87 2 How the Papists abuse the word of righteousnes from 87 to 100 3 Why the word is righteous 101 to 102 4 Of the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them 103 to 107 2 In the sowing-time 1 How obedience seemes lost 108 2 Why thereward is not yet 109 3 Great gaine in obedience 111 4 We are to doe good to many 112 5 We are to doe the beast good 113 6 How the wicked sowe 114 7 World make obedience a labour 115 3 In the persons 1 Great men not too good to serue God 118 to 119 2 Poore not too meane to serue God 120 In the haruest time are 1 propertie of the worke 2 the manner of it 1 Generall obeydience euer rewarded 121 to 124 1 In the propertie 1 How obedience bringeth earthly blessings 125 to 127 2 The haruest of assurance of heauen 129 to 134 2 In the manner 1 All we haue is of mercy 135 2 Papists merits 136 to 137 In the consequence are 1 the action Seeke 2 the obiect the Lord. 3 the cause it is Time 1 In the action 1 We must serue God in our owne persons 139 2 That it is a labour to seeke and why 140 2 In the obiect 1 Of the name Iehouah 143 2 To seeke God in his word 145 3 The seuerall seekers 146 to 147 4 To seeke the loue of God 148 to 149 In the compelling cause 3 In the time past in it 1 The longer in sinne more cause to turne to God and why 150 to 154 2 In the time to come 1 Take time while time is and why 154 to 155 2 The continuance in seeking 156 to 157 3 How and when he come 157 4 The metaphor of the raine 158 to 159 5 Raine for teaching 161 6 Raine for abundance 162 A Table of the principall words in this Booke A A meane in words 69 Assurance of heauen here 129 Apology of the world 116 Apologie for the Church 35. 56 Adultery how committed 29 All the lawes to be executed 80 B Bishops lawfull 55. 56 Brokers 30 Blind Magistrates 82 Best good to be done 114 Boldnes of Ministers 77 Blasphemy of Papists 102 C Couetousnesse 26 Corruption of nature 16 Continuance in obedience 191 Ceremonies 39. 40 Custome in sinne 155 Church of England true Church comming of God how 157 Continuance in sinne 156 D Discipline of 3. sorts 38. 39 Death of sinne where 63 Dissembling protestants 113 Drunkennesse 19. 146 Dumbe Magistrates 82 Dead to sinne 63 Deuil cause of sinne 17. 18 Dead in sinne 152 Doctrnie of England pure 36 37 E Exchange 32 Error of Papists 132. 87 Engrosers 13 Earth for man 5. 7. 8. 9 Euill actions 66. 67 F Free will 97 Faith of our owne 75 Faith the nature of it 130 Faith only in this life 131 G Grace the power of it 72 Good to be done to many 112 God no cause of sinne 16 Gaine in obedience 111 Great men serue God 119 Good how to doe it 106 H Hypocrites 12 Heart most regarded 8. 9. 10 Heart to be rent 61 Hurt of euillworks 70 Hope of the godly 110 Haruest of magistrats 123 Ministers people 124 Haruest temporall 125 Haruest of grace 124 Heart in obedience 105 Hospitalitie 123 I Inclosers 24 Idolatry of Papists 95 Infidelity of ingrossers 24 Instruction 81 Iehouah what it is 143 Iustified how 167 K Knowledge of the word 105 Knowledge of sinne 57. 58. Knowledge of good and micked men 72 Knowledge of the heart 75 Kill sin in the heart 63 L Loue of God to he sought 148 Labour to seeke 115 Lookes wanton 29 Long in sinne 154. 155 loeke vp the word 88 to 90 Lawyer a seeker 139 Lawyer little trueth 21 M Mean in words 69 Merits of Papists 93. 136 Mortifie sinne 70 Magistrates to punish sinners 78. 79. 85 Man to worke his saluation out 73 Mercie of God 133 Murmuring 52. 53 Man part with all creatures 4 Mercie of God gause of this crop 115 Mercie of God greater then sinne 154 Merchants falow ground 21 N Nature of faith 35 Nature of the wicked 15 Nature of merits 96 Names cut off 5 O Obedience seemes lost 108 Oppression 22. to 25 Obedience profitable 122 Ordinances of God 141. 142 Obedience rewarded 121. P Pleasure of sinne 18 Profit of sinne 18 Patrons 24. 25 Pride 13. 27 Profit in words 71 Pardons 98 Purgatory 90. 91 Prayer to Saints 95. 96 Plow our selues 76 R Reward not yet 109 Raine the maner of it 159 Raine for teaching 160 Rob-altar seekes 139 Kighteousnesse of sanctification 168 Righteousnesse of iustification 166. S Slanders of the Papists 102 107 Seeke in our own persons 139 Seeking of sinne 146 148 Swearing 27 Subiect of faith in vs 74 Sathan rules the sinner 17 Sleeping magistrates 80 Sowing of the wicked 114 Sorrowe how differs in the good and bad 61 62 T Trueth not to be found 21 22 Trueth in words 67 68 Tongue to be mortified 65 Translation of the word 88 to 90 Time to seeke 150 Theft of engrossers 23 Thankes-giuing 161 Time past 150 Time to come 154 V Vsury 25 100 Vse meanes to saue the sinner 77 Vnwritten verities 97 Vnmercifulnes of the Pope 99 Vlcer of sinne 152 W Workes not perfit 135 Word righteous why 101 Wicked no right to any thing 143 Wicked sinne of purpose 14 Workes of righteonsnesse 103 Word our rule 84 Whoredome 28 In commendation of the Author VErtere si agricolas terrā est nunc laude docendo Virgilius dignus laudibus esse puto Dignum hunc nostrarum quae animarū cura libellum Sit qui nostra docet vertere corda bene Alex. Bradley To my worthy friend his Celestiall Husbandry THe Husbandry which these dead leaues doe bring Thy liuely voyce did once sweetely sing That thy learned and iudicious hearers thought The Celestiall haruest to them had brought Thereby their hearts so did inflame That they desir'd to heare it once againe Io. Ga. THe ground mans heartis Gods word the plow The harrow repentance is to breake it now The seede obedience sowen in our liues The raine Gods grace whereby it also thriues Then vse it and it will bring Thee to heauen there to sing Then now Prayse God for the gaine And the Author for his paine T. H. THE CELESTIALL husbandry RIght Honorable and well beloued in our best be loued I knowe that many haue been the flowers that my brethren the Prophets haue gathered out of the garden of Gods word giuing a fragrant smell in this place so that I know not what flowers to gather to present you withall that formerly yee haue not seene Yet in this my meditation I considered of my worthy Auditors and so fitted my text accordingly Some of them being Iudges and Magistrats that fitly I might speake to them of Iustice. An other part of them being inferiour subiects that also I might speake to them of obedience In a word considering that heere are vsually auditours of all sorts I
the things of God Yea so farre off that they are foolishnesse vnto him Si in ratione habitaret malum c. as Tollet obserues If euill should dwell in the reason then could it not will that which is good I remember Virgils verse Igneus est ollis vigor caelestis origo Scminibus quantum non noxia corpora tardant Terrenique hebetent artus moribundaque membra Those seedes haue fiery vigor and heauenly spring So farre as bodies Lnder not with fulnesse Or earthly dying members clogge with dulnesse Wee neede not to borrow proofes from the heathen Poets wee find them in our selues and the infallible trueth of God hath spoken it that in vs there dwells no goodnesse Rom. 7. And further the same Apostle saith Wee are all sold vnder sinne And There is none that doth good no not one If our nature be thus corrupt how can it produce any thing but that which is euill The barren heart is the ground of my discourse And according to the common distinction of euill here is a double euill in this barren and bad soile Vnum quodmalus facit One euill which the wicked man doth and then alterum quod malum patitur another euill which hee suffers The euill that hee doth is here the meditation to sinne or as my text saith a heart prepared to sinne The euill that he suffers is the corruption of nature which sauours nothing but vice The Philosopher said that the earth was a naturall mother vnto weedes but a stepmother vnto herbs It is true in this earth man by a procliuity of his owne naturall inclination is apt to produce all manner of euill but can bring foorth no good God must first play the husbandman with him There is no Farmer that so labours his ground as God must our hearts Wicked men are bad earth and base minded and naturally sinke downewards yea with a dull and ponderous declination All his actions haue a low obiect not out of humilitie but of base deiection Apollonius reporteth one strange thing among the rest of his reports That there was a people which could not see in the light but in the darke A strange report yet it is here true by experience The wicked cannot see any thing in the light of grace they haue their light onely in the darkenesse of nature for they here see and vnderstand through the darke cloudes of nature No maruell then if their heartes bee set vpon sinne when they can see nothing but euill Neither is God in this any way causa Peccati eitheir because his whole nature is corrupted or in with holding grace from him For the first the wise man cleareth God saying This haue I learned that God made man righteous but he hath found out many inuentions For how could a good cause produce an euill effect A Deo perfecto nihil malum nihil turpe est saith the Heathen From God that is perfect commeth neither euill nor foule thing Deus malorum causa non est cum bonus sit God is not the authour of euill when he himselfe is most good But as the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Perditio tua ex te Distruction is of thy selfe O Israel As God is not the cause of this corrupted nature and so not the cause of sinne so God is not vniust in withholding his grace from the wicked as some heretickes haue reasoned in this manner Priuatio est a Deo to be depriued is from God Priuatio est Peccatum To be depriued is sinne ergo peccatum est a Deo sinne is from God But this is easily answered for it doth not followe because we can doe nothing without grace that therefore God is bound to giue it Indeed we are bound to serue him but he is not bound to bestow his grace vpon vs it may be illustrated thus The King can raise a begger to great honour is hee therefore bound to doe it no man will conclude it So it is with God if he bestowe his grace vpon this man it is his mercy towards him if he doe it not to another it is none iniustice to him For his grace is free I will haue mercy on him to whom I will shewe