Aprilis aerae Christianae An. Dom. 1615. Johan 21.15 16 17. 15. Quum ergo prandissent dicit Simoni Petro Jesus Simon fili Jonae diligis me plùs quà m hi dicit ei Certè Domine tu nosti quòd amem te dicit ei Pasce agnos meos 16. Dicit ei rursum secundo Simon fili Jonae diligis me ait illi Certè Domine tu nosti quod amem te dicit ei Pasce oves meas 17. Dicit ei tertio Simon fili Jonae amas me tristitiâ fuit affectus Petrus quod tertio dixisset ipsi amas me dixitque ei Domine tu omnia nosti tu nosti quòd amem te dicit ei Jesus Pasce oves meas Sermons preached at Paris in the house of the right Honourable Sir Thomas Edmonds Lord Embassadour resident in France lying in the Fauxburge of St. Germans in the yeeres of our Lord 1610 1611 1612. The checke of Conscience page 609. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in those things whereof yee are now ashamed for the end of those things is death The Vine of Sodome page 620. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee then in those things c. The Grapes of Gomorrah page 629. Rom. 6.21 What fruit had yee in those things c. The hiew of a Sinner page 638. Rom. 6.21 Whereof yee are now ashamed The wages of Sinne. page 645. Rom. 6.21 For the end of those things is death The gall of Aspes page 661. Rom. 6.21 For the end of those things is death Ferula Paterna page 672. Revel 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten I. The nurture of Children page 681. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Chasten The lot of the Godly page 693. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As many The oyle of Thyme page 702. Revel 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten As I love The sweet Spring of the waters of Marah page 710. Apoc. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten I love The Patterne of Obedience page 719. Phil. 2.8 Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse The reward of Patience page 725. Philip. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him Lowlinesse exalted page 735. Philip. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him A Summons to Repentance page 747. Ezek. 18.23 Have I any desire at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord God The best Returne page 757. Ezek. 18.23 Not that he should returne from his wayes and live or If he returne from his evill wayes shall he not live The danger of Relapse page 765. Ezek. 18.24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall hee live all his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye The deformity of Halting page 776. 1 Kings 18.21 And Elijah came to all the people and said How long halt yee between two opinions if the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him and the people answered not a word Old and new Idolatry paralleled page 784. 1 Kings 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him One God one true Religion page 794. 1 Kings 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Bloudy Edome page 802. Psal 137.7 8. 7. Remember O Lord the children of Edome in the day of Jerusalem who said Raze it raze it even to the foundation thereof 8. O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall hee be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Sermons preached in Lambeth Parish Church The watchfull Sentinell page 814. A Sermon preached the fifth of November Psal 121.4 Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Abraham his Purchase page 825. A Sermon preached at the consecration of the Church-yard inclosed within the new wall at Lambeth Acts 7.19 And were carried over into Sechem and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of mony of the sons of Emor of Sechem The Feast of Pentecost page 834. A Sermon preached on Whitsunday Acts 2.1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together with one accord in one place The Symbole of the Spirit page 842. Acts 2.2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting The Mysterie of the fiery cloven Tongues page 850. Acts 2.3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sate upon each of them Christ his lasting Monument page 856. A Sermon preached on Maundy Thursday 1 Corinth 11.26 As often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup ye doe shew the Lords death till he come The signe at the Heart page 864. A Sermon preached on the first Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 And when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe Christian Brotherhood page 876. A Sermon preached on the second Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 And they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren c. The perplexed soules Quaere page 883. A Sermon preached on the third Sunday in Lent Acts 2.37 What shall wee doe The last offer of Peace page 891. A Sermon preached at a publike Fast Luke 19.41 42. 41. And when he was come neere he beheld the City and wept over it 42. Saying If thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes A Catalogue of the Authors cited in this Work with their severall Editions A. ABen Ezra Basil 1620. G. Abbot Lond. 1620. R. Abbot Lond. 1606. Aelianus Lugd. 1577. Aeneas Sylviue Col. 1535. Aesopus Venet. 1606. Agapetus Bib. pat T. 6. p. 1. Col. 1622. C. Agrippa Paris 1567. G. Alanus Antw. 1576. Albertus Mag. Basil 1506. Alcazar Lugd. 1618. P. de Alliaco Mogunt 1574. J. Almainus Paris 1512. Fr. Alvarez Lugd. 1608. Ambrosius Mediol Basil 1555. Ambrosius Ansbert Bib. par T. 9. p. 2. Col. 1622. Andradius Col. 1564. Amphilochius Bib. pat T. 4. Col. 1622. Anselmus Col. 1573. Antiphon Orat. Paris 1609. Anthologia Grec Epig. Franc. 1600. Apuleius Venet. 1504. Apollinarius Bib. pat T. 4. Col. 1622 Th. Aquinas Venet. 1594. Arboreus Paris 1540. Aretas Bib. pat T. 6. Col. 1622. B. Aretius Bern. 1604. Th. Argentinensis Gen. 1585. Gr. Ariminensis Venet. 1503. Aristophanes Francof 1597. Aristoteles Lugd. 1590. R. Armacanus Francof 1614. Arnobius Rom. 1562. Arnoldus Bib. pat T. 6. Col. 1622. Articuli Eccles Angl. Lond. 1628. Athanasius Alexandrinus Par. 1581. Avendanus Madrid 1593. Augustinus Hypponensis Par. 1586. P.
Priest Christ Jesus entred after his death and there appeareth for us the curing of all bodily diseases by the word of Christ the healing of all spirituall maladies by his word preached Now if other miracles were significant and enunciative how much more this of tongues Verily he hath little sight of celestiall mysteries who cannot discerne divine eloquence in these tongues diversitie of languages in the cleaving of them and knowledge and zeale in the fire As S. John Baptist was so all the dispensers of Gods mysteries ought to z Bernard in verb. Christi Ille erat lucerna ardens lucens lucere vanum est ardere parum lucere ardere perfectum bee burning and shining lamps shining in knowledge burning in zeale There are three reasons assigned by learned Commentators why the Spirit manifested himselfe in the likenesse of fierie tongues 1. To shew his affinitie with the Word such as is between fire and light the Word is the true light that enlighteneth everie one that commeth into the world and here the Spirit descended in the likenesse of fire 2. To shew that as by the tongue wee taste all corporall meats drinks and medicinall potions so by the Spirit wee have a taste of all spirituall things 3. To teach us that as by the tongue wee speake so by the Spirit wee are enabled to utter magnalia Dei the wonderfull works of God and the mysteries of his kingdome It is not yee that a Matt. 10.20 speake saith our Saviour but the Spirit which speaketh in you which Spirit spake by the month of the Prophets that have beene since the world began Our mouthes and tongues are but like organ-pipes the breath which maketh them sound out Gods praises is the Spirit And those that have their spirituall senses exercised can distinguish betweene the sound of the golden bels of Aaron and of the tinckling b 1 Cor. 13.1 Cymball S. Paul speaketh of for sacred eloquence consisteth not in the enticing words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and power The fire by which these tongues were enlightened was not earthly but heavenly and therefore it is said As of fire Christ three severall times powred out his spirit upon his Apostles first c Vers 1.16 Matthew the tenth at their election and first mission the second is d Vers 22. John the twentieth when he breathed on them and said Receive yee the holy Ghost and thirdly in this place At the first they received the spirit of wisdome and knowledge at the second the spirit of power and authority at the third the spirit of zeale and courage As many proprieties as the naturall Philosophers observe in fire so many vertues the Divines will have us note in the Spirit given to the faithfull they are specially eight Illuminandi of enlightening 2. Inflammandi of heating 3. Purgandi of purifying 4. Absumendi of consuming 5. Liquefaciendi of melting 6. Penetrandi of piercing 7. Elevandi of lifting up or causing to ascend 8. Convertendi of turning For darknesse is dispelled cold expelled hardnesse mollified metall purified combustible matter consumed the pores of solid bodies penetrated smoake raised up and all fuell turned into flame or coale by fire 1. Of enlightening this Leo applyeth to the Spirit 2. Of enflaming this Gregory worketh upon 3. Of purifying this Nazianzen noteth 4. Of consuming this Chrysostome reckons upon 5. Of melting this Calvin buildeth upon 6. Of penetrating this S. Paul e 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things pointeth to 7. Of elevating this Dionysius toucheth upon 8. Of converting and this Origen and many of our later writers run upon 1. Fire enlighteneth the aire the Spirit the heart 2. Fire heateth the body the Spirit the soule 3. Fire purgeth out drosse the Spirit our sinnes 4. Fire consumeth the stubble the Spirit our lusts 5. Fire melteth metals the Spirit the hardest heart 6. Fire pierceth into the bones the Spirit into the inmost thoughts 7. Fire elevateth water and fumes the Spirit carrieth up our meditations with our penitent teares also to heaven 8. Fire turneth all things into its owne nature the Spirit converteth all sorts of men and of carnall maketh them spirituall These operations of the Spirit God grant wee may feele in our soules so shall we be worthy partakers of Christ his body and by him be sanctified in body and soule here and glorified in both hereafter To whom c. CHRIST HIS LASTING MONUMENT A Sermon preached on Maundy Thursday THE LXVI SERMON 1 CORINTH 11.26 As often as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come WHen our Saviour was lifted up from the earth to draw all to him and his armes were stretched out at full length to compasse in and embrace all true beleevers after he had bowed his head as it were to take leave of the world and so given up the ghost a souldier with a a John 19.34 speare pierced his side and forthwith came there out water and bloud Which was done to fulfill two prophecies the one of b Exod. 12.46 Moses A bone of him shall not be broken the other of c Zech. 12.10 Zechary They shall looke on him whom they pierced as also to institute two d Chrysost Cyrillus Theophilact in hunc locum Damascenus lib. 4. de fid c. 10. Aug. l. 2. de Symb. c. 6. tract 9. in Johan Sacraments the one in the water the other in the bloud that ran from him the one to wash away the filth of originall sinne the other to purge the guilt of all actuall The hole in Christs side is the source and spring of both these Wells of salvation in the Church which are continually filled with that which then issued out of our Lords side For albeit he dyed but once actu yet he dyeth continually virtute and although his bloud was shed but once really on the crosse yet it is shed figuratively and mystically both at the font and at the Lords board when the dispenser of the sacred mysteries powreth water on the childe or wine into the chalice and by consecrating the bread apart from the wine severeth the bloud of Christ from his body In relation to which lively representation of his sufferings the Apostle affirmeth that as oft as we eate of that bread and drinke of that cup wee shew the Lords death till he come In the Tabernacle there was sanctum sanctum sanctorum a holy place a place most holy so in the Church Calendar there is a holy time all the time of Lent and the most holy this weeke wherein our blessed Saviour made sixe steps to the Crosse and having in sixe dayes accomplished the workes of mans redemption as his Father in the like number of dayes had finished the workes of creation the seventh day kept his e Bernard in dic Pasch Feria sexta redemit hominem ipso
die quo fecerat sequenti die sabbatizavit in monumento Sabbaths rest in the grave Now above all the dayes of this holiest weeke this hath one priviledge that in it Christ made his last will and testament and instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist and administred it in his owne person delivering both the consecrated bread and cup of blessing to his Apostles with his owne hand Which mysterious actions of his were presidents in all succeeding ages and rules for the administration of that sacrament to the worlds end For Primum in unoquoque genere mensura est reliquorum the first action in any sacred or civill institution in respect of those that succeed is like the originall to all after draughts and the copy to all that write by it Such was the first institution of marriage in Paradise of circumcision in Abrahams family of the passover in Egypt of all the other types and figures of the Law on Mount Sinai and of the Lords Supper in this upper roome wherein all Christs speeches and actions may not unfitly bee termed Rubricks to direct the Christian Church in these mysterious rites For before the end of the next day they were all coloured in bloud What was done now in effigie was then done in personâ he that now tooke bread was taken himselfe he that brake it was broken on the crosse he that gave it to his Disciples was given up for our sinnes he who tooke the cup received from his Father a cup of trembling he who powred out the wine shed his owne bloud in memory of which reall effusion thereof unto death we celebrate this sacramentall effusion unto life For so he commanded us saying f Luke 22.19 Doe this in remembrance of mee and his faithfull Apostle fully declareth his meaning in the words of my Text As often c. As Christ g 1 John 5 6. came to us not by water only but by water and bloud so wee must come to him not by water only the water of regeneration in baptisme but also by the bloud of redemption which is drunke by us in this sacrament in obedience to his commandement and in acknowledgement of his love to us even to death and in death it selfe As a h Hieron in hunc locum Quemâ—dmodum si quis peregre proficisâ—â—ns aliquid pignoris ei quem diligit derelinquit ut quotiâ—scunque illud vid â—t possit ejus beneficia amicitias memorare quod ille si perfâ—ctè dilexit non potest sine ingente desidâ—rio videre vel â—etu man taking a long journie leaveth a pledge with his friend that whensoever he looketh upon it he should thinke upon him in his absence so Christ being to depart out of this world left these sacred elements of bread and wine with his Church to the end that as often as she seeth them she should thinke of him and his sufferings for her When Aeneas plucked a twigge of the tree under which Polydorus was buried the bough dropped bloud i Vâ—rg Aen 3. cruor de stipite manat so as soone as we plucke but a twigge of the tree of Christs crosse it will bleed a fresh in our thoughts shewing us to be guilty of the death of the Lord of life For though we never consulted with the chiefe Priests nor drave the bargaine with Judas nor pronounced sentence against him with Pilate nor touched his hand or foot with a naile yet sith hee was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and the k Esa 53.5 6. chastisement of our peace was upon him and the Lord laid on him the sinnes of us all we cannot plead not guilty inasmuch as our sinnes were the causes of all his sufferings The Passover by the Law was to be eaten with sowre herbes and in like manner the Christian passover which wee are now met to eate must bee eaten with sowre herbes that is pensive thoughts and a sad remembrance both of our sinfull actions and our Saviours bloudy passion For as oft as yee eate c. The coherence or rather consequence of this verse to the former is like to that of the Eccho to the voice the words of institution rehearsed in the former verses are as the voice the inference of the Apostle in this verse as the Eccho For as the Eccho soundeth out the last words of the voice so the Apostle here repeateth the last words of Christs institution Doe this in remembrance of mee and in effect explaineth them saying to do it in remembrance of Christ that is as oft as ye do it ye shew forth his death 1. We are but once born and therefore but once receive the sacrament of Baptism which is the seale of our regeneration but we feed often consequently are often to receive the sacrament which is the seale of our spirituall nourishment growth in Christ and therfore the Apostle saith As often as 2. Whensoever wee communicate wee must make an entire meale and refection thereof therefore he addeth Ye eate and drinke 3. In making this spirituall refection wee must thinke upon Christ his bloudy passion and declare it to others therefore he addeth Yee shew the Lords death 4. This commemoration of his death must continue till hee hath fully revenged his death and abolished death it selfe in all his mysticall members therefore he addeth Till he come As oft as ye are bid to the Lords Table and come prepared eate of this bread and as oft as ye eate of this bread drinke of this cup and when yee eate and drinke shew forth the Lords death and let this annuntiation continue till he come If ye take away this band of connexion the parts falling asunder will be these 1. The time when 2. The manner how 3. The end why 4. The terme how long wee are to celebrate this supper 1. The time frequent As often 2. The manner entire Eate and drinke 3. The end demonstrative Shew forth 4. The terme perpetuall Till he come that is to the end of the world As often Wee never reade of any saith l Praef. institut Nusquam legimus reprehensos qui nimium de fonte aquae vitae hauserint Calvin that were blamed for drawing too much water out of the Wells of salvation neither doe we find ever any taxed for too often but for too seldome communicating which is utterly a fault among many at this day who are bid shall I say thrice nay twelve times every moneth once before they come to the Lords Table and then they come it is to be feared more out of feare of the Law than love of the Gospel Surely as when the appetite of the stomach to wholsome meat faileth as in the disease called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the body pines and there is a sensible decay in all parts so it falleth out in the spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the soule hath no appetite to this bread of life and food of
Angels the inward man pineth away and all the graces of the spirit sensibly decay in us This malady the Apostle suspected not to be in his Corinthians and therefore he imposeth not here a law of often receiving but supposeth they did so for he imagined not that any would be so carelesse of their life safety as not often to exemplifie the copy of their pardon He conceived that he needed not to bid any to drink freely of the wine that maketh glad the heart of every communicant or to eate frequently of the food that perisheth not therefore taking that for granted he prescribeth the manner how and the end why they were often to celebrate this sacrament saying As oft As ye eate There are three kinds of eating 1. Spiritually only 2. Sacramentally only 3. Sacramentally and spiritually 1. They eate Christ spiritually only who beleeve the incarnation passion of our Lord and Saviour yet dye before they are called to his Table 2. They eate sacramentally only who are bid to the marriage feast and come thither also and eate of the Brides cake drink of her wine but have not on the wedding garment such were the Jewes who ate manna in the m John 6.49 wildernesse and dyed in their sins and Judas at Christs last supper and all infidels and hypocrites who receive at the Sacrament panem Domini not panem Dominum the Lords bread but not the Lord himselfe who is that bread of n John 6.48 life 3. They eate Christ both sacramentally and spiritually who beleeving in Christs incarnation and passion according to his command come with preparation unto this Table and with their mouth feed upon the outward element which may be considered three wayes 1. In substance so it is bread or wine 2. In use so it is a sacrament 3. In significancy and efficacy to all beleevers so it is the body and bloud of Christ And drinke It is worth your observation that our adversaries the Papists who are so much against a figure in the words used in the consecration of the bread This is my body yet are forced to admit of a double figure in the words used in the consecration of the cup This is the new Testament in my bloud If they cast not here a double figure they are lost for first there is continens pro contento the cup put for the liquor contained in it Secondly in those words as likewise in the words of my Text they must digest a Metonymie or swallow downe flagons and cups This cup. The sacrament is called a cup in a double respect 1. Quia potus drinke to nourish and refresh the soule 2. Quia potio because a medicinall potion to purge the conscience o In ep ad Cor. 1. c. 11. Materialis qui debet sumi parcè dari largè sacramentalis qui debet sumi innocenter tractari reverentèr spiritualis scilicet passionis vel poenitentiae qui debet sumi libenter sustineri laetanter vituperabilis qui debet estundi simplicitèr Gorrhan findeth out foure sorts of cups and engraveth upon each of them a severall poesie 1. The materiall or ordinary cup which saith hee ought to be taken sparingly but given liberally 2. The sacramentall which ought to be taken innocently and touched reverently 3. The spirituall which ought to bee taken willingly and borne joyfully 4. The abominable and execrable cup which ought to be refused absolutely or shed wholly But although this fourth cup bee mentioned Apoc. 17.4 yet wee will content our selves at this time with these three cups 1. Calix consolationis the cup of mirth and spirituall consolation 2. Calix afflictionis the cup of affliction 3. Calix benedictionis the cup of blessing Of the first p Psal 23.5 David dranke freely Of the second q Jer. 16.7 Lam. 4.21 Ezek. 23.33 Jeremy sorrowfully Of the third the r 1 Cor. 10.6 Corinthians holily If this cup in my text be calix benedictionis the cup of blessing then certainely the Romish Priests deserve calicem maledictionis a cup of cursing who deprive the laity of this cup. They cannot say in their congregation to the people As oft as yee drinke of this cup for they never drinke of it To whom belongeth the commandement of eating Take eate to the Priests onely Why then doe the Laity among them eat To the Laity also Why then doe they not drink sith it is most evident in the text that Christ said ſ Mat 26.27 Drinke ye all of this to whom before he gave the bread saying Take eate t Mat. 19.6 Those things which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder If the cup were not needfull why did Christ adde it to his Supper If it were needfull why doe they take it away Doubtlesse as halfe a meale is no meale nor halfe a hand a hand nor halfe a ship a ship so neither is their halfe communion a Sacrament si dividis perdis This is the cup of the New Testament saith Christ which is shed for * Mat. 26.28 many for the remission of sinnes Are these many onely Priests Had the Laity no sinnes or no remission of sinnes by Christs bloud If they have as they all professe why doe they forbid them that which Christ expressely commandeth them Drink ye all of this for it is shed for you and for many But to go no farther than this chapter when St. Paul requireth ver 28. Let a man examine himselfe I would willingly examine our Adversaries whether this precept concerneth the lay people or no They will say it doth especially because they most need examination that they may confesse their sinnes and receive absolution for them before they presume to come to the Lords Table let them then reade what followeth in the same verse and so let them eate of that bread and drink of that cup. Ye doe shew the Lords death The Apostle doth not hereby exclude other ends of receiving the Sacrament but sheweth this to be the chiefest God never set so many remarkeable accidents upon any thing as on his Sonnes death at which the Sun was eclipsed the rockes were cloven the vaile of the Temple rent from the top to the bottome the graves opened and the dead arose Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but most precious the death of his holy One for this Sacrament was principally instituted to keepe in remembrance that his precious death Wee shew forth Christs death three manner of wayes 1 In verbo 2 In signo 3 In opere 1 By commemoration of the historie of his passion 2 By representation thereof in the sacred Symboles 3 By expression thereof in our death to sinne And as it is more to shew forth Christs death in signo by administring or participating the Sacrament thereof than in verbo by discoursing of his passion so it is much more to shew it forth in opere in mortifying our members upon earth
