God in those words of the Prophet Daniel O Lord let thine anger be turned away leâ—…t because of our sinnes and the sinnes of our Fathers Hierusalem and thy people be made a reproach For as in the eyes of that All-seeing Majestie a Thousand years are but as one day so are as many generations but as one man Now in a single offender 't is mercy that expects repentance a long time though for neglecting it the punishment be infflicted afterward with greater severity So is it in respect of whole Nations 't is the goodnesse of God that throughout so many ages attends their conversion yet must that Kingdome dread the more fearfull ruin which hath enlarged her transgressions by perpetuity Amalek rebelled in the time of Moses and was then threatned with eternall hatred as appears Exodus 17th at the 14th verse but succeeding ages and the sinnes of Amaleks posterity brought down that horrour of punishment of which Saul 1 Sam. 14. was ordained to be Executioner Nor was posterity then punisht for the Fathers sinne alone for as 't is evident Amalek still maintained enmity against Israel the people of God whereas had they from a conscience of their Fathers sinne sued out pardon for those first offences probably the punishment had not been of so high a nature where the transgression should have been found of lesse continuance Neither may this conscience of sinne past arise onely from a fear of Temporal afflictions No unhappy and Frail men that we are we may be again and again perplexed with the guilt of those very transgressions which we once thought and verily perswaded our selves were forgiven For the infant-issue must needs faint when the Mother languisheth and when our Faith is so mix'd with doubting our joy must needs be subject to much inconstancy and if in the case of eternal salvation it self our confidence may be buffetted sometimes with contrary fears and almost degenerate into despair much more as to the matter onely of Forgivenesse of sin may our peace be again molested with perplexity In the 51th Psalm while David entreats pardon of God for that complicate sin which he committed in the case of Bathshebah and Vriah that is murthering the Husband and defiling the Wife see he becomes burthened on the sudden with the conscience of all his former transgressions there he makes confession of his original guilt and humbly entreats pardon for all his Actual offences Dele omnes iniquitates meas saith he at the 10th verse Lord blot out all mine iniquities whatsoever and at the 12th redde mihi laetitiam c. O give me the comfort of thy help again and Stablish me with thy free Spirit And if a justified man may not be again troubled with a conscience of sins past whence came that prayer of this same Prophet â—…s 25th at the 6. verse Remember not O Lord the sinnes of my youth shall we think David so carelesse as not to have long before this time entreated pardon for his youthfull transgressions or that God himself so little regarded his prayer whom his very soul loved as that though he had begg'd yet he had not obtained pardon for them no doubt he had of a long time felt good assurance and a sensible Testimony that such his sinnes were forgiven him and yet upon consideration of those many miseries which befell him from Sauls malice and Doegs treachery he groans again under the former burthen and begins to accuse the sins of his youth as cause that his riper years were expos'd to such afflictions But what do you say a man once purg'd may be so many waies burthened again with a conscience of sinne may his past offences again after purgation after his being justified and acquitted from them by the blood of Christ affright him with fear sometimes of Temporal sometimes of eternal punishment where 's then the Truth of my Apostles Doctrine worshippers once purg'd have no more conscience of sin To answer you briefly it holds in these two senses First and absolutely in respect of that conscience of sinne which we called ex parte victimae they that are once purg'd in the blood of the lamb do not with those Hebrews which my Apostle deals with in the Text again thirst after any further sacrifice but their consciences rest fully assured that all sinnes whatsoever may be perfectly done away by Christs one and great oblation Secondly it may be understood also in some sense in respect of that conscience of sinne which we called ex parte reatus but not so absolutely here as in the other because not at all times nor upon all occasions For the Saints have many fallings there is no man living that sinneth not even the just man himself as the Scripture speaketh falleth that is sinneth more or lesse grievously seven times a day and by consequence wounds and loads his conscience with the guilt of sinne however it is certain that at some times also the true servants of God men truely justified and regenerate have their hearts so sprinckled with the blood of Christ by faith and are so united with God by a full assurance of the forgivenesse of sin and sense of Gods love and favour towards them that they have no conscience that is no sense no fear of guilt at all for any of their offences whatsoever For as they are at some special times assured of their salvation so are they likewise in the same hours of comfort assured of the remission of all sin Fear not then thou fainting Christian fear not nor be dismaied although thy tender and timorous conscience affrights thee sometimes perhaps with the remembrance even of those transgressions whose pardon thou hast