assurance of glory and saluation but on earth by reason of that body of sinne and death which they carry about them hauing the flesh pressing with continuall fight and oppressing with often conquest When Nebuchadnezzar made choice of some of the children of the Captiuity to stand before him he commanded to bring such as were of the Kings seed and of the Princes well fauoured and without blemish Si verbis audacia detur giue me leaue to apply this God the King of heauen hath out of his meere mercy chosen out of Satans captiuity some to stand before him they are of the Kings seed and of the Princes sonnes of God and brethren of Christ Iesus 1. Cant. 15. faire they are and pleasant the chiefe among ten thousand Free from the vsuall deformities but onely they are sometimes troubled with the falling sicknesse witnesse the examples before mentioned and the fall of Dauid into this great strait not that the Protoplastes of our spirituall feature and perfection were the cause of this but euen that originall sinne and corruption which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and coeuterine with vs pluckes vs by the heele as Iacob did Esau and pinches them as the Angell did Iacob in the thigh Gen. 2.25.26 that they neuer claw off this halting so long as they liue in these houses of clay I learned this lesson of Salomon that God made man vpright but he sought many inuentions Adam was taught a tricke by the Diuell to lose his happinesse and Dauid who was before at large is now taught by Satan and brought by him into this strait Now although by such enormities of the Saints there cannot but accrew dishonour to God shame and scandall to their profession and euill example to the infecting of others Yet Almighty God who brought light out of darknesse life out of death can also bring good out of euill and like a wise Architect can so dispose of euery peece except those for the fire as to build a glorious Temple for the Holy Ghost First hereby is laid the foundation of humility in the hearts of men The aduenturous Christian when he heares of the two Tables of Gods Commandements Iudg. 16.3 Mat 19.20 and 25.25 thinkes he can carry them as easily as Sampson did the gates of Azzah and say Lord thou hast thine owne all these haue I kept from my youth But finding at the length like Sampson that his strength is but as other mens he is stricken as low as the Center and shrinks to an Acome in his owne conceipt Now being brought to this ebbe he is a good foundation for God to build vpon now growing conscious of his owne infirmities like Peter walking vpon the water he cries Master saue me now hee will no more of his owne strength but onely of the grace of God which is onely sufficient for him The Swans of Thames and Po beholding with a retorted neck their goodly feathers thinke themselues Rarae aues in terris but when their blacke legs and feete are become the obiects of their sight then they find that they are nigris Cygnis simillimae So when men behold their liues in what they are commendable or tolerable the Pharisee himselfe is not more proud then they but when they looke into the glasse of the Law of God then goes the hand to the breast and the word from the mouth O God be mercifull vnto me a sinner Luke 18. The liues of the best men that liue vpon earth are like Nebuchadnezzars image hauing feet of clay as well as a head of gold Here then is Schola scala coeli a Schoole to teach a neare way and a ladder to helpe vp the best way to heauen O happy daughter of so vnhappy a mother Now Nathan may bee heard if he reproue Now Saint Peter may catch fish when the water is troubled Dauid before by Sathan drawne beside himselfe is now by Sin driuen out of him selfe As much I conceiue of Peter that his faint heart was now become an humble heart and though Petrus was Petra yet like the rocke in the wildernesse he yeelded abundance of water which makes me giue the more credence to Clemens Romanus affirming of him that hee spent euery morning in weeping vntill his eyes were dimme with weeping and deepe furrowes were plowed in his face with teares tam vi quam saepe cadendo Oh that it may euer be seene that if in the seruice of God the Saints misse the first Lesson of integritie they be sure to reade and learne the second Lesson of humility Magis enim Deo placet humilitas ex malè factis quà m superbia ex benè factis He that exalteth himselfe in his good deeds shall be humbled but hee that shall humble himselfe for his euill deeds shall be exalted This falling of the Saints into sinne though casuall and vnusuall doth worke in them a cautelous and carefull carriage in the sequell of their liues danger is the adequate obiect of feare and warinesse and sinne being an auersion of the creature from the Creator the dangerous and miserable effects thereof cannot but deterre and affright the once entangled soule from any relaps or recidiuation into the same Ictus piscis sapit The children of God who by Sathans malice and ouer-reaching policie are brought into Sinne and by Gods mercy brought out of it againe do passe the remainder of their time and worke out their saluation in feare and trembling The Turks now inhabiting in that sometimes citie of Ierusalem Timberl trauel hauing an