wicked men haue commonly wicked children vnlesse they be preuented by Gods speciall grace and we daily see that in these respects Quis tulcrit Graâ—â—um de seditione loquentem not onely families to be of like conditions with their Progenitors as the Grachi to be seditious the Iulij ambitious the Tarquins proud and lasciuious the thildren of Idolaters to be Idolatrous and so of the rest but also Nations and Countries to be inclined and much adicted and as it were indued which hereditary vices and that not only in respect of the climate which I confesse may somewhat moue the same but especially in respect of their inclination and pronesse of imitation to doe what their Parents doe For so we see how generally it is for men to say My fathers were so and therefore I will be so And so the Psalmist saith Errauimus cum patribus Men are apt to erre with their Fathers But Secondly we must note This threatning extendeth but to the great sins of grieuous sinners that God doth not threaten to visite all the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the children but the great and grieuous sinnes of haynous transgressors as Idolaters Blasphemers Disobedient to Parents Sacrilegious persons and Dispisers of godlinesse and the like for so the Lord himselfe here intimateth saying That he will visite the iniquity not the iniquities that is Non quamuis iniquitatem sed eam qua spirituale coniugium dissoluitur Not euery kinde of iniquity but that whereby the spirituall marriage betwixt God and vs is dissolued and so makes all our Children Tanquam meretricios partus As the Children of an Harlot which hath broken her faith with her Husband And so he expresseth himselfe more plainely in his Law saying That he will visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the Children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him And therefore not of all that doe offend him but of those that hate him like the man that will not with the Iewes put away his wife for euery cause but for adultery or some like grieuous crime whereby he is iustly prouoked to forsake her and all her brood Hosea 1.2 c. 2.2 Ezech. 16.22 c. This threatning holds not against all the Children of wicked men And so the Lord sheweth the same at large in Hosea 1.2 c. 2.2 Ezech. 16.22 c. And yet Thirdly Wee must obserue that this holds not in all the children of those that are exceedingly wicked but as a man renouncing his wife and children may notwithstanding retayne some one or more which he liketh so doth God sometimes accept some children of some wicked parents for so wee finde Abraham was faithfull though his father Terah was Idolatrous and King Iosias was religious though his father Amon was most impious and therefore Saint Gregorie and others haue distinguished that this threatning onely holdeth in those children which doe naturally sucke and willingly imitate there Fathers vices But I finde this too short of the whole truth because God many times visiteth the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the Children which not onely imitate their Parents in the like sinnes but doe perhaps follow after cleane contrary sinnes as I shewed vnto you before And so the Apostle saith that because the Gentiles became Idolatrous and regarded not to know God but ranne a whoring after other Gods and so committed spirituall fornication against him therefore God gaue them and their posterity ouer to become so horribly vicious as to burne in lust Rom. 1.24 and vile affections one towards another and so to commit carnall fornication and abomination among themselues and to doe those things that were not conuenient This threatning is not onely against those that imitate their Parents vices And therefore I say that this threatning holdeth not so much in those which giue themselues to imitate their Fathers vices as in those which God in iustice thinketh good to punish for their Fathers offences for in that he saith I will visite the iniquity of the Fathers vpon the Children that is I will punish the Fathers sinnes in his Children I see not how the Childe can any wayes by declination from his Fathers sinnes escape this infliction laid on him by God because as I collect it this punishment is not so much attracted by the Childrens imitation as inflicted by God for the Fathers transgression and is rather a punishment of the Fathers sinne laide vpon the Childe then a punishment of any sinne committed by the Childe And therefore he doth not say He will visite those that imitate their Fathers sinnes but he will visite the sinnes of those that hate him vpon their Children and yet as I said before this doth not hold in all for wee see often many godly Children of wicked Parents Neither doth this threatning passe at most or in the worse but to the third or fourth generation and sometime he stayeth his hands at the first and giues plentifull graces to the immediate Children of most Idolatrous and impious Parents as we see in Iosias and others before cited for Exod. 33.19 he will haue mercy vpon whom he will haue mercy And therefore this threatning can be vnderstood of none else but of those Fathers which are so odious to God as that he thinkes iust to punish their posterity for their sinnes And of those Children of them Fathers which God in his secret and vnsearchable councell thinkes fit thus to punish for their Fathers faults And so we are come to consider the punishment to be inflicted or the manner how God doth this and yet remaineth iust for Fourthly we are to vnderstand that all punishment is as some say either 1. Paenall 2. Criminall or To speake more plainely all punishment is either 1. Corporall 2. Spirituall For the first That for the Fathers sinnes the Childe should bee temporally or corporally punished there is no question of it for so wee finde Dauid sinned and the Childe begot in Adultery suffered for it And for Salomons sinnes Rehoboam lost tenne Tribes of Israel And thus not onely those Children which imitate their Parents-sinnes but also those that neuer actually offended are many times vnquestionably punished for their Fathers faults yea and many times many other righteous men The godly are many times corporally punished in the punishment of the wicked are thus punished in the punishment of the wicked as those Children which perished in the deluge and in the destruction of Sodome and many other men and Infants that dyed at the besieging of Ierusalem And this seemes to be no iniustice in God because otherwise we must take away all iustice from men for wee finde it vsuall in all Nations for great offences as Crimen lesae maiestatis Treasons murthers and such like to depriue the Children of their Fathers goods or Lands by reason of their Fathers euils nay not onely the Children Quint. Curtius de rebus gestis Alexandri but euen all the
kindred of a Traytor were thereby tainted and disparaged by the Macedonian Law And therefore we must abridge God of that which we see iust in man or else we must yeeld it is iust in God to visite and to punish the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the Children But For the second That for the Fathers sinnes the Child should be spiritually punished or inflicted with criminall punishments it seemeth more then strange and therefore Aquinas and many others thinking thereby to reconcile this place of the Law That God will visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the Children And that of Ezechiel where God saith The innocent Childe shall not beare the iniquity of his wicked Father doe say that God here doth vnderstand it of temporall punishment or corporall castigation which God often times layeth vpon the Children for their Fathers sinnes But in Ezechiel God meaneth that he will not spiritually punish or eternally plague the Childe for the Fathers sinne And I confesse that that place of Ezechiel is to be vnderstood that God will not eternally punish the Childe simply for the Fathers sinne for God vseth not to punish any one man for the sinne of any other man But as the Lord saith himselfe The soule which sinneth Ezech. 18.4 A difference betwixt spirituall and eternall punishment that soule shall dye yet I say that in Ezechiel he denyeth not what here he affirmeth and that hee meaneth the same thing in both places if both be rightly vnderstood for I make a great difference betweene a spirituall and an eternall punishment that God will eternally punish the Childe for the Fathers sinne I vtterly denye but that hee will spiritually punish the Childe for the Fathers sinne I see neither place denying it For as here hee doth not say that hee will eternally punish the Childe for his Fathers sinnes so there he doth not say that hee will no way spiritually punish the Childe for the Parents faults but as here his meaning is not that he will inflict any positiue euill vpon the sonnes of the wicked for the wickednesse of their Parents but that for the iniquity of the Parents hee will shut his hands and with-hold his grace from their Children and so willingly and iustly suffer them to commit the like or worse sinnes then their Fathers did because we being all naturally borne in sinne inclined and prone to all euill if God doth not by his sanctifying and preuenting grace preserue vs wee shall be sure enough of our selues without any intrusion or infliction of any positiue euill from God to fall from one wickednesse to another and to commit all sinnes euen with greedinesse So there his meaning is not to deny the with-holding of his grace from the Children of the wicked which is all that here hee threatneth but that he will not inflict any positiue punishment vpon them for their Fathers sinnes And therefore though God saith in Ezechiel that he will not punish the Children for their Fathers faults i. e. by any positiue punishment yet doth hee not denie That God denyeth his graces vnto the Children for the Parents sinnes but that the priuatiue punishment of denying his grace vnto them for their Fathers sinnes should be inflicted vpon them and that suffering of vs to sinne or not hindering of vs to sinne iustly inflicted vpon vs for our Fathers sinnes is a most lamentable and a most fearefull thing because such Children so iustly refused to be helped by GOD and so deseruedly left in the councell of their owne hands shall bee sure of sinnes enough of their owne to be plagued for that they shall neuer neede to say Ezech. 18.2 The Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the Childrens teeth are set on edge or that they are punished for their Fathers sinnes And so you see how God visiteth the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the Children and yet punisheth euery man but for his owne sinnes The first he doth by a spirituall desertion and deniall of grace vnto the Children for the Fathers sinnes and The second hee doth by a positiue infliction of punishment vpon euery man according to his owne sinnes for As he promiseth to blesse the Children of the godly for the loue that he beareth vnto their Parents as hee saith vnto Abraham Gen. 17.7 I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee So hee denyeth his grace many times vnto the Children of the wicked for the very hatred that he beares against their Fathers sinnes as most innumerable wofull examples doe make it plaine for you see the Iewes forsaking God to be forsaken of God to this very day and that bloud of Christ which their Fathers spilt to remaine vpon the Children of so many generations And we see so many Nations of men suffered Luc. 1.79 To sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death as the seauen Churches of Asia and many other famous places of Greece and other Countries because their Fore-fathers haue forsaken their first loue and through their negligence haue extinguished the light of Truth And being thus left of God and depriued of grace what can be left in them or deriued from them but the fruits of that naturall corruption which is ingraffed in all men And therefore as it is truly said of all the off-spring of Ieroboam that being bereft of grace and left vnto themselues euen for their Fathers sinnes They walked in the wayes of Ieroboam 1 Kings 15.34 the sonne of Nebat which made Israel to sinne So we may say of the Children of wicked Parents that being left as they were borne in their pure naturals for their Fathers impieties they doe imitate the same workes and tread in the same steppes or worse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then their Fathers did And so it falles out true that as an euill Crow brings forth an euill egge so euill Parents doe bring forth for the most part euill and wicked Children God in iustice visiting the iniquity of the Parents vpon the Children vnto the third and fourth generation And so you see how God visiteth the iniquity of the Fathers vpon the Children Why God with-holdeth his graces from the Children of the wicked by with-holding his grace from them and how iust it is with God to doe the same because hee is a debtor to no man and the reason why he dealeth thus with the sonnes of men is First To shew the height of his hatred against sinne fire is kindled in his wrath and it shall burne to the bottome of hell and if his wrath be kindled yea but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Psal 2.12 Secondly To punish the offenders as I said before in their dearest flesh to see if their loue to their Childrens welfare will make them any wayes feare to sinne for we see many men so obdurate and so hard-hearted vnto themselues as that they care not what is done or what becomes
labyrinths because iarring and iangling about errours they let passe the maine grounds of truth and striuing to finde out new wayes they doe quite forget the old way which is the good way and are become almost ignorant of the first and chiefest Principles of Religion Such is the pollicie of Satan to busie their heads about the lesse needfull Controuersies thereby to make them the lesse diligent to inquire after the most necessary counsels of their saluation And therefore considering with my selfe what the Apostle saith that hee desired to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified I haue applyed my selfe to treate of these ensuing Theames I confesse my manner of handling them is like my selfe plaine and homely without any gorgeous garments of Rhetorical ornaments because I euer desired to speak rather for the edification of my hearers then for the oftenstation of my selfe but I assure you the matter is like them from whom I receiued it sound and good fit to feede all those Christians that desire rather to haue their hungry soules fedde with the sincere milke of Gods Word then their itching eares tickled with the inticing speech of mans wisedome for they doe containe the knowledge of our selues how poore and miserable we are become by sinne the knowledge of the true and eternall God and the knowledge of Iesus Christ God and Man then whom there is no greater no better which few lessons are alone able to make vs happy I neede speake no more of the worke let it speake for me I referre all to God who esteemeth of our indeauours not by their euent but by our intent but remembring that presenting your Honours with a Booke I must not make a Booke of an Epistle I onely desire you to accept these notes of a Schollers obseruation who desires not so much to make himselfe knowne as to acknowledge his duty to God and his desire to doe him seruice to extoll his name in Heauen and not to gaine himselfe a name on Earth and to haue all his thoughts and workes to honour Christ or to be dishonoured himselfe for no Christian So with my daily prayers for you and all yours I humbly take my leaue and rest Your Honours true seruant and most humble Chaplaine in all Christian seruice euer to be commanded GR. WILLIAMS TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN God IOHN Lord Bishop of Saint Asaph and to the Right VVorshipfull the truly Honoured Sir IOHN WYNNE Knight and Baronet all grace and happinesse in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come Right Reuerend Father I Write not this vnto your Lordship by base flattery to beg any thing of you for I doe endeauour alwayes to support my meane estate by meditating on the Apostles lesson in any state to be contented and I know that as we came naked into this world so we shall all returne naked hence againe but I presume to affixe these few lines vnto these my poore labours to assure the world of mine vnfained ioy to see your Lordship placed in that seate of gouernment wherein you are in a certaine hope that as Saint Paul said of Timothy according to the prophesies that went afore of you that is the Propheticall expectation that all men conceiued of you and the faire promises that your Religious and alwayes vpright carriage hath made vnto vs your Lordship will be a great comfort and a Diuine blessing vnto that whole Diocesse wherein you liue I know it is the practise of many I dare not say of any Bishop either basely to sell their spirituall promotions or sinisterly to bestow them on their friends their kinsmen and alliances and yet I say not the Church of England doth imitate that painted Harlot of Babylon nor that Ierusalem iustifieth Samaria but as Demodocus said of the Milesians they were no fooles and yet they did the same things that fooles did so I feare that we may say of many in the Church of England we are no Pagans no Popes no Papists no worldlings no carnall men and yet though I say not that any man doth ill yet I doubt wee doe not all well not much better then they vse to doe herein I confesse the Apostle noteth it as a vice of the latter times to be without naturall affection but if gifts blinde the eyes of the wise that they peruert iudgement I doubt not but this carnall loue of flesh and bloud will sometimes with Mydas preferre Pan before Apollo and this naturall affection to kinred being vnworthiest will not onely deiect the mindes of painefull men and cause men rather to seeke to be allied to others then to attaine vnto any worth in themselues but it must also turne to the hurt and detriment of the whole Church of God and doth apparantly shew such spirituall Patrons to be indeed carnally minded for do not the Publicans and Sinners euen the same and therefore though I wish all men to abound in loue and affection vnto their Kins-folkes yet in this case I would to God that all of vs Deut. 33 â—8 wold imitate Leui who saide vnto his father and to his mother I haue not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children but obserued Gods word and kept his couenant that we would set God alwayes before our eyes Neither doe I say this to deny that men should doe for their kinsfolke being worthy men but that they should not doe this neglecting others farre more worthy and laying aside all sinister respects would doe onely what should be most for Gods glory for the encouragement of painfull Preachers and for the best benefit vnto the people of God for if Christ being lost by Mary and Ioseph could not bee found among his owne friends and kins-folkes these men should take heed they finde him not among theirs I could say more of this point and yet not so much as Saint Bernard saith vnto Eugenius of many other points like to this but this will serue to be a witnesse against some at the dreadfull day and perhaps to stirre vp as much rage against my selfe as the Iewes had against Saint Stephen for speaking this truth against them that vse such dealing against God If it doth I say as Saint Chrysostome said of the rage of that cruell Empresse If they keepe me poore I know Christ had not an house to put his head in if they silence me and thrust me out of their Sinagogue so was that poore man that confessed Christ and the Apostles inioyned not to speake in the Name of Christ if they cast me into prison so was Ieremy Saint Peter Saint Paul and many more If I be forced to flie my Countrey I haue that beloued Iohn and that Atlas-like Athanasius for presidents of the like vsage or whatsoeuer else should be done vnto mee I haue the holy Martyres for my fellow sufferers and I will neuer count my life deere vnto me so I may finish my course with ioy
