yet in setting foorth of this wonderfull iudgement and in the 8. verse he letteth vs see that this great and terrible iudgement was wrought by the power and force of God onely it was done extraordinarily from the heauen by himselfe onely So that the whole world saw the finger and hand of God in it Then in the beginning of this eight verse I say he maketh it knowne that he did it onely and in the end of the verse he letteth vs see what his iudgements wrought in the hearts of men In the 9. verse he letteth vs see the time when it was that it pleased him to worke it and to what end he wrought it In the 10. verse he letteth vs see whereunto the great furie and rage of the wicked serued and in the end of that verse he meeteth with an obiection which the Churâ—h might haue made And in the last two verses is contained the conclusion of the Psalme Then to rerurne to the 8. verse in the beginning thereof the Prophet maketh it knowne that it was God onely that did this worke immediately without the imployment of any creature And therefore this manner of execution testified to the whole world that God onely was the chiefe doer of it Then the chiefe reason that moued God to do this extraordinarily and immediatly with his owne hand is this Although our God hath infinite wayes and as many meanes in his hand at all times ready to destroy his enemies yet such is the malice of man and the enuy of the Diuell that possesseth man to the glory of God that so long as God worketh his worke ordinarily and imployeth this or that instrument in doing of his worke so long man spoyleth God of his Glory and spoyleth him of a part of his praise So that man will sometime ascribe the glory to his owne industry and wit or to fortune or to one occasion or other so that ere they suffer God to haue his whole glory they will giue a part of it to any creature of the earth For this cause the Lord worketh extraordinarily and from heauen that the mouthes of all the world yea of the very enemies may be compelled to say and this confession must be wrung out of them that it is the finger of God that wrought this without the support of any creature After what sort he wrought this ouerthrow I wil not dispute in particular whether it were by lightning thunder earthquake vpon this I insist not The generall is sure and certaine that it was a worke that flowed from heauen immediatly Now he sayth in the end of the verse that this terrible iudgement brought forth two effects in the hearts of men First it brought forth a wonderfull feare and secondly it brought forth a great silence their tongues were taken from them The earth feared and was still By the earth the inhabitants of the earth is vnderstood or if we will hold vs in our particular the remanent of Senacheribs army is vnderstood I meane the remanent of the armie that were saued from the iudgement This remanent beganne to feare and be afraid with a terrible feare and the tongues of them that were so stout the night before held themselues quiet They that lifted and hoissed their armes the night before prouoked God as it were to the combat after the sight of this iudgement they haue their hands to seeke and they who boasted so much of their valiantnesse and filled the very earth with their blasphemies the night before when they saw this terrible iudgement were silent and had not a word to speake It is wonderfull the Lords manner of doing and proceeding is a hid manner of doing against his enemies and few perceiue the fashion of the bringing about of his iudgements For ye see he taketh his enemies in an instant at vnawares whilest a man is in the height of his pride he bereaueth him of his counsell he bereaueth him of his force and spoyleth him both of heart and hand in such sort that he hath no wit to deuise more then an Asse and hath not a hand to performe any more then if he wanted hands So he bereaueth him of his policy exquisite iudgement And how is this done It is by a blinde feare that he striketh them with he casteth them into such anguish and blindnesse of minde that they neither see God who is the striker nor can finde any way out but are cast into a desperate estate and vtter darkenesse remedilesse And so it commeth to passe that these miserable men lay violent hands on themselues thinking that the soule which now is in prison as it were will be in a better estate if it were out of the body but alas they are deceiued So I say the iudgement of God when it lighteth how long soeuer it be delayed terrible shall it be when it lighteth on the enemie It is a fearefull thing to cast our selues willingly into the hands of a consuming fire Therefore now seeing ye haue courses in hand ye should take good heede to your courses looke well about you and be diligent to know whether ye be on Gods side or against him Ye againe that are not practisers and meddle not with high matters take heede how ye walke in your owne calling Looke vnto your trade ye that are Merchants looke vnto your dealing ye that are Lawyers how croked or how straight ye are ye that are Lords and Iudges with what conscience ye proceed in your vocation and marke this Looke to his word looke what profite ye haue made of his word examine your calling by his word And if ye examine your calling by his word this way ye shall find the fruite or losse of your calling but if ye depend on the testimony of your conscience without the examination and rule of his word ye will be deceiued for many do this and say I am not troubled in conscience I am sure my conscience presseth me not when in the meane time they runne a wicked course trie not their calling by the blessed word of God but looke onely to the estate of their conscience which in such euill affaires flatters them they thinke themselues sure enough O but thou art deceiued and why Thy conscience may be deceiued as well as thou And how Thy conscience can giue thee no better warrant of thy doing neither to accuse nor to excuse but as she is informed So that if she be rightly informed she will giue thee a right warrant but if she be euilly informed she will giue thee as euill a warant and flatter thee So that of a slight informatioÌ„ she wil giue as slight a testimony There is no right information but that which proceedeth of the word therefore seeing now ye haue the word so clearely taught vnto you ye should trie and examine your callings by this word See what this word biddeth you do try in particular and say What warrant of
