lawe wherein neuer was nor shall be found any contradiction So perfect is it in the true accomplishment of the Truth thereof as it is said to bee a perfect lawe To the which if any man shall adde any Psal 19. 7. thing GOD shall adde vnto him the plagues which are written in this Booke if any man shall diminish any thing GOD shall take away his part out of the Booke of life and from the holy Citty Apoc. 22. 18. 19. Heere alone is to bee found the true VRIM and THVMMIM the VRIM that is light and the THVMMIM that is Perfection or if you please the light of perfect truth or the true perfection of light Wee must therefore acknowledge that wee ought to delight in the lawe of the Lord because a fourth Lincke of this Chaine it is most true The fifth Linke of this Chaine whereby the Law of the Lord is so adorned as wee should delight in it is that it is a most Pleasant law not according to the floating and vncertaine pleasure of the Flesh but according to the constant and permanent pleasures of the Spirit In which sence it is said to bee Sweeter then the hony and the hony-comb Psalm 19. 10. A Sweetnesse not Sensuall belonging to the Flesh but Intellectuall appertaining to the Spirit Euery way of Sinne and transgression is a way of Darknesse but the way of GODS Law is the way of light as holy Peter worthily witnesseth We also haue a most sure word to the which yee doe well that yee take heed as vnto a light that shineth 2 Pet. 1. 19. in a darke place As therfore it is without comparison a more Delightsome thing to walke in a Lightsome then in a Darkesome way so much doth the way of Gods Law excell in pleasure the way of Lawlesse transgressors a fifth Lincke of this Cheyne that wee are to delight in it because it is most pleasant The sixth and last Lincke of this Cheine whereby the Law of the Lord is so adorned as we should delight in it is that it is a most profitable Law It is more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold yea it is dearer then thousands Psalm 19. 1. Psalm ◠19. of gold and siluer It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A thing which is profitable to euery vse a VVatch or Dial wherby we are to spend our Time A Fanne which winnoweth the chaff of sinne from the graine of Gods graces The Staffe of out iourney toward Heauen more fortunate then that of Iacob was whereby he passed ouer Iordan A Starre which leadeth the Godly wise to the Heauenly Bethel where Christe is as the Blazing starre brought the VVise-men of the East to Bethelem where Christ was This Law of the Lord is to the poore Pure gold whereby they may bee made spiritually Ritch to the naked White rayments to cloth their soules to the blinde spirituall eye-salue to recouer their eye-sight And as Saint Hierome saith of Manna Hier◠Apoca. 3. 18. that it had the relish of euery good tast so may it bee sayd concerning this Law that it hath the fruit of euery Good benefit A sixth Lincke of this Cheine that wee are to delight in this Law of the LORD because it is most profitable Sithence then the Word of God the Law of the Lord here spoken of appeareth vnto vs by the matter promised to be a most Ancient Iust Wise True Pleasant Profitable Law Oh how ought as the hearts of the two Disciples which went to Emaiu burnt within them to hea e Luk. 25. 3◠the conference of Christ with them How ought I say also our Hearts our Soules and Spirits to bee inflamed enkindand burne within vs in an holy and vncessant zeale towards this Word of God the Law of the Lord here spoken of How ought we more earnestly to long for the Waters of the Well of Life then Dauid did for the waters of the Well of Bethleem and when we haue them neuer oh neuer to deale with these Waters of Life as the Isralites did with the bread of Heauen which oh be it farre from vs so to do loathed it But much oh much better shall wee prouide for our selues if with the woman of Samaria wee shall say still and againe LORD giue mee to drinke of these Iohn 4. 15. Waters crying out for these Waters which bring vs to a Crowne of Life as CHRIST did on the Crosse of his death Sitio I thirst and againe I thirst and euer-more I thirst Yea let vs so thirst after them that wee may follow them let vs so follow them as wee may attend on them let vs so attend on them as wee may continue both in the Hearing and Reading of this Law of the Lord the two true streames of these waters whereby wee with them and they with vs doe spring vp vnto life euerlasting Iohn 4. 14. Two sorts of men there bee who not rightly relishing the delight-some sweetenesse of this Law do saile to haue the waters thereof to become the Waters of comfort vnto them Psal 23. 