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A76447 The penitent death of a vvoefull sinner. Or, the penitent death of John Atherton executed at Dublin the 5. of December. 1640. With some annotations upon severall passages in it. As also the sermon, with some further enlargements, preached at his buriall. / By Nicholas Barnard Deane of Ardagh in Ireland. Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.; Atherton, John, 1598-1640. 1641 (1641) Wing B2014; Wing B2017; Thomason E176_3; Thomason E176_4; ESTC R2358 42,210 46

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with the whole congregation vers 13 Priest anoynted did sinne his Offring for expiation was to be asmuch as for the sinne of the whole Congregation So the sinnes of such as are consecrated and set apart for Gods service require a deeper measure of repentance a greater portion of sorrow than might suffice for many others by how much they are the more scandalous And hath not this of late beene the cause of the contempt of our calling that the vulgar though erroneously have argued from the persons to the Offices according to that of Malac. 7.8 Because yee have departed out of the way and corrupted the Covenant of Levi therefore have I made you base and Contemptible before all the people according as you have not kept my wayes A good strict life needes no other helpe to gaine respect Vice usually stands in awe of vertue See but that instance in d Marke 6.20 Herod who feared Iohn and observed him because he was a just man and a holy c. T is the prescription of S. Paul to e 1 Tim. 4.12 Tit. 2.15 Timothy and Titus for it I speake the more of it in regard the contrary hath beene pretended as the Originall of all these stirres A present lamentable example wee have in this person the fruite of whose life hath beene this ignominious death both scandalous both lamented Yet in this differing his life a continuall spirituall death his death a beginning and a great progresse of a spirituall life Let him die in your thoughts for his life But let him live in your memories by his penitent death forget the former and imitate the latter And thus we have considered the second part of the Text applicatorie to this our Brother as it was to have beene his imployment towards others A word of it onely as it was effectually found in himselfe and so we shall have done with it Yee have here a Threefold Metaphoricall description of the sinfull state of nature before Conversion and the state of Grace after it The former by a 1. Blindnesse 2. Darkenesse 3. Slavery The latter by a 1. Sight 2. Light 3. Libertie The Devision of the former is somewhat like S. Iohns Tricotomize c. referring f 1 John 2 16. all in the world to the Eye the Flesh and Life according to the usuall distinction of sinnes into those of the Heart Fact and Custome The first ex Ignorantiâ the second ex Infirmitate the third ex Studio As this sinfull condition by Nature is a dead estate you may g Tribus gradibus ad peccatū pervenitur in corde in facto in consuetudine tanquā tres mortes una quasi in domo altera quasi pro lata extra portum tertia quasi in sepulchro jam putrescens Quae tria genera mortuorum Dominū suscitasse quisquis Evangelium legit agnoscit Augast sermon in Mont. perceive three degrees of it according to a distinction of S. Augustines The first Blindnesse is like the Man dead in his Bed the second Darkenesse put into his Coffin The third Vnder the power of Satan layd in his Grave Three such our Saviour raysed to life h Mark 5.41 Iairus his daughter in her bed within doores i ●●k 7.14 The Widdow of Naims Sonne in his Coffin carrying out k John 11 4● And Lazarus putrifying in his Grave all were miracles but the last the greatest Such severall Degrees of sinners is S. Paul heere sent to rayse from the death of sinne to the life of Grace to the last degree of which to magnifie Gods mercie the more was this our Brother falne and raysed againe by repentance 1. The first degree of our wretched estate before Conversion is set out by a Blindnesse to open their eyes therefore blinde before which indeed is like his Ioh. 9.1 from our very birth And yet in many things this of the Soule is worse than that of the body Hee that is blinde in body is glad of a guide these often scorne instruction the former thinkes them happy that see and defires it These despise such and will not see though they might The one beleeves he is blinde and