city country are defiled with these vices procuring so farre as in them lieth an euill end to their owne soules It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of God and yet so many as let them loose to these vicâ—s must fall into his hands For it cannot be but the wrath of God from heauen must be powred vpon such vngodlinesse And there is none who hath powred forth his loue and taken himselfe to these vices but surely â—xcept he be wonderfully preuented he shal perish in his sinne And this is not one of the least iudgements of God For Iohn 8. it is counted one of the most terrible iudgements when the Lord threatneth the Pharisies that they shall perish in their sinne If the word which is now sounded might haue bene able to haue called men backe surely it hath bene clearely and continually sounded but when I looke to the effects it appeareth well that this word hath bene sounded to the hardning of the greatest part and to seale vp their iudgement against the day of the Lords wrath which day they haue blotted out of their minds and put out of their knowledge that they should not see it The Lord nourish this light by his Spirit in vs whereby we may see that there is a heauen and that there is a hell that seeing the danger we may prease to eschue it and seeing the felicitie we may haste vs to embrace it Would God it were so Thus far for the first part of the similitude He goeth forward and he saith He hath cut him off from his beame or from the throombs that go about the beame as ye call them As if he would say after this manner As the Weauer doth cut off the web from the throombs of his beame so the Lord hath taken resolute purpose to cut off my life from his beame In this changing of the persons he letteth vs see a great discretion and knowledge in himselfe he ascribeth the cutting off to God but he taketh the cause to himselfe he ascribeth the chastisement to God but he taketh the sinne which is the cause of the chastisement to himselfe and he acknowledged God to haue his beginning in this worke and himselfe to haue his hand in it also he acknowledgeth God to be a doer as in all works God hath his working And there is no worke so abhominable as it floweth from the instrument but as it floweth from God it is both holy and iust So this wise King taketh the cause of his chastisement from God to himselfe Happie is he that in time condemneth and iudgeth himselfe that he may eschue the condemnation of God Thus far concerning the first part of our diuision Now in the end of this verse and of the verse following the King setteth downe the great furie and rage of his sicknesse It was a pestilent feauer and so the raging furie behooued to be exceeding great He vttereth the vehemency of his disease in the words following and he speaketh as if he would say after this manner If God hold on as he beginneth by the same sicknesse ere night he will make an end of me And in the verse following he saith I propound to my selfe and I looked for it That like a deuouring Lion he should bruise my bones he should bruise them shortly yea ere night For I take all this to be spoken on one day The words indeed the terrible disease of the bodie excepted vttereth more For it is not possible that so good a King could haue spoken so of God except he had felt some other thing then any distresse in his bodie So in vttering of these voyces he letteth vs see that he had the paines of soule and trouble of conscience ioyned with the disease of his bodie and that he felt God to be as it were a consuming fire it is not possible that he could haue vttered such voices of God as to call him a deuouring Lion except he felt another kinde of feuer then any naturall feuer Ye see Dauid when he is in the like extremitie of bodie and soule he crieth Psalme 6. that his bones are vexed and do quake for feare Of all the diseases that can come vpon any person no question the disease of the soule and conscience is the greatest And of all the diseases and troubles that ouertake the conscience no question this is the greater when with the sight of sinne which is enough and more then enough for any to sustaine when with this sight there is a feeling of the wrath of God ioyned O! then this sicknesse is insupportable when with the sight of sinne is ioyned a touch and feeling of the wrath of God Mercifull God if the horror be not exceeding great and terrible so tâ—at it is a wonderfull matter that the soule can stand vpon any assurance of faith but it should incoÌ„tinently run to desperation Yet it is true that there is neuer a one of the chiefe seruants of God but he hath had experience of this either lesse or more and he hath bene touched with the feeling of that hell which the reprobate shall haue in a full measure The ends why the Lord suffereth his deare children to be in such extremities