeth not all things but God saith that it is his will and that nothing is done without his will Our God saith Psal 115. 3. Psal 135. 6. David is in heaven hee doth whatsoever hee will No impediment can let his worke but hee useth even the impediments to serve his will And whatsoever hee willeth that doth hee in Heaven and in Earth in the Sea and in all deepe places That appeareth in the affliction of Iob Satan envied Iob and the Chaldees robbed him Iob 1. 1 Reg. 22. yet Iob said Dominus dedit dominus abstulit the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away In the deceiving of Achab the Divell is sent of God to bee a lying spirit in the mouthes of the foure hundred Prophets Si ista execatio est Dei nudum permissionis figmentum evanescit If this execation bee the judgement of God this bare and naked figment of permission must vanish as smoke and as the untimely fruit of a woman An earthen pitcher shall drive away the Madianites Trumpets of Rammes hornes shall blow downe the wals of Iericho a peble stone shall God worketh by evill men and not in them overthrow the great Goliah that is the scripture shall overthrow the conceit the imagination and fiction of bare permission As Iael with one nayle stroke Sisera to the ground so will I with one example beate downe the paper-wals of this opinion Absalom defiled his fathers bed and committed a notable villany yet God calleth it his worke Verba enim Dei sunt they are Gods owne words Tufecisti occultè ego vero palam coram 2 Sam. 16. hoc Sole thou hast done it secretly but I openly before this Sun To strengthen this for Vis unita fortior The Iewes Pilate Herod crucified Christ yet the Apostle said that they did nothing but that which the hand and counsell of God had decreed And yet againe Act. 4. that a threefold cable may not easily bee broken the Ier. 5 cruelty of the Chaldees in Iudaea Ieremy calleth the worke of God In which since Nebuchadnezzar is called Servus Dei the servant of God and God calleth the King of Assyria the rod of his wrath Esa 10. I doe but crop some few examples of millions and infinite that might bee alleaged Nothing is clearer than these speeches that God blindeth men that he giveth them the spirit of slumber Esa 29. Exod. 9. Rom. 1. 28. that hee hardeneth their hearts and so is hee said to have hardned Pharoahs heart and to give men up into a reprobate sense And of the inhabiters of Canaan Moses said that God hardneth their hearts to fight against the Church And Paul calleth the wisedome of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These bee not matters of reason but of faith Et ubi fides incipit ratio desinit where Ios 11. Ephes 3. 10. Ambr. faith beginneth reason endeth But I answere with Calvin that though God willeth all things yet hee neither commandeth nor compelleth the wicked Though God would revenge the Adultery of David by the Incest of Absalom yet God neither commanded nor compelled him which freeth God The third opinion is of them that say all things come to passe by Gods providence that our actions as they proceed from God are just and as they come of our selves unjust Hereupon Beza distinguisheth thus Deum agere in bonis per bonos that God worketh in good men and by good men Per malos vero 1 parte quaesâ—ionum agere at non in malis and that hee worketh by evill men but not in evill men In his enim duntaxat agit quos spiritu suoregit Hee worketh in them onely whom he ruleth by his spirit In malis igitur non agit aliquid hee worketh not therefore in evill men Ephes 2. 2. for Satan not God worketh in them And Master Calvin against the Libertines produceth two exceptions Primò sic Deum agere periniquos
the old world there were but eight beleevers but two Iosua and Caleb and in Christs time we read but of an hundred and twenty beleevers As Aegypt was full of lice Nilus full of Crocodyles Golgotha full of dead mens skulls so is the world full of Infidells He destroyed them that beleeved not And hence commeth it to passe that so many are damned even because they want faith Perditio tua ex te ô Israel thy destruction commeth of thy selfe ô Israel Ex nobis quod damnamur It is of our selves that wee bee damned blame not God but thine owne infidelity For all things Hos 13. Man 5. are possible to them that doe beleeve And therefore Hemingius in his Enchiridion distinguisheth of the word that There is Duplex verbum Damnans Salvans That there is a double word a Damning and a Saving word The damning word is the Law the saving word is the Gospell The Law offereth grace to them that doe it Yee shall keepe therefore Deut. 2. 27. Gen. 3. 5. Levit. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 4. 9. my statutes and my iudgements which if a man doe he shall live in them But the Gospell offereth grace to the beleevers For Christ is the end of the Law unto every one that beleeve For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeve in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Faith is ever a chiefe doer in matters of salvation and therefore said Hemingius in his Enchiridion that Causa imperans salutis est pater the Iohn 3. 16. commanding cause of our salvation is God For God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne to save the world Causa obsequens est filius the obedient pliant cause is the Psal 40. 7. Sonne In the volume of thy booke it is written of me that I should doe thy will I am content to doe it thy Law is written in my heart Causa consummans est Spiritus Sanctus the consummating cause is the holy Ghost so saith the Apostle But yee are washed but yee are sanctified 1 Cor. 6. 11. but yee are iustified by the grace of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God The instrumentall cause is double Exhibens Recipiens Rom. 1. 18. The exhibiting Cause is the word the receiving cause Faith as therefore a Smith worketh not in cold iron so a preacher worketh not on an Infidell There is no life of God in us till we beleeve Ephes 4. 18. till then our cogitation is darkened and we are strangers from the life of God He that beleeveth in him shall not be condemned but hee that Iohn 3. 18. beleeveth not is condemned already because he beleeveth not in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God A tree liveth not without moisture Without faith no accesse to God nor a bird without aire nor a fish without water nor a Salamander without fire So the soule liveth not without faith The just doth live by his faith this is the spirit and soule of the inward man we Hab. 2. have a name to live yet are we dead if we want faith I live by faith in the Sonne of God saith Paul who loved me and gave himselfe for Gal. 2. 20. me Infidels therefore are dead men What is the cause that wee profit no more by the word wee beleeve not the preacher that may bee verified of our people which God said to Ezechiel concerning the Iewes They come unto Ezech. 33. 31 32. thee saith God as people useth to come and my people sit before thee and he are thy words but they will not doe them For with their mouthes they make jests and their heart goeth after their covetousnesse and loe thou art unto them as a jesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they heare thy words but doe them not So we come to the Sermon heare the preacher but we doe not heare him with such zeale and affection as we should wee beleeve not but abuse the word to our owne condemnation why care wee no more for heaven but are so worldly truely we beleeve not God what is the cause that wee live in sinne seeing it is damnable For the wayes of it is death wee beleeve not the Scriptures what is the Rom. 6. 23. 2 Cor. 4. 4. cause of all disorder even infidelity The God of this world hath blinded their eyes our eares are open to heare but not our hearts to beleeve Satan stealeth away the word lest we should beleeve and so be saved But let us make much of the word that wee may Mat. 13. 19. have faith to beleeve For faith nay one dramme of faith is of more worth than all the treasure in the world This that good merchant well knew that sold all to buy it For hee that beleeveth shall not be condemned for every beleevers cause is removed Mat. 13. 