thy nature but of the workes of thy iudgements and mercies Brethren Iearne and wonder Men speake so of God And therefore God borroweth mens phrases and as they speake of him so speaketh he of his owne selfe e Ier. 23.24 Wicked men when they spoile kill and abuse most licentiously the righteous man doe say f Psal 94.7 The LORD shall not see neither shall the God of Iacob regard it As if he were in his Closet fast asleepe or busied with other matters when they reele to and fro to doe mischiefe or as if he dwelt so farre off from them that he cannot see them What say they g Iob 22.12 13 14. Is not God in the height of heaven and behold the height of the starres how high they are how doth God know Can he iudge through the darke cloud Thicke cloudes are a covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of heaven For this cause God saith that seeing they thinke and speake so he will come out of his place to visit i.e. to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquitie Even as it is said when the Giants were building the Towre of Babel that h Gen. 11.5 7. the LORD came downe to see the City and the Towre which the children of men builded and said Goe to let us goe downe and there confound their language And as when he was to destroy Sodome and Gomorrha he said to Abraham i Gen. 18.21 I will goe downe now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know As likewise when his time was come to take vengeance of Pharao and deliver his people he said to Moses k Exod 3.7 8. I have surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their taske-masters for I know their sorrowes and I am come downe to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians When he withdraweth his care from his children and suffereth his enemies to afflict them he saith in Hosea l Hos 5.15 I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence And then they acknowledging their owne folly cry unto him m Psal 60.1 O turne thy selfe to us againe n Psal 80.14 Returne we beseech thee ô God of hostes looke downe from heaven and behold and visit this Vine After the same manner when he destroyeth their persecuters he delivereth them and saith that he commeth out of his place to visit them them who are his children in his favour them who are his enemies and the oppressors of his children in the extremitie of his anger IV. He calleth the one and the other his visitation For o 1 Tim. 6.16 he dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto and cannot be seene of us but by his workes which when he displayeth not we thinke and we say that he is absent But when we see and feele them then we say he is present and hath visited us As we speake of him so speaketh he of himselfe though p Act. 17.27 28. hee be not farre from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being Or rather he teacheth us that he doth all things by rule by number and by ballance that first he takes a perfect notice of our estate and afterwards setteth his workes forward The workes whereby he visiteth us are either of mercie or of iudgement And therefore his visitations are taken in the Scriptures sometimes for his mercies sometimes for his iudgements And it is said that he visiteth us either when he giveth us conspicuous testimonies of his favour or when he punisheth us for our sinnes In the first sense it is said that q Gen. 21.1 the LORD visited Sarah as he had said which in the words following is thus explained And the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken Because he fulfilled his promise and gave a Sonne to Sarah the Scripture saith that he visited Sarah In the same sense Ioseph said to his brethren r Gen. 50.25 God will surely visite you i.e. deliver you And so is the word expounded by Zacharias in his song where he saith that ſ Luk. 1.68 God hath visited and redeemed his people Ye reade the like in the Acts where it is written that t Act 15.14 God did visite the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his Name For their calling to the light of the Gospell was their visitation When Ierusalem made light of that light Christ said that v Luk. 19.44 she knew not the time of her visitation In the second sense visitation of punishment is double The one is of love and of grace whereby God visiteth his owne deare children as he said to David x Psal 89.31 32 33. If they breake my statutes and keepe not my commandements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their imquitie with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile We have heard heretofore that this kinde of visitation is most usefull It is not so much y Minut. Felix Non est poena militia est Fortitudo enim infirmitatibus roboratur Et calamitas saepius disciplina virtutis est a punishment to the Church as her warfare For fortitude is corroborated by infirmities And often affliction and calamitie is the schoole and mistresse of vertue It is ever so to the Church The other commeth from Gods heavie wrath and indignation and hath for end not the correction but the destruction of the sinner As when God said that hee a Hos 1.4 would visite the blood of Iezreel upon the house of Iehu he threatned the Kings house with a totall and finall overthrow as he saith in the words following that he would cause to cease the kingdome of the house of Israel In this sense David made this prayer to God b Psal 59.5 O LORD God of hostes the God of Israel awake to visite all the heathen for he addeth by way of exposition Be not mercifull to any wicked transgressors This word is so taken in this text when the Prophet saith that the Lord commeth out of his place to visite i. e. to punish in his anger and hot displeasure Whom will he visite V. The inhabitants of the earth What Are not all men are not Gods servants inhabitants of the earth aswell as other men No men to speake properly are inhabitants of the earth For we are all tenants at the will of the great Lands Lord not owners and our life is a soiourning rather than a dwelling on earth All true beleevers acknowledge this truth and say in their prayers to God c 1 Chro. 29.15 We are strangers before thee and soiourners as were all our fathers Our dayes on the earth
thy chastening was upon them Look what the biting collyre is to the pinne in the eyes the scorching cauter to the headache and catharres the sharpe pricking of the Surgeons launcet bitter physick to a continual fever the Creuset and the fire to gold and silver the same are afflictions to the righteous mans sinnes which are a suffusion and web upon the eie of the mind a theume choaking Gods Spirit suffocating the heart the Pleurisie pestilent fever of the soule the dross tin of all godly affections So a Num. 12 1 2 10. Miriam was healed of her pride by leprosie So b 2. Sam. 12.11 David learned to be chaste by the incests of his owne sons so Ionas learned obedience in the Whales bellie So c Luk. 1.20 Zacharias by the losse of his speech was cured of his incredulity taught not to open his mouth in time to come but to praise and blesse the Lord his God So the whole Church of Iuda d Lev. 26.4 was humbled under the mightie hand of God and accepting of the punishment of her iniquitie learned to say with heart and mouth e Micah 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him So the Churches of France by these last troubles were brought low and taught to walke in Gods presence with feare and trembling for howsoever they were innocent of the crime of rebellion laid to their charge their vanitie their ambition their pride their filthie covetousnesse their loathing of the Gospel their securitie was become so exceeding great that God could not beare with them any longer They trusted in their little paltrie holds and forts which they had raised as high as the clouds and said not onely in their hearts as Edom did but with their mouths also f Obad. 3. Who shall bring us downe to the ground The Lord heard the words of their pride in the turning of an hand turned them topsie turvie leaving onely some ruines as traces of his indignation whereby their Children may know that there dwelt their Fathers Then wee acknowledged then we said g Pro. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe For this cause S. Peter calleth Persecutions h 1. Pet. 4.17 Gods iudgements Christ calleth them i Rev. 3.19 his chastisements and S. Paul giveth the one and the other name to all kind of afflictions saying that k 1. Cor. 11.31 32. If wee would iudge our selves wee should not bee iudged But when we are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world I say then that the first cause of the righteous mans Evils is his owne sinnes and their first end is his correction and amendment IX Now he is not onely guiltie of sinnes past for which he is chastised but also hee is prone to fall in sin againe as bearing in his breast the seede of all iniquitie Alas Alas l Iob 15.16 how abominable and filthie is man which drinketh iniquitie like water Therefore God like an expert Physician mingleth unto him a cup of afflictions not onely to cure him of former diseases but also to preserve him from diseases to come For tribulations are not onely medicines but also antidotes preservatives against the poison of sinne They are bitter potions in taste but they either restore or preserve health m Iob 33.14 15 16 17 18. Elihu saith in the booke of Iob that God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not He instructeth men by his word he sendeth to them his servants once twice thrice to advise them of their duetie and they yeeld not attention unto his admonitions Then hee openeth the eares of men and sealeth his chastisement upon them that he may withdraw man from his purpose and drive away pride from man So he keepeth backe his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword seasoning him with the salt of afflictions that he rot not I will not enroll n Gen. 12.17 Pharao king of Egypt nor o Gen. 20.6 7. Abimelech king of Gerar among righteous men yet when they would have sinned against God by abusing Sara Abrahams wife God plagued them with so great plagues that they were affraide to touch her Surely David was a righteous man and ye may perceive how in Absolems rebellion against him God gave him with one stone two blowes he chastised him for the murther and adultery which hee had committed and restrained him from sinne for the time to come The one and the other for his good as he confessed saying p Psal 119.73 It is good for me that I have beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Who was more righteous then Paul yet confessing his owne infirmitie and acknowledging how he was by nature inclined to pride hee saith that q 2. Cor. 12.7 there was given to him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure This Angell of Satan was not the divell himselfe but as r Chrysost ibi Homil. 1. ad popul Antiochen Chrysostome esteemeth wicked men inspired of the divell such as was Alexander the Copper-smith which did him much evill such as were also the Iewes the Gentiles the Tyrants and all Infidells which persecuted him beyond all measure This then is as if he had said The Lord might stay all persecutions and hand-fetter all those which vexe me but because I was caught up into Paradise and heard there unspeakeable words and might have waxed proude thorow the excellency of revelations be hath permitted these Angels of Satan to buffet me by divers persecutions and tribulations Because then that Peter and Paul and their mates howsoever they be wonderfull among men in holines in righteousnesse and in most rare gifts still are men and easie to be overtaken with sinne they have neede to be held in with the curbe of a sharpe and rigorous discipline lest they suffer themselves to be carried away by the boisterous wind of their owne vanitie and pride for as serpents are bred in man of that which is most inward to him even of the marrow of his bones so arrogancie and loftinesse of mind is ingendred in holy men of the knowledge which they have of their owne excellency and righteousnesse then they begin to looke too much at themselves and too little to themselves then they begin to rely upon their owne excellencie and to forget their maker as Adam and Eve did and as it befell the good king Å¿ 2. Chro. 32.31 Isa 38.2 Hezekiah when he shewed his treasures to the King of Babylons Ambassadors This is the high and broad way to hell and therefore God with bit and bridle draweth his chosen ones backe from it and manageth them with rods and spurres not for any sinne which they have done but for that
know 〈◊〉 IEHOVAH and so despised God whom by this new name he judged to be a new God though the Name was not new but was from the beginning known to the Church and God served by it Therefore the Iewes are too superstitious when they maintaine it to be so secret that no man can and if any could none should be so bold as to pronounce it How it was pronounced it is hard to tell but that it was pronounced we know by the relation of Pagans for how could ſ Biblioth li. 1. part 2. cap. 5. Apud Iudaeos Moses à Deo qui vocetur IAO acceptas leges daere praese ferebat Diodorus Siculus know that the God of the Iewes was called IAO if hee never heard that Name And who doubteth but the Latin Name IOVIS whereby the Romans worshipped the God of gods was taken from this Name IEHOVAH which they pronounced as we would do if it were written IOWIS it may be that the Hebrewes pronounced IHOWA and not IEHOVAH Surely t Clemen Strom. lib. 5. Clement Alexandrin though a Christian miscarried as well as Diodorus Siculus a Pagan both in the writing in the pronūciation when transposing the letters he saith that the name of foure letters which the Priests did beare on their foreheads was IAOV VI. But he hitteth the marke when he writeth that that Name signifies as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. he that is and that shall be God calling himselfe so not to describe his essence which is infinite and incomprehensible but as v Iust cohortat ad Graecos Iustin observeth to make an opposition between himselfe and all other gods which have no being at all In our Bibles out of the Greek it is turned LORD In the French Bibles it is most properly translated ETERNALL because though no name can expresse the essence of the least and most contemptible of all the creatures farre lesse of the glorious Majestie of the Creator yet it telleth us that God hath an eternall being of himselfe and so leadeth us to the consideration of the eternitie o◠his being Esaiah saith that x Esay 57 15 he enhabiteth eternity and hee saith of himselfe exclusively to all those which are called gods l Esa 44.6 Esa 48.13 I am the first I am the last besides me there is no God For this cause Iohn calls him m Rev. 1.4 He which is which was which is to come He which was without beginning n Psal 90.2 Before the mountains were brought foorth ere ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God He which is without alteration for o Iam. 1.17 with him is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning And which is to come without end p Psal 102 25 26 27. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the workes of thy hands They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall waxe old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy yeares shall have no end And therefore he calleth himselfe in a most proper sense q Exod. 3.14 I am for neither loseth hee any thing by the time which is past neither gaineth he any thing by that which is to come but is ever like unto himselfe is ever present with himselfe having an eternall being of himselfe from himselfe in himselfe to himselfe It is also the name of his almighty power whereby he giveth being to all things r Esa 40.12 21 22 23. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance Have ye not knowne have ye not heard hath it not bin told you from the beginning have ye not understood from the foundation of the earth It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as a grassehopper he that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in that bringeth the Princes to nothing that maketh the Iudges of the earth as vanity Moreover it is the Name of his fidelity constancie and truth in all his promises threatnings commandements exhortations words deeds ſ Esa 14.27 For the LORD of hoastes hath purposed and who shall disannull it And his hand is stretched out and who shall turne it backe And therefore when he was to deliver his people out of the bondage of Aegypt according to his promises made to Abraham Isaac and Iacob he said unto Moses t Exod. 6 2.3 I am the LORD and I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Iacob by the name of God almightie but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne to them Not but they knew him and worshipped him with that Name as you may reade in their lives but he speaketh of an experimentall knowledge and saith that they knew him not because in their time he had not given a reall being to the promises which he made them which when he did by Moses and had led his people thorow the red sea they sang v Exod. 15.3 The LORD is a man of warre the LORD is his Name where his Name IEHOVAH is turned LORD For that cause when he threatned to smite all the first born in the land of Aegypt and promised to spare his owne people hee said x Exod. 12.12 I am the LORD For the same cause the Prophets ordinarily begin and end their prophecies of promises of threatnings saying The LORD hath spoken the mouth of the LORD hath spoken Whereunto I doubt not but David had regard when he saith that the LORD delivereth the righteous man out of all his evils He hath promised to deliver him saying y Psal 91.14 15 16. Because he hath set his love upon mee therefore will I deliver him I will set him on high because he hath knowne my Name He shall call upon mee and I will answere him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation He is the LORD and will performe his promise z Num. 23 19 God is not a man that he should lie neither the sonne of man that he should repent hath he said and shall be not doe it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good VII In this Name then are comprehended all the qualities required in him who challenges the title of a Deliverer He is All-wife All-mighty All-righteous All good All-wise a Psal 147 4 5. Hee telleth the number of the starres he calleth them all by their Names Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite How much more knoweth he the plots of
