miraculosa the miraculous Scripture This miracle is recorded for such as are either sicke or troubled or oppressed or beset with any daunger that whatsoeuer storme of aduersitie shall strike our sailes or what trouble soeuer we shall sustaine we may remember others haue tasted of the same whippe afore vs and none can harbor in the hauen of blisse that haue not first bin weather-bitten with many rough stormes and sharpe tempests Though our shippe happen to be couered with waues like the shippe in this place yet be not faithlesse but haue hope and know that Christ fits at the sterne and will not suffer vs to miscarry This text containeth sixe parts 1 The Apostles feruent loue in following him by sea and land 2 The Accident hapning viz. a great tempest applied to the casualties of this world that happen to the godly 3 The time when this tempest hapned viz. when Christ slept 4 The Apostles onely aide and helpe to run to Christ Master saue vs we perish 5 Christs reprehension why are ye fearefull O ye of little faith 6 Christs helping hand in staying the wind First of their loue in folowing Christ The felicity of the godly is to sticke to God and to follow his will and therefoee the Prophet Dauid saith it is good for me to cleaue 1. Sam. 12 14 vnto the Lord. Samuel also perswaded the Israelites that they should follow the Lord their God and not depart from him The children of God ought to carry so great an affection to God as Elishah did to Eliah who would not part from him til the 2. King 1 Lord diuided them Such was the affection of the Apostles in this place and at all times they followed the lamb whither soeuer he went to the mountaine to the desart to the sea and here to the shippe This must teach vs to follow Christ both by sea and land in time of persecution and else For as the separation of the soule from the bodie is the death of the body so the separation of Christ from the soule is the death of the soule therefore we must folow Christ euen vnto the sea What multitudes of people are recorded Luke 5. in the fift of Luke they pressed vpon him in such sort that for feare of the throng he was faine to enter into a shippe The like throng of followers is mentioned 2. Chr. 9. 7. in the eight of Luke If the Queene of Sheba could say of Salomons followers happy are thy men and happy are these thy seruants which stand alwaies before thee and do heare thy wisedome Much rather may it be spokē happy are Christs followers and his attendants that stande euer in his presence like the Apostles to heare his heauenly wisedome since a greater then Solomon is here for this is he that taught Salomon his wisedome There is vertue in Christ and it is an attractiue vertue to draw vs vnto himselfe like a load-stone He refuseth no seruant that will come to his seruice let vs then be willing to offer our selues to serue so good a maister for his burthen is light and his yoake is easie Mat. 11. 28. He calles vpon vs for our good Come to me all ye that are heauy loaden and I wil refresh you Other maisters vse to load their seruants but Christ is such a maister that takes the burthen from his seruants and carries it vpon his owne shoulders to ease them Ioseph his brethren were glad to haue Gen. 43. 21 corne for money but Ioseph returned them both their corne and mony too So if we will be the followers of Christ serue him wee shal find his seruice no seruitude for he will giue vs our freedome and our wages too In the eight of Luke a certaine scribe Luke 8. comes to Christ and saith master I will followe thee whither soeuer thou goest Loe this scribe who before he knew Christ had a whole common wealth in his head being a meere worldling now began to leaue the world and to cast away his olde liuery as the blind-man threw away his patched cloake in running to Christ and betooke himselfe to Christ his seruice In the ninteenth of Luke we find Zacheus Luke 19. running to Christ the world and Mammon did so hang vpon his backe till now that he could not trauell to Christ but now hauing come to the knowledge of Christ and Gods spirit calling vpon him he changeth his former resolutions and shooke from him his Exod. 3. 5 pillages and his exactions as Moses did put from him his shooes when the Angel called vpō him out of the flaming bush and now he was so light as Peter when his shakles fell from him and he runnes to Christ hastily who receiued him ioyfully Mark 10 In the tenth of Marke one comes running to Christ in like sort asking him what he might do to possesse eternall life Matt. 20 In the twenty of Mathew two blind men though they could not see Christ yet they could follow him and they gained that which they would not lose againe for more Mat. ◠gold than Gehezie tooke from Naaman euen their sight and now seeing him that salued them they follow him more egerly returning Christ more praises than the wise men did presents All these are so many summons to cite vs before