15 qud quad 19 Aetneum Aetnaeum 41 num nun◠124 seeing being 196 prestare praestare 438 Hillarius Hilarius 690 Psal pag. 695 Blando Blanda And some other mis-quotations which for want of the copie I cannot directly amend The first golden Candlesticke HOLDING The first greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the misery of MAN ROMANS 6.23 The reward of sinne is death EVery man saith holy Iob is borne to labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea necessitie enioyneth all mortall men to labour saith Euripides and euery labourer is induced saith Hugo Cardinalis to performe his worke with alacritie vpon the assured hope of iust reward and therefore the law required that no man should detaine the hyre of the Labourer vntill the morning but as soone as euer hee had done his worke Leuit. 19.13 to pay him his wages because as our Sauiour saith the Labourer is worthy of his hyre and we finde that according as the payment is Luc. 10.7 good or bad so are the Labourers willing or vnwilling to doe their worke for good and present payment makes a painefull and a cheerefull agent Now here the Apostle setteth downe a worke performed and the wages thereof not onely iustly deserued but also presently discharged the reward of sinne is death and in what day thou sinnest Gen. 2.17 in that day thou shalt die the death saith the Lord few words but full of matter Sinne and Death the two most common things vpon the face of the earth for all men sinned except Christ himselfe and all men died except Enoch and Elias and yet two of the most lamentable and most fearefull things in the world for what is more lamentable then sinne or what is more terrible then death Iudges 15.4.5 and yet as Sampsons Foxes were tyed together by the tayles and carried firebrands betwixt them to destroy all the Corne of the Philistimes so here sinne and death are indissolubly linked together with vnquenchable firebrands betwixt them to deuoure all the whole race of mankinde for the reward of sinne is death But I must seuer them for a time to examine these murtherers of men that all wee may hate them if we cannot shunne them and therefore according to the number of the words of this text The diuision of the Text. stipendium peccati mors I desire you to obserue the parts of this tragedie three words three parts 1 the worke performed Sinne. 2 the payment rendred Death 3 the equitie shewed the wages of sin is death All which well considered will shew vnto vs all the most wofull state and the manifold miseries of poore distressed miserable man CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne The first Part. and how the same is deriued from the Parents vnto the Children Of the worke that is done i. e. Sinne. HEre you see sinne is the roote of death and death is the fruit of sinne Sower must be the roote when the fruit doth proue so bitter and sinne must needes bee execrable when as death is a thing so lamentable and therfore sinne makes me quake to thinke of it and death should make you tremble to consider of it because death is the wages of sinne And sinne is either 1 originall Sinne is twofold 2 actuall the first is traduced vnto vs from Adam the second is daily committed by our selues For the first In what day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death saith the Lord vnto Adam but you may eate Gen. 2.17 and you shall not die at all saith the Diuell vnto Euah she beleeued the Diuell and the man obayed his wife and so both would needes eate and therefore God cannot be true or else man must needes die and he must iustly die because he did vniustly eate i. Of Originall sinne Rom. 5.12 Here was the sinne committed by one and from him it was deriued vnto all for by one man sinne entred into the world and sinne went ouer all and spread it selfe like that far-spreading tree which Olympias dreamt shee bare or like a vile gangrene ouer all the face of the whole earth and corrupted all the race of mankinde for it is a schoole-point most infallible that Adam now stood not as a priuate person or as one particular man but as the roote of all the branches and as bearing in his person the nature of all mankinde And therefore if he had stood we had all stood Heb. 7.9 but as Abraham paying tythes Leui paid tythes in Abraham so Adam sinning we haue all sinned in Adam Et omnes peccauimus in isto vno homine quia omnes eramus iste vnus homo And wee haue all sinned in that one man because we all were that one man saith Saint Augustine And so both himselfe and wee all The dammage that we receiue by Adams fall is two-fold 1. A depriuation of all goodnesse doe by this fact of Adam receiue a double dammage 1. A depriuation of all our originall goodnesse the image of God in vs and the loue of God towards vs and therefore if at the losse of earthly treasures we shew our selues so much grieued O then how should our soules for the amission of such heauenly graces be continually perplexed vntill wee see the same once againe restored 2. An habituall naturall pronenesse to all kinde of wickednesse 1. A pronesse to all wickednesse and to commit sinne euen with greedinesse In respect of the first we are altogether vnable to doe any good for who can bring a cleane thing out of that which is vncleane how can wee being voide of grace bring forth any fruits of goodnesse and In respect of the second wee are naturally inclined to all kinde of euill like a stone tumbling downe a hill that can neuer stay it selfe vntill it come to the bottome So Medea saith Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor Though I see the good yet am I naturally driuen to doe that which is euill for our whole nature being defiled we are wholly inclined to fall from one wickednesse vnto another as the Psalmist speaketh And in respect of both these wee are said to bee conceiued in sinne borne in iniquiitie destitute of grace void of goodnesse nothing but flesh full of corruption children of darkenesse sonnes of wrath heyres of damnation slaues of death for the reward of sinne is death But here it may be questioned and it is not easily to be resolued how originall corruption is traduced from the Parents into the Children The question is not of the verity of the matter for it is plaine Ezech. 18. that our Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge and euery one may truely say with the Prophet Psal 51.5 in sinne my Mother hath conceiued me but it is of the Mystery of the manner Iohn 3.9 as Nicodemus said to Christ how can these things be for How originall sinne
both Body and Soule not that the Soule begetteth a Soule That man and all other creatures receaued power to produce creatures like vnto themselues Totum generat totum hoc est corpus generat corpus mediante anima anima generat animam mediante corpore Psal 51.5 or the Body begetteth a spirit but that as all other creatures receiued power from God to produce creatures like vnto themselues as the seede of the vegetatiue to bring forth vegetatiue creatures and the sensible sensible creatures so man consisting both of Body and Soule should beget a creature like vnto himselfe consisting of the same parts for otherwise sinne must needes bee in the body before the Soule be infused for if the schoole of the naturalists be to be belieued the Soule is not infused into the Body vntill the thirtieth as some or fortieth day as some affirme and yet the Psalmist saith that he was conceiued in sinne therefore both Body and Soule were both conceiued at once or else corruption was in the Body before the infusion of the Soule and this liuing Soule by this dead flesh must needes be defiled which is most absurd for as Saint Augustine sayth of Adam It was not his corruptible flesh which made his Soule to become sinnefull but his sinnefull Soule made his flesh subiect to corruption so it must needes be in the sonnes of Adam Gene. 5.3 that not our flesh corrupts our Soules but both body and soule are conceiued in sinne both produced of sinfull seede and so sinne principally resides in the Soule and not in the Body because the Soule giues life and motion vnto the flesh hence it is that Adam hauing defiled both his Body and Soule is sayd to haue begot a childe in his owne image i. e. sinfull and polluted like himselfe both in regard of his body and Soule Bosquierus de finibus bonorum lib. 1. con 6. p. 27. Nam Adam vt persona publica sibi ac suis aut sapiebat aut delirabat for now Adam standing in paradise a publique person as I told you before was to make or to marre himselfe and all his posteritie and therefore if this roote had continued holy the branches had beene likewise holy but the tree prouing to be euill Rom. 11. the fruit could not possibly be good Math. 7.18 for a bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit sayth our Sauiour and therefore Adam sinning all his seede are become sinnefull all his ofspring tanquam serie continuata as in a continued line doe like corrupted branches of a rotten tree bring forth still corrupted fruits and so make all their generation so soone as they are begotten liable to the curse of God for that first transgression for the reward of sinne is death and the Prophet Dauid sayeth Psal 51.2 hee was shapen in wickednesse and conceaued in sinne Iohn 3.6 and our Sauiour sayth that which is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. he that is borne of a sinnefull man can be nothing else but a sinnefull man That Gods graces are not traduced from the best parents not that a godly man begets a godly man for the graces of Gods spirit are not begotten in our carnall generation but they are giuen from aboue in our spirituall regeneration and a man begets his childe not as he is spirituall but as hee is a creature consisting of body and soule and therefore whosoeuer is borne of flesh and blood must needes be tainted and corrupted with sinne and wickednesse for flesh heere is not taken pro natura carnis sed pro vitiosa qualitate totius hominis for the single nature of flesh but for the corrupted qualitie of the whole man as Saint Paul excellently sheweth when hee sayth in my flesh dwelleth no goodnesse Rom. 7.8 i. e. in the corrupted nature of a naturall man there is no grace there is no goodnesse And therefore hoc virus paternum this hereditarie poyson as Paulinus calleth it What we learne from this doctrine this our originall sinne that is inbred in euery man since the fall of the first man may sufficiently serue to teach vs. First to iustifie God First to iustifie God for inflicting death vpon euery man though man should doe nothing else to procure his death quia damnati antequam nati because euery one is guilty of this sinne and therefore of death before hee commeth to this present life for the reward of sinne is death and therefore the death of children and infants that haue done no actuall sinne doth proue them tainted with this sinne because death cannot be iustly inflicted vpon those that are no wayes infected with sinne for the reward of sinne is death but you see they are subiect vnto death and therefore you may know they are tainted with sinne Secondly Secondly to be humbled this may serue to teach all those that stand so much vpon the honour and dignity of their naturall birth to consider whâ—t they are and what they haue thereby a sinnefull corrupted and contagious being children of wrath subiects to death slaues of damnation be they Kings Princes Nobles what you will this is all they haue or can haue by their naturall birth Iohn 3.6 for whatsoeuer is borne of flesh is flesh i. e. all things that parents can conuaye vnto their children is but a corrupted natural being yea though the parties should be sanctified themselues and thereby procure their children to bee receiued and reputed members of the visible Church before men yet can they not infuse Grace Perkins in Jud. 1. nor produce sanctified children in the sight of God For though we reade of some that were sanctified in their Mothers wombe as Ieremie Iohn Baptist and the like Ier. 1.5 yet this sanctifying grace was infused by God and not traduced from their parents Luke 1.44 and therefore this should make all men to be of an humble spirit and to reioyce more in their second birth in the Baptisme that they haue receiued it may bee by the hands of some meane Minister and their begetting vnto the faith of Christ by the preaching of the word of God then in all that glory and excellencie that they haue gotten from their naturall parents for they did but make vs Men these must make vs Christian men And thus you see that by the guilt of Adams sinne euery childe of Adam deserues eternall death before he comes to this present life But because we would be sure enough of death wee will hasten it and draw it on as it were with cart-ropes throughout all our life and we will not haue it sayd Ezech. 18.2 our fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge or that Adam sinned we are punished nam errauimus cum patribus for we haue sinned wil sinne with our fathers more then our fathers we will drinke iniquity like water and adde vnto our originall corruption
all the faculties of the soule Our will is guided by our iudgement saue onely the vegetatiue as Nyssenus saith yet of it selfe it hath no light but is inlightned by the reason iudgement of the vnderstanding Viues l. de anima And therefore actus voluntatis à voluntate producitur sed à ratione suadetur The Act of the will is produced by the will but it is induced and moued by the reason saith Viues And therefore if the vnderstanding be darkened Matth 15.14 it is no maruell that the will should be corrupted for if the lame will carry and command the blinde vnderstanding and the blinde reason doe leade and guide the lame will then are both like to fall into the Ditch Of the perfection of Adams vnderstanding But though the vnderstanding of Adam in Paradice was so perfect that he knew his God which made him his wife to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh though hee neuer saw her before and all the other creatures so well that at the first sight he was able to giue them names agreeable to their natures Gen. 2.20.23 yet now the vnderstanding of all men iâ— so blinded that it cannot see the light of any Diuine truth How our vnderstanding is now darkened through sinne Peccatum enim tenebrae for sinne is as the blacknesse of darknesse and as a deepe dungeon wherein there is no light and all sinnes are called the workes of darkenesse not onely because they are done in darkenesse or at least desired to be kept secret but also because they are the workes of them whose vnderstandings are so darkned that they cannot perceiue the excellency of the Grace of God Rom 13.12.13 but doe thinke all the mysteries of our faith to be not onely mirabilia strange and wonderfull but also incredibilia impossible and incredible and therefore whatsoeuer we doe say of grace and of spirituall things Ephes 5.8 they are but foolishnesse vnto them for as in the night time when there is no light a bush seemes a man and a man a beast and we iudge Lead to be siluer Brasse Gold and Gold no better then Copper So those men qui sordide viuunt Chrysost hom 4. in Iohn which do loue liue in iniquity can no wayes vnderstand the excellency of piety saith Saint Chrysostome And therefore sinne brought this infirmitie vpon vs to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darkned in our vnderstandings and our fathers affected-knowledge of good and euill brought inflicted ignorance of all good vpon all his children for as we reade of a certaine Widdow Ephes 4 1â— that desiring to see better then she did had her eyes so cunningly closed by a subtle and a false Physition that while she hoped for a greater measure of sight How Adam by affecting knowledge brought ignorance vp-all his posterity he stole away all the treasure that she had and then hauing her eyes opened and seeing how shee was cozened shee worthily complained that she saw worse then euer she did before So Adam desiring to know much and to see better then he did before became indeed to know iust nothing and to see himselfe in a farre worser state then euer he was before for God is light and in him there is no darknesse at all and therefore falling away from God wee are depriued of all light 1 John 1.5 and are plunged into the place of vtter darkenesse Iohn 12.35 and therefore as he that walketh in darknesse knoweth not where he goeth so we being separated from God wee know not what is truth we know not what is good And the Philosophers themselues the seekers and searcherâ— after Knowledge did finde to their endlesse griefe The Philosophers saw and professed the blindnesse of all men that when they had turned their strength into weaknesse their marrow into drynesse and their colour into palenesse by their continuall watchings and indefessed vnwearied studies and musing to get knowledge they attained at length to no more but hoc vnum scire se nihil scire to know this one thing that they knew iust nothing And as our Sauiour said to Nicodemus in the like case if they could not attaine to the knowledge of earthly things Iohn 3.12 how should they vnderstand heauenly things For although the vnderstanding which Nazianzene calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eye and lampe of reasâ—n should be exceeding sharpe to discerne the alterations of the skyes to enter into the secrets of nature How sharpe our vnderstanding is in natural things to reach vnto the height of heauen and the deepnesse of Hell it selfe yet in things concerning God he could reach no further then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such points as might be manifested by demonstration as Saint Clement speaketh For if we talke of Christs conception by the holy Ghost How blockish euery man is naturally in the mysteries of our Faith without the helpe of man of his birth of a pure Virgin without breach or impeachment of her Virginitie of his Death as the Sonne of God personally vnderstood for otherwise the Diuine Nature is impassible and so of his resurrection as hee is the Sonne of Man and of the resurrection of all flesh at the last day and such liâ—â— Mysteries of our Faith then both the wise Grecians euen all the Schoole of Athens and the foolish Iewes euen all the whole ranke of Rabbies will count each point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fained thing cry out with the Athenians Act. 17.18 What will these bablers say for as the eye of man saith S. Augustine being either blinde or pur-blinde cannot presently discerne the cleerest obiect euen so saith he Animus pollutus aut mens turbata deum presentem videre non potest the minde that is distracted with worldly cares or the soule that is polluted with filthy sinne can neither vnderstand God nor godlinesse And therefore Moses saith that all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were onely euill continually Gen. 6.5 Tit. 1 15. Rom. 8.6 and Saint Paul saith that our very mindes are defiled and our wisedomes death but if the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse if our mindes and vnderstandings be thus blinded and defiled through sinne in what case shall the other faculties of the soule be What an excellent facultie the memory is Sabel l. 10. c. 9. Exemp de memor Thirdly for the memory It is a faculty qua repetit animus quae fuerunt Whereby the soule retaineth as it were in her sight and knowledge all the things that are past Et hoc nil sanctius nil vtilius homini dedit Deus and it is the best and most excellent gift that God bestowed on man saith Sabellicus for this is the Treasurer of all Learning and the Keeper of all those Arts and Knowledge which by great study and labour we haue
