our choyce that we pitch vpon a good guide wherein the Scripture bids vs take heed of two Rockes the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must neither our selues forge a Religion neither receiue any that is forged by others for guiding of our conscience as we must not be without Law so must we take heed what Law we vse And indeed we may vse none safely but The Law of God in such cases Lanes 4.12 that of the Apostle is true There is but one Lawgiuer no Law but his bindes vnto that for performance whereof we may securely expect that he will performe what in the Couenant for his part hee hath promised vnto vs. Many commendations wee read in prophane Writers of the the Lawes of Solon Lycurgus Zaleuchus and others but these must all be as imperfect as the Law-giuers whether we respect the Precepts or the Sanctions none comprehending exactly the Dutie of Man and therefore not being able to set Man in the way to the attaining of his Soueraigne Good This is peculiar to the Law of God But what is meant by the Law of God Surely the Law deliuered by Moses whereof the Prophets were but Interpreters and their Interpretation shewes the largenesse of the Text namely That the Gospell is included in the Law for the Decalogue cloathed with the Ceremonies what is it but Implicitum Euangelium The substance of the Gospell which is Saluation by Repentance and Faith in Christ And so must we vnderstand not onely Moses his commendations of the Law Deut. 4. but King Dauids also Psal 19. and 119 the truth whereof cannot be acknowledged if the Law and the Gospell be taken Oppositè and not Compositè if we oppose the one to the other and doe not by the one put comfort into the other Certainely in this place we must so vnderstand the Law because it is made the Way to Blisse And marke that here One Law of God is opposed vnto the three degrees of Sinne The Counsell of the wicked The way of Sinners and The Seat of the Scorners one to three to giue vs to vnderstand that what those three promise is performed in this One no true Counsell but in this Law no good Course but that whereinto wee are set by this Law and if we will be Doctors and despise the folly of others we must sit in Moses Chaire we must professe no other but the Law of God And thus much of that Whereunto we must be dedicated Let vs uow see How Wee must first receiue it in the Inward Man the word vsed by the Psalmist is Chephetz which signifies Voluntatem and Voluptatem and notes where and what entertainment wee must first giue vnto The Law Where in our Will so we finde in the tenour of the Couenant This shall be my Couenant Iere. 31.33 which I will make with the House of Israel saith the Lord I will write my Lawes in their Hearts c. God will not haue a seruile Dedication hee will not bee serued by compulsion and therefore those that serue him are called Psal 110. A willing People Neither can the seruice be reasonable wherein the Will is wanting for the Actions are not counted ours wherein the Will hath no part seeing it is by vertue of the Will that a Man is Dominus actionum suarum a free Agent neither is any Action free but that which is done willingly though we cannot partake of the Law but by our Vnderstanding yet is the principall obiect of the Law our Will for Theologia is Scientia not Theoretica but Practica wee learne not the Law for to know it but to doe it Adde hereunto that Inclinatio voluntatis is Inclinatio totius suppositi it is not without cause that God requires the Will seeing the Will hath power to sway the whole Man especially if the Will be Chephetz ioyned with Delight for so God doth require the Heart hee will haue it seasoned with Loue Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and Loue is the fulfilling of the Law King Dauid opens this Delight 1. Tim. 1.5 Psal 19. when he tels vs that the Law was sweeter than Honey and the Honey-combe the meaning of it is we must not be mercenarie but the pleasure we take in it must-be the cause why we entertaine it And marke the phrase His delight is in the Law Multi habent Legem in Corde sed non Cor in Lege saith Hugo de S. Victore Many treasure vp the Law in their hearts that doe not solace their hearts in the Law they only know it these also delight in it Saint Austin obserues a Distinction betweene In Lege and Sub Lege Qui est in Lege secundum Legem agit He whose heart is in the Law followes the direction of the Law Qui est sub Lege à Lege agitur he whose heart is vnder the Law Rom. 7.22 entertaines it rather of constraint then with a willing minde but wee must Delight in the Law of God in the Inward man as the Apostle speaketh For as ground is fruitfull not by receiuing but by liking of the seed Euen so man becomes not Religious by knowing but by affecting of the Law Amor est virtus Vniens by Loue doth a man become one with the Law yea himselfe is turned into a liuing Law for men are alwayes busie about that wherein they take Delight and the Law being receiued into the inwaâ—d man will ouer-spread the whole man which is implyed in the next branch He meditates on that Law To Meditate on the Law is First to ruminate on the Scripture and sound the depth of it for the Law is deliuered in few words wherein there are contained great Riches of sense which by Meditation we must worke out Christ hath giuen vs a patterne Mat. 5. Where he vnwraps the sense of seuerall Commandements of Murder of Adulterie of Diuorce In the sixth of Saint Iohn how much matter doth he draw out of the Storie of Manna And what mysteries doth Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrewes find in the Ceremonies of Moses This is the first branch of Meditating the vnfolding of the Riches of that sense which God hath treasured vp in his Law This is the worke of our vnderstanding But the vnderstanding doth but prepare matter for the Affections There is a second branch therefore of Meditating which is the seasoning of our Affections with that which we know And as the vnderstanding prepares matter for the Affections so what vse of our Affections but to quicken our Actions Therfore as a man which takes into his mouth a morsell of good meate chewes it and by chewing doth discouer the sweetnesse and kindly nourishment that is in it and hauing rellisht it swallowes it downe and by meane conueiances disperseth it into euerie part of his body that euery part may be made more vigorous and Actiue thereby So
so doth it heare and speake it performeth all its naturall actions And so doth it its Morall also more heauily in some then in other some by reason of the temper doth the body in morall actions follow the Soule but yet it followeth And this may be a good reason why God rememiâ—reth here the powers of our Soule and not the parts of our Body But there is a better and that is deliuered by S. Paul The Law is spirituall Christ layeth the ground of that God is a Spirit Ioh. 4. and hee that worshippeth him must worship him in spirit and in truth Now we are sure that there is no hypocrisie in our Charitie if the seate of it bee the powers of our Soule there may be if it bee the parts of our body witnesse the Pharisee to whom Christ not onely directs but fitteth his speech also who made some shew of Charitie to the world but his inwards were full of Hatred in the sight of God for hee was a Tempter And this doth Christ perstringe or strike at in pressing these words of the Law and shewes that God doth not esteeme the outward deede without the inward affection And the Lesson whch wee must all draw from the seate of Charity is this that our outwarid charitable conuersation must bee rooted in our like inward disposition I should now if time would giue leaue carry euery mans eye into his owne bosome there to take a view whether this vertue bee Catholique and Transcendent or no and if hee find any part vnpossest or not improued as farre as it should bee I should perswade him to see it presently amended Nay I should tell you from that which all the world seeth outwardly that few haue Charitie inwardly for if they had how could their eyes bee so full of Adulterie their eares so set open to entertaine slanders and vntruths their mouthes so ouer-flowe with blasphemie and ribaldrie their hands be so exercised with extortion and cruelty Certainely these things could not bee without if Charitie were within And if Charitie bee not a Catholique and Transcendent vertue in vs no hope that it is either Ordinate or Imperatiue these are perfections whereupon the other are raysed as on a foundation But I cannot stand to take this view and quicken your eare onely remember this that if Loue doe not Hatred will take vp this full Soule GOd that hath commanded this extent of Charitie giue vs eyes to see our want and grace whereby to supply the same that so this vertue may be excluded out of no power that hath right vnto them all and the parts of our Body may bee conformable to the powers of our Soule That so no power nor part may appeare deuoyd of Charitie whether in the eyes of God or man AMEN The fourth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. The Lord thy God THe Scripture that doth commaund Charitie doth withall teach Where it must be seated and vpon whom it must bee bestowed Where it must be seated you haue already heard you are next to heare vpon whom it must bee bestowed And here we find two kinds of persons both capable of our Charitie because they can returne Loue for Loue and it is the propertie of Loue to be mutuall Of these two persons the names are exprest the first is the Lord thy God the second is thy Neighbour But we must farther obserue What is included in these Names the Cause why they must be beloued and Who are excluded by them They are not capable of the Loue due to the Lord our God that come not vnder his name neither are they capable of the Loue due to our Neighbour that are not contained vnder his name Secondly though the Persons onely are named yet are there things also comprehended vnder the names euen such things as haue reference to the Persons and whatsoeuer things are opposite are excluded thereby Touching the first person onely shall I handle these points at this time First then of his name He is called the Lord our God euerie word hath some remarkable thing in it That which is here rendred Lord is in Moses Iehoua but the Septuagint partly because the Greeke tongue hath no Characters wherewith to expresse that word and partly because the signification of it cannot be fully exprest in any Language by any one word vse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the fittest which they could light vpon the Euangelist doth follow them and so doe the vulgar translations But when you heare this word you must not vnderstand it in a popular but in a mysticall sense I will open the mystery vnto you It noteth then two things the one is absolute in God the other is relatiue to his creatures In God it noteth the prerogatiue of his nature which standeth in two things the singularitie and the eternitie thereof Touching the singularity When Moses asked God What is thy name Exod. 3 14. God answered him I am that I am The Scripture calleth him by diuers names sometimes True sometimes Iust sometimes Holy sometimes Mighty c. Wee must no otherwise conceiue of these Names then as being his very Nature Wee call him True and what is his Nature but Truth and Holinesse is his Nature whom wee call Holy the like must bee obserued in his other Attributes they are all his Nature and and therefore inseparable from him hee must cease to be before hee can cease to bee that which hee is properly called And herein hee differeth from his Creatures whose Vertues are a distinct thing from their Nature and therefore they may bee stript of them and yet continue themselues still a man may cease to be holy iust true and yet bee neuerthelesse a man The reason is plaine hee cannot say as God doth I am that I am his Attributes and his Nature are not all one But this singularitie of Gods Nature doth appeare specially in two compositions with the Attributes whereof none are capable but be The first of which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. looke whatsoeuer perfection hee hath hee hath it of himselfe and is not beholding to any other for it hee is his owne Originall and therefore his is the perfection it selfe he that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good of himselfe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goodnesse it selfe the like may you say of the rest of the Attributes The second Composition is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the treasures of wisedome are hid in him hee is Almighty Coloss 2 3. the fulnesse of all perfection is in him In regard of these Compositions it is Iude 15. that the Scripture vseth these Phrases God onely is wise Math. 19 17. 1 Timoth. 6 1â— there is none good but God God dwelleth in light which no man can attaine vnto And indeed no Creaâ—â—â—e hath any perfection which is not giuen it from aboue which commeth not downe from the Father of Lights and that perfection which
