and all teares shal be wiped away from our eyes Now for Christes sake put away vanitie and wantonnesse and let euery one of vs take vp a new course of life that we may mourne and weep vnfainedly for our sinnes for we haue all neede that in stead of this worldly joy wee may get that solide vnspeakeable joy that ariseth out of sadnesse otherwise we only enjoy the name of Christians but as the disposition of the heart which is required in a Christian it is farre from vs. Yet marke further His conscience is not onelie wakened with the sense of sinne hee is not onelie touched with a true sorrow for it but also he maketh a cleare plaine confession of it Then mark it Before thou gettest mercy in Christ thou must first of necessity acknowledge confesse thy sin for confession of sinne must of necessity go before mercy Dauid found this by experience for so long as he held his tongue and would not confesse his sinne he could find nothing but the wrath heauie hand of God against him My bones saieth hee were consumed I roared all the day c but assoone as hee taketh this resolution with himselfe I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord then hee found the Lord to shew mercy on him and to forgiue him y e punishment of his sin Psal 32. 3. 4. 5. And to what purpose shoulde any man couâ—r his sinnes from God whose all-seeing eyes pierce into the braines and moste secrete corners of the heart and to whom all things are open patent and who knoweth euery mans sinnes better than he can doe himselfe Why shouldest thou then dissemble with Him why shouldest thou not make a plaine open confession of thy sinnes vnto Him that thou mayest get mercy Another thing would be marked Hee is not content to confesse his sin but he saith I am the chiefe of sinners Hee saieth not simply I am a sinner but the chiefest sinner the first sinner in the world Brethren if we had a sense of our sin euen the least sinner of vs would thinke he were the greatest hee would not goe about to excuse his sinne hee woulde not cloake it as Cam did hee would not extenuate it much lesse would hee haue a proude conceit of himselfe and of his own righteousnesse he would not enter in as that proude Pharisee did Luke 18. 10 who helde vp his head and saide I am not as other men extortioners vnjust adulterers or euen as this Publicane The poore Publicane was in y e meane time hinging down his head but hee was a greater sinner But if thou enter into comparison with others and haue a sense of thy sin thou wilt thinke with thy selfe There is not so great a sinner in the world as I am thou wilt say with Paul I am the first and chiefest of sinners Now when he hath applied the generall sentence to himselfe and shewed that the Lord had giuen him mercy and saluation He setteth downe next the end of this grace But herefore saieth hee he had mercy on me that he might first shew on me al long suffering there is an end another end is that I should be an example to others in the world Nowe Brethren when God sheweth mercy on any man it is not for nothing it is not without great manifest causes for He will not cast grace lightly away Indeed He will giue these temporall benefits to the wicked because He esteemeth not so much of them Hee will throwe a lordship an earledome yea a kingdome to a reprobate but as for one spunke of y â— spirituall grace of Iesus Christ He will know well to whom He giueth it He will take good heed to whom Hee giueth one drop of that precious blood of Iesus Christ and Hee will loue them exceedingly Thinke yee not that hee would loue a leprous man well that would washe him with his owne blood The preciousest liquor that euer was in the world is the blood of the Lord Iesus yea such is the worthinesse preciousnesse thereof that all the worlde will not buy one drop of it Shall we not thinke then that He loueth that man well whome Hee washeth with His blood Shall we not thinke that He beareth an vnspeakeable loue to that man whom He washeth with His Holy Spirit Marke it Brethren Mercy commeth by chance to no man it is vsually said Kingdomes come of hap but it is not so with mercy and the grace of Iesus Christ none gets it but these whose names are writteÌ„ vp in the booke of life none are called to the participation of one spunke of that sauing grace but they who were predestinated from all eternity And therefore if thou hast gotten one spunke of grace count with thy selfe that thou wast predestinated from all eternity to euerlasting life and count with thy selfe that thou hast gotten a more excellent and precious thing than if thou hadst gotten all the world Now as He will not lightly giue grace so He giueth it not for the person himself alone who receiueth the grace but Hee will haue a consequence following vpon the giuing of that grace and mercy first He will haue the glory of that grace and mercy to Himselfe and what more Hee will set him on whome Hee hath vouchsased that grace and mercy to be a spectacle and example of His mercy before the worlde To speake of the first ende That he should show on mee al clemency that is that shewing such mercy on me who was the greatest sinner Hee might manifest and declare the exceeding greatnesse of His mercie to the world Brethren the thing that God looketh to in His workes is that Hee might bee glorified in His essentiall properties but aboue all the rest of His properties Hee will bee glorified in His mercy He will bee glorified in His power in His wisedome in his justice Sodome and Gomorrha was a spectacle to sinners of His justice to terrifie sinners to the ende of the worlde But aboue all Hee seeketh to bee glorified in His owne mercy Aboue all things the Lord will haue His loue and mercy to shine in the worlde Hee will haue the creature to glorifie Him in His mercy What is the cause that Hee sent Christ into the worlde That in Christ His mercy might shine in the world What is the cause of this preaching of the Euangell Why is it sent That His mercy might shine in the worlde And all the Pastors should teach and proclaime this mercie of God and not speake of judgement but when men regardeth not His mercy Looke what the LORD will doe that His mercy should shine in the world Hee will take blasphemous persons persecuters oppressors such as Paul was and Hee will shewe mercy vpon them Hee will make them to be spectacles of His mercy in the sight of the world that all the worlde shoulde stand wondering that the Lord sheweth mercy vpon them And there is not one of them who are justified by Christ but they are spectacles of the mercy of God set before the world to make the world to wonder at his mercy that so wee may learne to knowe and deepely to consider the mercy of GOD not onely by His worde but also by His workes and examples of them that haue obtained mercy Now to come to the second ende hee saieth Unto the example of them that shall in time to come beleeue in him Then Paul getteth mercy not for himselfe onely but also for other sinners who seeing this mercy shewed vpon him might reason with themselues and say Yonder blasphemer yonder persecuter yonder oppressor hath gotten mercy and may not I likewise bee assured to get mercy Therefore when thou seest that the Lord is merciful to any man say with thy selfe It is not for nothing that the Lord hath giuen this man mercy but it is for my cause that I may by his example be stirred vp to seeke mercy therefore I will goe and get mercy at his handes But alas such is our security and senselesnesse that howbeit the Lord be continually calling vpon vs and offering mercy vnto vs by His worde and likewise by euer setting foorth before vs godlie men and women that of vnholy creatures are made holy creatures to be spectacles of His mercie that by them wee should take example yet all these meanes that God vseth to testifie His mercy vnto vs mooueth vs not to consider and take vp His mercy But blessed is that soule that can learn by anie of these meanes to take vp the mercie of GOD and to seeke for it for mercie is the preciousest jewell that euer was Therefore when thou findest not assurance of mercy then be sorie for it and striue earnestly to obtaine it for there is no surer token that the Lord is to shew mercie to anie soule than vvhen vpon the sight and feeling of the vvant thereof the soule is grieued and striueth and endeuoureth more and more to obtaine a more full assurance thereof And therefore vvhen I consider howe men in this Land are sleeping in sinne vvithout anie remorse of conscience and are so carelesse to seeke to haue assurance of mercie I am afraide that the LORD is about to vvith-draw mercie from this Nation The LORD auert His vvrath and be mercifull vnto this sinfull Nation for CHRISTES sake To vvhom vvith the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory vvorlde vvithout end AMEN FINIS
the childrens bread and to cast it to whelps verse 27 But shee saide Trueth Lord yet in deede the whelps eat of the crummes which fall from their maisters table verse 28 Then Iesus answered and saide vnto her O woman great is thy faith bee it vnto thee as thou desirest And her daughter was made whole at that houre IN this TEXT which wee haue read wel beloued in the Lord Iesus wee haue a wonder that the Lord wrought on a woman a Canaanite a Gentile of a cursed generation the generation of Canaan The wonder is the healing of a womans daughter that was possessed and sore and miserably vexed with a deuill The woman hauing the occasion to meet with the Lord through His comming to these parts where she abode shee slippeth not the occasion but seeketh mercy and grace she findeth at the first great hardnesse and difficulty to get mercy but at the last she ouercommeth all by her faith and getteth mercy Now to go through this History so shortly and plainly as the LORD shall giue the grace This woman is called a Canaanite that is descended of that olde and rotten stocke of Canaan that was destinate for wrath and destruction Genes 9. 25. Looke to her estate shee is come of a cursed rase she is lying in sinne and security first in sinne next in a deadly sleepe and security of sinne This is the estate of euery one of vs we lie in sinne conceiued in sinne and borne in sinne we feele not the sinne that deadly sleepe of security is worse than the sinne we lie in there is none of vs better by nature than this woman was Then when she is thus lying in sinne security the Lord from the Heauen sendeth her awakening and a sharpe wakening for the judgements of God are like many messengers from Heauen to waken vs. In the example of the woman wee see that the Lords children must bee wakened and oftentimes our first wakening is verie sharpe dolefull and fearefull as it is with one that is wakened in the rage of a feuer Yet there is grace here Well is y e man that is wakened though the wakening were neuer so sore and sharpe for the multitude of the worlde dye in securitie and neuer waken till the fire of Hell waken them Well is thee and thou be wakened albeit it should be with neuer so heauy a judgement yea though thy daughter or thy selfe should bee possessed with a deuill Now when this poore womā is thus wakened and is wrastling vnder the heauy hand of God the Lord casteth an eye towardes her for no doubt howbeit she was one of the rase of cursed Canaan yet she was chosen to eternall life and of very purpose He casteth Himself into these parts where she was what euer other erand Hee had there is no question but He had a particular respect to her ◠she might haue the occasion to come to Him and this was a great grace When we are wakened out of security then the Mediciner hath his time and this is a greater grace It is a great grace to bee wakened but it is a greater grace to find a Mediciner to cure thy disease for as multitudes die in securitie so also multitudes die in paine torment and desperation after they are wakened Well she hearing tell that He was come to these parts and that He was such a man a wonderful man as the prophet Esay calleth Him who cured all sort of diseases who restored sight to the blind limmes to the lame cleansed the leprous and raised vp the dead she is moued to seeke grace and mercy at Him Had not the Lord preuented her and come downe thither sought her to draw her to Him there had neuer bene such a thing that she had sought for Him All thy misery albeit it vvere neuer so great vvill neuer draw thee to Him except Hee seeke thee first and draw thine heart vnto Him Well nowe to come forwarde vvhen shee seeketh Him shee findeth Him and getteth His bodilie