the consistory of Christ the blind and lame and diseased scribe and publicane sicke and whole and all do call vpon vs to follow Christ like his Apostles And behold there arose a great tempest in the sea and the ship was couered c. Now we are to speake of the accidents hapning in the great tempest but euen now Christ and his Apostles had entered into the shippe and loe a storme so preuaileth that the ship that carried them is now couered with waues Euen now it was calme when the shippe ankered in the hauen and no sooner are the sayles hoist and they launcht into the deepe but ship and men and all are in ieopardie of drowning see an vnexpected sodaine alteration Here we may view the state of Christs church militant It is like the arke floating vpon the waters like a lilly growing among the thrones like the bush that burnt and was not consumed like Christs ship in this place couered ouer with waues and yet not sunk God suffereth his Saints to be oftentimes in danger either to shew his power in their deliuerance or to cause them by tribulation to come to him for succour and to make them the more thankfull So he humbled the Israelites before Pharaoh Exod. 5 and his Aegyptians So he humbled Iacob all the time he serued Laban He humbled Iob in a greater measure Iob. 1. suffering Satan to discharge at him all his darts at once thinking to make a full end of him He humbled Heliah in making him flie 1. Ki. 19. from Iezabel that sought his life How did he humble his owne Apostles that were so deare vnto
the new testament wherin we are washed with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to signifie that we are receiued to grace by the vertue of Christs death that by bloud wee are clensed from our sinnes and are regenerate by his spirit and therin are bound to testifie a newnesse of life after our new birth This baptisine conteineth three things The signe water the ceremonie the sprinkling of the water and the things themselues viz. the sprinkling of Christs blood and the imputation of his righteousnes This other of the Supper of the Lord representeth likewise Christ crucified and assureth vs that by his death we are freelie saued from the malediction of the lawe assuring our selues that as our mouthes receiue the bread and wine so our soules receyue Christ and his righteousnes These Sacraments are as conduits to conueigh Gods graces vnto vs the one is to purge our soules from sinne the other is to feede vs after we be purged The first is a bath made of Christ his owne blood to wash and bathe our wounds therein thesecond is amost comfortable and rich garment to couer our soules after they bee washed In the first Christ hath substituted in his place his spouse the Church to pronounce in his name remission of sinnes In the second he hath left himselfe and his owne flesh and blood sacramentally to be a precious food to cherish her withall I purpose onely at this time to shewe you the comfort and edification that we receiue by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper For my text doth leade me thereunto In the night that he was betrayed Heere is set downe the verie Institution of this Sacrament with circumstances thereunto belonging The Lord Iesus There is the author of it In the night There is the time He tooke bread There is the signe He gaue thanks That is the first action in the sacrament Hee brake it There is the ceremonie Hee gaue it There is the vse of it Saying Take eate this is my body There is the fruit of it Do it in remembrance of mee There is the charge of it When Christ died the law ended and the Gospel reuiued after his death circumcision was abolished and the Pascal lamb no more vsed for that the law and ceremonies thereof were now to haue an end In steed wherof he instituted these two sacraments Baptisme for circumcision and for the Pascall lambe his last Supper so called for that it was instituted in the night that hee was betrayed Much neede not bee spoken concerning the Author of this institution onely wee are here called vppon for a most dutifull reuerence in the celebration thereof since it is heere noted by the Apostle to proceed immediatly from Christ If it had pleased God to haue vsed the ministery of an angel or of maÌ„â—in the deliuering forth of this sacrament we had notwithstanding beene pressed to a carefull obseruation thereof But to the end he might stamp in this holy mysterie a greater impression of excellencie in regard of the singular comfort lapt vp in the same therefore hee hath conueyed it vnto vs imediatly from himselfe It ought therefore to be more highly reckoned euen for his sake that was the authour of it For if the woord spoken by Angells was Heb. 2. 