where divers candles or torches in a roome concurre to enlighten the place the light of them remaineth impermixt as the Optickes demonstrate by their severall shadowes so all the divine graces conjoyne their lustre and vertue to adorne and beautifie the inward man yet their nature remaines distinct as their speciall effects make it evident to a single and sharp-sighted eye God was in the bush that burned and consumed not yet God was not the bush The holy Ghost was in the fiery cloven tongues yet the holy Ghost was not the tongues The spirits runne along in the arteries with the purer and refined blood yet the spirits are not the blood The fire insinuateth it selfe into all the parts of melted metall and to the eye nothing appeareth but a torrent of fire yet the fire is not the metall in like manner zeale shineth and flameth in devotion love godly jealousie indignation and other sanctified desires and affections it enflameth them as fire doth metall it stirreth and quickeneth them as the spirits doe the blood yet zeale is not those passions neither are all or any of them zeale howsoever the schooles rather out of zeale of knowledge than knowledge of zeale have determined the contrary 2 Secondly zeale is defined to bee not a morall vertue but a divine gift or grace of the Spirit the Spirit of God is the efficient cause and the Spirit of man is the subject which the Apostle intimates in that phrase i Rom. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being fervent or zealous in Spirit This fire like that of the Vestals is kindled from heaven by the beames of the Sunne of righteousnesse not from any kitchen on earth much lesse from hell They therefore qui irae suae stimulum zelum putant they who imagine the flashes of naturall choler are flames of spirituall zeale toto coelo errant are as farre from the marke as heaven is distant from the earth No naturall or morall temper much lesse any unnaturall and vitious distemper can commend us or our best actions to God and men as zeale doth The fire of zeale like the fire that consumed Solomons sacrifice commeth downe from heaven and true zealots are not those Salamanders or Pyrausts that alwayes live in the fire of hatred and contention but Seraphims burning with the spirituall fire of divine love who as Saint Bernard well noteth kept their ranke and station in heaven when the other Angels of Lucifers band that have their names from light fell from theirs Lucifer cecidit Seraphim stant to teach us that zeale is a more excellent grace than knowledge even in Angels that excell in both Howbeit though zeale as farre surpasse knowledge as the sunne-beame doth a glow-worme yet zeale must not be without knowledge Wherefore God commandeth the Priest when hee k Exod. 30.8 lighteth the lamps to burne incense though the fire bee quicke and the incense sweet yet God accepteth not of the burning it to him in the darke The Jewes had a zeale as the l Rom. 10.2 Apostle acknowledgeth and the Apostle himselfe before his conversion yet because it wanted knowledge it did them and the Church of God great hurt No man can bee ignorant of the direfull effects of blind zeale when an unskilfull Phaeton takes upon him to drive the chariot of the sunne hee sets the whole world in a combustion What a mettled horse is without a bridle or a hot-spurred rider without an eye or a ship in a high winde and swelling saile without a rudder that is zeale without knowledge which is like the eye in the rider to choose the way or like the bridle in the hand to moderate the pace or like the rudder in the ship to steere safely the course thereof Saint m Inser 22. in Cant. Bernard hits full on this point Discretion without zeale is slow paced and zeale without discretion is heady let therefore zeale spurre on discretion and discretion reyne zeale fervor discretionem erigat discretio fervorem regat Discretion must guide zeale as it is guided by spirituall wisedome not worldly policy and therefore Thirdly I adde in the definition of zeale that it quickeneth and enflameth all our holy desires and affections according to the direction of spirituall wisdome For wisdome must prescribe zeale when and where and how far and in what order to proceede in reforming all abuses in Church and State and performing all duties of religious piety and eminent charity What Isocrates spake sometime of valour or strength is as true of zeale viz. n Isoc ad Dem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that zeale and resolution with wisedome doth much good but without it doth much mischiefe to our selves and others like granadoes and other fire-works which if they be not well looked to and ordered when they breake do more hurt to them that cast them than to the enemie Yet that we be not deceived in mistaking worldly policy for wisdome I adde spirituall to difference it from carnall morall or civill wisedome for they are too great coolers they will never let zeale exceed the middle temper of that * Vibius Statesman in Tiberius Court who was noted to bee a wise and grave Counseller of a faire carriage and untainted reputation but hee would o Juven sat 4. Ille igitur nunquam direxit brachia contra torrentem never strike a stroake against the streame hee would never owne any mans quarrell hee would bee sure to save one Such is the worldly wise man hee will move no stone though never so needfull to bee removed if hee apprehend the least feare that any part of the wall will fall upon himselfe The p Cic. de orat l. 1. Tempus omne post consulatum objecimus iis fluctibus qui per nos à communi peste depulsi in nosmetipsos redundarunt Romane Consul and incomparable Oratour shall bee no president for him who imployed all his force and strength to keepe off those waves from the