persecutions Know they not that she is e Gen. 8.4 the Lords Arke which as the water increaseth mounteth up higher and higher and cannot be submerged Vndertake they to beate her with stormie winds and with the violent streames of afflictions Experience might have taught them long agoe that she is f Mat 7.24 25. the Lords house founded upon the rocke and that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against her Have they dismantled her populous townes and laid her open to the violence of all her enemies I g Zech. 2.5 saith the LORD will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midst of her Is she h Rev. 11.11 Rev. 13.7 overcome by the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit and thrust downe into the grave of death and of eternall oblivion As the belly of the Whale was a safe habitation to i Ion. 1.17 Ionah so the graves shall been most sure lodging and bed of rest to them till he who k Ion. 2.10 spake unto the fish and it vomited out Ionas upon the dry land shall speake to the earth to the sea to the fire to all the creatures that have the least bone of his faithfull servants committed unto them and l Esa 43.6 say to the North Give up and to the South Keepe not backe bring my sonnes from farrre and my daughters from the ends of the earth Thou the Church shall rise againe to the great astonishment of those that persecuted her and shall remaine upon the earth till her time be come to bee received into the glory of her spouse where she is already in many thousands of her members which now m Rev. 7.9 stand before the thrane and before the Lamb cloathed with white robes and palmes in their hands This is her hope this is her trust which shall not bee disappointed and therefore when the sharpe rods of affliction whizze with multiplied blows upon her back eares she comforteth her selfe and saith n Mich. 7.7 8 9 10. I will looke unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will heare me Reioyce not against me O mine enemie when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkenesse the Lord shall bee a light unto me I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute iudgement for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Then she that is mine enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God mine eyes shall behold her now shall she be troden downe as the mire of the streets XXIV 1. Vse Let us all dearely beloved rest in this hope and possesse our soules with patience whereof we have a o Tertul. de Patientia c. 15. Satis idoneus Patientiae sequester Deus Si iniuriā deposueris penes tum ultor est c. Gardian most excellent most trustie most sure even God himselfe If thou commit unto him thy iniury hee is a revenger If thy dammage he is a restorer If thy payne he is a Physician If thy death he is a raiser up from the dead what cannot patience doe which hath God for debtor It will hope against hope when it is brought to the red sea and seeerh nothing before behind on all sides but present death it will p Exod. 14.13 stand still and see the salvation of the Lord knowing that he with draweth his healing hand till the wound be desperate that it is his glory to deliver out of danger 2. Vse when it is come to the height and cannot bee shunned by the wit and strength of man that his power is more conspicuous where there is no wine he turnes water into wine and raiseth Lazarus when he is dead buryed and stinking He hath said of the afflicted man who calleth upon him q Psal 51.15 I will be with him in trouble let us thanke him for his promise and chuse r Bern. in Psal Qui habitat serm 17. Bonum est in cammo habere te mecum quà m esse sine te velin coelo rather to bee with him in the middest of Nebuchadnezzars burning furnace than in heaven without him saying as David said ſ Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire besides thee And because he is faithfull in all his promises and t 2. Cor. 1.4 comforteth us in all our tribulations let us looke with the eye of a stedfast faith for the sweet fruit of this bitter seed v 2. Cor. 4.17 for the eternitie of blessednesse which is hid in the moment of our afflictions for the exceeding weight of glory which these light wounds of weake and mortall mens hands worke in us O let us this day x Rom. 8.23 2. Cor. 5.2 groane within our selves most earnestly and cry to heaven for the comming of the great day wherein y Rev. 20.14 15. death and hell and whosoever shall not be found written in the booke of life shall be cast into the lake of fire which is the second death and we z 1. Thes 4.17 shall be caught up in the clouds to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall we ever be with the Lord by a most fruitfull and glorious exchange For whereas he is now with us in the fulnesse of grace to shew us the paths of life we shall be then with him in the fulnesse of glory and living with him for ever shall with one heart and mouth sing this song of David Full many be the miseries That righteous men doe suffer But out of all adversities The Lord doth them deliver O Lord this is the desire of our hearts this is our request unto thee Heare us and answer us through the precious and infinite merits of Iesus Christ thy Sonne to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all praise honour and glory both now and for evermore Amen FINIS ERRATA PAg. 66. l. 8. for sent r writ p. 71. l. 28. r. cleannes l. 34. As. l. 35. d. they p. 95. l. 34. Caves p 97. l. 3. d. of p 104. l. 16. d. the. p. 107. l. 5. r. seale l. 28. inwardly p. 124. l 7. with you p. 130. l. 6. circuits p. 198. l 18. d. not p. 204 l. 6. a little p. 125. l. 2 d. of
vanities Vanity of vanities all is vanity III. If such be the condition of Kings of Princes of Courtiers of Statesmen who have their portion in this life and seeme to be in a safe harbour against all kindes of stormes and in all weathers who is able to relate all the troubles which disquiet the mindes of other men and steepe the few drams of worldly comforts which they taste but seldome in their lives with a quintall of gall One bewaileth the death of his only sonne another curseth the day wherin he was made the father of a man childe this man complaineth of his wives disloyaltie that man conveyeth his wife to the sepulchre with sadnesse and teares He who lived in ease is ashamed to see himselfe stript of all that he had and he who spoyled him is amazed when he is also spoyled by another stronger than himselfe One amongst an hundred mourneth for the death of his friend who was to him more faithfull and steadable than a brother but manie fret and are much moved when they see their familiar friends in whom they trusted and in whose bosome they did lay all their secrets lift up their heeles against them To be short there is no tongue that can fully ex presse all the evils that are incident to man in his person and state neither is there any man who feeleth not with paine the portion of those evils which is shared unto him As they that sayle in shallow waters amongst rocks and shelves of sand are not voyde of danger and of feare so they that hoyse up sayles amongst the waves and surges of the tempestuous sea of this life are not freed from annoyes and discontentments all their pleasures are like the Locusts whereof mention is made in the Revelation which k Revel 9 8 10. had hayre as the hayre of women to entice with goodly shewes and tayles like unto Scorpions to sting with mortall discontent They shall leave off to be mortall men when evill shall leave off to pursue them and teares shal not be wipt from their eyes untill death hath closed their eye lids l Iob 5.7 For man is borne unto trouble as the sparkes rise up to flye and m Psal 90.10 the strength of his dayes is labour and sorrow IV. But amongst and above all men many are the evils of the righteous man as David said when hee was forced through feare 1. Sam. 21.13 to change his behaviour before Abimelech King of Gath and faining himselfe madde escaped his enemies indignation for he feareth not to call himselfe righteous and calling to memorie the great number of evills which hee had endured from the first day of his anointing till then he pronounceth that many are the evils of the righteous Which he speaketh so of himselfe that he extendeth it to all those who can claime the title of righteous men to themselves And because this saying is confirmed by the experience of all ages and therefore it may seeme very strange that a righteous man should be so storm-beaten with afflictions he mitigateth the bitternesse of this averred sentence with the sweetnesse of this no lesse experimented conclusion But the Lord delivereth him out of them all So the Text taketh you by the hand and pointeth out to you first a righteous man and his manifold afflictions secondly the LORD and his deliveries whereunto if ye adde a question which is implyed in the first part why the LORD permitteth the righteous man to be so roughly used ye shal have in these parts the matter of sundry Sermons the first of the righteous man and of the characters whereby he is known The second and third of the evils wherewith the righteous man is on all sides thunder-stricken The fourth and fift of the causes wherefore Almighty GOD and his loving father suffereth him to be pushed and tossed to and fro with so manie evils The rest shall be of the Lords deliverances Let us then begin at the first part and our beginning and helpe be in the Name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth Amen V. If ye define and describe exactly the righteous man by the rules of the Law which ascribeth this glorious and most excellent title to those onely whose persons are from the womb without spot whose actions are without