Saint Austin groundeth that saying of his multi intra lupi extra oues many are within the Church that are indeed wolues though they be in sheepes clothing and many are without the Church that are indeed sheepe though they appeare in wolues clothing Hee meaneth it of Gods purpose which is to permit many Christians to turne Apostataes and to reclaime many Infidels and make them Christians you see that Iudas of an Apostle became a Traytor and Saint Paul of a Persecutor became an Apostle Here commeth in a strange enlargement of our Neighbourhood for it comprehendeth euen enemies also the same person whose malice maketh him carrie himselfe towards thee as an enemie must in regard of his possibilitie of comming to the state of grace be reputed by thee to be a neighbour Were not we enemies not only strangers when Christ came to seeke vs and holy men conuerted vs All enmitie must giue place where God sheweth mercie And if malice of an Infidell doe not exclude him from being thy neighbour much lesse doth a faithfull man cease to bee a neighbour vnto thee if happily hee grow to be malitious against thee for thou that persecutes Christ in him Thus you haue heard the first degree of Diuine neighbourhood The second is betweene Men and Angels for they are our neighbours they are inhabitants of Sion whether we are brought when we are made Christians Heb. 12. they are of the same nature with vs though not in regard of our bodies yet in regard of our soules and they partake of the same holy Spirit Heb 1. Psal 39. Psal 91. Matth. 18. yea they are ministring spirits for all their sakes that shall be heires of saluation they pitch their tents about vs they carrie vs in their hands Christ in the Gospel cals them our Angels all which are markes of neighbourhood Touching the Saints departed there can bee no question for though they are aduanced to greater perfection yet the condition of neighbourhood is not altered they can no more cease to be our neighbour then they can cease to bee members of Christ or children of God or liuing stones in the Temple whereof wee are a part There is a third degree of neighbour-hood Diuine and that is betweene vs and Christ the Fathers Greeke and Latine meditating vpon the parable of the Samaritane which is in the tenth of Luke acknowledge Christ to be our neighbour And verily whatsoeuer other sense may bee fastned vpon that parable 1. Ioh 1. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 1. it is certaine that our Sauiour Christ came so neere vs in his manhood that he may well goe for our neighbour hee pitcht his tents amongst vs he became Immanuel God with vs he became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh Yea there is no kind of relation requisite vnto neighbour-hood that is not found in Christ hee is the Lord of his Church the Husband the Father the Brother Ioh. 13. Eph 5. â—sar 8. Rom. 15. Ioh. 15. the Friend c. No doubt then but if any hee must needs bee our Neighbour And in him our neighbourhood is brought vnto her highest pitch for higher it cannot goe and not exceed the pitch of a Creature whereas it is onely the reasonable Creature that commeth vnder this name of Neighbour It may now bee questioned whether any bee excluded from our neighbourhood seeing wee haue taken vp all the Inhabitants both of heauen and earth whereto I answere that no reasonable Creatures may be excluded by vs but those onely that are either in Hell or of Hell In Hell as Diues and the rest that burne there Of Hell as the Prince of darknes that ruleth in the Ayre and his Angels not one of these are capable of diuine neighbour-hood Not those in Hell as Abraham telleth Diues there is a great gulfe betweene Luke 1â— no intercourse betweene them and the Saints And for the other though there bee two much neerenesse in place betweene them and men on earth yet there should bee no commerce because they are vnder a definitiue doome and so all hope of ueighbour-hood cut off betweene them and vs. There is a third sort of persons that are excluded from diuine though not from humane neigh-bourhood those whom the Scripture calleth sinners against the holy Ghost men that sinne vnto death as Saint Iohn speaketh But because these are hardly discerned except they turne plaine Apostata's wee must not bee hastie to put any in that ranke Our zealous Spirits in this age haue beene too forward in such separations it were much better for vs to acknowledge many that are not to be our spirituall Neighbours then to denie any that are And so haue I set you out the bounds of neighbour-hood both humane and diuine The second point that I obserued in the Person is the ground of the dutie the dutie is Loue and there is a ground of loue in the Person take the neighbourhood which way you will Looke first vpon the humane neighbour-hood the first degree of it is neighbour-hood in place the first motiue that drew men together was auxilium solatium that they might mutually helpe one another and each sweeten the trouble of anothers life