great vessel of the State which rebounded backe againe and had neere drowned the cocke-boate of his private fortune Hee will never ingage himselfe so farre in any hot service no not though Gods honour and the safety of the Church lye at stake but that he will be sure to come off without hazzard of his life or estate Hee hath his conscience in that awe that it shall not clamour against him for not stickling in any businesse that may peradventure reflect upon his state honour or security In a word peradventure he may bee brought with much adoe to doe something for God but never to suffer any thing for him This luke-warme Laodicean disposition the lesse offensive it is to men the more odious it is to God who is a jealous God and affecteth none but those that are zealous for his glory he loveth none but those that will bee content to expose themselves to the hatred of all men for his names sake Hee q
the Indians and in some countryes themselves as among the Americans yet for all this their throwing themselves into or causing others to passe through the fire to their Moloch or Saturne or Abaddon they are not to bee accounted zealously affected in religion because what they doe in this kinde is not done by Gods commandement nor intended to his honour but in obedience and to the honour of an Idoll or Devill whom they worship in stead of the true God 3 The Jesuite or Jesuited Romanist is a kinde of zealot for hee will compasse sea and land to make a proselyte hee will sticke at nothing for the advantage of the catholike cause no not the sticking or stabbing of Kings and Princes his zeale is so hot that it will kindle a fire to blow up whole Parliaments for an Holocaust to the Romane Moloch yet is hee not zealous because hee is hot and fervent not for Christ but for Antichrist and hee useth not sanctified but execrable and damnable meanes to promote the catholike cause as he termeth it and enlarge the territories of the Man of sinne The last condition of true zeale is that it keepe within the walke of mens speciall calling which they who confound for the most part bring confusion upon themselves as did King Uzziah who would bee thought out of zeale to burne incense unto the Lord but because hee tooke upon him to doe that which i 2 Chron. 26.18 appertained not to him but to the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron that were consecrated thereunto his incense stanke in the nostrils of God ver 19. and himselfe also for a leprosie rose up in his forehead before the Priests in the house of the Lord from beside the incense altar and Azariah the chiefe Priest thrust him out of the Temple ver 20. yea himselfe hasted also to goe out because the Lord had smitten him Nothing is more necessary or usefull than fire if it bee kept within the furnace oven or tunnell of the chimney yea or within the barrell of the piece and from thence orderly issue out but nothing so dangerous if it bee not contained within the hearth or breake out of it selfe and flye abroad so nothing is more commendable or profitable than well guided nothing more incommodious and perillous than exorbitant zeale when the Prince medleth with the censer or the Priest with the scepter when private men take the sword out of the Magistrates hand or the Magistrate mis-applyeth the publike sword of justice to revenge his private wrongs Thus have I at length defined zeale and confined it within the limits of every mans lawfull and speciall calling Which limits shall be the bounds of my speech and your attention at this present The best k Plin. nat hist l. 12. c. ult Optimum quod est odoratissimum è semine ac maximum ponderosissimum moâ—dens in gustu est fervensque in ore balsamum and most soveraigne is that which is biting in the taste and burning in the mouth such have beene the observations upon this text biting in the taste and hot in the mouth God grant that like true balsamum they may prove a savour of life unto life to all that have heard me this day I am come with our Saviours Commission to put fire among you and what is my desire but that forthwith it be kindled to purge out all your drosse to purifie the sons of Levi like l Mal. 3.2 silver to burne up all hay and stubble built upon the foundation of our most holy faith and lastly to consume all our spirituall sacrifices But non opis est nostrae non opus est nostrum alas it is not my breath will doe it it must bee the blast of Gods holy Spirit that can first kindle and after keepe this sacred fire in the hearth of our hearts To him therefore who descended in the m Act. 2.3 similitude of fiery cloven tongues let us lift up our hearts hands and voices beseeching him to tind and preserve this spirituall fire in our 1 Hearts 2 Eares 3 Tongues 4 Hands that wee may bee zealously affected to Godward in meditating on him in hearing from him in praying to him in doing and suffering for him To knit up all in a word His grace make us sincerely entirely discreetly and constantly zealous 1 Of his gifts 2 In his service 3 For his honour to whom bee ascribed all honour glory c. THE SEASONING OF ALL SPIRITUALL SACRIFICES OR The Salters Text. A Sermon preached before the Company of the Salters at S. Maries Church in Bread-street THE FIFTEENTH SERMON MARKE 9.49 For every one shall bee salted with fire and every sacrifice shall bee salted with salt Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. THat I may not entertaine your religious attention with a cold or unseasonable discourse I have made choice of a text wherein I finde both fire and salt fire to heat it and salt to season it And if any parcell of Scripture may be appropriated to any of the Worshipfull Societies or Companies of this Honourable City certainly you may challenge a peculiar interest in this For here is both salt and salting from whence you take your name both of men sacrifices The best of all creatures on earth are men and the best of all gifts of men are sacrifices both are made savory and acceptable to God by seasoning they with fire these with salt In relation to the former me thinks as Christ said to Andrew and Peter a Matth. 