sinne and in whose lives Gods all-seeing eyes can perceive no blemish let Papists say what they will we will truly say with David in the Old Testament n Psal 14.10 There is none that doth good no not one and with S. Paul in the New Testament o Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one For if Papists speake of such men as are by S. Iude called p Iude ver 19. sensuall not having the spirit and say That they may keepe the Law of God if they will the holy and true Apostle giveth them the lye saying in the New Testament that q 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Now if he cannot know them what ability can he have to doe them And therefore Eliphaz sayth of such a man in the Old Testament that r Iob 15.16 he is abominable and filthy drinking iniquity like water for he is flesh he is nothing but flesh nothing but corruption and sinne and Å¿ Rom. 8.7 the affection of the flesh is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neyther indeed can be If then we fit to these carnal men the words which Ieremy spake to his auditors asking of them t Ier. 13.23 r Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may you also do good that are accustomed to do evill wee shall convert them to their owne use because that v Tit. 1.15 being infidels their minde and conscience is defiled and w Rom. 8.5 being after the flesh they minde the things of the flesh If they speake of those of whom the Apostle saith that they are after the spirit and mind the things of the spirit and affirm of them that if they would they might keepe the law seeing they keepe it not and that the holiest man that ever was could not say truly x Pro. 20.9 I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne then according to this saying good men are ill men honest men are knaves upright men are malicious men for y Iam. 4.17 to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sinne And never did any but a despitefull wicked man say I might do good if I would but I will not doe it whereas much otherwise the godly honest hearted man sayes a Rom. 7.18 19. The will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would I doe not
but the evill which I would not that I doe Whereof the Apostle rendreth this reason writing to the Galathians b Gal. 5.17 for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that yee cannot doe the things that yee would teaching most cleerely that the sinnes of the spirituall man come from his weakenesse and not from his will otherwise they should be sinnes of malice and not of infirmitie I conclude then that if mans righteousnesse be strictly examined in the balance of the Law there never was and c Eccles 7.20 there is not a iust man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not saving our Lord Iesus Christ who through the prerogative of his immaculate conception by the wonderfull operation of the holy Spirit was d Rom. 8.3 in the likenesse of sinfull flesh e Heb. 7.26 holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners and for that cause is called f Act. 3.14 the Righteous that title belonging only to him in that respect 1. Ioh. 2.1 VI. But what godly men cannot claime to themselves in the rigorous strictnesse of the Law that they finde in Gods mercifull acceptation and in the modification of his blessed Gospel wherein he entitleth his beloved children with this honourable name of Righteous men judging of them not by the imperfect perfection of their righteousnesses g Esa 64.6 which are as filthy ragges but by their affection and earnest endevour to be such as they should and which they strive with might and maine to be h Phil. 3.7 13 14. forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth to those things which are before and so pressing toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus For God who sheweth himselfe in the Law clothed with the majestuous and inexorable severitie of a Iudge representeth himselfe in the Gospel as a Father arrayed with meekenesse and mercy regarding the willingnesse of his children rather than anie perfection which may besought but shall not be found in their obedidience so long as they are in the way to their home For in the faithfull and true Christian there are two men i Ephes 4.22 24. The old man which we carry with us from our mothers womb when we are first borne and the new man which is given to us when wee are borne againe That man is Satans worke and the bitter fruit of the rebellion of the first Adam This man is the worke of Gods Spirit and the sweet fruit of the obedience of the second Adam That man is corrupt by deceitfull lusts and therefore is ever busied in drawing us away from goodnesse and entising us to evill This man is created after God in righteousnesse and true holinesse and is ever thrusting us forward from evill to good That man is strong and mightie This man is feeble and withstandeth with great difficultie That man though very powerfull hard to be overcome waxeth old and decayeth from day to day untill he be altogether destroyed This man increaseth every day in might and vigour and like the people of Israel when they were upon their journey ascending to appeare before God in Sion goeth k Psal 84.7 from strength to strength till he come l Ephes 4.13 unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. So that man is at the last subdued overthrowne and killed by this man as the monstrous Gyant Goliah was by little David That man where he reigneth bringeth forth for fruit m Rom. 6.21 22. shame and his end is death This man hath his fruit in holinesse and his end is everlasting life From hence it is that God when he is to speake and make us know what account he maketh of his servants considereth them not according unto those relickes of the old man whose strength is weakened and whose life decayeth and dyeth every day to call them Sinners and wicked ones but for his n Phil. 1.6 owne good workes sake which he hath begun in them and will performe untill the day of Iesus Christ calleth them Saints Righteous Perfect For the Divels worke in us is not so considerable to defame us publikely with the disgracefull name of Sinners and wicked men as Gods worke is to grace us with the honourable title of Saints and Righteous men namely seeing the Lord maintaineth setteth forward performeth his own good work at length destroyeth Satans work in us as I have said What wonder then if he qualifieth us with titles of honour according as we are already shall be hereafter for ever and ever through his power and grace and not according as Satan hath made us and as wee shall not be alwayes for evermore For this cause it is written that o Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Iacob neyther hath he seene perversenesse in Israel Not that there is none but because p Mich. 7.18 he pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant if his heritage covering it with the precious robe of the righteousnesse of his deare Son q Col. 1.22 in whom he hath made us holy unblameable unreproveable and r Coloss 2.10 complete in his own fight And therefore righteous and perfect in Christ of unrighteous and uncomplete in our selves VII The man whom God calleth righteous in this sense is pourtrayed by the holy Spirit as well negatively as affirmatively David saith of him negatively that Å¿ Psal 1.1 he walketh not in the counsaile of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seate of the scornefull and t Psal 119 3. doth no iniquitie S. Iohn saith that v 1. Ioh. 3.6 9. bee sinneth not or as he explaineth himselfe doth not commit sinne that is to say he sinneth not with pleasure and content Whereof the holy Apostle rendreth two reasons for the first he saith that he that committeth sinne is of the Divell he is Satans bond slave for the Divell sinneth from the beginning he hath ever beene is and shall be busied in ill doing Therefore whosoever sinneth as he doth is his and not Gods But the righteous man is delivered out of his clawes through our Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God x Vers 8. who for this purpose was manifested that he might destroy the workes of the Divell His second reason is this y Vers 9. Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seed the seed of his predestination and of his Spirit remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God a Bern. de natuâ—â digai tat amoâ— c. 6. Piccatum patitur potius quà m facit quiex Deo natur est Bernard saith That he rather suffereth sinne than committeth it According to that saying of the Apostle b Rom. 7.20 If I doe that I
