and their sentence is Burne them How fine would be the way of vertue if you would pare away the rubs that are in it if you would take away all occasions of sinne and giue it gall to eate and when you haue done so set a crowne of thornes vpon the head thereof and when you haue thus crowned it make it carrie the crosse and when it hath carried the crosse condemne it and when you haue condemned it put it to death and when ye haue put it to death burie it and when you haue buried it role a great stone vpon the head of it and set watchmen to keepe it euen fasting and praier that it may neuer arise againe to raigne any more the which the Lord for his mercy sake grant Amen FINIS THE CALLING OF IONAH IONAH 1. 1. 2. 1 The word of the Lord came to Ionah the son of Amittai saying 2 Arise and goto Niniuie that great Citie and cry against it for their wickednesse is come vp before me YOu haue heard the sweet song of old father Simeon like the pleasant song a sweet bird before her death setting forth the ioy of the righteous that embrace Christ Iesus Before Christ Iesus vouchsafed to come to vs we would not come vnto him but in all our doings we wrought our condemnation and through the innumerable heaps of our iuiquities laboured to driue him without all hope of mercy from vs. So wee continued like flies which flutter about the candle till they haue consumed themselues When wee had done as much as in vs lay to driue him away from vs then hee saued vs and recompenced good for euill vnto vs. So that if God had loued vs no more then wee loued our selues wee might haue perished in our sinnes and our blood should haue beene vpon our owne heads Jf Christ bee the light of the Gentiles let vs embrace him and euery one walke as becommeth the children of light but manie doe shut their eies against it lest they should see and not onely many smother their owne light but the Sunne saith vnto the Moone shine not and the Moone saith vnto the stars be not bright And many haue smoothred their light so long that the dampe hath put out the candle and thus they labour to bring the darkenesse of Aegypt vpon Goshen so that their eies haue forgotten to see and somany goe cut of the way because they would not looke vpon the candle and the diuell giueth to euery one that which hee wisheth so it may bee for his hurt But who can but pitty that with the same Manna which commeth from heauen and feedeth many of life euerlasting so many are poisoned and find in it nothing but fauour of eternall death The Iewes had no cause to enuie our light for he gaue them glory hee was poore and yet hee gaue them riches hee was counted base and yet hee made them honourable hee was contemned and yet he made them beloued they were full of darkenesse and hee brought them light but they contemned his light and so procured their owne condemnation And therefore now it is come to passe that they are become vagabonds vpon the earth and most contemned of all other Nations and euery people haue a dwelling whereas since they prophecied euill vnto themselues saying His blood bee vpon vs and our children goodnesse hath put on the face of bashfulnesse amongst them Jf thou embrace Christ as Simeon did the Christ is thy glory but if thy glory consist in beautie which fadeth in gay cloth which weareth in wealth which wasteth or in gold which rusteth then Christ is not thy glorie Wee haue gone long with an old man and now we haue lost him but we are loth to part with him he is such a good companion neuerthelesse wee hope to finde him againe in Ionah Wee haue gone but slowly with him as with an old man that is not very swift of foote but now we must runne with Ionah as with a Post lest Niniuie be destroied The Prophecie of Ionah J neede not to shew the authority of Prophets but concerning their sorts and differences there are three sorts of Prophets The first were such as called vpon the name of the Lord in praier for the people and receiued an answer from the Lord in the peoples behalfe of which sort 1. Sam. 10. 9. was Samuel and these were called Seers A second sort of Prophets were such as God raised to expound the Law and declare the will of God vnto the people when the priest and such as should doe so were slacke in their callings of which sort was Esay Ieremy Ezechiel Daniel Hosea Ioel Amos Obediah and the rest of the holy Prophets A third sort were such as haue beene since Christ working such like effects of which sort was the Prophet Agabus of whom mention is made in the 11. of the Acts and 28. verse Now in the second sort of these was Ionah whom God sent to declare his will to his people vnto whom also the Lord did reueale the subersion of kingdomes the ouerthrow of Tribes the captiuitie of Nations the calamities that were to come vnto the sonnes of men for iniquitie and rebellion against God As all wise men were not borne at once nor liued together so these holy Prophets haue not beene at once but were raised vp by the Lord God some here some there according to his pleasure and as hee saw the people stand in need of them by reason of the corruption of the times And furthermore the Lord hath not at any time reuealed vnto one of these all things that might bee reuealed but as much as sufficient for them euery one in