where wee find the saints professing and avowing their hope in God most confidently But say they yet for all this wee are uncertain of our Love But consider I pray you that S. Peter being demanded by our Saviour concerning his love to him answereth most confidently Thou knowest that I love thee Thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee So S. Augustine in his 8. book of the Trinitie 7. chap. saieth That wee more certainlie know the love that we carrie to our brother then our brother himself They answere to this That wee may know indeed certainly that there is in us a love and affection to God and our neighbour but yet say they we cannot know for what end and upon what motive wee love him and consequently whether our love be such as it ought to be But they should consider that the Apostle saieth 1. Cor. 2. â—1 That the spirit of a man knoweth the things of a man and that wee haue received the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Hence a most learned Romanist Vega in his 9. book of â—ustificat 39. chap. granteth That wee may know not only our own inward actions but also for what end and upon what motive they are exercised by us and consequently that we love God above all things and that wee are ready to suffer the losse of all things rather then to offend him and that wee have truly sorrowed for our bypast sinnes But to leave this let us mark here That it is not without great cause that DAVID intending to blesse exalt God mentioneth particularly this his assurance that God was his God that he had a particular interest in him This as we touched before is a most singular benefit from which many excellent fruits do spring For first hence floweth a boldnesse toward God a boldnesse to come in his presence and a confidence to be heard of him in our praiers If our heart condemne us not we haue confidence towards God 1. Iohn 3. 21. A son that is perswaded of his fathers love is bold to come to him and to present his sutes unto him when occasion serveth so wee being perswaded that God is our God and Father are confident to poure out our hearts in his bosome and to expect a gracious answere from him I have written unto you saieth S. Iohn 1. 5. 13. 14. 15. that ye may know that ye have eternall life And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us And we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him Where first wee have the knowledge of eternall life then confidence to be heard to have our petitions granted If wee have to do with a man of whom wee know not whether he loveth us or not we can have but small hope to obtain our sutes from him but if wee be assured that we have his favour wee are confident to obtaine our requests according to that degree of favour which we perswade our selves to enjoy so if we be perswaded that God is our God and Father we cannot doubt of obtaining from him that which is good If ye that are evill can give good things to your children how much more will your heavenly Father give his good Spirit and all good things to them that ask him He that gave to us his own Son when we did not pray to him how much more with him will he give to us all things which wee pray for Secondly This assurance that God is our God and that we are in his favour maketh us to go on cheerfully in the obedience of God It enlargeth our heart with comfort so that wee runne the way of Gods Commandements There is nothing that will make a good servant cheerfull in doing his Masters will so much as to know that himself and his service is well accepted so nothing more fit to stirre us up to alacritie in well doing then to know that our persons and works are acceptable to God This is a notable spurre to a good life Hee that hath this hope purgeth himself that he may be holy as God is holy saieth S. Iohn I have hope towards God of the resurrection of the just and unjust saieth S. PAUL Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Thirdly This assurance that God is ours and that we have his love breedeth to us peace that passeth understanding and joy unspeakable and glorious even amidst all our worldly troubles S. Paul having said Rom. 5. 1. being justified by faith wee have peace with God subjoyneth That we rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God and that wee rejoyce also in our tribulations For being at one with God the peace of God keepeth our mindes Philip. 4. 7. It guardeth and defendeth them as a wall or garrison so the word signifieth It guardeth I say not only our bodies or estats always but also our minds that we sink not through the weight of our afflictions nor fall away from our stedfastnesse by any crosses For he that is in this estate can reason thus Though my wealth and preferment be taken away though my friends have forsaken mee though want and troubles sease upon mee Yet Christ is mine God is mine heaven and the inheritance of the joyes of it is mine These outward troubles can do no more but batter without and at the most pull down the earthly house of this bodie but That building which is without hands in heaven they cannot reach unto These troubles may take away my outward joyes but that joy which is within which is in God even my God is beyond the power of Life or death of height or depth of principalities or powers of things present or things to come Rom. 8. 