2. The one sort be Recusants at all to heare it The other sort Delingentes in hearing it The Recusants to heare it at all are either such as doe it of Superstitious contempts as the Papists and Scismatiques or such as doe it of a Carelesse neglect as the Worldlings and Epicures The Delinquentes in hearing it consist principally in a twofold miscarriage the one of a VVandering thought the other of a slumbering eye First a Wandering thought setteth as it were a false pias to the affections of the hearer Whereby when hee ought to attend his eare and intend his minde to the VVord deliuered he is mis-drawn some other way Thus the wanton neglecteth the VVord and thinketh on his pleasure the Miser on his coyne the Drunkard on his cuppes the Glutton on his dish the Prodigall on his game the proud on his garments his gate or his glasse abusing the presence of GOD herein so much the more in that VVhen GOD is a spirit and not a body Iohn 4. 24. they are present in body onely and not in spirit VVhen we preach it is not we that speake but it is the spirit of God that speaketh in vs. VVee alasse are but the meanes God is the Author wee bee the Instrumentes the Holy Ghost the is the inspirer The Message which we bring it is not the VVord of man without God but it is the VVord of God within Man Oh with what willingnesse doe wee heare matters in Ciuill Assemblies at the Starre-Chamber or such like though the discourse of them be continued for some houres together beeing but the onely inuention of Man and concerning matters Temporall for this life alone which happily appertain to other Men not our selues And shal we who are of the Church of God the true Starre-Chamber indeed whereof the lower roome is the Church Militant heere on earth hauing the Starrs to bee the roofe thereof abone whereof the vpper roome is the Church Triumphant in Heauen hauing
that wee may become righteous that so wee may rise and stand in the fiery tryall of this iudgment because wee are as gold and siluer and pretious stones builded on the foundation of Christ Iesus and that wee may not bee as the wicked who being but haye and stubble are speedily consumed and cannot stand in this Iudgement 1. Cor. 3. 13. 13. Secondly this sentence passeth against the vngodly as they are Sinners Nor the sinners in the assembly of the righteous There bee herein likewise offered vnto our obseruation two points First what is meant by the assembly of the righteous Secondly that the Sinners shall not rise nor stand there For the better vnderstanding what is meant by the Assembly of the righteous wee must learne that thereby is to be vnderstood the true Church of God Mount Sion the citty of the liuing God the caelestiall Ierusalem the congregation of the first-borne Hebrew 12. 22. 23. Which Church of God the true Assembly of righteous iust and perfect men consisteth of two parts whereof the one is Militant here on earth the other Triumphant in heauen The Church Militant may bee knowne by two badges here in this world whereof the former is Affliction the other Imperfection First the Church Militant is vnder Affliction and weareth that estate for her badge here in this life The Church of God is the house of God At which his house it is Gods â— Tim. 3 15. pleasure that the Iudgment of Affliction should begin 1. Pet 4. 17. According to the lot of it is the name giuen vnto it for it is called the Church-Militant which is as much as the Warre-faring-Church because vnder the bloody colours of the Crosse of Christ shee fighteth against infinite crosses The righteous ought and doe walke in the Lords way which is the way of the whirlwinde and the storme to intimate vnto vs that as Eliah was rapt to heauen by a Naum 1. 3. whirle-winde and Christ himselfe entered into glory by a Storme of many tribulations so wee must not expect the exemption of any priuiledge but that wee also must passe the Kinges high-way to the Kinges Pallace euen that way which the King him-selfe hath appointed A whirle-winde and a storme Wee â—â—st by Gods owne ordinance doe the worke of Hirelings before we can come to the wages of Heires to which purpose God hath here appointed our life to be as the life of an hireling Iob 7. 