presence CHRIST and His Disciples vvere vvalking together after His accustomed manner at the first meeting saieth the TEXT The woman cryeth Hee is apparantlie going before and the vvoman followeth after and cryeth Miserie constraineth her to crie And if the LORD laye His handes vpon thee Hee vvill compell thee to howle and crie O that power and might that is in the LORD ouer His creature But I doubt not considering the vvordes and communication that the LORD hath with this poore miserable and sinfull vvoman but it was that Spirit of adoptiō that opened her mouth so vvide to crie vpon Him so O thou sonne of Dauid haue mercie on mee What crieth shee Marke her words She crieth haue mercy vpon me How many of Hierusalem cried after this manner An Heathen ◠Cananite crieth this way misery compelleth her to cry But what maketh her to cry Mercy Wee will raile blaspheme God whē we are in misery but what caused her to cry Mercie No question the conscience of her demerites caused her to crie Mercie shee felt her selfe to bee worthy of all that misery wherewith shee was burthened The voyce of a miserable sinner that feeleth misery is O Lord haue mercy vpon mee but loe howe shee stileth Him O Lord The Sonne of Dauid these were the common stiles indeed of the Lord in this life He was called of the multitud LORD and the sonne of Dauid But certainly I am of this mind that this woman took these stiles otherwise than y e common multitude The very eye of her soule was opened to see Iesus Christ to be the Lord to bee the Sonne of God manifested in the flesh of the seed of Dauid howbeit I will not attribute vnto her a distinct clear knowledge of both His natures in one person and of His offices Then Brethren ye see two grounds of her petition The first is a Lordship and Power and Dominion in Him of whom she sought mercy The next is a Pitie a Mercy in Him of whome shee sought mercy She sought mercy at a mèrcifull face grace at a gracious face Looke that thy prayer bee well grounded on the LORD When thou openest thy mouth to seeke mercy at that LORD looke that thou acknewledge that there is a power in that Lord to giue thee euery thing that thou standest in need of and chiefely looke that thou acknowledge that there is an infinit passing mercy in that Lord surmounting all thy sinnes and then shalt thou pray from the heart with confidence and liberty otherwise thou mayest well seeke mercie from the teeth outwarde but neuer with thine heart Then shee letteth Him see a good cause wherefore she sought mercy Lord I haue need of a Phisition for I am sicke What sicknesse is sorer to a poore body than this to bee rent both in soule and body with a deuil Lord my poore daughter is tormented with a deuill As in thy prayer thou must haue a sight
will extenuate sinne although it were but an euill thought against that inuiolable Majestie I knowe not whether such an one hath gotten remission of their sinnes or not and supposing they haue gotten remission of it yet it will bee but a little loue that they will haue vnto the Lord. But hee or shee that will come in and aggreadge their sinne though it were but a thought against that Majestie for thou art neuer able to aggreadge it enough and if thou find a remission of thy sinne then no man can thinke how heartily that bodie will loue the LORD for if once thou gettest grace to repent and to loue GOD thou mayest bee assured that thy sinnes though they were neuer so great neuer so weighty and many in number shall neuer hinder thee of grace and mercie And then againe I say to thee the greatest sinner y t counteth most of their sins once feeling y e remission of their sinnes euer the greater louer Paul an oppressor a persecuter blasphemer a wrongfull man once feeling the loue of the Lord forgiuing him O! how exceedingly loued he the Lord A penitent sinner shall farre surpasse them in loue that haue not sinned halse so much the world shall admire at him for his loue he shall be a miracle to all them that beholde him Now I proceed forward The Pharisie can judge well enough of this generall that hee that hath most forgiuen him loueth most and that loue is the effect of remission of sinnes Well art thou that louest the Lord for be assured that the Lord loueth thee and hath forgiuen thee thy sinnes But when it commeth to the assumption that that poore woman that sinful woman loued the Lord there hee erreth Beholde Brethren the light of nature and the blindnesse of nature by nature wee will know the generall well enough suppose thou haddest no more but that light of nature thou wilt confesse that a murtherer should die the death But if thou come to the particular O! but thou art a murtherer thou hast a bloodie heart a bloodie hand and thou art all bloodie Will anie man suffer that No no and therefore he will hold off this conclusion Therefore thou shouldest die the death and be takē to the place of execution and there lose thine head And would to God that our bloodie men whether they bee Noblemen lordes Earles Barons or others had bene headed long since for it is a maruell that plague solloweth not after plague continually till this land bee purged of this blood that cryeth continually in the streetes So the Pharisie could not belieue the particular that euer the poore sinner coulde get mercie hee was so hard a censurer of the poore woman But I count it nothing worth to judge vprightly in generall except also thou judge vprightly in particular The Iudges of the Land they will judge vprightly in generall but come to the particular to kinsfolkes friendes and alliances this man or that man with his bud O there there the judgement is peruerted Well is the Iudge that judgeth vprightly in particular for a Turke may judge vprightly in generall and woe is thee that judgest not vprightly in particular Now to come to the other part of the reason The Lord turneth Him to the poore woman and the more the Pharisie findeth fault with the Lord the more the Lord turneth Him toward her and saieth I say to thee Simon that this woman loueth mee more a thousand times than euer thou diddest If thou withholdest grace from a sinner then in despite of thy teeth the Lord will heape grace vpon him The assumption is this This woman loneth me exceedingly then the conclusion will follow in the owne roome Therefore this woman certainly hath all her sinnes forgiuē her Then He declareth the assumption by waye of comparison with the Pharisie Thou calledst me to dinner saith hee but this woman loued me better than thou doest I entered into thine house and thou gauest mee no water to my feat after the fashiō of the countrey but she hath washed my feet with teares looke if this be a token of loue then againe Thou gauest me no kisse after y e fashion of the countrey but she since the time I came in hath not ceased to kisse my feete Then Mine head with oyle thou didst not anoint but shee hath anointed my feete with ointment therefore shee loueth me better than thou Nowe the Pharisie coulde not discerne of the penitent sinner but the Lord letteth him see that Hee can discerne betwixt an hypocrite a true penitent sinner there Hee hath payed him in his owne hand And the Lord letteth vs see that He taketh heede and shall take heede to the ende of the worlde to the least thing that thou doest for His cause to anie of His. Who wuld haue thought that the Lord woulde haue taken heede to this The Lord will take heede who giueth Him water to washe His feete which is but a sober office The LORD will take heede who will stoupe downe and giue Him a kisse and washe His feete with teares The LORD will take heede who will bestowe common oyle to anoint Him with or who will bestowe precious ointment on Him and in the Great daye when all secretes shall bee reuealed looke if Hee tooke heede what wee were doing in the worlde Matth. Chapter 25. verse 34 Hee will saye Thou gauest Mee nothing when I was heere in the worlde thou visitedst Mee not and hee will point out place time and all the circumstances vnto thee Then Brethren if the LORD taketh so good heede what wee doe vvell is the soule that giueth but a piece of bread to an hungrie bodie for CHRISTES sake or a coate to a naked bodie for His sake And therefore euer haue Him before thine eyes and saye LORD I giue this to Thee that Thou mayest not say to me when Thou commest to judge the worlde Thou gauest Mee nothing Nowe I heare there is a great pouertie and famine in this Land and woe vnto them that are the instrumentes of hunger Let vs bee so farre from this to bee the causes thereof that on the contrarie wee may pintch our selues that wee may spare vpon the needie for I see the LORD will trie our liberalitie Therefore let vs spare vpon the poore in this Land that wee maye heare of the LORD in that Great daye Come yee blessed of My Father for yee gaue Mee meate and yee gaue Mee drinke in this worlde And further wee see heere the tryall of an hypocrite Howe shalt thou knowe an hypocrite The LORD layeth downe the rule Yee shall knowe them by their fruites Matth. 7. 16. Yee shal know by their doings an hypocrit hath many fair words I doubt not but this Pharisie whē he inuited the Lord to dinner had many faire words but there shall be little doing at the least hee shall neuer doe anie thing heartily Where is this Pharisies humilitie Hee offereth not to wash the Lordes
passeth all vnderstaÌ„ding in Iesus Christ Amen THE XVIII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus verse 15 This is a true saying and by all meanes worthie to bee receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe verse 16 Notwithstanding for this cause was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on mee all long suffering vnto the ensample of them who shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life THE Apostle Paul well-beloued Brethren in Christ considering that the Lord IESVS had shewed such mercy vpon him as to concredite to him the glorious EuaÌ„gell of the blessed GOD immediately falleth out in a thanksgiuing to Christ There are two causes in the proposition of the thankesgiuing the one is taken from the power of Christ wherewith he is made stroÌ„g for wheÌ„ he was nothing the Lord Iesus made him strong The other is from the mercy of Christ wheÌ„ hee was vnfaithfull how could a blasphemer bee faithful the Lord was so mercifull that He made him faithful this he declareth because he being before a persecuter the Lord made him an ambassadour of that same Euangell which hee persecuted He leaueth not this mercy but insisteth in magnifying of it in regard that not only he was a Preacher but likewise hee was a true Christian man Ere euer he set downe this mercy he telleth what he was before and he â—ayeth When I was a blasphemer not onely that but with torments compelled the Christians to blaspheme I was a persecuter and yet further an oppressour he leaueth nothing vntolde of himselfe and he thinketh no shame to honour that God who had mercie vpon him with his owne shame and hee regisirateth his owne mis-behauiour to his shame that euery one of the Saincts of God to the end of the world may say Glory be to God that hath shewed mercy on such a sinner then he wondereth and sayeth but he had mercie vpon me therewith by the way hee joyneth a reason why the Lord shewed mercy sa readily on him because he did it not of malice or knowledge but he was blinded hee did it of ignorance hee was destitute of Faith but assoone as hee gote mercy hee changed his course yet hee leaueth not off but entereth into a deaper consideration of this Grace he sayeth The Grace of the Lord abounded exceedingly My sinne abounded but grace superabounded and these wordes are from the sense of the heart the heart beeing opened with the sense of Grace openeth the mouth that it vttereth these words the grace of Christ is superabundant for if the heart be filled with the sense of grace mercy it will make the mouth to proclaime the mercy of God to extoll it highly The cause why we cannot set out y e mercy of God in hie termes is because in vs there is no feeling of mercy therefore it is that we vtter wordes so slender and of so litle valour when we speak of that loue that mercy as it were a thing of none importance When he hath told that the grace of the Lord superabounded he addeth also With faith and with loue in Iesus Christ he declareth that superabundant grace by a wonderfull mutation and change that was made in him by the power of IESVS CHRIST that of a blasphemer of Christ he is made a beleeuer apprehending him by Faith of a persecuter