betwixt man and beastes as betwixt the serpent and man the like disagreement and farre greater is betwixt the righteous and the wicked man for p Pro. 29.27 an uniust man is an abomination to the iust and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked These contrary inclinations had their beginning with the world and shall not have an end untill the worlds end God is justice and righteousnesse it selfe and the divell professed enmity against him from the beginning What wonder then if he bee an enemy to the righteous man who is but Gods creature As soone as man was created he seduced and supplanted him Then God proclaimed unreconcileable warre betweene them saying to the divell who was shrowded under the shape of a serpent q Gen 3.15 I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seed It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele The serpents seed is the brood of wicked men which have beene from the beginning namely those which persecute the Gospell The seede of the woman is our Lord Iesus Christ with the whole band of righteous men Iohn saw a battel in heaven r Rev. 12.17 Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his Angells Iesus Christ who onely is this Michael because he onely is like unto God and his Angels and Saints fought against the divell and all the hellish rabble of wicked men and of divells like unto himselfe There is no manifest cause knowne of the Antipathies and contrarietie of dispositions which are in nature but the causes of disagreement betweene the righteous and unrighteous man are knowne They flow from contrary springs and therefore their affections their actions their effects their ends are contrary Are not God and the divell enemies The wicked man Å¿ 1. Ioh. 3.8 is of the divell the righteous man t Ver 9. is borne of God Hence it is that the children beare out their fathers quarrell the wicked is hud-winked with ignorance v Ioh. 16.3 He knoweth no the Father nor the Sonne neither will hee know them x Psal 36.3 he will not learne to be wise that he may doe good y Ioh. 17.8 The righteous man knoweth surely that Christ is come out from the Father and beleeveth that the Father hath sent him a Rom 8 5 The wicked is after the flesh and therefore he minds the things of the flesh The righteous being after the spirit minds the things of the spirit The wicked mans workes are b Gal. 5.19 20 21. the workes of the flesh which are these Adultery fornication uncleannesse lasciviousnesse idolatry witcheraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murthers drunkennesse reuilings and such like The righteous mans works are c Ve. 22 23 the fruits of the spirit that is to wit Love ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Where there is so great a contrarietie and repugnancie of affections of actions of workes what wonder if there be great enmitie The righteous man is light in the Lord and d Ioh. 3.20 every man that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deedes should bee discovered for that cause hee hateth the righteous man as the Pharisees hated Iesus Christ because hee reprooved them of their vices The righteous man likewise hateth the wicked e Psal 139.21 22. Doe I not hate them O Lord saith David that hate thee and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies When heat and cold moisture and drought hardnesse and softnesse light and darknesse shall leaue off to bee at variance then then shall the righteous and wicked man ioyne hands and enter into confederacy one with another f 2. Cor. 6.14 15 16. for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Beliall and what part hath he that beleeveth with an Infidell and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idolls In this discord there is this notable difference that the righteous man hateth rather the vice than the person of the wicked and seeketh by prayers to God by exhortations admonitions good examples to convert him whereas the wicked hateth both the vertues and the person of the righteous and seeketh to destroy him III. From thence it is that assoone as a man begins to apply his mind and heart unto righteousnesse Satan and the wicked world conspire to undoe him for like as g Dan. 3.16 17 18. Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury and the forme of his visage was changed against Shadrac Meshac and Habednego when to his face they refused to fall downe and worship the image which he had made and commanded that the furnace wherein they were to bee cast should bee kindled seuen times more than it was wont to be heat even so assoon as a man begins to draw his neck out of Satans coller to shunne the company of wicked men to draw neere unto God by repentance and newnesse of life and to register his name in the Church booke that he may be saved in the communion of the Saints Satan sets all his malice on a flame to devoure him and the wicked rush upon him with bill and claw to teare him in peeces For as theeves breake not into an house where there is nothing but straw hay stubble but onely into such places where there is gold silver precious stones and rich furniture so the divell and his limbes heede not rascals and scurvie fellowes but if any man bee a worshipper of God and doth his will they lye in waite secretly as a Lyon in his denne they hide the snare in his way they crouch they stoope to catch him into their net As soone as Christ was borne h Mat. 2.16 Herod became out of his wits seeking to slay him to teach us that as soon as we become Christians by a spirituall birth wee shall not have want of Herods to seeke our lives As soone as the i Rev. 12.3 c. red dragon saw rhe woman with child travelling in her birth and ready to be delivered hee stood before her that he might devoure her childe as soon as it was borne but her child being caught up unto God and she taking her selfe to her wings to save her life by flying into the wildernes he cast out of his mouth a floud of water to drowne her What was this vision but a type of the Church against whom the divell stirreth up a world of wicked men as so many waves of an overflowing river to swallow her up when after a long barrennesse she conceiveth againe and brings foorth children to God Then ye heare nothing amongst those blood thirstie butchers but crying k Ier. 11 19 Let us destroy the tree with the
be proper unto him because he not onely bare witnesse to the truth but also sealed it with his most precious blood So all true Christians are Christs Martyrs because their whole life is nothing else but a martyrdome that is to say a testimony which they render to the Gospel Martyrium vitae that it is of God and to Iesus Christ that hee is the Sonne of God Testimony which they bare with such fervencie and zeale that they would chuse rather to be scorched racked torne in peeces and die the most cruell death that mans wit can invent than to leave off to glorifie their God and Saviour by publike confession and holinesse of life Such men are Martyrs in affection before God who judgeth of men not according to the event of things but according to their will and intention If any man live in the Church meaning to deny Christ rather than to suffer losse of goods or any bodily paine for his sake he is an Apostate in Gods eyes though he never bee put to that triall and die peaceably in his bed confessing Christ with his mouth So he that is resolved to make lesse account of his life than of the Gospel is a true Martyr before God n 1. Sam. 15.7 who looketh on the heart though God spare him and preserve his life from the hands of the wicked If Paul said truely of Priscilla and Aquila that o Rom. 16.4 for his life they had laid downe their owne neckes because they feared not to undergo all dangers for his releasing shall God p 1. Reg. 8.39 who onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men neglect the zeale and affection which his faithfull servants have to his service Martyrium sanguinis Notwithstanding the Church which diveth not into mens hearts giveth not this glorious name of Martyrs but to those which are Martyrs in action which I say cannot by most exquisite torments and painfull deaths be driven back from their profession which they sealed most constantly with their innocent blood which though Christ did yet we give not the name of Martyrdome to his death because it had a more speciall end and is the ransom of mankind The Church hath ever called Steven the first Martyr as being the first which suffered death for Christs cause * Act. 12.2 Iames the brother of Iohn was the second VII In them yee finde the three qualities which are necessarily required in them whom Christ honoreth with this glorious title 1. They were full of faith and of the holy Ghost I say that they were godly men for a good conscience a godly and an upright life is so needfull in this case that the Apostle saith q 1. Cor. 13.3 Though hee give his body to be burned and have not charitie it profiteth him nothing This is called by some the Martyrdome of life and is more difficult than the Martyrdome of blood for it is not so easie to a man to kill sinne in himselfe to burne his covetousnesse his pride his ambition his lusts and unlawfull desires in the fire of the Spirit as to suffer the executioner to cast his body in a fire of wood Which I pray you all to lay to your hearts that in this time of outward peace with men yee may bee Martyrs inward with God Martyrs not in the flesh but in the Spirit having your praise not of men but of God 2. They suffered for the best cause that ever any innocent man suffered for Suffered they not for the Sonne of God who is r Psal 45. fairer than all the children of men Suffered they not for the Gospel which is Å¿ Rom. 2.16 the power of God unto salvation to every one that beleeveth and therefore more excellent than the Law for which the Iewes suffered Let no man say that the theefe upon the crosse was a Martyr because he repented and confessed Christ for repentance changeth not the nature of crosses neyther can it be said truely that all those which repent at the houre of their death are Martyrs The thiefe confessed he not that t Luk. 23.41 he suffered iustly and received the due reward of his deeds And have we not this commandement of the holy Ghost v 1. Pet 4.15 16. Let none of you suffer as a murtherer or as a thiefe or as an evill doer or as a busie-body in other mens matters yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalfe x Aug. Epi. 61. 