heretofore upon sure grounds no way distrusted be not much troubled at them seeing thou hast the remedy almost in thine own hands Whensoever thou findest them thus to return upon thee distracting thy thoughts and disturbing thy repose cast thy self upon God confesse them again wash them both in the blood of Christ by Faith and in thine own tears by contrition and hearty sorrow so shall thy good God who doubtlesse upon thy first repentance did truely remit and pardon them unto thee upon thy second confession and tears make thee become a second time and much more certain of thy absolution I say confesse them again For although the Iesuite Salmeron I mean be pleased to give us such an observation as this in his commentaries upon this chapter ad iterandas confessiones nullâ lege arctamur aut Evangelicâ aut Apostolicâ There 's no Law ties us to make often confession of the same sinne viz. which we have once already duly confessed yet though lawes be silent I think I have shewed examples namely of that man after Gods own heart that royal penitent and Prophet King David of the Prophet Daniel and diverse others that might be alleged which although they tye not our belieâ—…e perhaps as to a matter of Faith or Divine precept as the Iesuite pretends yet I suppose their bare practice deserves our Imitation better and is more safely followed than his opinion especially in caâ—…es of great distresse and where special comfort is necessary to quiet and allay the Agony of Spirit But I shall not enter into surther controversie with him God who comforteth Hierusalem comfort the mourners that are in Israel comfort all such as groan under the conscience and guilt of sinÌ„ne restore True peace unto their souls give them all necessary and full assurance of the remission of their sins here through Faith in the blood of Christ and afterwards advance them to Glory and to the Fruition of those comforts which shall never fail by the same Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons one Eternal Almighty and most merciful God be all Honour and Adoration given of all creatures now and for ever Amen THE END
know it follows their end is to be burnt If our good works be fruit it follows they ought not to make us proud nor to puff us up with any vain imaginations as though they had deserved that God should favour us For tell me when Noah had bestowed great paines in planting a vineyard do you think he was beholding to his slips that they brought forth graps Beloved we are Gods vineyard he hath planted us he hath set an hedge about us and therefore to bring forth the fruits of a Godly life is not our kindnesse but our duty This truth is yet further manifested by the verse next following My Apostle had lately received a contribution from Philippi and yet thus he speaks of it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I have received all things {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is a word very emphatical it signifies to receive by way of due debt as a Prince receives his Tribute or a Lord his rent for so 't is expounded by Saint Chrysostome a Greek Father and therefore one that knew well the property of my Apostles language Observe hence when you minister â—…nto the Saints necessities you do but pay what you owe and such works I hope you will confess are not to be accounted as your liberality but as Gods Tribute You have heard the difference between Gifts and Fruits and I doubt not but the bare Narration of it hath soon taught you which to practise For Iacob needed no other inducement to chuse Rachel before her Sister Leah than that the one was bleare-eyed but the other beautifull The disproportion here is of a farre greater consequence bare Gifts are dead and unprofitable but Fruits are of a weighty value the Testimonies of our Faith and the pledges of our Salvation If neither Grace nor yet Reason hath taught you which to chuse learn at least to rely upon Saint Pauls Authority I desire not a Gift but I desire Fruit which I call'd my Second part and I must now explain it to you I desire not a Gift but I desire Fruit To know the true worth of this Apostolique assertion we must as well enquire how Saint Paul then liv'd as what he wrote we must look as well into his life as his Epistle You must understand therefore that he was now at â—…ome a prisoner under Nero the Emperor whither the Jews malice constrained him to appeal as Saint Luke relates it from his own confession in the last of the Acts at the 19th verse He was now indeed in a very Strange Land forc'd to converse with Romans Strangers to his person with Gentiles Strangers to his Religion and which makes his case farre more lamentable There was a Nero and a Paul together the most Zealous Apostle under the most Savage Tyrant You see Beloved he is a miserable object his condition and in all likely hood his wants also not unfit for a whole Church to exercise their charity upon Here 's an Apostle in necessity in prison and that under a cruel Prince among Strange people The Philippians hear news of his Estate and presently in a Religious bounty they make Collections for him and dispatch them to him by Epaphroditus who in their names was both to Salute and relieve the prisoner It may be thought nothing could be more welcome to the Apostle at this time nothing more welcome than wealth in stead of want than the Almes of Philippi in the midst of his great extremity But men of that opinion are ignorant of Saint Pauls abundance He could truely say of himself what