and crucifying the lusts of the flesh than in verbo or signo After these three wayes we must all shew forth the Lords death Till he come To wit either to each particular man at the houre of his death or to all men and the whole Church on earth at the day of judgement This Sacrament is called by the auncient Fathers viaticum morientium the dying mans provision for the long journey he is to take Every faithfull Christian therefore is to communicate as long as he is able and can worthily prepare himselfe even to the day of his dissolution and all congregations professing the Christian religion must continue the celebration of this holy Sacrament till the day of the worlds consummation As often The seldomer we come to the table of some men the welcomer we are but on the contrary wee are the better welcome the oftener wee come to the Lords Table with due preparation There are two reasons especially why wee ought oft to eate of this bread and drinke of this cup the first is drawne from God and his glory the second from our selves and our benefit The oftener we partake of these holy mysteries being qualified thereunto the more we illustrate Gods glory and confirme our faith If any demand further how oft ye ought to communicate I answer 1. In generall as oft as yee need it and are fit for it The x Cypr. ep 54. Quomodo provocamus eos in confessione nominis Christi sanguinem suum fundere si iis militaturis Christi sanguinem denegamus aut quomodo ad Martyrii poculum idoneos facimus si non eos prius ad bibendum in Ecclesiâ poculum jure communicationis admittimus Martyrs in the Primitive Church received every day because looking every houre to be called to signe the truth of their religion with their bloud they held it needfull by communicating to arme themselves against the feare of death Others in the time of peace received either daily or at least every Lords day The former Saint Austine neither liketh nor disliketh the latter he exhorteth all unto 2. I answer in particular out of Fabianus the Synod of Agatha and the Rubrick of our Communion booke that every one at least ought to communicate thrice a yeere at Christmas Easter and Whitsontide howbeit we are not so much to regard the season of the yeere as the disposition of our mind in going forward or drawing backe from this holy Table The sacrament is fit for us at all times but wee are not fit for it y Gratian. de consecrat distinct 2. Quotidié Eucharistiam dominicam accipere nec laudo nec vitupero omnibus tamen dominicis communicandum hortor Ibid. Qui in natali Domini Paschate Pentecoste non communicaverint catholici non credantur nec inter catholicos habeantur wherefore let every man examine his owne conscience how hee standeth in favour with God and peace with men how it is with him in his spirituall estate whether he groweth or decayeth in grace whether the Flesh get the hand of the Spirit or the Spirt of the Flesh whether our ghostly strength against all temptations be increased or diminished and accordingly as the Spirit of God shall incline our hearts let us either out of sense of our owne unworthinesse and reverence to this most holy ordinance forbeare or with due preparation and renewed faith and repentance approach to this Table either to receive a supply of those graces we want or an increase of those we have and when we come let us Eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. For as both eyes are requisite to the perfection of sight so both Elements to the perfection of the Sacrament This the Schooles roundly confesse Two things saith z Part. 3. q. 63. art 1. Ideò ad Sacramenti hujus integritatem duo concurrunt scilicet spiritualis cibus potus Et q. 80. art 12. Ex parte ipsius Sacramenti convenit quod utrumque sumatur corpus scilicet sanguis quia in utroque consistit perfectio Sacramenti Aquinas concurre to the integrity of the Sacrament viz. spirituall meate and drinke and againe It is requisite in regard of the Sacrament that we receive both kindes the body and the bloud because in both consisteth the perfection of the Sacrament And * Bonavent in 4. sent dist 11. part 2. art 1. Perfecta refectio non est in parte tantùm sed in utroque ideò non in uno tantùm perfectè signatur Christus ut reficiens sed in utroque Bonaventure A perfect refection or repast is not in bread only but in bread and drinke therefore Christ is not perfectly signified as feeding our soules in one kind but in both And a Soto in 12. distinct q. 1. art 12. Sacramentum non nisi in utrâque specie quantum ad integram signification em perficitur Soto The Sacrament as concerning the entire signification thereof is not perfect but in both kindes Doubtlesse if the Sacrament be a banquet or a supper there must be drinke in it as well as meate The Popish communion be it what it may be to the Laity cannot be a supper in which the Laity sup nothing neither can they fulfill the precept of the Apostle of shewing forth the Lords death for the effusion of the wine representeth the shedding of Christs bloud out of the veines and the parting of his soule from his body If we should grant unto our adversaries which they can never evict that the bloud of Christ might be received in the bread yet by such receiving Christs death by the effusion of his bloud for us could in no wise bee represented or shewen forth which the Apostle here teacheth to be the principall end of receiving this Sacrament As oft saith he as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup Yee shew forth Christs death In Christs death all Christianity is briefly summed for in it we may observe the justice of God satisfied the love of Christ manifested the power of Sathan vanquished the liberty of man from the slavery of sinne and death purchased all figures of the Old Testament verified all promises of the New ratified all prophecies fulfilled all debts discharged all things requisite for the redemption of mankind and to the worlds restoration accomplished Therein we have a patterne of obedience to the last breath of humility descending as low as hell of meeknesse putting up insufferable wrongs of patience enduring mercilesse torments compassion weeping and praying for bloudy persecuters constancy holding out to the end to which vertues of his person if ye lay the benefits of his passion redounding to his Church which hee hath comforted by his agony quit by his taking justified by his condemnation healed by his stripes cleansed by his bloud quickened by his death and crowned by his crosse if you take a full sight of all the vertues wherewith his crosse is beset as with so
against his owne body doth not his conscience tell him that God is highly displeased with him doth hee not feele the effects of his wrath in his soule and oftentimes in his body and estate also and if the hand of God upon him bring him not to a sight and a sense and an acknowledgement and a detestation also of his sinne dare any man secure his salvation On the contrary if after his relapse his heart smite him and hee feeles the pricke of conscience if there bee any sparke in the weeke any bitter fume drawing teares from his eyes any fervour of zeale any heate of love in him any vehement desire of saving grace though hee receive the sentence of death in himselfe and breathe out his last gaspe in a disconsolate sigh and with a lamentable groane yet none doubteth but that he may passe even by the gates of Hell into Heaven There is nothing so easie or frequent as for a man to slip or fall who walketh upon the ice and what is this world compared by Saint John to a sea of glasse Apoc. 15.2 but slippery ice in which though they who goe most warily slide often and receive grievous falls yet they may take such hold on the one side upon the promises of God Jer. 31.40 I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee and on the other side upon Christs praier I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not that they fall not irrecoverably or so dangerously as that they dye of their fall Luke 22.31 For whose comfort in their fearfullest conflicts with dispaire I will lay such grounds of confidence as will amount to a hope that maketh not ashamed and at least to a morall assurance of the recovery of their former estate In the ninth of Proverbs and the first wee have a description of a house built by Wisedome b Prov. 9.1 Wisedome saith hee hath built her an house shee hath hewen out her seven pillars By this house albeit some of the Ancients understand the incarnation of the Sonne of God who is the Wisedome of his Father and might bee said then to build him an house when hee framed a body to himselfe yet may it bee applyed to the spirituall house which every Christian buildeth by faith upon the rocke Christ Jesus for as that so this standeth upon seven pillars 1. The constancy of Gods love in Christ 2. The certainty of his decrees 3. The truth of his promises 4. The power of regenerating grace 5. The efficacy of Christs prayer and intercession for all Beleevers 6. The safegard of the Almighties protection 7. The testimony of the true ancient Church which the Apostle himselfe graceth with the title of the pillar and ground of truth The first pillar to support this building is the constancy of Gods love to all that are in Christ which may be thus hewen to our purpose They upon whom God setteth such an especiall affection in Christ that hee maketh a covenant of peace and entreth into a contract of marriage with them can never bee cast utterly out of favour much lesse grow into eternall hatred and detestation in such sort that they become the objects of endlesse misery and subjects of everlasting malediction For this kindnesse whereby the Lord our Redeemer hath mercy on us Esa 1.54.8 With everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Ver. 10. The mountains shal depart and the â—â—ls be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed is everlasting The covenant of this peace is immoveable this contract is indissoluble * Hos 2.19 20. I will betroth thee unto mee for ever I will betroth thee unto mee in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies I will betroth thee unto mee in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. But all true beleevers are embraced with this love comprised within this covenant parties in this contract What then can steale their hearts from Christ or alienate his love from them z Rom. 8 35.38 What shal separate them from this love of God in Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill No neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That fire which generateth and produceth its owne fuell can never goe out and what is the fuell which nourisheth this heavenly flame but grace and vertue in us which it selfe continually worketh in all them that are new creatures in Christ Men affect others because of worth but contrariwise Gods affection causeth worth in all who are indeared unto him All the spirituall beauty they have wherewith he is enamoured is no other than the reflection and glisening of the beames of his grace which a Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the beginner and finisher of our faith beginneth and consummateth all good in us b Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure working in us both the wil the deed Philosophy teacheth that the celestiall and superiour bodies work upon the terrestriall and inferiour but not on the contrary The stormes or calmes in the aire change not the motions or influence of the starres but contrariwise the motions conjunctions and influences of the Starres cause such variety in the ayre and earth The rayes of the visible Sunne are not moved at all by the motion of the object but immoveably flow from the body of that Planet and though blustering windes tyrannize in the ayre and remove it a thousand times out of its place in an houre yet they stirre not therewith in like manner though our affections are transported with every gale of prosperity and storme of adversity and our wills somewhat yeeld to every wind of temptation yet Gods affections like the beames of the Sunne remaine immoveable where they are once fixed Wee play fast and loose even with those oftentimes to whom wee are bound in the strongest bonds of duty and love wee praise and dispraise with a breath frowne and smile with a looke Esay 55.8 love and hate with a conceit but Gods affections are not like ours John 13.1 nor are his thoughts our thoughts For having loved his owne which were in the world 2 Tim. 2.13 hee loveth them unto the end and though we beleeve not yet hee abideth faithfull he cannot deny himselfe The second pillar is the certainty of Gods decree for the salvation of the Elect 2 Tim. 2 19. and thus I reare it up The foundation of God standeth sure having this seale The Lord knoweth them that
the Temple of Christs body and setting it up was there any noise or sound heard John 2.21 This privacy of his first entry into the world pleaseth not the carnall Jew whose thoughts are all upon a temporall Monarch that should buy out Croesus his wealth and obscure Solomon in all his royalty and extend his dominion as farre as the Sunne casteth his beames No Messiah will please him but such a one as comes in with great state and pompe yet was Christ his quiet seizing upon his Kingdome most correspondent to the prediction of the Prophet Psal 72.6 He shall come downe like raine into a fleece of wooll or upon the mowne grasse that is not heard and most agreeable to his title and kingdome For what more consentaneous to reason than that the Prince of peace should enter upon his Kingdome of grace in a quiet and silent manner Had hee come into the world like the two Scipio's which were termed fulmina belli with thundering and lightening or like the Roman Emperours or the grand Signiours in the most pompous manner with greatest ostentation of wealth and pride of worldly honour more feared hee might have been but lesse loved there had been more state in his comming but lesse merit for us and consequently lesse true comfort in it The note that we are to take from it is That Christs Kingdome is not of this World And the use we are to make of it is Not to looke for great estates large revenues or high preferments here but to be content with a competency of meanes not without a liberall allowance sometimes of afflictions crosses and troubles For delicate members and such as must be continually wrapt in soft raiment that can endure no hardnesse sort not well with a head crowned with thornes By the Law The feathers of such fowles as had been sacrificed were cast in locum cinerum into the place of ashes What are all the pompes and vanities of this world but like beautifull feathers Projiciamus ergo in locum cinerum Let us therefore strip us of them and by true mortification cast them into the place of ashes especially in this time of sorrow and penance when sackcloth is or should be in fashion for apparrell and ashes for couches Upon which when God seeth us he will have compassion on us and give us beauty for ashes and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse 2 Cor. 5.7 Coloss 3.3 4. As we are Christians we walke by faith and not by sight our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory Secondly we have here the picture of meeknesse in the pattern of all perfection Matth. 21.5 Christ Jesus drawne to the life for our imitation What the Prophet Zachary fore-told concerning the disposition and gracious temper of the Messias to come saying Tell the daughter of Sion behold the King commeth unto thee meeke Zach. 9.9 c. the same the Evangelist confirmeth through the whole Gospel by the speeches and silence actions and passions life and death of the Lord of life To begin with his speeches if ever that Eulogue of the Greeke Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the like of the Latine Vernas afflat ab ore rosas were verified if ever the tongue of any dropped honey and his breath were as sweet and savoury as Roses in the Spring it was certainly our Redeemers who is that hee spake and speaketh alwayes that he is the Word of God The Father is as the mouth the holy Spirit the breath and Christ the word Heare I beseech you verba Verbi the words of the Word of life Come unto mee all that are heavie laden and I will ease you Sonne be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance The sonne of man came not to destroy but to save Goe in peace thy sinnes bee forgiven thee And Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world was laid c. Yea but these speeches hee uttered to penitent sinners or such as sued to him for favour and mercy how did hee demeane himselfe towards those uncivill and inhumane Samaritans who denied him lodging Against whom James and John the sonnes of thunder were so incensed that they would have called downe fire from heaven to destroy them by the example of Elias Doth he curse them doth he upbraid ingratitude and inhospitality unto them nay rather he rebuketh his Disciples whom zeale and love transported too farre and by telling them they knew not of what spirit they were Luke 9.55 he shewed apparently what spirit he was who when the Scribes and Pharisees laid Sorcery and Necromancy to his charge saying Say we not well thou art a Samaritane and hast a Divell he delivered them not to the Divell as they deserved for this their blasphemous slander nor sharply reproveth them John 8.49 but mildly answereth I have not a Divell but I honour my Father and yee have dishonoured mee Perhaps he pitied their ignorance or had respect to the dignity and place of the Scribes and Pharisees who bare the greatest sway among the people may some say But what was there in his owne Disciple Judas that he should grace that damned caitiffe that traiterous servant that sonne of perdition with the title of Friend when he came to play the most unfriendly and ungratefull part that ever was acted even to betray his Lord and Master Friend wherefore art thou come Matth. 26.50 doest thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse I have spoken of the speeches of our Saviour let me not passe in silence his meek silence when he was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lambe before the shearers so opened hee not his mouth When hee was falsly slandered in the Judgement seat shamefully handled in the Hall most contumeliously reviled and cruelly tortured upon the crosse When the Judge of all flesh was condemned the beauty of Heaven spit upon the King of glory crowned with thornes the Maker of the world made a spectacle of misery to the whole world When his Disciples forsooke him his owne Nation accused him the Judge condemned him the servants buffeted him the souldiers deluded him the people exclaimed against him the Scribes and Pharisees scoffed at him the executioners tormented him in all parts of his body When the Starres were confounded with shame the Elements troubled Cypr. de bon pat Cùm confunderentur sidera elementa turbentur contremiscat terra nox diem claudat sol ne Judaeorum facinus aspicere cogatur radios subtrahat ille non loquitur nec movetur nec Majestatem suam sub ipsá saltem morte profitetur O qualis quanta est Christi patientia qui adoratur in coelis nondum vindicatur in
terris the Earth trembled the Stones clave with indignation the vaile of the Temple rent it selfe the Heaven mourned in sables the Sunne that he might not behold such outrage done upon so sacred a person drew in his beams He who suffereth all this quatcheth not stirreth not nor discovereth his divine Majesty no not when death approached When all insensible creatures seemed to be sensible of the injury offered their Maker he who feeleth all seemeth to be insensible For hee maketh no resistance at all and though he were omnipotent yet his patience overcame his omnipotency and even to this day restraineth his justice from taking full revenge of them who were the authours of his death and of those who since crucifie againe the Lord of life and trample under their feet the bloud of the Covenant as a prophane thing Whose thoughts are not swallowed up in admiration at this that he who is adored in heaven is not yet revenged upon the earth You see meeknesse in his passions behold now this vertue expressed to the life in his life and actions Actions I say whether naturall or miraculous so indeed they are usually distinguished albeit Christs miraculous actions were naturall in him proceeding from his divine nature and most of his naturall actions as they are called proceeding from his humane nature were in him wonderfull and miraculous For instance to weep is a most naturall action but to weep in the midst of his triumph and that for their ruine who were the cause of all his woe to shed teares for them who thirsted after his bloud was after a sort miraculous Who ever did the like Indeed we reade that Marcellus wept over Syracuse and Scipio over Carthage and Titus over Jerusalem as our Saviour did but the cause was far different They shed teares for them whose bloud they were to shed but our Saviour for them who were ready to shed his Luke 19.41 His bowels earned for them who thought it long till they had pierced his heart with a launce When the high Priest commanded Paul to be smote on the face hee rebuked him saying The Lord shall smite thee thou painted wall Acts 23 3. but when the Lord himselfe was smitten by the high Priests servant he falls not foule upon him but returnes this milde answer If I have done evill John 18.23 beare witnesse of the evill but if I have done well why strikest thou me The servant thinketh much to endure that from the Master which the Master endures from the servant The Apostles on whom the Spirit descended in the likenesse of fiery tongues were often hot and inflamed with wrath against the enemies of God and brought downe fearfull judgements upon them but our Saviour on whom the Spirit descended in the likenesse of a Dove never hurt any by word or deed 2 Kin. 5.27 Matth. 8.2 Luke 4.27 17.12 Acts 13.11 Acts 5.5.10 Eliah inflicted leprosie upon Gehazi by miracle Christ by miracle cleansed divers lepers Saint Paul tooke away sight from Elymas Christ by miracle restored sight to many Saint Peter miraculously with a word strucke Ananias and Sapphira down dead Christ by miracle raised many from death insomuch that his very enemies gave this testimony of him Mark 7 37. Hee hath done all well giving to the lame feet to the maimed strength to the dumbe speech to the deafe eares to the blind sight to the sicke health to the dead life to the living everlasting joy and comfort I have proposed unto you a notable example shall I need to put to spurres of art to pricke on your desires to follow it the example is our Saviour and the vertue exemplified in him meeknesse How excellent must the picture be which is set in so rich a frame such a vertue were to be imitated in any person such a person to be imitated in any vertue how much more such a vertue in such a person It is hard to say whether ought to bee the stronger motive unto us to follow meeknesse either because it is the prince of vertues or the vertue of our Prince whose stile is Princeps pacis Where the prince is the Prince of peace and the kingdome the Kingdome of grace and the law the Law of love they must certainly be of a milde and loving disposition that are capable of preferment in it If the Spirit be an oyntment as S. a 1. John 2.20 But you have an oyntment from the Holy One and you know all things John calleth it it must needs supple If grace bee a dew it cannot but moisten and soften the heart and make it like Gedeons fleece Judges 6.37 which was full of moisture when all the ground about it was dry What can be said more in the commendation of any vertue than meeknesse and of it than this that God commandeth it in his Word Christ patterneth it in his life and death the holy Spirit produceth it in our hearts our very nature enclineth us to it and our condition requireth it of us No vertue so generally commended as meeknesse Follow after righteousnesse 1 Tim. 6.11 godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse bee no brawler Tit. 3.2 but gentle shewing all meeknesse to all men Walke worthy of the vocation whereunto you are called with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace James 3.17 18. The wisedome that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits and the fruit of righteousnesse is sowne in peace of them that make peace No fruit of the spirit so sweet and pleasant as this as on the contrary no fruit of the flesh so tart and bitter as jealousie and wrath which God curseth by the mouth of b Genes 40.7 Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell Jacob but blesseth meeknesse by the mouth of our Saviour Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth The earth was cursed before it brought forth thornes and thistles and briars which are good for nothing but to bee burned Wherefore let us hearken to the counsell of St. c Cypr. de zelo bâ—â—ore Evellamus spinas de cordibus ut dâ—â—minicum semen nos fertili fruge locupletet Cyprian Let us weed out of our soules envie wrath and jealousie and other stinging and pricking passions And of the Apostle Let no root of d Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you bitternesse remaine in us that we may receive with meeknesse the engraffed Word which is able to save our soules James 1.21 Our carnall lusts are like so many serpents and of all wrath is the most fiery which will set all in a combustion if it bee not either quenched by the teares of repentance or slacked by the infusion of divine