1. S. Jerom. Epist 26. Saint Ierome speaking of the name of Ierusalem sayth that in Scripture there be three names giuen ther-vnto Iebus Salem and Ierusalem In tribus quidem nominibus trinitatis demonstratur fides c. In the three names is there declared the faith of the Trinity The first name Iebus doth signifie that which is Spurned at or despised The second name Salem betokeneth Peace The third name Ierusalem is interpreted the vision of peace Paulatim quippe peruenimus ad finem For by little and little come wee to the end After Conculcation and treading vpon an Image of the Church Militant arriue wee at and attaine wee to The vision of peace A liuely resemblance of the Church tryumphant It is then the certayne and vndoubted condition of GODS children to bee troaden vppon before they can tryumph to bee wholy bereft of peace before they can see any peace To weare the badge of the Crosse before they can come to the price of the Crowne The former badge of the Church-militant this Assembly of the righteous The second badge of the Church-militant 〈◊〉 Assembly of the righteous is Imperfection This Imperfection consisteth both in sinners to bee found in this Church Accidentally and in sinne also which it hath Personally First this Church is imperfect heere in this life because it hath sinners in it and with it Accidentally It is as a floare where chaffe and wheate bee mixed together before the winnowing it is as a mine wher drosse and gold bee confounded together before the purifying it is as a garden where weedes and herbes grow together before the Weeding A mongthem of the Church indeed bee these sinners but not of them as the fore-mentioned Chaffe and Drosse and Weeds are among the Wheat and Golde and Hearbes but not of the same substance with them These sinners if they could be found out are to bee censured and punished how beit because they are not euer to be discouered they are necessarily to be tolerated vntill they may as time shall giue occasion bee iustly proceeded against Ouer-heady therefore is the zeale or rather heaâ—e of them like vnto that of Iames and Iohn when out Blessed Sauiour told them that they knew not what spirrit they were of Luke 9. 55. Who can not away with the Mone because she hath her spotes with the Church because in this respect she hath her blemishes but wil forth-with make a schime and rent a separation How much better weare it for them if they would bee truely holy children to imbrace concerning this point the counsell of an holy Father In ecclesia nonnullos toleramus quos corrigere vel punire non possumus c. Wee tollerate some August Epist 48. in the Church whome wee cannot correct or punish neither yet for the Chaffes sake doe we forsake the threshing flore of the Lord nor for the bad Fâ—sh sake doe wee breake the net of the LORD nor for the Goates which are to bee seuered in the end doe wee leaue the fold of the LORD nor for the vessels made to dishonour doe wee flâ—t out of the house of the Lord. Secondly this Imperfection consisteth in sinne personally to be found in the Church her-selfe the Assembly of the righteous here spoken of The Church while shee is in this vale of misery cannot certainely expect that shee is or can bee without the staine of iniquity who confesseth of her selfe that she is blacke by reason of her iâ—perfections Whosoeuer therein shall say that hee hath no Cant 1. 4. 1 Iob 1. 8. sin deceiueth him-selfe and there is no truth in him and therby at least-wise because hee lieth becommeth he a sinner As there was the Tree of knowledge of good and euill in one Paradise So as well euill as good will bee found in Gene. 2. 9. one man The knowledge of euill was in Paradise the best place so the practise of euill will be found in the righteous the best men Where was this Assembly of the righteous at that time else to bee found but in the house of godly Iacob Yet euen then therein were many imperfections Ruben his eldest sonne incestuous Simeon and Leui murtherers Dinab his daughter a wanton and all betrayers of their brother Ioseph The Church of God Cant. 6. 9. is compared to the Moone the Moone first receiueth her light from the Sun so doth she from her Husband Christ the sun of righteousnesse Secondly the Moone of all those heauenly bodies is Mala. 4. 2. citima
terris most neare the earth so the Church of God said to be Militant here vppon Earth cannot auoid but thereby become some-what earthy Thirdly the Moone is eclipsed by the interposition of the earth betwixt the Sun it so the Church of God no doubt is som-what blemished by the interposition of the eatrthhy members of our fleshly concupiscence betweene the graces of Christ and it Fourthly the Moone hath her spottes so hath the Church of God her blemishes The Mone then wee may see for one benefit that shee hath receiued in that she is made glorious with the beames of the Sun hath a threefold inconuenience that shee cannot but som-what be tainted by the earth being the nearest caelestial body vnto the earth that she is eclipsed and obscured by the putting betweene of the earth betwixt the Sun and hir that she hath hir spots in her to shew that if the church here siguified by the Moone hath any good she hath it not from her selfe but from Christ as the Moone hath her brightnesse from the Sunne and for that one good with the Moone she hath a threefold euilâ— Imperfect therefore is the Church in this life as she that weareth this badge of imperfection Wee must further know that this part of the Assembly of the righteous the Church militant which groneth vnder affliction and â—mpeth by imperfection is congregate and mette together chiefly to exercise a threefold duty first to heare the word secondly to bee partakers of the sacraments thirdly to begge what we need and to offer vppe the sacrifice of praise and thankes-giuing A thing anciently vsed by the Church and perpetually to continue in the church this may appeare to haue had an ancient vse in the church by those three thousand soules whome Peter by one Sermon had added to the Act. 2. 