Soueraigne Good in regard of Gods loue of vs which haue in vs no louelinesse at all Nay marke it biddeth vs tender our selues vnto him and what are we but as earthen vessels and what doth hee with vs hee maketh vs vessels of gold the peculiar treasure of the King of Heauen He biddeth vs obey but that hee may make vs Commanders wee must heare his voice keepe his Couenant these are markes of obedience but thereupon we shall be Kings and Priests those are markes of authoritie Finally hee biddeth vs apply our selues vnto him which doth beseeme a creature and hee will make vs like vnto himselfe like vnto our Creatour we shall be holy as he is holy Behold here then the bountie of God and folly of man the bountie of God who giueth though according to our capacitie yet not according to our deserts hee giueth as beseemeth himselfe according to the widensse of his owne Greatnesse and Goodnesse doth hee fill his creatures with his blessings especially Man and aboue all men these whom hee receiueth into the Church A man would haue thought that it had beene mercie enough in God in such a strange fashion to deliuer Israel out of Egypt to take such sharpe vengeance vpon their enemies to promise the Israelites that they should not bee subiect to the plagues of Egypt and that hee would bring them into a good land a land flowing with milke and honie a man would thinke I say that these blessings did more then deserue their best obedience and fidelitie and they could in reason desire no more but so to deale with them was not enough in the eye of Gods bountie he measureth vnto them with a more liberall hand and how often doth he giue vnto euery one of vs more not only then we deserue but also then we can desire especially concerning our spirituall state wherein hee is most bountifull to the meanest of his children As God exceeds in bountie so doe men in folly for their eares are open to none seldomer then vnto God to whom they are due neither are they false to any so much as vnto him Let the World or the Deuill or our owne flesh sollicit vs how attentiue how credulous are we how willingly doe we suffer our selues to bee deceiued to bee robbed by them but when God speaketh to vs whose word is truth who counselleth nothing but for our eternall good how heauie eared are we shall I say nay how rebellious Christ may complaine I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine Esay 49. all the day long haue I stretched out my hands to an vnbeleiuing and a gainesaying nation Yet this is not the vttermost of our follies for in our falshood to God we are not only contented to be robbed by others but rather then wee will not haue our will to doe our selues mischiefe we will hire them that shall rob vs. God in Ezekiel obserueth it in the resemblance of the Israelues to a strange kind of Harlot for whereas vsually they are hired to be naught she did vse to hire her louers and prodigally to bestow vpon them the blessings which shee had receiued from God that with them shee might commit spirituall fornication against God so much more doth our sottishnesse esteeme our chiefest enemies then the author of our soueraigne good This folly first tooke place in Eue wherewith she infected Adam and from them both doe we all deriue it and there is none of vs which doth not vsually betray it witnesse the many good Sermons which we heare and whereby we profit little but runne madding after euery vanitie that woes vs and euery new corruption how suddenly doth it ouerspread most of vs I will dwell no longer vpon these primitiues obseruations I come to those which I deriued from them There are three vertues which are called Theologicall Faith Hope and Charitie of these three consisteth as it were the life of a Christian man now though they are all three giuen to a Christian at one time yet in nature one of them goeth before another This text will teach vs how we must order them Faith must haue the first place for wee must first heare Gods voice Hebâ—â— i. and to heare Gods voice is the worke of faith And indeed the Apostle telleth vs that Hee that commeth vnto God must beleeue and without faith it is impossible to please God Saint Austin therefore maketh Faith the foundation of our spirituall building we must begin our Pietie there There is in euery one of vs by nature a knowledge of God and so a kind of Pietie but this will not make a man Gods peculiar treasure but the limiting of our pietie to his voice and performing his Couenant for naturally men vanish in their discourse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not please God The next Vertue must be Charitie for as heate springeth from light euen so doth Charitie from Faith Faith worketh by Charitie and as a man beleeues so will he loue Now Charitie is meant by keeping Gods Couenant that is the worke of Charitie But withall obserue that Faith and Charitie both goe before Hope for wee must heare Gods voice and keepe his Couenant before wee can looke to be his peculiar treasure which is the matter of our Hope if we doe not we shall be peruerse seruants hope vntowardly for Sine fide spes non habet firmamentum a man that doth not beleeue cannot hope how should a man hope for good from him whom he doth not belieue and Sine charitate spes non habet inuitamentum hee should not hope that doth not loue and loue is a strong incouragement vnto hope A very Heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—lutarch they that are well bred hope not but vpon sound reason Saint Paul He◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 8. Cap. 5 Eccles 1. a better Author saith that Faith is the ground of things hoped for hee then that hopeth without faith hath an vngrounded hope The same Heathen Author saith that the hopes of a vertuous soule are genuine but if they be in a vitious soule they are but bastards Iob compares them vnto a Spidersweb the Booke of Wisdome varieth the resemblance of them with great cloquence Yee that feare the Lord trust in him Quaenam spes hypocritae what hope hath the hypocrite Seeing then that vice can bee no ground of hope it is not without cause that Saint Paul in his two Apologies which he maketh for himselfe the one to the High Priest Acts 24. the other to Agrippa Acts 26. layeth for the foundation of his hope his care to keepe a good conscience and indeed by how much the more a man loueth God the bolder may he be to trust in him When Faith and Charitie haue done their worke and yeilded their furtherance vnto Hope then commeth Hope in seasonably with her worke and maketh amends vnto them both by quickning both Faith and Charitie First it quickneth
not to them or stoppes their eares that they heare it not But this doeth rather suspend the worke then alter the nature of their Conscience it doeth not make it a not-condemning Conscience of a condemning one How many theiues and murderers are very frolicke not only when they act their wickednesse but when they are in the Gaile when they are brought to the Barre yea when they are casting off the Gallowes But wise men that see them in this humour censure it for vnreasonable stupiditie and desperatenesse they hold it not to be comfortable securitie No more is that which wee see in sinners who while they drinke in iniquitie with greedinesse haue stonie hearts and brasen foreheads If in the dayes of grace wee make vnto our selues the dayes of Iudgement and sift our selues vnpartially according vnto GODS word before we bee tried at GODS Barre and finde our selues discharged with a not guiltie and an Euge Serue bone well done seruant faithfull and true enter into thy Masters ioy this is indeed a not-condemning Conscience The second Rocke is that many confound a tender Conscience with a guiltie Conscience and plod more vpon the Heart of a man then they doe vpon the Heart of a Christian man they consider not the prerogatiue that the Elect haue by being in CHRIST into whom when they were ingrafted they were iustified from all sinne So that though afterwards they may become damnable through their fall yet damned they cannot be because their repentance and saith cannot bee in vaine neither must they measure the trueth of their state by their sense GOD is pleased often times to humble his children by suspending the sense of their state but he doeth not alter their state because his guifts are without Repentance and vpon their teares sighes and prayers wherewith GOD is pleased to be importuned he restoreth vnto them the sense of their state againe their eyes are opened to see that their obligation is cancelled and the booke crost wherein all their debtes were entred and that the blood of Christ hath cleansed them from all sinne You haue heard many things concerning Conscience all which though they bee of good regard yet they containe not all that which wee must heede For the worke of Conscience is rather Praeiudicium then Iudicium it is but a reall Prophecie informing vs how GOD will hereafter deale with vs. Therefore Saint Iohn carrieth our thoughts from our Hearts vnto God and will haue vs expect from GOD what wee finde in our owne Hearts And indeed our Heart is nothing else but GODS Apostle whose message is the Iudgement to come St. Ieromes Trumpet that sounded still in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium Besides our inward we haue an outward Iudge besides the present there is a future Iudgement And verily it is a wonder that any man should doubt of a future Iudgement that hath a Conscience seeing the vse of the Conscience is to forewarne vs of it the Iudgement in our bosome must bee vnto vs a Remembrancer of another Iudgement that is to come and wee must the rather be mooued with the former because of the reference it hath vnto the latter Reference nay Resemblance which is more for in the present Iudgement wee haue a liuely representation