and oppressour of the Sainctes of God hee was made a louer of them The sense of the mercy of God faith in Iesus Christ bringeth foorth loue in the heart And whosoeuer hath assurance of mercie true faith his heart wil be joyned with Christ and he will haue a great loue towardes Him then for Christes sake he will loue all His Saincts there wil not be a soule in the Church of Christ but he will loue him so intirely y â— he wold giue his life for him as he will loue him so he will pity him for he y â— hath faith wil both loue pity meÌ„ he y â— waÌ„ts pity and careth not what becoÌ„meth of y e whole world so he bee well hee hath neuer found what was the mercy of God in his heart Alas howe few is the number of these faithfull ones how rare a thing is faith in the hearts of men What argueth this coldnesse in the heartes of men this want of loue and pity in the multitude Nothing but this that albeit mercy be preached yet y e multitude feeleth it not And if thou hadst all this world and yet tasted not of that sweetnesse of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ thou knewest neuer what joy what comfort what pleasure was Then in the next wordes hee openeth vp the ground as it were of that mercy that was shewed vpon him which is the generall ende of the comming of Christ into this worlde and from the generall he concludeth on this manner Christ Iesus is come into the world to saue sinners and I am a sinner therefore He will saue me amongst the rest Before he come to the words of the proposition because it is a great and notable sentence hee vseth a preface as y e Lord Iesus in matters of importance vsed to say Verily verily I say vnto you so here th' Apostle saith This is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be receiued In this preface he prepareth not onely Timothie but all that euer shal heare this senteÌ„ce vnto the end of the world and he prepareth them not only to the attension of the eare but he prepareth them vnto faith in the heart so that as soone as they should heare this sentence they should apply it with their hearts Alas why should so worthy excellent senteÌ„ces as these are passe away without any attention or preparation on our part It is true Brethren we should neuer come to y e hearing of any part of the word without preparation wee should not come to the holy congregation like as many swine without hauing any regard what wee are doing but we should come with preparation not only with an eare prepared but with an hart prepared and when thou enterest into the Church thou shouldest say The Lord prepare mine heart that I may receiue some sponke of grace So a preparation is requisite in generall to the hearing of the worde But yet the heart of man would be better prepared for the hearing of such notable sentences as this is Christ is come into the world to saue sinners they require a more singular preparation There is no doubt he spake through the full assuraÌ„ce of faith and that which he spake he assuredly beleeued therefore he spake of it When wee speake of that grace the heart should rise with an assurance Look to the Prophet Dauid with what assuraÌ„ce he speaketh of it I beleeued
nor seek to none other thing but to the pleasing of that fleshly body without regarde of the precious soule alas in pleasuring thy bodie thou losest thy soule thou makest thy bodie thy Heauen and thou testifiest plainly that thou wantest that light and sense of that Heauenly bodie which shall be after this life Thus farre for the description of the death of the body which is the house of the soule learning vs to esteeme of the soule and body as they are indeed and that not with a fleshly sense but with the Spirituall eyes of Faith Nowe wee come to the life that is contrarie to death There is two partes of man his soule and bodie this glorie of the which wee speake is not the glorie of the soule onely but the glorie of the bodie likewise a glorie belonging both to soule and bodie Wee saieth hee shall get a building not a sillie house as this earthly body was but a faire building Hee calleth the body which wee haue presently an house but the body which we shall get hee termeth it a building Thou gottest this bodie from nature that other is aboue nature nature cannot giue thee that other bodie GOD shall giue thee it aboue nature and against nature What building is this It is an house not builded with the hands of men it is builded with GODS owne hand the LORD immediatelie with his owne hand builded vp this building The former house of this body was vnstable and had no abiding for this body passeth away but this second building is an house that shall neuer fall nor slit but shall be eternall When thou shalt get this building thou shalt not need to be afraid for the dissolution thereof it shall neuer be dissolued Where shall this building be builded men regard much situation in building this house in the which we dwel here it is builded in the earth and it is a tabernacle pitched somtimes in this place somtimes in that place but the situatioÌ„ of this building shall bee in the Heauen for I assure thee when a man is once glorified entereth into that glorie hee shall no more returne to the earth The earth cannot beare a glorified person Christ beeing glorified coulde not abide in the earth but He went to that glorious mansion in the Heauens Thou shalt no sooner bee glorified but thou shalt mount vp to Heauen as CHRIST did Well then there is the glorie and there is no worde heere but it aggregeth that passing glorie Euerie worde lâ—tteth vs see the greatnesse of that glorie and yet it is not all tolde Nay Paul cannot tell thee all the glorie that shall bee in the glorified bodie he hath giuen but a little inckling of it It is but a building whereof hee telleth thee Yet marke Who is this that speaketh this It is Paul How speaketh he it by faith Is it his mouth that speaketh it no it is the soule that lodgeth in the bodie that falleth out in the extolling of that building that it shall dwell in As a sillie man in a cottage appointed to glorye shoulde saye I am nowe sitting in a sillie house but I shall once sit in a glorious Palace So marke Faith will cause the soule mount vp aboue the bodie and whilst the soule is in the bodie Faith and Hope will lift it vp and put it in a maner into Heauen Therefore this same Paul saith in the third Chapt. to the Phillip the 30 vers By Faith and Hope hee had his conuersation in Heauen while hee was yet dwelling on the earth Get therefore Faith and Hope that entereth thee into the possessioÌ„ of that glorie and before the soule bee seuered from the bodie they will in a maner put thee in possession thereof It is the too-looke to heauen that maketh the soule of Paul to rejoyce in this glorie The cottager that hath not a too-looke to a better house is a foole to despise his cottage but hee that hath a too-looke to a better who can blame him to despise this cottage I will tell thee my counsell before thou dislodge out of this bodie for as fraile as it is be assured of a better goe not out of the house doore except thou knowe that thou shalt enter into a glorious house I assure thee if thou bee not prouided for a better house and haue not Faith and Hope of a better than that which thou lodgest in thou shalt enter in a worse thou shalt get that bodie againe which was euill before but then it shall bee a thousande times worse for the soule shall bee shot into that bodie againe and then thou shalt be shot both soule and bodie into that foule dungeon of Hell So brethren looke for a glorious building thou that esteemest not of this bodie bee carefull for a better A vaine prodigall man will cast his soule out of this bodie and in the meane time will not bee prouided for a better lodging thereto Hee is not esteemed a man in these dayes that wil not hazard and cast out his life for an euill cause and quarell Trustest thou that that soule of thine shall get any better lodging hereafter and thou not prouided thereof by Faith and Hope here nay nay O blessed is that man that dieth in a good cause And what better cause can be than Christes cause who is the God of life Assure thee thou that wilt die for Christs cause thou shalt get a building in Heauen thou that takest no care of this life for Christs cause death shall be aduantage to thee The Lord graunt vs a too-looking to that Heauenlie building an assurance of that Heauenlie life Thus much for the assurance that Paule hath that hee shall dwell in Heauen Nowe in the verse following learne howe hee groundeth this assurance and what warrande hee hath for him Faith is not a word as to say I belieue and Hope is not a word as to say I hope Nay but thou must haue a warrand of thy saluation in this life or else I assure thee in the Name of GOD thou shalt neuer get Heauen It is a straite way to come to Heauen and it is wondrous hard to get the assurance of it It is no small matter to get an assurance of life euerlasting after death Then looke what warrandes this man PAVLE had that thou mayest preasse to haue the like The first grounde of his assurance is in this seconde verse For this cause saieth hee wee sigh desiring to bee clothed to put on as it were a garment Wherewith With our house which is from Heaven These are his wordes Then his first warrande and ground of his assurance is a desire of that same glory What sort of desire An earrest desire with sighing and sobbing not a colde desire but day and night crying and sobbing for life Thinkest thou so easily to get Heauen that canst neuer say earnestly in thine heart GOD giue mee that Heauenly life no thou wilt bee
the bodie As to the qualitie of the rewarde it is proportionall to that which thou hast done in the bodie bee it good or euill if it bee good thou shalt bee rewarded with glorie if euill thou shalt bee rewarded with ignominie and shame To insist something vpon the last wordes because the Papistes sticke to them and thinke they haue an aduantage of this place when they heare that euerie one shall receiue according to the thinges which they haue done in the flesh incontinent they conclude ERGO workes merites I answere Euill workes indeede merite damnation and damnation shall bee thy portion for them if thou bee out of IESVS but good workes haue no merite in all thy good workes there is no deseruing althogh they were ten thousand more than they are There is force enough in an euill work to condemne thee but in a thousand good workes no force to saue The Apostle saieth not heere They shall receiue a rewarde for that which they haue done but according as they haue done hee saieth not Propter making workes a cause but Secundum that is according to the testification of the works But to leaue the larger insisting in this as more pertinent to another place and to come to our purpose Weigh the wordes for euerie worde is a worde of weight importing a terrible Iudgement an Appearing a necessitie of appearing an vniuersall appearing without exception no respect of persons of the king more than of the begger no mitigation of the seueritie of the Iudge c. CHRIST will haue no mitigation but if thou bee a reprobate thou wilt bee handled seuerelie albeit thou bee a king The judgement then being so terrible the Iudge CHRIST must also bee terrible And so the Apostle saieth Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORD c. And all this is to learne euerie soule not so to presume of the mercie of CHRIST that thou shalt thinke to finde Him mercifull in that daye except that thou hast studied to bee acceptable vnto Him in this life and canst say LORD I EMPLOY MY SELFE IN SERVING THEE Away with that presumption of mercie which maketh the lowne when hee is muâ—thering and committing adulterie to say GOD is mercifull Hauing set downe the terrible Iudgement hee concludeth what he will doe in his owne person Is the judgement and Iudge so terrible I will bee wise the LORD giue vs this wisedome Knowing saith Paul that terrour of the LORD I will do my duetie in this life My duetie is to preach to bring men to the faith in CHRIST I will walke in the discharge of that duetie night and day Hee saith Knowing perfectlie that terrour of the LORD It is not a blinde terrour that will make a man to doe his duetie in this life but it is the knowledge of a Tribunall to belieue that there is a Iudge and a Tribunall in Heauen and that there is a most terrible day abyding And if a maÌ„ belieued that there is a Tribunall in Heauen a terrible Iudge sitting there to take account of his doinges in earth for all the