any more by these meanes to bee illuminated since they are fallen away from the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead when they shall rise againe they shall rise to their own damnation and last of all since they are fallen away from the doctrine of eternal iudgement needs must it come to passe that eternall iudgement shall devoure them It is no more but this since they are fallen away wholy from Christ since they haue troden him vnder foot since they haue despised those sweet graces of the holy spirit wherewith they were once lightned they shall be fed with wormewood and be made to drinke the water of gall and somewhat happie were they were this all But this is not all for let all the rivers and streames of fresh water which glad the Citie of God and comfort the soules of the faithfull runne also into their soules they will resist them and driue them backe they will admit no entrance for any perswasion of the graciousnesse and kindnesse of the Lord though it be preached to them ten thousand times they haue sinned against the holy Ghost and condemnation is their portion There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne No more I say For Christs blood which was once shed for mans ransome may be shed no more The price which was once paid for man may be paid no more all the riches of Solomon all the treasures of Ezechias al the silver al the gold within the bowels of the earth could never haue mounted to so high a reckoning Christ hath once spared his own most pretious blood for mans redemption but will spare it no more Wee may not now looke for more Christs for more passions They that will goe into captivitie againe let thē go but they shall not returne they that wil sel thē selues to the will of their enimie let them sell themselues but they may never hope for a second ransome they that will sinne after that they haue received the knowledge of the truth let them so sinne but there remaineth no more sacrifice for their sinne They which haue eares to heare let them heare If it bee true that they which sinne willingly after that they haue receaued the knowledge of the truth may so fall away as that no sacrifice may remaine for cleansing of their sinne what may bee hoped for of vs in whom willingnesse is no day wanting to our sinnes It is a true saying excusatio omnis tollitur vbi mandatum non ignoratur If the commandment be knowne no excuse may serue for the breach thereof I shall not make it a false saying though I doe a little invert it excusatio omnis non admittitur vbi mandatum ignoratur though the commandement bee not knowne yet every excuse may not serue for the breach thereof Peter gaue vnto the Iewes a shield of ignorance wherewith they might partly defend themselues against the weapons of Gods wrath and that not in any common cause but in the vilest and bloodiest fact that ever yet the sunne saw attempted I knowe saith he that through ignorance you did it as did also your governours Act. 3.17 speaking of their slaughtering the Lord of life I knowe saith he that through ignorance you did it as did also your governours Yet that they should not leane too much vpon this broken reed of ignorance in the 19. vers he adviseth them to repent returne that their sinnes might bee done away Here we see that Ignorance must be beaten vnlesse it be cleansed by repentance The like cloake had S. Paul gotten to cast over his blasphemies his tyrannies his mercilesse persecutions of the Church I was saith he receaved to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe 1. Timoth. 1.13 I was saith hee receaued to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe And here also we see that ignorance must be beatē vnlesse it haue mercy to cover it And surely could ignorance haue pleaded for her owne innocency never would the blood of Christ haue cryed to the Father vpon the Crosse Father forgiue them they knowe not what they doe Luke 23.34 And here againe wee see that ignorance must be beaten vnlesse it bee forgiven by the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ What Is ignorance of the Lordes will sure to bee beaten with rods and shall not our contempt of his will our carelesse and vnprofitable knowledge of his lawes bee requited with scourges Shall Tyre and Sidon and Sodome wherein was never vertue done that might haue reclaimed them shall they I say burne like stubble in Hell fire Shall the smoake of their torment ascend for evermore And shall Corazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum whose streetes haue beene sowne with the miracles of Christ and made fat with his doctrine shall they escape vntouched and not drinke downe the dregges of endlesse destruction Diverse Cities of the East and West Indies devoted to the worship of Devils shall once wring their hands for that they haue knowne so litle and I feare me I may too truely say that Oxford shall once rend her heart for that shee hath known so much to no better purpose for surely were shee so fruitfull in good works as shee ought to be there could be no such report of her as there is of ignorance in her Citizens of corruption in her Colleges of idlenes loosenes of life in her seniors of wilfull impudent and contemptuous behaviour in her juniours Dictum sapienti You will not marvaile