of the Iudgement to come GOD will deale with vs no otherwise then our Heart doâ—th the Iury at his Barre will exhibite no other presentment neither shall wee heare any other Sentence from that Iudge the Booke of GODS Prouidence will agree with the Booke of our Conscience and the Doome of our Conscience shall be ratified by GODS Doome And this representatiue qualitie that is in our Conscience must make vs the more to regard the absolute qualitie thereof For though it bee much to feele the force of Conscience without this Reference yet is it much more if the Reference bee included in our feeling thereof it will make vs more carefull to prepare our selues for GOD when wee are remembred so to doe by our owne Heart God then and our Heart agree in one worke their worke is like Like it is but not equall you may perceiue it in St. Iohns Inference that hee maketh according to the difference of the worke of Conscience One worke of the Conscience is to condemne thereupon St. Iohn maketh an Inference If our Heart condemne vs God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things Wherein appeares a double inequalitie The first is of Authoritie Our Heart is great it is King in this little world of ours for it doeth season all that commeth from vs our workes are good or euill so farre as our Conscience is a partie to them they are good if she be good and if she be euill they are euill The inclination of the Heart is the inclination of the whole man so that no power of the soule or part of the body will hold backe if our Heart or Conscience doe set forward Our Heart then is great great within the Spheare of this little World But God is greater then our Heart who commandeth both ours and the great World GOD is said to be greater not so much in regard of his Eminencie aboue vs as his Soueraignetie ouer vs in which sense the Psalme saith that our God is a great God and a great King aboue all Gods And indeed Power belongeth onely vnto him Creatuâ—es are tearmed Powers rather Propter Ministerium then Dominium they can doe nothing beyond the influence they haue from GOD But GODS power is absolute and the Sentence hee pronounceth vnresistable whereas he can checke the sentence which our Heart pronounceth But to fit this point of Gods power to that which wee said before of the power of our Heart GODS power doeth season all the afflictions that come vpon vs and the apprehension that they come from him maketh them much more grieuous then they would be in themselues Secondly if GOD bee bent against vs no creature will stand for vs. You see wherein standeth the first inequalitie betweene GOD and our Heart The second Inequalitie standeth in Omnisciencie It is true that our Heart knoweth much 1 Corinth 2. and as the Apostle saith No man knoweth the things in man but the Spirit of man But that is as true which Salomon saith Prou. 20. The spirit of man is as the candle of the Lord searching the inward parts of man it is but a Candle and that is a dimme light a Candle of the Lord and that is a Ministeriall light Two wayes is our knowledge dimme through Ignâ—rance and self-Selfe-loue Ignorance is the cause that we cannot know our selues if wee would self-Selfe-loue is the cause that we will not know our selues so well as we can therefore Dauid prayed and wee must pray Ab occultis munda me domine O Lord cleanse me from my secret faults As for GOD his eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne Eccles 23. Dauid hath made a whole Psalme of
King Dauid did so witnesse this Title wherein he sets forth himselfe Cadentem Resurgentem first taking a grieuous Fall and then recouering himselfe by Grace First Let vs see his Fall that is noted in these words Hee went in to Bathsheba Few words but they summe vp a large Storie you may reade it 2. Sam. 11. That Chapter is a full Commentarie vpon this short Text and if we scanne it we shall finde that King Dauids Fall was Complicatissimum Peccatum a sinne of many roots There are three Heads wherunto all sinne is reduced 1. Impuritie 2. Iniquitie 3. Impietie and they met all in this Fall of Dauid first Impuritie for the first degree of his sinne was Incontinencie hee defiled his Soule with vnchast lust and his Body with an vnlawfull Copulation a foule sinne so to abuse a Member of Christ 2. Cor. 6. and to polute a Temple of the Holy Ghost To couer this Sinne hee fell into another he fell into Iniquitie It is Iniquitie for a man to take his Neighbours Wife but for a man that hath many to take his Neighbours Wife that is contented with one for a King to take his Subiects Wife a Master the Wife of his Seruant a Master and a King liuing at home lying at case to take a Wife of that Subiect and Seruant who is aduenturing his Life spending his Bloud in the defence and for the Honour of his Maister and Soueraigne Certainely this is haynous Iniquitie But what an Accession is there made vnto it if it bee couered with a treacherous Murder of that person to whom such wrong is done and Dauid so couered his Iniquitie First he assayed the Murder of Vriahs Soule by making him drunke when that would not doe what he intended then doth he plot the Murder of his Bodie he maketh him carrie Belerophons letters treacheorous letters against his owne life yea Letters that added treason vpon treason for they made Ioab the Generall to betray the life of Vriah his resolute souldier and for his sake the liues of many others fearefull Iniquitie But we haue not yet sounded the bottome of this Fall these two Roots of bitternesse haue a third wrapt about them Impuritie and Iniquitie are accompanied with Impietie So we learne from the mouth of the Prophet God was despised in his Commandement and the Enemies of God were occasioned thereby to Blaspheme for the reproach of an ill life redounds vpon the God whom we serue who is by Infidels supposed to be an Abetter of such Courses 1. Sam. 4.4 2. Sam. 11.11 But there is a speciall reason of Impietie in this Fall You must obserue that the Arke of the Lord was often carried forth in the Warres of Israel and God so present as he was now gaue them Victorie in Battell if the Israelite was foyled the Enemies grew insolent not onely against those whom they foyled but also against the Lord whom they thought to bee foyled by their Gods in them Thereupon they did magnifie their Idols and villisie the Lord of Hosts This may you obserue in the Philistines 1. Sam. 4. and in the storie of Balthasar Dan. 4. So that the treacherous aduantage that was giuen to the Enemie must needs open their mouthes to Blasphemie and so make King Dauid guiltie of Impietie Impietie against God that so often so many waies had deserued better of King Dauid Put all these together and you will confesse that Saint Chrysostome sayth truly that this was Flendum Naufragium a woefull wracke of so goodly a Vessell The more shamefull are the Talmudists that would free the King in this fact from Sin flatly against King Dauids owne Confession and the Prophet Nathans challenge yea so farre was this from being no Sinne that all his other Sinnes are as none in comparison of this You may gather it from the Testimonie of the Holy Ghost 1. Kings 1â— Dauid turned not aside from any thing that God commanded him all the dayes of his life sauing onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite You haue heard of a foule Fall wherein many enormous Sinnes goe chained together There is one thing more in the Storie which I may not omit and that is How Dauid fell into this Sinne. Surely by ease and Prosperitie whiâ—â— he was persecuted by Saul while he fought the Battells of the Lord hee walked vprightly towards God and Men no sooner had God giuen him rest but you see what comes of it The Naturalists obserue well that the Northwind is more healthfull though the South bee more pleasant the South with his warmth raiseth vapors which breed putrefaction and cause diseases the North with his cold drieth those Vapours vp purging the bloud and quickning the Spirits Aduersitie is vnpleasant but it keepeth vs watchfull against Sinne and carefull to doe our duties whereas Prosperitie doth flatteringly lull vs a sleepe that the enuious Man may haue opportunitie to sow tares and choake the good Seede of Gods Grace In pace amaritudo amarissima Esay 38.17 it neuer goeth worse with men spiritually then when they finde themselues corporally best at ease Iesurun waxed fat and kicked Deu. 32 1â— he for sooke God which made him and light lie esteemed the Rocke of his Saluation How wicked the Sodomites were we reade Gen. 18. but Eze. Chap. 16. tells vs the cause therof was fulnesse of Bread and Idlenesse Tunc cum maesta fuit defensa est Ilion armis Militibus grauidum laeta recepit Equum Most surprizes of Citties haue fallen out vpon the secure riot of the beseiged our soules are neuer freed from the seige of the Compassing Lyon but he neuer gets so great an Aduantage against vs as when hee maketh the least shew of an Assault Solomon in greatest glory was in his greatest danger the woefull euent proued it too true It was a wise pollicie of Epaminondas then to bee Sentinel when the Cittizens were at their Bacchanalls and when wee haue the world at will it is good prouidence then to looke most to our waies And why King Dauids Fall is a good Reason It may seeme strange that a man such as Dauid was so indowed so blessed that he was a Man after Gods owne Heart and the Penman of the Holy Ghost that such a man so good a man should take so great so dangerous a Fall But the best men are men and their falls doe testifie of what Tree they are Branches by nature they spring from old Adam he is their Roote all though by Grace they are grafted into Christ yet during this life all the sowre iuice deriued from the former stocke is not cleane dried vp in them it yeilds forth many shootes those loaden with many Clusters of bitter Fruite And what doth this preach vnto vs but that Admonition of Saint Paule Let him that stands take heede least he fall 1 Cor. 10.11 for if the greatest Worthies haue beene Spectacles of humaine frailtie who may presume