38. This comforted Iob in the midst of all his grievous sorrowes I know saieth he that my Redeemer liveth and that with mine eyes I shall see him This comforted the godly Hebrews chap. 10. 34. Yee took joyfullie the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye haue in heaven a better and an enduring substance Hence hope which is grounded upon this assurance is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6. 19. An Anchor holdeth the ship firme and stable that it be not driven hither and thither or overwhelmed although the sea bee stormie and tempestuous even so our hope setleth our soules in the midst of tribulations that wee bee not swallowed up thereby So it is compared to an helmet 11. Thess 5. 8. For as an helmet securing the head putteth courage in a Souldier to fight so hope securing us of the maine point our eternall safety giveth courage and confidence to us in all our troubles I come now to David his last expression of that which he intendeth to praise and blesse That is the
is not from the earth but from heaven and if he give life to them that are dead he may be justly called The bread of life 3. He addeth these words to comfort Beleevers and to terrifie unbeleevers For no greater comfort can be to them that receive him by a true and lively faith then the assured hope that they shall be raised up by him from death to a glorious and immortall life and on the other part it is matter of exceeding terror to the unbelieving and wicked that they shall not be partakers of this blessed resurrection but they shall be raised up to shame and confusion This point is urged diverse times hereafter by our LORD and therefore it may be we shall have occasion to speak of it more fully Only now consider that this is a point which we should at this time deeply meditate upon He who calleth us and offereth himself unto us is no lesse then he who hath power of life and death even of eternall life and of eternall death If wee answer him and embrace his Calling we may look to have confidence joy and glory at our death and resurrection but if we do otherwayes we can expect nothing but terrour sorrow and confusion Though we think little now of death and resurrection yet they wil come It is appointed for all men once to die and after death cometh judgement The soul will be called out of the body the body will be called out of the grave and both will be called before the Tribunall of GOD. If thou hearkned devotly and obediently to his Calling here Thou shalt lift up thine head then being confident that thy redemption draweth near When GOD sayeth to thy soul at death Come out thou shalt encourage it and say Go 〈◊〉 my soule fear nâ—t it is the Voice of my Beloved calling not to destroy but to save thee It is the voice of him who hath often called me before and whom I have answered by his Grace It is the Voice of him that I was longing for He said to me before Behold I come I have answered even so Amen LORD Iesus come But on the contrary if thou hast despised his gracious and mercifull Calling here thy terrour shall be unspeakable at death and at the resurrection He shall call when thy Lamp is not prepared and albeit thou would not be drawn by his Mercy his Justice shall draw thy soule out of thy body at death and thy body out of the grave at the resurrection although thou call then he will not heare but will say Depart from me I know thee not Long have I cast open the doore of my Mercy unto thee but thou would not enter and now it is shute O how terrible shall this Calling or rather Drawing of iustice be to the disobedient soule body Faine would they draw back into that very nothing out of which they were brought Therefore the wicked shall say then unto the hills and to the mountains fall upon us and cover us from the Face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the Face of the Lamb. Let us therefore while we have time thinke both upon his Mercy Justice These are the two armes of his Providence whereby he draweth to good and from evil MERCY is as it were his Right-Hand which is alluring and comfortable justice his Left-Hand which is terrifying and dreadfull Let us labour That his left hand may be vnder our head as the Spouse speaketh and that his right hand may embrace us that is let us thinke upon his gracious Promises that we may be allured to obey him and withall consider his dreadfull terrours that we may stand in awe to despise his invitations I will speake no more of this Now I proceed It is written in the prophets And they shall be all taught of GOD c. Here he confirmeth and cleareth what he said of the drawing of men to him by the Father He confirmeth it by the testimony of scripture It is written sayeth he in the prophets they shall be all taught of GOD. This testimony is expresly set down Isaiah 54. 13. Where the PROPHET speaking of the happy estate of the Church of the new Testament sayeth to her All thy children shall be taught of the LORD and great shall be their peace According to the sense it is also to be found else-where especially in the 31. 