not one so bad as this for notwithstanding all this and that they see they cannot liue and Nature tels them they must needs die yea all these fore-runners of death Auri sacra fames amor sceleratus habendi assolet imprimis excruciare fenes doe daily tell them that they are euen drawing their last breath yet the neerer they be vnto their death the more couetous they are the more worldly minded the more desirous to liue and the more loath to leaue this wretched life Secondly as all the Ages of mans life The miseries of all estates so all the estates of life are full of the punishments of sinne For First if thou beest poore Nihil habet infaelix paupertas Thou shalt be sure of nothing but contempt which is pouerties necessary attendant for the poore man shall be despighted of his own brethren and it is strange to see what pains and drudgery those poore snakes as we call them doe take The miseries of the poore Gen. 3.19 and indure both at home and abroad to get a little maintenance in the sweat of their face it may be in the coldest Winter they doe eate their bread and perhaps scarce sufficient to satisfie meere necesity as if they onely were allotted to sustaine that heauy sentence that was first denounced against man for sinne and therefore Menander saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No burthen is more burthensome then pouerty and Plautus saith Omnibus modis Plaut rud qui pauperes sunt misere viuunt The poore are miserable euery way and it was the common receaued opinion of the Gentiles miseros esse deis inuisos that they were hated of the gods which were thus plagued by the gods and the Iewes thought little lesse Deut. 28.22.23 because this is numbred among the curses of the Law and therefore Hecuba being brought to such extreame pouerty as that she had neither clothes to couer her nakednesse nor yet foode to satisfie nature cals her mis-fortunes and miseries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such as surpassed the sufferance of any creature and Plutarch reports that many men to auoid the same did preuent this misery of life by a sudden and vnnaturall death choosing to die rather then to liue in extreame pouerty and so with the vnpatient Fishes they did but leape out of the Frying-pan into the fire and run away from that misery which for a while they would not indure into that intollerable torments which now they must eternally suffer The misery of the rich Secondly If thou beest rich then art thou enuied of others and shalt be very like to be consened of thy goods for theeues will seeke to robbe thee thy friends to betray thee and thy neighbours to deceiue thee which makes the rich men to take more care to keepe their wealth then they tooke paines to get it and thereby they are vexed and crucified of themselues Inuenal Satyr 10. Nam plures nimia congesta pecunia cura strangulat For gold and siluer haue destroyed many a man saith the Sonne of Syrach Eccle. 8. for riches are like thornes saith our Sauiour Christ because they haue the same power to teare our hearts Mar. 4.18 as the others haue to rend our garments Neither is this all the euill that riches bring vnto vs but they puffe vs vp with pride they make vs to disdaine our Inferiors wrong our neighbours forget our God and to thinke our selues poore wormes to be no lesse then gods on earth and therefore the Lord saith that he is greatly angry against rich Nations Because Zephan 1. they that will be rich doe fall into temptation and a snare 1 Tim. 6.9 and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction and our Sauiour saith Matth. 19.23 it is a very hard thing for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of Heauen And therefore though pouerty be an extreame misery Whether to be poore or to be rich is the more miserable yet doe not I know well whether to be wealthy or to be in want is the worser for though to be poore is a miserable thing in this life yet to be rich is a great hinderance for vs to eternall life and therefore I finde that the sonne of Iakeh prayed to God that he would giue him neither pouerty nor riches Prou. 30.3 but feed him with foode conuenient Because the meane state is the best state And yet Thirdly If thou beest meane then art thou accounted base The miseries of the meane estate and deemed vnfit for the Society nay for the seruice of many men for now Gentlemen and not good men are the men that are most generally required for the seruice of great men Fourthly If thou beest Noble The miseries of Nobility then art thou euer in feare of disgrace and must perhaps in forraine warres with the imbruing of thy hands in others blood mainetaine the reputation of thine owne blood at home Fiftly If thou beest one of the vulgar people The miseries of the common people then art thou at others command and euer in feare of thy Iudges anger Sixtly If thou beest a Magistrate then must thou labour and toyle for the good of others and many times The miseries of Magistrates disturbe thine owne rest and peace yea disburse thine owne state and suffer many other hazards to vndergoe to procure rest and peace vnto thy neighbours and when in any difference betwixt men thou hast done thy best and dealt as iustly as Iustice it selfe could doe yet for his saying that is righted and perhaps but coldly too that thou hast done well thou art like to bee sure of him that would haue done the wrong to be more wronged thy selfe by his railing and proclayming thee to be a corrupt and vnrighteous Iudge The miseries of the Ministers Seauenthly If thou beest a Minister and a teacher of Gods people then shalt thou see that this highest calling in Gods Church is subiect to the greatest miseries in the world for they are sent as sheepe into the midst of Wolues Matth. 10.16 and they are incident to be punished by God many times for the sinnes of others when they make them their owne Ezek. 18. because they reprooue them not and to be scorned and contemned of men when they do their best and we see many of them euen of the best to be left vnregarded vnrewarded And what should I speake of more Fathers Children Husbands Wiues Masters Seruants and whatsoeuer else no estate is free from sinne how can they then be free from miseries How all creatures do heap vp miseries vpon man Thirdly we know that when God made man he made Lord of all his creatures the trembling trees bowing yeelded their fruites the siluer streames running offered their seruice the Lyons roaring after their prey and all other creatures standing in their order subiected themselues willingly vnto man
me for to Waite till God deliuereth me And fetch my prison'd Soule from hence to liue at libertie IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Second golden Candlesticke HOLDING The second greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the Knowledge of GOD. EXODVS 34.6.7 Iehouah Iehouah Strong Mercifull and Gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and trueth Reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sinne and that will by no meanes cleare the guiltie visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation YOu haue heard in my former Treatise the poore and miserable estate of distressed Man The coherence of this with the former Treatise how lamentable hee made himselfe by Sinne I am now to shew you a poole of Bethesda wherein if wee can but bathe our selues wee shall bee made perfectly whole and most comfortably deliuered from all diseases Iohn 5.2 and therefore I beseech you let this Panchrestum this medicine for all maladies be diligently acquired bee most carefully applied to euery sickned soule You shal finde it in Ierusalem i. e. in the Church of God and no where else for extra Ecclesiam non est salus no saluation is out of the Church and you shall finde it by the Sheepe-market i. e. in the place where the sheepe of Christ and children of God doe finde all prouision for their soules that is the Holy Heauenly Scripture and there if you looke you shall finde a porch ample enough for you to enter into this Bethesda in these words which I haue read vnto you The Lord the Lord God or else Iehoua Iehoua Strong Mercifull and Gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and trueth c. And I hope you will giue the more diligent heede vnto my words Quia speciosi pedes Euangelizantium pacem because as the Pro. Esay sayth the feete of theÌ„ that bring tydings of good things are most welcome vnto vs Esay 52.7 and as the Angell sayd vnto the Shepheards Luke 2.10 I bring you tydings of great ioy which shall be vnto all people For I am now to preach and to expound that gracious Sermon vnto you here which God himselfe hath Preached heretofore vnto Moses in Mount Sinay and it containes the whole discription of Almighty God so farre forth as himselfe thought it fit Chrysost varior loc in Matth. Hom. 9. to reueale himselfe at this time vnto his people and therefore Excutite pigritiam quia non est res leuis quam audituri estis I doe must humbly craue your attention and most diligent obseruation of these things for I thinke that you can neither heart nor reade a sweeter text if God giue me grace to handle it well It is large indeed I must confesse and my allotted time is short and it is as difficult to contract much into a little as to inlarge a little into much yet seeing I cannot speake all that I would I will by Gods helpe speake a little of all as I may The Occasion of these words The occasion hereof is playne enough in this precedent Chapter Moses desired to see God God tells him he cannot because it is as naturall vnto him to be inuisible as to be a God and therefore Saint Iohn sayth Iohn 4.12 no man hath seene God at any time yet to satisfie Moses so much as was fit for his happinesse God sayth that he should see his backe-parts that is hee should vnderstand so much concerning God as the weake vnderstanding of Man could possibly comprehend for hee saw nothing at all after any visible manner but onely heard this voyce describing God and we must know that God hath nâ—ither forepart nor backepart that can be seene with any mortall eyes and therefore this phrase of seeing Gods backeparts is onely vsed quoad captum nostrum after a humane manner and it importeth thus much in effect thou shalt see that is thou shalt vnderstand or see with thine eyes of knowledge my backeparts That God is not to be seene with any materiall eyes that is so much concerning me as thy weake apprehension shall be able to comprehend For First That God is no otherwise to bee seene then with the spirituall eyes of our Faith and vnderstanding it appeareth playne because Moses here saw no visible thing but onely heard a voyce So when God appeared to Elias 1 Kings 19.11.12 there passed before the Lord a mighty strong winde but the Lord was not in the Wind then an Earthquake but the Lord was not in the Earthquake and then came a still soft Voice and the Lord was in the Voyce and so when he deliuered the Law he sayth Ye saw no similitude saue a voyce therefore as God sheweth himselfe none otherwise then by a voyce so he can be seene none otherwise then by the spirituall eyes of our vnderstanding Secondly That by the backeparts of God is vnderstood By the backe-parts of God is vnderstood so much knowledge of God as we are able to comprehend so much knowledge of God as our weake apprehension can conceiue it is apparant in this place for Moses neither saw nor heard any other thing but onely this voyce proclayming these words that I haue read vnto you and therefore this is all one as if the voyce had sayd vnto him this is all that thou canst vnderstand of me that I am such and such a one as I shew vnto thee It is true indeed that I am so glorious to excellent so ineffable and so incomprehensible in my selfe that if I should shew thee my Maiestie and fully declare vnto thee mine excellencie what I am thou wert not able to comprehend it and therefore humano more loqui to speak vnto thee as a man that thou mayest the better vnderstand how farre thou mayest know me I would haue thee to looke vpon a Man and to consider how much more glorie and excellencie shineth in his face then in his backe-partes euen so thou must vnderstand that all this which I shew vnto thee concerning my selfe in comparison of what I am in the excellency of my Maiestie That we can conceiue but the least part of Gods excellencie is but as the back-parts of a man in comparison of his face and fore-parts So farre short is this that thou canst know of me to what I am and yet this least part of my excellency is so much as thou or any man breathing vpon the face of the earth is able to comprehend And therefore the meaning of this phrase to see the backe-parts of God is nothing else but the reuealing of himselfe vnto Moses so farre as Moses was able to comprehend that is a little but not neere all his properties for to be incomprehensible is as proper to God as to be Inuisible Secundum essentiam incognitus secundum maiestatem immensus His Maiestie is immeasurable Thalas apud Paulinum
of God for if thou beest a man full of sinnes here is a God full of mercy and in verie deede this is our chiefest comfort for be we Kings Nobles rich or poore yet after all our pompe and power when wee see our selues and consider our owne sinnes when death approacheth and sickenesse seizeth vpon vs wee must all say with king Dauid Miserere mei deus haue mercy on me O God according to the multitude of thy mercies or with poore Bartimaeus Marc. 10.48 haue mercy on me O Iesu thou sonne of Dauid Et hoc tutissimum est and this is the safest course for all sinners as Bellarmine wisely acknowledgeth totam spem totamque fiduciaem in sola misericordia dei reponere to place all our trust and confidence in the sole mercie of our most mercifull God for otherwise who dares present his best workes to bee iudged without mercie because as Saint Augustine sayth Vae laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutiat eam Deus Woe to the purest life of the holiest Saint if God should discusse the same without mercy And therefore after wee haue gone with the prodigall childe Luc. 15.13 into a farre countrey of wickednesse after we haue wasted all our goods all our graces and haue committed all our sinnes yet let vs not despaire Gen. 4.13 and say with Caine My sinnes are greater then can be pardoned but let vs rather returne vnto our Father and say with the prodigall childe Luk. 15 21. Father I haue sinned against Heauen and against thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne Yet I pray thee make me as one of thy hyred seruants or else let vs cry with Saint Augustine Aug. l. Meditat. saying O bone Domine noli attendere malum meum ne obliuiscaris bonum tuum O good Lord doe not remember my wickednesse lest thou shouldst forget thine owne goodnesse but consider O my God that although Ego admisi vnde me damnare potes tu non amisisti vnde me seruare soles I haue committed that for which thou canst damne me yet thou hast not forgotten that whereby thou art wont to saue me and though my sinnes be many yet thy mercies are more and the more thou forgiuest vnto me the more it will expresse thy goodnesse and the more bound I shall be to be thankefull vnto thee For hee loueth much Luk 7.47 to whom much is forgiuen saith our Sauiour Christ How God qualifieth punishments James 2.13 Niceph l. 17. c. 3. For the third that is the qualifying of punishments we finde that in his greatest anger against sinne mercy reioyceth against iudgement and that as Nicephorus saith Vindicta gladium misericordiae oleo semper acuit He steepeth his sword of vengeance in the oyle of mercy and he doth alwayes punish lesse then our iniquities deserue Ezra 9.13 as Ezra saith And this he doth not onely vnto the elected Saints but also to the reprobates and to the diuels themselues For First Touching the Saints it is apparant that their punishments doe proceed from mercy for when they are afflicted in this life Heb. 11. they are chastned of the Lord that they should not be condemned of the world Secondly touching the reprobates both men Angels both here and hereafter the mercy of God abateth much of that punishment which they haue most iustly deserued For Ruffin eccl hist First Here God being not like vnto Theodosius that put all the Thessalonians to the sword for the offence of few nor like that angry Goddesse Pallas Quae exurere classem Virgil. Aeneid l. 1. Argiuum atque ipsos voluit submergere ponto Vnius ob noxam That would destroy the whole Nauie of the Argiues for the onely offence of one onely Aiax but if it be lawfull to vse the comparison as the Persian Generall spared Delos for Apollo's sake So God in this life spareth whole multitudes of wicked men for a few good mens sake Act. 27.24 as he spared the liues of all the people that were in the ship with Saint Paul for the loue that he bare vnto this blessed Apostle and as he would haue spared fiue wicked Cities Gen. 18.32 if but ten good men had beene found therein and sometimes hee spareth the sinnes of the wicked for the very loue he beareth to the persons of the vngodly and though they still sinne against him yet doth he still spare them to see if his patience Rom. 2 4. and long sufferance will at any time lead them to repentance Secondly hereafter Quia non datur summum malum August in Enchirid cap. 12.13 That God in the strictnesse of his Iustice might inflict more punishment vpon the damned soules then he doth quoniam malum non inhaeret nisi in subiecto bono Because the being both of reprobates and diuels is euer good therfore the mercy of God pittieth that good and cannot be seuered from it but still loueth the same euen in its greatest torments and in that respect doth euer mitigate some part of that torment which the sinner iustly deserued and which God in the rigor of his Iustice might rightly haue inflicted on him But you will say the Scripture teacheth that they shall be punished in measure and that they shall haue iudgement without mercie And therefore how can they be said then to haue the least iot of the mercy of God Luke 16.24.25 Diues being denyed one drop of water to coole his tongue I answere that they shall neuer be eased of the least iot of that punishment that is once inflicted vpon them but I say that God neuer imposeth so much torments on the damned as in the strictnesse of his Iustice he might iustly doe and yet are they said to haue iudgement without mercie because the greatnesse of their insufferable paines doth swallow vp all sense and perseuerance of mercy and makes them thinke that God could not possibly inflict greater torments on them then they endure Zaâ—â—h de nat Des l. 4 c. 4. q. 4 p. 378. Whereas indeed if they perceiued it it is most certaine that they are not punished according to the height of that measure of punishment which their sinnes deserued and which God iustly could inflict vpon them but that in them also the Apostles words must take place that mercy reioyceth against iudgement Psal 25.10 And therefore well might the Prophet Dauid say that all Gods pathes are mercy Psal 145 9. and that his mercy is ouer all his workes because there is no place which can be imagined wherein there is not some impression of Gods mercy nor any Creature that can be named which can say that he doth no way taste of the mercy of God for God pittieth his owne workes euen then when he punisheth our workes that is our sinnes And yet here we must obserue that the mercy of God is twofold 1. Generall 2. Speciall For