are these to let them see expresly what Christ hath suffered while as he suffered the full weight of his Fathers wrath inflamed against their sinnes And not onely against their sinnes but also against the sinnes of all the elect He casteth them I say into this extremitie to let them see what Christ hath suffered for them how far they are bound to Christ and how precious that redemption purchased by his bloud should be vnto vs. For it is not possible that any man can make much of that benefite which they know not to be a benefit so it is not possible for you to make much of heauen except you haue had some taste of hell And therefore it is that he sendeth his seruants to heauen euen by the gates of hell to let them see that there was no conniuence betweene the Father and the Sonne For it might haue bene thought as many of the wicked thinke that there had bene a conniuence betweene God the Father and his Sonne Christ And therefore I say he letteth them taste of these distractions and pangs of hell that they may say I see he hath felt hell in another sort that hath redeemed vs from hell And where that I cannot sustaine this which is tempered in a small measure it hath bene a great burden indeed which our Sauiour hath sustained whilst he sustained hell for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the whole elect O then this exercise is to let them see how far they are bound to God The dissolute life of the prophane multitude letteth vs see clearely that there is neuer a one of them that haue knowne the meaning of this article and this is a sealed letter to manie of you all Therefore it is that
apprehension of the meate and drinke that is the foode of the body so there is two sorts of apprehension of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus which is our meate and drinke spirituall Of meate and drinke corporall there is an apprehension by the eye and by the taste that while the meate is present vnto you on the table your eye taketh a view of that meate discerneth it and maketh choice of it and not only the eye but also the taste discerneth the meate and the taste approouing it that is called the first apprehension Now vpon this which is the first the second apprehension followeth that is after that ye haue chewed that meate swallowed it and sent it to your stomacke where it digesteth and conuerteth into your nouriture then in your stomacke ye get the second apprehension But if your eye like not that meate neither your taste like it the second apprehension followeth not for thou wilt spet it out againe or reiect it preferring some other meate vnto it that thou likest better That meate which thou likest not enters neuer into thy stomacke and so it can neuer be conuerted into thy nourishment for it is onely the second apprehension of the meate that is the cause of the nourishment of the body in our corporall foode so that if ye chew not this meate and swallow it it feeds you not then it is onely the second apprehension that nourisheth our bodies It is euen so in spirituall things so farre as they may be compared in the foode of Christ Iesus who is the life and nouriture of our soules and consciences There must be two sorts of apprehension of Christ Iesus The first apprehension is by the eye of the mind that is by our knowledge and vnderstanding for as the eye of the body discerneth by an outward light so the eye of the mind discerneth by an inward and renewed vnderstanding whereby we get the first apprehension of Christ. Now if this first apprehension of Christ like vs well then the next followeth we begin to cast the affection of our hearts on him we haue good will to him for all our affections proceede from our will and our affections being renewed and made holy we set them wholly vpon Christ. We loue him and if we loue him we take hold of him and digest him that is we apply him to our soules and so of this loue liking of him the second apprehension doth follow But if we haue no will to him if we haue no loue nor liking of him what do we Then we reiect him and preferre our owne Idoll and the seruice of our owne affections to him and so the second apprehension followeth not We cannot digest him and if we digest him not that spirituall life cannot grow in vs for marke in what place the eye serues to the bodie in the same roome serueth knowledge and vnderstanding to thy soule and looke in what place thy hand and thy mouth thy taste and thy stomacke serue vnto thy body in that very place serue the heart and affections vnto thy soule So that as our bodies cānot be nourished except our hands take and our mouthes eate the meate whereby the second apprehension may follow likewise our soules cannot feede on Christ except we hold him and embrace him heartily by our wils and affections For we come not to Christ by any outward motion of our bodies but by an inward motion apprehension of the heart For God finding vs all in a reprobate sence he bringeth vs to Christ by reforming the affection of our soules by making vs to loue him And therefore the second apprehension whereby we digest our Sauiour will neuer enter into our soules except as he pleaseth the eye so he please the will and the affection also Now if this come to passe that our wils and affections are wholly bent vpon Christ then no doubt we haue gotten this Iewell of faith Haue ye such a liking in your minds such a loue in your hearts of Christ that ye will preferre him before all things in the world then no question faith is begun in you Now after a thing is begun there is yet more required for though this faith be formed in your minds in your hearts and soules yet that is