hereupon arose the Prouerbe better is a Neighbour at hand then a Brother a farre off so that here we find a faire a ground of Loue. But in the degree of Consanguinitie wee finde that which is fairer for it hath in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naturall affection which moueth of it selfe when there is nothing else to moue it Yea many things that are apt to worke the contrary disposition cannot remoue this as you may obserue in Parents and Children and Kinsmen whose nature hath not degenerated they cannot choose but loue euen when there are many prouocations to hate Take one example for all Dauids compassion towards his rebellious sonne Absalon Yea extend wee consanguinitie as farre as the Scriptures haue taught vs to extend it wee shall finde ground for the like extent of our Loue. Strangers to our knowledge must not bee strangers to our loue because they beare in that bloud of Adam which is common to them with vs the Image of God which is the greatest thing that wee are to glory of as wee are men And seeing we all hold it of the same Lord our common reference vnto him doth require our mutuall respect no lesse then doth that common endowment which wee receiue from him I am sure by this time you doe not doubt but there is a faire ground of loue in humane neighbour-hood you shall finde yet fairer in that which is diuine follow it by the degrees The first degree I told you was that which is betweene men in the Church militant there is no part of our Catechisme that doth not teach vs a ground of loue in this neighbour-hood You cannot say your Creed but therein you professe the Communion of Saints and therein many grounds of loue
the houre of the Crosse was not yet come Put Houre and Crosse together and then this word will yeeld another note which is that though the time of the Crosse be bitter yet it is but short the story of the Gospell shewes that it was quickly past ouer within the space of a day was all the bitternesse thereof ouercome And as the Crosse of Christ so that of Christians is not lasting St. Paul calleth them momentany afflictions 2. Cor. 5. King Dauid telleth vs that heauinesse may endure for a night but ioy will come in the morning Psal 30. and that the rod of the wicked shall not rest vpon the lot of the righteous Psal 125. But enough of the Time wee shall insist longer vpon the Cup and therein behold the nature of the Crosse Here then are two words Calix and Iste a Cup and this Cup. Touching the Cup I will not trouble you with the diuers coniectures concerning the originall of this phrase I will deliuer that which is fairely grounded on the Scripture Esay 63.8 Reuel 19. Psal 75.8 Obserue then that Gods wrath is compared to a wine-presse and the effects of that wrath vnto the wine strained out in the Psalme it is called red wine elsewhere deadly wine wine that is able to make men drunke sicke mad not corporally but mentally it surchargeth their wits and bereaueth them of all heart that drinke it This wine of Gods wrath is meant by the Cup. But it noteth withall that as calamities come from God so hee apportions to euery man his part hee giueth him to drinke as much as hee thinketh fit Of this Cup you may reade in the 25. of Ieremy where the Prophet is willed to send it from Nation to Nation and the contents of each of their Cups or rather draughts out of the Cup are foretold by that Prophet and by others in whom wee read their seuerall desolations But wee haue not now to doe with the Cup in generall but with this Cup the Cup whereof Christ was to drinke which was indeede an extraordinary Cup you will confesse it if I doe but touch at the quantity and quality of the liquor Touching the Quantity the Fathers obserue two kindes of ingredients the Principall and the Accessory The Principall are Malum Culpae and Malum Poenae Sinne and Woe the Sinne of Adam a ranke roote from whence haue sprung many branches all full laden with euill fruit and that of diuers kindes of diuers growths These Sinnes with their plenty and variety take vp a great roome in the Cup. And what Sinne doth not fill Woe may for Woe is the inseparable companion of Sinne God is offended with it and if God be offended then must the Sinner looke to bee afflicted the affliction due vnto vs is in one word called Death death temporall death eternall the seuering of the soule from the body of both from God and if from God then no lesse from blisse than from grace To say nothing of the Harbingers of corporall death that set forward our mortality and the companions of spirituall death that aggrauate our misery All these ingredients being put into the Cup if yet any thing be wanting the Accessories added vnto these Principals will make full measure I will mention onely two the treason of Iudas and the vnnaturalnesse of the Iewes Of Iudas there is a passionate complaint in one of the Psalmes where he is typed out in Achitophel Had it beene anenemy that had done me this wrong I could haue borne it but it was thou mysamiliar