First the generall mercy of God is that which extends it selfe towards all and ouer all Gods works but That God is onely mercifull to them that loue him Secondly the speciall mercy of God is onely extended vnto the godly and wholly denyed vnto the wicked for so the Lord himselfe saith I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy that is not vpon all but vpon some whom I will and who are those the Scripture sheweth Exod. 23 36. for Moses saith Miseretur Iehoua seruorum suorum The Lord will repent himselfe or be mercifull vnto his seruants Deut. 32.36 Psal 103.3 and the Prophet Dauid saith that as a father pittieth his owne children so will the Lord be mercifull to them that feare him Exod. 20.6 and so God himselfe saith I will shew mercy on them that loue me but they that feare him not that serue him not that loue him not he will deale with them in his furie and his eye shall not spare them Ezek 8 18. neither will he be mercifull vnto them That the wicked haue no part in the speciall mercie of God And therefore though God be mercifull vnto the wicked and sheweth many singular effects of his mercy vnto them as to create them and to preserue them from many euils yea from many sinnes which otherwise they would fall into and to bestow many gifts and graces vpon them yet haue they no part nor portion in this speciall mercy of God because as the Lord himselfe saith of the wicked Mal. 1.10 Non est mihi voluntas in vobis God hath no pleasure he hath no delight in them And no maruell for seeing the mercie of God springeth from the loue of God as may be collected from the words of those Iewes who seeing how Christ sighed and mourned and wept ouer Lazarus Iohn 11.36 said presently Behold how he loued him and as the Apostle plainely sheweth in the 3. of Titus and the 4. verse and 1 Tim. 1.2 It is most apparant that where there is no speciall loue of God there can be no speciall mercy of God That God loueth not the wicked but the speciall loue of God is onely extended vnto the Saints and chosen children of God and not vnto the wicked reprobates as might be easily shewed from those especiall effects of this speciall loue of God such as are their eternall election their effectuall vocation their singular preseruation and the bountifull donation of many heauenly gifts and graces which he giueth not vnto the reprobates as I purpose by Gods helpe more fully to declare in some other place and therefore the speciall mercy of God is onely shewed vnto Gods Elect and none else for he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Rom 9 18. and whom he will he hardeneth Well then That we should carefully examine whether we loue and serue God or not beloued Brethren seeing the speciall mercy of God pertaineth onely vnto the Saints let vs all examine our selues and if we finde we feare not God we serue not God wee may assure our selues that although we daily feele many infallible arguments of Gods generall mercy and fauour towards vs yet are we destitute of the least assurance of this speciall mercy of God I know many deceiue themselues herein Psal 69.23 and make those things which should be for their aduantage to be vnto them an occasion of falling when as continuing in sinne they notwithstanding doe appropriate vnto themselues this speciall mercie of God which indeed is onely proper vnto those Saints that feare him for though after a generall manner he is mercifull vnto all to make them and to preserue them and to bestow many blessings vpon them yet after this speciall manner to forgiue their sinnes and to bring them to eternall life he is onely mercifull to them that feare him to them that loue him to them that serue him as the Scriptures doe most plainly shew vnto vs And therefore I would aduise all wicked men either to serue the Lord or not to thinke that they haue any part in this mercy of God for I doe here confidently assure them that if they doe still continue in sinne they shall not taste of this Cup of mercy but shall be forced to wring out euen the dregs of thâ—t red Wine of the wrath and indignation of God Psal 75.8 And so much of the first Particle of Gods goodnesse Mercifull CHAP. VI. Of the Grace of God and what the same chiefely signifieth What is meant by the word Gracious THe Second Particle of Gods Goodnesse here expressed is that hee is Gratious a word very large and ample in signification and it is diuersly taken but chiefly it signifieth one that is 1. Amiable 2. Placable 3. Liberall First It signifieth that affability and louelinesse of person whereby the beholders are inflamed with the loue and sweetnesse thereof for when Christ is said to haue increased in wisedome Luk. 2.52 First he that is louely is gracious and stature and in fauour or in grace as the originall hath it with God and man the meaning is that he grew to be more and more amiable and beloued both of God and men and therefore we may say that a sweet affable amiablâ— man is a gracious man Secondly he that easily remitteth offences is gracious Secondly it signifieth that readinesse of minde to forgiue all the offences done against one and to receiue the offender into his fauour againe for when Noah Mary and other are said inuenisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud deum to haue found grace with God it signifieth that they found him fauourable vnto them both in remitting of their offences Gen. 6.8 and in receiuing them into his fauourable countenance Luke 1.30 and therefore we may rightly say that he which easily receiueth offenders into his fauour is a gracious man Thirdly a bountifull man is a gracious man Gen. 33.5 Thirdly It signifieth a bountifull giuing and bestowing of any gifts for so the Scripture sheweth all the gifts of God whether temporall or spirituall to be the graces of God as Iacob said vnto his brother these be the children Quos Deus gratificatus est mihi which God of his free grace and fauour gaue vnto me and so it is said of Barnabas that when hee saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grace of God Acts. 11.23 i. e. the gift of God bestowed vpon the beleeuers he reioyced and therefore a liberall and a bountifull man may be truely said to be a gracious man Now in all these respects wee finde God to bee most gracious For First It is said of Christ That God is gracious in all respects Psal 45.3 that he was fairer then the sonnes of men and that his lips were full of grace yea so full of grace that all men wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth And indeed howsoeuer
excellent saying And therefore the Prophet addeth Blessed are all they that waite for him And the testimonies of Scripture that doe confirme this point are almost infinite Ionas saith That he knew God was a gracious God Ionas 4.2 and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenting him of the euill Therefore he would not goe to threaten destruction because he knew God was so ready to spare And the Prophet Dauid Psal 78. in the 78. Psalme and in the 106. Psalme and in many other places Psal 106. doth most fully and plainely set downe this truth Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sinne But the examples of Gods patience and long sufferance makes it more plaine For when Adam sinned hee came not presently but staid to the coole of the day before he would call him to account and when Adam was called Gods wrath did not appeare to be kindled for he said no more but Adam where art thou Gen. 3.9 v. 11. And when he appeared he said but hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I said vnto thee that thou shouldest not eate thereof Ionas 4.8 lest thou diest So when Ionas was angry vnto death for the gourd that sprung in a night and withered in another the Lord said no more but Ionas doest thou well to be angry So when Iudas betrayed the Sonne of God into the hands of sinners he said no more but Iudas betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse So when the old World had so defiled it selfe that it made God sorry in his heart that euer he made man Gen. 6.6 yet would he not suddenly destroy this Augaeum stabulum but gaue it 120. yeeres to repent Verse 3. So he gaue to the Niniuites forty dayes and to the Israelites in the Wildernesse forty yeeres throughout all which time Psal 78.3.8.39 he was so mercifull that hee forgaue their misdeeds and destroyed them not nor would not suffer his whole displeasure to arise So for Iericho there were more dayes spent in the destruction of the same then in the creation of the whole World for the World was made in sixe dayes but Iericho was to be compassed seauen dayes before it should fall How God spared the whole World and so spareth vs notwithstanding all our wickednesse to this very day And so for this whole World notwithstanding the wickednesse of so many generations of men it stands vnpunished to this very day as if iudgement were forgotten or God were loath to be moued to be angrie And for our selues alas how many times doe we offend our God neglect his Sabboath blaspheme his name contemne his Word and abuse his seruants and yet still God stayeth his anger from vs and spareth vs when we spare not him And whence comes this but onely hence that our God is slow to anger for Si quoties peccant homines sua fulmina mittat Iupiter If God should punish vs as often as wee offend him wee should all perish and soone come to a fearefull end But it is obserued by many Diuines writing vpon those words of the Prophet The act of punishing is least agreeable to Gods Nature that God should rise as in Mount Perasim and should be wrath as in the vallie of Gibson that he might doe his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his act his strange act that the act of punishing is the furthest from God and least agreeable to the nature of such a soueraigne goodnesse for as the motiue of shewing mercy is within him and therefore is he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father of mercies as if mercy did as naturally proceede from him Mercy proceedeth naturally from God as the Childe doth issue from the Father So the motiue of executing iudgement and reuenge is without him in our sinnes and therefore is he neuer called the Father of vengeance but is as it were compelled either to punish vs or to be vniust in himselfe Quia abyssus abyssum inuocat because the greatnesse of our sinnes doth still crie for vengeance against the sinners God is compelled to punish And therefore many times when the Sword is drawne and the hand ready to strike yet mercy steppes in and as the Angell cried to the foure Angels to whom power was giuen to hurt the Earth and the Sea saying Hurt not the Earth nor the Seas nor the Trees Apoc. 7.2.3 till we haue sealed the seruants of God in their fore-heads Or as the Angell said vnto Abraham Lay not thine hand vpon the Lad Gen. 22.12 neither doe thou any thing vnto him So doth mercy say to God stay yet a while O Iustice and destroy them not vntill I haue tried them one yeere more whether they will bring forth any fruits of repentance or not for how shall I deliuer vp Israel Hosea 11.8.9 or why should Ephraim be destroyed Mine heart is turned within me and my repentings are â—indled together And therefore O doe not execute the fiercenesse of thine anger but stay a while to see what they will doe and so mercy stayes the hand of Iustice Our turning from our sins doth perfectly turne away Gods wrath from vs. and many times gets the victory and when it can moue vs to turne to GOD it turnes all the weapons in the Armory of Heauen like the Raine-bow which is a Bow indeed but without an Arrow with a full bent but without a string and with the wrong side towards vs as if now hee meant to shoote at Christ for our sinnes and not at vs which are the sinners And thus God which is euer ready and willing to shew mercy and compassion is still loth and slow to suffer his anger to be kindled to worke our woe and destruction And both these are excellently represented vnto vs in a twofold passage of the Scripture Luc. 15.10 the one in the Father of the prodigall Childe who runnes to meete his returning wandring sonne to shew vnto vs Didacus stella in Luc. 15. Quod non sit lenta neque tarda diuina misericordia ad subveniendum compunctis corde That the mercy of God is neither slow nor slacke to helpe and releeue repenting soules but is alwayes ready and willing to receiue them into his fauour and therefore cucurrit he ranne when he saw an occasion to shew mercy Gen. 3.8 God is quicke to shew mercy slow to punish the other in God seeking Adam in Paradice who walked with a slow pace as the originall word imports to shew how loth he was to be too quicke in indignation and therefore ambulauit He did but walke and come with a slow pace because he is slow to wrath yea when nothing will preuaile to recall vs from our sinnes but that he must punish vs yet as a compassionate Iudge pronounceth sentence against a malefactor with weeping eyes Qui fruitur paena ferus est legumque videtur
Sancta custodiens veritatem a Righteous and a holy Nation Esay 26. to hold fast this Truth of God not shewing our selues like Rehoboam that found shields of gold but left behinde him shields of Brasse to receiue the cleere Truth from our fathers and to leaue the same darkened vnto our children Secondly As the word of God is the primary and most absolute declared Truth wherein there is no possibility of error Quia dicta Iehouae dicta pura Because the words of the Lord are pure words So the words of men agreeable to their vnderstanding conformed to the Truth of things Iohn 8.44 are secondarily the Truth of God because as euery lye is from the Deuill though it should be vttered from the tongue of a Saint as our Sauiour sheweth so euery Truth is from God though it were spoken from the mouth of a Diuell because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth Et omne verum à quocunque dicitur à Spiritu sancto est And all Truth whosoeuer speaks it doth spring from the Spirit of God saith Saint Ambrose Euery Truth whatsoeuer whosoeuer saith it proceeds from God A sufficient reproofe for them that will not heare the Word of God but from the mouth of Saints for we are not to respect who speake or what they be that speake but what is spoken and therefore if Balaams Asse should preach me Christ I would willingly be his disciple for Saint Paul tels me that none can say 1 Cor. 12.3 that Iesus is Christ but by the Spirit of God and therefore hee did not so much care who preached nor how they preached so they preached Iesus Christ because he knew that euery truth must needs proceed from the Spirit of Truth â—hat we should say nothing but Truth And therefore this should teach vs to make much of Truth and not onely to beleeue the Truth whosoeuer speakes it but also to speake the Truth euery man vnto his neighbour whatsoeuer comes of it though it should be like Cassandra's Prophesie not beleeued or O dium parere Beget hatred as the Comicke speaketh Quia dilexit Deus veritatem because as all Truth is from God so God loueth all Truth whatsoeuer Corruit in platea veritas And yet we see Quod diminutae sunt veritates à filijs hominum The Truth is troden downe in the street and the faithfull are minished from among the children of men Psal 12.1 we are all like the Cretians alwayes lyars and though the godly man keepeth his promise vnto his neighbour Psal 15.5 though it were to his owne hinderance yet now we seldome think of any promise vnlesse it be for our furtherance to attaine vnto our owne desires so farre are wee from Truth But we must all loue Truth and follow after Truth if we would be children vnto him that is abundant in Truth And so much for the fift Particle of Gods goodnesse Of Gods abundant Truth CHAP. X. Of the large extent of Gods mercy and of the remission of all kinde of sinnes and the vsefull application of the whole Attribute of Gods goodnesse THe sixt Particle of Gods Goodnesse is God is mercifull to all men that hee reserueth mercy for thousands and that as I vnderstand it two manner of wayes 1. Extensiuely 2. Successiuely First he meaneth that his Mercy is not like a carnall Patrons loue which commonly reacheth no further then his kindred he can preferre none else Nor yet like great mens fauours which extendeth no further then their seruants their greatnesse is no greater but Miserationum Dei multitudo numerari Basil in regulis contract q. 15. magnitudo mensurari non potest The mercies of God are so many that they cannot be numbred and so great that they cannot be measured so that he hath enough in store to helpe not onely a few but also many multitudes thousands he hath enough for all being not like Isaac that had but one blessing Gen. 27.38 for he hath many blessings for euery one Secondly Gods Mercie lasteth for all times euen for euer and euer he meaneth that his Mercy is not for any set Period of time which is the property of all other things euen of the greatest Monarchs they haue but their time and when that time is gone they can do nothing which a little before seemed to be able to do all things but Gods mercies are tyed to no time but they continue froÌ„ generation to generation they are like a springing well that can neuer be dryed or like the Lampe that is fed with the oyle of immortality And this the Word reseruing doth most plainely shew that he hath mercy enough in store not onely for the fathers that beleeue in him but also for their children for their childrens children euen vnto a thousand generations of them that loue him and keepe his Commandements Good Parents doe leaue the best patrimâ—ny vnto their children Rom. 11.28 O then what a Patrimony doe good parents purchase vnto their children to haue the Mercies of God reserued and laid vp in store for thousands of them and as the Apostle saith of the Iewes to make them to be loued for their fathers sakes Most happy are those children which haue such fathers as doe feare God and keepe his Commandements And so much for the sixt Particle of Gods goodnesse Reseruing Mercy for thousands Forgiuenesse of sinnes our chiefest comfort Rom 4.7 The seauenth Particle of Gods goodnesse is that he forgiueth iniquitie and transgression and sinne Here is the last but not the least act of Gods goodnesse expressed For herein consisteth all our happinesse Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered And here by these three words God vnderstandeth three sorts of euill 1. By Iniquity is vnderstood originall corruption 2. By Transgression is meant the outward actuall commission 3. By Sinne is vnderstood the height of all abhomination No sinner excluded from hope of pardon The custome of sinning and the greatest sinnes For God depriues not these from hope of Pardon if these come to him with penitent hearts and therefore that none should despaire of his goodnes he sheweth that he can forgiue all these and forgiuing these he forgiueth all But here I must haue leaue to take away the vaile froÌ„ Moses his face and to looke further then the Iewish Tabernacle for as in Ezekiels vision Ezek. 10.10 Rota erat in rota Gospel was in the Law Law in the Gospell as Saint Gregory expounds it so here I finde all this to be Gospell and I see Iesus Christ in euery word for in Christ Coloss 1.14 we haue Redemption through his blood the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and so of all the rest of these Graces wee haue them all by Christ for though the Law came by Moses yet as Saint Iohn saith Grace and Truth yea Mercy and Peace and all the other good