accessary to the death of the Lord of life And not only those that committed high treason against the sacred person of the Lords Annointed and imbrued their hands and stained their consciences with that bloud which cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 but also Nero and Domitian and Trajan and Antoninus and Severus and Maximinus and Decius and Valerianus and Dioclesianus and Maxentius and all other Emperours that employed their swords and Simon Magus and Cerinthus and Arrius and Nestorius and Manes and all other obstinate arch-Heretickes who employed their pens against him none have hitherto escaped the heavie judgement of God who have bid battell to the Christian Faith and have wilfully and of set malice given the Spouse of Christ the least wound or skarre either by a gash with their sword or a scratch with their pen. Bee wise now therefore O yee Kings Psal 2.10 11 12. bee instructed yee Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling Kisse the Sonne lest hee bee angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Some Interpreters by Judgement understand the spirituall government of Christ which is managed in his Church with excellent wisedome and judgement and by Victory the prevalent power of grace in the faithfull wherby they are victorious in all temptations in such sort that though Sathan labour with all his might to blow out a poore sparke yet hee shall not be able to quench it and that the smallest degree of faith like a grain of mustard seed is stronger than the gates of hell and is able to remove mountaines of doubts and oppositions cast up by Sathan and our rebellious hearts between God and us And from hence they inforce the Apostles exhortation to all the souldiers of Christ to be strong in the Lord Ephes 6.10 and in the power of his might not to looke who are their enemies but who is our Captaine not what they threaten but what hee promiseth who hath taken upon him as to conquer for us so to conquer in us These are sweet and comfortable notes but as I conceive without the rule of this Text for questionlesse the Donec or Untill is not superfluous or to no purpose but hath reference to some future time when Christs mild proceedings shall be at a period and he shall take another course with his enemies such as I have before described in the particular judgement of the Jewish Nation and the generall judgement of the whole World But if Judgement and Victory bee taken in their sense there needed no untill to bee added For Christ even from the beginning of his preaching when he strived not nor cryed nor brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe sent forth judgment unto victory according unto their interpretation that is wisely governed his Church and gave victory to the faithfull in their conflicts with sinne and Sathan That therefore the members of this sentence bee not co-incident and that the donec or untill may have his full force I conceive agreeably to the exposition of the ancient and the prime of the later Interpreters that in this clause Till hee bring forth judgement unto victory the Prophet determineth the limits of the time of grace Whosoever commeth In between the first and second comming of Christ shall be received into favour but after the gates of mercy shall bee locked up Yet our gracious Ahasuerus reacheth out his golden Scepter to all that have a hand of faith to lay hold on it but then he shall take his Iron mace or rod in his hand to bruise his enemies and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell I must sing therefore with holy David of Mercy and Judgement mercy in this life and judgement in the life to come mercy during the day of grace but judgement at the day of the Worlds doom For although sometimes God meets with the Reprobate in this life yet that judgement which they feele here may bee accounted mercy in comparison of that which shall be executed upon them hereafter without all mitigation of favour release of torments or limitation of time Now the vials drop on them but then they shall bee poured all out upon them Wherefore let us all like the bruised reed fall downe to the earth and humble our selves under the mighty hand of God Let us like smoaking flaxe send forth bitter fumes of sighes for our sinnes assuring our selves that now whilst the day of grace lasteth hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe but if we neglect this time of grace and deferre our repentance till he send forth judgement unto victory we shall smoake for it Cogitemus fratres de tempore in tempore ne pereamus cum tempore Let us thinke of time in time lest we perish with time Let us imagine that we now saw the Angel standing upon the sea Apoc. 10 5 6. and upon the earth and lifting up his hand to heaven and swearing by him that liveth for ever who created heaven and the earth and the sea and the things that are therein that there should be time no longer Jonas 2.8 O let us not forsake our owne mercy but to day if wee will heare his voice harden not our hearts but mollifie them by laying them asoake in teares Let us breake off our sinnes suddenly by repentance and our iniquities by almes-deeds Now is the seed-time let us now therefore sow the seeds of faith hope mercy meeknesse temperance patience and all other divine Vertues and we shall reape a plentifull harvest in heaven Cypr. ad Dom. Hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei fructu fidei providetur Galat. 6.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting Which God of his infinite mercy grant that we may all do in heaven through the merits of his Sonne by the grace of the holy Spirit to whom c. THE TRAITORS GUERDON A Sermon preached on the Gowries conspiracy before his Grace and divers Lords and persons of eminent quality at Croydon August 5. Anno Dom. 1618. THE FIFTH SERMON PSAL. 63. VER 9 10 11. 9. But those that seeke my soule to destroy it shall goe into the lower parts of the earth 10. They shall make him run out like water by the hands of the sword they shall be a portion for Foxes 11. But the King shall rejoyce in God every one that sweareth by him shall glory but the mouth of them that speake lyes shall be stopped Most REVEREND Right Honr. Right Wor sh c. WEe are at this present assembled with religious Rites and sacred Ceremonies to celebrate the unfortunately fortunate Nones of August which are noted in red letters in the Romane Calendar as
Lords Annointed His heart gives in and he withdraweth himselfe for a while and thereby giveth his Majestie time to breathe and meanes to cause the study window to be opened at which entred some light of comfort m Cic. pro Sylla Sed urget eadem fortuna quae caepit his Majestie must yet beare a worse brunt For like as a Toad being eased of his swelling for a time by eating of a planten leafe if he meet with a Spider afterwards receiveth new poyson and swelleth more than before even so Alexander meeting with the Earle Gowry his brother who was the Spider that spun all the web of this treason which within a few houres was swept downe and himselfe in it with the besome of destruction receiveth new poyson from him and now is so bigge with malice and treason that he is ready to breake In therefore he comes againe to the study with two rapiers and first binding himselfe by oath to bereave his Majestie of his life he offereth to binde his royall hands But the King putting on the resolution of the Oratour n Cic. in Catil Si moriendum est in libertate moriamur If we must die let us die as free men looseneth his hands and fastning upon the Traitors hand and sword grappleth with him and by maine force drew him to the window a little before opened whence by speech and signes he made knowne to his faithfull servants at that instant passing under the window how things stood with him and how neer he was to utter ruine by trecherous villany As soon as they heard his Majesties voyce they made all possible speed to rescue their master yet before they could force the way through so many doores lockes and barres betweene them and their immured Soveraigne the light of all Israel had in all likelihood beene extinguished but that one of the Kings servants by the secret conduct of divine providence lighted upon the false doore opening to the staire case which hee had no sooner got up but he seeth the King on the ground and the Traitor grappling with him whom after hee had loosened from the King with many wounds he tumbled downe the staires to receive his fatall blow from two other of his Majesties servants who by this time had found the blind way leading to the turnepecke And thus was the first act of this bloudie tragedy ended by the exit or going out of the first Actor Alexander Ruthwen first out of that stage and soone after of this world The next act though more bloudie yet was by so much the lesse dreadfull because the King by his servants velut o Eras adag homerica nube tectus was saved out of murthers way Now his Majesties honourable attendance must prove their valour and testifie their loyaltie by as many mouthes as they received wounds in that hot skirmish wherein their Antagonists had the advantage of all things save the cause double they were in number better appointed of weapons and more acquainted with the place For the Earle Gowry like the man possessed in the Gospel which p Luke 11.26 walked through drie places and took to him seven spirits worse than himselfe armed himself and took seven of his servants with him more hardy and desperate than himself and finding his brother newly slain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so enraged with furie and revenge that he sweareth at his entrie into the chamber that not a man of them should scape calling them by his q Cic. parad Exâ—lem me suo nomine vocat owne name Traitors Here malice and love fury and courage trechery and loyalty villanie and pietie trie it out at the point of the sword and the combat is soon ended by the death of the Arch-Traitor Upon whose fall the hearts of the rest faile and they are now easily driven out of the room and fresh aid commeth to the King by the rest of his train who by this time had broken down all the doores and made a passage into the study where now they finde the King safe and the Earle Gowry lying dead at his feet Whereupon they all fell upon their knees and praised the mighty God of Jacob who giveth salvation to Kings and then had delivered his servant James from the perill of the sword then were the words of my text verified The King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation Then if ever our King joyed in thy strength and in thy salvation excessively rejoyced And not long after the words following ver 3. were fulfilled in him Thou preventedst him with blessings of goodnesse and thou didst set a Crowne of pure gold upon his head viz. the Crowne of England which shortly after fell unto him and hath ever since flourished upon his head and so Lord may it still till he changeth this his corruptible crowne with an incorruptible and his mortall state with an immortall purchased for him and all of us by the death and passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be rendred all glorie honour praise and thanks-giving now and for ever Amen PANDORA'S BOXE OR THE CAUSE OF ALL EVILS AND MISERY A Sermon preached before the high Commission in his Graces Chappell at Lambeth THE SEVENTH SERMON HOS 13.9 Hesiod erg l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thy helpe Most Reverend Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. I Should tremble to rehearse this text in your eares if there were not comfort in it as well as terrour joy as sorrow helpe as calamity salvation as destruction But you may easily discerne in it a double glasse set before us in the one we may see our hurt in the other our helpe in the one Israel fallen in the other raised up in the one Adam and all his posteritie wounded by a grievous fall from the Tree of knowledge and weltring in their owne blood in the other healed and washed by Christs bloud in the one destruction from within Thou hast destroyed thy selfe O Israel in the other salvation from above but in me is thy helpe In the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath destroyed thee or one hath destroyed thee or thy destruction O Israel or O Israel thy utter ruine and desolation An abrupt and imperfect sentence to be made up with something that goeth before or to be gathered from that which followeth after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but or for in me is thy helpe There were never pictures held in greater admiration than those of a Plin. l. 35. c. 10. Timanthes and they for this especially that they exhibited more to the understanding than to the eye intimating more than was expressed and presenting alwayes somewhat to the conceit which could not by colours be represented to the sight And for the like reason those straines of Rhetorike most take the wise and
If they are to account for their owne Stewardship certainly either at the private audit the day of their death or at the publike audit the day of judgement after which they shall be no longer Stewards but either Lords in Heaven or Slaves in Hell Wherefore O Christian whosoever thou art whether thou swayest the scepter or handlest the spade whether thou sittest at the sterne or rowest at the oare whether thou buildest on the roofe or diggest at the foundation make full account of it thou shalt be called to an account for thy worke be not idle therefore nor secure Secondly that for which thou art to account is no place of authority but an office of trust no Lordship but a Stewardship be not proud of it nor unfaithfull in it Thirdly this office of trust is not a Treasurership but a Stewardship be not covetous nor unprofitable Fourthly this Stewardship is not anothers but thine owne be not curious nor censorious Fifthly this thy Stewardship is not perpetuall but for a time it expireth with thy life be not negligent nor fore-slacke thy opportunity of making friends to receive thee into everlasting habitations after thou must relinquish thy office That God is Lord of all his claime unto all is a sufficient evidence to us For hee cannot pretend a false title who is truth it selfe neither can any question his right in any Court who is author of all lawes as hee is maker of all things which are his by a threefold right 1. Of Creation 2. Purchase 3. Possession 1. Of Creation for that which a man maketh is his owne 2. Of Purchase for that which any one purchaseth is his owne 3. Of Possession for that which any one is possessed of time out of minde is his owne By the first of these the Father may claime us as all things else who made all By the second the Sonne who redeemed the world By the third the holy Ghost who inhabiteth us and after a speciall manner possesseth us g Isa 66.1 Heaven is my throne saith God and the earth is my footstoole You see then great reason why God should be compared to a rich man with whom all the rich men in the world may not compare neither in lands nor in cattell nor in mony and treasure Not in lands for the bounds of the earth are his land-markes and the Sunne is his Surveyer Nor in cattell for h Psal 50. every beast of the forrest is his and the cattell upon a thousand hills Not in mony or plate for i Haggai 2. gold is mine and silver is mine saith the Lord. Nor lastly in goods for that golden chaine of the Apostle k 1 Cor. 22.23 All are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods may bee drawne backward by the same linkes thus All are Gods and God is Christs and Christ is ours Yea but it may be argued against this conclusion that God hath small or no demaines in as much as hee holdeth nothing in his owne hands having let out if I may so speake the heaven to Saints and Angels the ayre to Birds and Fowle the water to Fish the earth to Men and Beasts to dwell in it and reap the fruits thereof But the answer is easie for though God make no benefit of any thing to himselfe yet hee keepeth the right and propriety of all things in himselfe and hee must needs keep all things in his hands who clincheth the Heavens with his fist Moreover hee requireth homage of all his creatures which are but his tenants at will or to speake more properly servants to be thrust out of office and state upon the least offence given or dislike taken Which condition is farre worse than the former For a tenant hath some kinde of propriety and interest in that which hee holdeth of his Landlord and if he performe all covenants provisoes and conditions of his lease or agreement with his Lord hee may not without apparent wrong bee suddenly turned out of house and home much lesse may his Lord seize upon all his goods and dispose of them at his pleasure The case standeth farre worse with a Steward who hath nothing he may call his but his office for which hee may be alwayes called to an account and upon it discharged Yet this is the state of the greatest States and Potentates of the world they have no certainty in any thing they possesse or enjoy For which cause Saint l Hom. 2. ad po◠Antioch Omnes usum et fructum habemus dominium nemo Chrysostome findeth great fault with the wills and testaments of great personages in his time by which they bequeath lands lordships and inheritances in their own name and right as if those things were absolutely in their power they usurpe saith hee upon Gods prerogative who hath given unto them the use and profit of the things of this life but not the dominion no nor propriety in strict point of law unlesse a man will account that to be his own for which he is to give an account to another The Steward is no whit the richer because hee hath more to account for but in this regard more solicitous and obnoxious Which observation we may crowne with this corollary That they who seem to have the greatest and best estates in this world are in the worst condition of any if their gifts be not eminent and their care and industry extraordinary to make the best advantage to their Master of the many talents committed to them The reason hereof is easie to ghesse at and was long ago yeelded by Gregory the m Greg. sup Evang dominic Cum augentur dona crescunt rationes donorum great As their means and incomes so their accounts grow For n Luke 12.48 To whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more to whom more is given more shall be required of him To speake nothing of the many imployments and distractions of men in great place which sacrilegiously robbe them of their sacred houres devoted to prayer and meditation and bereave them of themselves I had almost said deprive them of their God and the sweet fellowship of his holy Spirit they must give so much audience to others that they can give but little attendance on God Publike imployments and eminent places in Church and Common-wealth expose those that hold them to the view of all men their good parts whatsoever they have are in sight and their bad too which men are more given to marke quis enim solem ferè intuetur nisi cum deficit when doe men so gaze upon the Sunne as in the eclipse in so much that the very word Marke is commonly taken in the worst sense for some scarre blemish or deformity A small coale raked up in the ashes may live a great while which if it be raked out and blowne soone dyeth and turneth into ashes They that were kept in close prison by Dionysius enjoyed the benefit of
teares from their eyes These are they that came out of great tribulation Great tribulation in the judgement of Marlorat is a periphrasis of the last persecution of the Church by Antichrist which shall be the hottest service the souldiers of Christ shall ever be put to As the last endevour of nature before death putteth the patient to most paine and the last assault of Pharaoh put the Israelites to the greatest extremity so the last persecution of the Church by Antichrist shall exceed all the former i Mat. 24.29 For then the sunne that is the knowledge of the truth or the light of Gods countenance shall be darkned and the moon that is the beauty of the Church shal be obscured turned into bloud that is deformed by bloudy persecutions and the stars shall fall from heaven that is the greatest lights of the Church shall fall from it and there shal be such perplexity and distresse of nations as never was before then as k Aug. ep 80. Tunc Ecclesia non apparebit impiis ultra modum persequentibus St. Augustine inferreth the Church shall have no outward appearance wicked men raging and cruelly persecuting her above measure But I see no reason why we should restraine tribulation to persecution or persecution to that of Antichrist For every great affliction and heavie crosse which the faithfull beare in this world be it losse of goods or of friends banishment imprisonment infamy torture of body or vexation of mind is great tribulation through which any elect child of God may enter into heaven Albeit we yeeld Martyrs a precedency amongst Saints yet they alone enter not into their masters joy Let their garlands have a red rose added unto it and their crowne a rubie above the rest yet assuredly all other that are l Apoc. 2.10 faithfull unto death shall receive the crowne of life all that fight a good fight and keepe the faith after they have finished their course shall receive a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give at that day to all that love his appearing The article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not demonstrative pointing to any singular persecution but intensive intimating that many and very great tribulations abide the faithfull servants of God and they must through them enter into the kingdome of heaven their life is nothing else but a m Hieron ep ad Heliodor Etras frateâ— erras si unquam putas Christianum persecutionem non pati tunc maximè oppugnatis si te oppâ—gnati nescis race of patience through many tribulations and a battell of faith against all kind of temptations A Christian is never without an enemy to persecute him inwardly or outwardly even this is a temptation of the Divell to thinke that wee are at any time free from all temptation For either wee are in warre with the World Flesh and the Divell or God will fight against us either we are afflicted for our sinnes or afflicted with our sinnes and if God for a long time spare us even this afflicteth us that we are not afflicted For sith God afflicteth them whom he affecteth we have just cause to feare because wee are not under his rod we are out of his care and that therefore he chasteneth us not here because he reserveth us to eternall torments If any demand why God carrieth a more severe hand over his children than over the wicked that deserve lesse favour I answer by propounding them the like questions Why doth a father when hee seeth two boyes fighting in the street correct his sonne and not the other Why doth the Schoolemaster take a stricter account of the Scholar hee best affecteth than of others whom hee suffereth often to play the trewants Why doth the husbandman let unfruitfull and unsavory trees grow out at length without any cutting or pruning but pruneth the fragrant roses and pricketh the fruitfull vines till they bleed Why doth the Physician when hee seeth his patient desperate give order to them that are about him to deny him nothing that he hath a mind unto but if he hath any hope of recovery of any patient of his he keepeth him in diet forbiddeth him such things as he most desireth and prescribeth for him many meats drinkes and potions which goe against his stomacke Lastly why doth a Captaine set the best Souldiers in the forefront of a battell and appointeth them to enter at a breach with apparent hazzard of their lives To the first question they will answer that a wise father taketh up his son sharply and correcteth him for his misdemeanour and not the other because he hath a speciall care of his sonnes behaviour and not of the other thus let them thinke of the Father of Spirits his dealing with his children who chasteneth those faults in them which he seemeth to winke at in others because he beareth a singular affection to his owne and hath a speciall care of their nurture To the second they will answer that a good schoolemaster taketh a more strict account of his best scholar and more often plyeth him with the rod or feruler than any other because he most desireth his profit let them thinke so of our heavenly Teacher that hee holds a stricter hand over those in Christs schoole who outstrip others that they may more profit by him To the third they will answer that an understanding husbandman letteth other trees grow to their full length without cutting or pruning them because they are good for nothing but for fire wood but he pruneth the roses to make them more savoury and the vines to make them more fruitfull let them thus conceive of themselves that they are like vines that runne into luxuriant stemmes and roses apt to grow wilde therefore God the Father who o John 5.1 is an husbandman pruneth them to make them more savourie in their prayers and meditations and more fruitfull in good workes To the fourth they will answer that the Physician doth according to his art to cure the body and God doth the like in wisedome to cure the soule they whom he ordereth not setting them in a course of physick but letteth them doe what they will and have what they call for are in a desperate case To the last they will answer that the experienced Captaine setteth the most valiant souldiers in places of greatest danger that they may get the greater honour so doth God set the most valiant Christian upon the most dangerous service that thereby he may gaine greater honour and a more massie crowne of glory Moreover sinne taketh us oftentimes after the nature of a falling sicknesse out of which our heavenly Father awaketh us by the stroake of his rod. Whereby also hee beateth downe the pride of our flesh and keepeth us alwayes in awe and constraineth us to cry aloud unto him in our prayers he maketh us sensible of our sinnes
