taken the possession of all the parts about vs of al the powers and faculties of euery part but also it hath brought forth infinite fruites in vs to eternall condemnation Whereupon the prophet Dauid in his 19. Psa. cryeth out Who can vnderstand his faults O clense me from my secret sins Now beloued if our sins wicked transgressions be so many that we cānot number them nor vnderstand them all they be so hidden in heapes in euery mēber about vs the wages of euery one sin yea euen of the least that can bee cōmitted is death as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 6. then again how great is this death which lieth vpon vs Here lieth the man that was trauailing betweene Ierusalem and Iericho bleeding by the high waies side hauing receiued his deadly wound and being already more then half dead wherefore except that good Samaritan Christ Iesus doth shortly powre in wine and oyle into our wounds me must needes perish eternally Fiftly that wee might yet the better and more cleerely see into our owne miserie we must goe vnto Gods lawe which is our looking glasse for that will shewe vs the very least moate of sinne that cleaueth vnto vs and when wee are come hither alasse this will cast vs all downe vpon our faces Oh sayth the Apostle Rom 7. I once was aliue without the lawe but when the commaundement came sinne reuiued Wee thinke that we are iolly fellowes and that we are in case good enough vntill wee looke our faces in Gods glasse and alas then we see nothing but death and then we crie out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death This teacheth thee that if thou art but angrie with thy brother vnaduisedly thou art a murtherer this teacheth thee that if thou dost but looke vpon a woman to lust after her in thine heart thou art an adulterer this teacheth thee that if thou dooest but desire thy neighbours goodes though thou neuer layest handes vpon them yet thou art a theefe and a fellon and this telleth thee that though thou speakest a trueth by thy neighbour with a minde to discredite him thou art a slaunderer and this teacheth thee that euerie little wicked thought which ryseth vp in thy mind is sinne and so deserueth euerlasting death yea though thou neuer giuest consent vnto it So that if wee would examine our selues by this glasse wee must needes all of vs cast downe our selues at Gods feete and saye with the Prophet If thou O Lorde streightlie markest iniquities O Lorde who shall stand Now that which I haue here taught you I beseech you by the mercy of God by which onely you must bee saued teach it your children againe for this is the ende of all my labour to saue your childrens soules which are so deere vnto you Sixtly and lastlie after you haue beaten into their heades their miserable estate by reason of their falling from God and breach of his lawe then you must shew them the feareful punishments be longing vnto the same and bring them euen vnto the brinke of hel and bid them stand fast in Christ Iesus look in First you must bid thē behold the vnquēchable fire alwaies feeding vpon the soule and body of man neuer cōsuming the substance 2. You must shew them further the vtter darkenes which is as it were that irksome smoake which ariseth out of this horrible and infernall fire 3. You must point out vnto them where the worme of conscience lieth alwaies gnawing vpon the tender hart and soule of man with torments vnspeakable 4. You must shew them in this hideous place the feare and dreadfulnes of God wrapped about with his wrath which shaketh all the partes of soule and bodie from whence ariseth the gnashing of teeth And lastly here at once you must lay before their eies all the vnspeakable torments of hell which cause that intolerable noyse of howling and crying which is to bee heard in that place Here is y t Tophet which Esay speaketh of in his 30. chapter the burning thereof is fire and much woode and the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it Here lyeth Esau weeping for his birth-right there lyeth Ierusalem crying out because she knewe not the time of her visitation Here lyeth Caine for killing his brother there lyeth Iudas for betraying his master Here lyeth Iezabell torne of the dogges of hell for stoning of Naboth there lyeth Diues boyling in brimstone for not shewing compassion on poore Lazarus Here lye burning night and day the fiue Cities of Sodome because they burnt with vnnaturall lust while they liued here and there ly all the old world drowned with the sea of Gods wrath because they had corrupted euery man his way vpon earth O you good parentes take heede to your children and giue them good counsell that they come not into this place of tormēt Should you not crie out woe worth the day that euer you begate a childe for this place here euen vpon this pittes brinke stands euery mothers child as he is naturally borne into the world Wee are by nature the children of wrath saith the Apostle Ephesi 2. and wee haue al of vs euen from the conceptiō fought against God with our sinnes and prouoked the holy one to anger and therfore now here it were iust with God if hee should with his foote spurne vs all into hell Wherefore deere parents ere the Lordes anger be kindled against you and your children remoue them from hence drawe them out of this cursed estate for if God should here examine them O Lord which of them all should stand they were all no better then cast away for euer But with thee is mercie Hitherto we haue spoken of our own misery now we are come to the remedy which is Gods mercy Wherfore as the prophet Dauid in the 101. Psal. saith I will sing mercy and iudgment vnto thee O Lord so wee hauing already sung of iudgemēt now we wil come to sing of mercy These two as one of the fathers saith are as it were the two legs of god wherewith he walketh towards vs. If God should come towards vs with the legge of his iustice onely alas who might abide him and who should stand before him but now hee commeth with mercie also and therefore we will praise him All the pathes of the Lorde sayth the Prophet are mercie and truth vnto such as keepe his couenant This truth is Gods iustice whereby wee are humbled his mercie is the meane whereby we are raised vp againe This is the waye of Gods walking towardes vs which is most wise in the eies of the almighty For if God should come to vs only in iustice then we would not loue him againe if he should come onely in mercie so licentious are we that we would not feare him Wherefore sweet is this