to see the wildernesse lie wast and desert but if a ground well husbanded and manured yeeld no profit that deserues cursing Our ground in all likelyhood should bee well husbanded and manured Here is much preaching much hearing but where is any profit What our Saviour said of the Scribes and Pharisees dicunt non faciunt they say do not may truely be spoken of vs we see we heare we say we know but doe not O let vs not still be sicke of Adams disease desiring rather to eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life We may and must be carefull of knowledge vnto sobriety but we must haue a regard also of profiting thereby that the fruit of a good life bringing eternity of daies to come may wait vpon our knowledge For S. Peter assureth vs that it is better for vs never to know the way of righteousnes thē after we know it to turne from it 2. Pet. 2.21 The same is also taught vs by my text If we sinne willingly after that wee haue receaved the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne THE FOVRTH SERMON HEBR. 10. VER 27. 27 But a fearfull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries I should not trouble you with any long rehearsall of that which heretofore I delivered vnto you Yet the sonne of Sirach chap. 22.8 perswading me that many exhortations may bee spent as vpon men that are asleepe who when the Sermon is done wil
Founders and remember we that he that despiseth Moses law dyeth without mercy Our founders laws doe direct vs to make our elections free froÌ„ corruption Moses law chargeth the same Can wee therefore hate the one and leane to the other or despising one despise we not both Our founders doe charge vs in regard of our elections to take no bribes no rewards to make no bargaine and we as well liking of it haue beene ready by solemne oathes to bind our selues â—o doe accordingly Moses also forbiddeth â—s to take any gift Exod. 23.8 and Deut. 16.19 and in the same places giues a reason why he forbids vs. It is because rewards doe blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the iust But such hath our practise been as that therby we are made carelesse of that whereof indeed we shoulde be most careful carelesse of our oathes and carelesse of Moses reason Carelesse of our oathes whereby we haue bound our selues to obey our founders lawes yet we know that the messenger of the covenant comming neere to vs in iudgement like purging fire and fullers sope wil be a swift witnesse against all false swearers Mal. 3.5 Carelesse of Moses reason vsed by him to enforce our obedience to the law thou shalt take no gifts and yet we know by my text that he that despiseth Moses law dyeth without mercy Thus pollute we the LORD and his holy name not like those false prophetesses Ezech. 13.19 for handfuls of barly and for pieces of bread but for gold and silver For gold and silver wee slay the soules of them that should not die and we giue life to the soules of them that should not liue that is we admit into our societies Asinos auro onustos those which are very vnfit for learning and manners excluding farre their better So and so haue we sinned and more wickedly yet haue we not girded our selues with sackcloath we haue not wallowed our selues in ashes we haue made no lamentation we haue not mourned yea we are so farre from being grieved at these our misdoings as that we ioy and reioice in them and exercise our wits to cover and defend them Our defences for this corruption so heartely entertained amongst vs are vsually those which every one of vs cunningly alleageth for our private dayly trespasses therfore the coÌ„sideration of them may worthyly belong to every soule amoÌ„g vs. Therfore let every one that hath an care to heare heare Our first defence is our misconceit about the time of our repentance we are perswaded we may repent when we will See the first Sermon p. â— Touching this point I now say nothing only we may be advised that late repentance is seldome true repentance and iustly we may feare least that repentance which we frame to our selues when we are dying die also with vs. Our seâ—ond defence is grounded vpoÌ„ such places of Scripture wherein is signified how that the stowtest pillars of the Lords house are sundry times grievously shaken One place may serue for all Prov. 24.16 The iust man is said to fall seaven times a day and rise againe hereby we iudge it no great preiudice against our selues to haue a few fals But we misvnderstand this place being spoken of fals into afflictions and calamities and not of fals into actuall sinnes And if it be spoken of falls into actuall sins what then Is this a necessary consequence SeaveÌ„ fals a day are pardoned to the iust therfore for a few fals we shall haue pardon I must needs confesse the patience of God is very abundant He is mercifull and gracious long suffering and of great goodnes He cryeth vnto the fooles Exod. 34.6 See my sixt Lecture vpon Amos 1.3 p. 69. and are not we such fooles O yee foolish how long will yee loue foolishnes Prov 1.22 He cryeth vnto the faithlesse and is our faith living O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I suffer you Matth. 17.17 Hee cryeth vnto the Iewes and are not we as bad as the Iewes O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often Matth. 