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A17039
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The copie of the sermon preached before the Vniversitie at S. Maries in Oxford, on Tuesday the XXIV. of Decemb. 1633. By Tho. Browne, one of the students of Christ-church
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Browne, Thomas, 1604?-1673.
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1634
(1634)
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STC 3912; ESTC S114322
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19,404
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54
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9. causelesse feare this Some Cause or other there is out of all question and we lo now to enquire after it And to haue found it now at length And that a strange one quia Iustitia had bin no great newes Gods Iudgments vsually doe cause feare let it once come to in eadem condemnatione 1. not Judgment let some common Iudgment be vpon vs once and then an non tu times Deum will be a question quickly stated with vs doest not thou feare God that art vnder the same condemnation Luk. Luk. 23. 40. 23. there is none sure but does And to speake but the sober truth the world is come generally to this passe that it is not as in the Psalme thereafter as Psal 90. 11. a man feareth so is thy displeasure but vice versa quite and cleane thereafter as thy displeasure is so a man feareth iust so and no otherwise Our feare goeth altogether by his Iudgments waxeth and waineth commeth in and goeth out with them keeps time iust as they doe When Gods Judgments are vpon vs then who so deuout who so godly as we who does feare and we doe not feare bring 2. Cor. 11. 29. vs once vnder some affliction some of Gods Judgments and then straight-way a godly feare comes vpon vs too as paine does vpon a woman in trauayle and for the same reason too because we knowe that our houre the houre of Iohn 16. 21. affliction is come But let that once passe from vs and lo we are euen as quickly past all feare too We are in this very thing worse then the Heathens themselues They are noted so farre to haue bin more obsequious in the seruice of those Gods that were most beneficiall and most mercifull vnto them that the more gratious and gentle they were the more they esteemed them Gods Hence came the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Plutarck to be ascribed to the King of the Gods and hence as is imagined by some is Moses in the scripture tearmed Deus Pharaonis not Deus Aaronis as Theodoret does corruptly reade the place against the very letter of the text but Deus Pharaonis the God of Pharaoh not because he was more powerfull then the very Sorcerers Exod. 7. 1. were they did hurt as well as he could but because he was more pittifull he did heale againe and that they could not doe But Iustitia is not the quia of the text 2 but Mercy Iudgment is not the cause we looke for and indeed as for that feare that is caused from that it will like fruit from a forced ground neuer last long feare that is caused only when Iudgment is vpon vs is commonly feare that may endure for a Psal 30. 5. night but ioy commeth againe in the morning it is feare of no long continuance it will not stick by vs. But when Mercy is on them that feare him when the timearis hath propitiatio for the quia that feare endureth as it followeth in the Magnificat throughout all generations And this mercy of God is the very quia the cause we looke for although yet we doe not I beleiue thinke our selues very happy in finding out such a Cause as this we had rather haue found it any thing then mercy especially such a mercy as we are like to find of it FOR mercy is it why of what sort There are in God a multitude of And that no Common mercy mercies All the waies of God saith the 25. Psalme are mercy so that we cannot set our foot but vpon some or other In the very describing of them we may say as Iacob in respect of his deseruing of them we are lesse then the least of his Gen. 32. 10. mercies It is an act of mercy in God when he does not punish according to that probeneficio habetur cum possis non nocere So the Prophet Ieremy confesses it a mercy nay for misericordiae for more then one too for mercies in the plurall onely this that they were not consumed Lam. 3. 