42. Church which first Continued in the Apostles doctrine there is the assembly of hearing the word Secondly in breaking of Bread there 〈◊〉 receiuing of one of the sacraments Thirdly In prayer there is begging that was needfull and the tendering to GOD the sacrifice of thankesgiuing This is one part of the Assembly of the righteous which how-soeuer it is not wholy to bee excluded yet is not so directly intended in this place where it is said that the sinners shall not â—â—se or stand in the Assembly of the righeous The second part of the Assembly of the righteous is that which is tryumphant in heauen which shall then be accomplished on Gods chosen when they which suffer here with Christ shall in heauen bee gloryfied with Christ at Rom 8. 17. which time the affliction and imperfection which haue beene annexed vnto their Crosse shall be turned into tryumph and perfectâ—on necessarily accompanying their Crowne In the Church militant as one speaketh mala persâ—quntur euills doe persecute vs But in the Church tryumphant bona sequentur good thinges shall follow vs. The euer-flowing and indeed ouer-flowing abundance of which happy estate causeth Saint Augustine August to say that therein wee may more easily tell quid non sit quam quid sit what there is not then what there is For of this wee may bee well assured that in this glorious Assembly of the righteous there shall be no weaknesse no sorrowing no calamity no corruption no death no greefe no discontentment But the thinges wee shall there inioy are first for their quality ioy and pleasures Secondly for their quantity fulnesse of them Thirdly for their Constancy at Gods right hand from whence it is vnpossible they should bee remoued Fourthly for their continuance for euer-more euen in the presence of God In whose presence there is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand Psal 16. 12. there is pleasure for euermore This is the Assembly of the righteous heere principally meant which the Sinners shall not rise nor stand in because they shall neuer attaine to this tryumph neuer to this perfection neuer to this pleasure this presence this right hand this ioy The second point offered vnto our obseruation hauing learned what is the Assembly of the righteous is that the sinners shall not rise nor stand there But may some man say this is a hard saying Ioh. 6. 60. Who then can bee saued For wee are all sinners The authority of the Apoâ—â—le excellently proueth this point Rom. 5. 12. As by one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne so death went ouer all men for as much as all haue sinned The Apostle in that place intendeth to Mark 10. 26. shew the enterance of death into the world in foure points First from whom from one man that is Adam Secondly by what by sin Thirdly to whome to all men Fourthly the reason of it because All men haue sinned If there weare any man which had not sinned that man could not dye But all men dye as wee say in Shooles eyther Actualiter or Potentialiter in Act or in Power because though Henoch and â—eliah where taken away before their death yet had they sinfull bodyes subiect vnto morâ—ality therefore must all men of necessity bee conuicted of sinne also The earth is the most vnâ—elane Element as that which settleth it selfe in the bottom of this glorious frame or fabricke of the world as the dregges doe in the lowest parts of their vessell of this earth is euery man composed If then the heauens themselues whose Curtaines are spred out with more glory then those of Salomon Cant 1. 4. be vncleane in Gods sight Iob. 15. 15. how much more man which is but dust and earth If God hath found no stedfaâ—â—nesse no not in his Saints which are soe named of holinesse What is man that hee should bee clâ—ane or hee Ioh. 15. 14. 