24. from the Court of Gods justice into the Court of Gods mercy where hee that beleeveth is not condemned Therefore our care must be with S. Paul that we may be found having the righteousnesse of Christ by faith For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 1. Iesus as all beleevers are and untill thou beest a beleever thou belongest not to God For as the Eagle refuseth her birds till they can mount and soare to the Sunne and as the Raven acknowledgeth not her young ones till they be blacke So God rejecteth the infidels and receiveth none till they beleeve None are the Sonnes of God but the faithfull the rest are bastards I confesse there be degrees in faith The first is a rudiment or entrance Gal. 3. Mat. 12. 20. Rom. 14. 1. Hebr. 10. 22. Rom. 4. 18. which Christ calleth Smoking flaxe The second is a weake faith Him that is weake in faith saith Paul receive unto you The third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assurance of Faith Such a faith was in Abraham who above hope beleeved under hope But no faith is abominable and may easily be discerned from a weake faith As a sicke man is knowne from a dead man So a weake faith from no faith Even a desire of Faith is a token of faith For Gods spirit worketh God giues grace according to the measure of Faith that but no faith is accursed For he that beleeveth not is còndemned already There be degrees in faith three examples we have The first of the Ruler of the Synagogue who beleeved that his daughter should revive if Christ would but touch her But the Iohn 3. 18. Iohn 4. woman with the bloody issue beleeved that she should be whole if she touched but the hemme of his vesture But the Centurion beleeved that his servant should doe well if Christ spake but the Luk. 8. Mat. 8. word here is Gradus positivus the positive degree the
tie them together that these all agree in one to worke mischiefe They have Seven heads and tenne hornes Here in the wicked his members are Apoc. 12. like to their Head for howsoever they hate one another in private quarrels yet agree they in the maine point against God and good men Ephraim against Manasses Manasses against Ephraim Esa 9. yet both against Iuda The Pharises against the Saduces the Saduces against the Pharises yet both against Christ The Iewes Mat. 22. against the Gentiles the Gentiles against the Iews and yet both against Paul The Canonists against the Schoolemen and the Acts 19 9. Schoolemen against the Canonists for auricular Confession yet both against the Gospell Parish against Parish one against another yet all against the Minister This may be a good lesson to us that wee may learne all to joyne together against the common enemy If wee will not learne of God and good men to love one another and to cling and cleave together as one man for shame let us learne of Divels for they cleave together like burres Howsoever wee differ in private matters yet let us all agree together against the adversarie Division the cause of Confusion the Papists and other Hell-hounds of division that remaine within and without the Land Division in Christendome opened a way to the Turke to get Constantinople Buda Belgrade Strigonium and all Hungaria almost The division in Italy Inter Guelfos Gibelinos brought all into the hands of that man of Rome The division in England brought in the Spanish Navy hither Anno 1588. Sub spe vincendi In hope to have conquered us and that the Papists would have revolted to them But let not the Papists thinke that the Spaniards would have spared them all had beene fish that had come to net All had bin Huguenotes So was it in the massacre of Paris by the Guise So was it in the conquest of Antwerpe by Parma Therefore that Papist that hath an English heart left in his breast to knocke upon let him pray for our Soveraigne and State now and God blesse both the one and the other and make Gods and our foes his and our foot-stoole THE THIRTEENTH SERMON VERS 6. Hee hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse The Angels that fell are reserved in eternall slaverie HAving already spoken of the sinne of the Angels wee are now come to handle their punishment their fall was great so was their punishment Quanto gradus altior tanto casus gravior the higher their state and condition the grievouser their fall Sin and punishment goe together like Ionathan and his harnesse-bearer Sin goeth before and punishment follows after If it was much for Caine Gen. 4. Gen. 3. to be a vagabond and Adam to be driven out of Paradise and Ismael out of his Father Abraham his house how much more for the Angels to bee driven out of heaven and not to returne like Noahs Dove to the Arke but to live in darkenesse for ever Let the earth tremble let the Sea make a noyse let the Ayre bee darke let all hearts melt and all faces gather blackenesse at the hearing of this Iudgement The Lords face is burning his lips are full of indignation Esa 30. 27 28. and his tongue is as a devouring fire his spirit is as a river that over-floweth up to the necke c. And when hee is kindled The rivers shall bee turned to pitch and the dust thereof into brimstone and the Cap. 34. 9 19. 11. land thereof shall be burning pitch it shall not be quenched night nor day the smoke thereof shall goe up ever it shall be desolate from generation to generation none shall passe through it for ever but the Pelicane and the Hedgehog shall possesse it the great Owle and the Raven shall dwell in it and hee shall stretch out upon it the line of vanity and the stones of emptinesse The Angels now are Divels reserved in chaines If The Divels malice infinite but his power iimited you aske mee where I say in the earth as it appeareth by the words of our Saviour When the uncleane spirit is driven out of a man hee walketh through drie places seeking rest and findeth none c. And not in the earth onely but in the ayre For hee is a Prince that ruleth Mat. 12. 43. Apoc. 20. 1 2 3. in the ayre and not in the earth and ayre onely but in the deepe also For saith Saint Iohn I saw an Angel come downe from Heaven having the key of the bottomelesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and hee tooke the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Divel and Satan and hee bound him a thousand yeeres and cast him into the bottomelesse pit and shut him up and sealed the doore upon him that hee should deceive the people no more But in that God hath reserved them in chaines it is a thing of singular comfort as was Davids harpe to Saul in his melancholly and the Dove to Noah in the deluge Like the news brought unto the shepheards whiles they were watching their flockes in the Gen. 8. Luk. 2. night Here therefore wee learne that they cannot passe their linckes and bounds they are under God Pendent exillius nutu they depend on his becke For God useth Satan to serve his justice yet Satan knoweth it not hee is Gods ban-dogge let slip at wandering sheepe and lawlesse swine he is Gods hangman or executioner to punish the reprobate yet can he goe no further than God will For he hath him in chaines as Clemens had Dandalus the Duke of Venice as Sapor had Valerian the Emperour Heereupon saith Gregory Diaboli semper iniqua voluntas nunquā injusta est potestas the Greg. will of the Divell is alwayes wicked but his power never unjust and he giveth the reason Voluntatem habet a se potestatem verò à domino he hath his will of himselfe but his power from God The spirit therefore that vexed Saul is called the evill spirit of the 1 Sam. 18. Lord evill in regard of his will the spirit of God in regard of the power given him of God Isodore saith Adversaria potestas non habet Isodore vim cogendi sed perswadendi the Divell hath no power to compell but to perswade For then he would not leave one man alive He is like the Libberd who is so hatefull to man that if he see but his Luk. 8. picture he will teare it in peeces The Divell could not enter into the swine but by licence An euill spirit vexed Saul but it is added That God sent him An evill spirit deceived Ahab but it is added that God put him into the mouths of the Prophets Satan 1 Sam. 16. 1 Reg. 22. Iob. 1. Exod. 11. could not touch Iob but as God permitted him Moses was a figure of Christ Pharaoh of the Divell now as Pharoah could not hold Israel in