33. of Iâ—r where the LORD speaking of the Church of the new Testament sayeth After those dayes it shall come to passe that I will put my law in their hearts writ it in their inward parts and they shall be my people and I will be their GOD and they shall not teach every man his brother and every man his neighbour but they shall know me from the highest to the least sayeth the LORD For clearing of this yee are to understand that to be taught of God is nothing else but to have our minds enlightned by the knowledge of him and to have his love â—â—â—ed abroad in our hearts so that we obey him and that not out of the fear of punishment but out of the love of righteousnes Of this teaching the Prophet spake when he said Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest and teachest out of thy law and when he said againe Teach me to do thy Will O GOD for it is good This our Saviour manifesteth in the next words wherein he explaineth what it is To be taught by GOD saying That such an one heareth and learneth of the Father and cometh to him that is he that is so taught understandeth and beleeveth that which the Father revealeth and embraceth it by sincere love and affection and so cometh to Christ by faith by hope by love and obedience Hence S. AUGUSTINE in his book of the Grace of Christ 12. and 13. chapters inferreth That this doctrine of the Father is nothing else but his heavenly Grace communicated to us whereby he maketh us not only to know what we should do but also to do what we know whereby he maketh us not only to beleeve that which should be loved but also to love that which we beleeve This is the doctrine of the Father whereby from on hye by his unspeakable Power inwardly he manifesteth his truth and communicateth to us the love of himself This also is manifest as S. AUGUSTINE observeth there from the 1. Thess 4. 9. where S. PAUL sayeth As for brotherly love yee have not need that I should write unto you for yee are taught of GOD to love one another So the Teaching of GOD maketh us not only to know what should be done but also to do that which we know And he that knowes and doeth not is not caught by God He is not taught according to grace but according to the law he is not taught according to the spirit but according to the letter Secondly Yee are to consider that our Saviour by urging
the seat of joy or sorrow and the fountaine of 〈…〉 He groundeth the hope of that happines which he promiseth to his soul upon this That he had much goods laid up for many years wherein he sheweth great blindnes and folly He sayeth his goods were laid up which were not yet win Secondly though they had been laid up yet erre long time he might have come to poverty as many have done from great abundance Thirdly though they had continued yet hee might have lost health without which they cannot be enjoyed Rourthly he had no assurance of life it self He thought that as his cornes were increased so his dayes years wer multiplied but indeed his life was not to endure till the gathering in of his fruits Fifthly he thought only upon this temporall life and of providing for it that he might eat drinke and be merry Here exposing his soul to the danger of eternall want and sorrow Here first observe more particularly he was deceived with the hope of long life which in like manner beguileth many Strange it is that we should be so deceived What is our life but a vapour that appeareth and incontinue evanisheth againe I am 4. 14. What is man but as a flowr that cometh forth but as a shadow that flyeth and continueth not Iob. 14. 2. The dayes of our years are but seventy and if of strength but ordinarly fourscore and very few there are that attaine to an hundreth FLEGON a curious writter after diligent search of the Roman Registers could not find so many men and women of an hundreth years of age as to fill up one leafe of paper but had he taken notice of them who had died before fifty fourty thirty or twenty he might have filled up many Volumes But put the case our Age were ten times more what is it in respect of Eternity Thou hast made mine age as an hand-breadth and it is as nothing before thee saieth DAVID Psal 39. A thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday when it is past and as a Watch is the night saieth Moses psal 90. The length of our dayes is not to be regarded and farre lesse to be expected from the abundance of these worldly things which was another errour of this Wratch MEANE-MEN live as long and many of them longer than they that have the greatest abundance Of all the Emperour 's wee reade but of foure Gordian Valerian Anastasius and Justinian who attained to eighty or some more And of these foure the first three died by a violent death Of Popes scarce foure or five have attained to that age Secondly Marke that he calleth his goods and his cornes the goods of his soule SOVLE saieth he thou hast much goods c. O foolish word saieth S. BASIL O'words of singular madnes How can that bee the good of the soule which is cast out into the draught It is but folly to think that any temporall thing can be the good of the soule These things are not simply good for if it were so they should make their Possessours good and the more we had of them the better we should be which is contrary to experience They can give directly no perfection to the soule and but little to the body They cannot simply give unto it either health or beauty or strength or perfection of Senses or length of life All their goodnesse standeth in this that they may be instruments of doing good unto them who will use thē well Riches may be indeed used as means to propagate Religion to defend the Common-wealth to promove the salvation of