mercy and will haue compassion on him on whom I will haue compassion So though man be corrupted God in no wise is the cause of his corruption Then this nature being so corrupt seeth and tasteth nothing but that which is euill A second cause or reason proceedeth from Sathan for hee sitteth in the heart of the wicked as a Prince vpon his throne commanding the same how and when he will This way and that way as the winds doe the Sedars in Libanus As the Apostle Paul saith They are taken prisoners by him to doe his will He is a workeman that is neuer without employment for them The diuell by the testimony of our Lord is the Prince of this world Note then his Monarchy is great and his kingdome bigger then the kingdome of Christ. For broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many runne that way But narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe walke that way If his kingdome bee so great no maruell if his employments be so many euery subiect therein is a great States-man for he is of the priuy counsell and there is neuer a day but there is a consultation between the Deuill and the heart of a wicked man The Deuill cannot be without the least of these but with great danger to his kingdome There is a two-fold cable-roape where by the Deuill drawes their hearts vnto sinne The first is the profit of sinning Come cast in thy Lot with vs we will finde riches and also fill our houses with spoyles Sinne neuer comes emptie handed for if it dyed we would reiect it We haue all earned Iudas his lesson which is Quid dabis And thus much doth the Apostle intimate in the Romanes where he saieth What profit had yee then in those things Hereby shewing that the end of sinning was the game of profit The second is pleasure and delight of this speaketh the Apostie in his second Epistle to the Thessalonianst They tooke pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And this is that that aggrauates a mans sinne to sinne and then to take pleasure in it Thus hee bindes two sinnes together 1. 2 finne to doe it 2. a sinne to loue it So the Diuell began with Adam and Euah to tempt them to sinne by the pleasure of sinne saying Yee shall bee as Gods knowing good and euill In many arts the more-skilfull the more ill-full Armis polentior astus Fraude goes beyond force Thus Sathan hath stollen trueths garment and put it on errors backe And so because the wayes to hell are full of greene pathes and tempting pleasures many runne apace till they come to their owne place with Iudas Sinne is a coach the Diuell is the carter then needes must they goe
are in the state of grace or no. Knowe yee not that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates Me thinkes the same wisedome should bee obserued with the soule as is with the body A man prooues his horse that he be not deceiued a man casteth vp his estate that he prooue not a begger and shall wee not prooue the state of our soules that we bee not damned A man be he neuer so poore will not out of one house till he be sure of another and shall we depart this life and not bee sure of heauen O no. The Mandarins hold it a thing vnfortunate to die before they haue made ready their sepulchres I hope a Christian then should be more wise for his soule to worke out his saluation with feare fearing to depart before hee hath finished the same Therefore let vs liue well as long as wee haue time for neither the Pilot when the shippe is drowned nor the Physition when the sicke man is dead profiteth any thing at all and therefore make your calling and election sure that you may liue in comfort die in peace and rise in glory And thus you haue heard and seene the haruest of grace The next circumstance obiects to our meditation the haruest of glory and here I must confesse I want a head to inuent a heart to conceiue knowledge to vnderstand iudgement to determine memory to retaine and a tongue to expresse What a croppe the haruest of glory is for as it is written Eye hath not seene care hath not heard what God hath prepared for those that loue him Situ altissimum it is high in situation quantitate maximum great in quantity natura purissimum pure in nature luce plenissimum full of light capacitate amplissimum and exceeding large for continuance eternall and for quantitie infinite I may with more peace of conscience to my selfe and greater profit to you shewe you how to come to so great a glory then to tell you what it is The manner THe last branch of this haruest is the manner which is according to merey so saith my text lephi chesed and we may reade and turne it thus to the face of mercy or to the fauour of grace or to the mouth of beneuolence or the fauour of hope all meeting as so many lines in one center shewing that all things temporall and spirituall are of the mercy of God For neither our plowing nor sowing deserueth this haruest but Gods mercy giuing it It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in God which sheweth mercy This is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace for grace First God giues grace to serue him and then hee giues a second grace as the reward So Augustine on this obserues Ipsa fides gratia est faith it selfe is grace Et vita aterna gratia est progratia And life eternall is grace for grace But is it come to this to bee for all our plowing of repentance and sowing the seede of obedience still of mercy Obserue then that man hath nothing of deseruing and by vertue of merit so doeth Christ tell vs that when we haue done all that we can yet are wee still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnprofitable And if it please you to take another witnesse you may from the Syriach word battila vnprofitable And thus by the mouth of two witnesses this sentence is firme when all is done wee are vnprofitable Siinutilis est qui fecit omnia c. If hee bee vnprofitable which did all what reward is due to vs then Surely none of the blessed promises of God but a fearfull looking for of iudgement And therefore the Apostle desired not to bee found in the puritie of his owne workes because thereby he could not be saued but in the righteousnesse of Christ. It is manifest therefore that there is no saftie in our workes because the spirit teacheth vs to flee from them as not a sure refuge to trust vnto And to this tends that saying of Iuda where he saith we should looke not for the reward of works but the mercy of God which as it did initiat vs into grace so it must consummate vs to glory The trueth whereof will yet more plainly appeare by this proposition Those works which are not perfit deserue nothing But the workes of the Saints are not perfit Ergo Our workes deserue nothing For how can an euill cause produce a good effect We know that Qualis causa talis effectus Such a cause such effect Man is not so iustified not so sanctified Vt non sit in nob is peccatum That there should bee no sinne in vs and while it is in vs it is a stayne to our workes as a little milke changeth the fountaine of water and a cloud obscureth the light of the Sunne And so what patience without murmuring what faith without doubting what zeale without coldnesse what loue without hatred what charity without couetousnesse what knowledge without ignorance what chastitie without concupiscence and what obedience without defect So saith Esai that our righteousnesse is as a stayned cloth And as Augustine saith Multum boni facit sed non perfectum bonum facit He doth much good but not that which is perfectly good So that wee haue neede to goe to God and aske pardon rather for the sinne in the worke then a reward for the good Then to conclude the Saints reape this haruest Non pro merito not for merit sed pro gratia but for grace I must not let passe now the doctrine of Popery which teacheth a doctrine contrary to this namely that wee are not simply beholding to God but in some sort to our selues as to workes And they make two kindes of workes or merits the one is Meritum de congruo merit of congruity which are preparatiue workes that goe before iustification Such were the works of Cornelius as they say which though they be not meritorious ex debito institiae by due debt of iustice yet do deserue at Gods hands of congruity The other they call Meritum de condigno merits of condignity when the reward is iustly due by debt and such are the works of the Saints But this distinction of workes wee approoue not of For these workes done before iustification though they seeme to haue a shew of goodnesse in themselues yet are they not pleasing to God because the persons are not iustified and his worke that is not iustified is abominable in the sight of God Secondly they are not done in faith and Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne so that these cannot be preparatiue workes Againe for those workes done after sanctification we deny not but that they are pleasing and acceptable to God yet doe they deserue nothing by vertue of their worth as Ambrose saith In respect of others that is other men they are worthy but in respect of the thing