old Prophecy that the Citie shall be retaken at the same place where before it was assaulted and conquered haue in and neare that place immured all passage and preuented all probability of entring in like manner if Sathan our mortall enemie haue heretofore made assault vpon our soules and like a strong man entred and spoiled vs if at the priuie dore of our hearts by sinfull imaginations let vs be sure to keepe our hearts with all diligence If at the too too open dore of our lippes by filthy communication Ps 141.3 let vs set a watch before our mouth and keepe the doore of our lips If he shall enter by our eares which often prooue carelesse Centinels by admitting and entertaining idle talke filthy and corrupt communication lying or slanderous reports rather become like deafe men and heare not then euer that raging and malicious enemy shall foyle vs at the like aduantage While thornes and weeds are suffered to couer the face of the sluggards garden they must needes be an hinderance to the increase and growth of either pleasant flower or profitable hearbe Stella 1. in Luc. but if thence transplanted they are placed in the hedge they serue to fence the garden that the beasts of the field annoy it not So while Sinne is suffered to haue roote in the heart of man no increase of good no hearbe of grace can be expected as our Sauiour applies it in
Orbes if the Intelligences faile in their mouing office nor can I wonder at the inordinate actions of this sublunarie world when Gods Intelligencers dare not tell Israel of her sinne Isa 58.1 and Iudah of her transgressions Now if I durst aduenture I could put some into a wonderfull Strait and bring some soules before the iustice of God whom the opinion of the world hath openly quitt Should I say that Simon Magus is turned a great Patron of Benefices amongst vs and that his bosome-seruant Quid dabis were a disposer of Liuings I know not how this Age would take it Should I say that some gallants weare Vicars cloathes or spend the Clergies bookes in yellow ruffes they may perhaps haue pepper in the nose as well as Cloues in their bands Or should I condemne the generall Apostacie of the world from that good estate and plight wherein our Fathers haue knowne it some Stoicall Athenian may iustly as his wisedome thinketh aske what will this babbler say If they or any of them will needes know then this I say and yet not I but others whose shooe latchets I am not worthy to loose that for the particular sinne of Sacriledge all that is so gotten is aurum Tholossanum and that all the bread at such Patrons tables are cheat loaues And for the generall estate of the whole world as one sayd bitterly of Rome probabilius est strui nouam quam emendare antiquam more like to haue a new Rome built then the old to be amended so I say of the world that it is more probable sooner to see it changed in substance then in manners in regard that so farre as I see the world is likely sooner to cease to be then to be wicked and hence is nostri mundi calamitas that men had rather ten times commit one sinne then once heare of ten sinnes Dauid tooke all in good part that Gad spake though it were neuer so harsh and blamed none but himselfe for being brought into this Strait I would that all that heare me this day were herein not almost but altogether such as Dauid then would Herod heare the reproofe of Iohn Baptist gladly then would euery man so heare the word as to amend his life according to the word then would God be honoured his Ministers comforted and the World well amended But if the dease Adder will not heare when wee charme the world with zeale and discretion happily vnited then the Lord commands to cry aloud and spare not to lift vp our voyces like a trumpet Luk. 18.1 and to deale as that oppressed widow moue them with vncessant preaching and to be bolde as Lyons in Gods cause Let Peter tell Simon Magus plainely Act. 8.23 Acts 13.10 that he is in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquitie Let Paul tell Elymas the sorcerer that he is the child of the diuell if he be full of all wickednesse We must learne of Gad not spare to speake though we spare to speed And all godly and conscionable hearers must learne of Dauid to heare with quietnes to beare with patience and to mend with willingnes As Dauid chides not with Gad so he quarrels not with God and though as our Prouerb goes losers must haue leaue to speake yet hee though I suppose his heart waxed hote within him neuer spake with his lips to iustifie himselfe Psal 39. Thus might his Pharifaicall thoughts haue suggested Ah my Lord I haue a long time gone in and out before this thy people O Lord thou knowest that I loue thee and haue with all my heart sticken to thy testimonies I haue had so great a care of my wayes as not to offend in my tongue O thou Lord good and gracious full of mercy and compassion is thy mercy cleane forgotten or shall all the former passage of my life be too little to expiate one small sinne Thou madest proffer of mercy to fiue Cities for ten righteous and wilt thou not spare one man for one sinne Thou that pardonest such a number of sinnes to thy people wilt thou not pardon such a sinne as numbring of the people Thus might Dauid seem to haue pleaded