23.37 He dresseth his vineyard with the best and kindlyest husbandry that his heart could invent Esai 5.2 afterward he looked for fruit he required it not the first houre but tarying the ful time he looked that it should bring forth grapes in the autumne time of vintage He waiteth for the fruit of his figtree three yeares Luk. 13.6 is content to be entreated that digging and dunging and expectation a fourth yeare may be bestowed vpon it Whatsoever iudgements are pronounced against Damascus Azzah Tyrus Edom Ammon Moab Iudah and Israel Amos chapt 1. 2. are for three transgressions and for foure so long he endured their iniquities Gods dealing with vs sinneful wretches is like Davids dealing with Saule he tooke away his * 1. Sam 26.12 speare his waterpot and a * 2. Sam. 24.5 piece of his cloake so God takes away from vs a little rest and a little little more giues vs as it were remembraÌ„ces to let vs vnderstand that we are in his hands if we take not warning that he will further punish vs. Thus we see and it may not be denied that the patience of God is very abundant that the Lord is mercifull and gracious long suffering and of great goodnesse Of such his patience mercie and goodnesse we may not presume Our safest way shall be to rise at the first call if we differre our obedience till the second call we may be preveÌ„ted Then may God haue iust cause to say to vs as he said vnto the Iewes Esai 65.12 I called and yee did not answere I spake and yee heard not And albeit some fall seaven times a day and rise againe albeit to some sinners it pleaseth the Lord to iterate his sufferance yet may not we take encouragement hereby to iterate our misdoings We haue learned that God punished his Angels in HeaveÌ„ for one breach Adam for one morsell Miriam for one sclander Moses for one angry word Achan for one sacrilege Ezechias for once shewing his treasures to the ambassadours of Babel Iosias for once going to warre without asking counsaile at the Lord and Ananias Sapphira for once lying to the Holy Ghost Is the Lords hand now shortened that he cannot be as speedy quicke in avenging himselfe vpon vs for our offences Farre be it from vs so to think God is not slacke in comming 2. Pet. 3 9. as some count slacknes he maketh the cloudes his chariots hee rideth vpon the Cherubins he flyeth with the wings of the winde and so he commeth and commeth quickely and his reward is with him to giue to every one according as his workes shall be Our third and last defense is builded vpon slattery cherished in our owne bosomes Because we haue beene waryly corrupted because we haue taken bribes so secretly as that possibly two witnesses may not be produced to testifie
the LORD The third that God will severely punish his owne people also which is plaine by the second testimonie these wordes The LORD shall iudge his people Of the first of these three notes I spake in my last exercise I proceed Vengeance belongeth vnto mee I will recompense saith the LORD THese words in so many syllables are cited by St Paule Rom. 12.19 in a sense somewhat different from that they beare in this place There the Apostle following the naturall meaning of the words as they are vsed in the song of Moses by way of exhortation vnto patience adviseth vs to giue place vnto God in all matters of revenge it being a thing onely and properly belonging vnto him If it be possible saith hee as much as in you lyeth haue peace with all men Avenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written vengeance belongeth vnto me I will recompense saith the LORD It is writtē Deut. 32. where Moses after that he had gathered together the elders and officers of Israel to speake in their audience had foretold them that after his death they would vtterly be corrupt and turne from the way of the LORD and that therfore evill should come vpon them at the length he sets downe that his most excellent and spirituall songe wherin his doctrine drops as the raine and his speech stills like the sweetest shewers vpō the hearbs In which his song he first makes rehersal of the inestimable benefits powred downe in great abundāce vpon that people then he speaks of their ingratitude Laden with fatnes they spurned with their heeles and regarded not the stronge God of their salvation After which he brings in God himselfe moued to ielousie and angrie with their provocatiō breathing forth threatning vpon threatning of plague vpon plague to light vpon so froward a generation The fire was kindled in his wrath he threatned that hee would make his arrowes drunke with the blood and his sword to eate the flesh of rebellious ISRAEL Were it not for the furie of his enimies who seeing the desolatiō destructiō of his people would say our high hand not the LORD hath done all this Wherevpon the LORD protesteth that he reserueth revengement vnto himselfe and that assuredly in due time he wil break in peeces every vessell of dishonour will be a tower of defence vnto al that trust in him This his protestation we read vers 35 36. of that song Vengeance and recompence are mine their feete shall slide in due time for the day of their destruction is at hand the things that shall come vpon them make hast For the LORD shall iudge his people and repent towards his servantes Wordes of