Evil Deut. 30.15 and in verse 19. he saith I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before â—ou Life and Death Blessing and Cursing â—herefore chuse Life Some may say that Liberty seems â—â—consistent with these words of St. John whosoever is Born of God doth not comâ—it Sin for his seed remaineth in him and â—e cannot Sin because he is Born of God. â—or if he cannot Sin then he is not free â—â—en Grace destroys Liberty for the â—ght understanding of this passage we â—ust distinguish between a Moral and Natural Power when we may not do 〈◊〉 thing we use commonly to say we â—annot do it which is to be understood â—f a Moral Power and not a Natural â—nd thus we must expound those words â—f the Angel where he says that he â—ould do nothing against Sodom till â—ot were escaped into Zoar Gen. 19. â—2 When then 't is said that whosoever is â—orn of God cannot Sin we must not â—elieve that the Natural Power is taken â—way but the Moral 't is as much as to â—â—y that as long as he Acts according 〈◊〉 the Principles of his Spiritual Birth â—nd doth his utmost endeavours to be â—ke his Heavenly Father he cannot â—in which we are to understand as School-men term it in sensu composito but not in sensu diviso CAAP. VIII If no Man Lives in this World without Sin we must not blame the Grace of God for it but the infirmity of his Nature and the Temptations which he is Subject to MAN is subject to so many sorts of Sins that 't is very rare to find one in this World exempt from all Sins Oftentimes we are caught by Sins of ignorance and because they seem matters of little weight we are not sensible of ' em Again Sins of Frailty surprize us all of a sudden and other Sins overtake us very often by reason of the continual Temptations of the Devil the World and the Flesh Therefore what St. John saith if we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us appears but too true but though it is true in an ordinary sense that in this World Man is not without Sin yet by the Grace of God he may Live without falling into it I can do all through him that Comforts me saith St. Paul by saying all he excepts nothing now if he can do all through him that strengthens him then by Grace he can live without committing Sin otherwise that exhortation of St. Peter Be diligent that at Christs coming ye may be found of him in Peace without Spot and Blameless 2 Pet. 3.14 would be vain and to no purpose if by the assistance of Gods Grace we could not live without being spotted and defiled with Sin and to make it appear by reason thus I argue either the Grace of God is sufficient for the avoiding of Sin or it is not if it be not sufficient Ergo in vain God gives us his Grace for that effect and doth injustly punish our Sins seeing that he Punishes us for a thing which we could not avoid and since we cannot say so of God without Blasphemy we must say that his Grace is sufficient as it appears by these words of Christ to St. Paul sufficit tibi gratia mea and therefore we must conclude that with Grace a Man may live without sin if then we do not live in this World without sin we must not blame the Grace of God for it but either the frailty of our nature or the continual Temptations of the Devil and of the World. CHAP. IX Grace doth not destroy Concupiscence or sensual Lusts BY Grace 't is true we overcome Sin to Grace we are indebted for all the good works we do and for the Victories we obtain over our grand Enemies the Devil the World and the Flesh But tho it cools the Fires of our Lusts yet it doth not totally extinguish ' em Experience convinceth us too often that the Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit and these are contrary the one to the other Gal. 5.17 so long as we are here below in the Church Militant although we have the Grace of God on our side yet we must not hope to live without Wars Witness St. Paul he was in the State of Grace and yet his Lusts alarm him he is encountred with the sharp Goads of the Flesh his Flesh Warreth against his Spirit and the good that he would do he doth not and is forced to cry out Oh wretched Man that I am CHAP. X. Sanctifying Grace is incompatible with Mortal Sin. TO prove this assertion we must know the right Definition of Mortal sin and of sanctifying Grace or what are the effects of both Mortal sin is so call'd because it procures death to the soul or deprives it of the Grace of God which is its supernatural Life and sanctifying Grace is so term'd for as much as it sanctifieth the soul and renders it acceptable to God. By mortal sin the soul is in Enmity and hatred with God but through sanctifying Grace it becomes his friend and well beloved By mortal sin it is doomed to the Infernal Lake of Hell but through sanctifying Grace it is made an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven Now the Definition