their times and places Neither hath any of them told as much of the will of God as might bee declared nor fully expounded his Lawes but the Patriarkes left some to the Prophets and the Prophets left some to the Apostles but they haue left none for vs but they haue all set open the whole will of God vnto vs and euery Prophet now bringeth only golde myrthe and frankencense like the wise men that came to see our Lord. There are three things that mooued mee to take this story in hand aboue all others First because you know the story and therefore can the better conceiue of the matter as I goe forward with it Secondly because it is briefe and doth containe a great deale in a little Thirdly because it is most agreeable for the time and state of this sinful age wherein we liue and therefore most cunenient for vs. Jt is manifest that Ionah lined in a very troublesome time namely in the time of Ieroboam the soune of Ioash King of Israel a wicked King though not hee that is called the Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne For of this second Ieroboam in whose time he prophecied it is written 2. King 14. 24. he departed not from any of the sinnes of Ieroboam that made Israel to sin which
is in vs more then other men but for your sakes that we might reueale it to you Therfore heare vs euen for this cause because the Lord hath reuealed vnto vs these things for your sakes and good From the calling we come to the charge Arise and goe to Niniue that great c. God commeth and findeth vs all asleepe then he bids vs arise for they are not fit to conuert others which are not yet conuerted themselues according to that saying of Christ to Peter When thou art conuerted strengthen Luk. 22. 30. thy brethren teaching them by your experience Now adaies men take vpon them to reprooue others for committing such things as themselues haue practised and do practise without amendement notwithstanding their diligence in teaching others their dutie they can teach all the doctrine of Christ sauing three syllables that is Fellow me Therefore these are like some Taylors which are very busie in decking and tricking vp of others but goe both bare and beggerly themselues Yet they will not let vs plucke out the more that is in their eyes vntill wee haue plucked out the beame which is in our owne eyes Go to Niniuie Niniuie was the greatest and the antientest Citie in the land of Assyria and the name of it signified Beautifull which name was giuen it rather for the greatnesse and beautie thereof then for the name of Ashur which was the builder and first founder thereof as we reade in the booke of Genesis It had a faire name but foule deedes like this Citie Gen. 10. 12. Goeto Niniuie c. God would not suffer any people to bee vntaught therefore he hath written this name in great letters easie to bee read of all The heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth the work of his hands They haue no speech nor language without them is their Psal 19. 1. 2. 3. voyce heard Their line is gone foorth through all the earth their words into the ends of the world In them Rom. 1. 19. 20. is manifest for all what may bee knowne of God For his eternall power and God head are seene by the creation of the world but especially hee teacheth some by his word also Therefore he sent vnto the old world Noah Gen. 6. Gen. 19. Act. 16. 6. Lot to Sodome Moises to Israel and heere Ionah to Niniuie But when Paul with Silas and Timothy had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia they were forbidden of the Holy ghost to preach the word in Asia Then came they to Mysia and sought to goe into Bithynia but the spirit suffered them not Goe to Niniuie The Iewes would not heare the wod of God by Ionah and therefore the Lord sent him to Niniuie They that griue the spirit quench the spirit Then goes the Prophet from Samaria to Niniuie The word was in Samaria it went thence to Niniuie the Gospell was at Ephesus it is come into England it is gone out of the Citie Reu. 2. 4. 5. 1. Cor. 10. 12. but it may depart from England againe If any thinke that he standeth let him take heede left he fall But the Prophet goes from Samaria to Niniuie that was both to shake off the dust of his feete to witnesse against them their obstinacie and hardnes of heart and secondly to let them see that the wicked Gentiles were more righteous then they in that they repented at the voyce of one Prophet yea and that with one sermon whereas themselues refused and resisted all the holy and worthy Prophets that God sent vnto them And thirdly it may bee to signifie that the Iewes for their contempt and negligence should be reiected and the Gentiles should be receiued into the fauor of God that they might bee an holy and sanctified people vnto the Lord in their trouble That great Citie Niniuie had fifteen hundred towers in it as some doe Ion 2. 4. 11. write and a hundred twenty thousand little children as it is noted in the end of this story therefore it may well be called a great City but the greater it was the more vngodly it was For as one man taketh sicknesse of another so one man is infected by the wicked wordes and ill example of another and so taught to sinne the more till the measure of sinne be full And cry against it c. First God biddeth him Arise and shake off all impediments then to goe and call them to the battell and now he bids him cry out against them and so terrifie them Euery Prophet is a crier as appeareth where the Lord biddeth Esay to lift vp his voice like a trumpet Euery Esay 48. 