15 that is borne of a woman that hee should bee iust Man may bee considered in two estates in the estate of nature and in the estate of grace In the estate of nature whereby a man is meerely man and borne of a woman in which respect hee muâ—â— bee sayd to bee vncleane and vniust In the estate of grace by which a man becommeth a Saint yet in that estate also in the fore-aâ—eaged â—lace God findeth no stedfasâ—â—esse in him In neither state then can man bee cleered but in both estates condenmed to bee sinfull The Heathens themselues haue not beene vnacquainted with the truth of this matter among whome one saith Cebes in tabu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—eâ—y man coâ—miâ—g into this life driâ—keth from the cuppe of 〈◊〉 eâ—â—or and igâ—orance â—â—â—ery man then be a sinner and no 〈◊〉 shall rise 〈◊〉 stand in the assembly of the righteous what 〈◊〉 â—â—vs but â—xâ—ect that seâ—â—â—nce which Christ◠〈◊〉 agâ—â—â—st sinners Depart from me yea Matth. 7. â—3 that worke iniquity That I may the better answeare this obiection wee must know thaâ— there is a two-fold Sinner The former so sinneth as he 〈◊〉 with â—isâ—th from his sinne hauing because he hath sinned
Sea are they easily corrupted The Angels on the Ladder which Iacob saw in his vision were eyther such as ascended or such as descended none of them did stand still So the Church of Christ as the Ladder of Iacob Gen. 28. 12. in the part Militant like vnto the foote in the part Triumphant like vnto the top of that Ladder ought in the members therein conteined to haue a motion of proceeding no determination much lesse action of standing stil The life of tâ—e Righteous is called a way Prouerb 4. 18. What is more fiâ—ting with a way then to goe on and to walke what is lesse agreeing then to bee at a stand and to goe no further In the same place this waye is said to bee a light but not as the light of the Euening which Ibid. by little and little declineth till the Mantell of the Night hath vayled the Earth with darknesse but as the Morning light which shineth more and more vntill it bee perfect day Let vs therefore with that alacrity of heart and intention of spirit which becommeth Christians embrace August de ver Apost ser 15. that saying of holy S. August Semper tibi displiceat id quod ès si vis peruenire ad id quod nondum es c. Let that alwaies displease thee what thou art that so thou maiest come to that thou art not for if thou hast begun to please thy selfe there thou hast made thy stay Si autem dixeris sufficit etiaÌ„ periisti But if thou shalt say it is sufficient thou hast also perâ—shed adde alwayes walke alwayes profit alwaies noli in via remanere remanet qui non proficit Stay thou not or stand thou not still in the way he stayeth or standeth still who profiteth not whereas it is the guise of the godly man to meditate day and night The third sort of offenders who crosse the intendment of this doctrine as they are the last so bee they also the worst a monstrous crew of such as go backward for they are to be deomed no lesse monsters in grace then they are in Nature whose guise is to go backward It is not in Gods battaile against Sathan as in Gedeons battaile against Madian for God giueth no permission as Gedeon did that such of his Soldiers as were timerous and fearefull should go backe and returne home againe God permitteth it not Iud. 7. 3. yet wee I speake it with griefe of heart practise it for may we not be challenged as the Church of Ephesus was that wee haue lost our first loue haue not the darknesse of Apocal. 2. 4. Popeâ—y beene deemed to haue produced more fruites then the light let our faces blush to heare it and our hearts intend to amend it then the light I say of the Gospell hath among vs hath not their ignorance beene ceâ—sured to be more charitable then our knowledge their Error more fettill then our Truth their barrennesse more bountifull then our fruitfulnesse The records say tâ—ey of Workes and Writings doe tesâ—â—fie it the memoâ—y of the aged confirme it the Edifices of Hospitalls the foundations of Scholes the Mâ—numents of Churches Chappels the rubbish and ruine of defaced demolished Abbaies and Monasteries and Truth her selfe who is naked and cannot be falsified with the colour of any dissimulation doe not secretly suggest it but openly proclaime it all which hath occasioned euen the ignorance of those times to breake forth into ioy against vs becauâ—e though they Esay 54. 1. were desolate yet haue they brought forth more children then the married wife Oh this is a thing not priuatly whispered but openly divulged and publickly obiected vnto vs hence the braines of our aduersaries haue been working their pennes writing their presses Printing and their Pamphlets and bookes scattered and sparsed not onely in Gath and in the streetes of Ascalon to make the Philistims 2. Sam. 1. 20. reioyce and the daughrers of the vncircumcised to triumphe 2. Sam. 1. 