not enough but that which is formed must be nourished and he who is conceiued must be entertained and brought vp or else the loue that is begun in me by the holy Spirit except by ordinary meanes it be daily entertained and nourished it will decay except the Lord continue the working of his holy Spirit it is not possible that I can continue in the faith And how must we nourish and keepe faith in our soules Two manner of waies First we nourish faith begun in our soules by hearing of the word not of euery word but by hearing of the word of God preached and not by hearing of euery man but by hearing the word preached by him that is sent For this is the ordinarie meanes whereunto the Lord hath bound himselfe he will worke faith by the hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments And the more that thou hearest the word and the otfner that thou receiuest the Sacraments the more thy faith is nourished Now it is not onely by hearing of the word and receiuing of the Sacraments that we nourish faith The word and Sacraments are notable of themselues to nourish this faith in vs except the working of the holy Spirit be conioyned with their ministerie But the word and the Sacraments are said to nourish faith in our soules because they offer and exhibite Christ vnto vs who is the meate the drinke and life of our soules and in respect that in the word and Sacraments we get Christ who is the foode of our soules therefore the word and Sacraments are said to nourish our soules As it is said Act. 2.42 The Disciples of Christ continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread and prayers by these meanes entertaining augmenting and nourishing the faith that was begun in them Then the holy Spirit begets this faith workes this faith creates this faith nourisheth entertaineth this faith in our soules by hearing the word preached and by the receiuing of the Sacraments which are the ordinarie meanes whereby the Lord nourisheth vs and continueth this spirituall foode with vs. For obserue by what meanes the spirituall life is begunne by the same meanes it is nourished and entertained as this temporall life is entertained and nourished by the same means whereby it is begun Then seeing by these meanes the holy Spirit begets this worke of faith in our soules it is our duty to craue that he would continue the worke which he hath begunne And for this cause we should resort to the hearing of the word when it is preached and to the receiuing of the Sacraments when they are ministred that we may be fedde in our soules to life
to die ye are the readier to liue he that saith the contrarie I say he speaketh an vntruth if he were the best Doctor of Physicke Therefore when sicknesse which is the messenger of death beginneth to pull your eares the first thing that ought to be propounded to the patient is to bid him make him readie for death for the readier he is to die as I haue said he is the more able to liue Then ye see Hezekiah knew that suppose he was a King yet he was mortall As to his words he setteth downe three reasons wherefore his death grieueth him so much If ye looke to the reasons there appeareth at the first no weight in them yet being tried more narrowly ye shall finde in them a greater validitie The first reason is this I am depriued of the residue of my yeares He was a man at that time of 38. or 39. yeares and of such age as he might haue liued twise as long by the course of nature as Dauid saith O! but this appeareth to be a slight reason it is slight indeede if there be no more in it He is not so much grieued at the cutting off his yeares as at the cutting off the affaires which the shortning of his yeares brought with it So there were two respects wherefore this King was so grieued at the cutting off of his dayes The first because the worke of reformation in Church policy which he had begun would ceasse And out of question this hastie cutting off made him so well prepared in his heart to die as he would haue bene if he had had leysure So in respect he lacked time and yet he was not so voide of all preparation as commonly youth is that cast off all repentance to the last age thinking there is time enough before them In these respects that the worke of reformation by the cutting off of his time would be imperfect and in respect he should not haue bene so well prepared in his heart therefore he is grieued at his death and saith I am depriued of the residue of mine yeares Well to apply this vnto our cause I thinke there is none but they see clearely that if we come not with better speede to the worke of reformation then we are like to do I feare that we leaue not this worke onely vn-ended but vn-begun for if this confusion of Church and policie grow from day to day as it doth without interruption as if there were not a King in Israel I say if this confusion endure no question but the birth of iniquitie shall so ouerburthen the land that it shall make it to spue foorth the inhabitants I will not insist I am assured there is no magistrate of any degree but he is lawfully forewarned and made inexcusable before God The second reason wherefore his death grieued him is set down in the beginning of the 11. verse where he saith I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing Then this is it that grieued him because he should not see the Lord. How can this be I am assured he had that same eye in seeing of the Lord that Dauid had How is it that he sayth he shal not see the Lord What kinde of eye Dauid had is declared in the 16. Psal. Where he sayth that he set the Lord before him in all his works he reioyceth exceedingly in his heart and