others and to purchase to our selves a greater degree of glory and so may be godd through the good use of them but commonly as they are evill purchased so they are evill used The mindes of men being blinded that they see not how they should be used or their affections perverted that they will not use them aright Hence at they spent in Leachery ambition or vanity They raise up in us foolish desires and are instruments and meanes to put these in execution so then they cannot be esteemed the good of the soule That is wisdome or vertus to draw neare to God as David speaketh and to be familiar with him and to see the light of his countenance here and thereafter Many say Who will shew us any good but thou O Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance for thereby saieth David thou shalt put more joy into mine heart then when their wine oyle doth abunde This is the good of Gods Chosen but these outward things are the good of them whose portion is in this World Such was the rich Glutton Luk. 16. to whom it was said by ABRAHAM My sonne remember that thou didest receive thy good things in thy life Wo to that soule which hath no other good but this We come now to the use that he intended to make of these Goods TAKE thy rest saieth he to his Soule Being secure of abundance and length of life He laboureth first of all to perswade his soule of rest contentment He thought he needed no more anxiety or solicitude to scrape together therefore now should have case and rest to his soule Foolish man as Riches are not the good of the soule so they cannot give it rest How can that which is earthly and temporall satisfy the desire of the soule which is heavenly and eternal and whose capacity is infinite He that loveth money Eccles 5. 10. shall not be satisfied with money and he that desireth abundance shall not be satisfied with increase They are so farre from giving satisfaction or rest that when multiplied they increase our trouble Riches are as it were a garment of thornes saieth CHRISOST which cease not to prick a man on every side Covetousnes saieth Pelusota in his 3. book 42 cpist is like the desire of Drunkards the more wine these drink they thirst the more so the more gold the Avaricious getteth the more he desireth Avarice saieth holy Ambrose in his 2. chap. of Naboth is a fire which is not quenched but more inflamed by gaine even as a little water cast into a furnace of fire serveth but to increase the beat of it hence ar the manifold vexations of the Wealthy their manifold distastes of that which they have seeking after that which they have not Their continuall motion sheweth that they are not at rest They are like a sick-man who turneth now to the one side and now to the other and if he lye still it is rather for unability to move then for happinesse of repose O crooked wayes of men saieth holy AUGUSTINE turne thee to thy back to thy belly to thy side thou wilt find all hard none of these things will give thee rest Woe to that bold and perverse soule that thinketh that it will get rest when it departeth from God But how thought he to have this rest by his goods This followeth Eat drink
blessed as his Angels and as himself is This is our salvation and this is our last end the right way leading to it is to know GOD here to Love Him to Reverence Praise and Serve Him in holinesse without which none shall see His Face To help us forward to this end GOD hath made these inferiour creatures and hath given us the use of them They all proclaime to us the Perfection and Excellencie of their Maker and invite us to know and love Him in Whom these Perfections are infinitely greater then in them and who hath given them these Perfections more for our good then for theirs They are appointed as means to help us to serve our LORD to save out selves and that this might be done the more effectually and cheerfully He hath made so many so beautifull so admirable creatures serving not only for necessity but also for delight Hence the beauty of colours harmonie of sounds pleasantnesse of odours sweetnesse of meat and drinke softnesse of rayment plenty of fruits preciousnesse of gold silver and jewels c. All this I say is not that our hearts may go a whoring after these things but that by them we may be furthered toward our last end to wit GOD Himself This if we attaine unto happy are we We have obtained the true good in which there is no mixture of evil the perfect good in which there is no defect and in which is all perfection GOD is an Infinite Ocean of Goodnesse Able to satisfie our desires in all things In Him is infinite Light Beauty Truth Love Power Safety therefore in the possession of so infinite a good there is an unspeakable joy and perfect peace but on the contrary if we losse this true and last end we have lost all true good all joy all peace and in stead thereof incurre Damnation and Eternall Torment Hence followeth That if we would be truly wise and eschew this damnable folly we should take heed that our affection be not inordinate in any thing whether in our wealth or pleasure or health or life These things should be desired of us only so far forth as they are able to procure our salvation promove us in the way to our last end It is therfore neither health nor sicknes nor riches nor poverty nor honour nor dishonour that we should seek but that which is most fit to bring us