cut from the body of his Country This envy is compared in some respect by some learned men unto the Sunne for as the nature of the Sunne is to obscure and darken things which be cleare and manifest and likewise to lighten and to illustrate that which is obscure so envy endeavoureth to obscure the glory of those which are famous and in the gifts and graces of the spirit excell others for none are more subject to envy than those which for vertue and religion are renowned but let them envy the good and maligne them to the uttermost Rumpanturilia Codro yet let us lay aside all maliciousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and all envy The eye of envy lookes ever upward who is above who riseth who prospereth who is well spoken of well thought of or favoured of God and asmuch grieved is an envious man at the good of another as at the harme of himselfe which Diogenes noted when he saw a knowne envious knave looke sad no man can tell quoth he whither harme hath happened to this fellow or good unto his neighbour for both vexe him alike Envy was the first venome which the Divell powred forth against mankind Hinc periit primus perdidit by this the first Cypr. man perished himselfe and destroyed others what was the cause that Caine slew his brother his onely comfort in that new borne world was it not envy when he saw the gift of his brother accepted of God and his owne rejected he was very wrath And his countenance fel down as not able to endure the sight of his brother Gen. What was the cause why the Patriarkes sold Ioseph to the Ismalites Envie theroot of all mischiefe and then came and told their Father That a wicked beast had devoured him Surely it was because they envied him for his dreames Gen. 37. Because the women sang in the streets Saul hath slaine his thousand and David his ten thousand therefore was Saul exceeding 1 Sam. 18. wroth and had envy to David ever after It was saith the King of Preachers a venimous mischievous eye such as the burning eyes of Witches or the Basiliske or Gorgon that he cast towards him The elder brother when he understood of the entertainement that his father gave to his prodigall brother and with what joy and rejoycing he was entertained Hee was angry at the matter and would not goe in he envied it Examine the reason why Innocencie it selfe was hunted and followed unto death with Crucisie him crucifie him hee is not worthy to live Was it not Mat. 27. envy Let Pilat be judge He knew that for envy they had dilivered him Doe wee looke that envy should favour the honour and welfare of men when it favoureth not the life of a man No not the life of the Lord himselfe Poyson they say is life to the Serpent death to a man and that which is life to a man his spittle and naturall humidity is death to a Serpent I have read it thus applied Vertue and Felicity which is life to a good man is death to the envious and that which the envious live by is the misery and death of a good man for envy endevoreth either that men may not live at all or that they may live miserably And therefore amongst other fruits of a reprobate minde these two are joyned together Envy and Murther and likewise Rom. 1. Gal. 5. amongst the workes of the flesh they are in the same combination as if they were twinnes growing in one body and could not be separated Envy is the roote of all mischiefe in the World this is that Troiane horse that Pandora's boxe full of all deadly poyson that Hydra not with seven heads but with seven hundred heads of mischiefe We marvell that there is so much evill in the world but cease to marvel at it seeing there is so much envious pride in the World For envy commeth from this master sinne Pride which is as a master-pock and cannot be healed Pride is a liking of our selves and envie is the hatred of another mans felicity where the first is there is the second Superbia est metropolis omnium vitiorum Pride is the chiefe or mother sin of all sins Minores despicit majoribus invidet ab aequalibus dissentit She scorneth her inferiors envieth her betters and dissenteth from all equals as was said of Caesar and Pompey the one could not abide a superiour the other an equall Two things be in the Lord Glory and justice the proud man robbeth God of the one as Herod who would not give the glory to God and the malitious envious of Act. 12. the other For he revengeth whereas all men should give roome to vengeance for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will reward The etymology of envie it implying to be in the eye saith the Lord. Envy is as the dung of swallowes which put out the eyes of Father Tobias our pride and envie is infinite wee would be Kings nay wee would bee Gods The Bactrians said of Alexander that if his body were answerable to his heart Rom. 12. 19. He would touch the East with one hand the West with another hee would set one foote in the Land and the other in the Sea the same may be said of many of us for truely wee envie the Aire Fire Water to others If wee could stop the Sunne or inclose the waters into one fist or draw up all the Ayre into one mouth we would doe it to hinder others The Poet describeth envy thus First with a pale face without bloud Secondly with a leane body without any juyce in it Thirdly with squint eyes Fourthly with blacke teeth Fiftly with an heart full of gall Sixtly with a tongue tipped with poison And last of all with a countenance never laughing but when others weepe never sleeping because he studieth and thinketh continually upon mischiefe Invidia dicitur quiavel non videt Cypr. vel nimis intuetur It is câ—lled Envy either because it will not see at all that which in the blessings of God is to bee seene or because it prieth too deepe Envious men are like Mermaides which never sing but in a tempest and mourne in a calme so they rejoyce at the hurt of their neighbours and sorrow at their welfare The housholder said to his servant that murmured at his bounty to others is thine eye evill because I am good enviest thou me because of my liberality Even so is thy eye evill because thy neighbour is wealthier than thou his wit sharper than thine his learning more than thine his credit greater than thine we would have no man fare well but our selves Like Nero who when he died wished that all the world might dye with him Me mortuo Coelum terra misceatur Ier. 6. 10. Psal 120. 3. Psal 14. Esa 1. 5. Phil. 3. 17. Esa 59. 2 Pet. 2. said Nero. Divers sinners have divers properties The
contemner of the Word hath an evill and an uncircumcised eare the slanderer hath an evill a railing tongue the covetous man hath a devouring throat like a sepulchre the murtherer hath a bloudy hand the glutton hath an evill bellie the voluptuous man hath an evill a vaine foot like Hazael who ran like a wilde Roe the adulterer hath an evill a whorish uncleane heart but the envious man hath a Divellish eye But such eares shall have no mercy such tongues shall burne in Hell such throats shall be filled with gravell such hands shall wyther as did Ieroboams such eyes shall be darkened The Divell is the Father of envy hee envied Gods glory at the first and he envieth mans felicitie at the last Hemmingius divideth all affections into Corporall and Animall The poyson of envy make the heart unfit for grace The Mother of all corporall affections is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of a mans selfe now Primogenita her first borne daughter is Superbia pride her second daughter is Invidia Envy her third is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covetousnesse all come from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which now reigneth in the world and like another Alexander hath conquered the same for men are lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud c. As Demosthenes being asked what was the first part of an orator what the second what the third Answered Action so if you aske me what is the first the second the third part of a vile man I must say Envy What is the cause of quarrels What raiseth slanders What multiplyeth suits Envy Invidia est arcus diaboli Envy is the bow of the divell detraction is the arrow she shooteth out of this bow envy is a fire raked up in the heart detraction is as the flame Wee all complaine of envy and say Anger is cruell wrath is raging but who can stand before envy and yet we are as Caine envious A mad dogge infuseth his venome into him whom he biteth so doth envy by the tongue it is the string and pulse of the soule we marvell why men are so vile why they are tainted with a mad dogge and what wisdome is in them If ye have bitter enoiing and strife in your hearts rejoyce not for this wisdome doth not descend Iam. 3. 