and the effects of mortal sin and sanctifying Grace being opposites they cannot possibly be found at one and the same time in one and the same subject as day and night chase away each other and cannot exist both together at the same time in the same place and subject so mortal sin and Grace cannot cohabit at one and the same time in one and the same soul and therefore the one is inconsistent with th' other CHAP. XI Sanctifying Grace may be lost THere is nothing certain in this fading and miserable Life but Death the most splendent Crowns are tottering and the best established Monarchies are oftentimes subverted And as the health of the Body which we count a great Treasure is too frequently lost so it fares with sanctifying Grace which is the Ornament of the soul this is very Evident in these Texts ye did run well ye are fallen from Grace Gal. 5.4 holding Faith and a good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made Shipwrack 1. Tim. 1.19 Some are already turned after Satan having Damnation because they have lost of their first Love 5.12 15. the Dog is turned to his Vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 't is that which Experience also proves to us but too often and to our shame David a Man of great Faith and Integrity committed two great Sins Adultery and Murder 2 Sam. 11.4 Solomon who was the beloved of the Lord yet through the Love of strange Women his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel and went after other Gods 1 King 11. Peter the first of the Apostles to whom Christ had given his special
Remember that shortly we must follow ' em The hour glass runs without ceasing and it may be Death to Morrow will lay our Bodies in the Dust This Sermon that we have heard to day this Godly Book which we read now may be the last we shall hear or Read. Our Years Months and Days are counted we cannot prolong them who knows whether we shall live till to Morrow how many do we see every day who go and lye down in perfect Health and in the Morning are found Dead in their Beds that which happens to others may happen unto us A Tile from the top of a House falling down upon your Heads may destroy you a fishes bone a Stone of a plum or a bit of bread may choak you Therefore your Life being so short and uncertain you ought not to delay your Conversion You must prevent the day which is wont to prevent you You must not stay till you be old or near Death you must serve God in your Youth you must turn to him without any delay As soon as Achaâ—â— had heard the words of Eliah he rent his Cloths and put saccloath upon his Flesh and fasted and lay in Saccloth and went softly 1 King 21.27 CHAP. XXXIII How the Married Woman that is desirous to be happy after Death and in a good Reputation among Men in this World ought to Live. ABove all things she ought to Fear and Love God the Fountain of all goods She ought to keep his Commandments and Worship him with a deep Humility and avoid the Pomps and Vanities of this World Remembring that she promised in her Baptism to Renounce them as well as to resist the Temptations of the Devil and Flesh She ought to obey her Husband and be taught by him both in matters as well belonging to Religion as his own Family to Love him and be Faithfull unto him till Death But because chastety is the Ornament of Women she ought to have a great care of her Reputation remove the least Sins contrary to pudicity and to avoid the Company of indiscreet and lacivious Women whetheir it be in their Discourses or in their Countenance looks or Garments she ought to delight only in her Husbands Company for the married Woman out of her Husbands Company should be like a Fish out of the Water as the Chich strugled from without the Hen or as a lost sheep exposed unto Woolfs She ought to have so great a care of her Family as she might give an account of all things that are done in her House which ought to be to her what the shell is to a Snail She ought often to hear the word of God keep Company with those that are of a Holy and Exemplary Life read good Books abstain from lascivious because the Reading of them by little and little infects our Souls corrupts good manners and brings us to a shamefull end She ought often to meditate that she is once to die and perhaps sooner than she thinks that she shall be Judged to everlasting Pains or Joyes to an Eternal shame or Glory and this frequent and serious meditation will make her refrain from all unlawfull Pleasures and render her diligent in the practice of Vertues and Remember that as in the harvest we reap but what we have sowed before even so in the other World we receive the Fruits of what we have sowed in this CHAP. XXXIV A great comfort to the scrupulous Woman shewing that all the little Children that dye without Baptism are sav'd BY little Children I mean those that have