pittied our selues therefore onely lamenting that any of our Lords Spirituall should be so much temporall as in any thing to follow the steppes of this world and our Lords temporall so little Spirituall in seeking the Kingdome of Heauen as they vse to doe I will turne my speech to perswade all men to remember the afflictions of Ioseph and to bee mercifull vnto the poore distressed members of Iesus Christ And although I might easily insert many motiues Motiues to perswade vs to be mercifull Matth. 18.33 to perswade all men to be mercifull as that it is a due debt which wee owe vnto our brethren as our Sauiour sheweth oughtest not thou to haue had compassion on thy fellow euen as I had pitty on thee and the great benefit that we shall reape by being mercifull because He that hath mecy on the poore lendeth vnto the Lord Molissima corda humano generi dare se natura fatetur quae lachrymas dedit and the Lord will recompence him that which hee hath giuen and many more forcible reasons to perswade all men to practise Mercie yet I will chiefely commend this same viz that hereby wee become most like vnto our heauenly father for wee say that child is most like his father which doth neerest represent him in his face and countenance and the mercy of God is called the face and countenance of God as the Prophet Dauid sheweth when he sayth God bee mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs Psal 6.7.1 and shew vs the light of his countenance and be mercifull vnto vs and therefore in shewing mercy wee become most like vnto God and thereby we do best please our heauenly Father which reserueth mercy for thousands But now the mercifull and pittifull men are minished from among the children of men they are dead and gone and vnmercifull Naballs are stept vp in their stead who thinke all too little for themselues and euery little too much for the poore It might bee easily prooued that the most powerfull men are the least pittifull vnto the poore and that they which haue most money haue least mercy In former times they sold their lands and gaue the money vnto the poore but now they sell the Poore and begger many to buy them lands and liuings and as the Prophet sayth To ioyne house to house and land to land vntill there be no place for the poore to dwell â—mong them For behold the Stranger the Fatherlesse and the Widdow how vnmercifully they are dealt withall the Stranger is strangely lookt vpon the Orphans goods is vniustly detayned and the poore Widdowes wrongfully molested It is with vs as with the fishes in the seas whereof Alciat sayth Pisciculos aurata rapit medio aequore sardas That the little sprats being vnder the water are chased and deuoured by the great-ones and if for feare they spring out of the sea they are presently swallowed of the Sea-mues euen so the poore are oppressed at home by their rich neighbours and if by Law they seeke to be releeued they are presently consumed by the greedie Lawyers and so pauper vbique iacet they doe herein but leape out of the frying-panne into the fire But let these vnmercifull men take heede for the Lord is the auenger of all such and when their teares runne downe their cheekes they goe vp into Heauen Ecclus 35 15. Psal 10.14 and the Lord will heare their crie and will helpe them And therefore it were well for vs if wee would striue Luke 6.36 to imitate God herein and to bee mercifull as our heauenly Father is mercifull And yet I must tell you that although we must be mercifull vnto all we must know how to be mercifull vnto euery one For as there is an vndeserued misery Arist rhet l. 1. c. 8. wherein mercy is alwayes to bee shewed so there may be a iust calamitie wherein iustice sometimes must be executed and therein as Saint Ambrose sayth est crudelitas parcens misericordia puniens to spare is crueltie to pitty impietie because among Godly men to spare wicked and vnparaleld varlets Claudian de 6. consul honorij Violentior armis Omnibus expugnat talis clementia gentem It would be the ruine of the righteous and the cherishing of such serpents Natura me clementem respublica seuerum fecit as would most maliciously poyson vs and therefore Mercy and Truth must goe together and so shewing mercie we shall be sure to obtaine mercie Seauenthly Wee should bee readie and willing to forgiue one another 7. To be most ready to forgiue one another euen as God for Christ his sake hath forgiuen vs. For how shall we thinke that God will write our sinnes in the Sands if we will write our brothers faults in marble or that he will forgiue vs a thousand pounds i. e. iniquitie transgression and sinne if wee will not forgiue our fellow seruant an hundred pence i. e. some small offence conceiued and conceited against vs And yet now Scribit in marmore laesus It is strange to see what memories wee haue perpetually to keepe in mind the least conceiued indignitie done vnto vs O we can neuer forget it we wil forgiue him but we cannot forget him hee shall come into my Pater-Noster but not into my Creede i. e. into my Prayer but not into my fauour a strange distinction which Aristotle neuer found in all the bookes of Nature That wee should forget whatsoeuer we remit vnto our neighbours and I am sure cannot be found in all the booke of God It was inuented in Hell by that prince of subtill Sophisters to bring many a soule into Hell for when God forgiueth our sinnes doth he not say that he will blot them out of his booke there is no reading of them any more doth hee not say that hee will put them out of his remembrance There is not the least thinking of them to bee in the least manner offended with vs for them and doth he not say he will put them away as a cloude Esay 1.18 and hee will wash vs as white as snow and then will talke together walke together with vs and be as louing and as friendly vnto vs as if we had neuer offended him there is not the least signe that euer he was offended with vs and when hee threatneth the wicked abusers of his most holy name doth hee say any more but that he will not hold them guiltlesse that is Exod. 20.7 hee will not forget their abusing of him but hee will remember it when they thinke least of it and haue perhaps quite forgot that euer they did it and I thinke you will say this is a fearefull saying and therefore to say I will forgiue him but I le thinke on him is but a fruitlesse forgiuenesse of a reuenging minde or at least of an vnreconciled heart And therefore though I say not we should repose trust of state or life in mine
aduersarie without good tokens of sincere reconciliation because as Salomon sayth wee must not too hastily or vnaduisedly trust a reconciled enemie yet I say that in our owne hearts and soules wee must so forgiue him whatsoeuer is past as neuer to remember it neuer to thinke on it as to bee a meanes in the least manner to disturbe our charitie towards him to hinder him of any good or to doe him the least euill whatsoeuer but as we are towards all others to be in as perfect loue charitie towards him as if he had neuer offended vs yea and to be so readie and so willing to imbrace his loue and societie as wee are to imbrace the loue of any other if wee thought his heart to be as vpright towards vs as wee know our owne 2 Kings 10.15 to bee towards him as Iehu sayd vnto Iehouadab And thus if we be mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abounding in all goodnesse and truth reseruing mercy to the vttermost of our abilitie for all men and be ready to forgiue one another euen as God forgiueth vs and as in our daily prayers wee desire God to forgiue vs then shall we be happy and blessed and be the children of the most highest And so much for the second attribute of God here expressed that is his Goodnesse CHAP. XI Of the Iustice of God how iust is God in all his workes and especially in the not absoluing or cleering of wicked vnrepentant sinners 3. Attribute i e. Gods Iustice WE haue seene come small sparkes of Gods boundlesse incomprehensible goodnesse wee are now to consider the last part of his discription i. e. his Iustice and seueritie against sinne and sinners an act neuer vsed vntill we abuse his goodnesse and therefore left last to bee expressed to see if by the first we will bee reclaymed if not God will not bee vanquished but not holding the wicked innocent hee will visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the Children and vpon the childrens children vnto the third and fourth generation It is obserued by diuines that God sheweth himselfe to worke and to doe things in many respects especially 1. As the absolute Lord and owner of all things 2. As the God or maker and preseruer of all things 3. As the Father and Husband of his Church 4. As the Iudge and Iust rewarder of all men And in all these wayes Zanchius de iustitia dei l. 4 c. 5. q. 2. p. 398. God is sayd to be iust righteous but his Iustice in all these manner of working is not the same for First As the absolute Lord of all things whereby hee chooseth or reiecteth giueth or denieth his grace to whom het will the Iustice of God herein is the Will of God as our Sauiour sheweth saying May not I doe what I will with mine owne Matth 20.25 or as the Apostle sayth Hath not the potter power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell vnto honour and another vnto dishonor Rom. 9.21 And in all these things there is no iniquitie with God but he is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works his Will is the rule of iustice and must needs be iust because he hath ius absolutum a most absolute right ouer all things Whatsoeuer God doth is iust and all things that are iust are iust because hee doth them and therefore all those acts must needs be iust which are done by him which is iustice it selfe and that pure fountaine from whence all springs of iustice doe proceede for it is a sure rule that God cannot bee sayd properly to doe things because they are iust but that those things are iust because hee doth them therefore Abraham thought it a iust thing to sacrifice his sonne because it was Gods Will to require it so that in this respect the Will of God is the Iustice of God Secondly As the God of all things that is the Creator Esay 46.4 Preseruer and guider of all things the goodnesse of God is sayd to be the Iustice of God Thirdly As he is the Husband of his Church 1 Tim. 4.10 and the Father of his Elect the mercie of God in giuing Christ and the obedience of Christ in satisfying the Law for vs is sayd to bee the Iustice of God Fourthly As a Iust-Iudge the Iustice of God is the distributing of reward vnto euery man according to his iust desart and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iustitia is quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bipartitio a parting to euery one his owne due deserued portion and it is called iustia distributiua a distributiue iustice And this is that which is meant in this place when hee sayth that by no meanes hee will make the wicked innocent but will visite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children and it is here set downe two speciall wayes Gods distributiue Iustice is here expressed two wayes 1. Negatiuely by the negation of absolution vnto the wicked not making the wicked innocent 2. Positiuely by the expression of the greatnesse of the punishment which shall be inflicted vpon them but visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children For the first he saith that absoluing hee will not absolue the wicked and alas We are all gone astray Psal 14.2.4 wee are all become wicked and there is none of vs that doth good no not one and therefore what shall we doe if God will not doe this fatherly fauour to absolue vs Nay he sayd euen now that he would doe it that he would forgiue iniquitie and transgression and sinne and therefore now with the same breath to say he will by no meanes cleere the wicked seemeth strange Aug. de ciuitate dei l. 8. c. 3. I answere that for the cleering of this point alij atque alij aliud atque aliud opinati sunt as Saint Augustine sayth in another case diuers men haue made diuers answeres Some say that sinnes must be distinguished as into sinnes of humane infirmitie and simple ignorance as when we doe the things we would not doe or many times wee doe the things wee know not to bee euill and these sinnes God is alwayes ready to forgiue because he remembreth that we are but dust and cannot doe the things wee would doe or into sinnes of wilfull ignorance when men will not vnderstand that they may doe well but doe make a couenant with death Esay 28.15 and an agreement with hell it selfe Job 2◠14 and doe say vnto God depart from vs for we will not haue the knowledge of thy wayes and into sinnes of obstinate malice from whence proceede those horrid and horrible fearefull sinnes that doe exceedingly prouoke the wrath of God as That idolatrie is a most horrible sinne First Idolatrie which is either the worshiping of the true God with false worship or the giuing of the true-worship onely due to the true God vnto the creature
whether visible or inuisible whether inwardly conceited in our mindes or outwardly exposed to our senses for so the Apostle saith that because the Gentiles knowing God glorified him not as God but changed his glory into the Image of birds beasts and creeping things Rom. 1.18.24 therefore the wrath of God was reueiled from Heauen against their vngodlinessse Deut. 32.17 and he gaue them vp to vile affections Deut. 7.26 to doe those things which were not conuenient for this sinne of Idolatry is so offensiue vnto God that it is tearmed a seruice of the Diuell and therefore abhominable and accursed by God and most dangerous vnto Man Secondly a perfidious tempting of God The doubting of Gods goodnesse towards vs is a most horrible wickednesse Psal 78. c. 1 Cor. 10.9 as whether hee be with vs or whether he can or will doe what he promised for vs for so the Psalmist saith that the Israelites tempted God in their hearts and spake against him saying Shall God prepare a table in the Wildernesse He smote the stony Rocke so that the water gushed out and the streames flowed withall but can he giue bread also or prouide for his people and therefore the Lord was so wroth that the fire was kindled in Iacob and there came vp heauy displeasure against Israel because they beleeued not in God and put not their trust in his helpe for God is so able and so willing to helpe his owne seruants that none can doubt thereof without horrible inâ—ignity offered him And therefore we should euer relye upon him and neuer doubt of this infinite goodnesse of God Thirdly a murmuring against God To murmure or to be discontented with God a heauie sinne Gen. 4.5 and complaining secretly as it were in our hearts that he doth either presse vs sore with heauy yoakes and punishments or that he dealeth not so gently and so louingly with vs as he doth with others for thus Caine murmured against God that he accepted the oblation of Abell better then his and thus the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.10 the children of Israel murmured against God that he had dealt hardly with them in bringing them out of Egypt to suffer hunger and thirst in the wildernesse and therefore they were destroyed of the destroyer and therefore we should beware of murmuring which is nothing worth and take heed of this muttering against God for there is no thought so secret that it shall goe for naught Wisd 1.11 Iob 13.15 Rom. 8.28 but we should with Iob in all estates put our trust in him though he kils vs knowing that he worketh all things for the best for them that loue him Fourthly an obstinate contumatious rebelling against God To refuse to obay God a fearefull sinne as when we refuse to heare his word wil not be obedient vnto his lawes but will say with the Iewes Let vs breake his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from vs Psal 2.3.4.5 for against these the Psalmist saith He that dwelleth in Heauen shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision and then shall he speake vnto them in his wrath and vexe them his sore displeasure And therefore we should take heed of rebelling and refusing to heare and to obey the Word of God least the wrath of God should be suddenly kindled against vs and consume vs. To oppose the knowne truth a most horrible sinne Num. 14.37 Fiftly Blasphemy against God and the slandering of the Truth of his Doctrine especially when we oppose it fully though wee know it to be Truth most certainely as the spies that were sent to view the Land of Canaan did and therefore dyed by the plague before the Lord for this is a sinne of a malicious wickednesse and a branch of that vnpardonable sinne against the Holy Ghost and therefore we should euer take heed to oppose the Truth against our consciences Deut. 27. Disobedience to Parents a most fearefull sinne Sixtly Disobedience and dishonoring of our Parents for so the Lord saith Cursed be he that despiseth his Father his Mother and let all the people say Amen And therefore we finde heauy iudgements inflicted vpon Cham Absalon and all other like children of disobedience and the Lord requiring that vpon the bare testimony of the Parents saying This our child is disobedient and will not be ruled by vs they should carry him out of the Citie and stone him with stones till he dyed Gen. 4.10 The shedding of mans blood a most haynous sinne Seauenthly The shedding of Innocent bloud especially of those that are the sonnes of God for the voyce of blood as may be seen in Abell is such a shril piercing vndeniable voyce that it will speedily ascend to Heauen and neuer depart vntill vengeance bee powred out vpon the sinners Oppressing the poore a fearefull sinne Eightly The oppressing of the poore the fatherlesse and the Widdowes for if you hurt the Poore and they cry vnto me saith the Lord Et indignabitur furor meus I will surely heare their cry and my wrath shall waxe hot and I will kill you with the sword and your Wiues shall be Widdowes and your children fatherlesse Vntamed lusts a most odious sinne Ninthly Vnbridled wandring lusts such as were the lusts of the Citizens of Sodome and of all those that giue themselues to doe adulteries whoredomes and following after strange flesh for the Lord hateth all such lasciuious liuers and therefore destroyed of them three and twenty thousand in one day 1 Cor. 10.8 and wrought a most grieuous slaughter vpon the whole tribe of Beniamin Judg. 19.25 for that one foule abuse offered vnto the Leuiteâ— Wife Tenthly Sacriledge and prophaning of holy things for this is a robbing of God as the Prophet sheweth Mal. 3.8 Sacriledge a fearefull sinne and such a high transcendent sinne as that I could farre easier fill whole volumes of most fearefull examples of Gods vengeance executed against sacrilegious persons then finde you one man either in Diuine or humane stories that wronged and robbed the Church of God and scapt vnpunished both in himselfe and his posterity vnto the third and fourth generation Eleuenthly Continuall swearing a most dangerous sinne Continuall swearing and prophaning of the blessed Name of God for of all the sinnes forbidden in the Commandements this onely with Idolatry is forbidden with sub paena with a curse yea a grieuous curse denounced against vs if we will not shunne it for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine These and such like lewde and wicked sinners they say God absoluing will not absolue because the doers hereof haue no loue of goodnesse no care of godlinesse no sence of sinne no remorse of conscience and therefore is the Wrath of God so exceedingly kindled against these sinners sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these grieuous huge and horrible sinners that he will neuer