2. stedfast and euery transgression receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which first was preached by the Lord himselfe and was afterwardes confirmed by them that heard him The people of Israel did not omit to obserue the Passeouer throughout their generations because Moses the seruaunt of God had so commanded them Much more carefull ought we to be in the retaining of this Sacrament since not Moses but Christ himselfe hath coÌ„manded vs to obserue the same for euer throughout our generations For this man is counted more worthy of glorie than Moses inasmuch as he is more excellent then the Angells being the brightnes of the glorie and the ingraued forme of Heb. 1. 3. his person as we reade in the author to the Hebrewes In the night that he was betrayd at his betraying he ordained this sacrament comfort was reuealed vnto vs when christ was discoÌ„forted When he was in greatest heauines he prepared for vs a solemne feast euen a more sumptuous banquet then that of Ahaâ—uerus for whoso eateth of this bread shall liue for euer A better and more nourishing meate is here presented vnto vs than Sampson found in the dead lion Iudas and the scribes were this night deuising how to betray Christ how to destroy him that should haue saued them But Christ was deuising how to finish the worke of our redemption and to fulfill his fathers will Iudas was deuising how to take away his masters life but Christ was deuising how to giue them life who were dead in the life of grace Iudas as he was wont to carry the bagge so Ioh. 12. 6. he thought to mend the bagge as Gehezi thought to inrich himselfe with Naamans 2. Kin. 5. 22. gold He sold Christ in that night for mony but Christ bought vs with a deerer price than sâ—luer or gold for it cost him his heart bloud all this amplifieth the greatnesse of the loue wherewith he loued vs. In the night when he was betrayed It was a bitter night an heauy night vnto Christ as the history of his Passion declareth a night of sorrow and anguish a night of perplexity and feare a night wherein all the sorowes of death gate hold vpon him What a night was it to see his owne disciples forsake him how grieuously was he troubled in Gethsemaneh himselfe testified â—is exceeding sorow when he said my soule â—s heauy vnto the death Looke the twenty sixt of Mathew twise he repeateth his passionate prayer O lette this cuppe passe from me What a terror was it vnto him to see his owne Disciple Iudas come and betray him with a kisse a great multitude following him with swords and staues to take him And when they had takeÌ„ him what iniury did they not vnto him how was he mocked spitted at and beaten with fists Such a bitter night was it vnto Christ but it was to vs a night more comfortable than the day of our birth a night brighter than the brightest day â—a night more comfortable vnto vs then that night of deliuerance was to Exod. 12. the Israelites when they went out of Aegypt from Pharaoh and from the Aegyptians for in this night was the mystery of our redemption begun He tooke breade Now we are come to the institution As there is no substance with out his shadow so there is no Sacrament without his signe And the signe in this Sacrament is the bread and wine God in these familiar matters shrowdetâ— instruction of greater mysterie We are best acquainted with the vse oâ— bread and we well know what strength our bodies receiue by it the same and more is
like the restlesse doue till we flie to God as the doue to the arke by an vnfained repentance This made Peter go out and this was his consideration and the same must be ours too if we wil haue rest to our soules or peace to our consciences He went out c. The place from whence he went was the high priests hall the place of iudgement where Christ was arraigned where the scribes and people were gathered together against Christ none but wicked men assembled in that place and here was no place for Peter Therfore he went out Good men must not companie with the wicked at any time and if they happen to light in their societie â—ike Dauid among the Philistins they ought then to make speede to go out from them according to the counsell of Solomon turne Prou. 15. away from the wicked man The Lord will haue the righteous to out goe from the wicked as Lot went out of Sodom to dwell in Zoar. Peter sate in denying his maister but now being brought to the knowledge of his sin he bestirred himselfe and went out when we are most secure and at greatest ease resting our selues as it were in the chaire of securitie and drowsinesse then is Satan most vigilant and watchful to snare vs. As when Iobs children were feasting and thought least of any daunger towards themselues Iob. 1. 19 the diuell spied his opportunitie to destroy them by throwing the house vppon their heads When Belshazar was sitting at the table carowsing wine among his nobles in vessels Dan. 5. of siluer and vessels of gold then were the hideous fingers vpon the wall readie to pen his tragical end and the ruine of his kingdome Lot had no sooner betaken himself to ease Gen 19. 33 in Zoar but Satan preuailed against him to cause him committe incest with his twoo Gen. 9. 