14. from above but is earthly sensuall and divellish saith the Apostle Chrysostome exclaimeth against this envy thus O invidia pessima fera per te mors intravit in mundum tu occidisti Abelem vendidisti Gen. 3. Iosephum in Aegyptum fugasti Davidem decollasti Babtistam crucifixisti Christum O envy the worst of all wild beasts through thee death entred into the world thou hast killed Abel sold Ioseph into Aegypt persecuted David beheaded the Baptist and crucified Christ All mischiefes flow from envy as all light from the Sun and all water from the Sea Envy is a worke of the flesh a note of a Reprobate Envy blindeth a man Vt proximi bona videre non possit that he canot see his neighbours Gal. 5. Rom. 1. good for envy is like unto sore eyes that are offended at the light Envy overthroweth all love and charity amongst men for love envieth not 1 Cor. 13. Envy is contrary to God and all proceedings for God is so good a God that he can draw good out of evill but the envious they are so evill and mischievous that they can draw evill out of good But you give us but the hearing of this and God will one day give you but the hearing also you shall cry but he will not regard The envious man is his own tormentor you I speake boldly for that the cause is Gods for the manner it may exceed but for the matter I crave no pardon I have as good right to speake it as the Lord Chancellour hath to Zach. 7. carry the broad Seale of England kill this Cockatrice therefore in the egge before it be a serpent kill it in the heart before it breake out into action For even the wicked are not to be envied so saith the Psalmist Fret not thy selfe because of the wicked neither be thou envious for Psal 37. 1. the evill doers Leave him to God pray for him we must be like fishes which live in the salt Sea and yet are fresh so wee in an uncharitable world and yet be charitable though we be reviled yet we blesse though persecuted yet we suffer though evill 1 Cor. 4. 12 13. spoken of yet we pray though envyed and maliced yet we love And yet further observe with me that though envy is a most mischievous sin and is the cause of all the uprores of the world yet it is a thing of that nature that it indamageth and hurteth him most that hath it For this cause envy is compared to fire to a moth to a Bee for as the fire consumeth the matter that nourisheth it and the moth the garment thar breedeth it So doth envy him that envieth Invidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis The man whom envy doth possesse Doth pine at others wealth and good successe He thinketh his Neighbours Oxe fatter than his his neighbours pasture greener than his his Neighbours Corne better than his his Neighbours building stronger and gayer than his And as a Bee stinging a man loseth her sting and never can make hony after So the envious man loseth his labour and the grace of God Envy is to him that envieth as the rust to the iron as the Viper that eateth out the belly of her damme The envious man is as Sysiphus who rolling up a stone it reboundeth on him with a greater force Envy tormenteth the mind it wasteth the body it fretteth the heart it shortneth our daies and damneth our soules it setteth a man awork to backbite slander his Neighbour and to deny him all duties of humanity So then envy hatred and backbiting alwayes goe together as three cankers and evill sores that consume the body hurt the good name lessen the gifts and repine at the good of our brethren Basill compares envious men to Ravens that flye over sweet Gardens and at last seize upon a Carrion He likeneth them to Flies who passe over sound flesh and light upon a sore a galled place so the envious passe over all the rare graces that be in men but Cain prophane and grudgeth at Gods Sacrifice if there be any imperfection in them that they blaze abroad and cover it not they doe not with Sem and Iaphet spread a garment over their Fathers nakednesse I confesse that there is as little good to bee done on these men as most sinners for as a Gen. 9. Smith cannot worke but on hot Yron so a preacher can doe but little good but in a charitable minde Plutarch to teach men to hate envy calleth it sorcery because that through the poyson thereof it doth not onely fil the envious body with a naughty and hurtfull disposition
sanctity and holinesse then hypocrites as drie clouds make shewes of raine corrupt trees a shew of fruite wandring starres of light so they of religion They have a shew of holinesse saith the Apostle but inwardly they denie the power of it outwardly 2 Tim. 3. 5. they professe to know God but inwardly in their workes they doe deny him being abominable disobedient and unto every good Tit. 1. 16. Mat. 7. 21. worke reprobate They cry Lord Lord but they doe not the will of the Lord they say The Lord liveth yet they sweare to deceive Herod will make a great bragge of loving and worshipping of Christ Goe your wayes and search diligently for the Child and when yee Mat. 2. have found him bring me word that I may come and worship him Iezabel will proclaime a solemne feast the Herodians will speake 1 Reg. 21. 9. Christ faire Good master thou art true and teachest the way of God truly The adversaries of Iudah and Benjamin will pretend to worship God wee will build with you wee will sacrifice with you Simon Mat. 22. Magus will offer money to the Apostles that on whomsoever he God will reward the hypocrite as hee is not as hee sheweth lay his hands hee may receive the Holy Ghost and Saul will say that he hath done all that God commandeth and Iudas will come to Christ with a kisse and say Haile Master But Herods purpose was to kill Christ Iezabels to get away Naboths Act. 8. 1 Sam. 13. Mat. 26. vineyard the Herodians drift was to tempt and intrappe Christ the adversaries of Iuda Benjamin to hinder the worke of God to spie out their libertie Simon Magus to make gaine of the Holy Ghost Iudas to betray Christ for none will weep faster then the Crocodile and as did Ismael none will give a fairer Ier. 41. 6. 2. Cor. 11. kisse then a Iudas and no Divell is so dangerous as the white Divell as hee that changeth himselfe into an Angell of light but such trees without fruit such welles without water such clouds without raine such lampes without oyle such starres without light such eares without corne such lampes without oyle as they live not the life of the righteous so shall they not dye the death of the righteous Therefore brethren let us not bee like silver white in shew and yet makes blacke strikes and lines nor like the Vintner that delivers good wine to his guests and drinkes the lees himselfe For though wee can talke holily and speake religiously yet Not Mat. 7. 21. every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of God which is in Heaven It was wittily observed of one that God in forming man first frames the heart but the Painter in portraying a man first deciphers the face so the hypocrite he is all in shew nothing in heart his heart is with Venus or Bacchus or Mammon his face his countenance only with God It is written of the foxe that hee faines himselfe dead when hee comes among birds or poultery but when hee sees them come neere unto him hee suddenly preyes on them So the hypocrite as one dead unto the world and a man mortified converseth amongst the harmelesse untill he getteth some occasion of calumniating biting and devouring this is Iohn Baptists generation of Vipers that inwardly nourish poison Mat. 3. 7. but outwardly hisse forth a kind of zeale Salomon speaketh of a generation that is pure in their owne eyes and yet are not washed Pro. 30. 12. from their filthines these are the generation of hypocrites they professe well and make a shew of religion but expresse it not like the figge-tree that bare leaves but no fruite The profession Mar. 11. of many is as the travell of the mountaines we have two faces with Ianus one to looke forward another to looke backward we have two hands with Ioab one to embrace withall another 2 Sam. 3. to stabbe withall we have two tongues with Iudas one to salute Christ another to betray Christ we have two hearts with Israel Mat. 25. Psal 78. one for God another for the world The frogge Borax hath two livers one for meate another for poison The Arrians had two faiths one for the truth and Nicene Councell another for the Many Christians in shew few in deed truth time they had fidem annuam ac fidem menstruam a yeerely faith a monethly faith The Israelites cried Haile King Salomō haile King Adonia Apuleius Parret said Ave Auguste Imperator Ave Antoni haile Augustus the Emperor haile Anthony And many hypocrites 1 Reg. 1. have said Haile Mary Haile Elizabeth and to gaine the world we would say Ave Papa Haile Pope Ave Turca Haile Turke haile Divell We make profession of any religion under heaven In Aegypt all the dust was turned into lice all the waters into blood and in England not all but most religion is turned into Exod. 7. hypocrisy Wee can say The Lord liveth yet we sweare to deceive Coelum aedificamus voce vita autem Infernum We build heaven with our voice but hell with our life wee are Angels in words but Divels in deeds like the Peacocke we are Angels for our feathers Divels for our feet and Hell for our voice Augustine would not have the Churches of Africa excommunicated for drunkenesse for then no professor had beene left in Africa and if all hypocrites temporizers and formalists in England were excommunicated few or no Professors would be left in England The good man the sincere professor should then have iust cause to cry out with the Prophet Woe is mee for I am as the summer gathering and as the grapes of the vintage there is no cluster to eate Mich. 7. 