haiuest The blessed heart returns ten for one yea a hundred for one as our Sauiour Christ saith Obserue that the chiefest care of a Christian must be to furnish his heart with grace and to plowe it vp with true repentance which counsell is giuen by the wise man miccal 〈◊〉 nitsor libbeca Aboue all things keepe thy heart with diligence The like conucell is giuen by 〈◊〉 thy hart O Ierusalem This also is confirmed by the author to the Hebrues It is Good the heart be established with grace And to confirme it with the words of Christ Take heed vnto your selues that your hearts be not oppressed This course or order is not amisse for the cause goes before the effect Can there be a good life which is the effect before there be a good heart which is the cause not Causaefficiens but Causamaterialis as Chrysostome obserues In ore et corde tuo salutis causa In thy mouth and in thy heart is the cause of thy saluation In thy mouth to confesse it and in thy heart to beleeue it If thou confesse with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart thou shalt be saued So then to haue good fruit is to haue a good tree A good cause brings forth a good effect for Qualis causa talis effectus Such as the cause is such is the effect And common sence and reason doth teach vs as Aristotle obserues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In euery action the end and the meanes of the end must goe togeather The Smith heats his yron before he beats it The Carpenter lays his foundation before he can erect his building The husbandman plowes his ground before he reaps his haruest And a christian must haue a good hart before he can haue a good life And as it is the ground worke so it is the strength of man both in nature and in grace In nature it is the first that liues and the last that dyes And it is called Cor and hath that name of Cura businesse for it is in continuall worke It is in man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The little world Homo est coeli simulacrum interpres naturae Man is the picture of the heauens and the interpreter of nature in whome is the heart as God is in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great world Primus motor The first mouer It is no lesse in grace the first that is sanctified and the first that liues in grace and is the castle of man The consideration wherof made Dauid to conclude that that man neede to feare no euill why Samuk-libbo his hart standeth firme And surely it had neede for the Deuill dealeth with the heart of man as the King of Aram dealt with the King of Israell Which shootes neither against small nor great but against the heart the King and strength of man Thus he dealt with Adam insinuating himselfe first into their affections thereby stealing away their halts and so drewe them to sinne Thus he dealt with Iudas for he put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the heart of Iudas And thus he fitst worketh with the hearte and then the other parts of man And as it is the strength of man so it is the salt that seasons our obedience whereby it is made acceptable vnto God for obedience without the heart is like the sacrifice of a dog and the hire of a whore A good worke without the heart is but a glorious sinne Non tamres ipsa quam hominum affectus spectantur Not so much the things themselues as the affections of men are here to bee considered saith Faius Potest quis in paupertate magno in diuitys pusillo animo esse One may haue a franke minde in pouerty and a sparing mind in riches So it is not the worke but the mind Vnum opus sed non vnus affectus It is one and the same worke but not the same minde Thus the Lord regards not so much the worke as the heart and minde of the worker as the Prophet saith This people honoureth me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me And therefore in vaine doe they worship me saith Christ. And as Augustine well obserues Quia non quid faciat homo considerandum est Because we must not so much to consider what it is that a man doth sed quo animo facit but with what minde he doth it If wee doe build onely on the worke wee haue no better euidence to shew for our saluation then the deuils and the reprobates If we relie vpon miracles and casting out of deuils these are the euidences that the false prophets will bring Lord haue wee not done many great workes and cast-out deuils in thy Name yet away from mee I know you not will Christ say Or shall wee build vpon preaching the Gospel supposing that to be a good euidence for our saluation This is the euidence of Iudas and yet hee is gone to his owne place Not the worke then but the heart is that that will stand and goe for currant To shew this the Lord would haue a free-will offering among all the rest of his sacrificet Hereby shewing that the heart must be ioyned with obedience Yea so did the Lord regard the heart that he would not admit of any gift for the building of the Temple but what came from a free will which was but a type of the spirituall Temple To the building whereof euery man is to bring the timber and stones of obedience and that with a good heart And therefore as the author to the Hebrews saith Let vs draw neere vnto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a true heart that so wee may serue him that wee may please him For God is a consuming fire And as the heart seasons our obedience so in the heart is the euidence of our saluation there sealed by the Spirit of God Our euidence lieth not in any externall thing it lieth not in the ancient calling of husbandrie for Cain miscaried in that nor in strength for Golias could not preuaile thereby nor in the office of a Prophet for that serued not Saul or Balaam nor any kingly dignitie that would not priuiledge Pharaoh nor riches they helped not Diues nor glorious apparell for it did Herod no good nor policie in Achitophel nor beauty in Absalom could giue assurance of saluation Temporale non potest esse causa aeterni No temporall thing can be the cause of that which is eternall In all these can be no euidence of our saluation Nihil est firmum vel stabile in rebus humanis There is nothing stable in humane affaires It remaineth that the heart is the register of our saluation Per fidem facti sumus vnum in Christo. By saith wee are made one with Christ. And the subiect of faith is the heart for with the heart man beleeueth unto saluation The other they are
doore into ioy and happinesse for If sinne by repentance be not presently done away by the waight it will draw a man to more sinne Therefore the onely way to keepe vs from sinning is to repent of our former iniquity for a wicked vse is hardly abolished Repent and thou shalt be free from it but before thou canst haue ioy in the holy Ghost first thou must vndergoe the smart of repentance Qui'cupit opt atam cur su contingere metam Multa tulit facirque miser sudauit alsit He that desireth first to touch the marke taketh much paines sweateth abundantly and runneth exceeding swiftly Let vs therefore be waile our sinnes that ought to be bewailed great sinnes require great lamentation sweet meate must haue sower sauce Therefore let vs bee as prone to lamentation as we haue been prone to sinne Come let vs water our hearts with the salt teares of contrition and sweepe them with the broomes of hearty sorrow Here giue me leaue not to let this point passe in obscurity nor the soule in doubtfulnesse Sorrow is common both to the good and bad therefore I will shew the difference so then be iudges of your owne estate First they differ in causa impulsiua in the impulsiue cause of this sorrow in both The wicked are grieued Non propter offensum Deum Not for offending God as the Godly are but tantum propter poenam but for the punishment The one greeues because hee doth offend God and dishonour him The other greeues for the iudgements of God that are like to come vpon him Secondly they differ in causa efficiente In the efficient cause which breedeth sort owin both The wicked torment themselues ex diffidentia desperations from distrust and desperation casting themselues off from God and his promises but the godly they mourne and grieue Ex fide sin fiduoia misericordiae 〈◊〉 From faith and confidence in the mercie of God feeling some sweetnesse in their hearts of the same Thirdly they differ In ipsaforma In the forme it selfe The griefe of the godly is Conuersio ad Deum a diabolo a peccatis anatura veteri A conuersion vnio God from the deuill from sin and from the old man They come more and more vnto God the more they sorrow the neerer they are vnto the Lord and surther from Sathan sinne and the flesh But the sorrow of the wicked is Auersio a Deo adipsum diabolum A turning from God vnto the deuill himselfe flying from the Lord crying to the hilles and mountaines Fall on vs and couer vs from that wrathfull iudge Fourthly they differ Ineffectu In the effect In the godly sequitur noua obedientia followes new obedience For They crucifie the flesh with the lustes and effections thereof But in the sorrow of the wicked Non sequitur noua obedientia followes no new obedience They still continue in their sinne and wicked wayes Thus you see the difference of this sorrowe and contrition Be now iudges of your owne estates if any mans griefe be for feare of punishment or because God forsakes him if he flee from God and still bring foorth the fruite of sinne there can be no comfort in this sorrow But if it be because wee cannot please God as we would if Gods promises constraine vs hereunto if the more God cuts our hearts the nearer we cleaue vnto him and a good life followes the same 〈◊〉 then this is of God and great comfort may bee had in this 〈◊〉 Then lauandum est cox poenitantie lacrimis Let vs wish our hearts in the troubled to area of repentance And thus you see their agreement in the second branch In the third place obserue that the plowe in turning vp the earth causeth the weedes to perish rotting the blade vnder the clots and withering the roote aboue Euen so t is in this spirituall plowing for the turning vp our sinnes causeth them to die and perish This is called mortification Mortificatio veteris hominis siue caruis As the Apostle speaketh They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lustes and affections thereof which is called detestatio it fuga peccati a hatred and a flying from sinne First in the iudgement to condemne it secondly in the affections to hate and detest it and thirdly in the whole man to crucifie it Recessus amalo a for saking of euill accessus adbonum a returning to that which is good This mortification of sinne is very frequent in the word especially in the new testament For in the Epistle to the Romanes the Apostle speaketh thus If you martisie the dcedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue Hereby to shewe vnto vs that the plowing vp of finite causeth the death of sinne the like he saith Mortifie your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euill concupisoence and couetousnesse and the like This mortification of sinne consisteth first in the heart cruoifying the motions thereof for as we vse virriculo penitentiae the broome of repentance to sweepe them out so wee must gladio spirituali the sword of the spirit to cut and mortifie them in their yong and tender age before they get strength for inquisption shall bee made for euery evill thought