the Comaedian put into the mouth of his Actor omnia habeo nec quicquam habeo nihil cum est nihil deest tamen I have all things and yet possesse nothing there 's nothing about me and yet I want nothing For contentment is a large possession and the man truly full is not he that hath eaten most but he that 's satisfied They are his own words in this present Chapter I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me How all things hear ye Elders of Philippi what need is there of your Churches bounty Saint Paul wants nothing he hath already all the wealth he desires and 't is but a Thanklesse expence to enrich a man beyond his wishes Indeed had these Philippians in a seeming Holinesse sent but their wealth a bare Gift onely his chain had been more welcome than their Benevolence Saint Paul would have more esteem'd the bonds of Christ than the riches of hypocrisie But when under the shadow of this outward bounty he descryes the inward Truth of a Sincere affection when he perceiv'd it an odour of a sweet smell a Sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God then he breaks out I rejoyced in the Lord greatly that your care of me hath Flourished not because I desire a Gift but I desire Fruit not that I coveâ—… my own wealth but your Salvation A generous mind you see and fit for an Apostles breast he scorns to be relieved but by the hand of Faith and can be as well content with the pangs of hunger as the Gifts of Infidelity Indeed had the Philippians been yet but hypocrites my Apostle might with a good conscience have used their bounty for it came to him by deed of Gift and there is no fairer Title to any possession But he is not so content to please him they must send as well Fruits as Gifts they must send such presents as may abound no lesse to their accounts than to his necessity otherwise they may satisfy his wants perhaps but not his desire 'T is a rule in the Mathematicks that Rectum est index curvi the best way to discover a Crooked line is to compare it with one that is straight You know 't is a straight square that must tell the workman whether his timber be straight or uneven The case is with us as with Lines Beloved Men of a crooked disposition are then best known when they are compared with others of an upright heart and the onely way to discover a false Philippian is to examine his Actions by Saint Pauls example He was in want you heard and yet desires not Gifts except they were Fruits too How farre then do those poor decline from the straight steps of his Apostle who scarse either desire the one or respect the other but had rather be beholding to their own theft and cousenage than either to the Fruits of other mens Faith or to the Gifts of their vain Glory Indeed such men may usurp upon that speech of Saint Paul these hands minister to my necessities but 't is not of their own but their neighbours goods The covetous person may here examin himself and strait way discover the errour of his life Saint Paul was poor and yet desires not wealth
even from his youth up with that rich youngster in the Gospel to have kept the Tenour of all the other nine Commandements very strictly Now Herodem omne fert tempus as the Oratour said of Clodius There are a multitude of Herods in all ages our works are no better than his imperfect for the most part few there are that go beyond this Galilaean in Holinesse go beyond do I say nay may I not wish we did but equal him and came up to him he heard and did many things we hear and do just nothing The voice of our Preachers now is as the voice of the Prophets were of old Ezek. 32. 32. we detain your eares our Sermons are perhaps unto you as a lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice you are content to hear our words but the world sees and your own conscience telleth you you do them not I speak this of the greater part of our hearers in these daies And as for them who think they ought to be excepted out of the list as being neither idle nor curious nor unprofitable hearers but doers of the word Alas how uncontroulably true is that of Bion in Seneca of us omnia hominum negotia simillima sunt initiis all cur doings what are they but as it were beginnings to do aslaâ—…es rather than aâ—…chievements endeavours at least as we make our selves believe and God grant we do not in that thing very often deceive our own soules endeavours I say rather than performances This man perhaps goes so farre in Religion as to check all Temptations of unbeleeving thoughts yet gives no check to his lust but cherishes that and gives it the reigns of liberty even to excesse and scandal if this man be a hearer as there are such not a few what doth he but at the same time confesse God and provoke his Maker Another perhaps goes further and with a Godly fortitude resists the assaults of those carnal and brutish lusts but in the mean time yeelds to pride and busies himself perpetually with the fancy of his own perfections or to covetuousnesse and instead of worshipping stocks and stones worships his Golden wedge Such hearers as these wherein are they better than Herod either Herod Antipas here in the Text who did many things as good as any they do or Herod Agrippa in the Acts chap. 26. who professeth himself but half a Christian Not that I hold an absolute perfection in all good works necessary to the attainment of that saving Title for then the Disciples of Christ must have been called Christians in Heaven onely not at Antioch but I require the absence of all darling and beloved