worlde hee would not offende that GOD but this cannot sinke in the heart of man Hee will say there is a generall judgement but this is from the mouth onely and not from the heart and surely as long as a man continueth in sinne albeit hee should sweare that there is a Tribunall it is a token hee knoweth it not The wordes of judgement auaile nothing it is the belieuing and sure knowledge that there is a judgement and a terrible Iudge to sinners in Heauen that doth the turne Therefore seeke perswasion and looke to that Article of thy Creede that the Iudge shall come and take account both of the quicke the dead Belieue it and then it shall draw thee to liue a godly life Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORD wee perswade men or cause them belieue Hee saieth not I goe to play the part of a king or of a politicke man I am busie in this or that turne that appertaineth not to my calling No but according to my calling I preach the Gospell to perswade men to belieue in CHRIST that they may bee saued To speake the trueth it is not thy labouring and doing in any other mans calling that will profite thee but thou art ordained by GOD to doe thy duetie in thine owne calling and when the account of thy deedes shall bee taken in that Great day hee shall not say what hast thou done in another mans calling but what hast thou done in thine owne I made thee a Minister howe hast thou traueled in that vocation Therefore I saye as euerie man would bee readie to giue an account of his doinges let euerie man bee diligent in his owne vocation seeking the glorie of GOD therein Nowe it might haue beene saide to Paul Thou boastest much of thy doing and preaching but looke with what sinceritie thou hast beene occupied and with what vprightnesse of heart thou hast beene preaching in thy life time He answereth and first hee taketh GOD to bee witnesse of the sinceritie of his heart in discharging his Ministerie and then hee taketh the Corinthians among whome hee had traueled to bee witnesse also of his sinceritie As for GOD hee saieth We are made manifest vnto GOD And as for men I trust also I am made manifest in your consciences Hee taketh first GOD to bee witnesse who knoweth the heart and then the Corinthians who sawe his actions Then Brethren it is not enough for a Minister that preacheth CHRIST as Paule doeth for to perswade men to belieue in CHRIST to speake outwardlie to men as I am now speaking to you but hee must looke in the meane time that inwardlie his heart be set vpon GOD that is looke that he approoue his heart in sinceritie to GOD who seeth the heart Men marke the wordes that come out of the mouth but GOD marketh the sinceritie of the heart to see with what sinceritie the man speaketh This that I speake of Paul in his calling I meane of all other men in their callings Doest thou anie thing outwardlie to men looke that thou doe it inwardlie in thine heart with sinceritie to GOD otherwise thou losest all thy trauell albeit it were neuer so good in the presence of men Of this it followeth al these are but vaine voyces to stand vp and say I haue done this thing or that thing To speake to men who knowe not the heart except in the meane time as thou art speaking vnto men thou mayest draw the LORD to bee witnesse as Paule doeth to the sinceritie of thine heart and may say I haue beene traueiling with what sinceritie the LORD knoweth that which I haue done I haue done it in sinceritie not being content to call GOD onelie to bee witnesse he turneth him to the Corinthians and he appealeth their consciences to beare recorde of his sinceritie in his doing and hee saieth As for you Corinthians speaking sparingly I trust
c. Hee was assured of GODS testimonie but hee trusted that the Corinthians also would beare him recorde that hee had traneiled truelie Hee saieth in your consciences It is to bee marked that he appealeth to their consciences not their mouthes but their consciences for the mouth of man will giue one testimonie but the conscience will giue another And when the conscience will bee saying the man hath spoken truelie and in sinceritie the mouth in the meane time will bee backebiting him and the conscience will say thou lyest mouth Speake therefore euer according to conscience for if thy conscience speak one thing and thy mouth another thou shalt bee challenged of a lye It is true indeede men knowe not the heart of man as when a Minister is speaking yee cannot judge of his heart the LORD judgeth it yet a faithfull and sincere man hee will vtter sometime the inwarde sinceritie of his heart in his wordes and deedes that all that seeth and heareth him will looke in therethorowe and see the inwarde sinceritie of the heart and giue an outward confession of it Now Brethren then in this example of Paule yee haue such a protestation as the faithfull Pastor shoulde make in the houre of his death and which should be his testament There is two things in his Ministerie the outwarde speaking and the inwarde sinceritie of the heart If hee would protest of his faithfulnesse looke that hee protest as PAVLE did First outwardly I haue vsed all diligence in discharging all the outward partes of my calling I haue kept nothing abacke and then inwardly As for my sinceritie First I take GOD to bee witnesse who knoweth and onely seeth mine heart with what sinceritie I haue spoken and then I take you to witnesse that haue beene conuersant with mee so farre as yee can knowe the inwarde sinceritie of mine heart by my liuing and outwarde actions Woulde to GOD wee coulde haue this sinceritie And I praye the LORD graunt mee this sinceritie and I beseech Him that as Hee hath beene with mee since the beginning of my Ministerie so Hee would neuer leaue mee vntill the time I finish my course with joye to His glorie and comfort of His CHVRCH through IESVS CHRIST our LORD To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST bee all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FOVRTH SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 12 For wee praise not our selues againe vnto you but giue you an occasion to rejoyce of vs that yee may haue to answere against them who rejoyce in the face and not in the heart verse 13 For whether wee bee out of our wit wee are it to GOD or whether wee bee in our right minde we are it vnto you verse 14 For that loue of CHRIST constraineth vs. verse 15 Because wee thus judge that if one bee dead for all then were all dead and Hee died for all that they that liue shoulde not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto Him who died for them and rose againe TO repeat shortlie that which we haue heard in this Chapter We hearde first of that assurance of glorie and life euerlasting which is the only remedy against death and the dissolution of this body Wee hearde secondly of the three warrandes of this assurance of life glorie The first the earnest desire which the heart had of that glorie and life The second Regeneration and renewing The thirde the Holie Spirite who is the worker of all grace in our heartes and who neuer leaueth vs but abideth in vs as an assured earnest-pennie of the full accomplishment of all that glorie promised to vs in the word of GOD. And yet for all this wee heard that the Apostle had not that contentation nor full satisfaction of his heart because he is yet a pilgrime liuing heere by confidence and hath not gotten the full presence of his LORD hee chooseth to leaue all the thinges in this life and therefore hee taketh resolution what hee will doe in life and death to the ende that when hee commeth to his LORD in the Heauens hee may bee welcome The thing hee resolueth to doe is this hee endeuoureth himselfe in his calling to be acceptable to Him in life and death and hee will consecrate all the actions and sufferinges of both to Him Beside that glory to come which moueth him to studie to bee acceptable to his LORD he setteth downe another motiue a terrible Tribunall which abideth him and all men and women who studie not to bee acceptable to the LORD The soule shall not so soone depart out of the bodie but it shall also as soone bee presented before that Tribunall and shall receiue that dolorous sentence if they haue not studied to bee acceptable to Him Therefore the Apostle concludeth Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORDm we trauell in our calling to preach Christ and to bring men to faith and that not for the fashion but in sinceritie of heart so that wee take God who seeth the heart to be witnesse to vs of our sinceritie And as to you Corinthians vpon whom we haue bestowed our labour wee appeale to your consciences and wee take you to be witnesse of that same sinceritie of our calling This is the summe of all which ye haue heard hitherto in this Chapter Now to come to this Text which we haue read In the first verse the Apostle hauing spoken of his sinceritie in preaching the Corinthians who had not that liking of him which they shoulde haue had might haue objected Well Paule yet vauntest thou of thy selfe thou hast once vaunted of thy selfe as appeareth in the second and third Chapters preceeding and yet art thou commending thy selfe He answereth no I commend not my selfe againe I vaunted not of my selfe before nor now neither but when I said We are made manifest to GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences in these words I giue you occasion to glorie of me and not so much for my cause as for the cause of false flattering Apostles who glorie in their outward doings without sinceritie of the heart the repressing of these mens vaine glorying is the cause of this my speaking This is the meaning of this verse Then this Text beeing plaine learne these lessons I marke first in the person of the Corinthians who objecteth this vaunting to the Apostle mistaking his words Scarse may a godly man speake a worde or two of the grace which the Lord hath giuen him and that not to his owne praise but to the praise of his God when he is mistaken by euill men who set thēselues to wryth euery word that is spoken And if euer there was an age in y e which this vice reigned I am assured experience proueth it none age may bee compared in that case to this age Yea a godly man can do nothing but incontinent he is mistaken he can speake nothing but he is misconstrued and especially
the Ministers in their callings among all men their words are most miscoÌ„strued the day riseth not but there is an euident experience of this point and euerie one seeth it Therfore what remedy but patience all this judging is but for a time tary a litle while and keepe a good conscience in the meane time and we shall see another judgemeÌ„t when He shall come who judgeth rightly Then secondly learne in the person of Paul he will not haue it so much as once seeming that he praâ—seth himselfe euery good man and especially a Minister should flee all occasion of vaine glorie Yea Christian modestie and sobernesse require that euery man though they were indued with the greatest graces in the world yet they should speak and thinke of themselues soberly the more they haue the greater graces that God hath giuen theÌ„ the lesse they should account of themselues yea suppose they be somthing in the sight of God yet looking to the naughtinesse that abideth in this cankred nature they shold say of themselues I am nothing for th'Apostle saith 1. Cor. 8. 2 Gal. 6. 3. He that thinketh himselfe something he is nothing Phil. 2. 3. Let euery man account another man better than himselfe If a man will meditate on his owne estate either by night or by day let him thinke of his infirmities his sins and naughtines will hee rejoyce of himselfe in his owne mind looke to Paul what he saith 2. Corin. 12. 9. I will rejoyce in mine infirmities that the power of Iesus may dwell in mee The power of God neuer dwelt in a proud nor ambitious heart but in an humble heart God resisteth the proud giueth grace to the humble 1. Pet. 5. 5. So Paul when hee was musing of himselfe albeit hee had seene great visions 2. Cor. 12. he complaineth of his infirmitie to the Lord the Lord answereth My grace is sufficient for thee my power is made perfect through weaknes Then thou that wouldst be strong in God be weake in thy selfe thinke night and day of thine infirmity misery by sin I mark againe in the words of the Apostle A godly man may rejoyce and glory in the grace of God Why should not the grace of God bee gloried in The Apostle 2. Cor. chap. 18. vers 5. wheÌ„ he hath spoken of that Heauenly reuelation Of such a man I will rejoyce saith he of my selfe will I not rejoyce except it bee of mine infirmity Then may not a godly man speake of him selfe Yes he may speake of himselfe as the instrumeÌ„t of God as the dispenser of the grace of God as Paul did here To what ende That they vnto whome the Lord hath made him a good instrument vpon whom hee hath bestowed his trauels may glorifie God and render vnto him the honour of a Minister Paule saieth 1. Cor. 4. 