to streame afterwards into all the Body For though the Vowes be two yet are they both resolued into the same parts there are in effect the same Contents in either votiue Prayer Let vs take them asunder and see it In that either is a vow you must find in either the parts of a vow they are a Desire and a Promise you may see them euidently in either Vow First in the Vow that King Dauid maketh for Himselfe hee doth expresse a desire to be restored vnto and preserued in the state of Grace and if he speede hee doth Promise a religious Seruice vnto God These two Poynts are enlarged in the seauenteene first verses in the personall Case of King Dauid and being contracted are repeated againe with a speciall Application to his kingdome in the two last You see the breife of the whole Psalme but it is too scant it will not yeeld you a full view let vs then goe backe againe and vnwrap these particulars that we may take more feeling notice of the spirituall riches that are contayned therein The first Vow is made for King Dauid the first branch of that Vow is his Desire and the first Petition in that Desire is That he may be restored vnto Grace In this Petition there are two remarkable things the Matter which hee presents vnto God and the Manner wherewith hee doth ingeminate the same Matter and presse God with it The Matter is contained in these two first verses which in effect sound onely this Miserable King Dauid desires reliefe from the effectuall Mercie of God in Iesus Christ. Where there is Sinne there is Miserie behold here varietie of Sinne Transgressions Iniquities Distortions all cleauing to Dauid for Mee and Mine confirme asmuch and make him a Wretch though hee were a King Now what is the Remedie of such Miserie but effectuall Mercie and this we finde here Mercy by Name in the entrance of the Prayer Haue Mercie But whereas there is Mercy in Affectu or in Effectu Mercy in God or Mercy from God King Dauid doth desire not onely that God would bee gratiously affected towards him but also that hee would worke powerfully vpon him 1. Vpon the Guilt of his Sinne Dele quit me thereof 2. vpon the Corruption of his Sinne Laua wash me therefrom Yea because Guilt is sooner remoued then Corruption clensed keeping correspondencie with Gods Course in working therein he adds Multùm laua Munda neuer giue ouer washing vntill thou hast made mee throughly cleane thus doth Miserie seeke vnto Mercy But where is Mercy to be found surely in God to Him he directs his Prayer Haue Mercy vpon me O God There is no remedie for a sinfull Man but in God whom he hath offended with his sinne and therefore hee saith Secundum Tuam Misericordiam according to Thy Mercy It is Gods propertie to haue Mercy but it is Gods in Christ so much is meant by the next words according to thy louing kindnesse according to thy tender Mercies God shines Graciously to none but in the Face of Iesus Christ and in him is God become a tender harted Father to all penitent Sinners To all I say for hee hath not onely tender Mercies but there is also in them to bee considered the Measure Rob is the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee translate it Multitude but it signifies also Magnitude and giueth vs to vnderstand that bee our sinfull Miserie neuer so great neuer so diuerse wee shall not want releife in Mercy which is more great and manifold Finally the Text doth tell vs that as our Miserie must seeke for Mercie in God onely in whom it may be found so we must not dreame that any thing without God can obtaine this at Gods hands therefore wee must pray Secundum according to thy louing kindnesse O Lord let that be not onely the Measure of the Mercy which I seeke but the inducement thereto also And so haue you the Contents of that portion of King Dauids Desire which I haue read vnto you I will now resume them and to your and my farther edification enlarge the exposition of them First then though Mercy stand formost in the Text yet I will begin with the Miserie for Miserie is first in Nature and were it not for that there were no neede of Mercie add hereunto that the sense of Miserie sets the best edge vpon the desire of Mercie and he wil more eagerly long after it that perceiueth throughly in what need hee stands of it I told you that Dauid was miserable though he were a King were there no other proofe there is enough implyed in the first word hee that cryeth Miserere haue mercy doth plainly confesse that he is in Miserie for one Correlatiue cānot subsist without the other But to put it out of al doubt here is enough exprest to proue him a Wretch Pro. 14. Peccatum facit populos miseros wheresoeuer there is Sinne there is Miserie yea and there only for sinne only is simply Euill Malum Paenae Calamitie and Woe though we call them Euills yet indeed they are not so simply but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Person is and as God intends for that otherwise they are good it is plaine by two vndoubted grounds the Efficient and the Finall Cause That which is Properly Euill hath onely Causam deficientem it springs from the fayling of a reasonable Creature but Woe hath Causam Efficientem it springs from the almighty Hand of God Hee is the Creator of this Darkenesse aswell as the opposite Light As it hath an Efficient so hath it a Final Cause that is the Recouerie of a sinner God iudgeth vs temporally that he may not iudge vs eternally therfore Dauid saith Pal. 119.71 Bonum est Domine quod humiliasti me it is good for me Lord that I haue bin in trouble but that which is truly Euill is destitute of a Finall cause aswel as it was of an Efficient as it comes from weak enes so it ends in vanitie It is true that God doth often times draw light out of darkenesse Good out of that which is simply Euill but that is don by his Transcendent Prouidence it will neuer proue that that which is truly Good truly Euill can haue any naturall habitude the one to the other or that they haue any Cognation betweene themselues Wherefore onely Sinne being simply Euill is that which properly maketh a Wretch And verily wee that beholding Beggers Lazars men any waies afflicted confesse them miserable si adspici possint lanitatus if we had eies to see the spirituall wounds and sores the wantes and the Woes of Adulterers Murderers Blasphemers any other wicked liuers wee would confesse them to be much more miserable My Text doth occasion me to giue you a tast thereof by opening the three words wherewith Dauid doth expresse his sinne The first is Peshang 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is well rendred a Transgression that is
18.14 and it is worth you reading that you may clearely see the truth of that saying of Salomon A wounded spirit who can beare What body can choose but languish that is possest by a languishing Soule A man cannot be so wounded in the Inward man but you may read it plainely in the Outward The Fathers doe Allegorize the Phrase and by the Bones vnderstand Vertues Vertues that are to the Soule as Bones to the body for a man as hee is a reasonable creature doth subsist in them euen as the body is borne vp by the bones as it is a liuing creature the Cardinall vertues the Theologicall are our supporters those as we are men these as wee are Christian men The conscience of Sinne shiuers these figuratiue Bones also for looke vpon a man distressed by a guiltie conscience what Prudence in him that can giue no good counsell to himselfe And as for Iustice he cannot haue that for he is vnsociable his Temperance is to starue himselfe and his Fortitude to sinke vnder his griefe there is not a Cardinall vertue that hath place in him as a Man and as a Christian man Theologicall vertues haue as little place hee maketh no vse of his Faith to sustaine himselfe with the promises of God his Hope is heartlesse for he forecasts onely fearefull things and little sense hath he either of Gods loue to him or his loue to God Not one of these Bones continueth sound all of them sinke and are crusht vnder the burthen of sinne A pitifull case and yet such is the case of euery one that secleth the worme of Conscience of euery one that is stricken with the sting of that Serpent But whence hath sin this power who giueth this wounding strength to sinne Surely God the Text saith so Tufregisti thou hast broken my bones Vose 2. and so in the 38. Psalme Thy arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth me sore It is true that God vseth meanes our Conscience within vs and Satan without vs to afflict vs for sinne but both worke vpon his command and according to the measure which he prescribes touching Conscience 〈◊〉 â— Saint Austins Rule is very true Iussisti Domine factum est vt omnis anima inordinata sibi ipsi esset paena God to hold vs in from sinne hath placed in vs a Conscience whose office amongst other things is this to torture vs for sinne and as for Satan we see in Iob that hee is but Gods Executioner and stirreth not but when and as farre as hee hath leaue leaue giuen vnto him of God but whether it be Conscience or Satan that which they harrow vs with is the arraigning of vs before Gods Tribunall setting him forth in the dreadfull Maiestie of a Iudge and amplifying our vilenesse that cannot denie the Indictment that is brought against vs These be the Engines wherewith they set vpon vs this is the painefull racke wherewith they torture vs. And no wonder if such a spectacle distresse them who are guiltie of some enâ—rmous sinne that hath distressed the most Religious seruants of God Cap. 6. v. 1. â— Esay saw God sitting vpon his Throne of iudgement high and lifted vp his traine filled the Temple c. Then said he Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of vncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of vncleane lips for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of Hosts Habakkuk had the like vision and what saith he When I heard Cap. 3.16 my belly trembled my lips quincred at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones Cap. 10. Daniel that is called Vir desideriorum when a Vision was presented vnto him being in the companie of others obserueth that a great quaking fell vpon them and they fled to hide themselues as for himselfe hee saith that his comelinesse was turned in him into corruption and that he had no strength in himselfe Moses that had his prerogatiue to talke with God face to face yet when God appeared in his Maiestie to deliuer the Law when he beheld the flaming fire heard the sound of the Trumpet and felt the Earth trembling vnder him Saint Paul hath obserued Heb. 12. That he said I exceedingly feare and quake But what doe I instance in these Our Sauiour Christ who knew no sinne but yet put on such affections as belong to a sinner when our sinne was imputed vnto him presenting himselfe in the Garden before God and apprehending his Maiestie armed with vengeance to repay the sinnes of the world how was he afflicted into what an Agonie was hee cast The Gospell doth tell vs that hee sweate great drops of bloud If the Prophets if Moses which were not priuie to themselues of any enormous sinne if Christ himselfe that was free from all sinne was so affected and distressed at the sight of Gods iudgements if their Bones were so broken how shall they be ground into pouder that come before him laden with enormous with crying sinnes 1. Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Surely when God with rebukes doth correct such men for their iniquitie hee shall make their beautie to consume away like a Moth Psal 39.11 Psal 90.6 Psal 68.2 they shall be like the withered grasse when he consumes them in his anger As smoake is driuen away before the Wind and as Waxe melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of the Lord. And thus much of the punishing power of sinne what it is whence wherein you may behold two things most liuely set forth before vs the true nature of griefe and the cause that it hath such a nature The Philosophers teach that Dolor is solutio continui the renting in sunder of that whose content stands in vnion and the breaking of bones what is it but a rent the soule denyeth succour to the body the parts of the body each denieth his seruice to the other yea the powers of the soule grow strangers betweene themselues and vertue it selfe is bereft of vertue he cannot want woe thathath such a distraction in his little common-weale Griefe there is then Aug. de verâ Relig. and that hath a cause Saint Austin shall tell you what it is fluendo deserit amatoreÌ„ suum corpus quia ille hoc amando deseruit Deum your bones are broken and you are payned therewith will you know why the body breaketh with the soule because the soule first brake with God if your soule doe rend it selfe from God by sinne it shall find litle rest in that house of clay whereon it doteth this will make hast to returne to dust when our better part giueth it selfe ouer vnto vanity And let this suffice touching the disease Let vs now come on vnto the Cure That is exprest in two words Ioy and Gladnesse although the words may note one the selfesame thing yet may we