he sayth I am sure that my soule shall be gathered with the rest of the soules of my faithfull predecessors who are in the presence of God where there is fulnesse of pleasure and sweetnesse of life for euer I am assured this good man was not destitute of this eye but in some mâ—asuâ—e he saw with it as his father Dauid How is is then that he sayth He shall not see the Lord He expoundeâ—h himselfe a little after ye see a cleare commentary in the end of the verse he sayth He shall not see the Lord in the Land of the liuing As though he would say I shall noâ— see him as I was wont to see him before I shall not see him in his Church as the rest of his faithfull seruants see him How this was ye know the custome of the Scriptures in this matter God was said to be seene of old when the visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene For God being in himselfe inuisible when the visible signes of his presence were seene he himselfe was said to be seene As when they saw the Temple God came in their minde when they saw the Tabernacle God was said to be seene chiefly when they saw the Arke God was said to be seene because about it appeared the glory of God For in that same cloud which replenished the inward house his glory appeared Now by reason that these visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene God was said to be seene Then the reason is this I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing That is I shal be taken from his seruice I shall not see him in his Temple as I was wont to do Surely in this as in all the rest he followeth the footsteps of his good father Dauid As we may read in all the Psalmes made in time of his greatest persecution There was nothing grieued him so much as because he had not liberty to assemble with the rest of the faithfull as Psalm 84. and 112. he sayth My heart reioyced when they said to me Let vs go to the house of the Lord. This singular godly loue of the word of God among many vertues is extreme losse to this King And for this reason he is now grieued Now let vs compare our selues with this King and trie whether ye follow him in your hearts in this poynt or not that is whether ye haue such a desire to heare the word as he had But surely he shall condemmne all estates For if ye will looke to the prophane multitude of this country how well they like of the hearing of the word their maners declare For as to the multitude if they haue any businesse remaining it is cast off vntill the Lords day and if there be any markets meetings appointmentes and traffiques all is cast off till that day And the best of you hath taken such a loathing at the hearing of the word that ye are wearie to rise in the morning to heare it if it were but an houre sooner then your diet What must this contempt worke Of necessity it must bring exceeding famine of that same food which we loathed For the Lord will not suffer his word which of it selfe is so dainty and delicate to be contemned And it cannot be but that the same word which your fathers and some of your selues haue runne many miles to heare is as dainty now as it was then And therefore it cannot be that the Lord wil suffer this contempt but either there must be greater
of the Ministery See then if the iudgement of God pronounced 2. Thes. 2. goeth not fast forward who hath giuen vs ouer as appeareth to be deceiued by the mighty power and working of the Diuell in such sort that euerie man striueth who shall put his appetites furthest in execution Oh! vnhappy and wrathfull countrey that hath so abused the merciful calling and great benignitie of God it is a wonderfull thing to looke vpon this matter and to consider our great ingratitude The more that knowledge groweth the more conscience decayeth as if conscience and knowledge could not both rest in one breast looke to the workes of all men it appeareth that the bringing in of light hath banished conscience which was in the time of darknesse What can be the cause of this that as light groweth the effect of light decayeth It is a thing that passeth the vnderstanding of man and the end of it shall be more then terrible Is it not more then wonderfull that the more that this Countrey is watered with the sauing and heauenly dew the more our hearts are hardened What must this bring forth It must bring forth at the last an eternall consumption which consumption must be so much the greater the greater that our contempt is For it is not possible but that ground which is so oft refreshed with raine and dew and yet bringeth foorth no other thing but thornes and bryars but at the last it must be burnt vp How is it possible that thornes that are prouided for the fire but they must be consumed by the fire And seeing our deedes testifie that we are nothing but thornes of necessitie we must be burnt vp except the Lord worke otherwise then I haue any expectation For the longer that iudgement is delayed it shall be heauier when it lighteth seeing the contempt is so great â—herefore the Lord giue you grace that as ye know there is a Hell and eternity of paine and as ye would eschue it so ye may take vp a new course of life But this cannot be except the Lord worke it by his holy Spirit except he forget our sinnes and assure vs of the remission of them in the blood of Christ. And therefore I haue to craue with you and ye with me that this may come to passe that in the bowels of his mercie we may eschue that terrible damnation from the which the Lord preserue vs for Christ Iesus his Sonnes sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise now for euer Amen THE ELEVENTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 