1. my soule desired the first ripe fruits There bee many starres in heaven but few give light as the Sunne and Moone doe many many birds in the ayre but few Phoenix's as in Arabia many stones in the earth but few precious stones as the Diamond many trees in a forrest yet few Cedars as in Libanus many Israelites but few true Israelites like Nathaniel who had no guile Rara avis in terris nigró que simillima Cygno A rare bird and comparable to a blacke Iohn 1. 47. Swan Hypocrisy in a Christian is as rottennesse in an apple For as rottennesse beginnes at the heart of the apple so doth hypocrisie beginne at the heart of a Christian and as rottennesse corrupteth the favour the odour the colour the vigour of the whole apple so doth hypocrisie the soule of a man it taketh from it the dignity of grace the odour of a good name and all goodnesse whatsoever For as rottennesse marres the apple so doth hypocrisie the Christian Foris Cato intus Nero a Cato without and a Nero within is monstrous One saith Canis mortuus minùs faetet in naribus hominum
out and the young Eagles eateit what shall the tongue doe that mocketh God his heavenly Father the 2 Cor. 5. 20. Church his Mother the Saints his fellow brethren members of Christs Body the holy Ghost his Schoole-master the Preachers the messengers of God the Gospell the Word of life the two Sacraments the two dugges of life the Food of our soules Into their secrets let not my soule come saith old father Iacob Many Scoffers and railers smite with the tongue condemne us of singularity precisenesse puritanisme they would not have us so odde but to be good fellowes boone companions sport and play drinke and swill like other men and to Gen. 49. 6. walke as the world doth But let us answere these men as Alexander answered Parmenio counselling him to a thing undecent and unseemely Facerem si Parmenio essem at Alexandro neutiquam licet I would doe this if I were Parmenio but it is no way beseeming Alexander to doe it So will wee answere Atheists Papists Worldlings We would doe such and such things we would drinke with the drunkard sweare with the swaggerer and runne into all excesse of riot if wee were Atheists Papists prophane worldlings At Protestantibus Christianis non licet But it is not lawfull for Christians and Protestants so to doe God bee thanked wee are free now from open persecution the Moone is not turned into bloud the Dragon pursueth not the woman the daughters of Sion are not Apoc. 6. Cap. 12. Lament 2. 1. 2 Reg. 21. darkened the Church is not blacke as Cant. 1. our bloud is not powred out like water as in Ierusalem the Preachers are not scattred abroad as Moses in Madian Daniel in Chaldaea Hosea in Israel Ieremy in Iuda Iohn in Asia Peter in Samaria Philip in Alexandria Thomas in Aethiopia Bartholomew in India Andrew in Scythia SimoÌ„ in Persia Iudas in Mesopotamia Marcus in Colonia Nathanael in France Ioseph of Aramathia in Scotland and Paul in England yet are we not free from all persecution for wee are persecuted with the toung the woolf cannot bite yet can he barke the wicked cannot smite with the fist yet can he smite with the toung these serpents cannot sting yet can they hisse as they said of Ieremy Come let Ier. 18. 18. us smite him with the tongue and let â—â— not give heed to any of his Words so good men shall be sure to bee smitten with the tongue These voices are oftentimes heard Oh these holy men oh these Bible-men oh these precisians Puritans mortified men men of the spiritlare not others holy and honest and good as well as they Oh take heed Dathan Corah and Abiram went to hell for as liâ—lle as Numb 6. 16. that and thither shall these go if they repent not The first Christians wanted not these derisions mockings and scoffings Tertullian in Apologetico saith that they in the Primitive Church were called Asinarij Semissij homines Crucifixi discipuli Galilaei Nazareni heards of Asses vile Fellowes the disciples of a man crucified Galilaeans Nazarites eaters of mans flesh drinkers of mans bloud for that they received the Sacraments Libanus scholler to Iulian the Apostata scoffed at Christ asking what the Sonne of the Carpenter did then in heaven To whom the Schoole-master of Antioch answered Concinnat loculos Iuliano he was making coffins for Iulian. So he died within 3. daies saith the Tripartite History The same Tripartite History telleth of one Lucius Lib. 7. cap. 12. Samasatensis who mocking at Christianity said that he got nothing by it but the increase of his name in one syllable For The godly usually mocked for well doing before he was christened hee was called Lucius but after that he was called Lucianuâ— but he mocked and barked so long at Christ that in fine he was torne in pieces of dogs one dog are another A wicked witnesse mocketh Iudgement saith Salomon but judgements Prov. 19. 28 29. 2 Sam. 6. 21 21. are prepared for the scornefull that is mockers Finely did David answere Michol It was before the Lord which chose me rather then thy Fathers house c. And I will yet bee more vile then thus and will bee low in my owne sight c. So let us answere these huswifes dames scoffers mockers God hath not chosen them nor their Fathers house and we wil be yet more vile seeing it is before our God But yet howsoever Iulian flowt at Christ Diagoras jest at religion Dionysius scoffe at the last Iudgement Ismael the bastard 2 Reg. 2. 19. mocke Isaac Senacherib laugh at the virgin Sion and nod his head at Ierusalem yet how le they weep they and lament this sinne in hell Oh brethren hee that heard our men how in their secret meetings they deride the Preacher the Word the Auditors the Church the assemblies how they canvice every professour his life how they censure all men how they open their mouth against heaven and their tongues walke thorow the earth how they talke on their Ale-bench sparing neither Magistrate not Minister nor private man would wonder that such iniquitie should be in the world yet are they no sooner in danger but they tremble But the vilenesse of this sinne of mocking shall yet more plainely appeare if yee marke the cause of it it is ever lightly for doing well and refraining evill For this cavse Cain disdained and hated his brother Abell because his owne works were evil 1 Iohn 3. 12. his brothers good a vile spirit that cannot abide vertue but so greedily thirsteth after sinne which is of the Divell drinke not with the drunkard and they mocke thee sweare not with the swearers and they mocke thee be not vaine in words in apparell in behaviour and they mocke thee Heare the Word read of it talke of it and by and by a yong Saint and an old Divell you will to Heaven ere your bones bee cold with a number of such mockes and divellish taunts but Iudgements are prepared for these Prov. 19. 29. sinne seene and sorrowed for hath pardon promised but sinne jested at and played withall hath vengeacne threatened It is the 2 Sam. 24. voice of a Christian to say I have sinned but it is the voice of a reprobate to say Tush let them preach I will sinne still and Prov. 14. 9. so verifieth the saying of Salomon The foole maketh a mocke of sinne he doth not know the grievousnesse thereof nor Gods judgements against the same It is strange that one reporteth that in Collecke a towne in Germany Anno. 1505. certaine vaine persons hopping and dancing in the Church-yard being admonished by the minister to cease and contemning it ranne round about till at last they fell all downe dead And note that these vile men shall be in the It is damnable to scoffe at the Saints last times they have beene at all times For sinne is as ancient as Satan who was a murtherer from