deum est ipse Deus Bernard Basilâ—n Psal 46. there is enough in God to make him louely and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and louely are reciprocall that which is louely is good and that which is good is louely whereupon is grounded that Maxime in Philosophie Bonum est quod omnia appetunt Reason hath no better marke to guesse at that which is good then the propension of all men for to attaine it Now looke vpon the Name the Lord God and see whether you doe not find that good in it which doth challenge Loue. Begin with Dominus ou heard that he was goodnesse it selfe if a man doe loue that which is good how can he but loue goodnesse Nay if wee loue the streames with what loue must we embrace the Fountaine If we Loue that good which is dependent how much more that which is independent Seeing there is a possibilitie for vs to bee defrauded of that which is dependent but of that which is independent we cannot be defrauded Yet see the common folly of men Iere. 2.13 they forsake the fountaine of liuing waters and digge vnto them Cisterns that can hold no water If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deserue Loue how much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You heard before that what God is he is it to the full Creatures haue but drops or beames and who would leaue the Fountaine to rest contented with a drop And when he might enioy the whole body of the Sunne to solace himselfe in a single beame And yet such folly there is in the world and he that thinketh Gods gifts louely though they are but single in a Creature how little is hee affected with the louelinesse of his Creator Wee cannot denie that good is the obiect of our Loue therefore where there is the greatest good thither wee should bend the greatest of our Loue dost thou loue Wisedome Colos 2.3 All the treasures of wisdedome are hid in him dost thou loue Holinesse It is to him that the Angels sing Holy holy holy Esay 6.3 Psal 24.1 Psal 16.11 doest thou loue Wealth The earth is the Lords and all that therein is doest thou loue Pleasure In his presence is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Finally doest thou loue Power and Honour He is the Lord of hosts he is the King of glorie euen a King of Kings and Lord of Lords Adde hereunto that what he is whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is it Onely he is it Eternally both which are strong Motiues vnto Loue for we vse to loue that which is not common as that which is common by reason of the familiarnesse of it groweth vile in our eyes now such good as is in God is no where else to be found As we loue those good things which are not common so we loue them the more the more they are lasting because our desire would neuer bee defrauded of that wherein it taketh content this good is more lasting then our desire the good of euerie Creature is as mutable as the Creature is yea more because it differeth from the nature of the Creature but this good being all one with the nature of God it is as lasting as is his nature It is no maruell then that euerie Creature eluding our desire which is carried vnto good doth as it were with a reall voice put vs off when we dote vpon it and by experience say to vs Non ego sum bonum tuum it is not I that am thy good which is to be sought after and after all our painefull enquirie wee are driuen to Saint Austins resolution Fecisti nos Domine propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum dones requiescat in te so great is the capacitie of mans desire that nothing can fill it but onely the Lord and his soule must needs remaine empire that doth not make the Lord the obiect of his Loue. You see that there is much worth in the Lord and great cause why hee should be beloued there wanteth not worth also in God in euery of the three persons in Trinity Had we eyes to looke vpon them ad intra as they are in the blessed Trinitie we might easily perceiue it but there is no proportion betweene our eyes and that light therefore we will forbeare to behold the dazeling brightnes Only of this we may be sure that euery person is most louely because euery of them loueth the other the Scripture speaketh it plainly the Father loueth the Sonne the Sonne loueth the Father and the holy Ghost is the loue of them both Now what they loue is lonely indeed because their iudgement is most vpright and their desire most Holy But wee will not sound that bottomlesse depth let vs looke vpon these persons as they manifest themselues ad extra and see how louely they are Hee that is a Father in the Trinitie doth manifest himselfe as a Father to the Sonnes of men the Scripture doth often remember his tender bowels he shutteth them not vp no not against them that are Prodigals a Father and a Mother on earth may forsake may forget their Children but our Father in Heauen cannot forget hee will not forsake his And is not such a Father louely God the Sonne doth manifest himselfe to the world as a Sonne hee vseth all his credit with his Father to worke not onely the remission of mans sins which he expiated with his bloud but also the aduancement of their Persons whom hee vouchsafeth to bee his Spouse by taking man so neere vnto himselfe hee bringeth him neere to God also and maketh them Children that were Seruants intitles them to Heauen that deserue to burne as firebrands in hell And is not such a Sonne louely The holy Ghost doth manifest himselfe as the holy Ghost quickning man and sanctifying him testifying by these effects that hee is a Spirit of life to him euen of such a life as maketh him a sacred Person hee maketh him a liuing Temple a fit habitation for himselfe that he may bee an Oracle of God within him and kindle the fire vpon the Altar of his Heart wherewith onely hee can offer acceptable Sacrifices vnto God And is not this holy Spirit louely All three Persons are most louely if the consideration goe no farther then that which I haue exprest But how great an accesse will bee made vnto their louelines if you draw through euery one of them that ground of louelines which before wee found in the name Lord for the Father is Lord the Sonne Lord and the holy Ghost Lord as we are truely taught in Athanasius his Creed euery one of them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good of himselfe and all-good and by this accesse we must in our meditations improue their louelines But I haue dwelt long enough vpon meritum dignitatis the desert of loue that is included in their owne worth I told you that in
vnto the comparison if then the question be whether of the two wee loue more to whether of them wee will sticke in a case where both cannot bee held or vpon which of them wee will fall foule when it is not possible for vs to keepe in with both if then wee can with Moses esteeme the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt wee conforme our selues to Christs first rule 〈◊〉 11 26. If when God calleth Heb. 11.8 wee can with Abraham forsake our countrey and our Fathers house though it bee to goe to a Countrey which wee know not wee conforme our selues vnto his second rule And if we can bee as resolute as Leui was Deut. 33. who said vnto his father and his mother I haue not seene them neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor know his owne children that he might keepe the word and obserue the Commandement of God euen that Commandement which is deliuered else-where Deut. 13 If thy Brother the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or thy Daughter or the wife of thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule entice thee to Idolatry thy eye must not pitty him thou must not conceale him thou shalt surely kill him and let thine owne hands be first vpon him if thou canst I say bee so resolute then doest thou conforme thy selfe vnto Christs third Rule The examples which hitherto I haue alleaged shew onely what must be a Christian mans obseruance of Christs rules quoad sua suos so farre as concernes a mans goods or his friends but Christs rules goe a step farther Luke 14.26 for they mention a mans owne life also and tell vs how little wee must set by that in comparison of our loue of God Christ knew well that Satan hath a shrewd temptation to stumble thee when thou hast profited so farre as tua and tuos and that is to trie thee how well thou dost loue God quoad te Iob. 2.4 in comparison of thine owne person skin for skin and all that euer a man hath will he giue for his life affinitie consanguinitie amitie farewell all so our life may bee preserued but our loue of God must ouercome this temptation also and wee must take in this case Saint Paul for an example who being disswaded from going to Hierusalem because bonds and imprisonment did expect him there made this answere What doe you weeping and breaking my heart Acts 21.13 I am contented not onely to be bound but also to die for the name of the Lord Iesus A great resolution and yet not so great as our loue of God requireth of vs. For though dying seeme to be a bitter work yet to die for the name of Christ addeth much sweetnes vnto it and why it maketh a plain martyrdome and of that S. Paul hath giuen this definition that it is nothing else but dissolut esse cum Christo To be dissolued doth litle content nature but what would a man rather desire then to be with Christ for to be with him is to be as he is that is most happy so that hitherto loue is not come to its height for a man may so far loue God and loue God for himselfe because his own good goeth pari passu with the loue of God Moses went farther Blot me out of the book of life rather then thou shouldst not make good thy word to Israel a strange wish and that of a thing impossible for it is impossible that any child of God should be excluded from eternal life so that he may seeme to haue wished rashly and vainly but this CoÌ„mandement wil excuse him as it will S. Pauls like wish when I come to speak of the loue of our neighbour this Commandement containeth the best Commentary on his words for they import no more but his absolute loue of God so absolute that were there no Heauen where with his loue should be rewarded yea though Hell were the place wherein notwithstanding his loue of God he should be eternally tormented yet would he not withhold Gods due he would loue God with all his heart And indeed so high must wee ascend in loue if wee will ascend to that pitch which is contained in this Commandement though our loue shall haue a reward a most plentifull reward and wee may after the example of Christ and the Saints looke vpon it and encourage our selues with the hope of it yet that must not be the first motiue of our dutie God may challenge it without a reward and wee must acknowledge it to be a iust debt Thus if we loue God we loue him as we ought that is we loue him aboue all things and wee loue him for himselfe for that must needs follow when wee loue him for no other thing no not for our owne sakes but are willing to hazard all euen our selues and all for the loue of him From this measure when wee depart wee doe offend against our loue of God how much more if wee loue those things which are contrarie to him and can bee contented that others offend him or are so gracelesse as to offend him our selues But I must draw toward an end The last point which I obserued in my text was the reason why this is called the Great Commandement I need giue you no other reason then the doctrine which you haue heard concerning our loue of God for you haue heard enough to perswade you that the Commandement is very great yet I will point at some few reasons The Commandement then is Great first in regard of the Obiect for what can be greater then the Lord our God secondly in regard of the Act for it maketh our neerest approach vnto God both in Vnion and Communion with him Thirdly in regard of the Qualitie it is the sweetest commander of all our abilities Fourthly in regard of the Soueraigntie it giueth law to the whole man Fiftly in regard of the Efficacie it worketh the greatest effects Sixtly in regard of the Commoditie it hath the most precious promises Finally in regard of the Continuance it out-liueth all other graces for Charitie neuer faileth 1. Cor. 13.8 other graces doe not out-liue this mortall life No wonder then if S. 