1. Let a man count of vs as of the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secretes of God And so a Minister should haue honour and they vpon whome hee hath bestowed his trauels and the grace which God hath giueÌ„ him should honour him they are as greatlie indebted to giue it him as anie debt that euer they ought to pay Therefore the Apostle saieth 2. Cor. 12. 11. I haue beene foolish in glorying but ye haue compelled me because I should haue beene commended by you It is a point of sacriledge to take anie honour from them that God hath giueÌ„ them Now wherefore is this that th'Apostle would haue them glorying of him Not so much for his owne cause as for the cause of false Teachers who rejoyced in the face not in the heart that is not in inwarde sincerity but in outward things hauing a faire show of eloquence and faire words Then learne ambition must not be borne with it is pernicious both to the man in whome it is and to other men who haue adoe with him This vaine glorying is a kind of blasphemie for that which thou takest to thy selfe in thy vaine glorying thou reauest God of it in what calling soeuer thou bee Therefore thâ—â— vaine vaunting of our selues is a vice which among all vices should bee most repressed Alace that stinking flesh should stand vp and reaue God of his glorie Now wouldest thou haue a meane to represse this vâ—unting in the mouth of an ambitious man When hee is vaunting of these outward graces and benefites as an emptie vessell sounding without sinceritie in his heart cast thou vp in his teeth the sincerity of the heart say vaine man all thy speach is in thy face and not in thine heart Set vp the heart against the face and it shall shame it It auaileth not to speake of anie thing that thou canst doe except thou haue inward sinceritie in the heart For these outward things shall euanish and dare not appeare before God in that great day but sinceritie remaineth for euer To come to the next verse Yet they will not let him bee yet they will object vnto him his foolishnesse Who will vaunt of himselfe but a foole Paule thou art a foole thou braggest of thy selfe The Apostle answereth with modestie Whether we bee out of our wit wee are it to GOD or whether wee bee in our right minde wee are it vnto you There is the Apostles answere Then Brethren that which God counteth wisdome the world counteth it foolishnesse and that which the worlde counteth wisdome God counteth it foolishnesse Was there anie foolish talking here when the Apostle saith We are manifest to God and I doubt not but we are manifest also to your coÌ„sciences Was there any bragging here So the wisdome of God is foolishnes to the world shal be as long as corrupt nature is within vs And the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 3. 19. The wisdome of the world is foolishnes with God But the question cannot now be decided what the true wisdome is and what false wisdome iâ— the end will proue True wisdome is justified of her owne children Matt. 11. 19. Well the end will shew and especâ—ally that day when all things shall be reuealed Foolishnesse shall stand vp and all the world shall see it to be foolishnes Wisedome shall stand vp and all the world shall see it to bee Wisdome then it shal haue the owne approbation So that these meÌ„ that will be counted wise in this world will bee compelled to vtter these wordes of them whom they esteemed fooles in this worlde Are these the men whose liues wee counted foolishnes And I beseech God to opeÌ„ our eyes to see this true wisedome especially in things concerning religioÌ„ which wisdom only wil abide approbation Secondly learne Paule here yeeldeth to them saith Let me bee mad I am mad to God my God is before mine eâ—es and I care not to bee mad to this worlde And as for you if I bee in my right mind it is to you Ye CorinthiaÌ„s haue nothing to laye to my charge for I haue done my duetie
mooue thee to doe thy duety so much as the feeling of this loue of Christ towardes thee And nothing will bee able to stay thee from Christ and honouring Him and it were with thine owne ignominie if once thou haue a sense of it In the next verse hee giueth two reasons why the loue of Christ constrained him The first reason is taken from that misery that Christ founde him in when he suffered for him The second is taken from the ende of the death of Iesus As to the first this was our miserable estate before Christ loued vs we were all dead how proueth he that If one be dead for all then were all dead if thou hadst not bene dead in vaine Christ died for thee if thou hadst bene but halfe dead as the Papists say who vaunt of their free will the Sonne of God had neuer died for thee if Paul had had this free will and so bene halfe dead Christ had neuer died for him and if there were none other argument but this To import that there is not a free wil nor sponke of godlines in mē by nature it is sufficient to say Christ hath died for all we were without all sponk of free will to good when Christ came Marke the force of the argument It is from that miserable estate and spirituall death wherein CHRIST found vs when Hee beganne to bestow His loue vpon vs. Wee were dead spirituallie in sinne dead in trespasses What is this corporall death to bee respected if thou bee dead in sinne thou art worse than a carion This spirituall death should moue vs to thinke that the loue of Christ was wonderfull towardes vs it should euer make vs aggrege that loue wherwith He hath loued vs Hee died for thee who was dead in sinne and trespasses and so an enemie to Him Who is hee saieth the Apostle that will die for his enemies Roman 5. 7. Thou being dead in sinne thou liuedst in sinne and so liuedst an enemie to the life of CHRIST And therefore thine heart can neuer sufficientlie aggrege the benefites of His death Men are miserable but alas they feele it not thou hast no want nor scant of miserie but thou wantest sense and the lesse feeling thou hast of thy deadnes the greater is thy deadnesse for the sense of death is the beginning of life the more thou wantest the sense of death thou art euer the deader the liuelier the sinner is leaping and playing in his wantonnesse the deader is hee in soule For hee hath a burthen vpon his backe that will presse him thorowe the earth and make him sinke to Hell one day and in the meane time he is running to his mischiefe and villanie and knoweth not that hee hath death euerlasting vpon his backe O wo be to that miserable catiue although he be a king Alas men are dead in sinne and halfe in Hell and will not consider it It is a pitifull thing to consider howe there is no sense of this infernall miserie that followeth vpon this death When it is tolde them The LORD hath died for them they will make none account of it The word of the Crosse of Christ hath beene to the multitude of this Land but a vaine sounde and they haue neuer esteemed of such a mercie And therefore what wonder is it to see these vexations O SCOTLAND thou shalt get another wakening thou hast so long contemned grace which is y e most precious thing that euer was The Lord cānot be Lord if He suffer so long contempt and lightlying of Christ and His loue vnpunished The seconde argument is taken from the ende and purpose that Christ had in dying looked Hee to this end that thou shouldest play thee and follow thine own lust that thou shouldest abuse that life which He had bought so deare with His precious blood No his purpose was that not only in his death satisfaction thou shouldest be justified coūted just but also that thou shouldest be sanctified that thou sholdest cast off the works of vncleannes dedicate thy life in holines to him it is said Rom. 14. 9. that he rose again that he might be Lord ouer thy life For there was neuer man that had such a right to an earthlie thing as Christ hath to thy life then doe what euer may pleasnte him if it were to die a thousand times if it were to bee a foole for His cause what euer may pleasure Him set thee to doe it or of necessitie thou shalt lose that life of thine But here is the misery Mē know not wherefore Christ died Will yee aske men and women when they are bathing themselues in wickednesse if they will goe to Heauen they will answere yes they will goe to Heauen before their feet be colde But vaine lowne thou neuer knewst Christes purpose in dying for thee His purpose was that thou shouldest be a new man and thou shouldest not liue to thine owne selfe but to Him And the end shall proue if thou proceed so liuing to thy selfe not to Him who died for thee that the death of Christ had neuer force in thee Therefore looke if thou liue to Christ and if thou doest so then assure thy selfe Christ died for thee Looke if in the morning thou canst say Lord thou died for me I will giue thee my life and consecrate to Thee this day all mine actions and all that I haue Well is the soule that can saye this way Then all turneth to this Seeing Christ died for me I will take this resolutiō I will liue to Him al my dayes The Lord grant vs this resolutiō that we may liue to Him in this life that herafter we may liue with Him in Heauen for euer To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST be all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FIFT SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 16 Wherefore hencfoorth knowe wee no man after the flesh yea though wee haue knowne CHRIST after the flesh yet now hencefoorth know wee Him no more verse 17 Therefore if anie man bee in CHRIST hee is a new creature olde thinges are passed away Beholde all thinges are become new verse 18 And all things are of GOD who hath reconciled vs vnto Himselfe by IESUS CHRIST and hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation YEe hearde the last daye in the last part of this Chapter the reasons set down wherfore a man is bound and oblished in conscience to liue to God to consecrate his life his death and all his actions to Iesus Christ to wit First the loue of Christ constraineth and oblisheth vs so to loue Him againe that we be content euen to bee foolish to this world for His sake Another argument was taken from our own estate wherein we were when He shewed this loue of His vpon vs wee were dead in sinne and trespasses So this miserable condition that we did lie in which was the beginning of Hell euerlasting