his bloud f Ephes 2.14 For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene us Through him we have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father ver 18. Now therefore we are no more strangers and forreiners ver 19. but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God g Ephes 3.6 Fellow heires and of the same body and partakers of God his promise in Christ by the Gospell Now as there is one shepheard so but one sheepfold and for this very cause Christ is called Lapis angularis the corner stone because the Gentiles and Jewes like two sides of a wall joyne in him and are built up to make a holy Temple unto the Lord which is his visible Church Neither are the Gentiles onely admitted into the terrestriall Jerusalem and Church militant but also into the celestiall and Church triumphant For so we reade that after there h Apoc 7.4.9 were sealed an hundreth and fourty and foure thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel Loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lambe cloathed with white robes and palmes in their hands Before Christ came into the flesh there was as it were a small wicket open in heaven for the Gentiles at which some few entered one by one as Jethro and Job and Melchizedeck and the King of Nineveh and the Queene of the South and some other but since the death resurrection and ascension of our Lord wee reade of a i Apoc. 4.1 great doore opened in heaven at which great multitudes may enter together Even from the beginning of Christs comming into the flesh the Gentiles went in equipage with the Jewes For when the Angell preached the incarnation of Christ to the Jewes a new Starre preached it to the heathen Sages that all men might know according to Simeon his prophesie that k Luke 2.32 he was no lesse a light to lighten the Gentiles than the glory of his people Israel For this cause we may conceive it was that he was borne in an Inne not in a private house and baptized in the river Jordan not in a peculiar font and suffered without the walls of the City to make it manifest unto us that the benefit of his incarnation baptisme death and passion is not impropriated to any sort of people nor inclosed within the pale of Palestine but like the beames of the Sunne diffused through the whole world Thus farre we all teach universall grace that is the grace and favour of God offered unto all by the preaching of the Gospell not the grace they call sufficient conferred upon all since Adam's fall This secret belongeth unto God to whom he will make this offer of grace effectuall but that which he hath revealed belongeth to us and our children that l Tit. 2.11 12 13. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and wordly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ The m 2. Tim. 2.19 foundation of God remaineth firme having this seal God knoweth who are his not we We therefore who are dispensers of the mysteries of salvation must be open handed unto all and indifferently tender unto them the pretious pearle which the rich Merchant man sold all that he had to buy First because it is Christs expresse command that we should doe so Goe saith Christ preach to all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Or as we finde his words related by Saint Marke n Marke 16.15 Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned 2 Next Because the Elect could not be called by us who cannot discerne them from the reprobate if we preached not the Gospell to all without exception Howsoever therefore our preaching to the reprobate doth them little good proving no better unto them than a savour of death unto death yet our labour is not in vaine in the Lord because in every assembly we may piously hope there may be some if not many of the Elect to whom the Word will prove a savour of life unto life 3. Lastly By thus propounding conditions of peace and a desire of reconciliation on Gods part through Christ unto all the reprobate are debarred of that excuse which otherwise they might use viz. that they would have embraced Christ if he had beene offered unto them and have walked in the light of the Gospel if it had shined upon them Tullie speaketh of a Panchrestum medicamentum a remedy for all diseases and Plinie of Panaches a salve for every sore Such a catholike medicine such an universall salve is the death and passion of Christ not only sufficient for all but also soveraigne and effectuall unto all but then this potion must be taken this salve must be applied Obser 2 And so I fall upon my second note that though the promises of the Gospel are generall without exception yet they are not absolute without condition The hidden Manna and the white stone and the new name are promised to every one that is so qualified The promises of the Gospel are generall that none should dispaire but yet conditionall that none should presume Eternall life by the ministery of the Gospel is offered unto all but upon condition of faith o John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting Pardon and remission of sinnes is promised unto all but upon condition of repentance and new obedience p Ezek. 18.21.22 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live hee shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shal not be mentioned unto him in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall live Rest is offered unto all but upon condition of submission to Christs yoake q Mat. 11.29 Take my yoake upon you and learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and you shall finde rest unto your soules Salvation is offered unto all but upon condition of r Mat. 13.13 perseverance he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved An incorruptible crowne is promised unto all but upon condition of faithfulnesse Be Å¿ Apoc. 2.10 thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the crowne of life Fishermen in their draw-nets use both lead and corke lead to pull downe some part of it under water corke to
of our religion dare tell the world that wee are all for faith and that wee hold workes to salvation as a parenthesis to a sentence Heaven and earth shall witnesse the injustice of this calumniation and your consciences shall be our compurgatours this day which shall testifie to you both now and on your death-bed that wee have taught you there is no lesse necessitie of good workes than if you should bee saved by them and that though you cannot be saved by them as the meritorious causes of your glory yet that you cannot be saved without them as the necessary effects of that grace which brings glory Indeed we doe not hover over your expiring soules at your death beds as Ravens over a carkasse we doe not beg for a covent nor fright you with Purgatorie nor chaffer with you for that invisible treasure of the Church whereof there is but one key keeper at Rome but we tell you that the making of friends with this Mammon of unrighteousnesse is the way to eternall habitations They say of Cyrus that he was wont to say He layd up treasure for himselfe when hee made his friends rich but we say to you that you lay up treasures for your selves in heaven whilest you make the poore your friends on earth Hee shall never be Gods heire in heaven who lendeth him nothing on earth As the wittie Poet sayd of extreme tall men that they were like Cypresse trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so may I say of a straithanded rich man and these Cypresses are not for the Garden of Paradise None shall be ever planted there but the fruitfull and if the first Paradise had any trees in it onely for pleasure I am sure the second which is in the midst of the new Jerusalem shall have no tree that beares not twelve fruits yea whose very leaves are not beneficiall Doe good therefore O yee rich and shew your wealth to be not in having but in doing good and so doe it that wee may thanke you not your death-bed for it Late beneficence is better than none but so much as early beneficence is better than late He that gives not till he dies shewes that he would not give if he could keepe it That which you give thus you give it by your testament I can scarce say you give it by your will The good mans praise is dispersit dedit he disperses his goods not he left them behinde him and his distribution is seconded with the retribution of God His righteousnesse endureth for ever Psal 112.9 Our Saviour tells us that our good workes are our light Let your light so shine that men may see your good workes Which of you lets his light goe behind him and hath it not rather carried before him that he may see which way it goes and which way himselfe goes by it Doe good therefore in your life that you may have comfort in your death and a crowne of life after death Here the Preacher filled up his border with the gifts of this Citie as it were so many precious stones in stead whereof because I am not appointed to rehearse your deeds but the Preachers Sermon I will fill it up with the praises of the Speaker His sentences were verè lineae aureae according to Junius his translation of my text cum punctis argenteis the latter whereof interlaced his whole discourse It remaineth that as I have done in the former so I worke the embleme of the giver in his gift The Image shall be Marcus Callidius the Motto or words the words of Tullie De claris Oratoribus Orator non unus è multis sed inter multos singularis reconditas exquisitasque sententias mollis perlucens vestiebat oratio Nihil tam tenerum quam illius comprehensio verborum quae ita pura erat ut nihil liquidius ita liberè fluebat ut nusquam adhaeresceret nullum nisi in loco positum tanquam emblemate vermiculato verbum structum videres accedebat ordo rerum plenus artis actio liberalis totumque dicendi genus placidum sanum THE THIRD BORDER OR HORTUS DELICIARUM The third border of gold with studs of silver which the third Speaker offered to the Spouse was wrought upon those texts Gen. 2.15 16 17. And the Lord God tooke the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dresse it and to keepe it And the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eate But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And thus he put it on THis Scripture containeth in it seven particulars of which by Gods assistance in order The third Sermon preached by Dr. Hacket sometimes fellow of new Colledge in Oxon abridged 1 Who tooke The Lord God 2 Whom The man Adam 3 What he did with him He placed him in Paradise 4 To what end To dresse and keepe it 5 God his large permission to the man To eat of all other trees 6 His restraint from the tree of knowledge 7 His punishment if he refraine it not Thou shalt die the death 1. Who tooke The Lord God Jehovah Elohim In Jehovah note the Unitie Elohim the Trinitie of persons Jehovah signifieth that he is of himselfe and giveth to all other to be for he is as Damascene teacheth the beeing of them that be the life of all that live Elohim signifieth which ruleth and disposeth all Of this Almighty Maker and Disposer of all the more wee speake the more we have to speake the more we thinke of him the more wee finde him greater than our thoughts and therefore with silence admiring that majesty which neither tongue of men nor Angels can expresse I passe to the second particular The Man Man consisteth of a body and a soule 2. Whom his body was made of the earth his soule was inspired by God not propagated by generation The soule doth neither beget nor is begotten saith Chrysostome but is infused by God who is said by the Preacher to give the soule a Eccl. 12.7 The Spirit shall returne to God that gave it and in this respect is called by the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes The b Heb. 12 9. Father of Spirits Upon which words St. Jerome inferreth Ridendi sunt qui putant animas cum corporibus seri and St. Austine refelleth that opinion by Adams words concerning Eve This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh he saith not soule of my soule In this part of man man is said to be made according to Gods own Image for the c Epiphan haeres 70. Audians heresie which attributed the corporall lineaments of man to God is long agoe exploded and that in a threefold respect 1. In respect of the faculties of the soule 1. Understanding 2. Will. 2. In regard of the qualities of the soule
have somewhat against thee that thou sufferest The woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e Com. in Apoc. Ambrosius Ansbertus Richell Dionysius Carthusianus and Hugo Cardinalis translate the word in the Originall uxorem thy wife which is the rather worth the noting in these Popish Interpreters who yet condemne Priests marriage Doubtlesse this Angel was a good Bishop for he is highly commended by our Saviour yet had he his wife by their confession Why therefore may not sacred persons enter into the sacred bands of matrimony Is it because as Pope Sirycius and after him Cardinall Bellarmine bear us in hand conjugall acts and matrimoniall duties stand not with the sanctity of the Priests function Now verily this is a strange thing that marriage according to the doctrine of their Church is a Sacrament conferring grace and yet a disparagement to the most sacred function marriage is a holy Sacrament and yet Priests are bound by a Sacrament that is an oath never to receive it marriage was instituted in Paradise in the state of mans innocencie when the image of God which the Apostle interpreteth to be holinesse and righteousnesse shined most brightly in him and yet it is a cloud nay a blurre to the most holy calling marriage was appointed by God as a speciall remedie against fornication and all uncleannesse and yet is an impeachment to holinesse The Aaronical Priesthood by Gods owne order was to be continued in the line of Aaron by generation not election and yet marriage cannot stand with the holinesse of Priesthood Who of the Patriarkes before the Flood was holier than Enoch who walked with God and was translated that he should not see death of the Prophets under the Law than Ezekiel of the Apostles than St. Peter and Philip and yet of Enoch we read that f Gen. 5.22 he begat sonnes and daughters and Saint g Chrysost in Gen. homil 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysostome bids us take speciall notice of it that the Holy Ghost saith in the same Verse he walked with God and beg at sonnes and daughters to teach us that the bonds of matrimony are no such fetters that they hinder us from walking with God Ezekiels h Ezek 24.16 wife is mentioned in his prophecy and Peters i Mat. 12.14 wives mother in the Gospel and Philips k Acts 21 9. daughters that prophesied in the Acts with whose examples l Clem. strom l. 3. p. 327. ' H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens Alexandrinus mightily confoundeth and convinceth those ancient Heretickes the fore-runners of our Papists who disparaged this holy ordinance of God What saith hee will they blame the Apostles themselves For Peter and Philip begat children Philip also gave his daughters in marriage Neither can our adversaries evade these instances by saying that the Apostles indeed had wives before they were ordained Priests but after they entred into that holy calling forsooke them and had no more commerce with them For m Clem. strom l. 7 p. 529. Arunt B. Petrum cum vidisset uxorem suam duci ad mortem nomine quoque compellâsse ac dixisse Heus tu memento Domini Clemens informeth us that Saint Peters wife kept with him till her death and that when he saw her led to martyrdome he called to her by name and encouraged her saying Remember the Lord. Howbeit the major part of the Expositors take not Jezebel here for the Bishops wife but a disciple of the Nicolaitans who is here named Jezebel because shee resembled Jezebel especially in three particulars 1. As Jezebel brought amongst the Israelites the false worship of the Idoll Baal so this woman laboured to bring into this Church of Thyatira Idolatry and other pernitious errours in doctrine and practice 2. n 2 Kin. 9 22. Jezebel was given to fornication for which vice the Holy Ghost brandeth this woman also 3. Jezebel was a woman of authority and by her place and dignity did countenance and maintaine Idolatry and so it is likely that this was a woman of some place and ranke which she abused to countenance wicked opinions and seduce Gods servants o Hieron de nom Heb. Jezebel in the Hebrew signifieth fluxum sanguinis or stirquilinium an issue of bloud or doung both which were verified in the wife of Ahab whose abominable life and fearfull death yee may see set forth in lively colours in the booke of p 2 Kin. 9.33 ad finem They threw her downe and some of her bloud was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses and he trod her under foot Ver. 37. The carkeis of Jezebel was as doung upon the face of the field Kings to breed in all men and women a detestation of the one by the shame and horrour of the other A lamentable spectacle deare Christians to see the daughter and wife of a King trampled under foot in the dirt and the dogges tearing her flesh and licking up her bloud Shee who spent so much time in dressing and tricking up her selfe at the window is throwne downe headlong out of that window shee that looked so high falls full low and is trod under foot by her servant shee who spilt Naboths innocent bloud in Jezreel expiateth the place with her owne bloud that face on which shee a little before had laid costly colours and oyntments is now besmeared with dirt and stained with her owne bloud that flesh of hers which she pampered with all kindes of delicious meates is now cast to dogges Let them heare this and feare who weare Jezebels colours and tread in her steps who defile themselves with corporall or spirituall fornication who either idolatrize or idolize worship painted images or make themselves such Jezebel was the first we reade of that tooke the pensill out of the hand of her Maker endeavouring to mend his workmanship and what became of her you heard but now And howsoever some of late as they have sowed pillowes under mens elbowes so have tempered colours also for women and made apologies for painting yet all the ancient Fathers condemne it as a foule sinne Saint q Cyp. de hab virg Nonne metuis oro quae talis es ne cum resurrectionis dies venerit artifâ—x tuus te non recognoscat ad sua praemia promissa venientem excludat removeat increpans vigore censoris judicis opus hoc meum non est nec haec imago nostra est cutem falso medicamine polluisti crinem adultero colore mutásti Deum videre non poteris cùm oculi tibi non sint quos Deus fecit sed quos Diabolus infecit Cyprian thus schooles a young Jezebel in his dayes Art not thou afraid saith hee that plaisterest thy face and paintest thy body lest at the day of judgement thy Maker will not know thee but when thou pressest among the rest to receive the promised rewards to his servants will put thee backe saying Who art thou
should dye Mori infirmitatis est sic mori virtutis infinitae There wanted not other meanes to redeeme man but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was meet that by the death of the Sonne of God wee should bee redeemed Sanguine quaerendi reditus animâque litandum No escaping the stroake of the Angel but by sprinkling the Lambes life bloud no meanes to returne from exile till the death of the high Priest Must hee dye then and are the Scriptures so strait in this point O death how bitter is thy remembrance witnesse our Saviour Si fieri potest transeat hic calix but sith for the reasons before named that was neither possible nor expedient sith dye hee must what death doth the Holy Ghost thinke to bee most expedient If hee may not yeeld to nature as a ripe apple falleth from the tree but must be plucked thence there are deaths no lesse honourable than violent shall he dye an honourable death No hee must bee reckoned among the malefactors and dye a shamefull death In shamefull deaths there is a kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rid him quickly out of his paine Misericordiae genus est citò occidere No that was not expedient Feri ut se sentiat mori it was expedient that hee should dye a tedious and most painfull death wherein a tract of lingering misery and lasting torment was to bee endured What death is that I need not amplifie even by the testimony of the Holy Ghost the death of the Crosse was for the torture most grievous for the shame most infamous He humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death Could his humility goe on one step further Yes one step even to the death of the Crosse that is a death beyond death the utmost and highest of all punishments saith Ulpian Having in it the extent of torture saith Apuleius The quintessence of cruelty saith the Roman Oratour It is not amisse to know the manner of the execution of this death First after sentence given the prisoner was whipped then forced to carry his Crosse to the place of execution there in the most tender and sinewie parts of the body nailed to the Crosse then lifted up into the ayre there with cruell mercy for a long while preserved alive after all this when cruelty was satisfied with bloud for the close of all his joynts were broken and his soule beat out of his body This was part of his paine I say part I cannot expresse the whole the shame was much more Infoelix Lignum saith Seneca truly and unhappy for untill this time the curse of God was upon him that was hanged It is a trespasse to bind 't is wickednes to beat it is murder to kill Quid dicam in crucem tollere Look we to the originall it was first devised by Tarquinius as the most infamous punishment of all against such as laid violent hands upon themselves Look we to the use of it they accounted it a slaves nay a dogs death for in memory that the Dogge slept when the Geese defended the Capitoll every yeer in great solemnity they carried a Goose in triumph softly laid upon a rich carpet and a Dogge hanging upon a crosse Looke wee to the concomitancy Non solent suspensi lugeri saith the Civilian no teare was wont to be shed for such as were crucified And was it expedient that our Saviour should dye this death It was expedient that the prophesie of Esay might be verified We saw him made as the basest of men and of David A scorne of men and the out-cast of the people and of himselfe They shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock scourge and crucifie him These were prophesies that it should be so yet we want a prophesie that saith It is expedient That we doe not Oportet filium hominis exaltari ut Moses extulit Serpentem for that Serpent lifted up to cure all that looked upon it was an embleme of Christ Thus himselfe who was a high Priest for ever did prophesie of himselfe being now both priest and sacrifice It was expedient that he should dye thus dye to be forsaken of his friends falsly accused by his enemies to be sold like a slave mocked like a foole spit upon like a made man whipt like a theefe crucified like a traitour make up a misery that the sun shamed the earth trembled to behold it yet it was expedient it must be done God hath said it Mee thinkes I heare our Saviour say in this baptisme of bloud as he said in his baptisme of water Thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnes and thus it became him for whom by whom are all things to consecrate the Prince of our salvation through afflictions The prophesies had said it it should be so and it was expedient that he to whom they pointed should fulfill them that so in fulness of truth he might take his leave of the crosse and say Consummatum est those things which were written of mee have an end All this while we see not the reason why he should be thus tormented Goe to Pilate his answer will be I am innocent of the bloud of this man Enquire you of the Scribes and Pharisees their answer will be We have a law and by this law he must dye because he made himselfe the Son of God This was no fault he was so and therefore without robbery or blasphemy might both think and declare himselfe to be so Goe wee further from popular Pilate and the cruell Jewes to God himselfe and though we be but dust and ashes for the knowledge of this truth presume we to aske Cur fecisti filio sic How may it stand with thy justice that he should dye in whom there was found no fault worthy death nay no fault at all the unswer is Expedit mori pro populo yet O Lord wilt thou slay the righteous with the wicked nay which is more wilt thou slay the righteous and spare the wicked nay which is yet more wilt thou slay the righteous for the wicked shall not the Judge of all the world doe right God cannot chuse but do right the wages of sin is death though he have not sinned the people have If the principall debtour cannot pay the surety must if the prisoner dare not appeare the baile must Christ was the surety the baile of the people and so God might permit his justice against sin to take hold on him and hee must dye for the people if he will not have the people dye It being knowne that he dyed for the people it is worth the while to know who these people were for whom he dyed Caiphas had respect to the Jewes only and their temporall good but the Holy Ghost intended the spirituall good of the Jewes primarily though not of them alone but of the people also through the world But is it possible that of all people he should dye for the Jewes Ab ipsis pro ipsis these were they