friend with whom I did eate of whom I tooke counsell It is a miserable thing to be betrayed but most miserable to bee betrayed by a friend a Lord by his Seruant a Master by his Disciple Christ by an Apostle Put this then into the Cup. And besides this the vnnaturalnesse of the Iewes Rom. 14. they were Christs kindred according to the flesh and Christ did vouchsafe to be the Minister of the Circumcision he preached his Sermons to them and amongst them did he work his Miracles he termed all the world but dogs in comparison of them and to seeke them whom hee compareth to lost sheepe hee was contonted to come downe from Heauen And see how they reward his kindnesse nothing will satisfie them but his bloud and that spilt in the most painfull in the most shamefull fashion And as if that were not enough they make a blasphemous and desperate prayer that the guilt of it might cleaue to them and theirs certainly this addeth not a little to the Cuppe By this time I thinke we haue measured out a very large draught neither is it possible to conceiue a larger But as the draught is great in regard of the quantity so in regard of the qualitie it was very bitter we must then obserue that this wine of Gods wrath is eyther merum or dilutum sheere or allayed Others that in this world haue had their cups haue had them more or lesse allayed neuer was any mans Crosse without some comfort if he were afflicted in soule hee had some ease in bodie if his honour failed yet his wealth abode or if both failed yet he found some friend to pitie him at lest he had some refreshing of meat or sleepe some way or other was his torture mitigated neuer did any man in this world drinke of this red wine vnmixt but our Sauiour Christ comfort from without hee had none for all forsooke him and he had as little in himselfe his body was tortured from top to toe by the Iewes and his soule was exagitated by the fiends of Hell As for his Godhead though the Hypostaticall vnion was not dissolued yet was the comfortable influence thereof into the manhood suspended for a time By all this put together wee may conclude that it was Vinum merum there was no allay of that bitternesse that was put into the Cup though it were poured in in great abundance Adde hereunto that Christ was not ignorant nor insensible of this great and bitter Cup not to know what we are to doe not to haue sense to feele what we doe is such stupiditie as may not be moued with such a Cup but if the eye of the vnderstanding be cleere to behold it and the heart be tender to feele it then will it moue with a witnesse Now none euer matched our Sauiour Christ in sapientia charitate in a piercing iudgement and a feeling nature and therefore the deeper impression did the apprehension of this Cup make in him I haue a Baptisme saith he Luke 12. wherewith I must be baptized quomodo coarctor and how am I grieued vntill it be past But the Euangelists doe open his sense thereof more distinctly they shew how it affected his head vpon the foretaste he beganne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee amazed how it affected his heart he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to droope to faint how it affected all his soule 〈◊〉
we exceed a proportion stinted vnto vs in the vse of the Creatures so they disproportion the harmonie of our bodies that are guiltie of this abuse and God doth in the end separate vs from them because wee for them separated our selues from God And this death we call the giuing vp of the Ghost But after these parts are dissolued there should seize on eyther of them a penall condition On the body for the graue is not only Sheol but also Shacath it doth not onely couetously swallow but digest it also verè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therein death gnaweth vpon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this rotten mouldring house this earthly Tabernacle of ours The Reason of it is because sinne is inherent and this leprous house cannot be purged except it be dissolued dust it is and to dust it must returne againe This is the penall condition of our body And as corruption seazeth on our body so should torments on the soule there is a worme to bite it a fire to scorch it vtter darkenesse to distresse it finally fiends that execute Gods vengeance on it being exiled from the ioyes of Heauen whereunto it was created and adiudged to the paines of hell which it hath deserued This is the penall condition of the soule Of these two penall conditions consists the second death for sinne By that which you haue heard concerning death you may easily ghesse what is Resurrection it is nothing but a recouerie from death for this is an infallible principle What riseth that dyed Resurrection then is as manifold as Death to the double death the Scripture opposeth a double resurrection The first Resurrection is from death in sinne and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nyssen when Grace quickens the soule and the soule is transformed formed