have done vertuously but thou Pro. 31. 29. surmountest them all As Christ commended Iohn Baptist above all Nazarites saying There is no greater Prophet than Iohn among them Luk. 7. 28. that are begotten of women And the Lord Moses above all Prophets So Iude commendeth Faith above al vertues All precious stones Deut. 34. are good yet none like the Topaze all flowres are faire yet none Iob 28. like the Lily most trees bring fruit but none like the Apple-tree Faith purifies our hearts and makes our actions and persons holy of Persia or the Tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and gave fruit every moneth Many vertues are excellent and further our salvation yet none like faith Iustice giveth every man his owne temperancy restraineth lusts fortitude beareth Apoc. 22. 2. 1 Iohn 5. 4. all labour and toile prudence guideth our actions but faith overcommeth the world so doe not other vertues faith is like the three 2 Sam. 23. worthies of David who brake thorow the whole host and drew water of the Well of Bethlem Ionathan and his armour-bearer 1 Sam. 19. slew twenty men Shamgar with an Oxe goade slew six hundred Iudg. 3. 31. Iudg. 15. Philistines Samson with the jaw-bone of an Asse slew a thousand men thus these men brake thorow an whole host and faith overcommeth the whole world In this faith Paul insulted over heaven and earth men and Angels I am perswaded saith Paul that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor Rom. 8. 38. things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And againe he saith I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keep that which I have committed unto him meaning himselfe against that day It is called Holy yea most Holy for all our works are polluted and receive their holinesse from faith and faith from Christ who is the object of it As the Sunne giveth light to all Planets as salt seasoneth all meates so Faith seasoneth all works for in themselves they are polluted For who can say I have made my heart cleane I am cleane from sinne For as the holy man of god saith Hee found no stedfastnesse Pro. 20. 9. Iob 4. 18 19. in his servants and laid folly upon his Angels how much more in them that dwell in houses of Clay whose foundation is the dust which shall bee destroyed before the moth And againe he maketh this demand and saith What is man that he should be cleane And hee that is borne of a Woman that hee should be just Wee are all as a menstruous cloth Cap. 15. 14. as an uncleane thing we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquities like the wind haue taken us away only Faith purifieth our hearts To come neerer fidem sanctissimam vocat ratione objecti hee Act. 15. 9. calleth it most holy Faith by reason of the object Deum enim trinum unum respicit it respecteth three and one three in Persons one in Essence Morall vertues they are occupied about humane objects and things created as liberality about giving of good things temperance about meate drinke fleshly lusts leachery c. Fortitude in suffring adversity therefore they cannot be called most holy vertues Againe it is called most holy Faith in respect of the efficient cause thereof that is to say the Holy Ghost For the Holy Ghost bestoweth upon us all good things love joy peace long 1 Cor. 12 Gal. 5. 22. suffering gentlenesse goodnesse Faith meeknesse temperance all these and all the rest are the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Now because the Authour is holy his Works his gifts and graces bee holy Nil nisi sanctum à sancto spiritu prodire potest If no holines no Faith Nothing can come from the holy Spirit but that which is holy Aug. Learne here to judge of the works of the elder World their almes their prayer their love what love could there be without faith and what faith could there bee among them without the doctrine of God Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God But did they fast often Wee seldome or never Did they Rom. 10. 14. give almes and doe we live unto our selves are our right hands dryed up with Ieroboams Did they pray in the night wee scarce in the day Did they love one another agree together and doe wee sue and sting one another like the Serpents of Sinai O brethren they shall rise in judgement against us as Christ said of the Ninivites Except our righteousnesse our prayers our love exceed theirs wee shall not enter into Heaven our faith is Mat. 11. not most holy no nor holy nay no faith at all And by the way note that hee calleth faith holy not unholy unjust unchaste drunken faith such as the world braggeth of in these dayes the dead faith that Saint Iames inveigheth against so earnestly All lewd men boast of faith but I will say to them as Iames said O stende mihi fidem per opera Shew me thy faith by thy workes shew mee it by thy zeale thy piety thy truth thy chastity thy mercy with our faith let us joyne vertue The Israelites cryed Templum Domini templum Domini the Temple of 2 Pet. 1. 5. the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Pharisees cryed The Baptisme of Iohn the Baptisme of Iohn the Iewes cried We have Abraham to our Father the Scribes cried We have Moses to our Doctor the Ephesians cryed Great is Diana of the Ephesians but Ieremy bade the Israelites amend their wayes and their works Ier. 7. 4. Iohn bade the Pharisees bring forth fruits of Repentance Christ bade the Iewes doe the Workes of Abraham He told the Scribes Luk. 3. 8. Iohn 8. Iohn 5. Ephes 4. 20. that Moses would condemne them and Paul told the Ephesians that they had not so learned Christ and so say we to these men that boast of faith I will reason with them as Ieremy did with the people Will yee steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsly Ier. 7. 9 10. and burne incense unto Baal and walke after other gods whom yee know not and come and stand before mee in this house whereupon my Name is called even so will we sweare lye raile slander and say that we beleeve Was Gods house a denne for theeves is faith become a cloake for theeves whoremongers lyers swearers usurers Idolaters blasphemers drunkards pot-companions c I say of this faith as Saint Iames said of Wisedome This wisedome descendeth not from above but is earthly sensuall and divelish so Iam. 3. 5. this faith is not from above but is earthly sensuall and divelish For faith sheweth it selfe in good workes and can no more be separated from it
another Nay one man is a Woolfe unto another Nay one man is a Divell unto another we are not now Christians but Woolves Leopards Lions Divels Nay worse for one Lion eateth not another and the divels strive not among themselves but maintaine one anothers kingdome Let Tygers and Beares and Leopards teare one another Let Scythians and Canibals eate one another who know not God nor good humanity but are without all naturall affection But let us love as brethren bee pittifull be courteous not rendring evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that wee are thereunto called that wee should bee heires of blessing and if enemies will not be pacified recommend the cause to God till wee meete in Heaven where all injury shall be forgotten and in the meane while I beseech you as Saint Paul did the Saints of Corinth I beseech you I say by the name of our Lord 1 Cor. 1. 10. Iesus Christ that yee all speake one thing and that there bee no discension among you but that yee bee knit together in one minde and in one judgement and whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever Phil. 4. 8. things pertaine to love c. thinke on these things and the God of Love and Peace shall bee with you and the Lord increase your love and make 1 Thess 3. 12. it abound more and more one towards another Christs commandement is all love his Spouse is all loving and Iohn will preach nothing but love and wee must follow after love and above all have fervent love among our selves for that shall cover a multitude of sinnes But marke that the love whereunto Saint Iude exhorteth is called the love of God and keep your selves in the love of God so that not all love is commended but such love onely As is Holy Iust True Constant For first our love must bee Holy love it is for God and not against God under God and not above God for hee loves not God that loves not his neighbour with God whom hee loves not for God and hee that loves his neighbour more than God is unworthy of God and makes his neighbour to be his God Secondly Our love must bee just wee must not love one another in evill but in good and for good Pacem cum hominibus bellum cum vitijs wee must have peace with men warre with their vices We must love their persons but hate their manners if they Foure properties of the Love of God be evill Thirdly our love must bee true Love Wee 〈…〉 and in tongue but in worke and in truth Nemo potest 〈…〉 â—â—â—hn 3. 