〈◊〉 call it a Supereminent way and in a comparison preferreth it before all gifts not only of Edification but of Adoption also 1. Cor. 13. And what is the vse of all this but to make vs see how little wee performe of this Commandement and how little cause wee haue to boast of the best that we doe therein Who is he that can denie that his abâ—lities are diuided and that he loueth more things then God yea most things more then God and those not only idle but euill things also And if wee cannot excuse our Diuision much lesse our Remissenesse the dayes are come which Christ foretold and the Charitie euen of the Church is growne key-cold yea euery one is come to
can that haue then to entertaine God Iohn 14. If any Man loue me saith Christ my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and make our abode with him and where Gods and Christs abode is there is the Kingdome of Heauen euen righteousnesse peace and ioy of the Holy Ghost The third is the Soule and whether doth the desire thereof runne but vnto God Psal 84. and where will it rest but only in him My soule longeth euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the liuing God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house The sensitiue Soule that is on attendant vpon the Will what greater happinesse can it haue then to feed vpon the crummes that fall from that Table where God suppeth in the reasonable soule of man whereat nothing is serued but the bread the water the fruit the foode of life The last abilitie is our Strength Psal 84. and Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee O Lord they goe from strength to strength but whither Ibid. That euery one may appeare before God in Sion Dauid therefore had rather be a doore keeper in Gods House then to dwell in the tents of vngodlinesse and he giueth the reason for God giueth good wages to his seruants Ibid. The Lord is a Sunne and a shield hee will giue grace and glorie and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly Yea whereas in the seruice of others we cannot vse our strength but we weare it out It is not so in the seruice of God hee satisfieth thy mouth with good things Psal 103. so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles Euen the youthes shall faint and be wearie and the young men shall vtterly fall But they that wait vpon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount vp their wings as Eagles they shall runne and not be wearie and they shall walke and not faint Isay 40. The longer a man serueth God the more able he will be to serue him So then that a man may loue himselfe he must loue God and hee that doth not loue God cannot Loue himselfe because by Loue he hath communion with God wherein standeth his happinesse and of this happinesse he doth defraud himselfe so farre as he commeth short in his Loue of God And indeed this is no small difference betweene God and the diuell The diuell in shew biddeth vs Loue our selues doe all for our selues and wee are so simple as to beleeue him and thinke that we doe so whereas the euent proues we doe all for him and to our owne ruine for he is the plaine Image of Vsurers who liue by the sweate of other mens browes and cunningly grow rich by vndoing others with a seeming reliefe But as for God his precepts bid vs renounce our selues giue our selues wholly vnto him but in the conclusion hee hath nothing we haue all According to the answere which the Father of the prodigall made to his murmuring eldest sonne who expostulated thus with him Loc these many yeeres doe I serue thee neither transgressed I at any time thy Commandements and yet thou neuer gauest me a Kid that I might make merrie with my friends Sonne said the Father thou art euer with me and all that I haue is thine Much more is this true of our heauenly Father who doth not desire to keepe vs busily and well employed for his owne thrift but for ours it is for our comfort and not for his owne Be not sad therefore O Christian Soule if he that made thee wholy will so wholy be beloued of thee as if he had left thee nothing wherewith to sollace by selfe for thou dost neuer loue thy selfe better neither euer shalt thou take greater content in thy selfe then when thou louest God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy mind and with all thy strength Thus at length we haue found out the second measure the measure of that Loue of our neighbour which is prescribed by Grace a man is here bid by louing God to loue himselfe that so louing himselfe he may know how to Loue his neighbour Because he that doth not Loue God cannot loue himselfe and so by consequent cannot Loue his neighbour Loue being so sanctified it is true which the Schooles haue Regula est prius regulato se prius quis diligere debet quam proximum Seeing then such is the Measure wherewith wee must Loue our selues we must keepe the Loue of our neighbour within the bounds of the Loue of God We must loue in him the loue of God if he haue it Psal 16. Mine eyes saith Dauid are vpon such as are faithfull in the land my delight is in thy Saints and such as excell in vertue and else-where describing a man that shall dwell in Gods Tabernacle and ascend into his holy Hill he saith Psal 15. that it is he in whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them that feare the Lord. When one told Christ that his mother and brethren stood without desiring to speake with him he answered and said to him that told it who is my mother And who are my brethren And stretch out his hand towards his Disciples saying Behold my mother and my brethren for whosoeuer shall doe the will of my father which is in Heauen he is my brother my sister and my mother If wee cannot loue our neighbour for that he is not yet seasoned with the Loue of God wee must loue him that hee may be so seasoned for so did Christ loue man not for that hee was but for that hee might bee the son of God Acts 28. and heyre of Heauen as himselfe was And Saint Paul when vpon a Sermon Agrippa told him thou hast almost perswaded me to bee a Christian I would saith hee that not onely thou but also all that heare me this day 1. Epistle 1. were both almost and altogether such as I am excepting these bonds And Saint Iohn That which wee haue seene and heard declare wee vnto you that ye also may haue fellowship with vs and our fellowship may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ For this cause would not Saint Paul haue the beleiuing wife forsake the belieuing husband 1. Cor. 7. and Christ so loues his Spouse because all faire c. in the Canticles You see then that if we loue our neighbour wee must loue him propter Deum in regard of the loue of God And why because you must not loue your selues otherwise De Doct Christ lib. 1. cap. 22. Whereupon Saint Austin giueth this good note Siteipsum non propter teipsum diligere debes sed propter Deum non succenseat homo sieum diligas propter Deum If I make the loue of God the onely reason why I loue my neighbour my neighbour hath no cause to bee offended with me because I must make it
doe the next point in the text will confirme that wherein we shall see the heauie hand of God which we vnderlye It is set forth first definitely then indefinitely both clauses make vp an abridgement of the 28. of Deuteronomie a Chapter which was read but euen now vnto you a Chapter which he that will bee penitent cannot reade too often and if he reade it feelingly it will make him penitent indeed I am sure the holy Ghost thought so that doth borrow into the other Canonicall bookes many passages hence to worke this pious affection But you will say what is this to Christians it was spoken of the Israelites Yes it concernes Christians much for in the new Testament our Sauiour Christ in his Sermon Matthew chap. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking of the end of the world saith there shall be famine and pestilence and warre the very plagues mentioned in my Text. St. Iohn in the Reuelation cap. 6. commenting vpon that Sermon of Christ doth tell vs of the like plagues which should follow in the world after his time they haue bin in other ages before vs and they are euen now in ours yea they are come vpon vs. Come and see the blacke horse he is gone forth whose Rider hath ballances in his hand and proclaimeth a measure of wheate for a penny and a measure of barley for a penny and vse wine and oyle thriftily Reuel 6.5 the words denounce a famine in phrases respectiue and agreeable to that Countrey which I will not now stand to expound only thus much let me tell you that the vnseasonable weather which hath continued long with vs may make vs feare that God this yeare will breake the staffe of our bread send vs cleannesse of teeth and pinch vs by the belly And this plague is not a little aggrauated by the Circumstance of time Naz. Orat. 26. It is a pitifull thing when we haue seene a fair spring and the fruits of the earth in a good forwardnesse when haruest commeth Deplerata colonis Votaiacens longique perit labor irritus anni to haue a great deale of grasse and little hay a great deale of straw and but a little corne and surely if God send not better weather the Husbandmans hopes and paines will proue but vaine and fruitlesse If any man desire to know the fearefull euill of this first plague famine let him reade in the 28. of Deuteronomie the holy Ghost hath there so described it that his heart must needs bleede that readeth it 2 King 6. Surely a King of Israel a wicked King could not but be moued when hee did but heare that there was a proofe thereof in Samaria and how passionately doth the Prophet Ieremie lament the like proofe in Ierusalem Lam. 4. Let vs in our humiliation pray God that wee bee neuer driuen to experience the like You may call this plague the plague of Luxurie You haue heard the first plague a grieuous plague but not the onely plague for we may say in the Prophets words Esay 9. yet for all that his wrath is not turned backe but Gods hand is stretched out still And that because of another yet which we finde in the Prophet Amos cap. 4. Yet for all that haue yee not turned vnto mee saith the Lord. If the first plague doe not rowse men God hath a second to send the first is a plague of poore men he that hath mony in his purse will say if there bee no victuals in England I haue wherewithall to fetch them from beyond Sea I will