22. And it is an act of mercy in God too sometimes when he does punish when he takes away the wicked man that he may not goe on in wickednesse So the reason why God smote the first borne of Egipt and slew mighty Kings is giuen vp to be for his mercy in the Psalme Psal 136. 20. no other cause but that So in another Psalme the Prophet does reckon punishing as a kindly effect of Gods mercy Thou forgauest them there is mercy and what then and yet punished'st their inuentions in the 99. Psalme at the eight verse You see with God there is forgiuing euen in punishing Such Acts as these are workes of mercie all but kind of night-workes somewhat darkned and obscure when after this manner God is pleased to be mercifull vnto vs we may well pray him withall to shew vs the light of his countenance as it followes in the Psalme Psal 67. 1. for without some such Candle little or no mercie at all in such peeces of worke as those will be discerned Gods mercy there like Iacob with the ruffe hands of his brother Esau is so coursly apparelled that she is mistaken and passes for his Iustice. So no wonder if she produce feare she carries so much of it in her very face that it is a Quodlibet sometimes whether she be right mercy or no. But the mercy of the text is no darke but one of his tender mercies disputable mercy but a mercy that breakes forth as the noone day in the Psalme Psal 37. 6. every man may discerne it to be mercy It is that which consists in the remission and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes To take the height and elevation of it 1. not barely the habit It is not barely misericordia which is no more then the habit of mercy or as we say in the common prayer the Property to haue mercy and to forgiue mercy newly 2. but the act it selfe Forgiuenesse vpon the rising but it is propitiatio it is mercy actuated mercy that melts from the bowels of Gods mercy the very act of forgiuenesse mercy vpon the running I doe omitt here that some obserue in this word propitiare there is propè and ire that this mercy is such a mercy whereby God drawes nigh and comes neere vnto the soule which they conceiue one degree at least in the elevation But I doe not finde that Gods drawing nigh or comming neere is alwaies vsed in the holy Writt for a signum in bonum for some token shewed vpon vs for good Psal 86. 17. Not euer a signe of mercy that The words in the Venite exultemus which we read offensus fui thus Fortie yeares long was J vexed or angry with this generation haue most of the ancient read proximus fui thus forty yeares long was J nigh vnto this generation And euen to this day not the mercies of
THE COPIE OF THE Sermon preached before the Vniversitie at S. Maries in OXFORD on Tuesday the XXIV of Decem. 1633. By THO. BROWNE One of the Students of Christ-church ¶ Imprinted at Oxford by John Lichfield Anno 1634. THE COPIE OF THE SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE VNIVERSITIE at St Maries in Oxford on Tuesday the XXIV of December ANNO DOM. 1633 PSAL. CXXX Vers IV. Quia apud te est Propitiatio vt timearis For there is Mercy or Forgiuenesse with thee therefore shalt thou be feared THERE are some Psalmes in this Booke that are called Paenitentiall Psalmes that containe matter of Humiliation and Dejection for sinne that doe refraine the soule Psal 131. 3. keepe it Low And they are seauen There are other that are called Graduall Psalmes that containe matter of Elevation and Exaltation that by Degrees doe as we say before Communion Lift Vp our hearts vnto the Lord. And they are fifteene As euer the Troubles of Gods people are ouerdone in there Redresses When God humbles for sinne it is but in Pauxillo reliqui Some small leauing of vs for a moment but when he visits againe â—say 26. 20. and redeemes his people then He rayses a mighty Saluation for vs as we say in our Benedictus Now of all the Psalmes in the whole booke this that I haue read and not one beside this hath had the honour to be in at both Capacities It is one of the Graduall Psalmes It carries the soule Vp And it is one of the Paenitentiall Psalmes It brings her Downe to the dust of death too We may say of it as Psal 22. 25. sometimes S. Paul of our Sauiour Et qui Ascendit Idem est qui Descendiâ— in the 4. Ephes The Psalme that Ascendeth is the Ephes 4. 