4.19 Follow me I will make you fishers of men so I heare the holy spirit say to mee Observe this text well and apply it and I will make thee a salter of men for every man must bee salted with fire and as it followeth Every sacrifice must bee salted with salt b Lev. 2.13 Every oblaâ—ion of the meat offering shalt thou season with salt neither shalt thou suffer the covenant of thy God to bee lacking from thy meat offering With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt saith Moses from God Every sacrifice shall bee salted with salt saith Christ from Moses whose drift in this place is somewhat obscure because the sense is covered under the vaile of an Allegory which wee cannot draw without looking up higher into the chapter and touching upon the precedent verses Wherein our Lord threatneth unquenchable fire and an immortall worme to all that for want of the fire of zeale grow cold in religion and for lacke of the salt of grace putrefie in their sins If saith he that person or thing that causes thee to offend either in want of courage for God or of zeale and Christian resolution against thy bosome sinnes and naturall corruptions bee as deare to thee as thine eye or as necessary as thy right hand part with them thou must if it be an eye plucke it out if an hand cut it off and cast it away from thee better
seemeth more secure than sitting in a chaire yet Judge e Aug de civit Dei l. 22. c. 22. Quid videtur sedente securius de sella cecidit Eli mortuus est Ely fell out of his chaire and brake his necke Wherefore since Judges themselves are as subject to the lawes of humane frailty as other men since for ought they know they are as neere death as the prisoner whom they have newly condemned to dye let them look above them not about them let them feare God not man let them deliver nothing at the bench which they are not assured in their consciences that they are able to make good before the Judge of quicke and dead from whose face heaven and earth fled away and their place could no where be found Judges may be considered either as of a particular circuit of the earth and so they must receive instruction from the King or Lord of that land or as Judges of the earth at large and in that regard must take their Commission and receive Instruction from the Lord of the whole earth who requireth in his Judges 1 Religion f Exod. 18.21 thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as feare God 2 Moderation g Gal. 6.1 to restore such as are overtaken in a fault in the Spirit of meeknesse 3 Learning and knowledge in the lawes of which before 4 Integrity they must h Num. 11.24 hate covetousnesse i Exod. 18.21 Deut. 16.19 they may not take a gift c. 5 Indifferency they k Deut. 1.17 must not respect persons in judgement but heare the small c. 6 Attention and diligent enquiry they l Deut. 1.16 13.14 19.18 must heare causes and make search c. 7 Expedition m Zech. 7.9 to execute true judgement and not delay justice 8 Resolution and courage not to n Deut. 1.17 feare the face of man 9 Equity to o Deut. 1.16 Joh. 7.24 judge equally and righteously betweene every man and his brother 1 Want of Religion makes a prophane Judge 2 Want of Moderation an unmercifull Judge 3 Want of Learning an unsufficient Judge 4 Want of Integrity a corrupt Judge 5 Want of Indifferency a partiall Judge 6 Want of Attention a rash Judge 7 Want of Expedition a tedious Judge 8 Want of Resolution a timorous Judge 9 Want of Equity an unrighteous Judge Lastly Want of any of these an Incompetent Judge want of all these an unsufferable and execrable Judge 1 Religion is required in a Judge without which there will be no conscience of doing justice where injustice may be borne out and because even religious men are subject to passion to religion a Judge must adde 2 Moderation and governement of his passions and because a man of temper fit for a Judge may mistake his marke if he be not expert in the Law to moderation he must adde 3 Learning and knowledge in the Law according to which he is to give sentence and because bribes blinde the p Deut. 16.19 eyes of the wisest and learnedst Judges to learning he must adde 4 Integritie and incorruption a sincere heart and cleere hands and because where bribes cannot open the hand yet favour may enter at the eye to his Integrity he must adde 5 Indifferencie free from all kinde of partiality and because a Judge though never so religious temperate learned incorrupt and impartiall cannot yet give right judgement without a full hearing and exact discussing of the cause before him to indifferencie he must adde 6 Patient Attention and diligent q Deut. 19.18 inquisition and because the plaintife or defendant are nothing benefited by the Judges hearing of or searching into the cause if after examination there follow not a sentence to Attentition he must adde 7 Expedition for delayed justice oftentimes as much wrongeth the plaintife as injustice and because after enquiry and hearing though the Judge be expert and readie yet judgement may be stopped if a great person appeare in the cause to Expedition he must adde 8 Courage and Resolution and because if a Judge strike too hard with the sword of justice he may breake it as also because the sentence of the law may be just in generall yet in regard of difference in circumstances may wring and wrong a man in particular to all the former vertues a compleat Judge must adde 9 r Levit. 