is marked with the marke of perdition yea if thou bee a king thou art a vessell ordained for shame and ignominie Then Brethren learne here seeing there must be a number that must perish and a number of all estates in the worlde must die that must goe to Hell ordained from all eternitie to perdition beguile not your selues and seeing to this number the Gospel must bee hidden and must be a closed booke they can neuer haue coÌ„solation of it Then thou that delitest to walke in the light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ thinke thou not euill of this Gospell thinke thou not euill of this Ministerie Ioyne these two together that cannot bee seuered the Gospel and the Ministery Thou that thinkest euill of y e Ministerie thou thinkest euill of the Gospell bee thou not ashamed of the Ministers nor of their bondes nor of their captiuitie nor of their death nor of no crosse that can be laid vpon them the 2. Epist to Timot. and the 8. Chapter For the multitude of the worlde thinketh shame of the Gospell and of the Ministers thereof when affliction once commeth vpon them Thou that louest the Gospel keepe thy comfort in thine own bosome and assure thy selfe there is none other way to Heauen and knowing well that this must bee the hazarde of the Gospell and of the Ministers take all these troubles for sure tokens of the trueth of God I loue not the Gospell that hath the countenance of the Princes of this world and hath the confluence of the multitude The Princes and multitude of this worlde hath euer borne the pure Gospell of Iesus Christ at hatred Thus sarre for the first cause wherefore the Gospell of Iesus Christ is hiddeÌ„ from manie to wit that perdition whereunto they are adjudged from all eternitie Nowe take vp in the next verse another cause wherefore the Gospel is hidden to many In whom saith he the god of this world hath blinded their minds The second cause is excecation blind-folding putting out of the eyes and all to this ende that they shoulde not get a sight of the glorious light of the Gospel and so be saued But how commeth this to passe howe are they blinded I shall tell you Once beeing adjudged to die and ordained in the counsell of God to perdition in commeth the god of this worlde that is the Deuill whome this worlde maketh a god of the God of Heauen sendeth him Whome to sendeth Hee him Vnto that catiue that miserable creature that is ordained for perdition as a torturer persecuter an hang-man to put that eternall decree in execution And what doeth hee when he commeth in The first turne that euer hee doeth hee bindeth him What bindeth hee his handes or his feete No he letteth them louse and letteth him worke on with them his owne ruine and runne on vnto his owne perdition But hee bindeth his eyes or rather pulleth them out that the miserable bodie may not see the gracious face of Christ Wherefore is he sent vnto him The cause is not onelie in the ordinance of God but in the catiue himselfe that maliciously repineth to the light and will not receiue the Gospell therefore the GOD of Heauen sendeth the Deuil to put out his eyes that he should not see Mark then the lesson They that are adjudged to die to perditioÌ„ in the world to come in this worlde ere euer they goe out of this life they are bounde like thieues and murtherers to bee presented bound to that damnation that is to ensue they are reserued in chaines till that great Daye What chaines are these Chaines of darknesse their eyes are plucked out that blindlinges in that great Day they may bee cast into Hell into that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euer There is neuer a soule y â— goeth to damnation in the worlde to come but in this life it is blinded Yee know the Ethnickes saying Quos perdere vult IVPITER iis mentem solet adimere It is a true saying and therefore take vp a sure note of perdition to come excecation blindnesse so that if thou canst not see that gracious face of CHRIST in the Gospel at no time for all thine hearing for all this Ministery that is in the world take heede to thy selfe and feare that euerlasting damnation Bee neuer at quiet night nor daye till thou seest a light in thy minde by the Gospell otherwise thy conscience shall condemne thee as a vessell of perdition The Gospell is not sent for nothing either shall it bee vnto thee a sauour of life vnto Life or a sauour of death vnto Death and this shall bee justified one day And except thou get light thou shalt curse the time that euer thou hearde the Gospell when it commeth to that damnation Another thing marke heere When commeth the god of this worlde to blinde men Looke to the order of the Text The first cause is counted perdition GODS ordinance then commeth in the Deuill When commeth in the Deuill When GOD hath first saide the worde I will haue this bodie perishing and will bee glorified in his perdition then commeth in the torturer and plucketh out his eyes So the Deuill is nothing to GOD but a persecuter a minister of His wrath when Hee is angrie than is the lowne at hande as a slaue to put in execution that wrath But it is a sore pitie to consider the miserable bodie on whome this wrath is executed When the hang-man commeth to bind the hands of a bodie that bodie is sorrowfull and sad but when the Deuill is binding thee thou art merrie in the meane time when he is a Deuil to thee thou thinkest hee is a God to thee Thou neuer rejoycest but in blindnes look to experience The multitude of this Land is neuer merrier than when he is binding them and drawing them to filthinesse to murther and villanie to gluttonie and dronkennesse Count not of such a man but saye or thinke if thou dare not say it O miserable catâ—ue the Deuill is blinding thee and leading thee to perdition Nowe marke in the thirde roome the causes which hasten this damnation and which must passe before the god of this worlde come as a torturer to put in execution the sentence of GOD. There must goe before this excecation and that damnation that followeth this excecation a cause in thy selfe thou must euer bee the causer of thine owne death notwithstanding the ordinance of God yet thou neuer perishest till thou be worthie of thine own death and merite thine own damnation What bringeth on this blindnesse A malicious false infidell heart repugning to the Gospel for thou first despisest it and rejectest it so maliciouslie and despiteâ—ullâ—e that in a maner thou wouldest spit on the face of Christ Iesus which shineth in the Gospell This hasteneth the wrath For wheÌ„ the Lord seeth the despitefulnes of thine heart that thou wilt not see not look in the light when it is offered to
respect of it The Sunne is but a creature this is the light vncreated of the glorious GOD the verie essence of GOD count of it as thou wilt Now marke one thing of this This man by his speach leadeth vs to his hart what are words if they want the heart and if they haue no life what are wordes to bee respected suppose thou speakest a thousande yeeres of light and glorie if thou haue neither light nor glorie in thy soule Certainely there are none that will looke to these wordes but they may see the mans heart was replenished with this light and glorie whereof hee spake The face of IESVS shyned on his soule and so wonderfullie hee vttereth that conception and fulnesse of the heart in such wordes as are marueilous The heart of PAVLE was full of light and glorie But I see little light in the heartes of men and women in respect of that light which was in his heart And therefore Brethren to speake the trueth because this Gospell howbeit it hath beene sounding in the eare these manie yeeres in this Lande yet it hath not entered into the hearts of men womē it hath bene a sound in the eare but not a light in the soule because thou hast not suffered it to enter into thine heart kept it there therefore the Lord is threatning to take it from thine eare also and so will be seene on EDINBVRGH one day The eye is alwayes vpon men but thou lookest not to that poysonable heart of thine that is procuring y e away-taking of this Gospel out of thine eare and except ye descend into your owne hearts search the emptinesse of y t light in them it is not possible that it can remaine Can it bee possible that this contempt of the Gospell that of her owne nature is so effectuall in the hearts of men can bee borne with for euer No y e Lord will not suffer this contempt to bee vnpunished And therefore the Lord appearantly hath said I will put away my Gospel from this vngrateful people whom it hath not illuminated after so long time So ye y t haue bene long looking to instrumēts looke as long on your owne false hearts that are the cause of all Yet Brethren notwithstanding of al this contempt of y e Gospel the Lord saue me all them that I wish well to from this to be an instrument of the with-drawing of it for yet it was neuer seene that y e Lord vsed good men to be instruments in such a deed Who is it that is heere sent to blind this worlde who but the god of this world the Deuil and therfore I giue this watch-word Let no man preasse to bee the occasion of the away-taking of the Gospell Nowe I shall take vp the next verse shortly and so I shall end In the next verse the Apostle giueth the reason wherefore they to whome the Gospell was hidden behoued to be they who were ordained for perdition and whome the god of this world hath blinded His reason is takē euen from his sinceritie in preaching the Gospell For saieth hee wee preach not our selues Whom preach I then but IESUS CHRIST the LORD and I preached Him to be the Lord in my Gospel and what preached I of my selfe Our selues your seruantes for Christ Iesus sake For the Bridegromes cause I was a seruant to the Bride for His cause who is the onelie Head and LORD of the Church I was a seruant to the Church Then of this reason marke this lesson A man whome the LORD raileth to preach the Gospell not to seeke himselfe nor his owne aduancement nor worldlie riches nor honour but onelie to preach the Gospell in sinceritie what effect will hee haue in his preaching Strange effectes will followe him if hee saue thee not if hee winne thee not to God if he minister not comfort to thee by his Gospell what will hee doe I shall tell thee Hee will put a stampe vpon thee and thrust it into thine heart conscience testifying to thee in the owne time for the conscience wakeneth not in all men at all times that thou wast not faithfull but a reprobate ordained to perdition from all eternitie if thou gettest not repentance in time and if the Gospell preached by a sincere man hath not fructified in thee all his preaching is but a seale to thee of thy damnation and in the Great Day shall stand vp and aggrege thy judgement Marke another thing heere What is this that maketh this man so bold He will denounce perdition excecation and blind-folding by the god of this world I assure you this is a bolde speach to denounce damnation but what maketh him so bolde Yee see it in a worde the conscience of his owne sinceritie that in his preaching hee sought not himselfe but the LORD his Maister There is the lesson A man whom the LORD will sende and the LORD as certainlie will sende men to speake in sinceritie his message as euer he sent any Prophet in the worlde howbeit there be not an extraordinarie calling nowe A man I say whom the LORD will send he will denounce damnation to an obstinate and rebellious people and hee will bee bolde to take thee as it were by the eare suppose thou bee a king and leade thee to that Tribunall to heare the sentence of damnation pronounced against thee The LORD giue mee this sinceritie and then I will not care for all the kinges and all the men in the worlde for the LORD will giue boldnesse to the man whome he raiseth in sinceritie to cyte kinges before that Tribunall of IESVS CHRIST Another thing I see in this Text There is no lord but the Lord IESVS who will tread down all the lordes in the earth and treade vpon their neckes at his pleasure And more I see There is no Ladie nor Queene but the Church the Spouse of IESVS CHRIST As for Kinges Queenes Politickes in the earth all are but seruantes onelie Kinges seruantes Queenes seruantes Pastors and Ministers seruants and nourishers of the Church of IESVS The Apostles seruants ministring food to this glorious bodie of IESVS and feeding it with the sincere milke of the worde And that is it which the Apostle saith in the 1. epis to the Corin. chap. 3. vers 22. speaking of himselfe and others All is yours saith he whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas c. Euen so all is yours all are but seruants to you ye are Christes Hee is your Lord ye haue none other lord but Christ Thē the Church must haue a great prerogatiue jurisdiction and liberty She is a Queene and if euer there was in any countrey a jurisdiction and libertie shee hath it giuen her of her Spouse the Lord IESVS Then ye know what should follow If shee haue a libertie and jurisdiction I will speake that which the Apostle speaketh in the second epist to the Corin. chap. 13. vers 10. God hath not giuen me saith Paule