into the Image of God the Image of being and doing good which the Scripture cals the Life of God and the partakers thereof new men The second Resurrection is from death for sin whether it be the dissolution or the penall condition Whatsoeuer the Heathen thought it is plaine that after the dissolution there is an habitude in the soule towards the body and a naturall desire againe to inhabit it yea it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were trauaile with that appetite appetitus non est frustra Rom. 8. such a desire is an euidence of Gods purpose The soule shall againe bee re-vnited to the body But to bee free from the Dissolution is not the vttermost of mans desire he desires also to be free from the Penall condition Non est viuere sed valere vita better these parts neuer meete than not meete to their mutuall comfort and therefore the last branch of the Resurrection is the endlesse vnion of body and soule in beatitudine plenâ securâ in qua nihil concupiscet nihil metuet so throughly so vnchangeably blessed that they shall haue their hearts desire and bee free from all feare of euill I insist no longer hereon because this point must be resumed againe Let vs come on then and apply what hath beene said to the different subiects And here first wee must take for our guide a receiued rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur esse à subiectis suis Death and Resurrection must be limited differently according to their different subiects And the first subiect is Christ Death in sinne would not agree with Him it will not stand with the grace of his holy vnction much lesse of his personall vnion he was the Holy one of God Luke 1. yea the Holy of Holies Dan. 9. Adde hereunto that a sinner implies a contradiction to a Mediatour neyther can they both consist in one for such a high Priest it behoued vs to haue that was holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners Hebr. 7. therefore could he not dye that death As he could not dye the death in sinne no more could hee vndergoe all the death for sinne hee could not vndergoe either part of the penall condition Not that of the Graue his body saw no corruption and why though it had sinne imputed yet had it none inherent and it is only sinne inherent that subiects vs to that part of death And if his body were free from corruption much more was his soule from torment it left the body to take possession of Heauen purchased and Hell conquered vpon the Crosse therein his meritorious power after conflict brake the knot wherewith the dissolution of body and soule came fast clasped with the penall condition and this he proclaimed in his last speech Iohn 19. Consummatumest the passion is now at a full end There remaines then no part of death for Christ to suffer but onely the dissolution the separation of his soule and body and to that he yeelded himselfe as an Offerer that could not be inforced as a Sufferer When hee had triumphed ouer principalities and powers the fiends of Hell and shewed his murdering crucifiers by the supernaturall Earth-quake and Eclipse how hee could rescue himselfe from death he laid downe his life in testimony of his loue to vs and presented that sacrifice of a sweete smell to God which only was able to redeeme vs. This being the limitation of his death the limitation of his Resurrection must needes be answerable it must be restrained to the re-vnion of his body and soule 〈◊〉 Serm. 1. de Resurrect and it is no more in effect than Quod potestate diuisit potestate copulauit with what power he laid downe his life with the same he tooke it againe Though the soule were seuered from the body yet was the God-head from neither the hypostaticall vnion persisted still his body continued vitae sacrarium Ambros Rom. 1. he declared himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God by the Resurrection from the dead But farther to open the Resurrection of Christ These words seeme to be a bare assertion and indeed a bare assertion vttered by them that are witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were enough to warrant an Article of Faith But the words imply a manifold proofe and the proofe lyes in the word CHRIST Acts 10. For Christ signifieth Annointed annointed as the Scripture speakes with the Holy Ghost and with power This vnction is with grace and that eyther gratis data or gratum faciens of Edification or Adoption The grace of Edification designed Christ to a threefold office to be a Prophet a Priest and a King and euery one of these implies a proofe of his Resurrection His Prophesie for his Resurrection was a principall argument of that whether you looke vpon the types prefiguring or the words foretelling it he was to make both good or else his Prophesie were liable to exception As the Prophesie so the Priesthood inforceth the Resurrection How could it appeare that the obligation was cancelled the Law fulfilled God pacified sinne purged if hee had not risen from the dead