21 daughters he tempted Noah the preacher of righteousnes after he had planted himselfe a vine-yard to take so deepe a taste of the grape that he became drunke he became ouerflowed with wine as the old world with water and this was a worse deluge then the first He that preached to others but a little before could not preach to himselfe a lesson of sobrietie but lay vncouered in his tent and was a rebuke to his owne children If these mightie ones haue bin ouerthrown how shal the weaklings stand No maruaile if the low shrubs be rooted out and supplanted since the tall Cedars in Lebanon are thrown down This securitie was farre from Iob who as he shewed himselfe in other things to be patient shewed himselfe in this to be vigilant in that he sayth I feared al my waies If Peter had watched Satan as Satan watched him lâ—e had not bin snared but when he sate Saâ—â—n saw he was carelesse and therefore the more subiect to be tempted and to be ouercome We reade of the cranes that when they Plinie flocke together to feede one of them vseth to feede a farre off and that crane so singled from the rest still as he feedes lookes round about him and obserues if any daunger be towards them if he spie any bodie drawing nigh then he giueth warning to the rest and so they saue themselues shall this pollicie rest in vnreasonable birds and shall it not â— found in man If when Peter his body haâ— taken it rest his soule had wakened and obserued Satan casting a net about him to inâ— tangle him he had deceiued the deceiuer bâ— while he sate his enemy walked round abouâ— him and circumuented him so as he had nâ— power to escape Peter sate when he fell like a man in â— slumber that falles beside his chaire but now he standeth vp like a man newly wakened out of a dream and he goeth out The godly are euer for the most part noted either going walking or running The Prophet Ps 119. 33. Dauid desired the Lord to teach him to go the path of his commandements hauing Ps 119. 32. learned to go he had also learned to run the way of his commandements I will runne the way of thy coÌ„mandements One comes Luke 10. running to Christ desirous to know what he must do to obtain eternal life he thought he Mar. 10. 17 could not runne fast enough being in the way to eternall life Zacheus ranne to meete Christ a certaine blind man in running to Christ threw away his cloake to the end he might runne the faster And Peter held his station no longer but Luke 19. 4. besturd himselfe and made haste to go out when he felt the liuely soule-stirring motion of Gods spirit calling him to repentance Samuel could not sleepe when the Lord 1. Sam. 3. called nor Peter sit any longer when the spirit of God called vpon him by the crowing of a cocke Let vs learne of Peter to yeeld to the woorking of Gods spirite now the cocke croweth and as many as are watchfull may heare it now then let vs prepare our selues to repent like Peter And he wept bitterly Here is the third degree or step of his repentance testified by his teares Plinie writeth that the teares of the vine doe cure the leprozie of the skinne So the teares of the faithfull grafted into the true vine Christ Iesus do cure the leprozie of sin S. Aug. sayth when the Eagle waxeth old she plungeth her wings into a fountaine of cleere water and so renueth her strength So we must wash and bathe this whole body of sinne so shall we become lustie and yong as an Eagle S. Cyril vpon this weeping of Peter sayth Locum flendo recepit quem negando perdidit he found that in weeping which he lost by denying and though he denied him saith Nazaianzene God is more merciful than mâ— can be sinfull if man will be sorrowfull â— 2. King 2 Elisha threw salt into the waters to maâ— them sauory and sweet so must we season oâ— prayers with salt teares to make them sauoâ— vnto God Great cause had Peter to weepe considâ— ring 1. Sam. 1. 7 the greatnesse of his sinne for if Annâ— had cause to weep for her barrennesse muâ— more cause had Peter for his barrennesse â— faith If Rachel wept for her children becauâ— Iere. 31. 15 they were not much more cause had Petâ—â— to weep for his graces because they were noâ— If Agar wept being turned out of her masters house should not Peter mourne mucâ— rather for turning himselfe out of his masteâ— house and denying his coate If Thamar wept being deflowred of heâ— 2. Sam. 13 19. virginitie hath not Peter cause to weepe foâ— beeing depriued of his faith and constanciâ— If the Virgin Marie wept for the death oâ— her Son as if her soule had bin pearced thoâ— row with a sword hath not Peter cause tâ— weepe for denying him that died for him Many causes we see may procure teares buâ— sure to deny Christ as Peter did is a causâ— that