10. same that Descendeth also THe Title to the Psalme is Canticum Graduum A Song of Degrees So the Text is peece of a Song and we so to consider it Now to consider any Song aright The Division we must looke into the parts of it They will easily be knowne They divide themselues into the number blessed aboue all Numbers the Number of the Blessed Trinitie And now I speake of the Trinitie some of the Auncient Writers Pope Innocent I meane for one doe deduce the Doctrine of the Trinitie from this very verse 1. In Apud te they find the Father 2. In Propitiatio the Sonne according to that of St Iohn ipse est Propitiatio in the 1. Iohn 2. 2. he is the Propitiation for all our 1. Iohn 2. 2. sinnes speaking of Christ 3. In Timearis the Holy Ghost according to that of the Prophet A Timore tuo Domine concepimus Spiritum in the 26. Esay 18. The Doctrine of the Trinitie said I nay and if you will the Doctrine of the Sacraments too Ethicsunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta as sometime S. Augustine Here are the two Twin-Sacraments of Christs Church In Propitiatio there is the Sacrament of the Altar Bloud for Propitiation is per fidem in Sanguine in the. 3. Rom. 25. Through Faith in his Bloud There you haue One Sacrament And in Timearis the Sacrament of Baptisme Water for Timor Domini fons est vitae 14. Prov. 16. The feare of the Lord is the Fountaine or Font of life There you haue the Other But because we considered this our Text as piece of a Song it will be most proper for vs to found the Three Parts of it vpon the common Scale of Musick And then here is I. Mercy And Mercy doth Super exaltare iudicium Exalt herselfe against Iudgment in the 2. Iames. 13. Aboue all his works â—heâ— as it is in the Psal 145. 9 Psalme By the tender Mercies of our God sayes old Zacharie we are visited from on High In Alto She. There you haue One Luk. 1. 78. Part The vpper part Hypite II. Here is Feare And the Feare of the Lord is the Lowest Grace of the Holy Ghost in the 11. Esay 2. A Sapientia Descendit ad Timorem t is S. Augustine There is a Descent made to Feare And the Apostle as the Ground or Base to Noli Altum Sapere Sets Rom 11. 20. Time Be not high minded but Low minded that is but Feare There you haue Another part the part Belowe Neâ—â— III Here is Thee Thou Christ our Sauiour that was both God and Man and so Medius vestrûm in the. 1. John 26. There you haue the Third part the Meane or Midle part Mese Of the one part Mercie he pertaked as God and is stiled so in Nehemiah Deus Nehem. 9 17 Misericordiarum the God of Mercie Of the other part Feare he pertaked as Man For in the daies of his flesh that is when he was made Man He was heard in that he Feared saith the Apostle 5. Heb. 7. NOw Of these in this order 1. Of Feare 2. The Obiect Thou 3. The Cause and that a strange one to see too Mercie 4. And that no common Mercie such as the Prophet speaks of that is renewed euery morning but one of his Tender Lam. 3. 23. Mercies euen the Forgiuing of our Sins And yet 5. a Cause and that for these Quia's Quia apud te It is yet a Mercie with him It is not Misericordia super nos A Mercie Lightened vpon vs as wee pray in the Te Deum And because of that Feare There is Cause in That Quia Propitiatio When it does lighten It is but One Single Act of Mercie It may Lighten and Lighten beside vs. And because of that Feare There is more Cause in That And Quia Est This Mercie though Lightened vpon vs onely Is now it is not Dixit Erit We doe not know how long this Mercy will endure She may in time too as Psal 136. the Psalmist speaks of Righteousnesse be turned into Iudgment in the Psal Psal 94 15. XCIV And because of That Feare In that there is most Cause of all We told you euen now that in Timearis in Feare there was water Then as the Eunuch to Philip See here is Water what doth hinder you to be baptised I Acts. 8. 35. am readie with my Timearis with my water not with water which is Afraide as it is in the LXXVII Psal But with Psal 77. 16. water which it selfe is Feare the first particular to be considered in our Order Quia apud tâ— Whereof that we may so speake c. THE PRAYER GOd be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs shew vs the light of his countenance and be mercifull vnto vs. Looke downe from heauen behold visit and releiue vs whilst we powre out our Soules before him in Prayer and in Thanksgiuing In THANKSGIVING for the wonderfull Grace and Vertue declared in all his Saints from the beginning of the World And chiefly in the Glorious and most Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God who as about this time brought forth her first borne Sonne Iesu Christ