prenent it s therefore before the day For this purpose you must deale with the motions of your hearts as the Egyptians did with the Israelites destroying their children while they were young For as a little draft at the first is easily bowed which in time growes so or at that will not 〈◊〉 it So euill motions at first are easily cut downe which in time may ouermaster vs. Naturalis est ordo vt ab imperfecto ad perfectum quis moueatur It is a naturall course euen in euill by degrees to come vnto perfection Therefore that caueat is very good that the author to the Hebrewes giues Take heede least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne for as Iames saith Lust when it is conceiued brings foorth sinne Hereby shewing that lustes are to bee mortfied in the hatching and not a motion to passe vncrucified Happy shall they be that take these young ones and dash their heads against the stones Follow therefore the counsell of the Apostle in shunning the former lustes of ignorance and not there to stay but also to kill the very motion that brought forth that sinne For the man of wicked imaginations God will condemne Let no man thinke with the wicked ones all is well when they haue preuailed so farre as to mortifie some sinne in the act yet still retaine the motion in the heart whereas the crowne of a Christian is to mortifie the inward man in the lustes thereof Latius regnes audium domando Spiritum quam si libiam remotis Gadibus iungas et vterque paeius Seruiat vni He that can conquer his affects rebelling Hath larger Monarchie then he that swayes the
ensue a great happinesse according to that true saying of the Poet Virgil Foelix quipotuitrerum cognoscere causas O blessed hee and excellent that knowes the cause of each euent Thus for our conclusion of this branch obserue that such as are truely plowed by the word and Spirit of God are dead tosinne and sinne in them for they that are Ghrists haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Likewise the same Apostle saith If Christ be in you the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake If you will haue an example of this that further it may be manifested turne your eyes vnto there of the Acts 18. 19. verses Many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes Many also of them that vsed curious arts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of siluer If you aske a reason of it it is from the power of grace which is able to subdue the power of Sathan For Sathan sinne the flesh and the world can but make a finite power but wee are protected with an infinite power Greater is hee that is in you then hee which is in the word Therefore whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne neo potest peccare neither can sinne O excellent gift as one affirmes being donum omnium donorum maximum A gift excelling all gifts Augustine vpon this hath this obseruation Before the law we do not fight vnder the law we fight and are ouercome vnder grace wee fight and ouercome For wee are more then conquerers in Iesus Christ. It is a thing common with the Physicians to driue and purge out a lesser poyson by a stronger as we dayly see a lesser light extinguished by the greater The Sunne puts out the light of the Moone and the power of Gods grace puts cut the power of sinne Thus when the stronger man gets into the house bindes the master and spoyles him of his goods God is the stronger man his grace is the influence which comes downe from heauen to helpe vs in the midst of our conflicts Much like the elements that helped 〈◊〉 in his battell so that he got the victory whereof Claudian sung O nimium dilecte Deo cuimilitat aether Et coniurati veninut ad classica venti O Gods beloued when power aeriall And winds came armd to helpe when thou doest call Let not slip your consideration without obseruation where sinne liues and thriue there all goodnesse withers and dies Dauid put sorth a question Lord let me know mine age and the number of my dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue to liue So many doe say Lord let me know mine estate whether I belong to thee or no. And now I answere as the Frenchman did the Scots and the Irish which of long time had been at controuersie for a piece of ground to which nation it should belong The controuersie was to bee ended by the said Frenchman in this maner Put said he thereinto Serpents and Snakes If they die it belongeth to Ireland but if they liue it belongeth to Scotlands Thus the contiouersie was ended So in like maner if sinne liues and thriues in you you belong to Sathan but if it wither and die then you belong to God So our Lord teacheth vs Matt. 7. 16. You shall know them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their fruits Thus here is an end of this branch Lastly the terrene plow makes the earth more fit for the seede Euen so doeth the tearing of the heart by true repentance makes it the more apt to embrace the mercie of God The thid part THus we haue gone thorow the subiect and the propertie of the worke now followes the proprietie of the persons lacaem your committing this worke to euery particular person Obserue that all men are agents in their faith repentance contrition and saluation Plowe vp your falowe ground your owne falowe As God saide to Ierusalem Wash thy heart O Ierusalem and by the Prophet Ioel Scindite corda vestrum Rent your hearts So I say vnto you wash and rent your owne hearts for if you will not lay to your helping hand they are neuer like to bee cleane God in the time of the Lawe commanded that lie which should offer an offering was to put his hand vpon the head of it Heb. 3. 2. Hereby shewing that we must haue a hand with God in euery part and worke of regenetation He that made without thee will not instifie thee without thee He made thee without thy knowledge and doth instifie thee with thy consent Therefore said Christ If you will find seeke If you will receiue then aske For no seeking no finding no asking no receiuing God proclaimes not Ho euery one that is athirst I will bring him water But Ho euery one that is athirst let him come and fetch water Supper is made ready by our Lord all things are prepared at his owne cost and charges and when it was ready hee said not goe carie it to these men but goe bid them come in and eate it Herevnto tend the words of Paul Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling And Peter also saith Make your calling and election sure Sure it is with God not with vs vntill then Worthily doth that sieke person perish that calleth not for the Physician but refuseth him comming of his owne accord vnto him Man by the ordinance of God is appointed an agent for his owne saluation For the subiect of faith repentance and contrition are in vs not in God Indeed God is the efficient cause the word the instrumental cause but our hearts willes and affections the materiall cause that is subiectum conuersionis the subiect of conuersion as the schoolmen define the fanie Delor est in corde Sorrow is in the heart Fuga est in voluntate Flying is in the will and that with purpose not to commit sinne any more Auertio est in corde voluntate a malo ad bonum The turning is in the heart and will from euill vnto that that is good still the subiect is in vs and so we must needes be agents For wee are not like a piece of waxe that receiues no impression but what is put into it being meerely pasaiue but actiue as formerly hath been shewed And to adde the sentence of Aristotle Nemo voleus malus nec inuitus foelix No man is euill with his will nor any man is happie against his will In thy mouth and heart is the cause of saluation saith Chrysostomes that is the 〈◊〉 use and subiect as hath beene sayd And as the subiect is in vs so euery man is best acquainted with his owne heart which other men is not able to know for What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him it is a
why are the children of God in such contempt and pouerty and the off scouring of all things to this day as we see Eliiah was persecured and the false prophets fauoured Michaiah sinitten and the lying prophets honoured Diues rich and Lazarus poore Wherunto answere is made that it is no safe concluding because they possesse them not they haue no right vnto them For by the same argument wee may conclude they haue no right to the kingdome of glory The argument is thus framed Whosoeuer are not in possession of glory haue no right to it But men liuing vpon earth possesse it not Ergo Those that possesse not glory haue no right vnto it The like argument may be framed concerning earthly blessings Those that possesse not riches haue no right thereto The righteous possesse them not Ergo Obedience hath no right thereunto The maior of both these syllogismes is false For possession of a thing doth not argue aright thereunto no more doth not possession argue no right But as a man which hath bought land payd his money writings being made deliuered vnto him hath right to the land though he possesse it not So the godly haue right to them though they possesse them not Besides this it may be the time is not yet come when God will giue vs these things Ioseph was in prison before he came to honour Iacob serued many yeeres before he had his riches Dauid was persecuted before he came to the kingdome Daniel in the denne before he was one of the gouernours Mordecai sate at the gate before he came to preferment And all these in the state of grace long before they came to taste of this haruest Againe there may bee some cause knowen to God why he doth not giue these things generally to his children Why Abraham was rich and Lazarus poore Dauid a king and Mordecai at the gate Surely there is great difference in the natural qualities of men and such an antipathie there is betweene the same and riches that often they steale away our hearts from obedience and therefore God as a wise father giues not what is our right but what is good for vs. I must not forget the wicked which neuer sowed the seed of righteousnesse yet reape they this earthly haruest as fast as the godly and with carying this crop into their barnes the deuill is often conuayed into their hearts There is no more difference betweene