should eâ—en dissolue all eies into teares If the eie be drie at any time it ought in no case to be drie when we should weep for sin No teares are lost that fall from the eies of â—odly men for god catches them before they can fall to the ground and he treasureth them Psal 56 8 vp in his bottle If you will direct this watery humor to his due course and deriue this floud of affection to the right channell we must weepe for our sinnes like Peter Such weeping is both the salue and smart of sinne curing that which it chastneth with true remorce and preuenting neede of new Cure with detestation of the disease Teares tie the tongues of all accusers and soften the rigor of the seuerest iudge when they are most pittiful they are most powerfull and when they are most forsaken they are most victorious full of strength like to Samsons hairy lockes euen to foile whole armies Iud. 16. This heauenly dew of deuotion neuer falleth but the sunne of righteousnes drawes it vp and vpon whose face soeuer it droppes it makes the same most amiable and glorious like the face of Moses when he came downe Exo. 34 35 from the Mount Most sweetly was it vttered by a diuine of sweetest vtterance that repentant eies are â— cellars of Angells and penitent teares thâ— sweetest wines which the sauour of life pâ— fumeth the taste of grace sweetneth and tâ— purest colours of returning innocency higâ—ly beautifieth O that our hearts were such a limbeckâ— euermore distilling so pure a quintessencâ— drawen out from the weedes of our offencâ— by the fire of true contrition Heauen woulâ— mourne at the absence of so precious a water and earth lament the losse of so fruitfuâ— showres Sure till death close vp the fountaines the shall neuer faile running and then shall ouâ— soules be ferried in them to the hauen of life that as by them we were first transporteâ— from sinne to grace so in them wâ— may bâ— wafâ—ed from grace to glory And thus haue I deliuered vnto you the three degrees of Peters repentance which steps we must all pace if we will treade the way that leadeth to eternall life And nowe if I might be so priuileged 2. Chro. 1. 7 that I might receiue what I would at Gods hands like Solomon I would intreat no more but this of him that he would direct euery one of vs to keep these steps which his apostle S. Peter hath troaden out afore vs. There is none of vs but hath offended â—th Peter we haue denied Christ as he did â—hough not in the same manner yet sure in as â—â—eat a measure and had we liued to haue â—â—ne Christ in the flesh and had bin in like â—ort vrged as Peter was we would not haue â—icked to haue likewise offended But how many are among vs that though â—hey confesse Christ in name do not denie â—â—m in deedes and workes we professe the â—â—me of christians but liue like infidells haâ—ing a shew of godlinesse but denying the power of it We haue nothing from Christianity but the name like Labans Idols that were called gods and yet were but blockes What fruit hath the word wrought in vs what amendment of life what reformation euery man sound himselfe and descend into his owne conscience and he shal find himself now nothing better than he was many score yeares ago as prowd now as euer as couetous now as euer as vaine euery way now as euer as vnapt to serue God now as euer and what els is this then to denie Christ Although Christ is preached vnto vs euery Sabbaoth and we all in good measure acquainted with the will of God opened vnto vs in his word yet who careth to walke wâ— thy of his knowledge and to practise in a â—â—ly obedience that which we know and is â— this to deny Christ Wee heare how straightly God coâ—maunds vs to keep his Sabbaoth and yetâ— wilfully violate the same if we present oâ— selues in the beginning of the Sabbaoth offer vnto God the morning sacrifice weâ— not come in the afternoone to giue him â— euening incense But we reserue the beâ— part of the day to our selues and do bestâ— it vpon our lustes and is not this to dâ—â— Christ Peter after he had weighed the greatnesâ— his sinne was so offended with himselfe thâ— he had almost drowned himselfe in his owâ— teares Since we haue sinned with Peter vs repent with Peter â— who after this did sinâ— no more The same Peter after this tooâ— penance of himself for his Deniall and coâ— ragiously gaue vp his life for the testimony â— Iesus Christ Let euery one of vs theÌ„ go forth with Petâ—â— and weepe before the Lord like Ezechial that he may forgiue vs our misdeedes If wâ— had as many eyes in our heads as there bâ— grasse-piles vpon the ground yet we ougâ— â—o weepe them all out for our sinnes If euer there were a time for teares then â—â—is is the time wherein eye-streames ought â—o be most behoouefull for this is the time of our visitation this is a time that should be deuoted wholly to mourning meditations â—â—ke the Captiue Israelites vpon Babilons banckes Were Ieremie now aliue and saw the iniquity of these times and the vialls of Gods wrath already powred out vpon this land â—nd the inhabitants thereof for the sin thereâ—n committed hee would againe renue his tragicall ditty in