16 O Lord to them that ouerliue them and to all that are in them the life of my spirit shall be knowne that thou causest me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me 17 Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe 18 For the graue cannot confâ—sse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth 19 But the liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I do this day the Father to the children shall declare thy truth 20 The Lord was readie to saue me therefore I will sing my song all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord. 21 Then said Isaiah Take a lump of dry figs and lay it vpon the byle and he shall recouer 22 Also Hezekiah had said What is the signe that I shall go vp into the house of the Lord IN our last lesson welbeloued in Christ Iesus the King entred into the second part of his song And first of all as ye heard he bursteth foorth of hand into the praise of God Then after he setteth downe the greatnesse of the benefits receiued in two words with the chiefe comfort that he found And in respect the comfort flowed from the word of God he entered into the commendation of the word of God Then first of all whilest the King is musing and pausing vpon the greatnesse of the Lords benefits and rauished in admiration of the greatnesse of the workes of God he cannot containe himselfe any longer but the bursteth foorth into the praise of God and saith what shall I say A patheticke and abrupt kind of speech whereby he testifieth that his tongue would not serue him to expresse the matter his heart was so swolne with praise that he was not able to vtter it in any quantitie of words In this doing suppose his words be few yet he sheweth himselfe more thankfull then if he had vttered a million of words So thankfulnesse standeth not in the multitude of sillables and voyces but it standeth in the heart and disposâ—â—ion of the soule Where the Lord findeth the heart thankfull there is no word that can flow from that heart but it is acceptable And howsoeuer the Kings words be few yet in his words he granteth three things First he granteth the benefit was free and freely bestowed Secondly he granteth that he hath nothing to render for it yea not so much as one word much lesse a deed Thirdly he letteth vs see that howsoâ—â—er he was not able to answer to the worthinesse of this benefit yet he was not idle but he vttereth praise as God gaue him the grace for it is not possible that a good conscience and a godly soule can altogether forget God but in the due time it will euer thanke God for his benefits so â—â—at whosoeuer either forgetteth or casteth off this exercise they testifie their wealth to be euill purchased and that there is a curse hanging ouer them and their riches both which curse appeareth either in their owne times or suddainly after in their prodigall posteritie Therefore ye that would haue the curse remooued in time learned to thanke God for his benefits that ye may possesse them with the blessing of God to you and yours Therefore he taketh vp the greatnesse of the benefit and comprehendeth it vnder these two words He said and he himselfe did it he said it in his promise he did it in accomplishing of his promise he did it and said it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke should appertaine to him he said it freely for the King confessed that he deserued the contrarie he did it as freely in keeping his promise For suppose all the world be false yet God remained true ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God his mercie in promising his truth in accomplishing All the promises which the Lord maketh they flow from his mercie and all his accomplishings they flow from his truth His promises from mercy why He is debtor to no man His accomplishings from his truth why He is truth it selfe and there is no promise that he hath made but he will keepe yea he will inuert nature rather as it appeareth in the drawing backe of the
mercie of God he shall find it terrible to fall into his hands It is terrible to fall into the hands of a consuming fire sport with flesh as they please but iest not with God he shall find in experience if he runne out this course that he shall curse the day of his birth disclaime the houre that euer he saw this light except that same God whom he blasphemed preserue him in mercie In the end of the verse he letteth vs see the manner how he was deliuered and he sheweth in the end of that verse that it pleased the Lord to turne his bitter bitternesse into a farre better contentment of spirit The way whereby he did it was this he remooued his sinnes from him he forgaue him his iniquitie for except the Lord had forgiuen him his sinnes it had not bene possible that the bitternesse of his soule and conscience could be remooued Then so soone as he turned him to his God acknowledged his life by-gone and sought mercie by all manner of waies as sometimes by word by groning by teares by sighs by dolorous moane and lamentation and by all kind of humble gesture he obtained mercie so that the Lord did cast his whole sinnes behind his backe The cause that moued the Lord to shew mercy he noteth in the middest of that verse There was no occasion in the King for he deserued the contrary it was onely the loue of the Lord onely the kindnesse of the Lord in Christ Iesus his Messias who was to come of this King himselfe In the manner of his deliuerance this King acknowledged three things which are worthy of marking First the King acknowledgeth that sinne is the onely cause of our misery whether it be in our conscience body or soule surely this King speaketh very true