for himselfe Apud Linium Tullus an interpreter of the Law hauing pleaded for the life of Horatius who had murdered his Sister and not preuailing the Father of this Horatius demands of the Romans whether they could lead his sonne to death but his owne demerits and valiant acts would euen giue a dumbe shew to haue his life saued So might humane iudgement had it now beene Aduocate haue pleaded for Dauid but it would not haue preuailed nor haue beene a sufficient baile to haue freed Dauid from this vnsuspected Sinne and vnexpected sorrow Now he that hath an eare to heare a heart to consider and a memory to remember cannot in sense but heare in reason he must vnderstand and vnlesse he will forget himselfe remember this for his instruction Doctr. That the waight of mans merit is not sufficient by many graines to counterpoise the burden of one wilfull sinne if God be extreame to enter into iudgement with the Sonnes of men though they be such as are indeed the Sonnes of God How faire soeuer the preceedent part of their liues haue been both in their publique and priuate callings yet that great King of heauen who can espie one man amongst many without a wedding garment can in his omniscience and may and doth often in his iustice enter into iudgement for the commission of one sinne especially if wilfull as was this of Dauid as we see in the Church of Ephesus Reu. 2.2 though laudable for her workes her labour her patience and perseuerance yet there is a something that God hath against her for which he will remoue the Candlesticke out of his place except she repent Many plankes well pind and calkt make the Ship to float one and but one leake will sincke it One wound may strike Goliah dead as well as three and twenty did Caesar Sam. 17. Sueton. Iudg. 16.18 One Dalilah will doe Sampson as much spight as all the Philistims One wheele broken spoiles all the whole clocke One veines bleeding will let out the vitall spirits as well as more One flie will spoile a whole boxe of ointment 1 Reg. 49. One hearb Colloquintida spoiles all the pottage One Apple lost Adam the pleasant Paradise 1 Sam. 14.27 One licke of honey endangered the life of Ionathan One Achan was a trouble to all Israel Ios 7.25 One Ionah if faulty Ionah 17. is lading too heauy for a whole Shippe And one sinne is enough to procure Gods anger and too much for a man to commit Reason Now that God may not be challenged of any iniustice as though hee would easily picke a quarrell with men Iam. 2.10 heare what S. Iames auerreth That he that failes in one point is guilty of all A stone cast into the midst of the
That the motto of the most afflicted soule may be The mercies of our God are great The rather for these reasons following In the act of punishing God punisheth a little and pardoneth a great deale not suiting his plagues according to our deserts for then wee should be consumed but as a louing and mercifull Creditor when the debtor owes an hundred bids him take his pen and write fiftie or at the most foure score nay indeede not taking so much as fiue in the hundred of his debtors cutting off onely the hemme of our garment or the skirt of our rayment when we owe vnto him our soules as forfeit by reason of our transgression Any sinne committed against our infinite God deserues an infinite punishment If God therefore shall abate eternitie and send vs punishment is not his mercy great If when we deserue many stripes he giues vs but stripes is not his mercy great for man in this kind would haue had the vtmost farthing In the end of punishing farre is it from God to ayme at the destruction of his people nay hee aymes at their instruction that they might learne to keepe his Statutes and Commandements And whereas an enemie would funditus delere nocentem that his name Esa 55.8 nor the name of Israel might be had no more in remembrance Gods wayes are not as mens wayes God indeede sometimes destroyes the body that he may saue the soule he punisheth his children with the world that they may not be condemned with the world Others take vengeance out of hatred God out of his loue Castigans non quod odio habeat sed quod amet The originall of this action being so farre different must of necessitie suppose a contrary end A great Armada preuailing kills vp all A Powder-treason vndiscouered blowes vp all Ab vno intenditur ruina ab altero doctrina God meanes good man meanes mischiefe In the manner of punishing Gods mercies are great Albeit the iustice of God be mooued and his patience prouoked and though with men Laesa patientia vertitur in furorem Patience prouoked turnes to furie and yet not furor breuis a short furie but an irreconcileable hatred Yet God though offended will not alwaies be chiding Psal 103.9 neither keepeth he his anger for euer yea although he whet his sword and bend his bow and make ready his arrowes yet a poore soule may haue a present appeale a Deo irato ad Deum placatum being so appeasable and facile vnto such as shall vpon the bended knees of their soules sue out grace and pardon by renouncing of their sinnes and relying vpon his great mercies Nay the Lord himselfe of himselfe in this present plague without any intreaty to the comfort of penitent sinners I speake it did commaund the destroying