not yet the use of their reason and I say though the contrary be asserted by a great many that if they dye without Baptism they are saved notwithstanding For our Salvation doth not meerly depend upon an Element which is not always in our power The Baptism that saves us saith St. Peter is not that that puts away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 he that sinneth shall be punished Every one shall dye for his own iniquity Therefore the young Children before they can use their reason being not able to commit sin ought not to be punished for God hates and punishes nothing but sin and consequently if they dye are saved But some will say there is an actual sin and an other call'd original 'T is true that young Children before the use of their reason are not capable of the former but by the transgression of Adam they are guilty of the latter and ought to be punished for it I answer it is true that the young Children have encurred the original sin but it is true also it was forgiven unto them for as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto Justification of life Rom. 5.18 they shall say no more the Fathers have eat a sower grape and the Childrens teeth are set on edge but every one shall dye for his own iniquity Every Man that eateth the sower grape his teeth shall be set on edge Jer. 31.29 the original sin is remitted not as concerning temporal death and other afflictions in this life which are the consequences of that sin but as concerning eternal death and other torments in Hell that did deserve that same sin If any is now damn'd and suffers in the other world 't is for his own sin Suffer little Children to come unto me saith Christ and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God. Mark that Christ spoke to young Children not Baptized of such saith he is the Kingdom of God therefore they are saved though they dye without Baptism the promise is not onely made to our Fathers but to our Children also God is the God of the one as well as of th 'others and to damn little Children meerly because they have not received the Baptism which was not in their power it would be in God a kind of Cruelty CHAP. XXXV The condition of a sinner near Death REpresent to your selves any wicked Man ready to dye he fears sweats becomes pale his eyes are chang'd his tongue stammers and his heart looses all courage The thought that he shall shortly be separated from his body and appear before the Judgment-Seat to receive his Sentence of Life or Death of eternal Happiness or Misery troubles him so much that he knows neither what he saith nor what he doth He wishes but in vain that God would be pleased to restore his health and let him live some few years or months longer that he might in good earnest practise vertue and keep Gods Commandments which he hath so often transgressed Whilst he entertains these vain desires in his troubled mind his Conscience accuses him of all his former Crimes the Devil clearly represents them unto him aggravates them and endeavours as much as he can to cast him into despair Sometimes he sighs desires God to
is guilty of Injustice that give Six-pence to one Beggar and a Farthing to another And though in strictness he is indebted to no Man yet being a God of infinite Goodness and Mercy he vouchsafes to all what is sufficient to Salvation CHAP. III. God gives to all Men Grace sufficient to Salvation ALthough it is Evident both by the Scriptures and by Experience that God gives a greater measure of Grace to one Man than to another yet we cannot tax God with the least injustice He is under no Obligation to us and may do whatever seems him good nor dare any Man say to him why doest thou so Notwithstanding if â—e are not Saved we must not impute â—ur Perdition to God Almighty since â—e gives to every Man a sufficient meaâ—ure of Grace to work out his own Salvation This cannot be denied unless we will deny these words of S. Paul to Titus 2.11 The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation appear'd unto all Men. Those words you see express a Grace universal and sufficient to Salvation Appeared unto all Men there you have Grace Universal given to all Men. Which bringeth Salvation there you have it sufficient Judge I pray you saith God by his Prophet Isaiah betwixt me and my Vineyard what could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it 5.3 CHAP. IV. Our Co-operation with Grace is necessary to Salvation FRom what hath been said already it remains most certain that God gives to all Men Grace sufficient to Salvation And to deny that Truth as too many are wont to do is no less than to accuse God himself of unparallel'd Cruelty For it is as much as if we should say that he hath sent some into the World on purpose to be damned or that he willeth the end but willeth not the means thereto which are