to our true end so much of that as God knoweth to be expedient for true wisdome teacheth not to take more of the means then is convenient for the end Secondly Hence followeth that nothing in true wisdom should be extreamly shuned but that which is contrary to the obtaining of this our end That which directly crosseth it is neither sicknesse nor poverty nor basnes of birth nor disgrace nor rudnes of knowledge for a man may have all these and yet be saved but it is sinne By this directly we go out of the right way we deny GOD in effect and place our last end in some of the creatures and therefore S. PAUL sayeth That the belly of the glutton and the gold of the covetons is his GOD. So give a man all the world let the whol countrey think him the wisest man therin if he sin against God he is a foole if he have no other thing else yet if he serve him he is truly WISE Who is wise and he shall understand who is prudent and he shall know these things Hos 14. 9. But let us now come to the Sentence of GOD. This night c. He proveth his folly from the effect of it as if he would have said behold thy folly and imprudence thou thinkest to live many years to enjoy thy goods but thou shalt not live so much as to the morrow For this night c. This night This she weth that his consultation was in the night time the care of his riches bereaved him of sleep and made him anxiously to be thinking on them when he should have been at rest This is not one of the least evils of riches that the care to gather preserve and imploy them spend so much time unto us which is a thing most precious so that often they give us no leasure to naturall refreshment and farrelesse to do that which belongeth to the Service of our GOD salvation of our souls THEOPHYLAC addeth That it was sitly in the night that he had such thoughts for the desire of his riches had blinded him and had made him to be in a night of grosse darknes whence all his thoughts and consultations were but dreams of felicity Observe here how dreadfull is the Sentence of GOD against this man 1. His death is sudden even that same night It is a fearfull and dangerous thing to be taken away in a moment Iob 34. 20. To be snatched away suddenly there is none but would shune this and therefore it hath been one of the petitions of the christian Church in her service From sudden death LORD deliver us To die leasurely is more painfull indeed for the body somtimes then to be despatched suddenly but very advantagious for the soul It giveth a man time to call himself to just account of things past it giveth him leasure to censure unpartially the pleasures of sinne and vanities of this world to detaste them and to mourne for them and so to perfect repentance The Joyes of heaven have leasure also to present themselves unto our minde and thus a man by means of departing at leasure may exercise noble acts of faith love hope and patience By means of it he may also do great good to others It giveth him occasion to advise prudently of bestowing charity It giveth opportunity of giving instruction and comfort to others of prayer for them and in a word of teaching men how to die a right Thus Moses Joshâ—ah and David died and so all good men would wish to die but this was denied to this wretch he is snatched away suddenly even away that night Secondly He dies in his folly which was yet farre more fearfull If a man be in a right and wise course though death come suddenly yet it cannot prejudge his salvation but to be seized upon by death in the very hight of our folly is a very dreadfull thing The godly want not their own folly but they perceive and amend it in time This is the misery of the wicked that they perceive not their folly till they be taken in it and feele the smart of it by death and judgement This should teach us to pray to God to give us respet at death if it be his Will and howsoever that death take us not in the midst of our folly but that in respect of our prepared minds it never be sudden for this cause we should be ever on our guarde alwayes carefull to shune that folly which migh prejudge our souls if death should overtake
us in it Hence our Saviour hath commanded us To watch alwayes because wee know neither the day nor the houre of our LORDS comming Every day and houre we should have our loins girded with the girdle of mortification of our affections and the torches or lamps of good works shining in our hands If thou give thy self but to folly this night what knowest thou but thy sentence shall be This night thy soul c. What assurance of thy life hast thou more then he let us learne to be wise by such examples They teach us a most profitable lecture they who have been so overtaken say to us as it were as my Judgment was so also shall it be with thee yesterday to me and the day to thee Yesterday I was where thou art I had this same thoughts of long life and happines which thou hast here and yet even then my body was condemned to the dust and my soule brought before the Tribunall of GOD to give an account and to receive the sentence of justice What knoweth thou but it shall be so with thee to day Would God wee did rightly consider this That we might number our dayes and apply our hearts to wisdome esteeming of every day as if it were our last day and doing that in it which wee would wish to bee doing if death were come Secondly he sayeth They