For there is nothing that God can hate in vs but sinne there is nothing that he can correct in vs but sinne there is nothing that his furious iealousie can burne vp but sinne there is nothing that he can purge in vs but sinne Take away sinne and the punishmeÌ„t of the wicked shall ceasse yea there shal be no such thing as a wicked one and the purgation of the godly shall not neede So both punishment and purgation shall ceasse sinne being taken way for sinne is the onely thing that is punished in them and purged in vs. Now this King acknowledging this ranne vnto God confessed his sinnes found mercy So note the lesson Whether the Lord visite vs with trouble of body or conscience seeing that sinne is the cause of our trouble let vs runne the high way to God examine our by-past life acknowledge our offences and run vnto the throne of grace for mercy And whosoeuer runneth to that throne shall find mercie in the day of his greatest necessity this is the first thing that he acknowledged The second thing that he acknowledgeth is this he acknowledgeth the remission of his sins the best and surest cure that can be applied to any disease For there cannot be a better cure nor a surer cure then to remoue the cause of the disease Therefore the remouing of sinne cureth the disease The vnhappy world when they are visited with any disease they runne onely to the body and seeke the cause of the disease onely in the body as though the body had the onely wit they runne neuer to the soule when in the meane time the body is but an instrument to the soule For if the soule were well it is impossible that we could be diseased Therefore seeing the cause of the disease lurketh in the soule when the Lord visiteth you with any disease runne to the soule acknowledge that sinne is the cause lay the fault where it is and craue mercy of God for this is the ready way to cure our diseases Would God this lesson were learned for if it were well obserued we should not see so many kinde of pestilent diseases raging in this countrey as at this day we do The third thing the King acknowledged is that it is not his owne integrity that procured his deliuerance he acknowledgeth that it was not his innocency in life nor his good deedes as may appeare in the beginning of the chapter For in his prayer he appeareth to haue made an ostentation of his good deedes and innocency of life but here in the end of this verse he resolueth this doubt he letteth vs see it was the mercie of God in Christ Iesus that was the onely cause of his deliuerance Thus farre for the meaning of the words Now let vs marke the forme of speech The forme is this because saith he he hath cast all my sinnes behinde his backe This forme of speach is borrowed from our custome For those things that men may not behold that are filthy and abhominable we cast them behind our backe that we may not see them Now sinne being the onely thing which is abhominable in the presence of God when he forgiueth vs our sinnes he is said to cast them behind his backe The only thing that hideth the countenance of God from vs is sin for there is nothing that can separate man from his creator but sinne onely And what lose we when we are separate from the countenance of God We lose true pleasure and perfect pleasure There can neither be true nor perfect pleasure but in the sight and countenance of God And whilest we are by sinne debarred from his countenance we are depriued both of true and perfect pleasure Then the diligent care of a Christian should stand in this that sinne debarre him not from the countenance of God But we should be diligent in begging mercy for Christ his cause that enioying his countenance we may haue satiety of pleasure to last for euer The second thing that I marke in these words is this Where he saith He hath cast all his sinnes c. he saith not he hath cast a part and lâ—ft another part he saith not that he hath forgiuen veniall sinnes and left mortall sinnes but he sayth all sinnes of what sort ranke or degree soeuer they be he hath cast them all behinde his backe Al these sorts of sinnes that seuer vs from God and deteine vs from his countenance may be all brought vnder these three sorts Vnder the first I vnderstand this originall corruption this foule puddle this rotten root of the which all these rotten fruits do flow and proceede This corruption in the which we are both conceiued and borne which maketh vs the children of wrath dead in sinne and in â—he vncircumcision of our flesh Vnder the second sort I comprehend all motions cogitations and actions of our whole life whereby we decline neuer so little and go aside from that perfect duty which we owe to God and to our neighbour So in a word I comprehend vnder this second sort all our actuall sinnes This naturall corruption which we call originall sinne by the which it