1. Prophet must both bee plaine and bold and this many times maketh the poore seruants of God to speake their mindes as plaine and bold as if they sate in iudgement Iohn was a voyce a voyce would not serue he was Luk. 3. the voice of a cryer and yet hee could not make all the crooked straight nor the rough plaine And because all the Preachers of the Gospell should cry that is preach zealously in the second of the Actes it is written The Holy ghost came downe in fire and tongues but this fire is quenched and the tongues are tied vp so that they that should cry are starke dumbe but though they cannot speake they can see they can see if a great benefice fall though it be an hundred miles off and Pharaoh had more care of his sheepe then wee haue of our soules If Preachers were not deafe they needed not to crie one to another but such is the dumbnesse of Preachers and the deafenes of all sorts of hearers that there is great slownesse of followers so that there is but little good done and but a few fruits gathered If ye were not deafe we neede not to crie but because yee be dull of hearing therefore wee cry with mouth with heart with hand with foote and with all the powers of our bodies vnto you and yet how little do you regard it But are not ye commanded to heare as well as we to cry Yet the cocke croweth when men are asleep Mat. 36. 70. 72. 74. Prou. 28. 9. yea the cocke croweth and still Peter yet denieth his Master Before you cry vnto the Lord heare what the word crieth vnto you and let not your workes crie for vengeance while your tongues cry for mercie When men heare the Preacher speake against pride hypocrisie couetousnesse or anie other sinne then they looke one vpon another as though it belonged not vnto them but who can say his heart is cleane And cry against it Our sins buffet God on euerie side as the Iewes buffeted Christ first on the right side then on the left side and neuer leaue till they haue prouoked him to cry against vs. When God cries then we should weepe considering wherefore hee cries for there is nothing that can prouoke the Lord to cry but sinne
euery way gaine well by his labour Therefore he comes to Ionah he flatters him he tempts him thus he begins with him It is good that men looke before they leape haste makes waste words are not alwaies to betaken as they properly signifie one thing is often spoken and another meant but thinkest thou God meaneth thou shouldest goe to Niniuy Why doth he regard idolaters and his professed enemies so that to haue them admonished of their ruine he will bring shame vpon his own people for the very going of a Prophet from Israel to preach to Niniuy must needs proclaime that there is more hope of most sinfull Gentiles then of naturall Israelites And how couldest thou seeme so to thinke of thine owne Nation thine owne brethren thine owne blood the chosen of God Or if thou doe shalt thou not thereby procure their vtter hatred for euer and make them to detest both thy person and whatsoeuer thy preaching whatsoeuer thou hast heeretofore or heareafter shalt teach them What for thy faithfull prophecying heere among Gods people will God thinkest thou recompence thee thee whom he hath made reuerend and to be honoured of Kings and Princes of Israel recompence I say thee with shame and contempt among heathens yea with a cruell death or with a more miserable life For what other successe may bee hoped for at the Niniuites hands of such a message by thee For thou knowest they haue all Iewes in contempt therefore when thou shalt come among them and tell them not these few words onely and in this forme which God hath spoken them in for if thou so doe who will not count thee rather a mad-man then Gods Prophet But at large that there is one all-seeing most iust almighty and euerliuing God and no moe and so all their gods are no gods but idols and that they aboue all other haue giuen his glory to stockes and stones worshipping them for gods alluring and enforcing others likewise to dishonor him that they haue abused his blessings most vnthankfully most vngodly to all excesse and are most proud contemners of their betters most notorious drunkards gluttons fornicators adulterers theeues oppressors witches murtherers and the like therefore haue so prouoked him that is most merciful patient that he will without all pity destroy man woman yong and old high and low amongst them yea their very Citie also and all that is therein whereby they haue beene so wicked and that within fortie daies When J say thou being a Iew shalt tell them this thus in despight reuile for so they will take it thus vtterly condemne them and their gods will not the best of them mocke and despise thee will not the rest gnash their teeth at thee bee readie to teare thee in peeces put thee to exquisite torments condemne thee to some horrible death or continue thee in intollerable paines in a most bitter life No question Thinke not therefore that thy good God thy most kind