the ninth of his prophecy O that my head were a well of water and mine eies a fountaine of teares that I may weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people The scarcity and streightnes wherewith we yet are and of long time haue bin afflicted should force vs to take vp a lamentation and to howle out with those husbandmen in Ioel his time for the wheat and for the barly because the fields are wasted and the haruest is perished Our Ephah is become small but the shekel great and God hath vtterly broken the staffe of our bread as Ezechiel speaketh and had we not need to weep bitterly with Peter aâ— with Dauid to water our couch with teareâ— Yet notwithstanding all this where is â—â— humiliation that is required who yet 〈◊〉 neth to the Lord nay we seeme to be haâ—â—ned in our sins and we haue mâ—de our haâ— like the adamant that the impression of Goâ— graces cannot enter Resembling herein wicked Pharaoh anâ— those senceles Aegyptians who were so frâ—zen in the dregges of their sins and their haâ— so stony that the ten plagues powred vpâ—â— them did no whit humble them or maâ—â— them to relent The like remorceles obduration we read Amos 4. of in the fourth of Amos there the Lorâ— checketh the people for their rebellious obstinacy in not reforming themselues accoâ—ding to his righteous iudgements I haue giuen you cleanesse of teeth in â— your citties and scarcenes of bread in all youâ— places yet you haue not returned vnto mâ— saith the
Christs body should be offered and his bloud powred out for our sinnes Giuen for vs. Here is all merite excluded the meere loue of God caused Christ to die for vs. So God loued the word that he gaue his only begotten Son that so many as beleeued on him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Hauing now the participation of his bodie and bloud we may sing with S. Paul now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus God spared not his only sonne but gaue him for vs al to death and again who shall condemne it is Christ who is dead or rather who is â—isen for vs. This should make vs loue God and this should stirre vs vp to be thankfull vnto him for so inestimable a benefit And God doth call vpon vs for this thankfulnes in the following words Doe it in remembrance of me O it is a thing especially to be remembred this benefit of our redemption O it ought to be printed vpon our nailes and vpon our tables and vpon our beds that we might neuer forget it Let vs remember Christ his death for it is our life it saues vs from death euen eternal death Dauid could say of Ierusalem If I forget Psa 137. 5. thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning yea lette my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth if I preferre not Ierusalem to my cheefest ioy So let vs say the same of Christ if we forget thee O our redeemer let our right hand forget her cunning yea lette our tongues cleaue to the roofe of our mouthes if wee preferre not thy death to our cheefest ioye Remember thy creator saith the Preacher Eccle. 12 1 so I say remember also thy Redeemer Thou oughtest sooner to forget thy selfe as Messalah did his name theÌ„ to forget him that died for thee Consider this you that forget God you that dwell in sinful Ierico leaue your sinnes they procured Christs death Christ hath died for vs that henceforth we should learne to die to sinne and walke in newnesse of life knowing that our olde man is crucified with him to thend the body of sinne should be destroyed You then remember him as yee ought when you lay all the storie of his Passion before you as if you looâ—ed vppon him nowe crucified and hanging on the crosse induring all the torments and paines of hell both in body and soule for our sakes consider of all the tortures and bitter pangs of his innocent passion which Nazianzene compriseth in three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buffets and blowes mockes and mowes railings and reuilings whips and scourges prickes and thornes hammers and nailes cordes and ropes crosse and gibbet thirst and vinegar reede and speare these were the instruments of our redemption Al this and more then can be vttered did he sustain patiently for our sakes in his most blessed body Which though they be now past in him ought not lightly to passe from vs but euer to be fresh in memorie as Dauid saide I will neuer forget these iustifications of thine so let vs say we will neuer forget these torments of thine The christian soules of men should liue Act. 7 55 and die in the meditation of Christs life and death like Stephan in the contemplating of his glory If the Philosophers call contemplation the greatest and chefest felicitie certainelie then in this contemplation consists the greatest felicity The forgetfulnes of this benefite driues vs blindfolded into al sin for wheÌ„ we forget Christ we straightwaies forget our selues too and so this proud flesh of ours wil not suffer vs