Angell to hold his hand as grieuing to see the misery of his people and that so soon that Dauid had not time to offer any sacrifice propitiatorie but at the ceasing of the plague a free-will offering gratulatory for the remouall of so heauy a iudgement In this very punishment the Lord is more then iustifiable in all his wayes and holy in all his works and had he now decreed that whatsoeuer was left of the famine the sword should destroy and whatsoeuer was left of the sword the pestilence should destroy and so haue sent althose three furies of hell at once to haue assailed Israel what cursed Atheist durst haue said or thought but the Lord is iuste but now hehold him also mercifull he opens but one Seale sends but one punishment Nor is that positiuely set downe or cald out by name to enter combat with Israel but left arbitrary to Dauid Chuse one It is much if beggers may be chusers more if sinners Traian intending the death of Seneca bade him make choyce of the manner of his death Traian was cruell in his decree though kind in such a proffer God not cruell but mercifull vnto all his workes makes Dauid heere pronounce the sentence of iudgement Chuse one Is not heere great mercy Now Seneca in his wisedome chose the easiest to bleed to death in a bath and Dauid now hauing considered the mercies of God great of themselues but yet greater if compared with the mercies of men chuseth to fall into the hands of God who is iust and mercifull in the act of punishment gracious and mercifull in the end of punishment patient and merciful in his manner of punishment and lastly exceeding mercifull in this very punishment As the great mercies of God may iustly prouoke our admiration so Dauids wise choyce may be iustified as Christ did that of Mary he chose the better part Luk. 10.42 to fall into Gods hands whose mercies are great Can we now but wonder at Dauids choyce when all things considered ipsa iustitia Dei sit misericordia Foolish and vnfortunate was the ingresse into this sinne but most prudent and happy the euasion out of it Obiect But how was it so happy seeing the Apostle to affright from Sinne determines and defines It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 10.31 After that I haue serued necessity in the reconciling these two places I must obey the time Thus then briefely Resp 1 Two things must here be considered First of what maner of sinne and sinners the Apostle speaketh Willet vbi supra namely of those that tread vnder foote the Sonne of God that count the bloud of the Couenant wherewith he was sanctified an vnholy thing and haue despited the spirit of grace as appeareth verse 29. But Dauids case and theirs are not alike his was a Sinne but of a child of God it was a Sinne but of infirmity Theirs are Sinnes but Sinnes of reprobates theirs are Sinnes but of that nature that the first is intolerable the second is like vnto it abhominable and the third as Christ the truth it selfe hath pronounced impardonable either in this world or in the world to come That is sauing Bellarmines patience they shall not haue any sense or feeling of pardon in this world Explic. locus Mat. 12.32 or benefite of remission of sinnes in the world to come or as our Church in shorter termes neuer Here then is the case It is one case to appeare before a temporal Iudge as a malefactor in wrong or violence to my neighbour which may be answered and auoyded by some legall meanes or if not the punishment may extend to losse of goods or good name and not touch life It is another case when a man shall appeare as guilty of that roaring sin of Treason against his Soueraigne a monstrous sinne worthy ten thousand deaths if a malefactor had so many liues what a wofull and fearefull case is this So it is one thing to sinne and another thing to sinne with so high an hand and herein it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God The Apostle speakes not of
Macies noua febrium Terris incubuit cohors Semotique priùs tarda necessitas Lethi corripuit gradum Had not the old world swomme in security and Epicurisme Gen. 6.13 they had not floated in that generall deluge Gen. 18.20 Had not Sodome beene tainted with so filthy sinnes they had not felt so fierie a punishment Luke 19.42.43 Had Ierusalem seene the day of their visitation it had not seene the day of desolation Had not Dauid committed some great sinne hee had neuer beene in this great strait When Pilate heard the people cry out to haue Christ crucified Mat. 27.23 hee asketh in the audience of them all What euill hath he done So reason and equity may heere demand in Dauids behalfe Quid mali admisit Why will God thus vexe and perplexe at the heart a man after his owne heart the Text answers hereunto verse 1. Dauid had numbred the people Numbring of people was vsed in ancient time by Sergius Tullus the Romane Liu. Aul. Gel. lib. 10. to know how many were fit for warre and the age amongst them was from 17. to 46. and in dangerous times till 50. and our Sauiour Christ commendeth a wise King who will forecast whether he be able to meet his enemy or not Beside Luke 14 31. they were numbred by Moses Exod. 38. and againe Numb 1. why might not then an action repeated by Moses and daily practised by other Princes be as