and tender father will recompence thy faithfulnes with sending thee so far to sustaine such misery It were impiety to think he willed it it is blasphemy terrible blasphemy to think he commaÌ„ds it for it is to condemne him of vnkindnes for thou hast shewed feruent loue of vntruth for hee hath promised it should go wel with the iust of iniustice for godlinesse should haue the reward due onely to wickednesse Yea he should seeme contrary to himselfe to charge thee cruelly to murther thy selfe which hath commanded all to kill none if he should will thee to prouoke that bloody citie so But the very thing it selfe also argueth God meant nothing lesse then to commit thee to such danger or that thou shouldst do to the proud Niniuites such a message For to what end shouldst thou so cry against that Citie to make them flie and so to free them from destruction How sholdst thou then not bee found a false Prophet and God a lier What then To bring them to repentance then to spare them how should not God so againe be found vntrue thou his lying messenger what then To conuert them and so to destroy them what iustice were that and how contrary to his promise to Salomon 2. Sam. 7. 14. Therefore it is manifest God meant not thou shouldst go and cry so against Niniuie but signified that thou wert as good for any good may be done here to exclaime so like a frantike man against Niniuie as to preach in Samaria any longer now Men here are so hardned that they contemne all part are so cloyed that they loath all the best part little esteeme all that is preached of none is the word accounted pretious of none reuerently heard and therefore thou shouldest for a time to make the word pretious and to sharpen mens affections towards it giue ouer preaching heere and where thou wilt refresh thy selfe a while Now heere thou maiest not be idle at Tarshish thou maiest be quiet thou maiest at Taishish that famous Citie among the strangers of many Countries heare many strange things much delight thy self in the variety of their maners in the abundance of all things with great pleasure liue No time so fit as this to see the worlde At Iapho thou canst not want shipping thither Seeme not to make small account of this kindnesse of God defraud not thy selfe of the graunted good Thus Sathan is euer crossing tempting enticing vs when wee are or should be addressing our selues to doe the will of our God So was Moises Ieremy Ezechiel Exo. 3. 11. 4. 10. 13. Ier. 1 6. â—ze 3. 14 15. Neh. 2. 19. 4. 2 8. 5. 5. 6. 6. 7. 10. Luk. 22. 31. 32 Matth 4. 1. Lâ—k 4. 2. â— 13 1. Pet. 5. 8. Nehemiah Christ himselfe tempted being about most notable workes What said our Sauiour to Peter Sathan hath desired to sift and winnow you as wheate Who are these whose perill sathan so earnestly desireth Euen Peters and Iames and Iohns No maruaile for Christ himselfe though acknowledged the Sonne of God was most fiercely assaulted of the tempter fortie daies and then indeed was left but it was onely for a season Luke 4. 13. Therefore neuer dreame of a truce with Sathan whosoeuer thou be whatsoeuer thou art about to doe For the enemy the enuious foe the tempter the false accuser goeth about continually seeking whom he may deuoure Now his manner of tempting is first and most vsually with flattering but yet very often with most terrible threatning For whatsoeuer we doe or feele commeth from one of these three spirits the spirit of sathan the Spirit of God or our spirit Now our owne spirit of it selfe is alwaies occupied about worldly things seeking delights in pleasures not disquiet by threats The spirit of God is gentle louing and meeke not forcing nor threatning Therefore Christ saith If any will follow me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse daily c. Luke 19. 23. And mark his spirit he saith
TVVO SERMONS PREACHED BY Master HENRY SMITH with a Prayer for the morning thereunto adioyned And published by a more perfect Copy then heeretofore I 〈◊〉 to dy I dy to liue AT LONDON Printed for William Leake dwelling in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Holy-Ghost 1610. The Contents 1 The sinners conuersion 2. The sinners confession 3. A Prayer for the Morning THE SINNERS Conuersion The Text. Luke 29. verses 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 Now when Iesus entred and passed through Iericho 2 Behold there was a man named Zaccheus which was the chiefe receiuer of the tribute and he was rich 3 And he sought to see Iesus who he should be and could not for the prease because he was of a low stature 4 Wherefore he ranne before and climbed vp into a wild Figge-tree that hee might see him for he should come that way 5 And when Iesus came to the place bee looked vp and saw him and said vnto him Zaccheus come down at once for to day I must abide at thine house IN the end of the Chapter before going we may see how Christ healed a man blinde in his bodily sight namely Bartimeus whereby hee sheweth himselfe to be the Physitian of the body Here we shall see how he cured one blinde in minde namely Zaccheus whereby he sheweth himselfe to bee Ephe. 5. 