Impieties that common sense cannot apprehend as being incompatible with the nature of a God infinitely good and merciful We must confess as is manifest by that passage of St. Paul in the foregoing Chapter that God vouchsafes to every Man Grace sufficient to Salvation Yet notwithstanding the truth of this no Man nevertheless shall be saved unless he Co-operates that is Joyns his own endeavours with that Grace which appears evidently by â—hese two following Texts As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed Act 13.48 If thou wilt be saved keep the Commandments He that made us without our selves will never save us without our selves saith Austin If with St. Paul we could be transported to the third Heavens and there behold all those Saints who were all more or less endued with the Grace of God whilst they were here below we should find that they have arrived to those degrees of glory and happiness which they now enjoy by co-operating and joyning their own endeavours with Gods Grace CHAP. V. Grace works differently GRace is like Fire it acts continually but differently Sometimes it works insensibly as it did in John the Baptist who was Sanctified from his Mothers Womb as it doth in all little Infants who are Baptised and as probably it wrought in Zachary and Elizabeth who being addicted to the practice of Piety from their Youth would have sound it very hard to have told the very time when it was that Grace render'd them Righteous and Acceptable to God. It comes oftentimes like the dawning of the day without being perceived Sometimes it works sensibly as it appeared in Mary Magdalen when she was converted to the Lord and forsook her sins as it befel St. Paul when having a Commission to Persecute the Christians he heard a Voice saying Saul Saul why Persecutest thou me and as it hapned to St. Peter when having denied his Master Thrice and that with Swearing and Cursing he Repented of his fault when he heard the Crowing of the Cock. And thus in this Sense we may compare Grace to the Sun which by piercing a Cloud with its Beams disperses the Mist and becomes visible to our Eyes CHAP. VI. Grace is Resistible WHen God gives us his Grace 't is not to force us but to assist us because of our selves we are not able â—o do any supernatural good we may then resist it And not to speak of our own Experience we have but too many proofs thereof in Holy Writ They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit Isa 63.10 Woe unto thee Corazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sydon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes Mat. 11.21 Ye always resist the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 But some will say Resistance supposes acting against now he that is dead has no power to Act and therefore a Sinner being dead in Sin can have no power to resist Grace To whom I answer that that Conclusion is not good for in the Antecedent is spoken of a natural Death and in the Consequence of a moral Death A Sinner who is dead in Sin is not dead in all respects for as much as we read in the Scripture that sometimes â—e is like a Man half dead sometimes â—e is like a Man asleep Luk. 10.30 Eph. 5.14 'T is certain that we may â—esist Grace And to make it appear more clearly mark well these following Texts How often would I have gathered â—hy Children as the hen her chickens and â—ye would not I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and ye regarded not When I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear but did evil before mine Eyes and did chuse that wherein I delighted not Isa 65.12 it is further evident by that parable of our Lord Jesus Christ in St. Mat. 22.4 where he says that he sent out his Servants saying all things are ready come unto the Mariage but they made light of it And if a Man cannot resist Grace what means the request of St. Paul we beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain To what end serve the Exhortations of the Prophets of our Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles CHAP. VII Grace doth not destroy Liberty GOD hath made Man after his own Image and Likeness he hath given him a reasonable Soul the use of his understanding and the Liberty of his will. He has given him Power to consider to deliberate to consult and to choose and consequently has given him Authority to govern his own Actions For having made him Lord and Master of the whole World below 't is not to be imagined that he hath made him a Slave to himself To force his Will were to destroy his nature Grace doth not at all compel him but assists and aids him And to prove this truth that Grace does not destroy Liberty Observe well these following Texts God made Man from the begining and left him in the hand of his Counsel Eccl. 15.14 I have set saith he before thee this day Life and Death Good and