shall require thy soul He sayeth not he shall die but That his soul shall be required or taken away The words import first that this should be done to him against his will resisting and strugling to the contrary 2. that this should not be done by chance but by justice that he might receive his sentence according to his doings 3 It is said They shall take to signifie that the devils as the executioners of GODS Justice were ready to execute vengeance upon him Here is a dreadfull sentence whereby the soul is taken away The soul the precious soul the redemption whereof ceaseth for ever The soul which is of more worth then all the world What profiteth it a man to gaine the whole world if he losse his soul The soul which is our divine part the Breath of GOD and Stamp of his Countenance The soul for which the precious Blood of Iesus was shed The soul the soile which if it were rightly manured should bring forth the fruit of immortall joy That this soul should be taken away unavoidably first to judgement thence to intollerable torment what wo and misery Hence we may perceive what sorrow and anguish was in the soul of this covetous man or in any like wretch When Belshazzar Daniel 5. 6. saw the hand-writting against him on the wall that he was numbred weighed and divided His countenance was changed his thoughts were troubled within him the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees did smite one against another such is the anguish and the agonie of the wicked when GOD putteth forth his Finger and writteth on their body by an incurable disease that their dayes are numbred finished when he wakens their conscience writteth therin that they ar weighed and found to be light and that they must be divided from their houses lands wife children friends yea and that the soule must be divided from the body and that the one must go to be the meat of wormes the other to eternall fire If such a man look back to his life his sins which he thought evanished his negligence and coldnes in Gods service ambition covetousnesse malice whordomâ— c. rush upon him like so many furies to gnaw his conscience to rent his heart in pieces and tell him that as he hath had their sweet so must he have their bitternesse If he look before him he sees GOD ready to cast him away and to say depart from me thou cursed c. The good Angels ready to forsake him and the devils ready to snatch up his soul He seeth that within half or quarter of an houre he must change his bed it may be of repose which his children and friends stand about with a bed of fire with a company of horrible spirits with everlasting chains everlasting darknes O what unspeakable anguish is this what is there in this earth that can countervaile it It is not so with the death of the Godly Though nature in them also shune death yet grace in end prevaileth Their soule is not taken from them but they deliver it and recommend it into the hand of GOD the Father and redeemer of spirits In thy Hands I recommend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord GOD of trueth sayeth David Psal 31. 5. They are content to go out of the body as out of a prison and grave They desire to be disolved and be with Christ They depart in peace because their eyes have seen the Salvation of GOD. They count the last day of their life the first of their happinesse the birth day of eternity which shall draw aside the courtaine and make them clearly see which before they saw but obscurely They know that day shall free them of all stormes and put them betwixt the Armes of their Father And turne their trouble into rest their mourning into joy and their basnes into glory They have reason therfore to be content when it pleaseth GOD to call The LORD grant that we may live their life that so we may die their death and that for the merits of Christ c. THE FIRST SERMON Upon the VI Chapter of S. IOHN Vers 43. JESUS therefore Ansirered and said unto them murmure not among your selves Vers 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day OUr blessed Saviour having entred upon a most heavenly discourse concerning the Dignity of himself and the happines of them who receive Him as they ought having entred I say upon this discourse in the preceeding words He taketh occasion from the murmuring of the Jews at that which he said to prosecute this same discourse more particularly and more fully in these words that I have reade and in many after following Particularly in these words yee have to consider the occasion of this discourse which was the murmuring of the Jews insinuated there And Iesus answered unto them saying murmure not among your selves 2. Yee have an heavenly instruction given to them and to us all in them concerning the way by which we come to Him No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 3. Yee have the happines of them who are so drawn by vertue thereof unto Christ And I will raise him up at the last day And Iesuus answered and said unto them murmure not among your selves These words insinuate as we said that the occasion of our Saviours following discourse was the murmuring of the Iews whereof yee may reade immediatly before my text