this word imports is That the sinnes which we entertaine for friends shall suddenly turne to be our foes they shall appeare as an Army furnished with the instruments of Death So we learne of St PETER Brethren I beseech you 1 Pet. 2 11. as strangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule We thinke that by them we sight against GOD but GOD is impenitrable the arrowes that we shoot rebound backe and wound our selues And no maruell for sinne is the sting of death and we cannot commit sinne but we receine that sting and when GOD shall come against vs as Iâ—HV against IEZEâ—EL and call who is on my side who Our owne sinnes 2 King 9. as her Eunuches shall stand out and at his command cast vs downe to be trampled vnder feet and to be made meat for Dogges to be insulted vpon by the Fiends of Hell and to be gnawne on by Death But where shall this martialling be Surely in our owne bosome in our owne conscience that shall then be a true and a cleare glasse representing our sinnes and representing them armed against vs. And this shall adde much to our miserie it shall not be then with vs as it is in this world here we behold our naturall face in a glasse Iames 1. and by and by goe away and forget what manner of person we were but this glasse shall still be before vs and our eye shall still be on it And why It is nothing but the worme that neuer dyeth we can no more be rid of it then we can be rid of our soule the Conscience is an essentiall power of the Soule and this worme by an irreuocable decree is made a perpetuall companion of a guiltie Conscience the wicked shall carrie it with them from the Iudgement-Seat and shall keepe it with them so long as they shall burne in the flames of Hell This is a powerfull Motiue and should worke in you that are guiltie a care to disarme so powerfull an Enemie to plucke out the sting before the wound be vncurable so many sinnes as remaine vnrepented of are as so many treacherous Souldiers howsoeuer they doe now speake friendly to you yet when they are least feared they will giue deadly strokes you shall feare them when you shall haue no remedy against them What I say to you I say vnto all nay GOD himselfe saith it in the close of this Psalme Heare this all ye that forget God Iewes and Gentiles whatsoeuer you be if you be adulterers drunkards vsurers blasphemers any way wicked liuers Consider this saith GOD least I suddenly take you away and there be none to helpe you for if we be guiltie of such sinnes and encourage our selues in them by base conceipts of GOD GOD will not faile to reproue vs and marshall such wickednesse before vs to conuict vs thereof and confound vs therewith God giue vs all timely repentance that we may preuent so fearefull a vengance Amen Πάντοτε δόξα Θηῶ. A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWES IN WELLS A WOMAN DOING PENANCE FOR INCEST GALATH. 6. VERSE 1. Brethren if a man be ouertaken in a fault you which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted WE are all compounded of the Old and New man and euerie one feeles the solicitations of both These solicitations exercise both our head and our heart our head to discerne betweene them our heart to make a good choyce vpon a right iudgement And that we make such a choyce it should appeare in our works they should argue the death of concupiscence and the life of grace in that we beare fruit not to the Flesh but to the Spirit Now the fruit of the Spirit is either pietie or charitie it testifieth that our selues are carefull to be good and being good we are not vnrespectiue of others Not of them that are good for it keeps vs from being ambitiously insolent not of them that are bad for it makes vs compassionately mercifull The exercise of this last branch of charitie the opening of our tender bowels towards such as offend is the Argument of these words which I haue now read vnto you Here we haue Offendors described and Compassion enioyned Offendors not of all sorts but such as ought to be the subiect of Compassion Offendors that are ouertaken in a fault we are enioyned to shew Compassion to these to restore them in the spirit of meekenesse And touching this Compassion we are moreouer taught First who must shew it and secondly what must moue them therunto They that must shew it are here called Brethren and spirituall each name importeth a reference they haue vnto the Offendor the first a reference of their persons they are their Allies and therefore may not shut their bowels against them the second of their guifts the better they are the more good they must doe such are the persons that must shew compassion And they must be moued thereunto out of an apprehension of the common danger danger is common to all Thou mayst likewise be tempted and no man must be vnobseruant hereof he must consider his owne selfe So haue you the contents of this Text which I meane now farther to enlarge as this spectacle doth occasion and shall be most behoofefull for vs all I begin first at the description that is here made of an Offendor where