sinnes I require that no Sin that is no kind of sin reign in your mortal bodies I require that you give not your selves up to any evâ—…l customes of vice in wâ—…at kind soever whether of pride sensuality covetousnesse revenge detraction lying envy or the like I require that you mortify and resist all inclinations and pronenesse unto sin in every kind and that with all possible care faithfuâ—…lnesse and diligence because hee 's no lesse a slave that is commanded by some one than he that groanes under the Tyranny of many Masters Be perfect therefore as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Reverence his Ministers not so much because thou seest them wise or honoured by the State or rich but because they are the Embassadors of that great peace which the God of Heaven hath granted and by them publisheth and confirmeth unto the inhabitants of the earth Hear his word gladly not because it is sometimes attended with the content of temporal and carnal allurements but because it brings promise of remission of sinnes and eternal life to penitent sinners And to those many things which I presume the worst of you all does perform in the service of God and in order to your everlasting happinesse at some time or other adde the forbearance the diligent carefull and conscientious forbearance of all beloved and customary sinne So shall he who vouchsafed this Herod in the Text the honour of a temporal kingdome make you partakers of his own kingdome which is eternal and Crown you with that immarcessible Crown of Glory which he hath prepared for all that love him He grant it us to all who hath so dearly bought us Jesus Christ c. The Third SERMON HEBREVVS 10. 1 2. For the Law having a shadow of good Things to come and not the very Image of the Things can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the commers thereunto perfect For then would not they have ceas'd to be offered because the worshippers once purg'd should have had no more conscience of Sin TO confute Jewish Blasphemies in a Christian Assembly were to give Medicines for a Fever to cure the Palsie which promiseth I think as little health to the Patient as it doth credit to the Physician Indeed my Author who here bâ—…speaks these Hebrews a Nation that strangely doted on their legal Ceremonies did most profitably make the imperfection of their Law the subject of his discourse it being the most proper and persuasive argument to win them from those servile Elements unto the glorious libertie of the Sons of God But the contrary distempers of our Auditories require Treatings of another nature Here 's none that expect their part in the Covenant should be seal'd to them by the Sacrament of Circumcision none that pretend to Râ—…mission of Sins by virtue of any Oblations of Levi Lastly I dare be confident here 's none that looks for Iustification by the works of the moral Law although perhaps it might be wished our practice therein were a little more Jewish so our Faith conâ—…inued Christian In these points it may not be denyed but our understandings enjoy a very Health of Truth only we languish in our other faculties and our Actions are farr unanswerable to our Beleeâ—… We have those whose consciences are already dead in their Sins and they must be quickened we have others who groan under the burthen of an accusing conscience and they must be comforted My Text considered in it self gives occasion of many such particulars I shall therefore by your patience first briefly repeat the Argument wherein it hath pleased my Apostle to place his grand Proposition and then handle â—…t singly and alone without relation to its other circumstances He disputes tâ—…uâ—… Those worshippers who have been once purg'd are no more troubled with a conscience of Sins That 's his Major proposition But the Jews after all their Sacrifices were still burthened with a conscience of Sins for otherwise what needed those annually repeated oblations for the same offences There 's his Minor The Conclusion Therefore they were not throughly purged by their legal Sacrifices and consequently the Sacrifices themselves unperfect because not able to bring the worshippers or those who offered them to perfection You see then my Text contains a Maxime
indifferency their mouths would scarsely have offended their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} nâ—… would their Consciences have ever check'd for eating part of the Heathenish Sacrifices But their knowledge or persuasion concerning that being but doubtâ—…ul and imperfect begat in them that affliction which might well be called a weak Conscience I mean ex parte causae because it proceeded from so grosse a weaknesse in their understanding Neither yet do I free Conscience it self from partaking somewhat in the calamity of Adams fall whereby as the other Faculties of the Soul so likewise this of Conscience hath lost much of her primitive Integrity It 's now become dull and unapt to attend so exactly as it should to what the understanding directs it s become sluggish and will not alwayes speak though knowledge hath given its full and cleer information No doubt David knew perfectly that to be an Adulterer was by the law of God to be accursed yet how long did his sleepy Conscience conceal the sad consequence which she should have inferred and suggested to him upon his attempt with Balshebah How long did she forbear to tell him Thou hast committed Adultery with Vriahs wife Therefore thou art accursed David was many Months some say a whole year before his Conscience spake to him and wakened him to that good Confession I have sinned against the Lord Nay this power was so farr decayed and as it were stupifyed in him that probably it had still continued silent had not Nathan prompted it God must send a Prophet to supply the negligence of his carelesse Conscience that so though it of it self had no power to speak yet with Rock and Mountains to help it it might be able to give an Eccho to what he should deliver when he made that dreadful remonstrance to David 2 Sam. 12. 