Iudas and them then this Iudas had the bag and the deuill in it These haue riches and the deuill with them For vnto the impure all things are impure Their meate apparell riches and honour are cursed vnto them For hee that sayd What hast thou to doe to take my name in thy month and hatest to be reformed saith also What hast thou to doe to take this crop into thy possession And yet who prospers so as these who so beautifull as Absalom so rich as Nabal so honourable as Haman who flourish so well as the sonnes of Belial And yet with Iudas they do but bag vp to their owne confusion He that is much honoured in the way at the end of his iourney is damned and as it were through a faire pasture hee passeth to a prison who by the prosperity of this life present goeth to destruction and confusion This is the end of these men and how can it otherwise be seeing they liue by robbing the Saints of God Zeuxis was a true embleme of these that looking on a picture brake out into a laughter which brought him to the graue in mirth and so died These men haue a day of mirth their life is in the noone of pride but their Sunne shall set in darkenesse and their seeming ioyes shall bee turned into true eternall woes Therefore seeing they haue got the houses of God in possession and the inheritance of the holy ones into their handes let them bee as sparing as may bee to themselues and very liberall to others that seeing they must bee arraigned for theeues and goe to their owne place with Iudas their iudgements may bee more easie This is for the temporall and terrene haruest now followes a spirituall and more comfortable to the soule namely the assurance of saluation with the fruites therof as peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost It was Zacheus his honour that Christ came to his house and it is our comfort to get his promises into our hearts This haruest is so needfull that we cannot be without it for while we are without this we want true ioy the conscience still crying out what shall I doe to be saued But now the good Christian falles hard to worke comes closse to the corne of Gods promises layes hold thereon with the hand of faith and cuts it downe with the sickle of confidence brings it home into the Garner of his soule thrasheth it out by meditation and feedes vpon it by application to his consolation And thus farre doeth the word of my text leade me for kitsru which comes of katsar signifies to licke vp Obserue that the children of God are assured of the kingdome of glory while they liue in the kingdome of grace holy Iob had made such a seede time that in the ende hee came to reape this haruest to his comfort I knowe saith he that my redeemer liueth And thus all the godly can say to the ful assurance of glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Iohn now are we the sonnes of God and can say with Paul Christ Iesus liueth in vs and therefore if this earthly tabernacle were destroyed we haue a house eternall in the heauens Thus the childe of God can speake with confidence of assurance of glory while he liues in the kingdome of grace The Apostle saith God hath sealed vs to the day of redemption not so much that he might knowe vs as that wee might knowe our selues to bee his for here wee either receiue or loose life eternall Which thing being so needfull made Salomon to say in the person of the Church Bring mee O King into thy chambers and that this is the true reading obserue the wordes in the originall habiani hammaelaek chadarau which words are in the Imperatiue moode in the originall let the King bring me but fitly put into the Indicatiue moode in the English the King hath brought me yet howsoeuer it shewes the truth of this doctrine for if in the Indicatiue mood it sheweth that it is if in the Imperatiue moode then it sheweth that it must be For no man shal follow the Lambe in glory which hath not followed him first in grace Will you now know the reason thereof hearken then to the trueth of God which telleth vs that wee are iustified by saith now the nature of faith is to assure our hearts of the certainty of his promises First in regard of the nature of faith which is not only historicall to beleeue the
ages had beene spent in sinne euen from the dayes of Ieroboam till the dayes of Hosea notwithstanding all the Prophets exhortations Esaiah cried Ieremy wept Amos roared and yet are they still in sinne which for qualitie were great and for countenance long and therefore time it is to seeke the Lord. Therefore the longer we haue continued in sinne the more cause haue we himselfe Wash thy heart Ierusalem and this is drawne from the continuance in sinne How long shall wicked thoughts remaine within thy heart and how long wilt thou goe astray The like argument is vsed by Peter for he saith it is sufficient that wee haue spent the former time in sinne Thus long continuance in sinne must be an argument vnto vs to cause vs the more willingly to turne to the Lord. First propter gloriam Dei for the glory of God For by how much the more we are wicked and sinfull by so much the more is Gods mercy seene in the pardon therof As Moses saide if thou pardon this sinne then shall thy mercy appeare And there is nothing wherein Gods mercy doeth more manifest it selfe then in this and the greater the sinne is the greater is his mercy which forgiues it Secondly propter nostram consolationem for our consolation for the more sinnefull the more iudgements are prepared What is to bee done now to flye with Ionas from the Lord that is not the way with the fish to leape out of the panne into the fire but with the prodigall sonne to returne to the Lord that wee may not come into that place of torment The Lord hath two heraulds of conuersion and obedience namely mercy and iudgement promises and threates aut sequeris aut traheris either drawing vs or following vs and vse is made of both wherein it will not bee amisse to borrow Horace his verse Oderunt peccare boni vertutis amore Oderunt peccare mali formidime penae The good from offence vertues loue doe detaines The euill to offend feare of paine doth restraine These are two good schoole-masters the one serues a free horse the other a dull iade Where Gods mercy will not alure there his iudgements must compell and therefore the greatnesse of our sinne should cause vs the sooner to seeke the Lord that so we may escape the greatnes of his iudgements Here giue mee leaue to cut the vlcer of this sinne in the wicked which haue not drunke their fill of iniquitie and yet you may see the vlceration of these men The saying of Dauid is reuiued againe Fourtie yeeres long haue I been grieued and yet still doe they continue in sinne to heape wrath vpon wrath Sinne is said to be darkenesse and tenebrae commeth of tenendo to hold for the wicked are held with the chaine of sinne that they thinke creation a fable incarnation infallible redemption improbable election vnprofitable resurrection vnpossible And then it followes that there is neither heauen nor hell so that Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla volupt as Eate drinke and be merrie for after death there is no pleasure Thus doe they diuulge their Satanicall suggestions These speake stoatly walke proudly and liue wickedly therefore high time to leaue it O that there should be any soules so traduced by any infernall spirits their reason so blinded their vnderstanding so darkened and their saluation so endangered as still to remaine in sinne Surely these sinners are in a dead sleepe of finne that neither Aarons belles Solomons songs nor Isaiahs trumpet can awaken them Thou hast smitten them yet haue they not felt it If the wound be such that it neuer causeth smart if it neuer ake nor grieue it is but dead flesh and to be cut off Therefore it is to bee feared that these are gone too farre downe to the chambers of death There are but seuen steps to the bottome and they are on the last The first Importabile cumbersome then graue heauie then leue light then insensibile past feeling after this comes delectabile delight and ioy then followes defiderabile desire to finne and the last step is defensibile defence of sinne And here are the men of this age making an apologie for sinne as drunkards with a weakenesse in the head gluttony with good fellowship adultery with a tricke of youth couetousnesse with good husbandry and murder with manhood Such are the prodigious sinners of our time that they haue some cloake to put on sinnes backe and are themselues become a fit dish for the Deuils table For Sinne is the gate to death but to defend sinne is the next steppe to bell And seeing these are going with Iudas to their owne place let mee speake one word for their farewell which is that seeing they could find no end of sinning while they were here they shall haue no end of torments when they are there their curse shall be proportioned there answerable to their sinnes here For for euery ounce of vanitie they wall haue a pound waight of torment Cursed of God whose curse is Poenarum inflictio the punishment of affliction cursed in themselues which is conscientia cruciamen the torment of conscience cursed of the deuils which is Poenarum executio the execution of punishment and cursed of the damned which is Poenarum aggrauatio the augmentation of punishment Thus they shall turne from Snakes to Addars from both to Scorpions and from all to the vnquenchable flames Then will they crie when it is too late And here I cannot but tell you what Herodotus tels me of one that came to the water and played with his pipe but the fishes would not dance then he castin a net and tooke them out and layd them on the ground and then they could dance but the man made this answere when I played you would not dance but now you dance I will not play There is a good morall to bee made of it for God hath piped and mad a melodious sound in the preaching of his word offering his mercies vnto vs but we would neuer dance after this pipe Wherefore when wee would dance God will not play but answere vs thus when I pro ered mercy you refused the same now you seeke mercie I will denie it And therefore seeke the Lord for it is time in regard of your continuance in sinne And here let neither the greatnesse of sinne nor the long continuance in the same hinder our turning to God for were our sinnes as crimson yet shall they bee as snowe saith the Lord. And how can it goe ill with vs when there are infinite mercies to finite sinnes His mercies are deeper then Hell broader then the Earth and higher then Heauen Therefore obserue for your comfort your persons are not so wicked nor your sinnes so great but you may see the like entred the gates of heauen Art thou a drunkard looke vpon Lot Art thou a murderer looke vpon Dauid Art thou a swearer looke vpon Peter Art