forgiue them without exceeding great repentance Indeed I confesse that such grieuous sinners are in a grieuous case and that it is not likely God would haue vsed such fearefull threatnings but against haynous sinners yet I told you before that no sinne was so great but the Mercy of God is greater and able to forgiue if they be able to repent And therefore Others say that the former clause forgiuing iniquity and transgression and sinne is to be vnderstood of the sinnes of Gods Elect be they great or be they small he forgiues them all and this latter clause not making the wicked innocent to be vnderstood of the sinnes of the Reprobate of what quality soeuer they be for he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Exod. 33.19 and whom hee will he hardneth c. And I yeeld this to be true in it selfe but because God onely knoweth absolutely How both sentences are reconciled Ex priori from the causes infallibly who are his and we know it onely Ex posteriori by the effects of Gods fauour and the fruits of his Spirit if we would be assured of the remission of our sinnes and would more certainely know how both these sentences may be reconciled I say briefly that the first sentence is to be vnderstood of the penitent and amending sinners of what quality soeuer their sinnes haue beene and the latter clause of continuall vnrepentant transgressors for God will pardon any sinne if you be sorry for it and forsake it but no sinne if you continue in it For God shall wound the head of his enemies Psal 68.21 and the hayrie scalpe of such a one as goeth on still in his wickednesse saith the Prophet And therefore if any of vs haue sinned yet let vs not continue in sinne for mercy and wrath come from God and if we continually sinne in the time of grace we shall suddenly be destroyed in the day of vengeance Quia non delinquenti sed peccata relinquenti misericors Deus est Because God will not be mercifull vnto them that offend of malicious wickednesse Rom 3.8 and doe still goe on in sinne that grace may abound whose damnation is iust as the Apostle speaketh But thou wilt say thou hopest God will giue thee grace to repent and thou meanest to leaue thy sinnes before thou beest compelled to leaue the world It is true beloued that our sinnes shall be pardoned whensoeuâ—r we repent but we cannot repent That men cannot repent when they will whensoeuer we will because repentance is the gift of God and we haue not God at our command but as a Father truely saith Qui dat paenitenti veniam non semper dat peccanti paenitentiam God which alwayes pardoneth the repentant sinner doth not alwayes giue repentance vnto sinners but as they neglected him Rom. 2.5 so he reiecteth them and suffereth them to heape vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath And therefore though God be slow to anger and suffereth long yet he is full of Iustice and will not suffer euer but at last the fire of his fury will be kindled and then Furor arma ministrat His wrath will quickly afford him weapons and as Lactantius saith Tarditatem irae grauitate supplicij compensabit He will requite the slownesse of his wrath with the seueritie of his vengeance for as the old distich saith Ad veniam tardus Deus est Serior esse solet vindicta Jeuerior ad praemia velox Sed pensare solet vt grauiore moram God vseth to come to punish on leaden feet but he payeth home with iron hands he will reach them farre and hee will smite them full And therefore To day if yee will heare his voyce Psal 95.8 harden not your hearts and deferre not your amendment till to morrow for Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit If thou wilt not doe it to day it will be farre harder for thee to doe it to morrow and if thou wilt not doe it at all thou art in a most feareful case for God absoluing will neuer absolue thee that is he will neuer forgiue thy sins because thou wilt not forsake thy sinnes And so much for the denyall of pardon and absolution vnto the wicked CHAP. XII Of a two-fold visitation of God and the full opening of that point how God doth and that iustly visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the children and yet punish none but for his owne sinnes FOr the second GOD saith not onely that he will not absolue the wicked but he addeth further that hee will visite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children Touching which we must first obserue that visitare est post longum tempus recordare To visite is after a long time to call to minde to remember That there is a two-fold visitation of God and to see those things againe which we seemed to haue quite forgotten and we finde a two-fold visitation of God First when he seemeth to forget our miseries to sleepe in our afflictions euen sometimes vntil we be almost ouerwhelmed with the raging waues of this world Matth. 8.24 as the Disciples were with the waues of the Sea Yet at last when he seeth his time First God visiteth the afflicted and not when we thinke it sit he will awake as a Gyant out of sleepe and he will asswage the windes and rebuke the Seas and deliuer his people out of all their miseries thus he remembred Noah Gen. 8.1 thus hee visited his people that were in Egypt Exod. 3.7 and thus when wee seeme to be forsaken of God because wee are despised among men Luke 1.68 he will when he seeth time visite vs and redeeme vs oâ—t of our distresse Secondly God visiteth the wicked Secondly When God suffereth the wicked to goe on in sinne and to passe from one wickednesse to another and yet still to flourish like a greene Bay-tree to build them houses to enlarge their possessions and to haue all things at their desire he seemeth to forget their impieties or to haue taken no notice of their wickednesse yet at last as the Prophet speaketh when they least thinke of it He will visite their iniquities with the rod Psal 89.32 Psal 50.21 and their sinnes with scourges Yea he will reprooue them and set before their faces the things that they haue done and then he will seuerely punish all their sinnes and that two wayes 1. In themselues 2. In their children First It is iust with God and so it seemeth iust with men To render vengeance to them that feare not God For this cause we finde 2 Pet. 2.4 He spared not the Angels that offended Nor any man that sinned but thrust Adam out of Paradise destroyed the whole world by the deluge God will punish sinners Sodome and Gomorrha with fire and brimstone Corah Dathan and Abiram Saul Nabuchadnezzar Iudas Herod and many more he
hath most seuerely punished for their sinnes Ezek 18. and so in briefe he saith of euery one The soule that sinneth that soule shall die And therefore this should teach vs. First Not to frame vnto our selues a God all of Mercie and not to sing of mercy alone but of mercy and iudgement together that as we are to loue his mercy to be filled with grace so we might feare his Iustice to preserue vs from sinne For these be the two feet of God saith Saint Bernard whereupon hee walketh all his wayes That we should as well feare Gods Iustice as hope for his Mercie and these be the two wings of a Christian whereby he may flie vp into heauen Therefore seeing the one without the other is vnauaileable to support vs let vs not seperate those which God hath here euery where else ioyned together but let vs imbrace Gods goodnesse to keepe vs from despaire and let vs feare Gods Iustice to preserue vs from presumption Secondly This teacheth vs to expect a day of retribution for seeing the Iustice of God requireth that wicked men should bee punished as the Apostle sheweth and that here many of them doe scarce taste of Gods anger it must needs be That the Iustice of God requireth there should be a day of retribution 2 Cor. 5.10 Rom 2.5 2 Pet. 2.11 that all must appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that euery one may receiue the things done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or bad and therefore what manner of men ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse Secondly God will not onely punish wicked men in themselues for their sinnes That God punisheth wicked men in their children but he will also punish them in their children Tanquam in carne sua charissima As in the deerest things that they loue for he will visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the children And so punishing their children he plagueth them because euery man herein is like the woman of Canaan who said vnto our Sauiour Miserere mei Domine O Lord be mercifull vnto me my daughter is grieuously vexed with a diuel Matth. 15.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil sel ser 19. For that the Deuils being in her daughter was a torment and a misery vnto her selfe Simon de Cassia in Euang. l. ◠c. 24. Quia amor natorum dolorem traijcit in parentes Because the loue which the parents beare vnto their children doth transferre the griefe of the children vnto the parents and therefore doth God punish a wicked man both in himselfe and in his children But although it be Iust with God to visite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children yet this seemeth strange with men especially considering the Prophet saith Filius non portabit iniquitatem patris The sonne shall not beare the fathers sinnes neither shall it be said any more Ezek. 18. that the fathers haue eaten sower Grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge but euery man shall beare his owne sinne and the soule which sinneth that soule shall die And therefore to reconcile this clause of the Law with that of the Prophet wee must discusse this point more at large Saint Augustine disputes it How it stands with Gods Iustice to punish the fathers sinnes vpon the children how the child should beare his fathers sinnes but hee doth not directly as I finde conclude it Saint Gregory concludes it that if a child follow the sinnes of his fathers he shall not onely be punished for his owne sinnes but also for his fathers sinnes but he did not sufficiently dispute it And therefore that we may rightly conclude vpon sure premises I must with the Schooles distinguish 1. Of Fathers 2. Of Sinnes 3. Of children 4. Of Punishments First Fathers are either proximiores those that beget vs or remotiores those from whence we are deriued as Adam That the sinne of Adam was not onely imputed but also deriued into his posteritie experience it selfe makes it plaine and the reason is as Aquinas truely saith because Adam now stood not as a personall man but as specificall i e. as one bearing in himselfe as the stocke of a tree doth beare all the branches the whole species or race of all mankinde and therefore if this roote had continued holy Rom 11.16 the branches had beene likewise holy but hee sinning he produced a most sinfull of-spring like himselfe because an euill tree could neuer bring forth good fruit Matth. 7.18 but in euery other man there is onely the person of this or that indiuiduall man Sinnes are not traduced from the Parents vnto the children and therefore the Schooles conclude that no actuall sinne can be traduced from the next fathers vnto the children not vertue frō the good not vice from the bad for so experience sheweth that a good man doth not alwayes beget a vertuous child nor a drunkard alwayes beget a drunkard but sometimes the cleane contrary as when the sonne of a miserable wretched niggard proues to be the most dissolute prodigall spend-thrift in the world else would they ingrosse the whole world to themselues and their posteritie or when an euill man begetteth a most vertuous and a godly child which doth not vnusually happen among men And yet we say that seeing in euery child there is the elementall seed of all vices which we haue naturally and originally traduced from Adam there be two especiall things which doe commonly cherish and preserue the immediate and next fathers sinnes in their children Two things that further the sinnes of the Parents to continue in the children that is 1. Inclination 2. Immitation For First seeing we receiue our whole substance from our parents we are naturally inclined to follow either the vertues or the vices Sepesolet similis filius esse patri either the good qualities or the bad qualities of the same substance from whence we are produced as the child of a good father to be good and the child of a vitious father to be euill Secondly seeing children are like Apes apt to imitate Children very apt to imitate their Parents vices and the examples of our Parents are like Spurres to driue their children on to follow what they see the good carriage of a godly father is a great incitement and a most effectuall meanes to worke goodnesse in his children and the bad example of wicked Parents is as a hammer to driue sinne and wickednesse into their children for we see Quo semel est imbuta recens seruabitodorem testa diu Whatsoeuer vertues or vices doe take roote in our bones when we are children will hardly be rooted out of our flesh when we are men And if to these two wee adde instruction either in good or euill things I know nothing more that can be said to make a perfect man or a perfect sinner These be the inducements and the causes why
of themselues but as Dauid was much moued when he saw the people smitten for his sinnes 2 Sam. 2â— 17 and as Iacob halted when the Angell smote him on the thigh Gen. 32.31 so are we many times more grieued to see and more affraid to heare that our Children and the fruits of our loynes shall be punished then our selues And therefore seeing that fearefull curse of the Prophet To serue God is the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our Children Let the iniquity of his Father be had in remembrance and let not the sinne of his Mother be done away doth light so heauily vpon the Children of the wicked it should teach all Parents that loue their Children To feare the Lord and to striue more to get Gods blessing rather then the greatest patrimony vnto our Children for they may assure themselues that as the old verse saith De male quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres If they haue inlarged their substance by wicked meanes it will be the onely meanes to cut off all their posterity as may be seene in Saul Achab Ieroboam and the like but the blessing of the Lord perpetuateth the same And therefore as some for the loue that they beare vnto their Children will giue themselues vnto the Diuell by committing all sinnes in oppressing others to inrich them so let vs if we loue our Children cease to sinne for this will free our selues from woe and bring the best blessing vnto them and Secondly It should teach all Children to be humbled and to pray to God with our lyturgy saying Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our Fore-fathers but spare vs good Lord spare thy people and giue vs thy grace and forgiue vs all our sinnes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen And thus I haue shewed thee O man Quid sit optimum What is the chiefest good and what we may learne concerning God that he is an Omnipotent eternall being good vnto all specially vnto his Saints and iust vnto sinners And now Quid nisi vota supersunt What remaineth but to apply all this vnto our soules to beleeue in him to loue him and to feare him and to prayse his name his blessed name for euermore for it is a good thing to sing prayses vnto our God yea and it becommeth well the iust to be thankefull Psal vlt. Verse vlt. And therefore prayse thou the Lord O my soule and all that is within me prayse his holy name and let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen A Prayer O Eternall God whom to know as thou art is vnpossible as thou hast reuealed in thy Word eternall life wee most humbly beseech thee to open the eyes of our vnderstanding that wee may see thee at all times in all places and in all our actions and giue vs O Lord thy heauenly grace that seeing thee wee may loue thee with all our hearts feare thy power extoll thy goodnesse and admire thy iustice to preserue vs from all sinnes and to retaine vs in thy wayes to thine eternall glory and to our endlesse comfort Amen IEHOVAE LIBERATORI FINIS The Third Golden Candlesticke HOLDING The Third greatest Light of Christian RELIGION Of the Incarnation of the WORD IOHN 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was made Flesh I Haue described in my formost Treatise O Theophilus The coherence of this Treatise with the former Treatises O dearely beloued of God the miserable estate of that poore man that was eiected out of Paradise and left halfe dead betweene Ierusalem and Iericho betwixt Heauen and Hell being already excluded out of Heauen but not fully thrust and intruded into Hell and in my next Treatise I haue shewed vnto thee a poole of Bethesda John 5.2 and brought vnto thee a good Samaritan that is onely able and willing to heale all thy maladies but as yet thou wantest an Angel to stirre the Waters and this good Samaritan hath not alighted and therefore I must now shew you how to apply the salue vnto the sore and how the Angel of the Couenant Iesus Christ alighted and descended from the throne of his Maiestie which is his horse for he â—ideth vpon the Heauens Psal 68.4 as vpon an horse to releeue this poore distressed and afflicted man And this by Gods helpe I shall doe out of these words The Word was made flesh for here is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Esay 7.14 the salue laid vnto the sore here is Emmanuel God with vs the blessed God which I haue described in my last Treatise vnited and made one with vs which in my first Tract I haue shewed to be so miserably afflicted and therefore we may now reioyce and be assured of our health and saluation because the Word is made flesh CHAP. I. Of the excellency of the Knowledge of Iesus Christ God hath fixed many impressions of his goodnesse in the creatures WHosoeuer will religiously and seriously obserue those manifold impressions of the Diuine goodnesse which the Lord God hath not slightly planted in the natures of all liuing creatures for a short space to be preached but hath also indelibly fixed in the memory of all ages most seriously to be considered he shall surely finde sufficient matter of reuerence loue and admiration but he shall be neuer able sufficiently to comprehend the excellency of so huge an Ocean of goodnesse within the straight and narrow compasse of his vnderstanding This were but with Saint Augustines Boy to empty the Ocean Sea with an Oyster-shell into an hole and therefore the serious and continuall contemplation of such plentifull and farre-spread goodnesse of God did so inuade and fill the thoughts of that Kingly Prophet Dauid that being as it were rauished or wrapt in an extacie at the inexplicable expression and vnconceiueable consideration of the same hee breaketh forth into these heauenly acclamations saying O Iehoua In coelis est benignitas tua Psal 36.5.6.7 O Lord our Gouernour How excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory aboue the Heauens thy faithfulnesse reacheth vnto the cloudes thy righteousnesse is like the strong mountaines Psal 147. thy iudgements are like the great deepe thou sauest O Lord both man and beast But I will not suffer my speech at this time to enter into that infinite Ocean of Gods goodnesse whereby he giueth food vnto all flesh feeding the young Rauens that call vpon him and whereby he adorneth the fields with all kinde of fruitfull trees and pleasant flowers and all flowers with sweet smels and delicate colours neither will I enter into any part or parcell of his excellent prouidence whereby he gouerneth the whole world by his wisedome sustaineth all things by his power and relieueth all things by his goodnesse for this is too large a field for me to post ouer in so short a space as is now allotted me to