17. Thou art the man Thou hast slayn Vriah the Hittite with the sword and thou hast taken his Wife to be thy Wife and therefore thou art accursed the sword shall not depart from thy house thy wives shal be given to thy Neighbour I consesse then this Faculty of the Soul Conscience is in it self some time distempered and may then very well undergoe the censure and name of a Sinning Consciece But my Text speaks of another sort of Malady which troubles and infests the Conscience while Conscience is in it self in perfect health and diligently accuseth Sin only the worshippers themselves are out of Tune they are distempered The Discase then that I am now to declare and treat of is a Malady not so much in as from the Conscience Conscience now supplyes the place rather of a Discoverer than a Receiver and may properly enough bear divers special Appellations according as it stands divided or looking unto several degrees of Sin I will name only two at present There is conscientia peccati ex partereatus A Conscience which not only Testifies we have sinned but affrights us too with the guilt of Sin and makes us out of a Iense of our own unworthinesse and the deepnesse of our guilt to doubt of pardon which fear yet if it be moderate doth not utterly dismay or drive us to despair of it Secondly there is conscientia peccati ex parte victimae a Conscience which not only questions our Sins but our Attonement too not only tells us we want a pardon but that to procure it we stand in need of a farther Sacrifice This is it which my Apostle chiefly insinuates according to St. Chrysostomes exposition {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in that the Jews did offer Sacrifice it shews that they had a Conscience which accused themselves of Sin but that they did it continually argues they had a Conscience too which accused their Sacrifices of imperfection Whether I have now rightly named Conscience of Sin a Disease or not let Galen himself be judge Bring him a man whose guilty thoughts do most clamorously affright him with the fearful alarums of some crying Sin let him see his countenance distracted his face withered his flesh consumed Let his bones be vext as were Davids in this case and let his moisture be like the drought in Summer either his rules contain noâ—… a perfect survey of our bodily infirmities or else they must confesse this man distempered But could we see likewise those aniatus ictus as Socrates speaks in Tacitâ—… those wounds and stripes which so dreadfully afflict his threatned Soul could we see his confused thoughts choaking one another could we see how all his Meditations and purposes are made abortive before they be halfborn we should soon conclude him not only Sick but that his Disease is past Galens help that no earthly Pharmacon or Dose how Soveraign soever to the Body can do him good and consequently that he ought to be sent to my Apostle for remedy which is contained in my second part and I am now to speak of it namely of The Remedy of this Disease Part 2. We â—…eed not distrust the efficacy of that Medicine wherein the Physician himself disdainâ—…s not to become the chief ingredient and this will appear to be our case if you 'l but hear Saint Iohn describe the potion The blood of Iesus Christ saith he chap. the first of his first Epistle cleanseth us from all Sinne This then is that Divine Catholicon that all-sufficient remedy which God from all eternity ordained for the cure of mankind and which in the fullnesse of time he sent into the world to that purpose that is actually to effect the work by altering of Religion and changing the present shadows and imperfections into Truths and substances the many and but empty Ceremonies by which the world was then busiâ—…d into one absolute and well-pleasing Sacrifice So my Text hath it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} This great cure was to be wrought at once and is therefore perfect because it needs no repetition For that faith which the Synagogue professed was therefore necessarily attended with a conscience of sins because she expressely taught and prescribed to her followers a reiteration of sacrifices for that must needs cause them to suspect the sufficiency of each former Attonment But the very Tenour of our most holy profession fully cures us of that doubting disease in as much as it plainly assured us that Christ having once suffered the wrath of God exacts no further satisfaction So my Apostle in the 9th chap. of this present Epistle at the 26th verse In the end of the world saith he hath he appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himself Dares Rome then tread the steps of old Hierusalem doth she affect to turn this very remedy into a disease For what else is her sacrifice of the Masse wherein their profession is that they dayly offer up again the body of Christ thinking by their sacrilegious repetitions to adde some new suficiency to that great oblation So truely may it in these Christian