Christi aduentu By consummation and glorification of the Church in the second comming of Christ and vntill then we must seeke the Lord. The last pare the ende VVE are come now by your patience to the last branch of our text And teach you righteousnesse where in obserue 1. the propertie of it Teach 2. the forme of it Rightcousnesse 3. the persons You. The propertie of the worke comes first to be handled Raine This part would bee better vnsoulded by some Phylosopher then by me Raine is impression that commeth of much cold vapour and moist gathered into a body of a cloude drawne out of the earth or waters by the heate of the Sunne into the middle region of the ayre whereby cold it is so knit together that it hangeth vntill either the waight or heate cause it to breake Some thinke the raine and cloudes are not aboue nine miles in height Albertus Magnus saith they are but three miles in height and some thinke that they be but halfe a mile and some againe by Geometricall demonstrations make it aboue fiftie miles to the place where the cloudes and raine are gathered but not to be too curious to seeke for that whereof we haue no neede To conclude sometime they are higher sometime they are lower according to the waight thereof where they breake to the great feare and no lesse danger of man and beast but to come to the true raine here intended Raine the word iorch doth signifie to raine yet a supernaturall showre which makes glad the city of God Gods word is compared to raine and is this raine fo saith the Lord my word shall droppe as the raine Likewise his spirit is compared to raine I will power water on the dry ground And fitly is his word and grace comcompared to raine 1 Raine is called Imber and hath that name of Imbuendo for it springeth and tempereth the earth and maketh it beare fruite Man is compared to earth and the word and grace to raine If this raine be not showred downe vpon this earth it is vnfruitfull therefore to make this earth fruitfull God sends downe the showers of this raine vpon it as the operatiue meanes and working cause to make the hearts of men fruitfull in faith loue and the like and their liues full of good workes And to this belongs the saying of the wise man Arise O North and come O South because in these two places are the signes which concerne the water and the earth as Taurus Virgo and Capricornus which are in the South and be earthly signes The other are Cancer Pisces and Scorpio in the North and bee watery signes Now when the earth of mans heart and the raine of Gods grace doe meete there followes a fruitfull haruest 2 Raine is called Pluuia and hath that name of pluralitate pluralitie of drops and that drop after drop that the earth might receiue it the better A droppe is part of a cloude being broken which destilleth downe droppe after droppe A fit embleme of this supernaturall raine which from one cloude the spirit destilleth into the hearts of men grace after grace and gift after gift Man hath not all the graces of God at the first but by degrees as the Apostle saith We must first haue milke and then strong meate first a lesse grace then a greater and after that full perfection Regeneration is compared to a birth where first the braine is made then the heart after that the liuer then the sinewes arreryes and pipes and lastly the handes and feete And thus is it in the spirituall birth first knowledge and vnderstanding then faith and repentance after peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost and lastly full assurance of all Gods mercies 3 Raine is a maker of peace for often wee see the windes and other elements in an vproare where by the stout Cedars are bowed to the ground Towres and Castles trembling and the waters roaring But now comes a showre of raine from the cloudes and mittigates all this fury Euen so when since the conscience Gods wrath and the terrors of hell accuse vs within and Gog Magog Moab and Ammon I meane wicked men persecute vs without then are wee in great feare and trembling But now comes a showre of grace and mittigates all feares and secures vs from all terrours 4. Raine is Medicus a good Phisition hauing a powerfull efficacie to cleanse the ayre when by infectious fogges and contagious vapours it is corrupted washing away with the showres thereof all the noysome putrifaction euen so when the iudgement and vnderstanding are infected with the filthy fumes of errours and heresies and the trueth almost stifled then commeth a shoure of grace and cleanseth the soule from all these infectious fogges 5. Raine mollifieth the hard earth and makes it more apt for tillage whereby the bowels of the earth are cut with coulters and shares Euen so the hard and obdurate heart of man is made soft and apt to euery good worke by the showres of Gods grace Happie earth whereon this raine falles that is so operatiue and donum omnium donorum maximum A gift farre aboue all other gifts Ioreh of iarah and signifies to teach as well as to raine For while we liue in this world we are in the schoole of Christ and haue need of teaching and the chiefe teacher is the Spirit of God as Christ The comforter whom the Father will send in my Name shall teach you all things outward meanes without this will doe no good For Paulmay plant Apollo may water yet it is God which teacheth by the Spirit or otherwise all is in vaine For Non verbis hominis sit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit Deus vt intelligatis The wordes of man cannot make man to vnderstand the word of God but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand The outward ministery worketh no grace in the hearts of men It is but a subordinate meanes and causa instrumentalis The instrumentall cause and not causa efficiens The efficient cause Therefore sayth the Apostle Haue you receiued the holy Ghost Intimating thereby that if they wanted the Spirit they could haue no faith for Hoc est opus Dei This is the worke of God Gods assisting grace and the ministery of man must go together else thereis no power in our perishable voyces to effect your consciences Breake away this Analogie and vertuall association of the spirit from the word and you shall bee like those women euer learning but neuer able to come to the knowledge of the trueth Learne then First to follow the counsell of Christ to giue God the things that belong to God and to Cesar that which belongeth to Cesar. If by the ministerie of man you haue gotten some good measure of knowledge faith loue repentance and the like forget not your duetie to the messengers of God Haue them in singular respect for their workes
sake Yet we must say with Peter Thinke not that we by our owne power or godlinesse haue done you this good No it is the spirit and grace of God And therefore we must say with Dauid Non nobis Domine non nobis Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs sednomini tuo da gloriam but to thy Name giue the glory For the principall praise belongs to God Secondly bee not forgetfull of that which Salomon teacheth Take heede to thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God Goe not to heare Gods word without the performance of this dutie to pray to God for his grace that the word may bee made fruitfull vnto you And hence it is that the Church hath appointed prayer to be made before Sermons that the word may be blessed vnto the hearers It is not to bee forgotten how God would haue the place of Diuine seruice vpon a mountaine to teach the people that while their bodies went vp to the Temple to heare the Lawe their soules should goe vp to heauen by prayer And therefore as Christ saith in another kinde That which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Thirdly if you would haue this raine of grace to fall vpon you keepe vnder the clouds the Ministers of Gods word For by and in the hearing of the same doth God raine downe these showres of his grace For on as many as heard the word did the holy Ghost fall Often his word goes without grace but his grace neuer goes without the word We are called Starres and they are called Stellae of Stando to stand Ministers must bee like them confined to their stations not gadding and wandering Meteors Comets portending delusion to others and confusion to themselues Starres are also called Sidera and haue that name of Considerando taking heede for of them Astronomers take heede and also ship-men by sea Such and much more heed ought you to take of vs for you must seeke the Law at our mouth and by that the spirit this gratious raine Lastly it is said to raine to teach vs what abundance of this grace and mercie hee will bestow vpon vs Solomon saith his name is Shemen turak is as oyle powred out Answerable hereunto saith God I will powre out my spirit Gods mercies are like himselfe infinite so sayth Dauid I know no end thereof they are deeper then the sea larger then the earth and higher then heauen Hoc mirum hoc magnum And haue not wee had good experience of this loue and fauour of God yea Here is no complaining in our streetes no leading into captiuity our children like oliue plants about our tables And hereunto are added the word and Sacraments with other spirituall blessings the milke of exhortation the wine of compunction and the oyle of consolation Thus mercie doth compasse vs on euery side his patience in forbearing his mercie in forgiuing and his constancie in continuance Hee might haue strucken vs with death for one lye with Ananias stoned vs for one wedge of gold with Achan and cast vs out of heauen for one ambition with the deuill But O the tender mercy of God that such sinnes for number