look on Sins committed to weep for 'em and with th' other at future Sins to avoid them which is very well represented by the Definition of contrition which is a grief of the Soul for Sins committed with a firm Resolution to commit 'em no more A grief hath Reference to Sins committed and a firm Resolution to Sin no more hath respect to Futurity 'T is just that Grief be found in our Contrition for as the diseases of our Bodys are heal'd with contrary Remedies so Sins which are the Diseases of our Soul and which have been caused in taking delight with Creatures ought to be healed by greif and 't is reasonable you should resolve to Sin no more otherwise your grief is not wholy respective Your Contrition ought to be Universal and have respect unto all your trespasses for upon supposition you have committed ten different Sins and your contrition be but upon nine none of them is blotted out Your Contrition is false if it were true it should be extended upon all being all hated of God Almighty It ought also to be supernaturaral you ought to be sorry to have offended God because of his infinite goodness and hatred of Sin. If you be sorry to have offended him only because you are deprived of some temporal good or for fear of being punish'd in th' other World or least you hear these Dreadful words Depart from me ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire so that if there were no pain to suffer you should not be sorry to have sinned against him your Contrition is natural and therefore if it hath not the three qualities whereof I spoke just now and come to eat the Lords Body and drink his Bloud you eat and drink unwhorthily and consequently you eat and drink your Damnation Your Confession ought to be intire sincere and humble I do not speak here of the Confession used in the Church of Rome at the Ears of a Priest which being omitted as they say no Sin can be forgiven For though the declaration of our trespasses before a learned and discreet Minister be very useful for his good Counsels yet it doth not follow that being omitted our Sins cannot be forgiven those that teach this Doctrine teach that which is but an invention of Men and that you may be convinced of it it is enough to say that from the beginning it was not so The Confession that I mean here is that which you ought to do before God for who can forgive Sins but God only Mat. 19.8 and that Confession is to be intire for if you do not declare all your Trespasses your Confession is not good You ought to confess that you hate all that God hateth now God hateth all Sins therefore you must confess that you hate all Sins David saith without limited Sense I acknowledg my Transgressions Ps 31.3 It ought to be sincere for to confess your Sins with your Mouth and not with your Heart 't is to mock God who knows the Hearts of all Men and it ought to be humbe I mean full of grief and shame You must be like the Publican who saith God be Merciful to me a Sinner Luk. 18.13 he speaks with so great shame and humility that standing afar off he would not lift up so much as his Eyes unto Heaven Your Satisfaction which is nothing but a Restitution ought to have two respects God and Man. You may steal from a Man two sorts of Goods one Natural as his Money th' other Moral as his Honor and Reputation If you have stolen from him any Natural goods it must be restored and this Restitution is like unto the letting of Blood for as blood-letting removes the Cause of a Feaver and preserves Life so restitution removes Covetousness which is a Feaver that would cause you to Die Eternally and keeps the Grace of God which is the Life of your Soul. And as there are some diseases that cannot be cured without blood-letting likewise there are some Sins viz. Theft Usury and Simony which cannot be absolved without Restitution Non dimittitur peccatum saith Austin nisi restituatur ablatum Epist 4. ad maced Zacheus being convinced of that truth speaks thus Lord if I have taken any thing from any Man by false accusations I restore him fourfold Luk. 19. and if you have stolen his Reputation from him you are bound to restore it as much as it lyes in your Power You are bound to restore unto God three things Body Soul and time God hath given you a Body to apply it in his service hands to do good feet to Run after vertue and a Tongue to Praise him and you have stolen all these parts from him You are bound to restore 'em but how thus you shall restore him your Body when hereafter you apply it to his Service your hands when you do good and cease to do evil your feet when you Run after Vertue and no more after Sin and your Tongue when you sing his Praises and abstain from Blaspheming his holy Name You are bound to restore him your Soul. He gave you an understanding to think upon his infinite perfections a will that you might love