laments it The other thinkes he sees well enough like the Pharisees Iohn 9.41 The Corporally blinde sometimes excell in parts of the minde as Memory c. But a man spiritually blinde hath no good thing in him at all 2. The second by a darkenesse as the world the first day of the Creation was emptie and voyde wrapt up in a confused darkenesse such is our estate as wee are borne at first voyde of all good Rom. 7.18 Darkenesse in the Vnderstanding Confusion in the Affections and Conscience And there is some similitude between them First a man in Darkenesse is subject to errour so are such to goe astray resembled in the lost * Luke 15. Groate and Sheepe Secondly subject to * Iohn 11 1● stumbling so are these to dangerous fals and scandals in their lives till they slip at last into that Pit of darkenesse Thirdly insensible of any evill before them So are these of Hell and damnation let them be never so often turned Fourthly subject to mistakes to thinke they are right when they are wrong So are such often strongly conceited they are in the way to heaven and yet Posting the contrary Lastly subject to feares and frights such is the Case of those who live in the workes of darkenesse they have many horrours and scars within their Consciences especially if they fall into any danger of death by sickenesse or any other accident The same which this our Brother often acknowledged to have beene his condition before his Conversion 3. Thirdly by a slavery and the worst of any omni malo exitio pejor under the power or thraldome of Satan 2. Tim. 2.26 An Embleme of it yee have in Sampsou who had his eyes first puld out by the Philistines and then bound in fetters and made to grinde in the Prison t is so expressed Esay 42.7 To open the blinde eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison house Signified somwhat by the Israelits miserable estate in the Egyptian bondage They were in a strange Countrie so the more helpelesse hopelesse Such is this where we are Pilgrims and strangers The taske-masters may resemble the buffetings and cruell exactions of our spirituall enemies Pharaoh commands to have their Children killed in the birth and so doth Satan endeavour daily to crush the very first motions and beginnings of any spirituall birth in us like the Dragon in the Revelation l Revel 12.4 when hee could not murther the Mother attempted the Child assoone as it was borne Sinne is in us as in the streame in Adam as in the Spring in the Devill as in the Sea from whom as all comes so to whom all that die in them must returne And yet herein as Anselme observes by some Circumstances the Scholler exceedes the Master the sinnes of
S. Ambrose well cals the Ministers life the m Episcopus ut cunctos inspicrat sic cunctorum oculi in illum respiciunt Nulli jamjam illicitum esse videatur quod ab Episcopo quasi licitum perpetratur Ergo quia ita est cur te velut tetram speculum univerforum oculis demonstras ut non possent obscuritate tua se comptins exornare Ambr. d●dig●t sacerdot peoples looking-glasse according to which they usually dresse themselves as taking whatsoever he doth to be Gospell now if the glasse be false n Si oculus nequam est totum corpus tuum tenebrosum est idest si Episcopus qui videbatur Corpori subdito lucem praebere obnubilatur nequitiae caecitate quid facient caetera membra quibus lux adempta est oculorum Amb. ibid. the eye be evill how can the whole body but be disordered and full of darkenesse Nay hee ought to fly to the very suspition * Tit. 1.6 1 Tim. 3.7 Philip. 4.8 Augustinus parū esse judicaret Episcopi pudicitiam esse integram nisi famam haberes illibatam nee satis si suam unius famā à sinistris rumoribus praestitisset nisi clericos etiam haberet integrinominis Erasm de vita August of his fame that hee be not so much as accused or ill reported His life should be like the land of Goshen o Lux gregis flamma pastoris Hieron light though all the rest of Egypt be darke Like Gideons fleece wett with the dew of Heaven though all the ground about be drie Gregory well compares the Preacher to the Cocke as in his Meslage which is to erie p Rom. 13.12 with S. Paul Nox praecessit c. The night is past the day is at hand So in his preparation Qui prius alijs insonat quàm cantus emittat First wakes himselfe before he wakes others q Sic praedicatores antequā alios movent se prius in sanctis actionibus exercent se ptius excutiant tunc alios sollicitos reddunt