not starue God hath a plague in store for such which their purses cannot keepe from them I would therefore haue them come and see the pale Horse and his Rider his name that sate thereon was Death By death St. Iohn meaneth Pestilence hee speaketh in the Dialect of the Septuagint who render the Hebrew Deber by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in Moses Deut. 28. and in my text the reason is because the Pestilence is indeed a mortall disease The Hebrew Deber signifieth a word a word gone out of Gods mouth against all sorts of men In the booke of Wisedome cap. 18. wee reade that when the first borne of Egypt were destroyed they were destroyed by the Almighty word of God that leaped downe from heauen as a mighty man of Warre Certainely it imports that wrath is gone out from God and by Gods commandement the punishing Angell hath the sword put into his hand You may call this Plague the Plague of pride and disdaine For how can God better answer it in his iudgement than by bringing men to such a case that not onely their bodies are filled with a loathsome disease but also that their nearest and dearest friends stand aloofe from their sore Psal 38. and they cannot in reason desire that they should come neare them in so desperate a danger they are in a most disconsolate condition I might out of Histories describe the miserie of this disease out of our owne Chronicles I might shew you Regno Edw. 2. Edw. 3. how desolate it hath made many places in this Land But to what end should I spend time whereas it is not so long since the last great Plague but that the most of this Auditorie may well remember the euill of it and I doubt not but euery one of vs will feare it though hee bee not admonished Only let me aduise you to correct one wicked phrase which is too frequent in mens mouthes whether in iest or in earnest thus they vse to curse others with whom they deale A Plague or The Plague of God bee on him or on his And God hath heard vs though not to satisfie our wicked desire yet to punishout wicked tongues I will say no more of this second Plague the second of those plagues whereby God afflicteth only our persons But Gods iudgements are not confined to our Persons Yet for all this his wrath is not turned backe but his hand is stretched out still And why because yet for all this plague we returne not vnto the Lord therefore God hath another Plague in store whereby he doth afflict our possessions Blasting and Mildew distempers of the Aire proceeding sometimes from too much drought the cause of Blasting sometimes too much moysture the cause of Mildew at leastwise the words in the originall doe point out an excesse in these two qualities God promised to Noah that there should be winter and summer seede time and haruest Gen. 8. but this promise must bee vnderstood of Gods generall prouidence ouer the world and no doubt but in many parts of the world the parts of the yeare haue that seasonable temper But God hath not tyed himselfe to euery particular place as if he may not for sinnes make as he threatneth in the Law their heauen brasse and their earth iron so that neyther the heauen shall drop downe his vsuall fatnesse nor the earth shew forth her vsuall fruitfulnesse
Angels and Adam who fell They were contented to reioyce in their Day but not in him that made it and so when pride made them vnthankfull Iustice bereft them of that wherein they ioyed And wee may forfeit our Day if wee make them patternes of our ioy King Dauid is a better example who in all his Psalmes of thankesgiuing doth more remember by whom then how happie he was The last thing which I obserue on this point is that ioy must gee with the day The Philosopher can tell vs that pleasure is an adiunct of felicitie vpon this principle is Saint Iames his rule built If any man be merrie let him sing the neglect of this taking comfort hath a heanie doome in Moses Deut. 28. Because thou diddest not serue the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies in hunger thirst and nakednesse c. It was not then without cause that Nehemias did reproue the Iewes for weeping when the time remembred them of feasting and indeed what a senslesse thing is it when God taketh pleasure in the prosperitie of his seruants when Angels doe congratulate our happinesse and the rest of the world doth either admire or enuie it for vs to be senslesse and giue no token of our thankfull remembrance of it And if such neglect deserue blame what blame deserueth the murmuring libelling slandering malecontent that maketh a Night of our Day and confoundeth the bright Sunshine with an ominous Ecclipse Such spirits as they are vnworthy of the Day so it were good they were made more sensible of it by experience of the opposite Night Out of all this that you haue heard touching our comfort we may learne that Saint Chrysostomes rule is true Non est parua Virtus gaudere de bonis there is more required vnto full comfort then euery one either heeds or performeth if we will take comfort as we ought wee must not omit any one of those branches which I haue exprest But enough of the comfort I come now to the Prayer As wee must take full comfort in the Day so must wee pray for the happie continuance thereof first of the continuance Saue Lord. The words are Hoshingnana which in the Gospel is rendred Hosanna solemne words vsed by the Iewes at the Feast of Tabernacles When they were in their passage to Canaan they had no other Houses but Boothes or Tabernacles God was pleased to figure the Church Militant in the forme of a Campe when they came into the Holy Land and possessed Cities God would not haue them thinke they cease to be Militant and therefore commanded them once a yeare to dwell in Tents and thereby remember that they must bee alwayes readie to betake themselues againe to such moueable Houses and that they wanted not enemies that would put them to it But marke in what place the Tabernacles were to be pitched euen at Hierusalem which signifieth The Vision of peace there were they to haue a spectacle of warre Neither were the Tents only pitcht at Hierusalem but also round about the Temple to let them vnderstand what that was which was maligned not only their Ciuill but also their spirituall Day for both they were to pray Hoshignana Saue Lord let not their wicked imaginations prosper that haue euill will either at Hierusalem or at Sion The point implied herein is that both our Dayes are changable the Ciuill Day though it be as glorious as the Day of Salomons raigne yet may it haue a rent as great as Salomons Kingdome had when he lost ten Tribes of twelue yea when all twelue were carried away in captiuitie Neither may the Ciuill Day only be changed but the spirituall also the Temple may be burnt aswell as the Citie the Priest destroyed aswell as the Citie the Priest destroyed aswell as the Prince the mists of Idolatrie yea and Infidelitie may ouercast the Church It is plaine in the storie of the Iewes who at first were Idolaters and now are become plaine Infidels Neither hath the New Testament any exemption from this change the Easterne and Westerne Churches shew that all are subiect to the same condition Therefore whilst we stand we must take heed of a fall and the best heed is to pray Saue Lord. As we must pray for the continuance so must we pray that that continuance may be happie We see that though the Sunne bee aboue the Horizon and so apt to make a Day yet many so gges and mists rising from the earth ouercast the Skie and intercept the comfortable influence of the light euen so though God vouchsafe neuer so good a Prince a Prince vnder whom we enioy abundance of peace and the free passage of the Gospel such may be our gracelesnesse that wee shall be the better for neither of them not for the peace that will not make our times a Day if we abuse it in riot and luxurie extortion and imurie diseases that the malignitie of our nature hath made almost inseparable companions of ciuill peace and prosperitie As our vntowardlinesse may hinder the Ciuill Day so may it the Spirituall also if wee loath the heauenly food as many prophane persons doe or as many ouer-curious take an occasion from it to rent the seamelesse Coate of Christ and fall to Sects and Schismes and how many Churches that might haue beene happie haue beene by these meanes most vnhappie Wee haue not wanted Gaules of this kinde which haue fretted our Spirituall Day as our Ciuill is much dimmed by the voluptuousnesse of our times You see then there is good reason of the second branch of the Prayer Prosper Lord let not thy blessings O Lord be receiued in vaine let either sort his blessed effect Religion in the Church and peace in the Common-Weale I haue shewed what you must doe in solemnizing of a Festiuall there remaine two things which I will touch in a word the first is When this must bee done then by whom both these containe the manner How we must doe this dutie these things must bee done ioyntly and they must be done vniuersally Iointly that is noted in the word Now Saue Now send Now Prosperitie we must fall to our prayers euen when we are singing prayses Chap. 11. It is very true which the sonne of Syracke obserueth In the day of prosperitie there is a forgetfulnesse of affliction and in the day of affliction there is no remembrance of prosperitte this is the vsuall course of men Psal 118. but he giueth a good admonition when thou hast enough remember the time of hunger and when thou art rich thinke vpon pouerne and need let vs not forget our prayers when wee are at our prayses When the Church is Triumphant there shall bee then only Ioy and prayse shall be our only worke but while the Church is Militant Dolor Voluptas inuicem cedunt there is a vicissitude of faire and foule weather prosperitie and