so many for qualitie so great and for continuance so long should haue fauour with God In hoc demonstratur virtus potentia Deinarratur Herein is the vertue and power of God declared Let this teach vs that are Ministers to raine down the words of exhortation and admonition you that are magistrates to raine down execution of iustice betweene man and man and you inferiour people to raine downe mutuall dutie one to another The second branch of righteousnesse WE are almost got to the hauen of happinesse and safely arriued in our countrey we haue but this Righteousnes to passe ouer and then we are at home Pareus vpon this word saith that God would teach them Righteousnesse that was to flee hypocrisie for they were giuen much thereto so saith Esay God will haue no compassion on them Quia omnis hypocritaest For euery one is an hypocrite And I could wish that this guilded deuill had not got shipping for England and lande likewise But he walkes inuisible and dares not be seene it may be sometime he is in the countrey among their cold paulsies and shaking agues sometime in the City with our burning feuers and firie zeale the inflamations and impostumes of hypocrisie And were it as odious to man as it were abominable to God it would quickly be banished out of the land Others vnderstand this Righteousnesse Pro misericordia Dei For the mercy of God as Dauid saith Shewe thy louing kindnesse to them that know thee Et iust itiam tuam ad 〈◊〉 corde and thy righteousnesse to the vpright of heart Then the meaning of this is that God will raine downe his mercy vpon vs in the pardon and forgiuenes of sinnes Huge doth handle it thus and saith that Misericordia est quasi fons in affectu Mercy is as the fountaine in the heart and affection and miseratio quasi riuulus in effectu Bountie is as the riuer flowing foorth to the outward action And this is that which God here promiseth I will raine righteousnesse vpon you This word tsedek Righteousnesse is of a great latitude What good is there which will not be brought within this cōpasse It is either creata iustitia or increata iustitia Created iustice or vncreated iustice vncreated Righteousnesse is Deus ipse But we disputenot of this righteousnes Created righteousnes is the creature and is Legall and Euangelicall but iustitia legalis cannot be showred downe vpon vs for the vertual power of that is gone It is Iustitia Euangelij that must doe vs good which may bee deuided thus 1. a righteousnesse of iustification 2. a righteousnesse of sanctification So Sedulius The righteousnesse of God is sanctification by faith and remission of sinnes Righteousnesse of iustification is Remissio siue absolutio A remission or absolution first a veccate secondly amorte from sinne and death Then followes imputatio iustitii an imputation of righteousnesse God remooueth away the guilt putting righteousnesse in place thereof and couering vs with the righteousnesse of Christ. For he is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption for which righteousnesse the Apostle prayeth that he may be found in him hauing this righteousnesse on him Thus all the faithfull are truely iustified from all their sinnes yet non vt non sit in nobis peecatum sed non imputetur not that wee are cleared from hauing sinne in vs but that it is not imputed vnto vs for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This righteousnesse standeth thus FIrst misericordia gratia Dei the meroy and grace of God vt causa principali impulsina in Deo as the principall impulsiue cause in God for his onely mercy mooued him He so loued
the world that hee gaue his sonne to redeeme it If God had not beene mercifull man had beene miserable and therefore saith Peter Blessed be God which according to his mercy hath begotten vs againe to a liuely hope Secondly wee are iustified sanguine vel obedientia Christi by the blood and obedience of Christ. 1. Vt materia iustitae nostrae As the mater of our iustification 2. Vt causa formalia iustificationis nostrae as the formall cause of our iustification 3. Vt causa impulsiua meritoria as the inpulsiue and meritorious cause Thus the obedience of Christ is the matter the forme and impulsiue cause of our righteousnesse From the redemption of Christ there is freedome from death reconciliation with God the gift of righteousnesse and the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen Thus all the vertue of our iustification depends vppon the life and death of Christ Neither could our death be dissolued without Christs passion nor our life restored without his resurrection Thirdly we are iustified ex fide of faith vt causa instrumentali in nobis as the instrumentall in vs whereby we apprehend the righteousnes of Christ by faith apply the same vnto vs. To cōclude it in a word here is misericordia Dei the mercy of God promising 2. satisfactionem Christi the satisfaction of Christ meriting 3. fidei faith beleeuing and thus stands our righteousnesse Which distinction the Church of Rome refuseth saying wee are iustified by an inherent righteousnesse wherein two false points of doctrine are maintained First that there is some meritorious cause in vs of this righteousnesse Secondly that we are free from sinne for so are their owne words that we are not reputed iust but are made iust indeede But to the meritorious cause in man I answere in Augustines wordes God crowneth thee but in mercy for thou wast not worthy whom God should call or being called to bee iustified and being iustified to bee glorified If thou pleade thy merits God saith vnto thee examine thy merits and see if they bee not my giftes Where then is the meritorious cause in man Hoc est non in nostris recte factis this lyeth not in our well-done deedes sed in tua bonitate situm est but in thy goodnesse O God that we are made righteous And for the perfection of iustice I answere with the same Augustine Our iustice in this life consisteth rather in the remission of sinnes then perfection of vertue Take comfort then O Christian For if God iustifie who shall condemne who is able to lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen Why then should wee feare For tius quod non est non est poena peccatum remissum non est Ergo peccatum remissi non est poena That which is not hath no punishment forgiuen sinnes are not Ergo forgiuen sinnes hath no punishment as saith the Apostle wherefore let vs goe boldly to the throne of grace If thou wouldest bee healed hee is thy Physition if thou burnest with feauers hee is a fountaine to coole thee if thou art pressed downe with iniquitie he is thy righteousnesse if thou feare death he is thy life and if thou desirest heauen he is the way Is God thus good thus mercifull as to iustifie vs being sinners what will hee doe for vs then being iustified and this is the proper righteousnesse in this place There is a righteousnesse of sanctification for as Christ is our iustice so is he our holinesse And as many as haue put on Christ haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes whereby a man is righteous in his life and conuersation So saith Iohn whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not That is as Piscator notes non dat operam peccato not giuing them to worke sinne for these two goe together iustification and regeneration as Dauid saith Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne there is iustification and in whose heart there is no guile this is sanctification Happy men in whom two kisse one another where the dewes of iustification are destilled down and the sweet flowers of sanctification doe spring vppe And yet such honour haue all his Saints iustification peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost and sanctification of life Thus God raines downe his mercies vpon his Saints which be the Charter of heauen the couenant of grace and the assurance of glory musicke to the eares splendor to the eye odour to the smell daintaies for the tast pleasures for the sense and solace for the soule And seeing it is now high time to leaue you here will I leaue you for I cannot leaue you better then where I haue you And so I cease to speake of that which you shall neuer cease to enioy The persons now remaine to bee spoken of lacem you but I passe ouer this with silence hauing spoken of them before And now I call heauen and earth to record that this day I haue set before you life and death a blessing and a curse and haue sounded out the voyce of Boanarges and the voyce of Barnabas by the voyce of Boanarges I haue laboured to plowe vppe your sinnes in the doctrine of repentance by thundring out Gods iudgements in the voyce of Barnabas I haue laboured to helpe you to reape the haruest of Gods promises in the voyce of consolation and in all this I haue not beene partiall neither fearing the great nor fauouring the meane And now all I desire at your hands is a thankefull acceptance of my paines and a ready obedience of my exhortation which if I finde I shall thinke grace to be in your soules zeale in your hearts iustice in your handes and holinesse in your liues and so looking for the haruest of my labours I commit my words of exhortation to your practise and my wordes of consolation to your comfort and your selues to the blessed trinitie to God the father which loned vs so sweetly to God the Sonne that bought vs so dearely and God the holy Ghost who sanctifies vs so purely three glorious persons but one immortall incomprehensible onely wise God be giuen and ascribed from men and Angels in heauen and earth with soule and spirit all praise honour glory might dominion and maiestie at this present hencefoorth and world without end Amen 6 JY 53 Esa. 44. 3. Man patt with all creaturs Obserue Luk. 16. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pto. 10. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man a diuine earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 15. 5. Doct. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 4. 23. 〈◊〉 4. 14. Heb. 13. 9. Luk. 21. 34. Re. 1. Rom. 10. 10. Psal. 112. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King 22. 31. Iohn 13. 2. Esa. 29. 13. Matth 13. 9. Matth. 7. 17. Leuit. 22. 19. Exod. 23 2. Heb. 10. 22. Heb. 12. 24.