him with a Memory that you might remember his Mercies You did steal from him these three faculties You ought to restore 'em but how thus you shall restore your understanding when hereafter you often consider his infinite perfections and think no more sinfully on the Creature Your will when you make more account of him than of all the World. And your memory inremembring always his unspeakable love towards you You must also restore him your time He gave it you to do good and you did steal it from him as often as you did any evil You are bound to restore it in being sorry that you have misimployed it in committing Sin and in abstaining from it hereafter Such ought to be your Contrition Confession and Satisfaction This is the Examen which St. Paul requires of every one that desires whorthily to receive the Lords Body and drink his Blood. CHAP. L. Certain signs to know whether you have the qualities that St. Paul requires worthily to receive the Lords Supper ALthough Chrisostomus writes thus Tom. 5. Serm. de poen Lachrimae sunt quae reconciliant Deo Lacrimae sunt quae Coelum pulsantes crimina delent Tâ—ars do reconcile us with God and knocking at the Gates of Heaven blot out our sins and though some call 'em spungiam peccatorum the spunge of sins some Baptismum animarum the Baptism of Souls and though one speaking of the tears of Peter exclaimeth foelices sancte Apostole tuae Lachrimae quas ad diluendam culpam negationis virtutem habuere sacri Baptismatis Nevertheless they are not a certain sign that he that sheds them hath the qualities required of St. Paul to ear the Lords Body and drink his Blood because some tears do proceed from Nature as well as from Grace and many are seen weeping not for their sins but meerly for their own interest or for fear of pain as it appears in the tears of Judas The first certain proof is this according to Augustin vide si quod delectabat displicet si quod displicebat delectat See whether you hate what you did love afore and whether you love what you did hate You took delight in keeping bad Company see whether you hate it you could not endure to be despised nor the sight of your Enemies see whether you love 'em now The second certan sign is this see whether you feel any Joy. It seems you ought to feel nothing but grief because Repentance is a grief of the Soul for her sins But it is true that that Grief is never without Joy which appears by these three Comparasons of St. Austin How great is the Joy of a General who being environ'd of his Enemies and almost subdued is not onely put out of danger with a small Company of Souldiers but gets the Victory How great is the Joy of those who being on a tempestuous Sea ready to be either swallowed by the Waves or broken against the Rocks see themselves on a sudden free from danger and perceive that the Sea is calm And how great is the Joy of a young Man who seeing himself forsaken by his Physicians finding no remedy to cure him recovers his health in few hours Repentance ought to give you a greater Joy because it doth not onely deliver you from your Enemies the Devil the World and the Flesh but also from the shipwrack of sin and from Eternal Death The third certain and special sign is to see whether you forsake all your sins and avoid the occasions of ' em J. Christ when he healed the sick of the Palsie said unto him arise and take up thy bed and go thy way into thine house If you do not forsake the desire of Revenge if you do not restore all that you have stollen and if you do not avoid that wicked Company which is unto you an occasion of sin your Repentance is not good and therefore the qualities required by St. Paul are not in you Irrisor est non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod poeniteat saith Austin he is a scoffer and not true penitent that still doth what he must repent of Si ergo vis verus poenitens esse saith Bernard cessa a peccato noli amplius peccare If thou wilt be a true penitent forsake thy sins and sin no more quoniam inanis est poenitentia quam sequens coinquinat culpa Because that Repentance is vain which admits of a future Commission of sin To conclude you must avoid the occasions of sin Pythagoras gave this instruction to his Disciples that when they were rising out of their bed in the Morning they should neither lay the blanket nor the sheet upon their bed less being kept warm there they should mind to go to bed again but that they should throw off both blanket and sheet You must not only avoid sin but also the occasion of it qui amat periculum pribit in illo he that loves danger shall die in it Therefore he that is impure let him leave his impurity and he that is a drunkard let him forsake his drunkenness and avoid the occasions of it if so he certainly hath the qualities required by St. Paul worthily to receive the Lords Supper FINIS