farre are we from this who testifieth this Sorrow by the abundance of his tears It may be ye will say to me we cannot attaine to this yet if thou rightly looke upon thine own sinnes and be truly grieved because thereby thou hast offended GOD and hast deprived thy self of him his Grace and Spirit thou may first value as it were and estimate how great a Sorrow thy sinnes deserveth and be so disposed that nothing is so displeasing and hatefull to thee as thy sinnes are Thou may come to this that with an upright heart thou may say to GOD O LORD these my sinnes so many so grievous so long continued in so often fallen into deserve to be bewailed with tears of blood if mine heart could possibly have them 2. Thou mâ—y wish from GOD That thy head were waters and that thy eyes were fountaines of tears that thou might lament as thou oughtest to do Ier. 9. 1. Thou may pray to GOD that he would give thee the grace of tears and that he who brought water out of the hard rocke would soften thy hard heart and make it to melt with this Godly Sorrow 4. Thou may endevour more and more and worke upon thine own heart for obtaining this unfeigned griefe This if we do God will accept even of our imperfect sorrow for the perfect Sorrow of Christ Iesus and for these strong cryes and tears even the tears of blood which he shed for us in the dayes of his flesh Before we go hence it may be demanded whether or not this Godly Sorrow is only for our own sinnes I answer it must be also for the sinnes of others There is no man that hath Zeale to the Glory and Honour of GOD and love to the souls of other men but he must be sory when he seeth them by their sins despysing the Majesty of God trampling his Law under foot casting themselves head-long into perdition Hence the blessed Patriarches and Prophets who were the most sincere friends of GOD are so freqâ—ent in holy scripture in mourning for the sinnes of oâ—hers Horrour hath taken hold of me sayeth David Psal 119. Thy Zeale hath consumed me Rivers of tears gush out of mine eyes because the wicked despise thy Law and forget thy words O that mine head were waters sayeth Ier. 9. 1. Complayning for the sinnes and miseries of his people and that mine eyes were fountains of tears that I might weep day and night Thus the righteous soul of LOT was vexed continually because of the abominations that he did hear and see in Sodom We are commanded to pray continually that the Name of GOD may be hallowed and glorified and therefore it cannot be but great matter of griefe to them that love GOD to see his Name dayly dishonoured and prophened Hence They that were marked Ezek. 9. wer such as did sigh and mourne not only for their own sinnes but also for all the sins and abominations done in the midst of the land Secondly It may be asked doeth this Godly Sorrow only reach to our sinnes and to the sinnes of others I answer it reacheth also to the consequents of sinne and first to the imperfection that is in us in serving of GOD. This is matter of griefe even unto the most Godly They are affected with a Godly Sorrow for this that they serve not God so perfectly as they should They say with S. PAUL with griefe of heart The evill that I would not doe that I doe and the good that I would doe that I doe not O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death 2. This Godly Sorrow also extendeth it self to the desire of our heavenly countrey The Godly mourne that they are so long absent from the Lord and continue so long in the place of their exile They say with David Wo is me that I sojourne in Mesech and that I dwell in the tents of Kedar The children of Israel mourned because of their exile in Babylon By the rivers of Babylon said they Psal 137. we sat we weeped we remembred Sion They were spoiled by the Babylonians of their goods of their lands honours children and friends and yet the chiefe matter of their griefe was that they wanted Sion albeit that was but an earthly Sion and now spoiled burnt and sacked how much more have we reason that sit by the waters of Babell that is of the transitory pleasures of the confusion of this world to weep when we remember the permanent joyes of the heavenly Sion which cannot be spoyled and whereunto no dart or enemie can have accesse but the Apostle speaketh here not of this Sorrow but of the Sorrow which is for our own sinnes and for the sinnes of others and unto it he ascriveth this blessed effect that followeth which is To work repentance unto salvation not to be repented of It may be demanded how this Godly Sorrow worketh repentance since this Godly Sorrow is a chiefe part of repentance it is answered first By some that the Apostle sayeth not simply that it worketh repentance but that it worketh repeÌ„tance unto salvation that is it maketh our repentance true profitable and saving for it is as it were the life of our repentance So we say that a sober-man maketh a healthfull-man or that a man addicted to studies maketh a learned-man 2. This Godly Sorrow also worketh repentance it self in respect of diverse parts thereof Repentance hath many things in it and some of them are wrought in us or greatly promoved by this Godly Sorrow For clearing of this consider that repentance is wrought in us after this manner 1. Our minde is enlightned and the eyes of it are opened that we may see our sinnes the hynousnes and the deformity of them Unlesse we have this sight we will never be grieved for them Therefore David sayeth Psal 51. I acknowledged mine iniquity my sin is continually before mine eye So it is said of the prodigall son Luk. 15. 