Neither doe they stand much upon it for another of them saith Dicit Doctor meus citat divum Thomam quòd quando Apostoli erant ordinati Sacerdotes erant sine scientiâ Yet Bernard in his Epistle ad Eugenium maketh knowledge one of the keyes Claves vestras qui sanùm sapiunt alteram in discretione alteram in potestate collocant Doctr. 3 The most received opinion of the reformed Churches is That there is but one key in essence and that is Ministerium Verbi The Kingdome of God is compared to a house the doore of this house is Christ John 10.7 the key to open and shut this doore is the preaching of the Word Wee are the savour of death unto death unto some there is the power of binding to others of life unto life there is the power of loosing Hee that refuseth mee the word which I have spoken shall judge him there is the power of binding againe The truth shall make you free there is loosing But how many soever the keyes bee Christ hath them Non solùm authoritativè sed etiam possessivè What meaneth then Bellarmine in his bookes de Romano Pontifice to imply that the keyes remaine in Christs hands onely at the vacancy of the Popedome What a blasphemy is that of Cusanus who saith that potestas ligandi solvendi non minor est in Ecclesiâ quà m fuit in Christo and that of Maldonatus Christus Petro vices suas tradidit ipsamque clavem excellentiae that key of David which openeth and no man shutteth Or if hee have not this key so absolutely as Christ yet beyond all comparison above other Bishops they have the keyes of Heaven sed quodam modo and with an huc usque licet Whereupon Petrus de palude observeth that it was said of them Quaecunque solveritis in terrâ erunt soluta in coelo but of Saint Peter Brunt soluta in coelis Pardon I beseech you the enlargement of this point Blasphemiae dies haec est Rabsakeh hath blasphemed the living God The Pharisees and Scribes accounted it blasphemy to attribute forgivenesse of sinnes to any but God I am hee that blotteth out thine iniquity saith God by the Prophet Esay Whereupon Saint Jerome commenting saith Solus peccata dimittit qui pro peccatis mortuus est and Saint Austine accordeth with him Nemo tollit peccata nisi solus Deus tollit autem dimittendo quae facta sunt adjuvando ne fiant perducendo ad locum ubi fieri non possunt What then doth the Minister upon confession and contrition Hee pronounceth the penitent absolved or to attribute the most unto him hee absolveth the person in facie Ecclesiae remitteth not the sinne absolutely before God Saint Ambrose shall make up the reckoning Verbum Dei dimittit peccata Sacerdos est Judex Sacerdos officium exhibet sed nullius potestatis jura exercet Use 1 1. Hath Christ the keyes of death and hell O then let us kisse the Sonne lest hee bee angry and so wee perish out of the right way 2. Hath Christ the keyes of hell and death if then wee belong to Christ and follow his banner let us not care what death or hell man or divell can doe against us Transvectus vada Tartari Pacatis redit inferis Jam nullus superest timor Nil ultrà jacet inferos Jesus of Nazareth is returned from hell not as Theseus and Hercules with a Crosse and a Flagge but with principalities and powers chained before his triumphant chariot he doth not now threaten death as before O mors ero tua mors but insulteth over it O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thankes bee unto God who hath given us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Cui c. THE FOURTH ROW And in the fourth row a Chrysolite an Onyx and a Jasper A Jasper is a mixt stone consisting at least of two kinds of gemmes and therefore may not unfitly decipher our Saviour consisting of two natures who by inviting all to come unto him animi constantiam promovet comforteth fainting spirits which as Rueus saith is the vertue of the Chrysolite after his invitation promising to secure and rest all burthened and weary soules hee proveth himselfe an Onyx wherewith as Nilus saith the Nobles of Egypt made supporters for their beds If wee admit the Beryll into this fourth ranke because it is mentioned with the rest in the Apocalypse and set here in the first place by Saint Jerome Junius Tostatus and the Kings Translatours wee shall lose nothing by the change for the Beryll as Abulensis and others affirme is of singuâ—â—â—â—ertue to cure waterish and running eyes True it very well may bee in the stone but true I am sure i◠〈◊〉 â—â—e doctrine which this stone according to his ranke and myâ—â—â— her division standeth for This promise of our Saviour I will easâ— you is the onely Beryll in the world which can stay the water of their running eyes who weep for and sigh under the heavie burthen of sinne Yee see this fourth order is not out of order but sorteth well with the doctrine of the fourth Speaker and doth it not as well sort with the parts of the Preacher The Chrysolite is a solid stone not spangled or spotted with golden points as other gems but as it were gilt all over which may well represent the solidity of his proofes and uniformity of his whole discourse The Onyx a transparent gemme resembleth the perspicuity of his stile and the Jasper a stone full of veines setteth before us the plenty of Scripture sentences which like little veines were diffused through the whole body of his Sermon and in respect of these we may more truly say of it than To status of the Jasper Quot venae tot virtutes so many veines so many vertues The embossment of gold wherein these gemmes of divine doctrine were set was his Text taken out of A Sermon preached on Easter Tuesday by Master Bates fellow of Trinity Colledge afterwards Parson of S Clements and Prebend of Westminster MATTH 11.28 Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you MAn at the first was made a goodly creature in the image of his Maker having so neere neighbourhood with the eternall Majesty that hee dwelt in God and God in him but by his woefull revolt hee deprived himselfe of that sweet contentment hee still should have enjoyed in God and by his proud rebellion erected a Babel and partition wall whereby hee debarred himselfe of the fruition of him whom to behold is the height of all that good any creature can desire But mans Creatour retaining his love to that which hee had made though altogether blemished with that which wee had done looked downe upon us with a compassionate eye of his tender mercie suffered us not being desirous of the meanes of salvation with bootlesse travells still to wander in darknesse as strangers from the
tender the life of your bodies and soules hearken to a word of exhortation Taste not the least drop of the poyson of sinne for though it put you not to so great torment and be not so present death yet deadly it is and without repentance and saving grace will kill your soules Destroy the Cockatrice in the shell breake the smallest seeds of sinne in your soule as the Emmet biteth the seeds which she layeth up for her selfe that they may not grow againe in the earth Parvulos Babylonis allidite ad petram in quâ serpentis vestigia non reperiuntur Dash the Babylonish babes against that rocke into which no serpent can enter I know not how it commeth to passe that as in nature we see the Adamant which nothing relenteth at the stroake of the hammer is dissolved with the warme bloud of a Goate the Elephant which no great beast dare encounter is killed by a small Mouse creeping in at his truncke and eating his braines and the Lions in Mesopotamia are so pestered with a kind of Gnat flying into their eyes that to be rid of the paine they sometimes teare them out with their clawes and sometimes drowne themselves so the strongest Christians are often over-taken with the least temptations and conquered with a reed nay with a bull-rush To forbeare more examples David was taken by a look only Peter affrighted by the speech of a Damsell Alipius was overthrowne by a shout in the Theater The breach of the Commandement in lesse things even because they are lesse and so might more easily be avoided maketh the disobedience the greater and all sinne is the more dangerous by how much the lesse it is feared Saint Austine maketh mention of certaine flies in Africa so small that they can scarce be discerned from moates in the ayre Quae tamen cum insederint corpori acerbissimo fodiunt aculeo which yet are armed with a most venemous sting those little sins that are so small that we can scarce discerne them to be sinnes are like those Cynifes Saint Austine speaketh of they pricke the conscience with a most venemous sting Now if the sting of these small Flies put the conscience to such paine and affect it with such anguish who will be able to endure the teeth of the Adder or the taile of the Scorpion If whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgement and whosoever shall say unto his brother Racha shall be in danger of the Councell and whosoever shall say Thou foole shall be in danger of hell fire what punishment is he like to endure who beareth malice in his heart against his brother envieth his prosperity undermineth his estate woundeth his good name nay spilleth his bloud this is a crimson sinne and mortall in a double sense not onely because it slayeth the soule but also because it killeth the body If we shall give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word what answer shall we make for irreligious and blasphemous words for calumnious and detractious speeches for uncharitable and unchristian censures for false witnesse for oathes for perjury I am loth harder to rub on the sores and galls of your consciences and leave them raw therefore my conclusion shall be the application of a plaister unto them which will certainly heale them That which our Saviour after his resurrection promised to those that should beleeve on his Name that if they z Mar. 16.18 dranke any deadly thing it should not hurt them was performed according to the letter to the Disciples in the first ages but in the spirituall sense to all of us at this day If we have drunke any deadly poyson of sinne as who hath not yet through repentance and faith in Christs bloud it shall not hurt us The nature of poyson is to work upon the bloud and to venome that humour but contrariwise the bloud of our Saviour worketh upon the poyson of sinne and killeth the venemous malignity thereof Though the most veniall sins in mens esteeme are mortall in their owne nature yet the most mortall are made veniall by grace No sin mortall but to the reprobate and infidell no sinne veniall but to the elect and faithfull nay no sinne but mortall to the reprobate and infidell no sinne but veniall to the faithfull and penitent Nothing deadly to Gods chosen nay not death it selfe For the sting thereof is plucked out by Christ O death a 1 Cor. 15.57 where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Thanks be unto God who hath given us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be unto thee O b Hieron epit Nepot Gratias tibi Christe Salvator nos tua agimus creatura quòd tam potentem adversarium dum occideris occidisti Saviour who hast given death his deaths wound by thy death Beloved Christians so many sins as we have committed so many deaths eternall wee have deserved from so many deaths Christ hath delivered us and therefore so many lives if we had them we owe unto him and shall we not willingly render him this one for which hee will give us immortality blisse and glory in heaven with himselfe Cui c. THE GALL OF ASPES OR THE PANGS OF THE SECOND DEATH THE XLV SERMON ROM 6.21 For the end of those things it death Right Honourable c. I Hope time hath not razed those characters out of your memory which I borrowed from time it selfe to imprint my observations upon this Text in your mind Sinne as yee have heard may be considered in a reference to a three-fold time 1. Past 2. Present 3. Future In relation to the first it is unfruitfull to the second shamefull to the third pernicious and deadly The unfruitfulnesse of sinne cannot but worke upon all that have regard to their estate in this world the shamefulnesse of sinne cannot but touch neere and affect deeply all that stand upon their reputation and good name but the deadlinesse or pernicious nature thereof cannot but prevaile with all to beware of it that tender their life here or immortality hereafter If sinne be unfruitfull have no fellowship with the workes of darknesse but reprove them rather If sinne be shamefull hate even the garments spotted by the flesh let not such things be named among you much lesse practised which cast a blurre upon your good name and fame among the Saints of God If sinne be pernicious and deadly flye from it as from a Serpent taste not the wine of Sodome nor presse the grapes of Gomorrah for their wine is the bloud of the Dragon a Job 20.14 and the gall of Aspes which we know is present death The end of those things That is all the pompe and vanity of this world the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye the pride of life all sinfull pleasures wherewith yee surfeit your senses shall have an end and this end is death and this death
the unquenchable fire in such sort that it hath no power upon any of the members of his mysticall body and by his temporall death hath delivered all that are his from eternall Shall wee not then eternally sing his praises who hath saved us from everlasting weeping and mourning in the valley of Hinnom Shall any waters of affliction quench in us the love of him who for us quenched unquenchable fire Shall not the benefit of our delivery from everlasting death ever live in our memory Shall any thing sever us from him who for our sakes after a sort was severed from his Father when he cryed k Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or the sword No I am perswaded I may goe on with the Apostle and say l Rom. 8 38 39. Neither life nor death nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom c. FERULA PATERNA THE XLVI SERMON REV. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Right Honourable c. HOw unwilling the author of life and Saviour of all men especially beleevers is to pronounce and execute the sentence of death and destruction against any if the teares which hee shed over Jerusalem and groanes and lamentations which hee powreth out when he powreth forth the vials of his vengeance testifie not abundantly yet his soft pace and orderly proceeding by degrees in the course hee taketh against obstinate and impenitent sinners is enough to silence all murmuring complaints wrongfully charging his justice and raise up all dejected spirits dolefully imploring his mercy For hee ever first sitteth upon his throne of grace and reacheth out his golden Scepter to all that cast themselves downe before him and if they have a hand of faith to lay hold on it hee raiseth them up before hee taketh hold of his iron rod and hee shaketh it too before hee striketh with it and hee striketh lightly before hee breaketh in pieces and shivers the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction So true is that which hee speaketh of himselfe by the Prophet Hosea a Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thy helpe and the Prophet of him b Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth in which he walketh thus step by step First when wee begin to stray from him hee calleth us backe and reclaymeth us from our soule and dangerous wayes by friendly counsels and passionate perswasions by increase of temporall and promise of eternall blessings as we may read in the tenour of all the Prophets commissions 2 If these kinde offers be refused with contempt and greater benefits repayed with greater unthankfulnesse he changeth his note but not his affections he exprobrates to us our unthankfulnesse that it might not prove a barre of his bounty c Hos 11 3 4. I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by their armes and they knew not that I healed them I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoake from their jawes and d Isa 5.2 My Beloved had a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and hee fenced it and hee gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a tower in the midst of it and also made a wine-presse therein and hee looked that it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes 3 If exprobrations and sharpe reproofes will not serve the turne he falls to threatning and menacing fearefull punishments but to this end onely that hee may not inflict what hee threateneth as wee see in Niniveh's case e Jonah 3.4 Yet forty dayes saith the Prophet and Niniveh shall bee overthrowne yet Niniveh was not overthrown f Vers 10. because the Ninivites repented of their workes and turned from their evill wayes God repented of the evill he had said that hee would doe unto them and he did it not 4 If neither promises of mercies nor threats of judgements neither kind entreaties nor sharpe rebukes can worke upon the hard heartednesse of obstinate sinners hee useth yet another meanes to bring them home hee taketh away their goods that they may come to him for them hee pincheth them with famine that hee may starve their wanton lusts he striketh their flesh with a smart rod that it may awake their soules out of a dead sleepe of security and this for the most part is the last knocke at their hearts at which if they open not and receive Christ by unfained repentance and a lively faith the gates of mercy are for ever locked up against them According to this method Christ here proceedeth with the Angel of Laodicea First g V. 15. hee friendly saluteth him next h V. 16. Ver. 17. Ver. 18. hee sharply reproveth him then hee fearfully threatneth him lastly he severely chastiseth him and all in love as you heare in this verse As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Which hath this coherence with the former wherein Christ taxed two vices in this Angel luke warmnesse and spirituall pride against these hee prescribeth two remedies zeale vers 19. and spirituall providence I counsell thee to buy of mee gold tryed in the fire that thou maist bee rich and white rayment that thou maist bee clothed and that the shame of thy nakednesse doe not appeare and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou maist see But here because the Angel of Laodicea might reply Alas to what end is all this what prescribe you unto memedicinal potions who am to be spewed out of Gods mouth what can your counsell doe me good my doome is already past and my heart within mee is like melted waxe Christ opportunely in the words of my text solveth this objection and giveth him a cordial to keep him from fainting Be not too much discouraged at my sharp rebukes nor faint under my fatherly chastisements for I use no other discipline towards thee than towards my dearest children whom I love most entirely yet rebuke most sharply to break them of their ill qualities I chasten those and those onely and all those whom I love and I chasten oftenest whom I love best wherefore faint not but be zealous neither despaire but amend and thou shalt finde my affection as much enlarged and the treasurie of my bounty as open unto thee as ever heretofore Behold then in the words of this Scripture 1 A rule of direction to those that are set in high places of authority 2 A staffe of comfort to those who are fallen into the depth of griefe and misery To the former the Spirit speaketh in the words of my text on this wise Ye Masters of servants Tutors of Scholars
compass that they can do nothing but what God for just causes permits them to doe God hath Sathan and all his instruments like Mastiffs tyed in a chain they cannot go beyond their tether he letteth them loose and calls them in at his pleasure If God be at peace with us p Psal 34.20 not a bone shal be broken nay not a q Mat. 10.30 haire of our head shall fall The foure Angels in the r Apoc. 7.3 Apocalypse had not power to touch the earth or any tree till Gods servants were sealed If this be so what security doth the feare of God bring to man and what a Potentate is the feeblest Christian on earth Qui Deum timet omnia timent eum qui Deum non timet timet omnia He which feareth not God hath cause to feare all things for all the creatures will take their Makers part against him on the contrary hee that feareth God all things feare him for nothing dares or can doe him hurt Surely no Prince or Emperour could ever so secure his state or guard his person that neither outward power could annoy him nor home-bred treachery surprise him yet neither rebell nor pyrate nor rich nor poore nor open enemy nor counterfeit friend nor principality nor power nor man nor divell can touch Gods children protected by his omnipotency and guarded by his holy Angels except they turne rebels to God and traitours to themselves For no evill can come neere them while God is neere them and God will be ever neer them if they depart not from him 2. Hath God a hand in all the stroakes of his children let us not then so much fret and fume at the immediate agents or rather instruments as wee doe It is all one as if a Noble man sentenced by the King or his Peeres to lose his head should fall foule upon the Heads-man or pick a quarrell with the axe or as if a patient to whom a wise Physician hath prescribed a bitter potion for the recovery of his health should fall out with the Apothecary for ministring it Nay it is like to them that use the unguentum called Armarium who when a party is wounded by his adversary with a sword or speare apply nothing to the party but annoint the instrument I speake not this to justifie or excuse the malice or iniquity or cruelty of those in whose hands God putteth his scourge for us if they exceed his prescript and rather exercise their owne passions than execute his judgements For as God is no way accessary to their cruelty so neither doe they participate of Gods righteousnesse in afflicting his children and as God hath made them now instruments so hee will hereafter make them subjects of his justice as a tender mother after she hath beat her infant casteth the rod in the fire so God dealeth with these men The Assyrians were his rod wherewith he chastened the Israelites the Persians his rod wherewith he chastened the Assyrians the Grecians his rod wherewith he chastened the Persians the Romane Emperours the rod wherewith he chastened the Grecians and now all foure rods one after another are cast into the fire But my aime is to perswade you to looke higher than the executioners and ministers of Gods vengeance and when ye see that hee sitteth in heaven who ordereth and appointeth how many stroaks shall be given to you who hath not only a glasse to keep every drop of bloud that is drawne from you but also a Å¿ Psal 56.8 bottle to keep every teare that falls from your eyes to struggle with the infirmity of your flesh and endeavour to the uttermost of your power to suffer his will because ye have not done it to make the best amends ye can to supply the defect of your active obedience by your passive Holy Job could discerne Gods arrowes though in the hand of Sathan and his hand though on the armes of the Sabean robbers and therefore when he was stript of all his goods even by the worst of men he curseth not the instruments but blesseth God saying t Job 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither again the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. What Christ spake to Pilate vaunting of the power and authority he had over him the feeblest Christian in the world may reply to the greatest Potentate on earth u John 19.10 11. Thou couldst have no power at all against me unlesse it were given thee from above Wicked and ungodly men may have a will of themselves to vexe hurt and persecute Gods children yet power they can have none so much as to take a haire from their head unlesse it be given them from above by God who can and doth sometimes execute his just judgements by unjust ministers and though they intend evill and mischiefe against his servants yet hee will turne it into * Gen. 50.20 As for you you thought evill against me but God turned it unto good good to them as he did to Joseph Solinus writeth of x Solin c. 20. Hypanis Scythicorum amnium princeps haustu saluberrimus dum in Exampeum inferatur qui amnem suo vitio vertit Hypanis that the water thereof is very bitter as it passeth through Exampeus yet very sweet in the spring so the cup of trembling which is offered to the children of God is often very bitter at the second hand as it is ministred unto them by profane persons haters and despisers of their graces yet it is sweet at the first hand as it is sent them downe from heaven 3. Are the afflictions which befall Gods children in their bodies soules good name or estates darts shot from heaven how then can they avoid them what shall they doe in this case Surely cast themselves on the ground and hold up their buckler of faith saying with y Job 13.15 Job Though hee slay mee yet will I put my trust in him And with the z Psal 44.17 18 19. Israelites All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Or cast up our darts to heaven that is our ejaculatory prayers as * Psal 38.1 2 9. David doth O Lord rebuke mee not in thy wrath neither chasten mee in thy hot displeasure for thine arrowes sticke fast in mee and thine hand presseth mee sore Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee When a great Philosopher was taxed for not holding out his argument with Adrian the Emperour but presently giving up the bucklers his apology for himselfe was Is it not reason to yeeld to him who hath thirty legions at his command I am sure there is greater reason whatsoever the cause