may finde such experience as he found and that they may glorifie the Lord also So the end he looketh to is to glorifie the Lord that He may bee glorified in manie belieuers and waiters on him The ende of the mercy of God tendeth to His own glory There are many properties in God he is infinite in wisdom in power in trueth infinit in glorie Majestie Now the Lord is glorified in all his properties in his wisdome power justice But aboue all thinges the LORD seeketh that the world should glorifie Him in that deepe riches of mercie and gentlenesse that is in Him that wee shoulde praise Him euerlastingly in His mercie And as this is His will and as the mercy of GOD serueth to His glory So the soule of a man that hath once tasted of the mercy of the Lord Iesus is caried away with such a zeale to His glory that it will cause am in forget himselfe and with Moses and Paul wish to be a curse and anathema to haue God glorified This man ye see when he hath tasted or His mercy hee turneth him to the whole Church and willeth them to trust in Him that they might find His mercy that so God may bee glorified So it is hee onely who hath tasted of the mercy of God who when he looketh thorow the miserable world can haue pity on any mā He that neuer tasted of that mercy of God had neuer true pitic vpon any mā Then y ◠thing which he craueth is this that many shoulde taste of His mercy that God may be glorified by many His heart is moued with pitie and so all his endeuour is to see if once he can gette them win to God for when hee looketh abroad vpon miserable sinners he is full of rueth and compassion But marke againe the zeale which hee hath to the glory of GOD is the first cause that mooued him to seeke that all the world should taste of mercy and glorifie God So first he beareth a loue to Gods glory and then he hath pitie towarde men the one is the cause the other the effect the one preceedeth the other followeth the one is the roote and the other the branch All the loue we cary to man should be for the loue vve haue to GOD. And vvhere these two goe together a zeale to the glory of God alas vvhere is zeale to Gods glory now adayes vvhich is a true token that His glory is departing away and then a pitie of the misery of man a desire of the saluation of man then that man vvill forget himselfe that hee maye seeke the saluation of the vvorld that so in it God may be glorified And the man that hath this disposition in his heart is fit to be a Minister Preacher of grace to the world otherwise if hee vvant this disposition it is but a colde preaching that he vvill make Now in the next vvords vvhen he hath proponed the exhortation and desired them to vvaite on the Lord to moue them the more he pointeth out to the Church the nature of God vvhat God is for vvee must know vvhat God is ere euer vvee put our trust and confidence in Him for why saith he with the Lord is mercie and gentlenesse as if hee would saye The Lord is full of mercy His mercies are incomprehensible yea infinite and neither man nor Angel can sound out the deepnesse therof He is all mercie and as S. Iohn saieth in his first Epist chap. 4. vers 8. The Lord is loue Therefore await on Him for why there is no want nor scant of mercy in Him This is vvell to be marked when hee exhorteth Israel to vvaite vpon the Lord hee saith not because He is omnipotent and infinite in justice onelie wise c. But hee giueth this reason because mercy is with Him therefore waite vpon Him This would be well considered What is the cause of this Nowe I will aske another question What thing in God neede wee moste into this worlde There are manie thinges which wee haue much neede of What is it that wee haue moste neede of Another question What is the estate that euerie one of vs is borne in in this worlde Are wee not borne sinners conceiued and borne in sinne and iniquitie And so are wee not all miserable For there is nothing for sinners but miserie death damnation and so all sinners are miserable So what thing is it that a sinner wanteth most vvhat is it that sinne and miserie craueth but mercie And if thou bee miserable the thing in this world that thou shouldest craue first is mercy that God woulde bee mercifull to thee So mercie and forgiuenesse of sinne is the first thing whereto thou oughtest to haue recourse And if thou wilt tell a miserable bodie that feeleth himselfe to bee miserable and the childe of wrath that God is omnipotent if thou point Him out in His wisedome in His justice hee shall bee so farre from receiuing anie comfort and consolation of anie of these things that by the cōtrarie he shall be so terrified that hee dare not presume to seeke God to looke to Him to come to Him c but hee will runne away from God But tell him that God is mercifull full of grace in Iesus Christ that is the sweetest speach that euer he heard But alas few of vs feeleth that burthen of sinne Who is he that groneth vnder sinne Who feareth the terrors of that wrath If thou find them then tell thee of the mercies of Iesus Christ it would bee the sweetest tale that euer thou heardest And when a man is once sensible of the infinite mercies of GOD in Iesus then tell him of all the infinite properties of God tell him of His power wisedome and prouidence they will all serue to his comfort for why he will thinke that all things that are in God appertaine to him and serue to his weale he will finde that all things will serue to his saluation Otherwise without this assurance of mercy hee will neuer thinke them comfortable So there is a sure ground The faith of a man or woman first of all is euer relatiue to the mercy of God and that is the first object of faith Indeed hauing gottē a gripe of mercie then it extendeth to all the rest but before that there is nothing in God that it can rest vpon Yee see by experience when the law is preached there is little allurance of the heart but when the Euangell and Christ Iesus is preached the heart is drawne on and allured What is the cause of this The doctrine of the law is a doctrine of extreame justice and His justice doeth nothing but terrifie the soule but the doctrine of the Euangell is a doctrine of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ which draweth to it the hearts of men Albeit thou heare the law preached an hundreth yeares heare no more thou shalt be so far from being the better that thou
feete who was euer traueiling and journeying nor to kisse the Lord when He entered into his house after the fashion of the countrey nor shewed none heartsomenesse towards the Lord. An hypocrite can neuer doe any thing heartily neither to God nor man Then wouldest thou know a true Christian man or woman Yee heare neuer a word out of her mouth all this time that she is washing the Lordes feete with teares kissing them anointing them with ointment So a true Christian hath few wordes but many deedes One good deede is worth ten words And when thou speakest looke that thy wordes bee heartie and sauour of loue Looke that thou blesse not with thy mouth and curse with thine heart whatsoeuer thou doest doe it heartily and though thou were but presenting a cuppe full of colde water to a poore bodie do it heartily then the Lord shall count wel of it though it were neuer so litle Looke what sentence the Lord giueth out concerning y e poore woman that presented two mites Hee saieth shee gaue more than they all did Luke 21. 3. Whatsoeuer thou doest doe it for the loue of the LORD still waiting for that day wherein the LORD shall reward thee It is true indeede that hee who hath anie discretion will discerne the heart by the verie deede of the hand And hee or shee that hath any heartsomnesse inwardly it will be manifest and vttered in the verie deede of the hand outwardlie But stand thou not vpon the sight of any man in the world But say Lord thou seest the heart thou seest with what heartinesse I doe this And whatsoeuer thou doest striue euer to do it with heartsomnesse for Iesus Christes sake so in doing thou shalt haue joye No man can doe any thing heartilie or joyfullie but they who haue their eyes vpon the Lord. Ye haue heard the proposition the assumption also now He commeth to the conclusion and He concludeth as it were in the teeth of the Pharisie Therefore her sinnes are forgiuen her Not that this loue is the cause of the remission of her sinnes but as a sure argument and testimonie of her faith Her loue toward Christ preceeded not nor went before the assurance of the remission of her sinnes but it followed as a true token So it is an argument not from the cause but from the effect that testifieth assuredly that the cause is and hath proceeded that is that shee hath faith in Iesus Christ Howbeit the Papistes abuse this place gathering heere that the loue which this woman caried to Iesus was the cause of the remission of her sins But I leaue them to their owne vanitie Now Brethren after the example of this Pharisie I shall neuer judge euill nor be a sharpe censurer of a penitent sinner for the poore sinner that beleeueth once in Iesus Christ and repenteth and taketh purpose of amendement for faith and repentance goe euer together a sinner that beleeueth in Iesus Christ will repent and hate and detest sinne to the death wherewith hee hath offended God for when hee hath once tasted of mercy then will hee saye Alas that I haue offended so louing and so mercifull a Father for after that hee hath once gotten a sense of the infinite mercie of GOD all his displeasure will bee that euer hee hath offended so louing and so mercifull a Father I saye such a sinner maye bee assured of forgiuenesse Nowe marke the Lordes answere to the Pharisie He saith not howbeit shee be a sinner yet shee is penitent and loueth mee but Hee saieth shee is no sinner all her sinnes are taken awaye for except all her sinnes had beene taken away and purged by Him it is most true y t the Pharisie thought to wit the LORD would not haue suffered her to haue touched Him Hee would not haue receiued the kisses of her mouth nor the teares of her eyes No the LORD IESVS that Holie One if thou bee not made as vvhite as the snowe and all thy sinnes bee not purged Hee vvill not suffer thee once to touch Him nor to kisse His feete It is a vvonderfull thing to see such a suddaine change in an instant that so vile and so vncleane a bodie shoulde bee so pure and so cleane Howbeit the bodie vvere as redde as the blood and as the Scarlet as the Prophet Esay saieth in the first Chapter of his Prophesie and the 18. verse yet suddainlie Hee vvill make it as vvhite as the snowe and the vvooll Indeede it is true thou wilt neuer bee purged from the remainentes of sinne so long as thou art in this life but yet notwithstanding if thou put on that righteousnesse of Iesus Christ by faith God shall count thee as clean as a glorious Angell in His sight Nowe vvhen Hee hath ended the speech to the Pharisie at the last Hee speaketh to the vvoman not thinking it enough to speake in her hearing vnto the Pharisie but to the greater joye and consolation of the poore vvoman Hee speaketh to herselfe Thou vvill runne in and out hither and thither to gette a vvorde of the king and vvhy not if so thy necessitie require but striue to get a vvord out of the mouth of IESVS Kings manie times vvill giue thee flattering vvordes but the LORD when Hee speaketh vnto thee Hee vvill speake in trueth and vvith vvonderfull loue vvhen Hee saieth to thee Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thy sinnes are forgiuen thee indeede for the vvord of the Lord hath an operation vvith it for if He once call thee an Holie One thou wilt be so indeede The worde of the Lord worketh in thee the thing that Hee speaketh most powerfullie for Hee calleth these thinges that are not and by calling Hee maketh them to bee So the Lord filleth her heart with joy her heart no questiō began to find joy whē she was speaking to y e pharisie Nowe Hee filleth vp her joye for the fulnesse of joye is not gotten in an instant all joye is in the face of Iesus Christ Thinke yee not but this woman when she heard this word conceiued an vnspeakeable joye in her heart And I say vnto euerie one of you who as penitent sinners will bewaile your sinnes and mourne for offending of GOD and will purpose to wash the feete of IESVS with teares and wipe His feete with your haire as the Lord hath giuen mee commission to speake Repentest thou sinner of thy sinnes Thinkest thou to amende thy life Detestest thou thy sinnes Beleeuest thou assuredly Louest thou the Lord I say to thee Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee in the blood of that same Iesus whom thou louest so well Nowe a worde and so I shall ende When Hee hath spoken thus comfortably to the woman the Pharisic beginneth againe to interrupt and to impede Him if it had beene possible to hinder the woman of her saluation The rest about the table scorneth Him What is hee this quod they that taketh vpon him to forgiue sins He taketh