19.15 In equity shalt thou judgethy neighbour Equity and stayed discretion which holdeth steedily the gold weights of justice and addeth or taketh away a graine or more to make the piece and weight perfectly agree 1. Religion Alvares reporteth that the Aethiopians place many chaires about the Judges seat not out of State but out of Religion supposing that their Gods fit there with their Judges That which they suppose we certainely know that God and his Angels are present at the Assises and that he judgeth among the Å¿ Psal 82.1.7 gods that is the Judges or Princes How religious then ought Judges to be who are Almighty Gods Assessours So neere is the affinity betweene Justice and Religion that as Priests are called Judices sacrorum Judges of Religion and causes Ecclesiasticall so Judges are by Ulpian stiled Sacerdotes justitiae Priests of justice And not only the high Priests among the Jewes but also the Archontes of the Athenians the Archiflamines and t Cic prò domo suâ ad Pontifices Cum multa divinitus Ponâ—ifices a majoribus nostris in venta atque instituta sunt tum nihil praeclarius quam quod vos cosdem religionibus deorum immortalium summae reipublicae prae esse voluerunt Pontifices of the Romanes the Muphteyes of the Turkes the Brameres of the Indians the Druides of the ancient Brittaines were trusted with Justice as well as Religion and that for important considerations For sith mortall men cannot prescribe against God nor dispence with his commandements sith the divine law is the supreme law to which lyeth an appeale from all humane statutes and ordinances they who by their calling are Interpreters of that law might well be thought fit Umpires in all controversies concerning the equity of lawes and conformity to the divine especially in such points wherein the lawes trench upon holy things But I list not in the heat of modern oppositions to drink of the waters of strife let that question passe whether sacred persons expert in the divine law are not fittest to judge in secular causes of greatest moment this I am sure Judges must be if not in orders yet eminently religious and skilfull in the law of God for the judgement they are to give is u Deut. 1.17 Gods If a Judge be not religious he will never be zealous for Gods honour nor severely punish the breaches of the first Table If a Judge feare not God hee will feare the face of man and flye backe when he should stand out for a poore
innocent against a mighty adversary x Martial epig. Contra libertum Caesaris ire timens If a Judge make no account of giving one day an account of all his actions to the supreme Judge of quicke and dead hee will make no consscience of delaying justice or denying it or perverting it or stifling it or selling it Justice shall be cast in her owne Court and overthrowne upon her owne Tribunall The Judge y Cypr. l. 2. ep 2. Inter leges delinquitur inter jura peccatur innocentia nec ubi defenditu◠servabitur Sen. de ira l. 2. Quam turpes lites quam turpiores advocatos habent Judex damnaturus quae fecit eligitur corona pro mala causa bona patroni voce corrupta Lactan. divin instit l. 1. who sitteth on the bench to punish delinquents will prove the greatest delinquent and dye his dibaphum or bis tinctum his twice died scarlet the third time with innocent blood If a Judge depend upon the King and not upon God Seianus shall bee condemned to a most painefull and ignominious death upon a bare letter from Tiberius though no man know for what crime or upon what evidence nay a Pilate will condemne Jesus himselfe to be crucified rather than not be thought a friend to Caesar If a Judge be like Cardinall Caraffa securus de numine out of all feare of Gods vengeance hee will make the law a snare and justice a net and the bench a step to his owne advancement He will either like Hercules Priest play with one hand for Hercules and the other for himselfe Or like a Mazar in Ps 51. Ayat the Jew utraque manu tanquam dextra uti take bribes on both sides and doe Justice on neither 2 A Judge must be a religious man and none but such ought to be called to the bench yet neither are all religious men fit to be Judges for beside the feare of God and devotion in a Judge there must be temper in him and singular moderation he must be a Moses b Numb 12.3 a very meek man above all the men that were upon the face of the earth the mind of a Judge should be as still and calme as the upper region of the aire Perpetuum nullâ temeratum nube serenum For it is impossible for him clearely to discerne betweene man and man cause and cause blood and blood there being colourable pretences on both sides whose eye is clouded with passion or overcast with any mist of prejudice When the water is troubled or mingled with mud we see not a bright pearle or piece of silver in the bottom in like maner when the mind is stirred troubled with perturbations we cannot discerne the truth which for the most part lyeth not in the top but in the bottome as it were of a deepe Well according to * Democ. dixit veritatem in fundo demersam Democritus his embleme In this consideration the Areopagite Judges prohibited Orators to play their Prizes of wit before them or goe about any way by figures of amplification and exaggeration to move any affection in them of love or hatred or feare or anger or envie or pity And c Arist Rhet. l. 1. c. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristotle yeeldeth a good reason for it It is the part of an unskilfull and foolish artificer saith he to endevour to bow or crooke his owne rule whereby he is to work Now the understanding of a Judge is as it were the rule square by which all causes are to be tryed and justice mett out By indirect meanes then to pervert the minde of the Judge and deprave his judgement what is it else in an Advocate or Pleader than to crook his owne square and falsifie the common measure of right Most certaine it is that as meat tasteth not a like to a cleere stomacke and to a stomacke repleat with ill humors so that no matter in debate presents it selfe in the like hue to a single and cleer eye and to a dazled or blood-shot Let S. James give the Judges their Motto Be swift to heare slow to speak slow to wrath d Vellaius Pater l. 1. hist Quicquid voluit valde voluit Brutus nimium Cassius Brutus would have made an ill judge who was affianced to his owne will and Cassius a worse who was wedded to it and Herod worst of all of whom Josephus giveth this character that he was Legis dominus irae servus Lord of the law yet a slave to his owne passion It is no strong piece that will easily bee out of frame frame therefore and temper must needs be in a Judge yet this will not serve without a great measure of 3 Knowledge and learning in lawes 1 Divine 2 Humane As also in causes 1 Ecclesiasticall 2 Secular of which before 1 Civill 1 Municipall 4 Integrity Probè doctus est qui probus est he is intirely learned who to his learning hath added integrity Learning teacheth what is wrong as well as what is right and without integrity instructeth a Judge how to make wrong passe for right in a legall forme If a Judges eye be open to favour or his hand to gifts his learning will serve him to no other end than cunningly to divert the streight current to bring water to his own Mill. He that opens his hand to catch after a great reward cannot chuse but let fall his rule out of it In which regard the e Rainold com in Rhet. Arist l. 1. Thebanes pourtraying a Judge drew a venerable personage in a sacred habite fitting still in a chaire having neither eyes nor hands his sacred habit represented his religion his venerable yeeres his learning and experience his still sitting his moderation his eyes out his indifferency or impartiality his want of hands his integrity or freedome from taking bribes f Mazar com in Psal 51. Mazarinus complaineth of the Judges beyond the sea and there let them still bee that they resembled the blood-stone which hath a speciall property to stanch blood yet it is observed by Jewellers that it never exerciseth this vertue nor stancheth blood unlesse it be set in or covered over with silver and so applyed to the veine How true this is I know not but sure I am that those who use a silver plummet draw blacke lines When Demosthenes having received a large fee of the adverse party to be silent in a cause and being called to plead pretended the Squinsie his clyent handsomely came over him saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non est ista angina sed argentangina I could match such an Advocate with a like Judge in Poland called Ictus who a long time stood for a poore plaintife against a rich defendant in the end took of the defendant a great summe of mony stamped according to the usuall stampe of the countrey with the Image of a man in complete armour and at the next Sessions in court judged the
us they may receive us into everlasting habitations 5. To seeke the Lord whilest hee may bee found and not to deferre our repentance from day to day 6. To be sure to provide for our eternall state whatsoever becommeth of our temporall and to preferre the salvation of our soule before the gaining of the whole world 7. To examine daily our spirituall estate and to informe our selves truly how we stand in the Court of Heaven in Gods favour or out of it 8. To observe to what sinnes wee are most subject and where wee are weakest there continually to fortifie against Sathans batteries 9. In all weighty occasions especially such as concerne our spirituall estate to aske counsell of God and take direction from his Word 10. To consider the speciall workes of Gods providence in the carriage of the affaires of this world and make use thereof to our selves 11. Lastly to meditate upon the Law of God all the dayes of our life and consider their blessed end that keep it with their whole heart and their accursed death that transgresse it And so I fall upon the second branch of my Text Observ 3 They would consider I have already proposed wisedome to your desires now I am to commend consideration to your wisedome The Schoole Divines make this the speciall difference between the knowledge of men and Angels that the knowledge of Angels is intuitive but of men discursive they see all things to which the beame of their sight extendeth as it were on the sudden with one cast of the eye but we by degrees see one thing after another and inferre effects from causes and conclusions from principles and particulars from generalls they have the treasures of wisedome and knowledge ready alwayes at hand we by reading hearing conference but especially by meditation must digge it out of the precious mynes where it lyeth In which regard Barradius alluding to the sound of the word though not to the Grammaticall originall saith meditatio est quasi mentis ditatio meditation is the enriching of the soule because it delves into the rich mynes of wisedome and maketh use of all that wee heare or reade and layeth it up in our memories Seneca fitly termeth it rumination or chewing of the cud which maketh the food of the soule taste sweeter in the mouth and digest better in the stomacke By the Law of God the u Levit. 