Heauen In HABAKKVK the stones and timber of the King of Babylons house built with blood doe cry Finally Iames 5. in St IAMES the wages of the hireling kept from him doe cry and come into the eares of the Lord of Hosts Cap. 6. And as sinnes so iudgements haue a Voyce MICAH hath a notable place The voice of the Lord cryeth vnto the Citie the Man of Wisdome will see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it And the Lord is sayd to make his iudgement to be heard from Heauen When then GOD saith I was deafe and dumbe he meaneth that though the cry of the sin were loud yet he did not heare it he was deafe neither did they heare from him though there was iust cause he was dumbe In these two points stands the Patience of GOD. Where-hence we learne that when we are free from plagues we must not conclude that we are without sinnes crying sinnes The cause of our peace is often times not our owne innocencie but GODS patience it is not because our sinnes hold their tongues but GODS iudgments hold theirs notwithstanding our guilt he is silent And here appeareth a great difference between God and Men Men are as soone moued as they are prouoked few can hold their hands scarce any their tongues so sensible are we of wrongs and so reuengefull according to our power Not so GOD it is one of the characters of his Nature to be long suffering euen when he is grieuously offended he can hold his Tongue not onely his Hands Behold an euidence hereof in this Penitent whose incestuous life GOD hath forborne so many yeeres though he might haue rewarded him according to his deserts when he first fell into this foule offence yet hath GOD lent him many yeeres and expected his repentance But what vse doe men make of GODS patience Surely the Iewes did but verifie the old saying veterem ferendo iniuriam inuit as nouam the more GOD forbeares the worse we waxe GOD holds his peace that we might speake is deafe that we might heare Rom. c. 2. but enormous sinners make vse of neither they abuse the patience and long suffering of God and like IESABEL though GOD giue space to repent they repent not Reuel 2 21. We should heare our sinnes that GOD might not heare them we should heare them speaking to the eare of our Consciences whereinto if they did enter they would not ascend higher into the eares of GOD. And seeing GOD is dumbe that we might speake we should speake to GOD by repentance and then GOD would not speake vnto vs by vengance according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.31 If we did iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But what doth the Iewe He grosly abuseth this patience of GOD in stead of so hearing and speaking he thinketh that God is like vnto himselfe Behold the world turned vpside downe GOD made man after his owne Image and see man would faine square GOD after his Image whereas the creature should resemble the Creator the Creator is drawne to resemble the creature An absurd conceit is it in reason how much more in Religion When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patterne into the Exemplification but yet might it be excused if so be man were vnderstood as he was made of GOD for we vse in Diuinitie out of the obseruation which we make in the nature of man to draw descriptions of the nature of GOD because whatsoeuer is in the effect is but much more emminently in the efficient so we talke of the Truth the Righteousnesse and Holinesse of GOD guessing at them by those sparkes of vertue which appeare in man But the conceit of these men is not so good for thus must the words be knit Thou thoughtest that I was like vnto thee which hast done these things and such a thee is a sinfull thee so that GOD is not onely resembled vnto man but vnto a sinfull man outragious blasphemie It was a great sinne which ADAM committed when he affected to be like vnto GOD though it were in an holy attribute the attribute of his Knowledge How fearefull a sin then is it not onely to debase GOD to be like vnto men but also to be like vnto him in a hellish Attribute the Attribute of sinne There are three steps of Atheisme Psal 94.7 It begins with Tush God doth not see and is there vnderstanding in the Highest It goeth on to Tush God doth not care Scilicet is superis labor est ea cura quietos solicitat The Lord will doe neither good nor euill as the Prophet speaketh It commeth at length to We account the proud blessed Malach. 3.15 and they that tempt God are exalted Of these Atheists the first turne God into an Idol giuing him eyes that see not and eares that heare not The second make him an idle or carelesse God as if he did onely looke on and leaue euerie man to shift for himselfe The last doe plainly turne God into the Diuel for their blasphemie is not onely priuatiue denying GOD to be what indeed he is but also positiue fastning vpon GOD what is cleane opposite to his Nature so that it is not without cause that our vulgar English hath Thou thoughtest wickedly for it is a most wicked thought We must then take heed how we entertaine sinne seeing we shall grow worse and worse by degrees There are inborne principles of honestie and pietie which are sensibly felt when we first fall to sinne the further we goe the lesse are they felt and when we grow senslesse of them then fall we to apologize for sin and there can be no stronger apologie then to make GOD our consort for it is a principle stampt in our nature That God is the soueraigne good whatsoeuer then is either from him or in him must needs be good so that if a wicked man can make GOD either the Author or Patterne of his sinne he need no sayrer colour nor stronger argument wherewith to resolue either himselfe or others that bitter is sweet darknesse light death life and good euill And the Diuel knoweth that we will sinne securely when we are resolued that by sinne we doe GOD good seruice he that reads the stories of the Heathen gods shall find that one of the greatest prouocations that the world hath had vnto sinne hath beene the worship of such gods as their owne Poets describe theirs to be stained with all kind of sinnes The Fathers that wrot against them IVSTIN MARTYR CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS EVSEBIVS LACTANTINS ARNOBIVS and Saint AVSTIN insist much vpon this point when they defend Christian Religion against the Gentile And who can tell whether GOD in this place doth not taxe such Gentilisme in the Iew And intimate that their Idolatry was a cause of their impuritie for it is plaine in the Prophets that they worshipped Idols of all Nations You
the onely reason why I must loue my selfe And this will lead vs to another note Christ saith that wee must loue our neighbour as our selfe but not for our selfe that were amor concupiscentiae but ours must bee amor amicitiae hee that loueth for himselfe ceaseth to loue 2. Cor. 12. if he cannot and when he doth not speed of his owne benefit but hee that can say with Saint Paul Quaero vos non vestra will say with him Idem I will loue you though the more I loue the lesse I am beloued Such loue is a stable loue like that of Booz towards Ruth whereof Naomi said the man will not be at rest vntill he hath finished the matter But yet obserue that though a man must loue his neighbour rather for his neighbours sake then for his owne that loueth him yet must hee not doe it so much for his neighbours sake as for Gods towards whom hee must bend all his neighbours loue as being the vpshot of humane felicitie This which I haue obserued in thesi or in generall concerning our neighbour must bee applyed in hypothesi and fitted to euery degree of neighbours Though they be knit together by naturall or ciuill obligations which yeeld reason of lower degrees of loue yet must not Christians rest there they must improue their loue vntil they haue brought it as high as this measure of grace Parents loue their children Gouernours those that are commited to their charge Citizens Friends loue each the other but whatsoeuer else causeth this loue wee loue them not as our selues except first hauing qualified our selues with the loue of God we qualifie them therewith also It is a question whether As bee a note of similitude or equality so that it is enough to loue our neighbour with such a loue as wee loue our selues though not with so great A needlesse question if Christs words bee vnderstood as I haue opened them If you take them in the first sense as the measure of our mutuall loue is dictated by the light of Nature there can be no doubt but the measure must be equall for how can I suppose my selfe in another mans state and him in mine and in reason deale any iot worse with him then I would haue him leale with me if the case were altered to scant the measure if it were but in the least graine is plaine philautie or corrupt loue of a mans selfe Take the measure in that sense which is dictated by Grace and that will admit no inequalitie of loue for should I loue the loue of God in any man lesse then I doe in my selfe that would sauour of enuy at the least if not implerie for I should haue an euill eye when God is good yea I should not as I ought take comfort in the highest aduancement of the honour of God The Scripture teacheth vs to doe farre otherwise A new Commandement giue I vnto you saith Christ that you loue one another as I haue loued you that you also loue one another Ioh 13. Now you know how Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs forgetting as it were all the content that hee tooke in his owne Holines and Happines that he might promote ours Saint Iohn applies it to vs 1. Ioh. 3. Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because hee laid downe his life for vs and we ought to lay downe our liues for the Brethren Take an instance in Saint Paul Phil. 2. If I be offered vpon the sacrifice and seruice of your faith that is in working and increasing it I ioy and reioyce with you all for the same cause also doe you ioy and reioyce with mee Or if this instance doe not satisfie because that Saint Pauls death which hee wished was a martyrdome and though hee preferred the loue of the Brethren before his corporall life yet therein he manifested the greater loue to God for higher in his loue to God during this life a man cannot ascend then willingly to bee a Martyr to to seale Gods truth with his bloud and confirme the faith of the Church Rom 9. S. Paul hath another of a higher straine concerning the loue of our neighbour which be vtterth with a sad Preface testifying that hee is earnest and well aduised I say the truth in Christ I lie not my Conscience also bearing me witnesse in the Holy Ghost that I haue great heauines and continuall sorrow in my heart for I could wish that my selfe were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsmen according to the flesh Diuine brotherly Loue how dost thou transport the Apostle to whom Hell is not terrible nor the losse of Heauen grieuous so the Israelites might escape the one and obtaine the other And did hee not then loue them more then himselfe But might hee doe it and may wee imitate him herein Surely hee might without any offence to God testifie his wish because hee doth not contradict Gods decree which will not haue Holinesse vnhappie but supposing there were a posibility that a man hauing no sinne might bee subiected to those torments hee meanes that he could be contented to vndergoe euen the torments of Hell so the Israelites might haue the grace to belieue in Christ and to haue such a minde is no sinne but it bringeth Charitie to the highest pitch to which it can possibly be raised in a Creature Neither is there any reason why we may not imitate him herein seeing what was vertuous in him cannot be vicious in another man But indeed it is not to bee expected that our Charitie will euer fall into so heauenly an Ecstasis it is well if we come so farre as to loue our neighbour as our selfe although it is not improbably obserud by some vpon those passages which before I cited out of Saint Iohn that the Law which biddeth vs loue our Neighbour as our selfe could not teach perfect Charity because the Iewes being vnder age were not capable of so profound a doctrine and therefore Christ vnder the new Testament goeth farther with the Church being of ripe age and would haue Christians loue their neighbours more then themselves this is a new or Euangelicall Sicut Which being true Aquinas his conceipt followed by many Romanists must needs be false who teacheth that it is against nature moralitie and Charitie for a man to loue his neighbour more then himselfe except happily wee will distinguish betweene the inward affection and the outward action of Charitie the inward affection must be equall to all at least as great as to our selues but in outward action because it is impossible for vs to doe this good vnto all we must dispense it as farre as our abilitie will reach proportioning our indeauour according to the number and strictnesse of obligations whereby wee stand bound to persons for so is Pauls rule Galath 6. While we haue time let vs doe good to all men especially to those that are of the Houshold of faith and in