23. the Physitian of the soule and therefore the Sauiour of the whole man In speaking of Zaccheus and his conuersion we will obserue foure circumstances First the place where he was called which was Iericho secondly the person that was called Zaccheus the Publican Thirdly by whom how he was called by the voyce of Christ And lastlie the effect and fruit of his calling his good confession The first circumstance First therefore for the place where he was conuerted it appeareth to be Jericho a citie not farre distant from Jerusalem It was somtime a notable Citie till it was Iosu 6. subuerted and ruinated by the Lords Champion Josua 1. Reg. 16. 34. It was builded againe in the dayes of Ahab by Hiel the Bethelite and remaineth at this day with the rest of that holy Land vnder the Turkish Empire Vnto this Iericho the Lord of heauen and earth vouchsafeth to come in the likenes of a seruant And as Iosua cōpassed Iericho seauen times minding to destroy it so Christ the true Iosua resorted oftentimes to Iericho minding to saue it But as in the destruction of Iericho Iosua spared none but Rahab the harlot so Iesus in his iourney to Iericho conuerted none but Zaccheus the Publican When Iosua had conquered and raced Iericho he sowed salt in it to make it barren and cursed him that should attempt to build it vp yet in this barren soile Christ hath his spirituall haiuest and in this cursed Cittie he hath a holy Temple a blessed building Samaria that wicked city affordeth many that beleeue in Christ Iohn 4. 39. And out of Galile from whence they thought no good thing might come Iohn 1. verse 46. Christ called diuers of his Apostles and euen in Iericho Ioh. 7. 52. this cursed Citie Christ hath a rich man that is to be saued In euery place Christ hath his chosen There is neither Iew nor Gentile Barbarian nor Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all in all to all that call vpon him Rom. 10. 12. The second circumstance Now followeth the description of Zaccheus which is most plainly fully set foorth vnto vs. The holy ghost speaking of Zaccheus and his conuersion comes in with an Ecce Behold as if it were a wonder that Zaccheus should be conuerted Zaccheus was a Gentile a Publican and a rich man and therefore behold a myracle as if in the conuersion of Zaccheus these three should be conuerted at once Zaccheus was a Gentile a maruell to see a Gentile become a Iew that is to beleeue in Christ Hee was a Matth. 19. 28. principall Publican a strange thing to see a chiefe customer to giue ouer his office and he was rich also a rare matter to see a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God and therefore behold a miracle as if at this day the Turke Pope and the King of Spaine were at once Rom. 2. 28. perswaded to forsake their idolatry and superstition Christ going to Ierusalem conuerteth a Gentile to signifie the calling of the Gentiles he conuerteth a publican to shew that notorious sinners may hope to bee saued if they repent and amend as Zaccheus did He conuerteth a rich man to shew that al rich men are not excluded from the kingdome of heauen He was called Zaccheus before his conuersiō but hee was neuer truely called Zaccheus till Christ called him so His name signifying simple pure honest but his life was subtill impure and most detestable Thus many are called by honest names whose deedes be wray their dishonest natures and vices oftentimes are shrowded in the habits of vertue like Aesopes Asse masking in the Lions skinne till his long eares detect his follie or like the Crowe that is deckt in others plumes till euery bird doe plucke his feather Zaccheus by his profession was a Publican and therefore much detested of the Iewes for Publicans were Roman officers appointed to gather and receiue publique custome or tribute of the Iewes who were at that time in subiection to the Romanes And amongst these Officers Zaccheus was the chiefe and as it seemeth Ouerseer of the rest that were in Iericho and therefore in chiefe hatred among the Iewes as one that chiefely fauoured the Romans tyranny and serued to abridge their country liberty which ought not to be subiect to any Nation Besides he contemned the ceremonies of the Iewes and regarded not their religion nor liued after their law and therefore with the rest of the heathen Publicans was excommunicate out of their synagogue Matth. cha 18. Thus was he hated for his profession because he was a Publican and for his religion because he was a heathen Yet was he beloued for his wealth for rich men haue many friendes Prou. 14. 20. And though they doe neuer so wickedly yet haue they some to take their parts If they speak neuer so proudly yet are there some to praise their saying Eccle. 13. 23. 24. Zaccheus was a Publican and therefore rich for Publicans must needes be rich and vsurers will be wealthy But rich Publicans make poore Princes and wealthy vsurers make many beggars In euery prouince there were many Publicans and therefore much poore people in euery place for where there be many caterpillets the fruit is soone consumed where there be many extortioners beggars must needs abound By the Law of God there might be no beggars in Israel but when so many Publicans were suffered to receiue Deut. 15. tribute of the Iewes contrary to Gods lawe no maruell though so many sate and begged contrary to Gods lawe Luke 18. Iohn 9. Acts 3. By the lawe of God there