Rom. 1c 10 Gal. 4. 4. Vse 1. Matth. 23. 33. Reucl. 12. 1. 1. Pet. 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos. 7. 6. Mic. 7. 1. Psal. 10. 9. Doct. Prou. 1. 11. Mic. 2. 1. Reas. 1. 1. Cor. 2. 14. Psal. 14. God not the cause of sinne Eccles. 7. 31. Hosa 13. 9. Rom. 9 15. 2. Tim. 2. 26. Matth. 7. 13. Profit of sinne tempts vs. Piou 1. 13. Rom. 6. 10 Pleasure of sin tempts vs. 2. Thess. 2. 12. Iohn 3. 9. Fallow ground Deut. 32. Reuel 17. No trueth in men Iere. 9. 3. Hardly merchants and tradesmen Trueth is not among Lawyers Is trueth among States-men Ezek. 13. 19. Oppression a sallow ground Engrosser a murderer Amo. 8. 6. Engrosser a thiefe Engrosser an infidell The inclosers Wicked pauons 1. 〈◊〉 1. 12 Vsurers a fallow ground Couetousnes a fallow ground Ephes. 5. Hosea 4. Exo. 20. Pride a fallow ground Swearing a fallow ground 〈◊〉 3. 6 Erod 20. Whoredome a fallow ground Heb. 13 4. Iere. 5. 18. Matth. 3. Adultery in thought Matth. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adultery in lookes Gen. 38. Adultery in words Ephes. 4. 29. Brokers a bad fallow ground Walking in the Exchange a fallow ground 2. King 5. 26. 〈◊〉 Sam. 12. Esau 58. 13. 〈◊〉 26. 35. 〈◊〉 8. 3. Leuit. 24. 22. To speake against authoritie a fallow ground Reuel 2. 2. Hos. 4. 15. 2. Chro. 〈◊〉 Our doctrine pure Matth. 15. 9. Gal. 1. 9. 1. Tim. 3. 16. Diuine Discipline Necessary discipline Indifferent discipline Reuel 2. 1. Cor. 1. 1. 5. 1. and 6. 6. The end of murmurers Murmuring and sanctification hardly in one man Thess. 5. 23. Murmuring a great sinne Who ought to gouerne the Church A Bishop and an Elder all one 〈◊〉 Tim. 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Icr. 4. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2. 29. Ioel. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 3. 19. Sinne is to be discouered in the heirt Rom. 7. 7. 〈◊〉 Tim. 2. 26. Act. 3. 3. 17. Act. 8. 3. Lamen 3. 40. Prou. 28. 13. 2. Sam. 3. 15. Psa. 119. 9 Ephes. 1. 18. Ioh. 16. 9. Psa. 119. Rent the hear Pro. 17. 22. Psa. 130. 1. The sorrow of the good and wicked how they differ 〈◊〉 5. 24. Sinne must die in vs. Col. 3. 5. Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 8. 13. Col. 3. 5. kill sinne in the heart Wisdom 1. 9. 〈◊〉 3. 13. 〈◊〉 1. 15. 〈◊〉 4 mortified in the tongue Omne verbum quod conducit ad propositamvtilitatem Eph. 4. 29. The heathen had care to speake wel 〈◊〉 34. 13 〈◊〉 22 36. am 1. 26. 〈◊〉 18 18. Gen. 12. 3. Trueth in words Prou 12. 17. Iudg. 16 29. Matth. 22. 16. 〈◊〉 15. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. 13. 〈◊〉 4. 30. 〈◊〉 sensum Verbum otiosum est quod sine vtilitate loquentis vel audientis ptofertar Psal. 141. 3 A meane in words Eccles. 5. 1. Prou. 10. 19. Prou. 17. 27. Matth. 6. Prou 15. 2. Eccles. 21. 35. 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 actions 〈◊〉 hurt Amos 8. 4. Sin in actions remaine long 1. King 12. Doct. Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 8. 10. Reas 1. 1. Iohn 4 4 Luke 11 22. Vse Aow to know the good and wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doct. Man an agent Iere. 4. 14. Iere. 4. 14. Ioel 2. 13. Qui fecit te finete non iusticabit te fine te Fecit nescienrem iustificat volentem Matth. 7. 7. Esa. 55. 1. Luke 14. Phil. 2. 12. Merito perit aegroutus qui non medicum vocat sed vltro venientem respuit R. 1. Subiect of faith man In ore corde tuo salutis causa Man knowes his owne heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1. Tim. 1. 15. 2. Cor. 13. 5. Euery man saued by his owne faith Heb. 1. 3. Rom. 10. 10. Vse Great worke laid on vs. 〈◊〉 6. 29. 〈◊〉 the Plow 〈◊〉 to our 〈◊〉 hearts Psal. 110. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esa. 58. 8. Vse all meanes to saue the finnet 2. Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 Ministers must be bold Magistrates must strike with the sword Psal. 82. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 13. 4. 1. Cor. 9. 16. Heft 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezek. 3. 6. Rom. 13. 4. Exod. 20. 16. Magistrates asleepe Mat. 23. 23. Iudith 13. 8. Nehem. 13. 19 Leui 24. 14. Instruction and correction goe together Hest. 4. 14 Exod. 17. 12. 〈◊〉 34. 3. Blinde and dumbe magistrates cause of sinne to keepe at their charge 1. Pet. 1. 5. Esa. 8. 20. Doct. Wotd of God our rule 2. Pet. 1. 19 Ioshua 1. 8. Psal. 11. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propheticas voces non ad apostolicas literas necad euangelicas authoritates etc. Reas. 1. Iob 25. 15. Psal. 10. 5. 1. Sam. 15. Matth. 〈◊〉 Mali. 8. 〈◊〉 12. 13. Luke 10. 26. Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 24. 2. Pet. 1. 4. Rom. 10. 17. Rom. 15. 4. 2. Tim. 3. 16. Psal. 119. 9. Vse 1. Esa. 30. 2. Error of the Papists Marke 12. 21. Aug. tract in Iohn 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts. 2. Reuel 7. Heb. 9. 11. Deut. 6. 6 7 8 2 Iohn 5. 34. 1. Cor. 14. tot3 Non competit fidelibus audire linguas quas non intelligunt Si ad aedificandam Ecclesi m conuenitis ea debent dici que iutelligunt audientes Ambrose ad 1. Cor. 14. Sint ergo diuinae Scripturae semper in manibus 〈◊〉 et iugiter mente voluantur Caluine in 1. Cot. 3. Mat. 5. 25. Marke 10. 〈◊〉 Ecclus. 3. 2. Cor. 5. 10. The place of Purgatory not to be found The paines of Purgatory not knowen Rom. 2. Math. 5. 〈◊〉 Gregory in Psal. 145. 2. Thes. 1. 5. Reuel 3. 4. 1. Cor. 3. 221. Psal. 103. 4. 〈◊〉 3. Rom. 6. 23. 〈◊〉 17. 10. The nature of merits Rom. 11. 35. Psal. 16. The prayers of Rome O Maria mater gratia mater misericordia tu nos ab hoste protege hora mortis suscipe Veni regina gentium dele flammas reatuum dele quod cunque denium da vititam innoceutium Paule Apostle te deprecor vt ab Angelo sathanae me eripias a ventura ira liberes in caelum introducas O faelix Aposte magne mater Iacobe te colentes adiuua peregtinos vndeque tuos clemens protege ducens ad caelestia O Crux lignū triumphale mundi verasalus vale inter ligna nullū tale fronde flore germine medicina Christianasanes salua aegros sana Matth. 6. 2. Iohn 6. 26. Iam. 1. 6. Reuel 19. Acts 10. 26. 2. Tim. 2. 5 Gal. 3. 19. 〈◊〉 2. 1. Efa 63. 16. Eccles. 9. 5. Papists vnwritten vertues Iohn 20. 30. Deut. 4. 2. Reuel 22. 18. Deut. 4. 2. Reuel 22. Of Free-will Phil. 2. 15. Gen. 6. 5. Of the Popes Patdons Iohn 8 11. Popes vnmer cifulnesse 1. Pet. 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneficia minus datis plus exigitis talis humanitas vt spolietis etiam subuenitis Deut. 23. 19. Rom. 9. 3. 1. Thes. 4. 6. Matth. 5. 17. A