18. hominis nist primitus fuerit amicus ipsius veritatis 〈…〉 August be a true lover of man unlesse first he be a lover of th◠〈…〉 must love one another not for their riches honours greatnesse but for themselves their good must bee sought not their goods Weâ— must not love one another as dogges doe bones for the flesh that is on them or as men doe trees for their fruit but wee must love them for themselves for this that they are men but especially for that they are vertuous and good men Lastly our love one towards another must bee constant with some friends are like flowers no longer regarded then whiles they are fresh Many mens love is like the harlots love who love while there is lucre and when gifts goe hence their love goes hence they are like the puttocks in the fable that followed the old wife bearing tripes to the market but forsooke her home-ward when her tripes were sold En ego non paucis quondam munitus amicis c. A man shall be loved in prosperity but in adversity as rats forsake an house when it is ready to fall and as lice forsake a mans head when he is dying so his lovers and his friends will forsake him Thus our love should be holy just true constant this is true Christian love wherein men should keep themselves For among murtherers theeves and drunkards there is a kind of love but not the Love that Iude would here to bee among us First therefore the love of Atheists is condemned which comes from profit or from pleasure It is not Charitas ex corde puro Love out of a pure heart Love and good works must goe together 1 Tim. 1. 5. to gloze eate play drinke game bee no good workes therefore this is not love wee call it good fellowship but such good fellowes will goe to the good-fellow the Divell if they repent not For if wee sinne willingly after that wee have received the Hebr. 10. 26 27. knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for judgement There is a carnall love but ours must bee a spirituall love such as was among the Colossians of whose Col. 1. 8. love Paul speaketh Who hath also certified us of your love which yee have by the Spirit There is a worldly love and there is an heavenly Love and knowledge giveth life to this love without it Love is as a dead picture Lovers glorious the name is honorable the praise of it is from the rising of the Sunne unto the going downe of the Sunne One saith that love is like hony in bitter broth and sugar in sowre wine it is like unto the Sun unto the world a candle unto the house a light for our journey a line for our life and a rule for our reprehensions Si diligis fac quicquid vis If Calvin in Iohn Aug. thou beest in love doe what thou wilt speake or bee silent exhort or rebuke call or cry so it bee in love all is well Yet it must be a godly love an holy charity but it is impossible to have it with all some are so wicked If thou canst have Most love for lucre sake the favour and love of men with the favour and Love of God take it it is precious but if thou canst not have the favour and Psal 133. 1. love of men but with the disfavour and dislike of God let it go For certenly The amity of the World is enmity with God Wee must Iam. 4. 4. love men in the Lord God for himselfe man for God Diligendus est Deus propter se homo propter Deum I may compare the love of Atheists to the agreement that is among a kennell of hounds who sleep together play together hunt merrily together but if a man hurle a bone they grinne snatch and bite one another So Atheists agree together till some matter come of private gaine but then there is grinning biting fighting one with another for the best of them is as a brier and Mich. 7. 4. the most righteous of them is sharper then a thorne hedge for from the least of them to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse and Ier.
fault betweene him and thee if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother If parents were as carefull to winne the soules of their children as they are to save their bodies and masters to do the same to their servants by instructing their family God should have more glory and they more comfort but to complaine of this Vbi incipiam aut ubi desinaem Where should I beginne and where should I make an end All the foundations of the earth are out of course most men have no conscience of them that be under them and an heauy judgement remaineth for them their judgement is just and their damnation sleepeth not Paul would not 2 Pet. 2. have the husband to leave the wife nor the wife the husband for that the one may save the soule of the other for marke his words For what knowest thou ô wife whether thou shalt save thy husband 1 Cor. 7. 16. or what knowest thou ô man whether thou shalt save thy wife Even so what knowest thou ô Father whether thou shalt save thy child And what knowest thou ô master whether thou shalt save thy servant doe thou thy duty leave the successe to God For neither is hee that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God 1 Cor. 3. 7. that giveth the increase So the Minister is said to save men Take heed saith Paul to Timothy to thy selfe and to thy doctrine and continue 1 Tim. 4. 16. therein for in so doing thou shalt save thy selfe and them that heare thee And yet to speake strictly and properly there is no Saviour but God for there is salvation in no other neither is there any Act. 4. 12. other name given unto men whereby they shall bee saved that is no other cause or meane Yet it is said that grace saveth The grace Tit. 2. 11. of God bringeth salvation to all men And that the Word saveth For it pleaseth God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them Many coÌ„curre in the worke of Salvation that beleeve And that faith saveth By grace are yee saved through faith And that the Sacraments save us so saith Saint Pâ—ter The figure that now saveth us even Baptisme c. 1 Cor. 1. 21. Ephes 2. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 21. And that Ministers save us so said Paul afore Agrippa that God had appeared unto him for this purpose To open the eyes of the Gentiles that they may returne from darkenesse to light from the power Act. 26. 18. of Satan unto God meaning that they might bee saved and that God saveth us Ego sum ego sum praeter me non est Salvator I am Esa 42. I am and besides mee there is no Saviour that Christ saveth us for the Apostle saith That hee is the Saviour of all men but especially 1 Tim. 4. 10. of them that beleeve That the Holy Ghost saveth us and all this is true in a godly sense grace saveth as the origen the roote of all 1 Iohn 5. the Word as a meanes under God faith as the instrument Sacraments as helpes and leaders to Heaven Ministers as Legates from God God as the efficient cause Christ as the materiall Iohn 3. 16. 1 Iohn 3. 2. 1 Cor. 6. 11. the Holy Ghost as the applying cause And by the way note that if the Minister under God saveth men how then dare some say that they doe no good Doe they no good that save mens soules Yes their lips feed many The Prov. 10 11 20 21. mouth of a righteous man is a well of life the tongue of a just man is as fined silver the lippes of the righteous doe feed many But many thinke that the Preacher doth no good they thinke that they can goe to heaven without a guide they thinke themselves wise and to see into all duties as farre as the Minister Well it may be that they are wise in some respect yet as the little eye of the Eagle can see from the height of Heaven and the great eye of an Owle cannot see the Sunne so great men and old men may oversee that which base men and poore men may see being learned in the Word Hereupon said Elihu Surely there is a spirit in man but Iob 32. 8 9. the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding Great men are not alway wise neither do the Ancient alway understand judgement David said I have had more understanding than all my teachers Psal 119. 