to crucifie our crooked affections What flesh can be proud that beholdeth our Sauiour so poore and contemptible vpon the crosse or what soule hauing any spark of grace like the maimed faith of Agrippa caÌ„ nowe giue himselfe ouer vnto sinne considering the seueritie of Gods iustice vppon his owne naturall and only begotten Sonne for our sinnes which otherwise could not be cleered but by so deere a price euen the hart bloud of so glorious a person But of this inough although inough can neuer be spoken and it ought rather to bee mused vpon in our harts than amplified in words Here may wise men studie and wonder like the disciples gazing after Iesus ascending or like Elisha when his maister was taken from him I will end with the woordes of this shorte charge in this place Do it in remembraunce of Christ Remember Christ hath redeemed you Christ hath reconciled you his bloud hath purged you his faith doth iustifie you his appearing will glorifie you to him with the father and the holy spirite bee glory for euer Amen Christ Combating with Satan Then was Iesus ledde aside by the spirit into the Wildernesse to be tempted of the diuell And when hee had fasted forty dayes and fortye nights he was at the last an hungry Then came to him the Tempter and sayd if thou be the Sonne of God command these stones to be made bread c. Math. 4. 1. This Historye is recorded for our learning and for our exhortation for our learning to the end we should know that Christ by this his faste hunger temptation and victory ouer Satan did all this for our sakes and therein worketh our good and safetie The faithfull in Christ must know that they shall neuer be left in temptation nor ouercome in affliction because our head Christ Iesus hath in his owne person ouercome al these things for vs according to that sweete testimony of himselfe in the 16. of Iohn Be of good cheere I haue ouercome the world We are exhorted after this example of Christ to indure hunger temptation and any necessitie or crosse of affliction soeuer that God shal lay vpon vs when and so ofteÌ„ as it shall please God to exercise vs with any such triall arming our selues with patience and much constancie and we shall vndoubtedly be deliuered at Gods hands al in good time God wil comfort vs when we are most pinched as in this place hee comforted his sonne after his long fast by causing the Angels to minister vnto him In the time of trouble and heauines when wee combat with the diuel and our owne flesh comfort seemes for a time to be hid like fire that is raked vp in the ashes vntil the bellowes of Gods prouidence blowe vpon it and then it shewes it selfe vpon a sodaine like the sunne out of a cloude when the storme is past God requireth that we stay his leysure and at length though his helpe and succor seeme as farre from vs as Lazarus in Abrahams Luc. 16 22. bosome yet it wil come at last to do vs most good as the Sunne that was rising is risen and as the sheaues fell afore Ruth in the gleaning time If when wee bee no sooner downe God presently raiseth vs vp Ruth 2 16. why here can bee no triall of patience but God is woont to leaue vs for a time to the
And the Prophet Dauid ioynes with theÌ„ Psalme â—3 in like consent the word of the Lord is righ teous and all his workes are faithfull And vnto this faithfulnes is another property annexed viz. Gods Iustice Heere is the second reason to induce vs to acknowledge our sinnes for God is iust He is iust in his anger and in his bountifulnesse who shall stand saith Nahum before the face of his wrathfull indignation and his anger is poured out like fire Ps 85. And againe it is an horrible thing to fal into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 12. Hee is iust to giue euery man according to his worke Reue. 21. therefore confesse for hee is iust Hee hath promised free pardon if thou performe this confession and of this pardon thou maist assure thy selfe because God is iust and cannot breake with thee To cleere this with many wordes were to poynt at the shining sunne and to light a candle at noone daie therefore I will descend to that which followeth That he may forgiue vs Though God be of power infinite yet wil he not saue maÌ„ without faith forgiue sinnes without repentance and a principall branch of this repentance is the confessing of sinne If thou treadest the path of repentance thus far foorth viz. to confesse thy sins and to bee ashamed of them and to be sorie for them yet if thou haue not faith if thou beleeue not that God is faithful and iust to forgiue thou commest short of true repentance For Iudas proceeded so farre as well as Mat. 27. 3. 