or grieue the good by vpbraiding them with the faults of the bad Secondly to shew vnto vs Nazian orat 4. de theol that men may be called to eminent and holy places yet be cast-awayes because it is not the excellency or the Sanctity of the calling but our holy and vpright conuersation in our callings that makes vs acceptable in the sight of God Thirdly To testifie Christ his innocencie that had alwaies his enemie to behold his conuersation Fourthly For our example to be patient Aug. li. 18. c. 49 de Ciuitat to suffer wicked men amongst vs. But againe it may be demanded why he made him his Purse-bearer knowing him to be a thiefe To this Aquinas answereth Thom. in Iohn 12. that God vseth to commit his spirituall graces to his best seruants and his temporall gifts to those that are more worldly minded to see if by any meanes he may gaine them to serue him Why Christ made Iudas his Purse-bearer for the worldlings will serue God many times when God blesseth them with all manner of store therefore Christ knowing Iudas to be a couetous wretch he made him his steward and committed to his hands all their wealth to see if this might moue him to bee true and faithfull vnto him All this Christ did for him and yet as the Prouerbe is Improbus à nullo flectitur obsequio saue a thiefe from the Gallowes and he will be the first that will seeke to hang thee so Iudas had put all these blessings in a riuen dish and as the Leopard is saide to be most sauage vnto them that doe most good to him so doth Iudas here first betray his Master that was his best friend and had done most good vnto him but wee must consider Secondly why Iudas betrayed Christ Why Judas betrayed Christ The Euangelist sheweth briefly that because the oyntment which was poured on Christ was not solde for 300. pence and put into his bagge he went vnto the high Priests Lex talionis and sels Christ for 30. pence decorum pretium a goodly price to haue for the Lord of heauen and earth and therefore cleane contrarie we reade that 30. Iewes were sold for one pennie but for Iudas we see how the desire of money is the roote of all mischiefe What a horrible sinne is couetousnesse quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames Or as Iuuenall saith Iuuen. Sat. 14. quae reuerentia legum quis metus aut pudor est vnquam properantis auari What will not couetousnesse cause a man to doe what feare of Law what loue of Vertue what shame or honestie can you finde in couetous wretches Boet. 2 5. Nam saeuior ignibus aetnae feruens amor ardet habendi For it made Achan hide the wedge of gold to the losse of his owne life it made Achab a murtherer of innocent Nabaoth it made Polymnestor kill his Nephew Polydorus and here it makes Iudas to betray his owne Lord and Master Iesus Christ yea and to bee the formost man of all the wicked companie to shew withall that as the old distich saith Non audet stygius daemon tentare quod audet Effraenus monachus plenaque fraudis ánus Jerem. 24.2 None is so bad as wicked Priests for they are like Ieremies figges either exceeding good or extreame euill either most faithfull for Christ or most feruent for Antichrist Thirdly the Euangelist tells vs how he did bring to passe his wicked fact for he gaue them a signe that whosoeuer hee should kisse That there are fiue kindes of kisses the same was he and wee finde that there are fiue kindes of kisses the first a whoorish kisse as Salomon saith of the Harlot that she caught a young man and kissed him the second a chaste kisse Prou. 7.13 Gen. 29.11 as Iacob kissed Rachel the third is a kisse of courtesie as our Sauiour said vnto Simon the Pharise Thou gauest me no kisse the fourth is a Symbolicall kisse for a signe of loue as the Apostle saith Luc. 7.45 Greet one another with an holy kisse the fift is a treacherous kisse 2 Cor. 13.12 as Ioab kissed Amasa and presently killed him whom he kissed and thus Iudas kissed Christ for he had said Whomsoeuer I shall kisse 2 Sam. 20. the same is he hold him fast Where obserue First That he gaue them a signe to know him Why Iudas gaue them a signe because it was night when they tooke him and because Iames that was called the brother of the Lord and was afterward Bishop of Ierusalem was so like him Ignat. in ep ad Joh. si vera ep Ignat. that it was very hard to know the one from the other and therefore lest they should mistake him and take â—ames or some other for him hee gaue them a signe to know him Secondly That this signe was a kisse Why the signe that Judas gaue was a kisse that he might the more cunningly worke his purpose Nam doli non sunt doli nisi astu colas for deceits are no deceits vnlesse they be cunningly carried and that if this way fayled he might as he thought haue still retained his place and credit because he had but dutifully saluted him And therefore he comes and kissed him saying Aue Rabbi Master God saue you but herein we see 1. His arrogancy 2. His iniquity First His arrogancy that he would presume with those lippes vnder which was the Poyson of Aspes to kisse those lippes in which was found no guile Iohn Baptist thought himselfe vnworthy to vntie the laâ—ched of his shooes and Iudas will presume to kisse his mouth and so all wicked men are euer more presumptuous then the godly and they are bold and impudent when the Saints doe feare and tremble Secondly His iniquitie is herein seene that in two words hee vttereth forth two lyes for hee saith Aue God saue you to him whom he desired to perish and he saith Rabbi Master to him whom he refused to follow and so you see sweet words from a poysoned heart a praying for his life and a betraying of him to death Ille mihi tam exosus est quam inferni portae Qui aliud animo occultat aliud ore profert An Act so horribly base that the very Heathen man could say he hates him as the gates of Hell that will say one thing and doe another thing And yet behold how our Sauiour deales with this wicked Traitor he kisseth him with the kisses of his mouth How our Sauiour sought to reclaime Iudas and to bring him to repentance and what greater signe of loue and whereas he might haue angerly and iustly reuiled him for his treachery he doth mildly and kindly salute him by the name of friend and what better name could hee vse for Father Wife or Children are but vaine names vnlesse they be friends O then Si honoras dulcis domine Inimicum
that he had lost the price of that Oyntment wherewith the Woman annointed Christ and which he had valued at three hundred pence went out as I shewed you before and sold Christ for thirty pence and then betrayed him into the hands of sinners Fourthly Christ being treacherously betrayed 4. The desire of the people violently apprehended and most falsly accused by the Sonnes of Belial the High Priests for very malice that they bore against Christ and for feare that the Romans if they let him escape would come and take away that rule and authoritie that was left them thought him worthy to die and deliuered him vnto Pilate and did teach the ignorant ingratefull and vnconstant multitude most earnestly to desire the death of Christ saying Crucifie him crucifie him and therefore Pilate for feare of the Priests and to please the people when he had scourged Christ condemned him and deliuered him to be crucified And yet all these were but instrumentall causes of these manifold sufferings of Christ there were other more efficient and farre greater causes then all these For Secondly The efficient cause of Christ his death The efficient cause of Christ his death Esay 53.10 was God himselfe for so the Prophet Esay saith It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to griefe to bruise his body with tortures through the malice of the Iewes towards him and to strike his soule with griefe through the mercy of God towards vs. And so the Prophet Ieremie speaking of these sufferings in the person of Christ himselfe saith That they were sorrowes and sufferings Quae fecit mihi Deus Lament 1.12 That God himselfe laide all this punishment vpon Christ Whereby God hath afflicted me God who is termed A deuouring fire and an ouer-flowing torrent of wrath doth now make our Sauiour Christ as the onely Butte to shoote at him all the shafts of his furie he openeth him and powreth into him all the vials of his indignation and as Iob complaineth That the terrors of the Lord did set themselues in array against him So Christ when he saith Mar. 14.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is incompassed with sorrowes on euery side sheweth how God had set himselfe against him yea though God afflicteth sometimes in mercy euen as a Father when hee correcteth his dearest Childe yet is he here said to haue done this In the fiercenesse of his wrath And therefore how could Christ choose but suffer for when God will smite who is able either by strength or wit to escape out of his hands Why God afflicted Christ But here it may be well demanded what moued Gods wrath to be thus kindled against Christ for God hateth nothing but sinne and in Christ there was no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth And therefore seeing God neuer doth as Annas did to cause Christ to be smitten without a cause why should God be so much displeased as thus grieuously to punish his onely Sonne in whom hee was alwayes well pleased and with whom he was neuer in any wayes offended Dan. 9.27 God afflicted Christ for vs and not for himselfe To this wee must answere with the Prophet Daniel that the Messias must be slaine but not for himselfe for hee tooke vpon him the person of vs all and if a man that oweth nothing becomes a surety for a debtor if the principall becomes bankerout the surety shall be compelled to make a plenary satisfaction and he must pay that which he neuer tooke And therefore Christ vndertaking the payment of our debts and to discharge vs from Gods wrath to come Esay 53.4 5 6. He tooke vpon him our infirmities hee was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions Luc. 22.64 And so if the tormentors should say as once they did Prophesie vnto vs who it is that smote thee We may quickely become Prophets and most truly answere for him that our sinnes smote him our iniquities whipt him our pride crowned him with a crowne of thornes our drunkennesse gaue him that vinegar to drinke and in a word our sinne our grieuous sinne what sinne soeuer it be did thus haynously murther Christ and fast nayled him vnto the Crosse Quia solum peccatum homicida est Our sinnes crucified Iesus Christ For alas it was not Pilate nor Caiphas nor any one of that complicie of confederate Agents that were the efficient cause of his death for they were but the instruments and executioners onely of that punishment which our sinnes the sinnes of each man had laide vpon him and the Executioner cannot be said properly to be the cause of that mans death which by the Law is adiudged to die but to say the truth our sinnes haue killed the Sonne of God And therefore as Nathan said vnto Dauid 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the man that did the deede So I may say to euery sinner Thou art the man for whose sinnes God in the fiercenesse of his wrath did thus punish and afflict his onely Sonne O that this would make euery one of vs to crie out with Ionas Propter me haec tempestas I am the cause of all this troubles Ionas 1.12 of all this stormy windes and tempest Take me and cast me into the Sea And as Dauid â—hen he saw the miserable death of the people for his sinne was vexed at the heart and cried vnto the Lord saying Behold I haue sinned and I haue done wickedly 2 Sam. 24.17 but these sheepe what haue they done So I wish that euery one of vs would see it and say it It is I Lord that haue sinned but for this innocent Lambe this harmelesse Doue alas what hath he done And I hope this would make vs to hate and detest our sinnes when we consider that they were the onely murtherers of the Sonne of God You see then that as in the Law it was ordained that a man should bring his Beast to the doore of the Tabernacle and should put his hand vpon the head of it when hee offered the same for a burnt offering vnto God to shew vnto vs that the man himselfe had indeede deserued to die Leuit. 1.4 and that the Beast was onely slaine for his offences So here our Sauiour Christ was put to death not for any cause of his owne but as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 3.18 The iust suffered for the vniust he was wounded for our sinnes and crucified for our transgressions But then againe it may be demanded Quest What moued Christ to vndertake our debts Resp why should he vndertake our debt and make satisfaction for our sinnes when as wee had no wayes deserued any kindnesse at his hands and could by no meanes requite so great a benefit I answere That it was requisite and necessary that he should suffer for our sinnes to fulfill the truth of God because hee had promised that the seede of the Woman should breake the
our wayes that we hurt not our foot against a stone Thirdly men are said to ascend and that both the good and the bad How wicked men doe ascend First ascendere malos est de malo ad peius proficere the wicked are said to ascend when they grow worse and worse and goe on from one wickednesse to another vntill they come to the height of all impiety Greg in l. 1. reg c. 15. p. 444. f. to 1. so the children of the first age after the flood swelling vp with pride did lift vp their hearts on high and would build them a tower whose top might reach to heauen Gen. 11 4. Esay 14.13 Ezech. 28. so the King of Babell said I will ascend into heauen and exalt my throne aboue the starres of God so the King of Tirus said I am a God and sit in the seat of God in the midst of the sea so will that man of sinne that child of perdition whensoeuer he commeth sit in the Temple of God as God and shew himselfe that he is God if not directly by verball profession yet apparantly by reall vsurpation when hee shall vndertake to forgiue all sinnes to binde all consciences to dispence with all lawes to dispose of all kingdomes to command all Angels and solely to open and shut heauen and hell at his pleasure and so doe all the children of pride ascend vp on high to the very height of all sinne and this sinne makes them like vnto Lucifer the King of pride and as the Poet saith Matrona incedit census induta nepotum How pride spoyleth many one It makes many a father and mother to weare their childrens portions vpon their backes it makes many a woman not with Eue to hide their shame but with Iesabell to hide their faces which should be their glory vnder shamefull complexions of their owne composure so that God himselfe if hee did not know their hearts might hardly know those vailed faces Nec tamen admiror si vobis cura placendi Cum videant comptos secula nostra viros And it makes not onely women to deny themselues and their age to please men but it maketh men also to deny their sexe almost to please women and to spend more time in powdering their haires and perfuming themselues then they doe in the seruice of God or of the Common-wealth and German-like to goe in all attires vnlike to men yea this sinne as it made the inhabitants of heauen to become the citizens of hell so it maketh many a Saint to become a Deuill and of the sons of God to become sonnes of Beliall for as the Poet saith of beautifull persons Fastus inest pulchris sequiturque superbia formam You shall hardly finde a faire man or woman that is not proud so I may as truly say Fastus inest iustis sequiturque superbia sanctos There be not many Saints but we may feare they are a little proud of their sanctitie for in our best goodnesse if we be not carefully watchfull ouer our owne soules Satan will seeke to make vs doat in admiration of our owne worth and then presently he will stirre vs vp to proceed to the extenuation of others and to say with the Pharisee To be proud of goodnesse is the worst pride in the world I thanke God I am not as other men or as this Publicane And of all ascenders and lifters vp of themselues there is none so bad as these for as no deuill to the holy deuill when he transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light so no pride like this to be proud of grace and the deuill reioyceth as much to make a Saint proud as to make a prophane man wicked Matth. 24 15. And therefore as our Sauiour saith vnto the Iewes When you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place then flie to the mountaines euen so when you perceiue in your selues the least conceit of your owne worth and goodnesse then doe you presently feare this lifting vp and flie to the mountaine of heauen for grace to escape the desolation of such high conceits for as Orpheus had his wife Euridice granted him out of hell vpon condition that he should not looke vpon her vntill he had passed out of the confines of hell But Flexit amans oculos protinus illae relapsa est He was so farre in loue with her that he could nâ—t containe from looking backe and so she was presently taken backe againe euen so if we Narcissus-like stand gazing vpon our owne worthinesse wee shall finde our best deedes but like the apples of Sodom externally splendide and faire to the eyes but being handled by God or throughly tried by the touchstone of Gods Law we should finde them hollowly defectiue and euery way impure in his sight Indeed it is Satans vsuall course either to hinder vs to doe well and to cause vs not to fast not to pray not to giue almes not to doe good or else if wee doe them to doe them that we may be seene of men and to be proud of them hee will be sure to thrust at euery side and to thrust sore at vs that we may fall but we must carefully watch him in all his assayes and especially in this Optatus in parab pharis public because as Optatus saith Meliora inuenta sunt peccata cum humilitate quam innocentia cum superbia it is better for a man to sinne and be humbled then to be voyd of sinne i. e. of all the vsuall sinnes of the world and to be proud of his innocency And thus you see how the wicked doe ascend in pride and as Claudian saith Satan lifteth vp wicked men to throw them downe tolluntur in altum vt lapsu grauiore ruant They are lifted vp on high to haue the greater fall and therefore perniciosa haec ascentio imo magis descentio est à Ierusalem in Iericho this is a most dangerous ascention nay rather descention from Ierusalem to Iericho to fall among theeues and to be robbed and spoyled of all that we haue for these haue not the siluer wings of a Doue but the waxen wings of Icarus to helpe them to ascend and they are not exalted vp by God because they are not humble and meeke but they are lifted vp by the deuill because they grow great without goodnesse and therefore as Icarus Icariaâ— nomine fecit aquas fell downe and was drowned so will the deuill bring downe the high lookes of the proud for as the Iacke-daw takes vp a nut in her bill and flying on high lets it fall on a rocke for to breake it or as the Eagle deales with the Oister and Tortoise in like mannâ—r by which meanes Aescilus died Valerius Maximus l. 9. c. 12. as Valerius Maximus saith because the Eagle seeing his bald head while in an open place he made his oration vnto his auditors thought it was a stone and therfore