yet not willing to bee put to an infamous cruell and accursed death he became obedient to death even the death of the crosse The repeating the word death seemeth to argue an ingemination of the punishment a suffering death upon death It was wonderfull that hee which was highest in glory should humble himselfe yet it is more to bee obedient than to humble himselfe more to suffer death willingly or upon the command of another than to be obedient more to bee crucified than simply to die Hee was so humble that hee became obedient so obedient that hee yeelded to die so yeelded to die as to bee crucified his love wonderfully shewed it selfe in humbling himselfe to exalt us his humility in his obedience his obedience in his patience his patience in the death of the crosse His humility was a kinde of excesse of his love his obedience of his humility his death of his obedience his crosse of his death He humbled himselfe According to which nature divine or humane In some sort according to both according to his divine by assuming our nature according to his humane by taking upon him our miseries And became obedient It is not said hee made himselfe obedient because obedience presupposeth anothers command wee may indeed of our selves offer service to another but wee cannot performe obedience where there is no command of a Superiour parere and imperare are relatives To whom then became hee obedient To God saith Calvin to Herod and Pilate saith Zanchius the truth is to both to God as supreme Judge according to whose eternall decree to Pilate by whose immediate sentence hee was to suffer such things of sinners for sinners To death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether inclusivè or exclusivè whether is the meaning hee was obedient all his life even to his last gaspe or hee was so farre obedient that hee yeelded himselfe to the wrath of God to the scorn of men the power of darknesse the infamy of all punishments the shame of all disgraces the cruelty of all torments the death of the crosse The difference betweene these is in this that the former maketh death the limit and bound the latter an act of his obedience to which interpretation I rather subscribe because it is certaine that Christ was not onely obedient unto the houre of his death but in his death also and after his death lying three dayes and three nights in the grave Here then we have the sum of the whole Gospel the life and death of our Lord and Saviour his birth and life in the former words He humbled himselfe his death passion in the latter and became obedient unto death even the death of the crosse He humbled that is took on him our nature infirmities became obedient that is fulfilled the law for us by his active satisfied God for our transgressions by his passive obedience Obedience most shews it selfe in doing or suffering such things as are most crosse repugnant to our wil natural desires as to part with that which is most dear pretious to us and to entertain a liking of that which we otherwise most abhor Now the strongest bent of all mens desires is to life honor nothing men fear more than death especially a lingring painful death they are confounded at nothing more than open shame whereby our Saviours obedience appeares a non pareil who passed not for his life nor refused the torments of a cruel nor the shame of an ignominious death that he might fulfill his fathers will in laying down a sufficient ransom for all mankinde Even the death of the crosse As the sphere of the Sun or Saturn c. is named from the Planet which is the most eminent part of it so is the passion of Christ from his crosse the crosse was as the center in which all the bloody lines met He sweat in his agony bled in his scourging was pricked in his crowning with thornes scorned and derided in the judgement hall but all this and much more hee endured on the crosse Whence we may observe more particularly 1 The root 2 Branches 3 Fruit. Or 1 The cause 2 The parts 3 The end of all his sufferings on it 1 Of the cause S. a Aug. l. 3. de Civ Dei c. 15. Regularis defectio non nisi in lunae fine contingit Austin demonstrateth that the Eclipse of the sun at the death of our Saviour was miraculous because then the Moon was at the full Had it bin a regular Eclipse the Moon should have lost her light and not the Sun so in the regular course of justice the Church which is compared to the Moon in b Cant. 6.10 Scripture should have been eclipsed of the light of Gods countenance and not Christ who is by the Prophet Malachy stiled c Mal. 4.2 Sol justitiae the Sun of righteousnesse But as then the Sun was eclipsed in stead of the Moon so was Christ obscured in his passion for the Church he became a surety for us therfore God laid all our debts upon him to the uttermost farthing The Prophet Esay assureth us hereof d Esa 53.4 5. He bare our infirmities carried our sorrows He was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him by his stripes we are all healed O the wonderfull wisdom justice of God! the just is reputed unjust that the unjust might be reputed just the innocent is condemned that the condemned might be found innocent the Conquerer is in bonds to loose the captive the Creditor in prison to satisfie for the debtour the Physitian taketh the bitter potion to cure the patient the Judge is executed to acquit the prisoner What did the welbeloved of his Father deserve that he should drink the dregs of the vials of wrath why should the immaculate Lamb be put to such torture in the end be slain but for a sacrifice why should the bread of life hunger but for our gluttony the fountain of grace thirst but for our intemperancy the word of God be speechlesse but for our crying sin truth it self be accused but for our errors innocency condemned but for our transgressions why should the King of glory endure such ignominy shame but for our shameful lives why should the Lord of life be put to death but for our hainous and most deadly sins what spots had he to be washed what lust to bee crucified what ulcers to bee pricked what sores to bee launced Doubtlesse none at all our corrupt blood was drawn out of his wounds our swellings pricked with his thornes our sores launced with his speare our lusts crucified on his crosse our staines washed away with his blood It was the weight of our sins that made his soule heavie unto death it was the unsupportable burden of our punishment that put him into a bloody sweat all our blood was corrupt all our flesh as it were in
humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse therefore they who desire to be affected and liked of him must be like affected to him and not exalt themselves above others in pride but rather abase themselves below them in humility not behave themselves as lords over the faith of others but rather demeane themselves as servants for Christs sake not pursue ambitiously the glory of this world but account it the greatest glory to partake with Christ in the infamy of the Crosse How unfit and incongruous a thing is it in contention to preach the Gospel of peace in rage and choler to treat of meeknesse in malice and hatred to exhort to Christian love and reconciliation in pride to commend humility in vaine glory to erect the Crosse of Christ that is to deny the power of it in so declaring it Yet if they will needs bee ambitious if their affections are so set upon glory and honour that nothing can take them off let them take the readiest course to compasse their desire which lyeth not in the higher way they have chosen by advancing themselves but in the lower way which Christ took by abasing himselfe For glory is of the nature of a Crocodile which flyeth from them that pursue it and pursueth them that flie it as S. b Hom. 7. ad Philip. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysostome excellently declareth it Glory saith he cannot be attained but by eschuing it if thou makest after it it maketh away from thee if thou flyest from it it followeth thee if thou desirest to be glorious be not ambitious for all truly honour them who affect not honour as on the contrary they hold a base opinion of such as are ever aspiring to honour and that for the most part without desert Two weighty reasons wee have in this verse to incline all Christian minds to obedient humility or humble obedience a patterne of it and the reward thereof he humbled himseâ—fe so low therefore God exalted him so high Of the patterne most lively drawne in the life and especially the death of our Saviour I have said something already and shall more hereafter yet can never say all As Socrates spake of Philosophy that it was nothing but meditatio mortis a meditation upon death we may of Divinity that it is in a manner nothing else but meditatio mortis Christi a meditation on Christs death for the learnedest of all the Apostles would be knowne of no other knowledge that he had or much esteemed but this I c 1 Cor. 2.2 desire saith he to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified d Lib. 7. nat hist c. 2. Genâ— Astoma radices florum secum portat longâ—ore itinere ne desit olfactus Pliny describeth unto us a strange kind of people in Africa that had no mouthes but received all their nourishment at their nostrils which is nothing else but sweet smells and fragrant odours who if they are to take any long journey provide themselves of great store of flowers and sweet wood and aromaticall spices lest they starve by the way I will not warrant the narration because I know it is a case over-ruled in Aristotles philosophy that smells nourish not but the application I can make good out of the Apostle who calleth the Gospel and the Preachers thereof odorem vitae ad viâ—am a savour of e 2 Cor. 2.16 life unto life Though the naturall life be not yet the spirituall is nourished by odours savours And howsoever we are not in our bodies yet in our soules we are Astomi and like those people of Africa recâ—ive nourishment from sweet trees and roots The sweet root we are alwayes to carry about us is the root of the flower of Jesse the savoury wood we are to smell unto is the wood of the Crosse that is the tree of life in the midst of our Paradise It is the ladder of Jacob whereby we ascend into heaven it is the rod of Aaron that continually buddeth in the Church it is the Juniper tree whose shade killeth the Serpent it is the tree which was cast into the waters of Marah and made them sweet no water so bitter no affliction so brackish to which the Crosse of Christ giveth not a sweet rellish But to proceed from the effâ—ct of Christs passion in us our comfort and salvation to the effect of it in himselfe his glory and exâ—ltation expressed in the letter of my Text Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him Wherefore Although there can be no cause given of Gods will which is the cause of all causes yet as Aquinas teacheth us to distinguish there may be ratio rei volitae a reason of the thing willed by God for God according to the counsell of his owne will setteth divers things in such an order that the former is the cause of the latter yet none of them a cause but an effect of his will For example in that golden chaine drawne by the Apostle Whom he hath f Rom. 8.29 predestinated those he hath called whom he hath called he hath justified whom he hath justified he hath glorified predestination is a cause of vocation vocation of justification justification of glorification yet all of these depend upon Gods will and his will upon none of them In like manner God hath so disposed the causes of our salvation that Christs incarnation and humiliation should goe before his glory and exaltation the one bee the meritorious cause of the other yet neither of them is causa voluntatis divinae exaltantis but ratio exaltationis volitae neither of them a cause of Gods will exalting but the former the reason of Christs exaltation as willed by God God Though Christ rose of himselfe and as himselfe speaketh reared up the temple of his body after it was destroyed ratione suppositi yet ratione principii it is most true God raised him up and therefore the Apostle saith else-where that he was g John 2.19 raised by the right hand of God that is divine power but because this divine power was his owne and essentiall to him as God he may be truly said also to have raised himselfe Hath highly exalted Above the grave in his resurrection above the earth in his ascension above the heaven in his session at the right hand of his Father In the words highly exalted there is no tautologie but an emphasis which is all one as if he had said Super omnem altitudinem exaltavit super omnem potestatem evexit he exalted him above all highnesse he gave him a power above all powers and a name above all names Him It is desputed among Divines whether this him hath reference to Christ considered as God or man that is to say whether he was exalted according to his humane nature only or according to the divine also Some later Expositors of good note and by name Mr. Perkins on the Creed resolve that Christ
was exalted according to both natures according to his humane by laying down all infirmities of mans nature and assuming to himself all qualities of glory according to his divine by the manifestation of the Godhead in the manhood which before seemed to lie hid But this seemeth not to be so proper an interpretation neither can it be well conceived how that which is highest can be said to be exalted but Christ according to his divine nature is and alwaies was together with the Holy Ghost most high in the glory of God the Father It is true which they affirme that the Deity more manifestly appeared in our Saviour after his resurrection than before the rayes of divine Majesty were more conspicuous in him than before but this commeth not home to the point For this manifestation of the Deity in the humane nature was no exaltation of the divine nature but of the humane As when the beames of the Sunne fall upon glasse the glasse is illustrated thereby not the beame so the manifestation of the Deity in the humane nature of Christ was the glory and exaltation of the manhood not of the Godhead I conclude this point therefore according to the mind of the ancient and most of the later Interpreters that God exalted Christ according to that nature which before was abased even unto the death of the Crosse and that was apparently his humane For according to his divine as he could not be humbled by any so neither be exalted as he could not die so neither be raised from death Having thus parced the words it remaineth that we make construction of the whole which confirmeth to us a principall article of our faith and giveth us thus much to understand concerning the present estate of our Lord and Saviour That because being in the forme of God clothed with majesty and honour adored by Cherubins Seraphins Archangels and Angels he dis-robed himselfe of his glorious attire and put upon him the habit and forme of a servant and in it to satisfie for the sins of the whole world endured all indignities disgraces vexations derisions tortures and torments and for the close of all death it selfe yea that cruell infamous and accursed death of the Crosse therefore God even his Father to whom he thus far obeyed and most humbly submitted himselfe hath accordingly exalted him raising him from the dead carrying him up in triumph into heaven setting him in a throne of Jasper at his right hand investing him with robes of majesty and glory conferring upon him all power and authority and giving him a name above all names and a stile above all earthly stiles King of Kings and Lord of Lords giving charge to all creatures of what rank or degree soever in heaven earth or under the earth to honour him as their King and God in such sort that they never speake or thinke of him without bowing the knee and doing him the greatest reverence and religious respect that is possibly to be expressed In this high mysterie of our faith five specialties are remarkable 1 The cause Wherefore 2 The person advancing God 3 The advancement it selfe exalted 4 The manner highly 5 The person advanced him Begin we with the cause Wherefore That which was elsewhere spoken by our Saviour h Luk. 14.11 He that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted is here spoken of our Saviour hee humbled himselfe to suffer a most accursed death therefore God highly exalted him to a most blessed and glorious life We are too well conceited of our selves gather too much from Gods love and gracious promises to us if we expect that he should bring us by a nearer way and shorter cut to celestiall glory than he did his onely begotten Son who came not easily by his crowne but bought it dearly with a price not which he gave but rather for which hee was given himselfe His conquest over death and hell and the spoyles taken from them were not Salmacida spolia sine sanguine sudore spoyles got without sweat or blood-shed for he sweat and he bled nay he sweat blood in his striving and struggling for them Wherefore if God humble us by any grievous visitation if by sicknesse poverty disgrace or captivity wee are brought low in the world let us not bee too much dejected therewith we are not fallen nor can fall so low as our Saviour descended of himselfe immediately before his glorious exaltation The lower a former wave carrieth downe the ship the higher the later beareth it up the farther backe the arrow is drawn the farther forward it flyeth Our affections as our actions are altogether preposterous and wrong in the height of prosperity we are usually without feare in the depth of misery without hope Whereas if we weighed all things in an equall ballance and guided our judgement not by sight but by faith not by present probabilities but by antecedent certainties we should find no place more dangerous to build our confidence upon than the ridge of prosperity no ground surer to cast the anchor of our hope upon than the bottome of misery How suddenly was Herod who heard himself called a god and not a man deprived of his kingdome life by worms and no men whereas David who reputed himselfe a worm and no man was made a King over men Moses was taken from feeding sheepe to feed the people of God but on the contrary Nebuchadnezzar from feeding innumerable flockes of people shall I say to feed sheepe nay to be fed as a sheepe and graze among the beasts of the field O what a sudden change was here made in the state of this mighty Monarch How was hee that gloried in his building of great Babel brought to Babel that is confusion he that before dropp'd with sweet ointment feasted all his senses with the pleasures of a King hath the dew of heaven for his oyntment the flowry earth for his carpets the weeds for his sallets the lowing of beasts for his musick and the skie for his star-chamber How great a fall also had the pride of Antiochus who riding furiously in his chariot against Jerusalem was thrown out of it on the ground and with the fall so bruised his members that his flesh rotted and bred wormes in great abundance i 2 Mac. 9.8 9. Hee that a little before thought that hee might command the waves of the sea so proud was he beyond the condition of man and weigh the high mountaines in a ballance was now cast on the ground and carryed in an horse-litter declaring unto all the manifest power of God So that the wormes came out of the bowels of this wicked man in great abundance and while hee was yet alive his flesh fell off with paine and torments and all his army was grieved with the stench The k Xen. Cyr. paed l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. King of Armenia who had beene formerly tributary to Cyrus understanding that that puissant Prince was engaged
the more humble the more grace because they more desire it and are more capable thereof For the more empty the vessel is the more liquor it receiveth in like maner the more empty wee are in our owne conceits the more heavenly grace God z Mat. 11.25 infuseth into us To him therefore let our soules continually gaspe as a thirsty land let us pray to him for humility that wee may have grace and more grace that wee may be continually more humble Lord who hast taught us that because thy Son our Saviour being in the forme of God humbled himselfe and in his humility became obedient and in his obedience suffered death even the most ignominious painfull and accursed death of the crosse thou hast exalted him highly above the grave in his resurrection the earth in his ascension above the starres of heaven in his session establish our faith in his estate both of humiliation and exaltation and grant that his humility may be our instruction his obedience our rule his passion our satisfaction his resurrection our justification his ascension our improvement of sanctification and his session at thy right hand our glorification Amen Deo Patri Filio Sp. S. sit laus c. LOWLINES EXALTED OR Gloria Crocodilus THE LIII SERMON PHIL. 2.9 Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him Right Honourable c. WEe are come to keep holy the solemnest feast the Church ever appointed to recount thankfully the greatest benefit mankinde ever received to celebrate joyfully the happiest day time ever brought forth and if the rising of the sun upon the earth make a naturall day in the Calendar of the world shall not much more the rising of the Sun of righteousnesse out of the grave with his glorious beams describe a festivall day in the Calendar of the Church If the rest of God from the works of creation was a just cause of sanctifying a perpetuall Sabbath to the memory thereof may not the rest of our Lord from the works of redemption more painefull to him more beneficiall to us challenge the like prerogative of a day to be hallowed and consecrated unto it shall we not keep it as a Sabbath on earth which hath procured for us an everlasting Sabbath in heaven The holy Apostles and their Successors who followed the true light of the world so near that they could not misse their way thought it so meet and requisite that upon this ground they changed the seventh day from the creation appointed by God himselfe for a a Ignat. epist ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanas Homil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. de verb. Apost ser 25. Domini resuscitatio consecravit nobis diem Dominicum Vide Homil. Eccl. Of the time of prayer Hooker Eccles polit l. 5. sect 70. p. 196. The morall Law requiring a sevent part throughout the age of the world to be that way employed though with us the day be charged in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because in a reference to the benefit of creation and now much more of renovation thereunto added by him which was the Prince of the world to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seven a duty which Gods immutable decree doth exact for ever Sabbath and fixed the Christian Sabbath upon the first day of the weeke to eternize the memory of our Lords resurrection This day is the first borne of the Church feasts the Prototypon and samplar Lords day if I may so speak from whence all the other throughout the yeere were drawne as patternes this is as the Sunne it selfe they are as the Parelii the Philosophers speake of images and representations of that glorious light in bright clouds like so many glasses set about the body thereof With what solemnity then the highest Christian feast is to be celebrated with what religion the christian Sabbath of sabbaths is to be kept with what affection the accomplishment of our redemption the glorification of our bodies the consummation of our happinesse the triumph of our Lord over death and hell and ours in him and for him is to be recounted with what preparation holy reverence the Sacrament of our Lords body and bloud which seales unto us these inestimable benefits is to be received with that solemnity that religion that affection that preparation that elevation of our minds we are to offer this morning sacrifice Wherefore I must intreat you to endeavour to raise your thoughts and affections above their ordinary levell that they fall not short of this high day which as it representeth the raising and exaltation of the worlds Redeemer so it selfe is raised and exalted above all other Christian feasts Were our devotion key cold and quite dead yet mee thinkes that the raising of our Lord from the dead should revive it and put new life and heat into it as it drew the bodies of many Saints out of the graves to accompany our Lord into the holy City After the Sun had bin in the eclipse for three houres when the fountaine of light began againe to be opened and the beames like streames run as before how lightsome on the sudden was the world how beautifull being as it were new gilt with those precious raies how joyfull and cheerfull were the countenances of all men The Sunne of righteousnesse had been in a totall eclipse not for three houres but three whole dayes and nights and then there was nothing but darknesse of sorâ—ow over the face of the whole Church but now hee appeares in greater glory than ever before now he shineth in his full strength What joy must this needs be to all that before sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death In the deadest time of the yeere we celebrated joyfully the birth of our Lord out of the wombe of the Virgin and shall we not this Spring as much rejoyce at his second birth and springing out of the wombe of the earth Then he was borne in humility and swadled in clouts now he is borne in majesty and clothed with robes of glory then he was borne to obey now to rule then to dye now to live for ever then to be nailed on the crosse at the right hand of a theefe now to be settled on a throne at the right hand of his Father As Cookes serve in sweet meats with sowre sawces Musicians in their songs insert discords to give rellish as it were to their concords and b Cic. de orat l. 3. Habeat summa illa laus umbram recessum ut id quod illuminatum est magis extare atque eminere videatur Rhetoricians set off their figures by solaecismes or plaine sentences in like manner the Apostle to extoll our Saviours exaltation the higher depresseth his humiliation the lower he expresseth his passion in the darkest colours to make the glory of his resurrection appear the brighter