11.3 7. beasts that chewed not the cud were reckoned among the unclean of which the people of God might not eate such are they in the Church that never ruminate or meditate upon those things they take in at the eare which is the soules mouth I know no difference more apparent between a wise man and a foole than this that the one is prometheus hee adviseth before the other is epimetheus he acteth first and deliberateth afterwards and * Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wardeth after hee hath received the wound the one doth all things headily and rashly the other maturely and advisedly A man that hath an understanding spirit calleth all his thoughts together and holdeth a cabinet councell in the closet of his heart and there propoundeth debateth deliberateth and resolveth what hee hath to doe and how before hee imbarke himselfe into any great designe or weighty affaire For want of this preconsideration most men commit many errours and fall into great inconveniences troubles and mischiefes and are often caught unawares in the Divels snare which they might easily have shunned if they had looked before they leaped and fore-casted their course before they entred into it It is a lamentable thing to see how many men partly through carelesnesse and incogitancie partly through a desire to enjoy their sensuall pleasures without any interruption suffer Sathan like a cunning Faulkner to put a hood upon their soules and therewith blind the eyes of the understanding and never offer to plucke it off or stirre it before hee hath brought them to utter darknesse O that men were wise to understand this cunning of the Divell Application and consider alwayes what they doe before they doe it and be they never so resolutely bent and hot set upon any businesse yet according to the advice of the x Cic. Orat. pro Pub. Quint. Si haec duo solùm verba tecum habuisses Quid ago respirasset credo cupiditas c. Orator to give their desires so long a breathing time till they have spoken these two words to themselves Quid agimus what doe we what are we about is it a commendable worke is it agreeable to the Word of God and sutable to our calling is it of good report and all circumstances considered expedient if so goe on in Gods name and the Lord prosper your handy-workes but if otherwise meddle not with it and put off all that the Divell or carnall wisedome can alledge to induce you unto it with these checkes of your own consciences saying to your selves Shall we offend God shall we charge our consciences shall we staine our reputation shall we scandalize our profession shall we despite the Spirit of grace shall we forfeit our estate in Gods promises and foregoe a title to a Kingdome shall wee pull downe all Gods plagues and judgements upon us in this life and hazzard the damnation of body and soule in hell and all this for an earthly vanity a fading commodity a momentary pleasure an opinion of honour a thought of contentment a dreame of happinesse Shall we bett with the Divell and stake our soules against a trifle shall we venture our life and put all the treasures of Gods grace and our crowne of glory in the Divels bottome for such light and vile merchandize as this world affordeth Is it not folly nay madnesse to lay out all upon one great feast knowing that we should fast all the yeere after to venture the boiling in the river of brimstone for ever for bathing our selves in the pleasures of sinne for an houre We forbid our children to eate fruit because we say it breedeth wormes in their bellies and if wee had the like care of the health of our soules as of their bodies wee would for the same reason abstaine from the forbidden fruit of sinne because it breedeth in the conscience a never dying worme O that we were wise to understand this and to Consider our later end I have proposed wisedome to your desires in the first place and in the second referred consideration to your wisedome now in the last place I am to recommend your later end to your consideration A wise man beginneth with the end which is first in the intention but last in the execution and as we judge of stuffes by their last so of all courses by their end to which they tend It is not the first or middle but the last scene that denominateth the play a tragedy or a comedy and it is the state of a man at his death and after upon which wee are to
praeparare inposterum bona justis quibus non fruerentur injusti malâ—â—mpiis quibus non cruciabuntur justi ista verò temporalia bona mala utrisque voluit esse communia ut nec bona câ—â—â—â—ius appetantur quae mali quoque habere cernuntur nec mala turpiùs evitentur quibus boni plerunque afâ—iciuntur Austine It pleased divine providence to prepare hereafter good things for the righteous wherein the wicked shall not partake with them and evills for the wicked wherewith the righteous shall never bee troubled but as for these temporall good things and evill hee would have them in some sort common to both that neither the blessings of this life should be too greedily desired in which wicked men have a share neither crosses and afflictions too fearfully avoided which we see fall often to the lot of the righteous In summe neither prosperity nor adversity nor affluence of earthly blessings nor afflictions are infallible demonstrations of Gods love nor certaine and inseparable notes of Christs Church Afflictions may be though usually they are not in them that feare God judgements of wrath and temporall blessings may be though usually in most men they are not tokens of Gods love Therefore let us not set our heart and affections upon worldly goods because they are often the portions of the wicked neither yet let us set our hearts wholly against them because they may fall to the lot of the righteous and do when they may further and not hinder their eternall salvation Let us not desire the greatest preferments of this world with Gods hatred nor refuse the greatest crosses with his love Let us not repine at the temporall felicity of the wicked which endeth in eternall misery nor be dismayed at the temporall infelicity of the godly because it endeth in everlasting felicity Let prosperity commend our charity and temperance and adversity our courage and patience Let us doe for Christ in the one and suffer for him in the other and in both estates admire his provident justice and for both sanctified unto us praise his gracious goodnesse Cui c. THE OYLE OF THYME THE XLIX SERMON REV. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Right Honourable c. PLutarch in his Treatise of the a Plut. de anim tranquil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. tranquility of the mind writeth that though Thyme be a most dry and bitter herbe yet that not only the Apothecaries draw an wholsome oyle out of it but also that the Bees extract from thence sweet hony This dry and bitter herb is affliction to the taste of most men yet out of it we have drawne both a wholsome oyle to cure a wounded conscience and hony also to delight the spirituall taste Oyle out of the nature of afflictions which are chastenings and hony out of the cause Gods love As many as I love I rebuke and chasten In this Text the parts answer the number of the words the arguments the parts the comforts the arguments as I have declared heretofore yet they all with much adoe draw our assent to this conclusion That we are not to rise up at nor to faint under Gods correcting hand For the doctrine of enduring affliction is durus sermo quis potest ferre a hard speech who can endure it Albeit we know that God hath the chiefe stroake therein and all his dearest children have part with us yet we grudge at them though we are taught even by God himselfe that they are effects of his love and causes of our good yet we are dismayed at them So bladder-like is the soule of man that being filled with earthly vanities though but wind it groweth great and swelleth in pride but if it be pricked with the least pin or smallest needle of piercing griefe it presently shriveleth to nothing Afflictions are pillulae lucis pills made on purpose to cleare the eye-sight prescribed by a most tender and skilfull Physician gilt over with the names of chastenings and fatherly corrections and sugered with the love of God yet they will not downe nay it is well if it be not so ill with many of us that we returne him bitter words for his bitter pills and storme against him who hereby bringeth to us the quiet fruit of righteousnesse insani adversus antidotum quo fani esse possimus growing mad against the remedy of our madnesse For are we not come to that passe Ut nec morbos nec remedia ferre possimus that we can neither endure our pain nor abide the cure b Rom. 5.3 Tribulation saith the Apostle bringeth patience It should doe so indeed and through the power of grace it doth so in perfect Christians but the contrary is verified in the greater part of men Tribulation bringeth impatience not of it selfe but according to the disposition of the patient as wholsome potions given to generate good bloud in a fowle stomach turne to choler In this case the Physicians prescribe purges Purges are to bee given according to the nature of the humour to be purged and therefore the cure of the malady begins at the knowledge of the cause which in this will be found to be the reliques of originall corruption nourished by the ill dyet of the soule immoderately glutting her selfe with sensuall delights and much increased by false opinions To begin with the sinke of originall sinne sending up noisome fumes and vapours which distemper the inward man Of other things as peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost we easlier speake than conceive them and easlier conceive them what they may be in others than sensibly apprehend them in our selves but wee feele rather than understand and understand better than wee can expresse this hereditary disease and habituall depravation of our whole nature It is that corrupt humour or malignant quality drawne from the loynes of our first parents which tainteth our bloud surpriseth our vitall faculties stoppeth or much hindereth the motions of Gods Spirit and the operations of this grace in us so that wee neither can doe nor suffer the will of God without regret and reluctancy It is the prima materia of all diseases the tinder of naturall lusts easily set on fire with hell it disposeth us to all evill and breedeth in us an aversnesse from all good it is not subject to the c Rom. 7.23 Law of God neither can it be it rebelleth against the law of our mind and enthralleth us to sin and Sathan and even after we are freed from the dominion of sinne so fettereth our feet that we cannot with any expedition run the wayes of Gods commandements Though the prosperous gales of Gods Spirit drive us toward the haven where we would be yet the main tide of our corruption runneth so strong the contrary way that we much float and saile but flowly Saint Peter no doubt after our Saviour acquainted him with the kind of death whereby he was to glorifie God