a double vse they yeeld matter of comfort to all the faithfull God will revenge all wrongs done vnto them for the LORD shall iudge his people repent towards his servants They yeeld also matter of fearefulnesse and horrour to al the wicked who must know that God is a revengefull iudge the day of their destruction is at hand the thing that shall come vpon them make hast their feet shall slide in due time For the LORD hath said and his sayings are immutable Vengeance and recompense are mine Now wee see the naturall meaning of these wordes as they are vsed Deut 32. and alleaged Rom. 12. They confirme that constant and eternall rule of right and wrong well knowne to the wiser of the Heathen by the light of nature Homer in the fourth of his Iliads Theocritus in his tenth Idyllium Pindarus in his Pythia and generally the residue of prophane writers all doe giue their assent to this that God finds out the wicked man wheresoever to be avenged on him I will not hold you with any recitall of their sayings for it is not the deliverie of a Latine or Greeke sentence out of such authors that will much edifie The word of God I knowe is liuely and mightie in operation in it is this eternall rule of right and wrong stablished mention whereof is made by Iunius Paral. 24. lib. 2. to this sence There is no cause why men should be carefull to procure revenge against or to take revenge vpon such as haue wronged them it 's their part rather to rest in God and to commit all their iniuries vnto him that hee to whom alone vengeance belongeth may at length shew himselfe It is an axiome among Schoole-divines Nihil obstat quo minùs speciales sententias transferamus ad doctrinam vniversalem A particular and speciall sentence may bee a good ground to an vniversall doctrine Albeit therefore it was MOSES his purpose in vsing these words and Pauls in citing them to disswade the godly from all private revenge by assuring thē that God will be the avenger of all their iniuries and wrongs yet may they well suting the analogie of faith afforde this doctrine more vniversall that it is proper vnto God to take vengeance vpon all the wicked Wherevpon wil follow that which the Apostle driues at in this place namely that the impietie of such as doe despite and make a mocke of God shall not for ever escape vnpunished Whosoever hauing receaued the knowledge of the truth shall sinne willingly only because he will sinne wilfully spitefully malitiously and so shall crucifie againe the sonne of God shall count his blood prophane shall tread him vnder foot shall make a mocke of him and shall despite the spirit of grace that is whosoever hauing receaued the knowledge of God and his Christ shall fall away from God and godlinesse from Christ Christianitie his root shall be rottennesse and his bud shall rise vp like the dust for the mightie one of Israel having put on the garment of vengeance for clothing and being clad with zeale as with a cloake will come neere to them in iudgement and will bee a swift witnesse against them For as the Prophet Ieremie chap. 51.56 speaketh to the confusion of idolatrous Babel The LORD God that recompenseth shall surely recompense so speaketh our Apostle to the astonishment of all back-sliders VVee knowe him that hath said vengeance belongeth vnto mee I will recompense saith the LORD Vengeance belongeth vnto me In speaking of the vengeance of God our first care must bee not to derogate any thing from his proclivitie and propensnesse vnto mercy Wee must breake out into the mention of his great goodnesse and sing aloud of his mercies saith DAVID Psal 145.7 For the LORD is loving good to all and his mercies are over all his workes The LORD strong and mightie blessed aboue all yea being blessednesse it selfe and therefore hauing no need of any man is loving and good vnto every man Our sinnes haue provoked his vengeance against vs yet he slow to anger and of great goodnesse reserueth mercy for thousands for all the elect and forgiueth all their iniquities transgressions and sinnes His goodnesse here resteth not it reacheth also vnto the reprobate though they
cause of errour It caused the Iewes to erre they tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching his owne body Ioh. 2.19 Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will raise it vp againe It caused Nicodemus to erre hee tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching mans regeneration Iob. 3.3 Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God It caused the Disciples of Christ to erre they tooke it literally which Christ spake in a figure touching the execution of his Fathers will Ioh. 4.32 I haue meate to eate that yee knowe not of I hold it to be an errour of Nicephorus and others to take it after the letter as if Paule had indeed fought vpon a theatre with Lyons at Ephesus because he faith 1. Cor. 15.32 That hee fâ—ught with beasts at Ephesus for in the iudgement of Tertullian and Theophylact of old of Beza Baronius and some n Râ—inold de Idol 2. 6. 