99 100. for thy testimonies are my meditation I understand more than the ancient because I keepe thy precepts As Polypheme had but one eye so these Cyclopeans see but with one eye they see but the world they see not Heaven Oh how long shall wee charme these Psal 55. Mat. 7. deafe Adders How long shall wee give holy things to dogges and cast pearles to swine How long shall wee play on Orpheus harpe to these Asses How long shall wee sow seed in this barraine ground We pray to bee delivered from these unreasonable 2 Thess 3. 2. and evill men Shall Titius Sabinus his dogge bring meate to the mouth of his dead Master and hold up his head in Tyber from sinking because sometime hee gave him a crust of bread And shall not the people love the Pastour that giveth theÌ„ the Bread of Heaven and saves their soules Shall dogges be kinder than men Or is there no good to bee done to a Parish but bodily The saving use should bee made of the Word good Christ fedde foure or five thousand with five barly loaves and two fishes but we reade not that hee did it above twice and that in necessity But hee bestowed three whole yeeres in preaching to them the greatest good that hee did in his life was in Iohn 6. Mat. 14. Mat. 5. Mat. 13. Luke 24. Luke 10. Mat. 12. Act. 10. 38. teaching them In the Mount In the Ship In the Temple In their Houses In the Fields Yea in all places for he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Divell These men therefore that say that wee doe no good have lost their senses and their soules also For the living soule as touching the naturall life hath foure powers and foure touching the spirituall life that is Appetitive Retentive Digestive Expulsive It must desire the Word Hereupon saith S. Peter As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word so did David I will saith 1 Pet. 2. 2. he go to the Altar of God even unto the God of my joy and gladnes c. 2. It must keepe for Blessed are they that heare the Word and Luk. 11. 28. keepe it So did the Corinths for which cause Paul did much praise them saying Now I commend you brethren that yee remember all my 1 Cor. 11. 2. things and keepe the ordinances as I delivered them to you 3. It must digest it into good manners and to this purpose
us unto an holy calling Not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us through Christ Iesus before the World was It is true of all men that Christ said of his disciples non vos me elegistis yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you yea God so preventeth us with his grace that hee findeth nothing past or to come whereby God chose us and bee reconciled unto us For who hath given unto him first that is provoked him by his good workes A lively example wee have in these two brethren Esau and Iacob both twinnes both inclosed in one wombe yet hee rejected the one and chose the other Non ex operibus not by workes but by him that calleth Deus coronat opera Rom. 9. 11. sua non merita nostra God crowneth his gifts not our merits Cui daret justus judex coronâ—â—â— nisi cui dedisset pater misericors indebitam gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the crowne but unto whom the Father of Mercy giveth undeserved Grace And he addeth Ne dicas ideo electus sum quia credebam Aug. tract 86. in Iob. si enim credebas jam cum elegeras non ipse te sic judicium esset penos lutum non penes figulum Doe not say I am elected because I did beleeve for if thou diddest beleeve thou haddest now chosen him and not hee thee and so the Iudgement had beene in the power of the clay and not of the potter But heare what Christ saith Yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you I say therefore with Saint Ambrose Iustitia nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quam perfectione virtutum our righteousnesse consisteth more in the remission of our sinnes than in the perfection of our vertues Even as David declareth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose Psal 32. 1 2. sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne One Father saith thus when wee were not God made us when wee were sinners hee Iustified us when we were in prison hee freed us when wee were mortall hee glorified us Another Rom. 5. 1. Luke 4. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Father saith God by his Wisedome hath foreknowne us by his Gospell hee calleth us by his Faith hee justifieth us by his Iustice hee damneth us by his Grace he saveth us So that all is of his meere goodnesse and no cause to expostulate with God His Iudgements are just but yet secret Secret things saith Deut. 29. 29. Moses belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong unto Five signes of Election two internall us But if the Heavens declare the glory of God let us speake to his glory Secreta Dei sunt adoranda non scrutanda Secret things are to bee adored not searched It is not good to eate too Prov. 25. 27. much Hony so to search their owne glory is not glory It is reported of Augustine that being about to write his bookes of the Trinity hee was taught by a childe who laded the Sea into a little spoone to whom Augustine said that hee laboured in vaine for his little spoone could not containe the Sea To whom the child replied that his little Wisedome his shallow braine could not containe the depth of the Trinity But you will say how shall wee know our election that wee may bee comforted against all the assaults of Satan that wee may say with the sweet singer of Israel Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art Psal 23. with mee thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee And with Paul I 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. 8 have fought a good fight I have kept the Faith I have finished my course from hence forward there is laid up for mee a crowne of glory which the Lord will give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto all them also that love his appearing I answere that no man can bee deceived in the state of his election but hee that deceiveth himselfe for wee may know whether wee stand in the state of Grace or no. Danaeus maketh Danaeus in Isagog five signes of election As the comming of the Swallow is a signe of the Spring as the putting forth of the figge-tree is a signe of Summer as the whitenesse of the region is a signe of Harvest So there bee many undoubted signes of our election 1 The first is the inward testimony of Gods Spirit the seale and earnest-penny of our Salvation For it is God that hath Sealed us and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our 2 Cor. 1. 22. hearts The Apostle compareth the Word to a writing the Spirit to a seale that ratifieth all Clamat in nobis Abba the same Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Luke 11. 11. Spirit beareth witnesse to our Spirit that wee are the children of God And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father And if God be our Father how can wee doubt of our inheritance If wee aske Fish he will not give us a Serpent If Heaven he will not give us Hell 2 The second signe is our faith which is knowne by the effects as the Eagle by her feathers as the tree of Life by the fruits of it Thus Paul bade the Corinths try their faith Prove your selves whether yee are in the Faith examine your selves c. Qui 2 Cor. 13. 5. credit salvabitur he that beleeveth shall bee saved and this faith may be knowne to us if wee will search our selves Christ asked Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 8. the woman taken in Adultery where her accusers were So aske thy heart where thy sinnes are and if thou doest beleeve it will say with the woman that they are all gone Qui enim credit transit Three externall signes of Election a morte ad vitam Hee that beleeveth in him is passed from death to life for all that are borne of God overcommeth the World And this is the victory that overcommeth the World even our Faith Iohn 3. 1 Iohn 5. 4. Hereupon Paul triumpheth over Death Hell Hunger Cold Nakednesse Perill Sword and concludeth That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Power nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature Rom. 8. 38 39. shall bee able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 3 The third signe is the conformity of our will to Gods will to love that which God loveth and to hate that which God hateth therefore wee pray that Gods will may bee done on Earth as it is in Heaven He that doth the will of God shall abide Mat. 6. for ever