the left that they may be charmed both by the word and by the voyce of reason it selfe Christ saith his house is an house of prayer but where spake hee this spake he it not in the Temple and were not these very words part of a sermon which hee preached to the buyers and sellers there Hee hath but little skill in the language of Canaan who knoweth not that prayer and invocation of Gods name is in Scripture by a Synecdoche taken for the whole f Acts 2.21 Rom. 10.13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved c. worship of God yet admit that our Saviour should in that place take prayers strictly for that part of Gods worship which consisteth in lifting up our hands to preferre our petitions and supplications unto him S. Paul furnisheth us with a direct answer to this objection even by those questions he propoundeth g Rom. 10.14 How then shall they call on him on whom they have not beleveed how shall they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher As there is no powerfull preaching without prayer to God for a blessing upon it so no good prayer without preaching to direct both in the matter and forme and to enflame our hearts with zeale There being three parts of prayer humble confession confident invocation and hearty thanksgiving how can they make a full confession of their sinnes who learne not what are sinnes from the mouth of the Preacher How can they bee humbled in such sort as they ought before whom the Preacher out of the word setteth not God his terrible name glorious Majestie all-seeing eye infinite purity strict justice fierce wrath against sin together with man his vilenesse wretchednesse sinfulnesse wants and infirmities How can they call upon God with confidence who are not perswaded out of the Word by the Preacher of God his love to man mercie and long-suffering gratious promises omnipotent goodnesse as also of Christ his perfect obedience plenary satisfaction and perpetuall intercession How can they recount Gods blessings both spirituall and temporall who never have beene told them by the Preacher Yea but they will say they know enough of these things nihil est dictum quod non sit dictum prius This very objection of theirs bewrayes their ignorance and want of knowledge in divine things For were they rightly instructed as they ought to be they could not but know that the Scripture is like a plentifull mine in which the deeper we digge the veine of heavenly truthes proves still the richer they would know that all the Saints of God in all ages have complained of and confessed their ignorance and continually praied with David Doce me viam statutorum tuorum O teach me the way of thy statutes and open mine eyes that I may see the wonderfull things of thy law Lastly that it is the duty of every good Christian to h Ambros de Offic. l. 1. Et quantumvis quisque profecerit nemo est qui doceri non queat donec vivit improve his talent of wisedome and spirituall understanding to i 1 Tim. 4.15 meditate on those things he readeth and heareth that his profiting may appeare unto all and to k 2 Pet. 3.18 grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Admit they should learne no new thing in divers Sermons yet will not this any way excuse their neglect of this duty of hearing neither ought it to be any cause at all to keepe them from Sermons because instruction of ignorance is not the onely end of preaching there are many others as to glorifie God to countenance the ministerie of his word by their presence to encourage others to the diligent and constant hearing of the word by their example who perhaps may more need instruction than themselves to testifie their obedience to Gods ordinance who commandeth all his servants as well to heare him when he speaketh to them in his Word as to speake unto him in their prayers to have religious affections stirred up in them sometimes hope sometimes feare sometimes godly sorrow sometimes spirituall joy alwayes zeale for Gods glorie fervour in their devotion and watchfulnesse over all their wayes to be put in minde of those things which indeed they knew before but either forgot or made as little use of them as if they had never knowne them to be awaked out of their spirituall lethargie to be admonished of divers dangers they are like to incurre to be convinced of divers errours which they count to be none till the powerfull ministry of the Word hath demonstrated them to be such to reprove them of the sins they daily commit as well of ignorance as against their conscience and to pricke their hearts deep with godly compunction that with weeping eyes and bleeding hearts they may seek to God in time for pardon Lastly to prepare them to performe all religious duties in a better maner that they may for the future receive more comfort in their private devotions and more benefit by the publike ministry of the Word and Sacraments The grand enemie of our soules partly by immediate suggestions and thoughts ingested into our mindes and partly by the mouthes or pennes of Atheists Infidels Heretickes and Schismatickes layeth new batteries against our most holy faith and is it not then most needfull to learne from the most able and experienced Souldiers of Christ how to beat them off and fortifie against them And if their memorie be so brittle and pertuse as they pretend that it will hold nothing there is a greater necessitie for them to heare oftener than others that the frequent inculcation of the same doctrine may imprint that in their mindes which others receive by the first hearing And to answer them in their owne metaphor albeit the bucket be so full of holes that all the water they take up in it runneth out yet certainely the often dipping it into the Well and filling it with water will make it moister than otherwise it would have beene And so I passe from the eare marke of Christs sheepe to the marke in their heart They were pricked in heart This pricke in the heart may be considered two manner of wayes 1 In a reference to the cause and so it is an effect 2 In a reference to the subject and so it is an affection If wee consider it as an effect it sheweth unto us the efficacie of Gods Word in the mind of the hearers which is far greater than any force of humane art or eloquence Art and humane eloquence may move affection but it is the powerfull preaching of the Word only that can remove corruption as we read Lex Jehovae convertens animas l Psal 19.7 The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule The word of man my tickle the eare but it is the word of God onely which pricketh deepe the heart