it is 344 Angels for three things most excellent 535 Angels appeared like men but were neuer made men 534 Alwayes serued Christ 535 How they punish the wicked 536 How they comfort the women 537 Testifie of the resurrection of Christ 566 The birth of Christ 411. 411 Angell a name of office and Christ often called an Angell 330 Angels how they are said to ascend 609 Anger what euill it doth 229 That it is two-fold 355 Angell cannot beget another 4 Anselmus what he said 66 Christ why hee would not answere Pilate 477 AP. Approbation of sinne how euill it is 15 Apuleius his Asse what she said 92 Appearance and shew of truth how vaine it is 213 Apollinaris and some Arrians heresie 348 343 Apostles words He is the first borne of euery creature how vnderstood 290 Apelles his heresie 343 Application of Christs Resurrection is that onely thing which helpeth vs. 586 Apostacy what a fearefull sinne 595 Apostles onely filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost 658 To approue sinne in others what a great sinne 25 Appollodorus what he dreamed 55 Christ appeared ofen in the shape of man before he was made man 329 Christ appeared like a man vnto Adam 329 To Abraham 330. to Iacob and Ioshua 322 Christ appeared to the Patriarches in a true body 345 Chrâ—st appeared like a sinnefull man but without sinne 346 Christ how he appeared to Saint Paul going to Damascus 388 Apparitions of Christ after his Resurrection twelue times at least 505 Why he appeared first to Mary Magdalene 565 Why he appeared first to Saint Peter among the men 570 Why he appeared to Saint Iames. 574 AR. Arrius his heresie and obiections answered 248 c. 299 Arrians whether they corrupted the Text of Salomon God created c. 287 Armour of a Christian of two kindes 730 Arrogancy of Iudas seene 461 To argue from Gods power without testimony of his will not good 172 AS God made man to ascend 561 Christ ascended three times 615 Time place and manner of Christ his ascention 620. 621 Christ ascended aboue all heauens 624 Our ascention to Heauen depends vpon our vnion with Christ 626 Doctrine of Christs Ascention to what end it serueth 618 That we should alwayes ascend to heauen 630 Our wings to ascend what they be 631 Christ ascended for foure speciall ends 639 Christ before his ascention would not bestow the gifts of the Holy Ghost and why 640 That there be foure sorts of ascenders 609 Angels how said to ascend 609 Christ whether wholly destitute of all assistance from the Godhead 447 That Christ assumed our flesh 369 AT Athiests deny the power of God 136 AV First Author of our conuersion to God is God 529 Saint Augustine reading the death of Dido what he said 51 Christ borne in the raigne of Augustus and why 494 Desparagement to Augustus his worth to ioyne any other with him 504 What the Author thinketh of transubstantiation 549 BA BAcke-parts of God what it signifieth 117 Balaam prophesied of Christ 412 BE. Being of God not safe to search too farre into it 124 God giueth being to all creatures 125 Wee beleeue not the assertions of the Iesuites not because we know not how they may be done but because wee know they cannot be done 177 Beauty of God incomprehensible 191 We are begotten to God by the truth 215 Saint Bernards preaching two kindes of Sermons 266 The father alwaies begetteth the sonne 275 Christ made the beginning of our wayes 288 Benefits of Christs Incarnation 359 Benefits of the vnion of the two natures of Christ in respect of Christ 382 In respect of vs. 390 Gods benefits recommended to our memories 60 Benefits how many Christ bestowed on Iudas 458 Euery benefit requires a dutie 542 To beleeue in Christ is to eate and drinke him 681 Best men most hated in the world 435 Bethelem the place where Christ was borne 407 c. Christ why betrayed by Iudas 459 BJ Birds flying hardly catched 13 Birth of Christ how meane it was why 409 Why first reueiled to the Shepheards 412 BL How blinde sinners be 58 Our blindnesse seene and confessed by the Philosophers 59 A fable of a blinde widdow 58 Bloud of Christ shed fixe speciall times 164 Bloud of Christ the price that paid for all men 501 Blasphemy against the truth what a heauy sin 240 Shedding of mans bloud what a fearefull sinne 240 BO Bodies cannot beget soules 4 That Christ had a true body proued 341. 342 c. All the obiections to the contrary answered 344. 345. c. A naturall body must be locall 155 Body of Christ cannot be euery where 157 How it may be said to be euery where 169 To be a true body and to be euery where is meerely contradictory 170 Bodies glorified haue their dimensions 170 c. Body of Christ glorified from the first moment of his conception 171 Still a physicall body 172 For a body to be in one place and in many places at the same time is vnpossible 175 We may not referre that to the body which is truely spoken of the whole person of Christ 344 Christ appeared to the Patriarches in a true body 345 Body of Christ how said to doe diuine operations 38 Body of Christ how it may be truely said to bee in the Sacraments 549 Bodies raised at the resurrection of Christ testified of the resurection of Christ 579 Bodies in heauen shall be still quantatiue 171 What a bondage it is to serue sinne 99 Christ why borne in the raigne of Augustus and Herod 404 Why borne in December 405 Why vpon the Sabbath day ibid. And why presently after midnight 406. Why borne of a woman 334 And why of a Virgin ibid. A bountifull man is gracious 190 God most bountifull vnto all people 192 God not bound to giue power to the wicked to serue him 210 BR Brethren how variously taken 689 Brotherhood in respect of the Spirit greater then that in respect of flesh and bloud 689 Gentile brethren how they loued one another 690 CA. GIuing Canaan to the Israelites a type of giuing heauen to vs. 127 God calleth effectually none but the elect 203 God not the cause why the wicked serue not God 210 Causes of Christs sufferings 493 Instrumentally manifold 494 c. Efficient God himselfe and why 496 Finall 590 CE. Cerinthus his heresie 374 CH. Substance changed cannot be what it was and what it is both at once 173 God can change any substance into another 173 Charity most requisite for Preachers 642 Charity what it is 652 The surest signe of saluation ibid. Children liable to death 9 Tainted with sinne before they are borne 9 Childhood the miseries therof described 69 Our children to be married to the godliest men 109 The wicked shall bee punished in their children 245 How it stands with Gods iustice to punish the fathers sinnes vpon the children 245 ChildreÌ„ very apt to imitate their Parents 246 All
children of the wicked not punished for their fathers sinnes 247 A childe how conceiued in the wombe 337 God chooseth no man in respect of any thing that is in man 211 Christ the word the summe of all things 258 Signified by all the most memorable things of the old Testament 258 Christ would not reueale himselfe to the world all at once â—59 To know him is the onely thing that makes vs happy ibid. Christ despised all vanities 260 Suffered all miseries ibid. Christ the most perfect patterne of all vertue 260 Christ knowne suppresseth all vices 261 He alone is all sufficient to supply all our neede 262 Without Christ the whole world will auaile vs nothing 263 Christ onely should be preached by all Preachers 266 The Name of Christ should be alwayes in our mouthes to be honored not to be blasphemed 267 Christ in the Father not as we are in the Father 270 Christ a true God proued 278. 279. c. Christ is truely rich 281 Christ created all things and gouerneth all things 283 Christ prayed vnto 283 Christ began to be a God existing in the manhood when he was made flesh 248 Christ no accidental but an essential word 285 Christ how he may be said to be created and begotten 289 Christ made the beginning of our wayes 288 Christ demaunds the earth as man and giueth heauen as God 290 Christ how the first begotten and how the onely begotten Sonne of God 291 Christ how God of himselfe 293 How said to be with God and in God 298 Christ equall to the Father 299 Christ after what manner conceiued 335. Not of the Essence but by the vertue of the Holy Ghost ibid. Christ conceiued a perfect man in the first moment of his conception 337 How wonderfully he was made man ibid. Christ why conceiued of a Virgin 338 How he commeth from Adam ibid. Christ made a perfect man 340 That he had a true body 341 c. Christ made subiect to all humane frailties 351 Christ how hee hath performed all things for vs. 360 Christ an infallible patterne for all men to imitate 360 Christ brought vs more good then we lost in Adam 361 Christ how made inuisible vnto the Iewes 387 Christ how he came in the dores being shut ibid. How he walked vpon the seas 388 How he appeared to S. Paul 388. 389. c. Christ came from Nathan and not from Salomon 3â—8 Christ why born in the raigne of Augustus 404 Why in the sixt age of the world 403 Why in December 405 Christ what manner of person he was 429 That he was a man ibid. A iust man ibid. A good man 430 A King a Priest a Prophet 431 A true and eternall God 432 Christ his sufferings expressed 436. c. His whole life a continuall suffering 437 Christs sufferings chiefly in three places 437 Christ suffered in soule ibid. Christs first degree of suffering in being made passible 438 Christs sufferings most admirable 439 Christ why he went out to be taken 439 Why out of the citie 440 Why into the garden 441 Christ whether wholly destitute of all diuine assistance 447 How lightly he esteemed of death 446 Christ how by his death he ouercame death 84 Christ deliuered from what he feared 448 Christ to vndergoe the punishment of all others ibid. Christ how he sought to reclaime Iudas 461. c. Christ how handled presently after he was taken 464 Christ why he chose Iudas to be his Apostle 459 Christ how crowned with thornes 475 Christ why he came not down from the Crosse 481 Christ dead is still persecuted raged at 482 Christ how said to be euery where 540 Christ no where to be found but in the Church 545 Church the fittest place for publique prayers 711 Church how to rule her children 520 Church how subiect to afflictions 520 CL. Clytoriaâ— Well what it effecteth 528 Cloathing Christ in white what it signified 473 CO. Comforts that we haue from Christ his being subiect to infirmities 361. 362 Whatsoeuer God commandeth is no sinne 166 God compelleth not his seruants to doe good 530 To compell others to sinne the practise of most wicked sinners 25 Manner of Christ his comming to iudgement 622 623 Gods commandements few short light and profitable 99 The least comfort denied in hell 87 What communicates most goodnesse vnto others is euer best 197 That we should confesse our sinnes 113 Conuersion to God not to be deferred 24 That we should confesse our sinnes the diuell cannot abide 28 An excellent consideration of Saint Augustine 51 Consciences of the wicked opened before they die 80 We can conceiue but the least part of Gods excellencie 118 What are contrariâ— to the nature of God 152 How contradictories destroy each other 153 God cannot doe contradictories proued 154 That we should not contest about trifles 265 Consultation in heauen about the restitution of man 319 God worketh one contrarie out of another 351 Contentednesse requisite in any state 410 Conception of Christ ineffable 336 Consideration of Christs sufferings most admirable 439 Condemnation of all the infidels that would not beleeue in Christ grieued Christ 454 That we should condole the sufferings of Christ 506 Conuersion of a sinner first wrought by God 529 Conuersion of any man not to be despaired of 533 Contempt of vanities most requisite for Preachers 642 Constancie most requisite for Preachers 642 643 Conquest of Christ ouer Satan not onely by suffering but also trampling him vnder feete 583 Couetousnesse what a horrible sinne 460 To be auoided 704 Couenant with hell should be broken 26 Colours vsed by the ancients to expresse diuers things 474 The great courage of the Apostles presently after the resurrection of Christ 576 Corporall presence of Christ no where now but in heauen 545 Christ not corporally present in any secrets 546 547 Correction how burthensome to children 69 No cost to be spared to get truth 217 CR. All creatures heape miseries on man 74 All creatures haue their being from God 125 The creatures haue many impressions of Gods goodnesse infixed in them 256 All creatures how inriched with good 201 Foure crying sinnes 41 No creature can be capable of infinitenesse or of infinite perfections 156 Crueltie of Satan against the Preachers 644 CV Custome of ancient times to expresse our mindes by visible signes 680 Cup that Christ was to drinke of what it was 444 Cup which dranke vp killed Christ but ouerceme not Christ 449 Curiositie to be shunned in searching out the manner of diuine mysteries 277 Curiositie to be auoided in searching what God is 122 124 Custome of sinning makes the sinner bold to sinne 20 It makes the greatest sinnes seeme no sins 21 It bindeth vs in sinne 22 It indammageth the soule 23 And makes the sinners almost incurable 65 DA. DAmage receiued by Adam two-fold 3 What a danger it is to neglect publique prayers 717 Dauids words This day haue I begotten thee how to be vnderstood 290 Dangerous to
227 IV Iudas what benefits he receiued from Christ 458 Why chosen to be an Apostle 459 Why made the Purse-bearer ibid. Why he betraied Christ ibid. Why he gaue them a signe 461 How sought to be reclaymed by Christ 461 462 What his treason should teach vs. 461 His arrogancie and iniquitie how great 461 Why he kissed Christ 461 That it is a iust thing to punish sinne 90 Iustice is often peruerted with men 91 God iudgeth all men according to what they haue actually done 95 Euery one according to his desert 92 God most iust proued 91 God in the strictnes of his iustice might inflict more punishmeÌ„t vpon the damned 187 Whatsoeuer he doth is iust 237 Iustice of God taken diuers waies 237 Iustice of God requireth a day of iudgement 245 How it stands with God iustice to punish the fathers sinnes vpon the children 245 Iustice and truth how they pleaded against man 319 That we should as well feare Gods iustice as hope for mercie 244 Iudgements of God must be threatned when his mercies doe not allure vs. 696 Iustification what it is 208 Christ Iustified by his enemies 429 KI KIngdome of heauen could be giuen by none but by God 321 Kisses that there be fiue kindes 460 Kings and Magistrates to be prayed for and why 734 KN. God knoweth best when to helpe vs. 724 Knowledge most necessary for Preachers 642 Adams desire of knowledge brought ignorance vpon vs all 58 Sinnes of knowledge most fearefull inexcusable sinnes 29 And yet we doe what we know to be fearefull sinnes 29 The excellencie of our knowledge makes our sinnes the more horrible 30 All knowledge of God extinguished by sin 64 Three wayes of knowing God 120 We are not able to know him as hee is in himselfe 120 Knowledge of Gods power the foundation of our faith 134 We know many things negatiuely as what God is not which we know not positiuely 176 We know what God cannot doe though we know not what he can doe 176 To know Christ the onely thing that makes vs happy 259 It suppresseth all vices 261 The Gentiles had a measure of the knowledge of God 311 The diuels know God and the mysterie of the Trinitie 314 Knowledge of Christ two-fold 356 Knowledge of Iesus Christ the chiefest knowledge in the world 391 The diuell chiefly laboureth to corrupt it 391 We know not what is good for our selues 726 LA. LAbour vndertaken vpon hope of reward 1 Labourer presently to haue his pâ—ay ibid. Law of nature and of all nations teacheth to punish sinne 90 Lawes of men like a spiders web 91 Law of God like an yron net ibid. Lawes must bee made according to rules of mens abilitie to keepe them 210 Law in the Gospell 224 That the law was not created 286 To keepe Gods lawes made Dauid wiser then his teachers 571 Law of God giuen to be kept not to be talked of 600 Languages and readie speech requisite for preachers 641 LE. Letters how vsed by the ancient to signifie diuers things 473 LI. God the verie life of all things 125 Life of Christ a continuall suffering 437 A good life what it effecteth 601 Bad life what euill it doth 601 The wicked are lifted vp to bee throwne downe 612 Life of Christ a continuall suffering 437 LO Loaues of bread how multiplied by Christ 174 God onely absolute Lord. 131 Lord and Iehoua equiualent ibid. Lord taken two waies ibid. Men may be called Lords 131 Our Lord should bee feared and serued for three speciall reasons 132 Christ most properly called Lord. 132 Logos what it signifieth 306 Why vsed by the Euangelist 310 The best knowne name of Christ among the Iewes 311 God loueth not the wicked 189 Loue of God in giuing Christ to be incarnate how great it was 303 To loue God is not to offend him 305 Loue of the Father seene in giuing Christ to be incarnate 357 Loue of Christ seene in his incarnation 359 Our loue to God increased by the meditation of Christ his Passion 424 Loue of God to mankinde moued him to giue his Sonne to die for man 498 How great his loue was to man ibid. Loue of Christ to man how vnspeakable 499 How deerely we ought to loue Christ 508 To loue one another how wee are bound vnto it 511 Want of loue the cause of all mischiefe in the world 511 We ought to loue all men ibid. Loue of money what it doth 565 Loue shewed foure wayes 693 That there is a gradation in the loue of God 684 Man lost a two-fold good 321 LV Vntamed lusts what an odious sinne 240 Saint Lukes words he shall be called the Sonne of God how vnderstood 248 Lutherans what they teach concerning the vnion of the two natures of Christ 377 Lutheran doctrine what absurdities it brings foorth 377 MA. MAn following his vocation is the safer from Satan 13 Man receiued power to beget man like himselfe 7 Manner how euerie sinne is committed fourefold 26 Sinnes of malice haue two violent properties 32 Malice of Satan restrayned 178 Man what a poore and a miserable thing 104 Manhood described and the miseries therof 70 Manner how the Father begetteth the Sonne or the Holy Ghost proceedeth is ineffable 227 Manner of diuine mysteries not curiously to be searched into ibid No man truly rich 281 Malice of Hereticks seene in denying the God-head of Christ 305 Not to marrie with wicked sinners 109 Mankinde produced three waies before Christ his time 333 Manner how Christ was conceiued 335 It is ineffable 336 Christ made a perfect man 340 Marcion his heresie 343 Macedonius his heresie ibid. Manichaeus his heresie ibid. Manhood of Christ seene by the sufferings of Christ 343 Word made flesh why the Euangelist saith 369 How one thing may be made another thing three waies 37â— Manhood of Christ how adored 383 Mary rightly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God 385 Mary of what Tribe she was 397. 398 Mathew and Michoa how reconciled touching the place of Christ his birth 407 Magi what they beleeued Christ to be 4â—3 Man of al creatures most subiect to sufferings 434 Malice of Satan Christ prayed against 456 Malchus how he vsed Christ 467 Masters that are ill make ill seruants 467 Malice of the Iewes against Christ 495 517 Manner of Christs suffering incomprehensible 5â—2 Mary Magdalen a sinnefull woman 529 How shee liued after her conuersion 533 Mary Magdalens how many there were 568 Why not suffered to touch Christ 568 Magistrates in what sence to be feared 538 Manhood of Christ how said to bee euerie where 5â—4 Martyrs how constantly they professed Christ 577 Manna had twelue wonders in it 703 ME. Memorie what an excellent facultie it is 60 Wherein it excelleth all other faculties ibid. God recommendeth all his benefits vnto it ibid. How defiled by sinne 61 How faithfull to record vaine and vile things ibid. How faithlesse to retaine good things 61 What we should alwaies remember 62 Meditation of