4. thou yet he was damned because hee distrusted God he could not perswade himselfe that GOD would forgiue him and so he lost that which the theefe found Note therefore that three things are necessarie that sinnes may be forgiuen First Infusio gratioe the pouring of grace or working of Gods grace in vs as it wrought in Peter when he went to weepe Secondlie the remorse of the soule who fearing the danger of sin flies to god by repentance like the publicanes souldiours in the 3. of Luke to this belongs confessioÌ„ Thirdly a change of mind and casting off old affections by putting a new heart like Saul when a kingly spirit was giueÌ„ him The calling of sinners to repentance is liuely described by the calling of S. Mathew in whose calling we are to note foure things First he was sitting noting the carelesse securitie of sinners Secondly the place where he was viz. the seate of custome noting how this worldlie Mammon doth draw men from God Thirdly hee rose vppe shewing when grace is poured into vs then we rise froÌ„ sin It is not inough for vs to heare Christ cal but we must rise vp like Samuel and S. Mathew leauing our former state occupatioÌ„ Fourthly hee followed Christ wee must not leaue sinnes only before committed but we must indeuour to leade a godly life euer afterwards framing our selues to the example of Christ To furnish you yet with a coate of surer proofe then Saules armour euerie soule that meanes to possesse heauenly riches must be qualified with these properties He must first haue voluntatis mutationem a change of will 2 Ad deum conuersionem a turning vnto God 3 Peccati detestationem a detestation of sinne 4 Ad meâ—orem vitam intentionem an intention and earnest resolution to liue better afterwardes To forgiue vs our sinnes the certaintie of this remission is assured vs by many presidents in scripture Dauid sinned but vppon his confession God being faithfull and iust forgaue him Ahab confessed his sinne and humbled â—â—in 21 29 himselfe before God and he sawe not the euil that was threatned in his daves And so did the Niniuites and were not destroied though the hande of the Lord were alreadie stretched out within fortie daies to consume Luk. 15 22. them The prodigall sonne was receiued with great welcomes vpon his confession Notwithstanding the inuincible truth of this doctrine yet Satan whose pollicie is euer to hinder mans saluation thought to draw men from the vnderstanding hereof and shuffled into mens heads diuers errors about remission of sinne First that not God alone but man also may forgiue sins whence the selling of pardons proceeded Secondly that venial sin may be forgiuen with the infusion of diuine and heauenly grace Thirdly that there is no remission where there is not open confession to the priest Fourthly that remission of sinnes may be after this life which opinion is defended by magister sententiarum and this is the roote of Purgatorie The Pellagians affirmed that when sinne is forgiuen the punishment is also forgiuen and therefore they say the death of the bodie is not the reward of originall sinne And so they say Adam had died a bodily death whether he had sinned or not but we know it to be otherwise And these are the Locusts that creepe Reuel â— forth of the bottomlesse pit The Pelagians in maintaining this erroâ— crosse these scriptures In â—udore vultus in the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread God forgaue the sinne but the punishment still remaines God pronounced against Eue in sorrow Gen. 3. shalt thou bring foorth God pardoned the sinne but the punishment yet remaineth Dauid by confession of his sin got pardon yet the Prophet told him he should be humbled by his sonne But let these errors passe and leaue we them to him that deuised them which is the diuell who hath bin a lier from the beginning trueth will triumph ouer falshoode and the arke wil stand when Dagon falles One droppe remaineth behind vndistilled the pure Quintessence whereof being in due mixture added to this cleare fountaine of christalline water wil grace the same with a matchlesse perfection When this is supplied nothing will be wanting as nothing was lacking to the fiue Mat. 25 4. wise virgins when their lampes were burning And to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse God will not only remit sinne but he will take it cleane away as Moses said he Exo. 10. 26 woulde not leaue an hoofe behinde so God in purging wil not leaue a spot behind but we shal be throughly cleansed and made white like Abosolom who from the sole of his foote to the top of his head had no blemish 2. Sam. 14. 25. in him How filthie and polluted soeuer we were before yet nowe wee shall be cleane and white whiter than Naaman after so many washings In the one and twentieth of the Reuelation it is written that the city of god is founded vpon precious stones and in the ende of the Chapter it is said there shall no vncleane thing enter into it shewing that the soule of man must be cleane The Lord by Esay sayth I wil blot out all thine iniquities And if the wicked man wil turne from his wickednes I will remeÌ„ber his sins no more In the sixt of the Reuelation mention is made of those that were vnder the Altar the Altar is