you shall see first his fault and then the cause thereof The fault is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fall a fall taken by stumbling The fall is not corporall but morall yet by a corporall you may vnderstand a morall fall for he that falleth in regard of the sight of his body commeth lower and withall ordinarily taketh a bruise euen so is it in a morall fall GOD by Creation made a man dominum socium If you looke to this visible world he made him dominum as it appeareth Genes 1. where Soueraigntie is giuen ouer the Beasts Birds Fishes and euerie other Creature made for the vse of man But if you looke to the inuisible world then was he to be Socius a confort with the Angels in the blessed state of Heauen Yea in this Microcosme the Fabricke of the nature of man which is as it were an Epitome of these two other worlds the better part had the guidance of and commanded ouer the worse the Soule ruled the Body But so soone as man sinned he came downe domintos became servus and these base creatures began to tyrannize ouer vs who were ordained their Lords hence goods meats drinkes and other corruptible things are become Idols and we fall downe and worship them and what will not a man doe transported by the vanity of this world As for the societie we had with Angels the blessed Angels of Heauen we haue lost that and are become the Serpents brood not onely Beasts but also Diuels Finally Earth hath gotten the vpper hand of Heauen the Body of the
that remedy which he hath prouided for vs. And what is that By Faith to lay hold vpon CHRIST who to keepe off the curse from vs Gal 3. was pleased himselfe to become a curse You that are the Penitents shall doe well to make your benefit of this day of grace and so tremble at the consideration of that which you haue deserued as to shelter your selfes vnder the comfortable wings of your blessed Sauiour before the stroake of GODS vengeance light vpon you For as the word cursed doth import the merit of a sinner so doth it also his Iudgement if he continue irrepentant If repentance preuent not GOD will reward euerie man according as he deserues Rom. â— anguish tribulation and wrath shall be vpon euerie one that doth ill which CHRIST setteth forth in a liuely embleme when he cursed the Fig. tree in the Gospel Remember also that GODS curse is an vnresistable curse you may learne that of BALAAM Num. 22. he assured BALAK that none can alter it when it is gone out of GODS mouth and be you sure it is as vnchangable as it is intollerable There is much cursing in the world there be many whose mouthes are full of cursing and bitternrsse Ps 10. Iob 2. Some are so impious as to curse GOD himselfe as IOES wife would haue had her husband haue done and as that wicked one did Leuit. 24. and others mentioned Reuel 16. Some are so monstrous as to curse though not GOD yet men Cap. 3. euen with the same tongue where-with they blesse GOD St IAMES wisheth them to consider how much woâ—se they are then senselesse Creatures because out of the same Fountaine there commeth not sweet water and bitter also But of these curses we must hold these two rules to be true the one is SOLOMONS a causelesse curse shall not come Prou. 26. yea GOD will blesse them whom the vniust doth curse The second rule is that they that delight in cursing shall haue enough of it Ps 10 9. He that cloatheth himselfe with cursing as with a garment at shall run like water into his flesh and like oyle into his benes he shall be thorowly drencht with it But we must not conceiue so when a man is curst of GOD for as his curse commeth not without a cause so it will vndoubtedly sort its effect And though our cursing of him sheweth but our vneffectuall malice yet his cursing of vs will make vs see his effectuall Iustice Finally for these two causes are maledictions added to the transgressions of the Law First that we might acknowledge that it belongeth to GODS Iustice to see sinne punished Secondly that when we feele any calamities we may know from whom they come and why Hauing shewed you what the curse is that belongeth to your sinne you must now see by whom it must be pronounced and at the 14 verse we find that it was to be pronounced by the Leuites And indeed the act being not Politike but Ecclesiasticall as you may gather out of that which I haue obserued before the person must be suitable But whereas the name of Leuite comprehends the Priest also we must vnderstand here the Priest and not the ordinarie Leuite For vnto the Priest belonged the office of blessing and cursing in the Name of the Lord it is not for euerie one to intermeddle with that worke It is true Ecclesiasticall that if the oppressed curse the oppressor in the bitternesse of his Soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him Math. â— But yet mens patience should be such as to blesse them of whom they are cursed and to doe good to them of whom they receiue hurt To curse GOD rather permits then commands them as he doth parents except they be led by