17. That he came to himself His eyes were opened to see his own misery and his sinne which was the cause thereof With this sight is joyned a sight and sense of the Wrath of GOD kindled against us for our sinnes For no man can rightly see his own sinnes but he must see that God is offended therewith whence anguish and terrour and trouble ariseth in the conscience Hence David in the 38. Psal sayeth Lord reprove me not in thy wrath nor chastise me in thy hote displeasure Thine arrows stick fast in me and thine hand presseth me sore There is no soundnes in my flesh because of thy Wrath and there is no rest in my bones because of my sin my sins are gone over mine head and they are too heavy a burden for me Secondly God worketh in the heart of a penitent some love of himself which maketh him to hate and detaste his sinnes whereby he offended God and to have in him this Godly
tears 23. Exhortation to mourne 24. Christ looketh on us 1. Fitnesse of the text for humiliatioÌ„ 2. DiscriptioÌ„ of the person heere spoken of froÌ„ her sex and countrey 3. Why this is mentioned 4. Her distresse 5. She comes to Christ 6. Her faith 7. Expression of her misery 8. She seekes mercie 9. Why it should bee sought by all 10. Invitation to it 11. Christ his silence 12. Her perseverance 13. The disciples intreat for her 14. how christ is sent to the lost sheep of Israel 15. her victory over this temptatioÌ„ 16. How wee shuld imitate her 17. The third assault of her Faith 18. Her victorie over it 19. Joincture of humilitie confidence necessary 20. her praise 21. Why God delayes to answer his saints 22. The power of Prayer 23. how prayers are not heard for waÌ„t of the sense of our misery spirituall 24. For want of the sense of our misery worldly 25. For want of amendement of life 1. Intentiâ—â—â—â— 2 The promise made to all the Apostles 3. And to their Successours 4. What shuld bee bound 5. A man is bound by his own sin 6. To loose is not to preach 7. The power of binding and loosing is not only declaratiâ—â— 8. What is the binding loosing of the church 9. It coÌ„sisteth in excoÌ„mie nication 10. The lesser excoÌ„munication 11 Imperourâ— subjected to it 12. The great excommunication 13. Equity of it 14. A reason of delaying the sentence 15 Wofull estate of the excommunicat 16. Duty of christian people toward theâ— 1. Intention 2. Occasion 3. Covetousnesse what 4. We must beware of covetousnes 5. Avarice insidious 6. Avarice a pernicious evil 7. Reason against covetousnes 8. Mans life consists noâ— in abundance 9. The Parable 10. God gives temporall good things to the wicked 11. Gods Favour not to be measured by earthlie things 12. His poverty care 13. He cosults not with mercy 14. He coÌ„sults not with spirituall prudence 15. His resolution concerning his goods 16. covetousnes in retaining our own 17. Against hording up of victual for a dearth 1. Comexion summe 2. The foolish ground of the rich man 3. Shortnesse of our life 4. Richeâ— not the good of the soule 5. riches give not rest to the souls 6. Epicurism of this maÌ„ 7. riches give not ever pleasures 8. bodily plea sures give not rest 9. Gods Judgment 10. His solly 11. Our last End 12. The end of other creatures 13. Happines of obtaining our last end 14. Earthly Things should be desired with respect to our end 15. Sinne only contrary to the obtaining of our end 16. This night 17. Sudden death fear full 18. Death in time of folly 19. We should be ever prepared for death 20. Taking away of the soule 2â— Anguish of the wicked as death 22. Joy of the Godly at death 1. Intention 2. Murmuring of the Iews 3. Instruction of our Saviour 4. Drawing is calling 5. Generall Calling 6. Effectuall calling 7. this drawnecessary 8. coÌ„tinuance of it necessary 9. Some reciprocatioâ— in it 10. It is not violent 11. Drawing impâ—rteth not alwais violence 12. why drawing used first 13. Secondly why 14. Thirdly why 15. this should teach us humility 16. Invocation of GOD. 17. Carefulnes to answer our calling 1. Connexion 2. Why he â—deth the raising of men at the last day 3. the happines of the Godly and unhappines of the wicked at death and Resurrection 4. where this testimony is written 5. What to be taught of GOD. 6. This further explained out of Augustine 7. Out-ward Ministry not condeÌ„â—ed 8. Why this doctrine is is ascrived to God 9. Preheminencie of the New Testament 10. private revelations not to bee relayed oâ— 11. Great deceatfulnes of our hearts 12. GOD the most excellent Master 1. in respect of Wisdome 13. secondly in respect of communicating of it 14. Spirituall senses 15. Gods goodnes in communicating himself to us 16. Sight of Christ in the holy mysteries 17. The hearing of him therin 1. Intentions 2. Division 3. Sorrow of this world 4. sorrow according to GOD. 5. every sorrow for sin is not this Sorrow 6. Sorrow according to God whaâ— 7. how great reason sinners have to Sorrow thus 8. We should labour for this Godly sorrow for our own sinnes 9. Sorrow for the sins of others 10. sorrow for our imperfection and absence froÌ„ heaven 11. How sorrow worketh repentance 12. Sight of our sinnes 1 wrought in peniteÌ„ts 13. Effects of Godly sorrow 14. Of turning to GOD. 15. this repentance is not to be repeÌ„ted of 16. It is unto â—lvation 17. the love of our selves requireth our turning with tears 18. Our countrey and church requireth this