166. It is the cause which maketh the Martyr not the punishment y Euseb lib. 5 cap. 16. Aug. de correctione Donatistarum cap. 7. Let not the Montanists the Pepusians the Marcionites the Donatists the Circumcellions and other heretiques bragge of their Martyrs there was never any heresie so blockish so ridiculous so impious but there was found some obstinate fellow who offered to dye willingly for it Men in our dayes have gone to the fire with a merry countenance for maintaining of Atheisme For the divell hath also his Martyrs whom an ancient Doctor calleth most properly z Martyres Sataricae virtutis Martyrs of a diabolicall courage and therefore a Aug. in Psal 68. all the praise of Martyrdom is in the goodnesse of the cause not in the grievousnes of the pain Martyrs make not their cause to be good or their doctrine to be the Gospel it is the good cause it is the Gospel that makes Martyrs Our sufferings make not our cause iust but a iust cause will make our sufferings glorious 3. They had the choice of death and life if they would have recanted and ioyned themselves to the Iewes against Christ they had not beene killed If a Christ an be put to death for Christs sake without offer of life upon condition of abjuring the Church calleth him not a Martyr for who knoweth what hee would have done if the option of life had beene given unto him b Mat. 2.16 The innocent babes which Herod slew for Christs sake were not Martyrs because they had no such election neither could they in that age have accepted it if it had beene offered Our fathers also which were massacred tumultuously without any accusation examination exhortation promise of life for the same cause were not Martyrs These these onely which seeing on the right hand the Priest the Altar the Incense to offer the breaden God to worship and on the left the hang-man stirring the fire unsheathing and shaking threatningly the fatall sword erecting the gibbet or the scaffold trussing his arme to hit right a deadly blow spet at the Idols flye from the Altars run to the fire to the sword to the gallows to the water cry as Montalchino did at Milan Let Christ let Christ live and Montalchino dye these I say these are the men whom the Church hath honoured with the excellent title of Martyrs who dye in Christ with Christ
the promise which God made to David saying a Psal 89.30 31 32 33 34. If his children forsake my Law and walke not in my iudgements If they breake my statutes and keepe not my commandements Then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes Neverthelessâ— my louing kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnes to fail my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Thence it was that Davids children were often chastened ever delivered that good Kings succeeded bad that many afflâ—â—tions were followed with notable deliveries that seventy yeares of captivitie ended in a most glorious and wonderfull libertie that the foure hundred yeares following had sadnesse seasoned with joy teares mingled with laughter speares changed into sithes swords beaten into mattockes prayers in the time of persecution ending in thankesgiving for peace untill the land being destitute and void of righteous men vomited out for ever and ever all her inhabitants for wheresoever are righteous men there Many are the evills of the Righteous But the Lord delivereth him out of them all III. The Christian Church hath succeeded both to the evills and deliveries of the Church of Israel and of Iuda as the Lord himselfe hath experimented in his own person and hath forewarned us b 1. Pet. 3.18 He was put to death in the flesh Many are the evills of the Righteous He was quickned by the Spirit The Lord delivereth him out of them all He saith to us c Ioh. 16.10 Verely verely I say unto you that yee shall weep and lament but the world shall reioice And yee shall bee sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Ye shall bee sorrowfull because many are the evills of the Righteous your sorrow shall be turned into joy because the Lord delivereth him out of them all I have declared to you how many evils the Christian Church suffred at divers times by ten bloody persecutions by false brethren by the wicked heresie of Arrius But by divers means the Lord delivered her out of them all At last the Antichrist is come according to the Scriptures and the prophecie of the revelation concerning d Rev. 11.7 c. the two witnesses of God hath been fulfilled where it is said that the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make warre against them and shall overcome them and kill them that their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great Citie three daies and a half that the people and nations shall see them and shall not suffer them to be put in graves that they that dwell upon the earth shall reioice over them and make merry and shal send gifts one to another because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth That after three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great feare fell upon them which saw them and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them Alas what evils hath not the beast practised against these two witnesses against the little handfull of those which professed the Gospel of Christ How often hath she fought vanquished killed them How often also hath God raised them from the dead in their successors what was this last peace of France but a most wonderfull resurrection The world for the first draught filleth a cup of good wine but after that it giveth nothing to drinke but poison of dragons and the cruell venome of aspes Contrariwise the e Ioh 2.10 Lord Iesus giveth the best wine last Hee f Iob 5.18 maketh sore to bind up he woundeth to make whole g 1. Sam. 2.6 He killeth to make alive Hee bringeth men downe to the grave that hee may bring them up againe Weeping h Psal 30.5 may endure for a night but singing cometh in the morning i Psal 126.6 They that sow in teares shall reap in ioy He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtlesse come againe with reioycing bringing his sheaves with him As in Musicke contrary voices give a pleasant sound by a discordant concord make a most delectable harmonie So these alterations and interchanges of evill good in our lives make the pleasures more acceptable when God sendeth them when after that the righteous man hath beene shaken and tossed with afflictions The Lord delivereth him out of them all IIII. He which doeth this worke is the LORD his worke is deliverance he whom hee delivereth is the righteous man The Evils out of which he delivereth him are all the evils which befall him Adde to these the maner how and the time when he delivereth the righteous man out of all his evils ye shall have six principall heads of doctrine to be handled in the exposition of the second part of this text V. The deliverer of the Church is the LORD The Hebrew word is IEHOVAH which is Gods Name The use of names is to put distinction betweene things that are of one kind and therefore when Iacob asked of God what was his Name he rebuked him saying Wherefore l Gen. 32.29 is it that thou doest aske after my Name The Iews say that he would not tell him his Name because the tongue of a mortall man neither should nor can expresse it For that same cause say they when Manoah Samsons father desired to know his Name he repressed his curiositie with this answer m Iudg. 13.17 18. Why askest thou after my Name seeing it is wonderfull But to speak properly he hath no Name because hee is alone and there are no other gods with him His Name is his owne selfe and therefore wonderfull above all wondering And so he would have Iacob and Manoah who tooke him for one of the Angels to think of him But when Moses asked by what name hee should call him when he should speak of him unto the children of Israel he commanded him to say unto them EHEIE n Exo d. 3 14. hath sent me unto you which word in our Bibles is translated IAM In the greeke of the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is which Plato learned in Syria called him o Iustin Cohortat ad Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which is It is the first person of the future tense and may be translated He that shall be God spake further unto Moses p Exod. 3.15 Thus shalt thou say un-the Children of Israel IEHOVAH the God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob hath sent me unto you This is my Name for ever and this is my Memoriall unto all ages So God called himselfe and so q Exod. 4.30 Moses named him to the people and to r Exod. 5.1 2. Pharao who hearing the Name which he never heard before answered Who is IEHOVAH I