they fall to their earth againe Here you must teach your children that whē all we euen al the nations of the world were in the hole of Adams side and as yet vncut out God gaue vnto Adam and so vnto vs being in his loines a law with two conditions the lawe was this that wee should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill standing in the middest of the garden of Eden as we may read Gen. 2. The conditions of this law were these the one life euerlasting if we would keepe this law figured out vnto vs by the tree of life of which it was lawfull for vs to eate euery hower the second was that in the same daye wherein wee shoulde breake this law we should dye the death It was not long after this lawe was made but Adam broke it as we may read in 3. chapter of Genesis and so death presently seazed vpon Adam and al vs his posteritie being yet in his loynes according vnto Gods word who said in the same day that thou shalt eate of it thou shalt dye the death and as it is saide 1. Cor. 15. In Adam all di and as it is said Rom. 5. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sin and so death went ouer all in whom all men haue sinned So that now if wee would looke vnto our fountaine and to our original pit from which we were first digged we should soone see our miserable estate which is nothing els but deadly And now that we might come to the bottom of this pit that so wee might the more fully and cleerely see all our miserie to humble vs vnder the mightie hand of God I must shewe you howe death hath entred vpon vs and howe it hath killed vs and giuen vs the deadly wounde euen while wee liue and yet wee perceiue it not This death hath first seazed vpon our reason and vnderstanding and put out the light of it so that nowe wee bee as blinde as a stocke to beholde anie heauenly thing For Saint Iohn sayth in his first chapter of the Gospell The light shineth in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not that is Gods word shineth into our minds and yet wee cannot see it so blinde are wee of our selues Now if we cannot see the light it selfe though it shineth into vs which light is the cause why all other things are seene as the Apostle sheweth Ephesi 5. For it is light that maketh all thinges manifest then much lesse can wee truely beholde any other thing else And whereas the Apostle here calleth our reason and vnderstanding darknes which is all the light of our soules if it were light then howe great is our darkenesse Our Sauiour sayth in the fift of Matthew The light of the bodie is the eye wherefore if the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse so wee may here say if our reason and vnderstanding which is the eye of the soule bee darkenes how great is this darkenes oh death hath killed vs it hath put out all our light in heauenly things Secondly our miserie which hath fallen vpon vs through this death is so much the greater for that though all our light be put out yet we thinke we see and therefore we doe not with the two blind men in the gospell crie out vnto our Sauiour O Lord the sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. For the whole hath no need of the phisition and so we walke in blindnes all our dayes to our destruction and goe on without anie mistrust euen as the sheep that are driuen vnto the slaughter vntill we fall from the darknes of this life vnto that vtter darknes in the life to come where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Oh great misery A demonstration of this doctrine wee haue in the ninth chapter of the gospell after Saint Iohn where our Sauiour saith I am come vnto iudgment into this worlde that they which see not might see and that they which see might bee made blind Then some of the Pharisies saide are we blind also They could not beleeue that they were blinde and therefore our Sauiour there telleth them that their sinne remained And thus much to shew you how death hath taken the possession of the minde and reason of man in so much that it hath spoyled it of al light in heauenly vnderstanding Secondly this death hath passed from the vnderstanding and reason and hath entred vpon the will and affections and giuen them also the deadly blow so that now we cannot will or affect any thing that good is and profitable to life eternall no more then a stone that is without life vntill such time as Gods preuenting grace repaireth vs and giueth vs a new power from heauen And therefore our Sauiour saith in the sixt of Iohn No man can come to me except the father which hath sent mee drawe him And Saint Augustine vpon these words saith Non trahimus nisi nolentem Wee doe not drawe any thing but that which is vnwilling So that now we hauing lost the life of our will we must be haled and drawen by Gods grace euen as men hale and drawe a logge that hath no moouing in it or else we can neuer come to heauen This doctrine is confirmed by the saying of the Apostle Rom. 7. where hee speaketh of the same thing Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as if hee should haue saide all is dead euerie part and member of it Moreouer this death hath not onely made the will vncapable of all good things but also it hath so disturbed it that it is become like a furious or mad man repugning and striuing against all reason and therefore the Apostle sayth Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirite against the flesh and these are contrarie one to another so that yee cannot doe the same things that ye would And againe Rom. 8. The wisedome of the flesh is enimitie against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither in deed cā be 3. This death hath not rested in the reason will but it hath gone further takē hold on the body also euery member of the body and strooken them all out of frame so that now our eares are the eares of folly our eies are the eies of vanity our hands are the hands of strife our mouth is a mouth of cursing our lippes are full of poyson our throate is an open Sepulchre and our feete are swift to shed bloud and generallie al our members are the instruments and weapons of vnrighteousnesse as the Apostle speaketh Roman 6. euery one being captiues to sinne and standing fighting against God and our owne saluation so that now if the Lord shold streightly marke what were amisse in vs Oh Lorde who shall stande 4. This death hath not onlie