hee for whom you suffer seeth what you suffer and that hee is your witnesse who will bee your rewarder and crowner even God himselfe And so I fall upon the next circumstance the person exalting Wherefore God highly exalted him Hee humbled himselfe but God exalted him The fruit which wee are to gather from this branch of my text is like to the former yet there is a difference betweene them the former qualified and pacified the minde from murmuring and discontent at our present estate and calling how low and mean soever it were this keepeth it from aspiring thoughts t Mat. 23.12 and unwarrantable projects and attempts for the raising of our fortunes * Luk. 14.11 and advancing our estate Before the burden of our song was He that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted but now it is He that exalteth himselfe shall be brought low The latter is as true as the former both were uttered with one breath by our Saviour As not hee that commendeth himselfe is to bee commended so neither is hee that exalteth himselfe to bee approved but hee whom God exalteth If any might ever have magnified and exalted himselfe certainly our Lord and Saviour might best who both spake as never man spake and did as never man did and suffered what never man did or could suffer yet hee himselfe professeth u Joh. 8.14 If I honour my selfe mine honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth mee Hee honoureth and exalteth himselfe who either vainegloriously setteth forth his owne wares blazoneth his owne armes and is the trumpet of his owne praises or hee who ambitiously desireth such dignities and preferments whereof hee is unworthy or useth indirect meanes to compasse those places whereof he might otherwise bee worthy and capable This vitious affection is discried in * Joh. 3.9 Diotrephes noted in the x Luk. 20.46 Pharisees sharply censured in the y Mat. 20.26 Disciples severely punished in Adoniah Seba Absalom and Haman Jacob saw in his vision Angels ascending upon a ladder to heaven what need Angels goe by steps to heaven who being spirits as the Schooles teach can mount thither and backe againe in an instant might it not bee to teach us that Magistrates and Ministers who are both in Scripture stiled Angels are not suddenly to leape or hastily to climbe up to places of preferment but ascend by degrees when God setteth a ladder for them Thistle-down and feathers and vapours and other light and imperfect mist bodies raise themselves from the earth but pretious metall and all perfect mist bodies move not upwards but perforce Trajan if wee may beleeve z Panegeric Trajan Nihil magis à te subjecti animo factum est quà m quod coepisti imperare Pliny was in nothing more over-ruled by Nerva than in taking the rule of the Empire into his hand What violence was used to Saint Austine and Ambrose at their investiture the one wept the other hid himselfe for a while both hung off and drew backe with all their strength How doth Saint * Ep. 7. 26. Durum valdè fuit c. Usque ad terram me superposito onere depressistis Gregory complaine of them that chose him Bishop of Rome What have yee done my friends ye have laid such a burden upon me that presseth me down to the earth in such sort that I cannot lift up my minde to the contemplation of the things that are above Publike charges and eminent places besides the great troubles they bring with them expose them that hold them to great perils and dangers Graviore lapsu Decidunt turres feriuntque summos Fulmina montes The high hills are strucke with thunderbolts the tops of trees blasted with lightnings the pinacles of Temples and fanes of turrets and weathercockes of steeples are frequently blowne downe with the winde and all the storme and violence of weather beateth upon the roofes and tops of houses Qui jacet in terrâ non habet unde cadat The opposition betweene the members of these two verses is very observable Hee humbled himselfe so low therefore God exalted him so high When man humbleth himselfe God exalteth but when man exalteth himselfe God humbleth how much better is it to humble our selves and be exalted by God than to exalt our selves and to be humbled by him As none can raise so high so none can pull downe so low as hee Lucifer who would have exalted himselfe above the starres of heaven was throwne downe below the wormes of the earth contrariwise our Saviour who humbled himselfe beneath the earth even to the gates of hell was raised by God above the highest heavens 1 Pet. 1.5 6. My exhortation therefore unto you is the same with that of the Apostle S. Peter Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time submit your selves one to another decke your selves inwardly with lowlinesse of minde There is no vertue drawn by the pensill of God in more lively colours Psal 113.6 7. Esay 57.15 Mat. 11.25 Jam. 4.6 10. Psal 113.8 Mat. 5.3 with brighter beames of his favour shining upon them than it for hee that dwelleth in the highest heavens hath respect to the lowest and lowliest hee visiteth them and dwelleth with them hee familiarly converseth with them and revealeth unto them his secrets hee bestoweth on them the treasures of his grace hee raiseth them and advanceth them to a kingdome on earth yea to a kingdome in heaven To which kingdome the Lord exalt us for the merit of Christ Jesus who humbled himselfe and became obedient to death even the death of the crosse wherefore God hath highly exalted him and hath given him a name above all names that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confesse that Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the Father To whom c. A SUMMONS TO REPENTANCE THE LIV. SERMON EZEK 18.23 Have I any desire at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord God Right Honourable c. WEE read in our Calendars of some things that come in at one season and goe out at another but sinne is not of that nature it is alwayes comming in but never goeth out till our exit out of this world Therefore nothing is more necessary at any time or more seasonable at all times than the doctrine of repentance wee cannot heare too often of it because a Psal 19.12 none knoweth how oft hee offendeth Such is the weaknesse of our nature and the slipperinesse of our way in b Apoc. 15.2 this sea of glasse whereupon wee walke that wee slip and fall daily and are often maimed and wounded by our falls and unlesse by grace the use of our limbes bee restored unto us and wee raised up by repentance wee lye as a prey for the Devill c 1 Pet. 5.8 who runneth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour Let it then not seem
sonne when it is ripe which he permitted to grow in the father without applying any such remedy outwardly unto it yet this is most certaine that he never visiteth the sinne of the father upon the children if the children tread not in the wicked steps of their father Thus much the words that follow in the second Commandement imply unto the n Exod. 20.5 third and fourth generation of them that hate mee He often sheweth mercy to the sonne for the fathers sake but never executeth justice upon any but for their owne sinnes The sinne of the sonne growes the more unpardonable because he would not take example by his father but abused the long-suffering of God which should have called him to repentance The Latine Proverb Aemilius fecit plectitur Rutilius Aemilius committeth the trespasse and Rutilius was merced for it hath no place in Gods proceedings neither is there any ground of the Poets commination o Hor. l. 3. od 6. lib. 1. od 28. Negligis immeritis nocituram postmodo te natis fraudem committer◠fo rs debita jura vicesque superbae te maneant ipsum Delicta majorum immeritus lues Romane For God is so far from inflicting punishment upon one for the sins of another that he inflicteth no punishment upon any for his own sinne or sins be they never so many and grievous if he turne from his wicked wayes and cry for mercy in time for God desireth not the death of a sinner but of sinne he would not that we should dye in our sinnes but our sinnes in us If we spare not our sinnes but slay them with the sword of the Spirit God will spare us This is the effect of the Prophets answer the summe of this chapter and the contents of this verse in which more particularly we are to observe 1. The person I. 2. The action or affection desire 3. The object death 4. The subject the wicked 1. The person soveraigne God 2. The action or affection amiable delight 3. The object dreadfull deprivation of life 4. The subject guilty the wicked The words are uttered by a figurative interrogation in which there is more evidence and efficacy more life and convincing force For it is as if he had said Know ye not that I have no such desire or thinke ye that I have any desire or dare it enter into your thoughts that I take any pleasure at all in the death of a sinner When the interrogation is figurative the rule is that if the question be affirmative the answer to it must be negative but if the question be negative the answer must be affirmative For example Who is like unto the Lord the meaning is none is like unto the Lord. Whom have I in heaven but thee that is I have none in heaven but thee On the other side when the question is negative the answer must be affirmative as Are not the Angels ministring spirits that is the Angels are ministring spirits and Shall the Son of man find faith that is the Son of man shall not find faith Here then apply the rule and shape a negative answer to the first member being affirmative thus I have no desire that a sinner should dye and an affirmative answer to the negative member thus I have a desire that the wicked should returne and live and ye have the true meaning and naturall exposition of this verse Have I any desire that the wicked should dye 1. God is not said properly to have any thing 2. if he may be said to have any thing yet not desires 3. if he may be said to have a desire of any thing yet not of death 4. if he desire the death of any yet not of the wicked in his sinne Have I As the habits of the body are not the body so neither the habits of the soule are the soule it selfe Now whatsoever is in God is God for he is a simple act and his qualities or attributes are not re ipsâ distinct from his essence and therefore he cannot be said properly to have any thing but to be all things Any desire Desires as Plato defineth them are vela animi the sailes of the mind which move it no other wayes than the saile doth a ship Desire of honour is the saile which moveth the ambitious of pleasure is the saile which moveth the voluptuous of gaine is the saile which moveth the covetous Others define them spurres of the soule to prick us on forwards to such things as are most agreeable to our naturall inclination and deliberate purposes Hence it appeares that properly there can be no desires in God because desire is of something we want but God wanteth nothing Desires are meanes to stirre us up but God is immoveable as he is immutable If then he be said to desire any thing the speech is borrowed and to be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in such sort as may agree with the nature of God and it importeth no more than God liketh or approveth such things That the wicked should dye A sinner may be said to dye two manner of wayes either as a sinner or as a man as a sinner he dyeth when his sinne dyeth in him and he liveth as a man he dyeth either when his body is severed from his soule which is the first death or when both body and soule are for ever severed from God which is the second death God desireth the death of a sinner in the first sense but no way in the latter he desireth that sinne should dye in us but neither that we should dye the first death in sin nor dye the second death for sinne He is the author of life p Job 7.20 preserver of mankind He is the q 1 Tim. 4.10 Saviour of all especially them that beleeve Hee would not that any should r 2 Pet. 3.9 perish but all should come to repentance If he should desire the death of a sinner as he should gain-say his owne word so he should desire against his owne nature For beeing is the nature of God Sum qui sum I am that I am but death is the not beeing of the creature No more than light can be the cause of darknesse can God who is life be the cause of death If he should desire the death of a sinner he should destroy his principall attributes of wisedome goodnesse and mercy Of wisdome for what wisedome can it be to marre his chiefest worke Of goodnesse for how can it stand with goodnesse to desire that which is in it selfe evill Of mercy for how can it stand with mercy to desire or take pleasure in the misery of his creature Doth he desire the death of man who gave man warning of it at the first and meanes to escape it if he would and after that by his voluntary transgression he was liable to the censure of death provided him a Redeemer to ransome him from death calleth all men by the Gospel to
the Prophet should have made an end of his exhortation This Sermon the Prophet Ezechiel now maketh unto us all here present f Ezek. 33.11 18.30.31 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he turne from his wayes and live turne ye turne ye from your evill wayes for why will yee die Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not bee your destruction Cast away all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye perish Shake off the shackles of your sinnes and quit the companie of the prisoners of death and gally-slaves of Satan put in sureties for your good behaviour hereafter turne to the Lord your God with all your heart and live yea live gloriously live happily live eternally which the Father of mercy grant for the merits of his Sonne through the grace of the Spirit To whom three persons and one God be ascribed all honour glorie praise and thankes now and for ever Amen THE DANGER OF RELAPSE THE LVI SERMON EZEK 18.24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall hee live All his righteousnesse that hee hath done shall not bee mentioned in his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sin that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye Right Honourable c. SAint Jerome maketh a profitable use of the a Gen. 28.12 And hee dreamed behold a ladder set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Angels ascending and descending upon the ladder which Jacob saw in a dreame reaching from the earth to heaven The ladder hee will have to bee the whole frame of a godly life set upwards towards heaven whereupon the children of God who continually aspire to their inheritance that is above arise from the ground of humility and climbe by divine vertues as it were so many rounds one above another till Christ take them by the hand of their faith and receive them into heaven They are stiled Angels in regard of their b Phil. 3.20 heavenly conversation these Jacob saw continually ascending and descending upon that ladder viz. ascending by the motions of the spirit but descending through the weight of the flesh rising by the strength of grace but falling through the infirmity of nature and hereby saith that learned Father c Hieron ep 11. Videbat scalam per quam ascendebant Angeli descendebant ut nec peccator desperet salutem nec justus de suâ virtute securus sit wee are lessoned not to despaire of grace because Jacob saw Angels ascending as they fell so they rose nor yet presume of their owne strength for hee saw Angels descending also as they rose so they fell Presumption and desperation are two dangerous maladies not more opposite one to the other than to the health of the soule presumption overpriseth Gods mercy and undervalueth our sinnes and on the contrarie desperation overpriseth our sinnes and undervalueth Gods mercy both are most injurious to God the one derogateth from his mercy the other from his justice both band against hearty and speedy repentance the one opposing it as needlesse the other as bootlesse presumption saith thou maist repent at leasure gather the buds of sinfull pleasures before they wither repentance is not yet seasonable desperation saith the root of faith is withered it is now too late to repent The learned dispute whether of these two be the more pernicious and dangerous the answer is easie presumption is the more epidemicall desperation the more mortall disease Presumption like the Adder stingeth more but desperation like the Basiliske stings more deadly many meet with Adders which are almost found in all parts of the world but few with Basiliskes Presumption is more dangerous extensivè for it carrieth more to hell but desperation intensivè for those whom it seizeth upon it carrieth more forcibly and altogether irrecoverably thither and finall desperation never bringeth men to presumption but presumption bringeth men often to finall desperation To meete with these most pernicious evils God hath given us both the Law and the Gospel the Law to keepe us under in feare that wee rise not proudly and presumptuously against him and the Gospel to raise us up in hope that the weight of our sinnes sinke us not in despaire the threats of the one serve to draw and asswage the tumour of pride the promises of the other to heale the sores of wounded consciences and the Scripture as Saint Basil rightly calleth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common Apothecaries shop or physicke schoole wherein are remedies for all the diseases of the soule In these verses as in two boxes there are soveraigne recipes against both the maladies above named against the former to wit desperation vers 23. against the later viz. presumption v. 24. And it is not unworthy your observation that as in the beginning of the Spring when Serpents breed and peepe d Adrianus Chamierus in ep dedicat Eccles Gal. Pastor Sicut ineunte vere cùm primùm è terrae cuniculis prodeunt serpentes ad nocendum parati fraxinum adversus venenatos eorum morsus praesens remedium laturam educit out of their holes the Ash puts forth which is a present remedie against their stings and teeth so the holy Ghost in Scripture for the most part delivereth an antidote in or hard by those texts from whence libertines and carnall men sucke the poyson of presumption The texts are these God hath raised up an horne of salvation for us that we beeing delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare f Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded grace did much more abound g Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus * Gal. 5.13 We are called to liberty Now see an antidote in the verses following Lest any man should suck poyson from these words in the first text Serve him without feare it is added in the next words in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Lest any man should abuse the second the Apostle within a verse putteth in a caveat What shall we say then shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound e Luk. 1.69 72 74. God forbid how shall wee that are dead to sin live any longer therein vers 1 2. Lest any should gather too farre upon that generall speech of the Apostle There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus h Luk. 1.75 there followes a restriction in the same verse who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Lest any should stumble at those words of the same Apostle Ye are called to libertie he reacheth them a
ordinary Priests and Chemarims who were a peculiar order differing from the rest by their blacke habit so the Romish Clergie is evidently divided into ordinary Priests and Monks and Jesuites whose coat is of the same colour with Baals Chemarims 6. As the Priests of Baal used vaine repetitions of the name of their God in their prayers crying O Baal heare us Baal heare us c. so doe Papists in their Jesus and Ladies Psalters much more often repeat the name of Jesus and our Lady and which I never read of the Baalites they put a kind of religion in the number For yee shall reade in the Churches as yee passe by many hundred nay thousand yeeres of pardons liberally offered to all that devoutly say over so many Pater nosters or Ave Maries before such an Altar or Picture 7. As the Priests of Baal used many strange gestures at their Altars mentioned ver 26. so doe these at theirs and some more ridiculous than those of the Baalites 8. As the Priests of Baal cut themselves with knives and launcers till the bloud gushed out in great abundance so these at their solemne processions whip themselves till they are all bloudy These things being so is it possible that there should be any that have given their names to Christ and partake with us in the mysteries of salvation and seed at our Lords board should yet bow the knee to the Romish Baal and so fall within the stroake of Elijahs reproofe How long halt yee between two opinions Should wee not much wrong our reformed Church to surmise there should be any of her members subject to the infirmity or rather deformity of the Israelites here taxed by the Prophet Had they no meanes this sixty yeeres to strengthen the sinewes of their faith and cure their halting Are there any that follow Baalim or to speake more properly insist in the steps of Balaam and for the wages of unrighteousnesse will as much as in them lyeth curse those whom God hath blessed Are there any that lispe in the language of Canaan and speake plaine in the language of Ashdod frame and maintaine such opinions and tenets as like the ancient Tragedian Buskin which served indifferently for either foot left as well as right so these as passable in Rome as Geneva If there be any such I need not apply to them this reprehension of my Prophet How long halt yee between two opinions The dumbe beast and used to the yoke hath long agoe reproved the madnesse of such Prophets But I would that this larum of Elijah still rung in the eare of some of our great Statists About this time Doctor Carier who came over Chaplaine with the Lord Wotton preached a scandalous Sermon in Paris at Luxenburg house and not long after reconciled himselfe to the Romish Church and miscarrying first in his religion after in his hope of great preferments by the Cardinall Perons meanes in great discontent ended his wretched dayes who in the height of their policy over-reach their Religion and keep it so in awe that it shall not quatch against any of their projects for the raising their fortunes or put them to any trouble danger or inconvenience For as the Heliotropium turneth alwayes to the Sunne so they their opinions and practice in matter of Religion to the prevalent faction in State As the cunning Artizan in Macrobius about the time of the civill warre between Anthony and Augustus Caesar had two Crowes and with great labour and industry he taught one of them to say Salve Antoni Imperator God save Emperour Anthony and the other Salve Auguste Imperator All haile my Liege Augustus and thereby howsoever the world went he had a bird for the Conquerour so these if the reformed Religion prevaile their birds note is Ave Christe spes unica but if Popery be like to get the upper hand they have a bird then that can sing Ave Maria. Strange it is â—hat in the cleare light of the Gospel wee should see so many Batts flying which a man cannot tell what to make of whether birds or mice They are Zoophytes plant-animals like the wonderfull sheep in Muscovie Epicens amphibia animalia creatures that sometimes live in the water and sometimes on the land monsters bred of unlawfull conjunctions which should not see light If the image of this vice be so horrid and odious in nature what shall wee judge of the vice it selfe in religion I am sure God can better away with any sort of sinners than these for these he threatneth to spew out of his mouth To close up all My Beloved as yee tender the salvation of body and soule take heed of this Laodicean temper in religion if ye ever looke to be saved by your religion yee must save and preserve it entire and unmixed Take heed how ye familiarly converse with the Priests and Chemarims of Baal lest they draw you away from the living God to dumb dead Idols By no meanes bee brought to bow the knee to Baal or give any shew or countenance to idolatrous worship for God is a jealous God and will not give any part of his glory to graven Images Now the Lord who of his infinite mercy hath vouchsafed unto us the liberty of the Gospel and free preaching of his Word give a speciall blessing to that portion which hath been delivered to us at this present plant hee the true Religion in our hearts and daily water it both by hearing and reading his Word and meditating thereupon that it may bring forth plentifull fruit of righteousnesse in us all strengthen he the sinewes of our faith that we never halt between two opinions enflame he our zeale that we be never cold or lukewarme in the truth but in our understanding being rightly enformed and fully resolved of the orthodoxe faith we may in the whole course of our life be conformed to it reformed by it zealous for it and constant in it to death and so receive the crowne of life through Jesus Christ Cui cum Patre Spiritu sancto c. Amen Ambodexters Ambosinisters Or One God one true Religion THE LIX SERMON 1 KIN. 18.21 If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Right Honourable c. NOt to suspect your memorie or wrong your patience by any needlesse repetition of what hath beene formerly observed out of the whole text joyntly or the parts severally considered the drift of the Prophet Elijah in this sprightly reproofe is to excite the King Nobles and Commons of Israel to resolution and zeale in the true and only worship of the true and only God and agreeably to this his maine scope and end hee bendeth all his strength and forces against those vices that bid battaile as it were to the former vertues These are two 1. Wavering unsettlednesse opposite to resolution 2. Timorous luke-warmnesse the sworne enemie to zeale To displace and utterly overthrow them and establish the contrarie