professe or followe Christ what can bee more hard But suppone reason were conuinced and the mouth thereof closed that it coulde gette no shift to answere yet thinkest thou so to bee quite of thy selfe No the will and the affections will stand obstinately against the judgement of the minde and follow out and pursue that which the minde discearneth to be euill So thou mayest easily see that there is nothing more harde than to gette this Regeneration yea thou mayest see that it is a thing altogether impossible except that Almighty Spirit of God be present and worke it effectually in the soule all the kings of the earth with all their weapons and engines of warre cannot be able to doe it No all the Angels in Heauen are not able to accomplish this worke The weapons of our warre-fare saith Paul are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe strong holdes casting downe imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. 5. There is no power in Heauen or earth but onely the Spirit of God that is able to renewe one creature And this power is granted to this our Ministerie the preaching of the Euangell Let great men let worldly men esteeme of it as they please God hath ordained this Ministery to minister this wonderfull power whereby the soules of men shall be regenerate Further thou must vnderstand that this Regeneration is not perfected in an instant but in processe of time it must continue all the dayes of thy life so long as thou liuest albeit thou liue a thousand yeeres this olde man will not bee perfectly and altogether mortified and slaine till the houre of death Thou must all the dayes of thy life-time be groaning vnder the burthen of sinne subject to crosses and troubles away with light-headed sinners who saye they woulde alwayes haue their heartes vp sadnesse becommeth a sinner well and thou must striue to finde the newe man to bee renewed degree by degree piece and piece euen till at last death bee swallowed vp of life and mortalitie of immortalitie And if thou wouldest haue this worke to goe forward in thee then set euermore Iesus thy Lord and thine head before the eyes of thy soule looke vpon Him with the eyes of faith for it is only His presence the sight of His glory that worketh this marueilous change for there is a great oddes betweene the sight of His glorie and the sight of the glorie of worldlie Princes for the sight of their glorie will not change thee nor make thee glorious but vanisheth awaye in a moment But the sight of the glorie of IESVS shall change thee and make thee glorious whensoeuer thou beholdest Him either by faith in this worlde or else face to face in the Kingdome of Glorie For when thou beholdest Him with the eyes of faith heere thou shalt bee changed according to the measure of thy faith and because thy faith is imperfect thy change heere must bee imperfect but when thou shalt see Him face to face and beholde Him as Hee is then shalt thou bee like vnto Him in glorie thy change shall bee perfect His presence shall bee effectuall to change thy vile bodie and to fashion it like vnto His owne glorious bodie when thou beholdest His glorie thou shalt bee changed into the same glorie Therefore yee see what neede wee haue to finde this Regeneration begunne in vs heere and to finde a continuall progresse therein all the dayes of our life that so wee maye bee assured that the LORD shall crowne His worke in vs with glorie in IESVS And nowe to ende then surelie yee see that corruption mischiefe and venome euerie man without exception communicate vnto their children by naturall generation Therefore Brethren this is mine exhortation to all both to great and small I except none from the King to the Begger Striue as yee are instrumentes of generation so to bee instrumentes of regeneration that your children maye bee taken out of nature and planted in grace and so bee made members of the mysticall bodie of IESVS CHRIST Striue to bring them vp in the knowledge of CHRIST that so yee maye bee free of that heauie judgement which remaineth for all such as neglect this duetie towardes their children and that yee maye see GODS blessing vpon your children heere and maye haue hope of that eternall life and glorie heereafter which the LORD hath promised to His owne in CHRIST IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holie SPIRIT three persons and one GOD be all Honour Glorie Praise Power Dominion both now and euermore So bee it THE XVII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 12 Therefore I thanke him who hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for hee counted mee faithfull and put me in his seruice verse 13 When before I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppressour but I was receiued to mercie for I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Jesus IN this Text beloued Brethren in Iesus Christ there is set downe to vs a notable example of thankfulnesse to God in the person of the Apostle Paul for that great and incomparable mercy which the Lord bestowed vpon him not onely in forgiuing him his grosse and manifold sinnes but also for setting of him in His seruice and for the committing to him the message of reconciliation making him an Apostle to preach repentance and remission of sinnes to others As the mercies which he found were wondrous great so is hee wondrous carefull alwayes to testifie his thankfulnesse to GOD And to the ende the more chearefully he may praise thanke God hee considereth and setteth downe by degrees and in order his vnworthinesse and the euill deedes that he did notwithstanding whereof the Lord extended His mercy most aboundantlie towardes him To come to the wordes Hee saieth Therefore I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Jesus our Lord These wordes depend vpon the verse immediately going before hee saide before that the glorious Euangell of Iesus Christ was concredite to him for the which cause he bursteth forth in thankesgiuing and hee saieth Therefore I will be thankfull to Him who hath concredited it vnto mee Then yee see his thankfulnesse ariseth on two considerations First vpon the consideration of the excellency of the Euangel of Iesus Christ The Gospell is glorious in it selfe and it is come down from the blessed God next vpon the consideration of his owne vnworthinesse looke howe worthie the Gospell was as vnworthie was hee then considering that so worthy a thing was giuen vnto him and that hee himselfe was so vnworthy hee knoweth not what thankes to giue he cannot deuise what manner of waye to testifie his thankfulnesse If once wee could see what God were howe
what the Apostle saieth to this purpose to the Ephes. Chap. 3. verse 10. It is their pleasure to pierce in to that misterie and to looke to that mercie but miserable man to whom it belongeth commonlie wondreth not at it But albeit the prophane man when hee is sleeping in sinne and going on in an euill course thinking it but an easie thing to gette mercie and albeit hee wonder not much when he seeth another miserable sinner to get mercie but account it a matter of sober importance yet if it please the Lord once to waken his conscience and make his sinnes to appeare in their owne colour how great how vile and how detestable they are and what it is to offende that infinite and inuiolable Majestie that Omnipotent IEHOVAH who created all thinges and to finde the terrours and tormentes of that ineuitable wrath and euerlasting paine And if the Spirit of God leaue him there to his owne selfe and helpe him not forwarde hee woulde conclude that there were no mercie for him and hee would maruell that euer a sinner shoulde get mercie for hee woulde see the justice of God as a wall of fire standing before God holding off the sinner that hee preasse not to come neare to God So such persons woulde dite their owne dittie and giue out their owne doome against themselues And except it please the Lord to sende His Holie Spirit who searcheth all thinges yea the deepnesse of God out of His owne bosome to a miserable sinner thus exercised to conuoy him through His justice thorowe that wall of fire and to let him see and feele the mercie of God in the Lord Iesus he would neuer nor durst neuer claime to His mercie Onelie they who getteth that Holy Spirit who cometh out of that deepenesse to conuoye the creature to that vnsearcheable deepnesse for albeit the deepnesse of that mercie bee infinite yet the Spirit of GOD searcheth out that deepnesse will acclaime and apprehende mercie and then such persons will maruel that euer themselues or any other should haue found such infinite mercie And the Sainctes of God in the kingdome of Heauen shall euer be exercised in marueiling at the mercies of God vpon them It is true that manie vaine wanton men when they are going on in sinne beeing drunken and bewitched with the pleasures of sinne and mad in their damnable course will promise mercie to themselues and will applie mercie to sinne to make sinne more and more sweete as if it were not sweete enough before But away with thee for mercie appertaineth not vnto thee but wrath and judgement so long as thou remainest in that estate Thou art not in that estate that thou mayst claime to His mercie for onely the man who hath a sadde a contrite and a broken soule may acclaime to mercie and such a man in greatest sadnesse for sinne shall haue vnspeakeable joye Nowe after hee hath vvondered at the mercie of GOD in the ende of the verse hee setteth downe a cause not so much vvherefore GOD gaue him mercie as that GOD was so readie to giue him mercie Hee saieth that hee was an ignorant and that hee prooueth because hee wanted faith His ignorance deserued no mercie but rather made him culpable and guiltie For the Lord will not allowe such an excuse in that Great day but ignorance maketh the sinne the lesse The sinne that proceedeth from ignorance is not so great as the sinne that proceedeth from knowledge for the seruant vvho knoweth not the masters vvill and doeth it not shall bee striped with fewe stripes but the seruant vvho knoweth the masters vvill and doeth it not shall bee striped vvith manie stripes Luke 12. 47. 48. But for the better clearing of this point vvee must vnderstand that Paul meaneth not that euerie sinne vvhich is committed vvillinglie and vvittinglie men knowing vvell enough that they are sinning shall not bee forgiuen for in vvhat case should vvee all bee into then Doe vvee not all manie a time sinne vvittinglie and vvillinglie Doe not our consciences challenge vs in the verie act Will vve not doe vvrong to our neighbour in his person or in his goods or in his name and account yes no question and vve cannot justifie our selues in our doinges If therefore they vvho offend God euen with open eyes were condemned without hope of mercie alas in what case would wee bee into Hee meaneth not then of all sins in generall hee meaneth not of the sins committed against the secoÌ„d Table against our neighbours but by joyning ignorance and mis-beliefe together he sheweth that hee meaneth of the resisting of the trueth of God which is a far greater sinne than theft hooredome or backe-biting for they who resist the trueth doe as much as in them lieth to pluck God out of His seat and to put out the remembrance of His glorious Majestie that He reigne no more and they say in effect Let mee alone with God I shall handle him wel enough I shall bring him to nought hee shall not reigne I shall fight against him Therefore Paul speaking of such an accursed sinne saieth not without cause I did it of ignorance as if he had said It is true to blaspheme Gods name and to treade Gods word vnder feete and to persecute the Saincts of God is a sinne that surmounteth and surpasseth all sinnes and I am culpable of this sinne But what I did it not wittinglie for I thought I serued GOD when I was an enemie to the Gospell because I â—anted faith Indeede Paule was a learned man and brought vp in all good literature as we reade in the 3. Chap. to the Philipp As for the knowledge of the lawe and the tradition of the Pharisees hee surpassed the rest Galat. 1. 14. Yet for all this hee saieth hee was ignorant because hee wanted the knowledge of Christ. Suppose thou knowest all the worlde and yet if thou knowest not Iesus Christ thou knowest nothing And though thou knewest all the lawes in the worlde all humanitie all philosophie yet if thou knowest not Christ thou knowest nothing Now blessed is that soule that knoweth Christ albeit hee knewe no more for in the knowledge of Him standeth life euerlasting Marke againe hee saieth because hee was ignorant therefore hee was a blasphemer and persecuter Ignorance is a dangerous thing they who are ignorant of Christ they who haue not faith in Him they who knowe not what a glorious personage Hee is what incomparable benefite Hee brought with Him vnto the worlde who hath not founde His mercies who haue not beene sensible of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes who haue not founde the image of God repaired in them and they who haue not found that peace of conscience and joye in the Holie Ghost they will persecute Christ and His Gospell and His Sainctes It is a dangerous thing for the Sainctes of GOD to dwell among ignorantes and vnbeleeuers for such men are vnreasonable yea they are Atheistes The Apostle Paul