prius sua puniri fletibus curant tunc quae aliorum sunt punienda denunciant Gregor So saith he should a Preacher first shake off the dust of his owne feete and then take care to cleane others First move himselfe in good workes and then draw and drive on others First repent himselfe and then denounce a judgement on them that doe not And for this exemplary innocent life both in your selves and families hath it not beene seriously charged and solemnely vowed both at your Ordination and Consecration many prayers then made for you in it if so bee it be yet in vaine And certainely it is a thing most necessarie in this Kingdome where there are so many that will not heare our words there our workes must be the Preacher where they shut their eyes against the light of the word there the light of our lifes must shine before them And examples are the stronger Cords of the two What we say proverbially of the Plough That it thrives best when the hushandman saith not Ite but Venite So t is with the seed of the word when the sower can say with S. Paul r 1 Corinth 11.1 Be followers of me as you see me doe doe likewise The life and doctrine are like that signe of Castor Pollux when they are seene together are a presage of a prosperous voyage when a sunder they portend a dangerous storme ſ Si benè docueris benè vixeris omnium judex es si benè docueris malè vixeris tui solius Priore instruis populum quomodo debet vivere posteriore Deu● ●uomodo debet te condemnare Hier. If thou livest well saith S. Hierome thou art as the spirituall man judge of all If thou teachest well and livest ill a Iudge onely of thy selfe and judged of all By thy teaching thou tels the people how to live by thy life thou shewest God how to condemne thy selfe There are some like Nebuchanezzars Image the head was of Gold but the feete of Clay They have golden wits but their conversation is earthly and sensuall Whether that be true or no that is proverbially said of Tusser that he wrote excellently well of husbandry but himselfe was the worst Husband that ever water wet T is true of many in this sense who can preach very well to save others but t 1 Cor. 9.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est disaproved as Cap. 11.19 c. opponitur probo sicut pecuniam probam vocamus minimè adulterinam Beza cast away themselves In a word let us so teach and so doe that wee may u 1 Tim. 4.6 both save our selves and them that heare us And Thomas Aquinas makes it a greater difficultie for a Prelate to bee saved than another man for this reason x Quia debet rationē reddere de proprijs alienis Tho. Aquin. because he hath other mens sins lying upon him besides his owne and for the same cause y Non temere dico sed ut affectus sum sentio non arbittor inter sacerdotes multos esse qui falvifiant sed multos esse qui pereant glorificemur aliquando apud homines tamen perdimur apud Deum quia cuicunqueue multum datur multum quaeratur ab eo non solum redituri sint rationem suorum delictorum sed aliorum Chrysostom 3. homil in Act. Apost de sacerdot lib. 6. S. Chrysostome saith the like of Ministers also and that seriously that hee thought few of them would be saved both because more is expected from them than from others and their sinnes greater than the sinnes of others The hazard of which z Epist 148. ad Valer Possidon in vitâ August S. Augustine saith was the cause hee so wept at his Consecration The like saith a Vt nihil Episcopo excellentius sic nihil miserabilius si de sanctâ vitâ periclitetur si sacerdos in crimine teneatur de dignit sacerd S. Ambrose No Office more excellent and if they fall none more dangerous b Grandis dignitas sacerdotum sed grandis ruina si peccant non est tantigaudij excelsa tenuisse quam moeroris de sublimioribus corruisse Hieron A great honour saith S. Hierome but if they sin a great fall the one is not such a joy as the other a sadnesse The neerer wee approach to God in our service the greater is the offence if wee shall runne into rebellion See the Apostles Argument Rom. 2.21.22.23.24 Thou that teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Thou that Preachest c. In the Law t is observed the measures and weights of the Sanctuarie were double to the Common and so are the sinnes of the Officers of Gods Sanctuarie that draw nigh to him double and treble to the same sinnes in the Common people If the c Levit. 4.3 It exceeded those of the common sort vers 28. the rulers 23. equall