complexa gremio jam reliquà naturà abdicatos tum maximé ut mater operiens nomen prorogat tiâ—ulis c. Pliny calleth the earth our tender mother which receiveth us into her bosome when wee are excluded as it were out of the world and covereth our nakednesse and shame and guardeth us from beasts and fowles that they offer no indignity to our carkasses Now because it is to small purpose to bestow the dead in roomes under ground if they may not keep them Abraham wisely provided for this for hee laid downe a valuable consideration for the field where the cave was Were laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a summe of money As Abraham here bought a field out-right and thereby assured the possession thereof to his posterity so by his example the Synagogue under the Law and the Catholike Church under the Gospel especially in dayes of peace secured certaine places for the buriall of the dead either purchased for money or received by deed of gift and after they were possessed of them sequestred them from all other and appropiated them to this use onely by which sequestration and appropriation all such parcells of ground became holy in such sort that none might otherwise use or imploy them than for the buriall of the dead without sacriledge or profanation As the holy oyle ran from Aarons head to his body and the skirts of his garments so holinesse stayeth not in the Chancell as the head but descendeth to the whole body of the Church and the Church-yard as the skirt thereof Mistake mee not brethren I say not that one clod of earth is holier than another or any one place or day absolutely but relatively only For as it is superstition to attribute formall or inherent holinesse to times places parcells of ground fruits of the earth vessell or vestments so it is profanenesse to deny them some kind of relative sanctity which the holy Ghost attributeth unto them in Scripture where wee reade expresly of holy ground holy daies holy oyle and the like To cleare the point wee are to distinguish of holinesse yet more particularly which belongeth 1. To God the Father Sonne and Spirit by essence 2. To Angels and men by participation of the divine nature or grace 3. To the Word and Oracles of God by inspiration 4. To types figures sacraments rites and ceremonies by divine institution 5. To places lands and fruits of the earth as also sacred utensils by use and dedication as 1. Temples with their furniture consecrated to the service of God 2. Tithes and glebe lands to the maintenance of the Priests 3. Church-yards to the buriall of the dead Others come off shorter and dichotomize holy things which say they are 1. Sanctified because they are holy as God his name and attributes c. 2. Holy because they are sanctified 1. Either by God to man as the Word and Sacraments 2. Or by man to God as Priests Temples Altars Tables c. Of this last kind of holy things by dedication some are dedicated to him 1. Immediately as all things used in his service 2. Mediately as all such things without which his service cannot be conveniently done and here come in Church-yards without which some religious workes of charity cannot be done with such conveniency or decency as they ought The Church is as Gods house and the yard is as the court before his doore how then dare any defile it or alienate it or imploy it to any secular use for profit or pleasure To conclude all Church-yards by the Ancients are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dormitories or dortories wherein they lye that sleep in Jesus Now it is most uncivill to presse into or any way abuse the bed-chamber of the living and much more of the dead What are graves in this dormitory but sacred vestries wherein we lay up our old garments for a time and after take them out and resume them new dressed and trimmed and gloriously adorned and made shining and Å¿ Mar. 9.3 exceeding white as snow so as no Fuller on earth can white them These shining raiments God bestow upon us all at the last day for the merits of the death and buriall of our Lord and Saviour Cui c. THE FEAST OF PENTECOST A Sermon preached on Whitsunday THE LXIII SERMON ATCS 2.1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together with one accord in one place SAint a Hom. in die ascens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome comparing the works of redemption with the works of creation observeth that as the Father finished the former so the Sonne the later in six dayes especially in memorie whereof his dearest Spouse the Catholique Church hath appointed six solemnities to be kept by all Christians with greatest fervour of devotion and highest elevation of religious affections These are Christ his 1. Virgin birth 2. Illustrious Epiphanie 3. Ignominious death 4. His powerfull resurrection 5. His glorious ascension 6. His gracious sending downe of the holy Ghost The day of 1. His incarnation by which he entred into the world 2. His manifestation on which he entred upon his office of Mediatour 3. His passion on which he expiated our sinnes 4. His resuscitation by which he conquered death the grave 5. His triumphant returne into heaven on which hee tooke seizin and possession of that kingdome for us 6. His visible mission of the holy Ghost in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues on which he sealed all his former benefits to us and us to the day of redemption This last festivall in order of time was yet the first and chiefest in order of dignity For on Christs birth day hee was made partaker of our nature but on this wee were made partakers after a sort of his in the Epiphany one starre onely stood over the house where hee lay on this twelve fiery tongues like so many celestiall lights appeared in the roome where the Apostles were assembled on the day of his passion he rendred his humane spirit to God his father on this hee sent downe his divine spirit upon us on the resurrection his spirit quickened his naturall body on this it quickened his mysticall the Catholique Church on the ascension he tooke a pledge from us viz. our flesh and carried it into heaven on this hee sent us his pledge viz. his spirit in the likenesse of fiery tongues with the sound of a mighty rushing wind After which the Spouse as Gorrhan conceiveth panted saying b Cant. 4.16 Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices therof may flow out let my Beloved come into his garden eat his pleasant fruits The wind she gasped for what was it but the spirit and what are the fragrant spices shee wishes may flow but the graces of the holy Ghost which David calleth gifts for men in the eighteenth verse of the 68. Psalme the former part whereof may furnish the feast we
accounts and cleere them a holy tenth of the yeere to be offered to him the sacred Eve and Vigils to the great feast of our Chrisâ—â—an passover Your humbling your bodies by watching and fasting your souâ—es by weeping and mourning your rending your hearts with sighes the resolving your eyes into teares your continuall prostration before the throne of grace offering up prayers with strong cryes are at this time not only kind fruits of your devotion speciall exercises of your mortification necessary parts of contrition but also testimonies of obedience to the Law and duties of conformity to Christs sufferings and of preparation to our most publique and solemne Communions at Easter To pricke you on forward in this most necessarie dutie of pricking your hearts with godly sorrow for your sinnes I have made choyce of this verse wherein the Evangelist S. Luke relateth the effects of S. Peters Sermon in all his auditours 1. Inward impression they were pricked in heart 2. Outward expression men and brethren what shall we doe What Eupolis sometimes spake of Pericles that after his oration made to the people of Athens d Cic. de clar orat In animis auditorum aculeos reliquit he left certaine needles and stings in their mindes may be more truly affirmed of this Sermon of the Apostle which when the Jewes heard they were pricked at heart and not able to endure the paine cry out men and brethren what shall we doe The ancient painters to set forth the power of eloquence drew e Bodin l. 4. de rep c. 7. Majores Herculem Celticum senem effingebant ex cujus ore catenarum maxima vis ad aures infinitae multitudinis perveniret c. Hercules Celticus with an infinite number of chaines comming out of his mouth and reaching to the eares of great multitudes much after which manner S. Luke describeth S. Peter in my text with his words as it were so many golden chaines fastened first upon the eares and after upon the hearts of three thousand and drawing them up at once in the drag-net of the Gospell Now our blessed Saviour made good his promise to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt catch live men and this accesse of soules to the Church and happie successe in his ministeriall function seemeth to have beene fore-shewed to him by that great draught of fish taken after Christs resurrection the draught was an f John 21.11 hundred fiftie and three great fishes and for all there were so many yet saith the text the net was not broken The truth alwayes exceedeth the type for here were three thousand great and small taken and yet the net was not broken there was no schisme nor rupture thereby for all the converts were of one minde they were all affected with the same malady they feele the same paine at the heart and seeke for ease and help at the hands of the same Physitians Peter and the rest of the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shall we doe Now when they heard these things they were pricked Why what touched them so neere no doubt those words g Ver. 23 24. Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and fore-knowledge of God yee have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slaine whom God hath raised up having loosened the paines of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it This could not but touch the quickest veines in their heart that they should be the death of the Lord of life that they should slay their Messiah that they should destroy the Saviour of the world Of all sinnes murder cryeth the loudest in the eares of God and men of all murders the murder of an onely begotten sonne most enrageth a loving father and extimulateth him unto revenge in what wofull case then might they well suppose themselves to be who after S. Peter had opened their eyes saw that their hands 〈◊〉 beene deepe in the bloud of the Sonne of God Now their blasphemous words which they spake against him are sharp swords wounding deeply their soules the thornes wherewith they pricked his head and the nailes wherewith they pierced his hands and feet pricked and pierced their very heart They were pricked in heart That is they were pierced tho row with sorrow they tooke on most grievously Here lest wee mistake phrases of like sound though not of like sense we must distinguish of spiritus compunctionis and compunctio spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h Rom. 11.8 a spirit of compunction reproved in the unbeleeving Jewes and compunction of spirit or of the heart here noted by S. Luke the former phrase signifieth slumber stupiditie or obstinacie in sinne this latter hearty sorrow for it the former is a malady for the most part incurable the latter is the cure of all our spirituall maladies Now godly sorrow is termed compunction of the heart for three reasons as i Lorin in Act. c. 2. Dicitur dolor de peccato admisso quod est compunctio vel quia aperitur cordis apostema vel quia vulneratur cor amore Dei vel quia daemon dolore invidiâ sauciatur Lorinus conceiveth 1. Because thereby the corruption of the heart is discovered as an aposteme is opened by the pricke of a sharp instrument 2. Because thereby like the Spouse in the Canticles wee become sicke of love as the least pricke at the heart causeth a present fit of sicknesse 3. Because thereby the Divell is as it were wounded with indignation and envie When they heard these things they were pricked in heart when they were pricked in heart They said As the stroakes in musicke answer the notes that are prickt in the rules so the words of the mouth answer k Cic. 3. de Ora. Totum corpus hominis omnes ejus vultus omnesque voces ut nervi infidibus ita sonant à motu quoque animi sint pulsae to the motions and affections of the heart The Anatomists teach that the heart tongue hang upon one string And hence it is that as in a clocke or watch when the first wheele is moved the hammer striketh so when the heart is moved with any passion or perturbation the hammer beats upon the bell and the mouth soundeth as we heard from David l Psal 45.1 My heart is enditing a good matter and my tongue is the pen of a ready writer And from S. Paul m Rom. 10.10 With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the tongue confession is made unto salvation And from our Saviour n Luke 6.45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill things for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Many among us complaine that they are tongue-tied that when they are at their private devotions their words sticke
after the act of sinne is committed there is felt in all that have not seared consciences remorse sorrow feare and shame sorrow for the losse of Gods favour the jewels of his grace the comforts of the Spirit feare for the guilt of sinne and shame for the filthinesse and turpitude thereof Of these three consisteth compunction which y In verbo compunct Compunctio est humilitas mentis cum lachrymis veniens de recordatione peccati timore judicii S. Isidore defineth to be a dejection of the minde with teares caused by the remembrance of sinne and feare of judgement By z Ex Aquinate in supplement Humilitas mentis inter spem timorem annihilans peccatum nam ut vermis qui nascitur in ligno lignum exest ita dolor ex peccato peccatum ipsum absumit S. Gregorie thus A dejection of the mind full of anxietie betweene feare and hope annihilating or destroying sinne For as the worme which breedeth in the wood consumeth it so saith St Chrysostome the sorrow which ariseth from sinne consumeth and destroyeth it Pia proles hoc ipso quod devoret matrem An happie issue in this onely that it eateth out the heart of the parent Thus I have pricked you out to use the phrase of the Musitians a lesson of compunction which though it be a sad pavin to the outward man yet it is a merrie galliard to the inward The physicke which kindly worketh and maketh the patient heart-sicke for the present yet much comforteth him out of assured hope that the present pain will bring future ease help The smarting plaister is the most wholsome such is that I have spread by the amplification of my Text and now I am to lay it to by the application thereof If compunction of the heart be the true marke of a penitent let the eye of our soule look into our heart and see whether we can find it there If we find it we may take comfort in it if we find it not we may be sure we are no true converts There is no vertue in the physick if it paine us not no force in the plaister if it smart not the dis-located bone is not brought to his place if we felt no pain in the setting it As the colours and shapes which are burnt in glass cannot be obliterated unless the glass be broken all to pieces so neither can the ougly shapes of vices images of Sathan be razed out of the soule unlesse the heart be broken with true contrition Spices when they are bruised and pownded in a mortar yeeld a most fragrant smell O then let us bruise our hearts with true contrition Tertul. de poenitent Miserum est securi cauterio exuri pulvoris alicujus mordacitate cruciari attamen quae per insuaviem medentur emolumento curationis offensam sui excusant praesentem injuriam supervenientis utilitatis gratia commendat that our zealous meditations may be like fragrant spices in the nostrils of God If the Jewes were pricked in heart at the remembrance of Christs suffering if their hearts bled for once crucifying the Lord of life how much more ought ours for crucifying him daily O thinke upon this dearly beloved seriously both in the day and in the night and let it make your beds to swim with teares As often as ye sweare by the wounds of Christ ye teare them wider as often as ye belch out blasphemy against God ye spit upon your Saviours face as often as ye distemper your selves with strong wines ye give him vinegar to drink as often as ye grieve the holy spirit ye pricke his very heart as often as yee unworthily receive the sacrament ye tread his bloud under your feet Me thinks I hear you sobbing and sighing out the words of the Jewes in my Text If these things are so if those sins are so hainous and grievous which we have made so light of Men and brethren what shall we doe I answer you in the words of Saint Peter following Repent and be baptized every one of you not in the font of sweet water in the Church but in the salt water of your teares let your a Cypr. de laps Alto vulneri diligens longa medicina ne desit poenitentia crimine minor non sit sorrow be answerable to your sinfull pleasures and bring forth fruits meet for repentance The wound is deep thrust the tent to the bottome of it your sins have been many and grievous let your teares bee abundant and your sighes many Yee have had a long time of sinning give not over presently your exercises of mortification hold on your strict abstinence your devout prayers your frequent watchings your humble confessions and sad meditations the whole time which the Church hath prescribed you by your sorrow here prevent eternall b Tertul. de poenit Fletu fletum temporali afflictione aeterna supplicia expungite in quantum non peperceritis vobis in tantum vobis parcet Deus lamentations and woe by your remorse of conscience here prevent weeping and gnashing of teeth hereafter by your temporall affliction in this world prevent eternall malediction and endlesse torments of body and soule in hell the lesse you spare your selves in this kind God will spare you so much the more and so much the sooner and easier be reconciled unto you To whom c. CHRISTIAN BROTHER-HOOD A Sermon preached on the second Sunday in Lent THE LXVIII SERMON ACTS 2.37 And they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren MAny of the ancients write that S. Luke was an excellent limmer and drew the blessed Virgin to the life how true it is that he tooke the picture of the mother of God I know not for the first relaters were Apocryphall writers but sure I am in this text as a table hee setteth forth the children of God in their colours and describeth them by their proper marks which are three 1. In the eare 2. In the heart 3. In the hand 1. The eare-marke is carefull attention when they heard 2. The heart-marke is deepe compunction they were pricked in heart 3. The hand-marke is sollicitous action Men and brethren what shall we doe Wee have already viewed the eares of these converts and found them bored thorow for the perpetuall service of God and hung with the jewels of the Gospel next we searched into their hearts and found them pierced with sorrow for being some way accessarie at least by consent to the death of the Lord of life and now wee are to looke to their hands and see what they will doe or rather what they will not bee willing to doe to make their peace with God and wash away the guilt of spilling his Sonnes bloud Men and brethren what shall we doe Ye heare men and brethren in this close of the verse 1. A courteous compellation which savoureth of 1. Humanity Men. Now they hold
and the effects of it no sinne without sorrow What say you then to them that have their conscience q 1 Tim. 4.2 seared as with an hot iron they surely feele no paine What sense have they of the guilt of sinne of Gods wrath who are cast into a reprobate sense I would the case were as rare as the answer unto it is easie and expedite Admit a seared conscience feeleth no paine was not the searing of it thinke you a paine The heart that is like the anvile and now hardened for the purpose felt many a blow and endured many fearfull stroaks before it came to be so Although Mithridates in the end felt little hurt or pain by drinking poyson yet before he brought his body to that temper he never tooke any draught of poyson but it was both painfull and perillous to him A man must needs have many conflicts within him many terrours and unsufferable troubles of minde before he be utterly deprived of all sense by the frequencie and vehemencie of his torments and though those that are cast into a reprobate sense never after come to repentance yet God oftentimes restoreth them to their sense of sorrow and sight of the uglinesse of their sinne and horrour of their punishment that even in this life they might tast of eternall death As he did to Nero when in a fit of desperation he cryed out Have I no friend nor enemy to rid me out of my paine And Julian the Apostata who tare his bowels and flung them into the aire saying Vicisti Galilee Brutus r Plutar. in vit Brut. Iterum me Philippis videbis his malus genius the ghost that haunted him at Rome though for the present it left him yet it met with him againe at Philippi a little before his death So those terrours and consternations of minde which possessed the wicked before their consciences were seared though for many yeares they leave them yet a little before or at the time of their death they returne againe in more violent manner and so they passe from death to death from sorrow to sorrow nay I may say truly from hell to hell But why do I stand so long upon this sorrow which may be without repentance because repentance cannot be without it Compunction doth not alwaies end in godly sorrow but godly ever begins in it This compunction of pricking the heart deepe is like the digging the earth to set the seeds of faith and repentance and all the slippes of the flowers of Paradise or the needles making a hole in the cloth or stuffe the needle fils not up the bracke or rent but the threed or silke but onely it maketh entrance for them So the pricking the heart with the needle of ſ Calv. in Act. Hoc poenitentiae initium est imo ad pietatem ingressus tristitiam ex peccatis nostris concipere ac malorum nostrorum sensu vulnerari quādiù enim securi sunt homines fieri non potest ut seriò animum attendant ad doctrinam sed compunctioni accedere debet promptitudo ad parendum Compuncti fuerunt Cain Judas sed obstitit desperatio quo minùs se Deo subjicerent nam mens horrore occupata nihil aliud quam fugere Deum potest compunction maketh way for the graces of faith and true repentance which make up the rent and mend our lives Beloved if ye are pricked in heart for your sinnes I cannot say it is well with you but if ye have never beene pricked for them I must say it is very ill with you The Philosophers distinguish of a double heate 1 Inward and naturall which preserveth life 2 Outward or ambient which disposeth mist bodies to putrefaction by drawing the other heat t Mercenar l. de Putred cont Erast Putredo est eductio caloris naturalis à calore ambiente out of them In like manner there is a double sorrow for sinne 1 A sorrow arising from an inward cause the consideration of the goodnesse of God and the malignancie of sinne the equity of the law the iniquity of our transgressions and this is a seed of or degree unto repentance unto life 2 A sorrow for sinne arising from an outward cause the expectation of dreadfull punishments for sinne both in this life and the life to come both temporall and eternall and this if it be not asswaged with some hope disposeth a sinner to desperation as wee see in Cain Esau and Judas whose sorrowes were not any way medicinall but penall No meanes to prevent but rather to assure hellish torments being a kind of earnest of them Cain was pricked in heart for the murther of his brother Abel in such sort that hee filled the aire wheresoever he fled with this lamentable cry My u Gen. 4.13 punishment is greater than I can beare Esau would have redeemed his birthright with a large cup of * Heb. 12.17 teares which he sold for a small messe of pottage but his teares were spilt upon the ground not put into the Lords bottle Judas had sorrow enough if that would have helped him for to stifle his hearts griefe hee strangled himselfe and no doubt he long swelled with paine before he burst asunder x Act. 4.18 in the midst and his bowels gushed out Wherefore as the Apostle Saint Paul in another case exhorteth the Thessalonians so let mee exhort you to weepe for your sins but not y 1 Thes 4.13 as those that have no hope Sorrow for your sinfull joyes humble your selves for your pride fast for your luxurie watch for your drowsinesse howle and crie for your crying sinnes yet not as those that are without hope For if the Jewes here who spilt the blood of the Sonne of God were quickned by it how much more shall they that wash Christs wounds and their owne with their teares find in his bloud the balme of Gilead to cure their pricked hearts and wounded consciences But then as the Jewes here they must bee solicitous after the meanes They must enquire of the Apostles or their successours Quid faciemus What shall wee doe if not to undoe what wee have done yet to make some part of amends so much as wee can and which through Gods goodnesse shall so be taken of us that our sinnes shall not be imputed to us And they said What shall wee doe Saint Chrysostome well observeth that they aske not How shall we bee saved but What shall wee doe It is presumptuous folly to enquire of or hope for the end if wee neglect the meanes If a man might goe to heaven with a sigh many a Balaam would be found there for hee fetched a deepe sigh saying Let mee die the death of the righteous If crying The Temple of the Lord or saying Lord Lord almost at every word would without any more adoe make a man free of the heavenly Jerusalem all the Pharisees among the Jewes and hypocrites among Christians should bee denisons