lawfull for Dauid Shall Dauid fight Gods battailes and not know the strength of his army or goe in and out before a people and not know the number of them and thus the verdict of flesh and blood returnes ignoramus We find no fault at all in this man But stay a while fond opinion and take this in charge That a thing lawfull nay good in it selfe may in the manner or end of doing become vnlawfull and so a sinne For Omne quod non licet est peccatum Prayer is commanded and best if it be done in a corner that no man may see it Mat. 6.2 but if in the corners of the street that all men may see it is abhominable Almes are commended yet the noyse of a trumpet blowne before them drownes all their worth and leaues them splendida peccata and no better Are things so good so soone turned bad How then are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of themselues neyther good nor bad Fasting is good if it be done to tame the flesh and bring it in subiection but if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee admixed to be seene of men it is hypocrisie If a man out of the weaknesse of his iudgement shall refuse a ceremony or gesture as fearing to wound his soule by committing idolatry I pitty his case his action being tolerable but if any stiffe-necked or stiffe-hammed Schismaticke shall doe it out of opposition to the order and discipline of the Church his holy singularity is no better then stubbornnes and deep hypocrisie Dauids case Herein then Dauid failed First it was needlesse hauing no warre in hand Secondly it was a curious crotchet ideò numeratur vt numeretur onely to know Thirdly it sauoured of pride to glory in the number of the people which three circumstances being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary proued in Gods estimation and Dauids owne confession verse 10. a sinne a wickednesse an exceeding folly nor could hee charge God iustly of any iniustice for bringing of him into this great strait Thus wee see that came not by fate but from God it came not vniustly but for sinne and this sinne by name was numbring of the people Now the manner of Dauids falling into this strait stands like a pillar of Salt for our remembrance and instruction and he that runneth may plainly reade this for his obseruation Doctr. That a faire Saint may fall into a foule sinne nor can the best man carry himselfe so equally with God but that sometimes by sinne he fals into his lurch and becomes liable to punishment For Dauids part were not his heart so candide as to confesse the truth we may deale with him obsignatis tabulis namely Gods faithfull Register the holy Scripture which doth charge and challenge him of a former and a fouler sinne in the matter of Vriah the Hittite 1 Sam. 11. whose blood like the blood of Abel the innocent could witnesse against him But what need we any further witnesse seeing we haue heard of his owne mouth in that poenitentiary Psal 51. wherein he sheds many teares for shedding of onely this mans blood But lest I should by one Swallow to proue a Summer and for one mans sinne to condemne the generation of the iust although I desire not to vncouer the shame of the Saints yet fith all things are writen for our instruction 1 Cor. 10.11 giue me leaue to shew some spots and moales which haue been no small blemish to their perfection Amongst the twelue there was but one Iudas one sonne of perdition but one that burst his bowels with a fall but none of the rest escaped without a fall To omit the ambition of Zebedees sonnes Marke 10.37 Iohn 20.25 the incredulity of Thomas the doubting of the two Disciples come wee to the Papists master-peece their Dominicall letter of the Apostles Peter is reproued for tempting his Master Mat. 16.22 recorded for denying him Mat. 26.70 and all the Disciples seeing their Master apprehended in the Garden for feare forsooke him and fled Mat. 26.56 Nor was this Leprosie a new disease in the Apostles time or like Ionahs goord come vp in a night but if wee shall vse the Historians optich glasse we shall discouer a farre off as in a Landsceipe Gen. 9.21 Noah lye drunken in his Tent and naked too did not his good sonnes Sem and Iapheth couer him Immersus aquâ vino mergitur Neither did any lesse happen to Lot whose righteous soule was vexed at the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites 2. Pet. 2.7 the onely man thought worthy to be pluckt out of the fire of Sodome Intactus igne vrit libidine and his drunkennesse committed a sinne Gen. 19.36 which had there beene one righteous man in Sodome his soule would tremble to haue committed it To call the life or wisedome of Salomon in question in mee it were but folly and yet no more then he committed who by the multitude of his Dalilahs suffered his heart to bee stolne away from God Lorinus praef in Act. Tenorius Archbishop of Toledo making question whether Salomon was saued or damned caused his picture to be drawne in his Chappell halfe in heauen and halfe in hell this was about his state of glory But should my rude pencill delineate him in the state of grace I would both picture him and all the rest of Gods people halfe in heauen and halfe in earth in heauen by reason of their holy and heauenly conuersation in heauen by reason of their