entercourse of gods mercy iudgement most healthfull to the soule of euery Christian. Mercie and trueth haue mette together righteousnes and peace haue kissed ech other Let all Christians reioyce at this happy meeting Let the sea make a noise and al that is therein let the flouds clappe their handes and reioyce their fill let the mountaines skip before the Lord like yong rammes and let euery mouth confesse vnto the Lord and sing mercy and iudgement Oh if Gods mercy had not met his iustice by the way and kissed and imbrased it wee had all of vs bin swept away with the whirlewinde of his wrath long ere this day but with thee is mercy saith the Prophet Gods mercy hath staied his iustice from dealing extremely with vs. Who can sufficiently praise this mercie of God The Lord is gratious righteous saith the prophet therfore will be teach sinners in the way Oh what a glory is it to the Lorde to saue poore soules that were wandring downe to hell and oh what cause haue we now aboue all creatures to sound out the praise of this mercifull God who were brought euen to deaths doore are nowe lifted vp againe by his grace this name gratious and mercifull is Gods sweete name and soundeth as much as Iesus whom y e church in the 1. of the Canticles describeth after this manner Thy name is as ointment poured out therefore the virgins loue thee because God hath mercie in store for poore sinfull creatures therefore wee will runne after him by the smell of his garments and remember his loue more then wine all our talking shal bee of him and his mercie and of his praise there shall be no ende Wherefore now you good parents you which are the Lords deputies sing mercie and iudgement to your families continually and sing not onely mercie but sing iudgement also and againe sing not iudgement alone but sing iudgement and mercie both together If you teach your children Gods iustice and iudgements only then they shal fall vpon the rockes of despaire and so goe mourning downe to hell Againe if you learne them onely Gods mercie then will they sinke in the sands of securitie and so bee cast away eternally Wherefore if your desire be to haue your children passe the dangerous sea of this world that so they may arriue in the quiet hauen of blessed rest you must teach them to saile both by Gods iustice and mercie And now hauing taught you out of the former verse the way by the streight line of Gods iustice now we are come to the calme and pleasant sea of his mercie But with thee is mercie Now then looke to your wounds for here is the baulme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured euen Gods mercie Is the candle of thy soule the light of thy mind put out through the darknes of sin so that thou canst not tel how to walke in the course of this life acceptably to God and inoffensiuely to thy neighbour here is Gods mercie in Christ Iesus readie to enlighten thee but with thee is mercie As if the Prophet should haue said with thee is Christ Iesus in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge With thee is mercie with thee is Christ Iesus who is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnes With thee is mercie with thee is that light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the day starre ariseth in our hearts With thee is mercie that is thou art hee which commanded the light to shine out darknes and thou art hee which shineth in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Christ Iesus And to conclude with thee is mercie that is thou art that louing God which doest counsell vs for our owne good to buy of thee eye salue and to annoynt our eyes therwith that the sight of our vnderstāding may recouer againe to beholde all thy wonderfull mysteries in thy sonne Christ Iesus the which the Angels desire to beholde And with thee is the well of life and in th light shall we see light 2. Secōdly are thy will affections out of frame so that thou hast no power of thy selfe to will desire any heauenly good behold Gods mercie is at hand againe to repaire thē and to put a new power and facultie in them as the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2. For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do euen of his owne good pleasure 3. Thirdly are all thy members distempred with sinne by reason of that law of sinne and bodie of death which hath setled it self in euery part member about thee so that thou criest out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Christ Iesus the son of this merciful God being sent down from heauen by his mercifull father hath taken vpon him our whole nature euery power of our nature and hath sanctified it all for vs as the Apostle teacheth vs Heb. 2. For he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one wherefore he is not ashamed to call them brethren And againe in the same chapter For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the diuell So that now if thou wile lay holde on Gods mercie and Christs merits which he once purchased for thee in thine owne nature the power of sinne shall euery day more and more dye in thee and thou shalt grow into the image of Christ thy Sauiour all thy members which before were the instruments and weapons of vnrighteousnes now they shall be chaunged into the instruments of righteousnes fight for God Now thine eyes shall beholde the thing which is right now thine eares shall be open to heare the word now thy hands shall make peace now thy lippes shall speak truth thy mouth shall blesse thy feete shall be swift to all goodnes and euery member shall bee sanctified vnto the Lord. Oh great is this mercie of God that hath giuen his son Christ Iesus to doe so great things for vs. 4. Fourthly doth the multitude of thy sins which thou hast brought forth out of this bodie of death lye boyling in thy conscience so that thou cāst take no rest neither night nor daye come againe hither to the mercie of God In that day saith the Prpohet Zachary there shall bee a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannes That day is this blessed time of the Gospell in which wee now liue hauing his pretious word sounding vnto vs on both eares this fountaine is that pure righteousnes and merits of his sonne Christ Iesus which he wrought for vs while he