he will praise him yea praise him in his song he shall praise him with his instrument and he shall praise him publikely in the house and congregation of the Lord because the benefit is publike he shall praise him in his bodie because he receiued the health thereof and he shall praise him in his soule because he is restored to the wonted ioyes thereof This I thinke be the meaning of the last verse The King in thus doing sheweth himselfe to be verie thankfull and if that good seruant of God shew himselfe so thankfull how much more should we whom he deliuereth notwithstanding we cast our selues headlong into our diseases by our owne follie But there is neuer a man so soone as the heauie hand of God is off him but he returneth with the Sow to that same puddle wherein he was with the dogs to that same vomit againe As to the praise I haue spoken of it before I insist no further but go to the last The last two verses are added to and as it appeareth appertaine not to the song but to the historie howsoeuer they are added to I will not dispute it hath pleased the Spirit of God so to do and so it should please vs. I haue spoken of the last verse of these two alreadie and will not repeate As to the first of the two ye see there is an iniunction giuen by the Prophet to the King to take a lumpe of drie figs and make a plaister and lay it vnto the byle and it shall be whole This iniunction is obeyed by the King Of this iniunction it would appeare that the Prophet playeth the part of a Physition rather then of a Prophet of God For this Simple which he biddeth him apply pertaineth to the Physition of the bodie so that it appeareth he rather doth the office of a Doctor of Physicke then of a Prophet Yet howsoeuer it would appeare so it is not so for the Prophet was occupied at this time in vttering of his commission in the which he doth nothing whereof he hath not a warrant Therefore in the same words he doth nothing vnbeseeming the part of a true Prophet and he hath his speciall warrant in this doing Now what is the reason when as the Lord might haue done this without any ordinarie meanes yet he biddeth the Prophet applie the same plaister He doth this no question for these three ends First to let the King see by this doing he would not haue his ordinarie meanes nor second causes be contemned And suppose he may worke without them yet he hath appointed secondarie causes to bring about his effect which he will not haue contemned The second end which was the chiefe end he saw that the Kings faith was but weake for the Prophet promised that within three dayes he should passe vp to the Temple and the Kings sore was not come as yet to a maturitie but raging on him so he thought this almost impossible and could scarsly apprehend the truth of this promise Now to support his faith he vseth an externall obiect For the more and the more pithie the obiects be the more our faith is stayed and confirmed Therefore in the Sacraments we haue so many obiects to our eye to our hands all to strengthen our faith And so he giueth him this meanes to strengthen his faith to assure him that it should come to passe which the Prophet promised The third end is to teach him that the Lord is the onely Physition as well of the bodie as of the soule he hath command ouer all remedies and so he may stay or further the effects thereof as he pleaseth and consequently he hath command ouer all diseases This is certaine and therefore except the blessing of God concurre with these secondaâ—ie things there is no physicke can auaile or profite And it is so to be thought of Physitions as of the husbandmen and their husbandrie Ye see when the husbandmen haue done their whole exact trauell so that they haue left nothing vndone that in them lieth yet if the Lord giue not increase they are disappointed of their trauell Euen so suppose Physitions propound remedies to be applyed with all diligence yet if the Lord blesse not the worke if he abstract his effect or power from the second causes it is not possible that the patient can be cured So he teacheth the diseased and all Doctors of Physicke these two lessons First he teacheth the Patient to desire of God that he will giue leaue to the meanes to worke some good effect and let the Doctor craue on the other side that the Lord would blesse his worke that it may redound to Gods glorie and the comfort of the Patient And where God is begun with and ended with no doubt but the worke shall haue a good issue Therefore in all troubles let euery one haue recourse vnto God and in God vse his creatures and so God shall blesse you and the creatures both in his Sonne Christ Iesus To whom be all praise honour and glorie both now and euer Amen THE TWELFTH SERMON VPON THE 76. PSALME BY M. ROBERT BRVCE IN THE Church of Edinborow at a thanksegiuing to God for deliuery from the tyranny of the Spaniards The text 1 God is knowne in Iurie his name is great in Israel 2 For in Shalem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Zion 2 There brake he the arrowes of the bow the shield and the sword and the battell Selah 4 Thou art more bright and puissant then the mountaines of prey 5 The stout hearted are spoyled they haue stept their sleepe and all the men of strength haue not found their hands 6 At thy rebuke ô God of Iacob both the chariot and horse are cast asleepe 7 Thou euen thou art to be feared and who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angry 8 Thou didest cause thy iudgement to be heard from heauen therefore the earth feared and was still I Haue chosen this song which is a song of praise and of thansegiuing Welbeloued in Christ Iesus as a song that is most meete for our purpose and that agreeth best with the businesse and holy action that we haue in hand this day For in this song the Psalmist praiseth God for his singular benefites bestowed from time to time vpon his owne people As namely by reason he hath chosen them to be his people and selected them out from amongst all the Nations on the earth to be a peculiar inheritance and possession to himselfe he hath bequeathed vnto them his Oracles which he had done to no other company vnder the Sunne beside her he hath made his residence with her which he hath done with no other society of men in the earth he hath taken the defence of her against whatsoeuer sort of enemies which he hath done to no other sort or conditioÌ„ of men In such sort that she hath found from time to time experience of his