20. but euen to drency all Christian eyes with teares of mournings euen so farre as the armes of the world doe embrace the name of Christ that our Religion is no Religion it fructifieth not our Faith no faith it worketh not our Charity no charity it feedeth not the hungry clotheth not the naked refresheth not the thirsty visiteth not the sick comforteth not the imprisoned c. That wee our selues are Libertines because wee while wee haue onely faith in our mouthes haue therewith as they say deceit in our tongues poyson in our Luk. 17. 32. lips lust in our cies cruelty in our hands blood in our feet reuenge in our heart and disobedience in all our actions But oh that we could rightly remember Lotts wife who for that shee did but looke back was turned into a pillar of Salt but much more shall the punishment of such bee sharpe which shall goe backe The fourth and last thing is his Vigilancie in that hee doth meditate not onely in the day which GOD hath appointed man to labour in but in the night also which GOD hath ordeined for man to rest in The Godly man then meditateth in the Lawe of the Lord not onely in the day but in the night also whereas wee are backward and vntoward to attend it either day or night In the night it is not among vs by custome required that wee should heare and hearken vnto the sweet Oracles of God but according to our receiued custome in the time of the daye onely and chiefly though on other dayes it may commendably be practised on one in the seauen eucn that Lords day that not the whole day but haply some few houres therein and yet then how drowsily do we attend it sluggishly receiue it how sleepily entertaine it as if our Oratories were turned into Dormitories Temples into Cradels our Churches mought deseruedly be called by those names by which of the Greekes the Church-yards haue beene termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sleeping places that albeit the word of God should be of that force that though wee be as dead stones yet it should make vs liuing stones yet wee being liuing men at the hearing thereof become as dead Pet. 2. 5. stones We haue now finished as God hath assisted the Euidence of the vertues of the Godly man and that considered in the two membears thereof both in the negatiue and affirmatiue contestation Now am I to assume to mine handling the Recompense of the Godly mans vertues the second part of the first generall head of this Psalme which Recompence is set forth vnto vs in two branches whereof the former is the declaration and Tenure of it vers 1. Blessed is the man the other is the further Dilatation and Godly mans tittle vnto it Verse 1. verse 3. for hee shal be like a tree planted by the riuer c. Verse 3. the speciall limbes whereof shall then appeare when wee shall come to the
conâ—rition in his soule and spirit conâ—ession in his heart and tongue and newnesse of life in his â—eeds and manners neither doth he onely repent solicite carefully but mature speedily as writeth S. Ambros S. Ambroâ— de 〈◊〉 lib. â— cap. 2. â—east that saith hee that husband-man in the Gospeâ—â— which planted a siggâ—-â—â—ce in his vineyard comming to 〈◊〉 â—râ—ite and finding none sayth to the keeper of the vâ—â—eyarde 〈◊〉 it aowne for what doth it combriâ—g the ground Hee doth as saith â—aint Augustine accuse himselfe Aug. de verâ— Inuocatie that he may be excused in the presence of the iust mercifull Iudge to whom hee is to become accomptable As sinne doth assault his soule when it is weakest so doth he oppose him-selfe against the same where it is strongest that hee may by that meanes root it out This hath beene the practise as it may appeare by their writings of the famous ancient Fathers and Saints of the Church Athenagoras Clemens Iustinus Martir Arnobius Minutius Lactantius and diuers other who made it the first thing they did after their conuersion from gentilisme to the truth to denounce warre most chiefly against that sinne vnto which they haue found themselues most inclined These were pecatores sinners but because they speedily shaked off their sinne as Paule did the â—â—per they weare Hilar. Enarre in Psal â— not impii Godlesse ones as Samt Hillary maketh a distinction â—hese are not the sinners heere spoken of which shall not rise nor stand in the assembly of the righteous The second kinde of sinners bee such as so sinne that they may adde sinne vnto sinne as the theese addeth lying to theft and periury to lying These by their custome of sinning haue made sâ—nne habituall yea rather perpetuall vnto them It is impossible for them not to sinne as it is impossible for the fire not to warme In them hath sinne gotten the colour of a Blacke-Moore which cannot bee â—â—tered and the spotts of a Leopard which cannot bee washed away At the dore of whose heart the gâ—ace of GOD knocketh 〈…〉 all or if it knocketh it is but in vaine for there is 〈◊〉 opening As they are flesh Iohn 3. 