fourescore and six yeares and he hath never done me any harm how then should I curse my King which hath saved me q Tert. Apolâ—get c. 1. 46. 49. All the Christians when they were condemned gave thanks as for a great benefit r Iust Mart. Apol. 1. Lucius thanked Vrbicius which had condemned him to die for Christs sake because said hee being delivered from evill masters I am going to my Father the King of heaven Amongst all is wonderfull the constancie of Felicitas a Widow of Rome like unto that of the Mother and of the seven children of whom I have already spoken for she also had seven sonnes Å¿ Gregor 1. hom 3. in Euang. tom 2. Other mothers fear lest their children die before them She feareth lest her sons live after her She converted them to Christ being taken with them shee confirmed them in the confession and faith of Christ Publius the Governor of the towne with faire words sought to entice her Have pittie saith he of thy selfe at least pittie these thy seven sonnes After with rough words hee thought to astonish her But she having in a womans body a mans breast Neither saith she are thy promises able to tickle mee nor thy threats to terrifie mee And choosing rather to loose all her Children than to see then loose Christ of a mother shee became a Preacher unto them and after she had seen them all glorifie the Lord Iesus by their death the love of Christ surmounting in her the griefe which she received of her orbitie she went also with drie eyes a laughing countenance and a most heroicall courage to the place of execution and received there the crowne of Martyrdome And therefore as Christ said of Iohn Baptiste that t Mat 11 9 he was a Prophet yea more than a Prophet so may wee say of her that she was a Martyr yea more than a Martyr Consider the tender love of a mother and ye shall confesse that the death of each of her sonnes was a martyrdome unto her She was then seven times Martyr in her seven sonnes and the eighth time in her own person After I have spoken of such a woman shall I goe back to men Shall I speak of v Euseb hist Eccles lib. 5. cap. 1. Attalus one of the Martyrs of Vienne in France in the time of Antonius Verus the yeare of Christ 178. who being set in a burning chaire of iron preached to the Romanes as if he had bin in a pulpit teaching them what God is reproving their cruelty maintaining the innocencie of Christians and saying This which you do is eating swallowing of mens flesh but we eate not mens flesh neither doe we harme to any man Shall I forget Laurentius Deacon of the Church of Rome who being laid upon an iron grate and a slow burning fire under it that he might feele his death This side said he is inough rosted turn me upon the other which being done after some space he said againe to the Governor x Prudent in hymno Coctum devora Et experimentuÌ„ cape Sit crudum an assum suavius Now both sides are well rosted come eate and try which is sweetest raw or rosted It was a common thing to all Christians in those dayes y Tertull de Idolat cap. 11. Quo ore Christianus thurarius si per Templa transibit quo ore flumantes aras despuet exsufflabit quibus ipse prospexit Minut Felix deos despuuÌ„t rideâ—t sacra when the hangmen would hale them violently to the Temples of their Idolls when the Iudges would command them to bow downe to the Altars and to worship the Idols if they had hands and feete free to breake the Images fling away the Censers trample on the sweete smelling incense and if they were bound they would puffe at the Temples spit at the abominable Images with great contempt wagg their heads at all the diabolicall superstition All this did the holy woman and couragious Martyr z Prud. in Martyrio Eulalia Martyr ad ista nâ—hil sed enim Iâ—fremit in que tyranni oculos Sâ—uta iacit simulacra dehinc Eulalia She did more shee spat upon the Governors face who by all kind of most cruell torments went about to constraine her to idolatry And this puffing and spitting at the onely naming of the false religion was most usuall in those dayes among the brethren O Faith O Courage O Victorie O gods of wood of stone of metall where is your Majestie O Tyrants where your power O cruel Executioners Dissipat impositamque molam where is your fury Loe not men onely but women but young children contemne you fight against you Thuribulis pede prosubigit overcome you XVII Shall passe under silence our own Martyrs to begin with one of the first even Ierome of Prague condemned to be burnt quicke by the bloody councell of Constantia How the stood before his passionate and ignorant Iudges without feare not onely contemning death but also lusting after it x Poggius Florent ep 3 a Papist which was an eye-witnesse of all the actes of that Tragedie relateth with admiration and praise He went to death with a cheerfull countenance when hee came to the place of execution he imbraced the post whereunto he was tied kissed it Perceiving the hangman going behind his back to set the wood on fire lest he should see it he cried unto him Come here come here and kindle the fire before my face for if I had dreaded it I should never have come to this place which I might have shunned Then with a most holy wonderful joy he sung a Psalm to God which the fire and the smoake had much adoe to interrupt Patricke Hammilton a young Gentleman of Scotland as he was going to the fire by his words and lookes affrighted in such sort Alexander Cambell a Dominican Frier his accuser that he became besides himselfe and died madde George Baynam and Iohn Frith Englishmen imbraced kissed their fagots Laurent Sanders imbraced with great joy the post whereunto the hangman was tying him and said O crosse of my good Lord. In France Steven Brun after that his Iudges had pronounced against him the sentence of death cryed with a loud voice My Iudges have condemned mee to live And Iohn Baron being advertised by his Iudges which had condemned him to appeale from them unto the Court of Parliament Can ye not said he bee content to have your owne hands defiled with my blood but ye will have other mens hands polluted with it also Amongst all I admire most the peasant of Lynri which meeting some prisoners condemned for the Religion after he had asked and known of them the cause of their condemnation leapt upon the chariot and went to dye with them Above all the victories of women are most wonderful As the hangman was ready to put to death a loving couple of Martyrs Iohn Bayly and his wife
the wife incouraged the husband saying Sweet heart heave a good heart for this day our marriage with our Lord Iesus shall bee accomplished The religious Gentlewoman Graveron called the day of her martyrdome the day of her marriage with Christ and seeing her companions refuse to give their tongues because there was no such thing mentioned in their sentence she being but a woman resolved them saying It is reasonable and sit that the tongue which hath the priviledge to praise God should also have the prerogative to leape first upon the Altar of burnt offering So Claude Tierry called the halter which was put about her necke the Carkanet and the rope wherewith she was bound to the post the girdle of her marriage with Iesus Christ and therupon made a most excellent discourse of the spirituall marriage of the Lord Iesus with his Church which begins here in the valley of death and is consummated in the mountaines of spices Minut Felix Quam â—ulchrum spectacadum Deo cum Châ—â—â—ia 〈…〉 Congreaâ—us c. Vâ—it enim qut quod conâ—enâ—it obtinuâ— O how pleasant a sight is it in the eyes of God when a Christian buckles with griefe and p ine when he sets himselfe in aray against threats punishments torments when he scoffingly ieasts at the dreadfull name of death at the lowring countenance of the pitilesse hangman when he holds up his libertie against Kings and Princes and yeelds to none but to God to whom he belongs when like a most glorious Triumpher and Conqueror hee insults and triumphes over his Iudge who hath condemned him For he which hath obtained that wherefore he fought hath vainquished XIIX There is nothing difficile where faith in God is nothing dreadfull where the love of God is nothing dolorous where true zeale to the glory of God is As the light of the sunne dimmeth all other lights and as the heat of the sunne cooleth all other heats so the light of faith dimmeth that which worldly men call the light of reason Reason saith as the Proconsull said to Cyprian Take time and advise Faith answereth as Cyprian did a In rebus Dei non est delibecandum In Gods affaires no man must advise Reason saith it is a sweet thing to live Faith saith it is better to dye for Christ than to live without Christ So also the heat of love and true zeale extinguisheth the heat of most burning fires When naturall sense saith it is burning Love answereth it is not so much as hot These are the victories of the faithfull in their most sensible torments they are so ravished and transported by faith with the love of their Saviour that as it were it benummeth them so that they heede not their paines as if they were senselesse for b 1. Ioh. 5.4 whatsoever is borne of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith XIX The Lord in his great mercy increase our faith whereby in this surceasing of outward enemies we may fight valiantly against our inward and spirituall foes which are more dangerous closing our hearts to all the suggestions of Satan to covetousnesse to pride to choler to all the ticklings of filthy lust shutting our eyes to vanity stopping our eares to calumnies flatterers all evill counsells keeping our spirits our soules our bodies blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ That fighting so we may overcome overcomming triumph triumphing receive the crowne of glory and of immortalitie which God hath prepared for us before the beginning of the world through the precious merites of our LORD IESVS CHRIST to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all prayse all glory all honour both now and for evermore Amen SERM. VIII Of the manner and time of the righteous mans Deliverances ESAIAH XXVI 20. Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doores about thee hide thy selfe as it were for a little moment untill the indignation bee overpast 21. For behold the Lord commeth out of his place to visite the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquitie the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slaine 1. THe Church like unto the Phoenix findeth life in death 2. Because God according to his promise in this text reviveth her 3. He saveth her often by flight which sometimes is not lawfull 4. At other times is lawfull and necessarie and is commanded by God in this text according to the literall sense 5. Is also confirmed by the examples of godly men in the time of the old Testament 6. In the new Testament Christ himselfe hath commanded to flye in time of persecution 7. And hath confirmed his commandement by his own example the examples of his Apostles and many other most constant and courageous Christians 8. Flying prooved lawfull by three reasons 9. Fleeing is not a forsaking and denying but a confessing of Christ 10. This text in a figurative and allegoricall sense is an exhortation to patience 11. The first argument mooving us to patience is the will of God 12. The second is his wisedome whereby hee converteth all evills to the good of his Church 13. The third is the truth of his promises 14. In the second part of this text he promiseth that the persecution shall last but a moment 15. He reckoneth the yeers the moneths the dayes the moments of the affliction of his Church 16. How affliction which to us seemeth so long is said to continue but for a moment 17. Till that moment expire we must relye upon the truth of Gods promise I. AS of the ashes of the Phoenix when it seemeth to be nothing but dust groweth up another So when the Church to mans iudgement is gone lost and past all hope of recoverie when the persecuters say of her that which the Traytor Absalom a Psal 22.8 Mat. 27.43 and the treacherous Rebells that followed him said of David and the chiefe Priests Scribes and Elders of Christ Hee trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him Then then God by a most excellent and wonderfull deliverance reviveth her and maketh her to spring up againe more beautifull and glorious than she was before The third day of the Massacre of Paris Thuan. lib. 53. which was the Sunday in the moneth of August a bramble flourished in St. Innocents Church-yard The Papists ran to gaze upon it but could not tell wherefore and how a dry thorne blossomed in harvest out of due time and feason except that some tooke it as a token that God approoved their most unnaturall and savage crueltie but the wisest and best sort remembring that b Numb 17.8 Aarans rod which was but a dry peece of wood budded and blossomed and yeelded almonds when the Lord confirmed the Priesthood in the house of Levi and that the condition of the Church was represented unto c Exod. 3.2 Moses by
indignation and he shall bee tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and the smoake of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night In vaine shall they strive and struggle to rid themselves from the eternall chaines of darkenesse wherewith they are tyed in that bottomlesse Mine for like unto fishprickt with the Anglers hooke the more they wrench and wriggle to escape faster and faster are they intangled and sinke deeper into the burning lake of death and damnation Are not darkenesse blood fire brimstone burning alive torments fearefull enough to make the haire to bristle and the stoutest heart to melt as waxe against the fire and yet all these are but shadowes and counterfeits of the extreamity of paine wherewith the damned are racked in hell If Nebuchadnezzars hot glowing furnaces if Antiochus caldrons of boyling oyle if Phalaris fierie brazen Bull if Davids sawes harrowes of yron and mortars if the needles the pinsers the burning yron grates and brazen chaires if the tympan the spits the flaying of living men and other torments practised by Tyrants against Christians were so fell and hideous if dayly men invent new tortures more fierce and terrible than those were doubtlesse the paines of hell which the divell deviseth or rather which are of Gods owne invention are ten thousand times more horrible than mans heart can imagine As in all Gods workes i Aug. epist 3. ad Volasianum Tota ratio facti potentia facientis Considera authorem tolle dubitanonē the reason of the doing is the power of the doer So in this let Atheists consider the author and all their doubts will cease God hath said it and will he not performe it XIIX As every member joynt and part of wicked men conspire together in sinne to offend God so the righteous and Almighty God hath bequeathed to each of them a severall torment The mind shall be racked with the consideration of the unexpugnable wrath of God and contemplation of its own endlesse infelicity The memory shall be continually tormented with the remembrance of the manifold and foule sinnes which were causes of such plagues The conscience shall feele a k Esa 66.24 Mar. 9.44 worme ever gnawing it with a most bitter but unfruitfull remorse of sinne The phantasie shall bee troubled with ghastly visions The eyes shall see nothing but ugly divells and damned persons The eares shall heare nothing but roarings of the infernall spirits but shriekes and dreadfull cryes of tortured malefactors What the palat shall taste what the nostrils shal smell what the hands shall catch hold of what the other parts of the body shall suffer in that dark dungeon of Gods wrath I know not This I know that as l 1. Cor. 3.9 eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him in the kingdome of light with his owne selfe so no tongue can utter yea no heart can imagine the manifold and bitter plagues which the justice of God hath reserved for them that hate him in the kingdome of darkenesse with the m Iob 18.14 King of terrors XIX Happy would they thinke themselves if after many myriades of yeares they might hope for some reliefe but to fill up the unmeasurable measure of their miseries they know that God hath called the fire wherein they burne n Mat. 25.41 everlasting the death whereunto they are condemned o 2. Thes 1.9 everlasting destruction and qualifieth with the same title the worme which gnaweth their never-dying conscience saying that p Mark 9.48 it dyeth not They know that the entrance into hell is large and easie but the regresse impossible They know that the power and justice of God hath appointed unto them an immortall death an endlesse end everlasting darkenesse in the middest of an ay-burning fire poyson of dragons cruell venime of aspes bitternesse it selfe to eate and to drinke in the blackenesse of an eternall night whereupon the cloud of Gods curse and the shadow of death shall dwell for ever and the light of comfort shall never shine XX. This is the share allotted to all them that feare not God to q Luk. 16.19 the rich man who did no harme to Lazarus but onely refused to give him meate and to r Mat. 25.41 42. all his mates to ſ Mat. 25.30 the unprofitable servant to him who goeth to the marriage-feast without t Mat. 22.11 12 13. a wedding garment O then two and threefold more shall bee children of hell all those which throw the crummes of bread out of Lazarus mouth which are never weary of ill doing which have all their garments stained with the blood of Gods servants Shall it v Mat. 10.15 Mat. 11.22.24 be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement than for those who receive not the Preachers of the Gospell and refuse to heare the word Oh then how intolearble shall be then the plagues of God upon the Neroes Dioclesians all the persecuters of the Gospell x Psal 11.5 6. The Lord tryeth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soule hateth Vpon the wicked hee shall raine snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest that shall be the portion of their cup. Then then y Rev. 16.10 they shall gnaw their tongues for paine then nothing shall be heard and seene amongst them but a Mat. 12.13 weeping and gnashing of teeth but crying b Rev. 6.16 to mountaines and rockes to fall upon them and to death to come and kill them when c Rev. 3.6 death shall flee from them d Aug. de Tempore serm 252. Quta quibus in hoc seculo vita offertur nolunt accipere in inferno quaerent mortem non poterint invenire When in this world life is offered unto them they refuse to accept it Therefore in hell they shall seeke death and shall not find it In that desire as there is a great sinne so there is in it a great paine It is a righteous thing with God to punish sinne therefore it is a sinne in the prisoners of hell to desire to shake off the punishment of sinne Againe e Quid tam poenale quā semper velle quod nūquam erit c. What is more penall saith Bernard than ever to desire that which never shall be and ever to be unwilling to that which shall never but be They shall never obtaine what they would and evermore sustaine what they would not XXI Adde unto all those punishments one which shall bee to all the persecuters of the Church a deadly wound ever bleeding for in that great day f Esa 26.19 Rev. 20.13 the earth the grave the sea death it selfe shall deliver up the dead which are in them the Martyrs whom these