6. other very learned of this age he spake it figuratiuely to designe note that disordered assembly gathered together against him at Ephesus vpon the complaint of the silversmyth Demetrius for defence of great Diana I am assured it is an errour of all the Papists to take it after the letter which Christ spake Mat. 26.26 This is my BODIE There is a figure in the speech For in all sacraments there is a great difference betweene the signes and the things signified the signes are visible the things invisible the signes earthly the things heavenly the signes corruptible the things immortall the signes corporall the things spirituall as a reverend o D BILSON B. of Winton of Christian subiection par 4 p. 577. edit LoÌ„d in 8. 1586. Father speaketh in the person of Theophilus The signes are one thing the truth is not the same but another thing by plaine Arithmeticke they be two things and not one This is my body There is a figure in the speech Hee calls the bread his body by way of signification by way of similitude by way of representation after the maner of sacraments in a signe not according to the letter but in a spirituall and mysticall vnderstanding and if you respect the precise speech improperly and figuratiuely I will not hold you with other like instances these few already spoken of may serue to make it plaine that the not admitting of a trope or a figure there where in great reason it ought to be admitted is a cause of errour I haue beene bold beloued to giue this note in this place because the phrase here vsed to fall into the hands of God being spirit and life hath beene mistaken and applied to a carnal sense FroÌ„ hence as from other places of holy Scripture in which other the members of mans body are ascribed vnto God as the p Psal 34.10 face the q Deut. 8.3 mouth r 2. Kin. 19.16 eares Å¿ Zach. 4 10. eyes t 1 Kin. 8 42. armes u Mat. 22.44 feet and some other Tertullian liuing neere vnto the Apostles time hath not doubted to conclude GOD to be a BODIE This his erroneous and false opinion died not with him It was on foot many yeares after him in the time of Arius patronized by those hereticks who by Epiphanius are called Audiani and by x De Haeres cap. 50. Augustine Vadiani after whom also it was egerly maintained in the time of Chrysostome by certain monks of Egypt who were therevpon called Anthropomorphitae But all these are dead and gone their monstrous errour lies buried with them there is no man of any knowledge nowe a daies so blinded as to fall into errour with them It is an axiome in Divinity Quaecunque de Deo corporaliter dicuntur dicta sunt symbolicè whatsoever is spokeÌ„ of God bodily that same must be vnderstood figuratiuely Bellarmine saith as much lib. 2. de imaginib Sanct. ca. 8. MeÌ„bra quae tribuuntur Deo in scripturâ metaphoricè esse accipienda That those members which the Scripture assigneth vnto God are to be taken in a Metaphor Thus farre we are yours Bellarmine Wee mainteine with you that the members attributed vnto God in holy Scripture are to be taken figuratiuely But you builde herevpon chaffe stubble Should we doe the like it could never abide the triall of the fire To proue a non licet to be your Licet licere pingere imagineÌ„ Dei Patris in formâ hominis senis to proue it to be lawfull to represent God the Father by the image of an old man you draw one argument from those places of Scripture which doe attribute vnto GOD bodyly members Your conclusion is by way of question thus The Scripture in words attributeth vnto God all mans meÌ„bers while it saith he stands he sits he walks nameth his head his feete his armes and giveth to him a seate a throne a footestoole therefore why cannot a picture be made to represent GOD Why not an image in the shape of man Why It 's easily answered Because every such picture or image or stocke call it as you will is censured by Ieremie to be a doctrine of vanity chap. 10.8 by Zachary to be a speaker of vanity chapter 10.2 by Habakkuk to bee a teacher of lies chapter 2.18 and Gods expresse commaundement is against it Deut. 4.16 You shall not make you a graven image or representation of any figure A reason of this prohibition is adioyned verse 12. and 15. by which it is manifest that God simplie and absolutely forbiddeth any image at all to be made of himselfe For yee saw no similitude in the day that the LORD spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire yee saw no similitude only yet heard a voice The Prophet Esaie is plentifull in this demonstration to shew how vnseemely absurd it is y Rom. 1.25 to turne the truth of God into a lie as they do who forsake the blessed Creator to worship the creature to turne the Maiestie of God invisible into a picture of visible man to turne the z vers 23. glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man His vehement expostulation with idolaters to this purpose is in the 40. of his prophecie verse 18. To whom will yee liken God Or what similitude will yee set vp vnto him The workeman melteth an image the goldsmith beates it out in gold or silver plats The poore see now the rage fury and madnesse of Idolaters though they haue not wherewith to suffice their own necessities they wil defraud themselues to serue their Idols the poore chooseth out a tree that will not rot for an oblation and puts it to a cunning workeman to prepare an image that cannot be moved The lik expostulation the Prophet ascribeth to God himselfe chap. 46.5 To whom will yee make me like or make me equall or compare me that I should be like him They draw gold