6. so this flesh is 〈◊〉 dead flesh altogether vncureable neyther is it to be◠〈…〉 led with sharpe Corrosiues of the lawe neyther 〈◊〉 bee salued by the more gentle Lenitiues of the 〈…〉 pell These are not contrite for their sinne that so â—â—ey may confesse and amend it but they palliaâ—e their sinâ—e that they may still keepe it and committe it Oathes say they are but sparkes of courage Blasphemies but as ordinary speeches Couetousnesse frugality Prodigality bounty Tyranny fortitude Curiosity honesty Adultery a youthfull sport Symony a common trade of merchandise And as in these so in euery sinne haue they a fayre vizard to putte ouer a foule face that they may vaile and couer it To whom their sinne is like Iesabell which made Ahab to sinne whose face was painted and them-selues like Ahab doe sell them-selues to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. These be the sinners meant in this place where it 1 Reg. 2â— 25. is sayd that the sinners shall not rise nor stand in the Assembly of the righteous The sinners of this desperate kind shall not rise nor stand in this assembly of the Righteous First in that part thereof Militant vpon earth which consisteth of that meeting which standeth in hearing the word read or Preached in receiuing the sacraments and in prayers Because how-soeuer they are it may be among the righteous in their Assemblies yet are they not of their Assemblies they be it may be as one of yâ— assembly but for as much as they are vnrighteous they cannot be of the assembly of the righteous For how can it otherwise be considering that they heare the word as Sinners not as yâ— Righteous receiue the Sacraments as sinners not as the Righteous tender vp their praiers vnto God as Sinners not as yâ— Righteous as Lucifer was among the Angels Caine in the house of Adam Ismaell in the house of Abraham Esau in the house of Isaas C ham in the Arke Saul among the Prophets the Tares with the wheate the Goates with the sheepe Iudas among the Apostles so are these in thâ— Assembly of the righteous as Cyphers which signifie nothing not as figures which haue both a number and power with them They beare a shew haply of religion but are furthest from it as Athaliah being her selfe the onely vsurping traytresse cryed out Treason treason 2. Reg. 11. 14. They are in comparison of the righteous but as Waspes compared with Bees which as Tertullian writeth Tertul. make Combes as the Bees doe but neither are Bees nor worke so profitably as the Bees They are within this Assembly of the righteous by hypocrisie but not of it in Sincerity considered in that part of it Militant here vpon earth Secondly they can much lesse rise or sâ—and in that part of the assembly of the righteous which is triumphant in heauen because they shall neuer come thither much lesse stand there If Moses neither could nor mought stand in the presence of God in that holy land which is but a Type of this triumphant assembly vntill hee had taken his shooes from Exod. 3. 5. his feete Oh how much lesse shall these sinfull and reprobate ones stand in the most glorious presence of the Lord in the true holy land the true Canaan it selfe being not onely holy but the holy of holyes of God the holyest hauing the feete of their affections shod with nothing else but defilednesse and pollution Hell must bee their prison for the wicked shall bee turned Psal 9. 17. to hell and the people that forget God Heauen cannot possibly become their pallace for such must stand without the heauenly Ierusalem the city of the great King Apoc. 22. 25. Art thou then a Sinner of this nature vnto whome sinne sitteth as neare as the graft to the stock which concorporateth and becommeth one with it Behold then the fruite of this thy sinne which is not onely shame and reproach but also euerlasting ruine and conâ—usion He which Riseth in the great thoughtes of his owne heart and Standeth as high in his owne conceipt as euer Nabucchadnezzar did Dan. 4. 27 yet if from the crowne of the head to the soule of the foote there is nothing to bee found but woundes and swellings and sores full of corruption Esaâ— 1. 6. then shall hee neither rise nor stand in the assembly of the righteous not onely that part thereof which appertayneth to the Church Millitant here on earth but also that part thereof which belongeth to the Church Triumphant in heauen For what reason may bee alledged why hee should bee admitted into heauen whose mâ—â—d hath beene wholy fixed vpon earth why hee should triumph as a conquerour in heauen which â—euer warred as a souldier vpon earth fighting against the Souldiers