the Spirit of Prophesie as NOAH and others for Prophets had this power by an extraordinarie vocation But the Priest onely hath it ordinarily by the power of his Orders as by the termes of blessing cursing planting building rooting vp destroying it is exprest in the Old Testament and it is expressed in the New by those of opening and shutting Heauen binding and loosing mens Soules remitting and retayning mens Sinnes in a word it is that which we call the Power of the Keyes So that the Minister doth no more then he hath good warrant for when he doth exercise this Iurisdiction and the people should feare it because he doth it in the Name of the Lord no lesse assured that GOD will confirme it then he is assured that GOD doth command him to doe it Although we doe not deny but our first intention should be to blesse Numb 6. and our power is giuen vs for edification and our desire is to be vnto you the sauor of life vnto life Yet when the peoples sinnes call for it importuning vs then we must come to the curse vse our weapons of destruction and be vnto the people the sauor of death vnto death For seeing we are not onely slow vnto obedience and need the spurres of GODS alluring blessings but also refractarie and inordinate we need the strong bridle of GODS curses to hold vs in when the World the Diuel and the Flesh carrie vs headlong vnto perdition Were it not so that men are headstrong to their own peril we shold not need to deliuer vnto them the terrors of the Law but onely the glad tydings of the Gospel but sinne sorceth vs to subordinate the curse to the blessing that by the terrors of the curse we may remoue from you the impediments of the blessing And happy shall you be if you make such a vse of it As the Priest is commanded to pronounce the curse so is he commanded to pronounce it with a lowd voyce he must not be afraid to vtter it and his voyce must be so lowd as that all Israel may heare the must not suffer any to be ignorant of it that which concernes all must be made knowne vnto all and the greater things are the more â—â—â—nestly they must be prest We cannot doe you greater wrong then conceale from you that which concernes you so neere and if we doe not worke powerfully into your Consciences the terror of this curse we should bring a curse vpon our selues Ser. 48.10 for cursed is he that doeth the worke of the Lord negligently But I hasten to the last point that will tell vs who is to approue this curse that is pronounced by the Priest and there we find that they are the people All the people shall say Amen Amen to the Curse If it were the blessing no doubt but all would say Amen but all must say Amen to the Curse also GOD will haue vs set our seale as well to his Iustice as to his Mercie and confesse that we subscribe to both We that is Prince Priest and People all must shew their loue vnto that which is good and detestation of that which is ill It is true
Causes of flight together and then learne from Saint Iohn Iohn 1.3 20. If our conscience doe accuse vs God is greater then our Conscience and knoweth all things And yet Saint Basil maketh such a liuely Description of the worke of Conscience in Iudgement that a man would thinke nothing could be added to the terrour thereof 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Conscience will so limme out our Liues and be such a Looking Glasse of all our deeds that by an vnspeakable power in a moment of time as we would thinke nothing can better represent our selues to our selues But for all that the Heart of a man is an intricate Labyrinth none knoweth it but God only as God himselfe teacheth in Ieremie 〈◊〉 17 1◠〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 4. As all things are naked before his eyes so will he then bring many things to light which are hid in darknesse When then both these terrours concurre whereof the one so much increaseth the other you will not wonder that the wicked vpon the apprehension thereof betake themselues to flight Flying is their shift but it is a vaine one for whether should they flie when euery creature which at the Creation was made a Souldier in Gods Hoast shall at the last Day become a Iaylour to arrest prisoners and present them at his Assizes What remayneth then but that they that cannot shrinke from the Iudgement â—isdome 17. sinke vnder it For wickednesse condemned by her owne witnesse is very timerous and being prest with Conscience alwayes forecasteth terrible things The man that was but questioned for wanting his Wedding Garment at the Marriage Matth. 2â— grew presently speechlesse Our Sauiour Luke 21. saith that their Iudgement shall come like a snare and indeed in the Psalme we reade that God shall raine vpon the wicked Psal 11. Snares Fire and Brimstone Storme and Tempest this is their partion to drinke Now we know that a Snare doth not only take but ouer-turne the wild beast that is taken therein But if the terrour of the Iudge doe not 〈◊〉 19.12 Vnder whom the mightiest Helpes doe stoope as it is in Iob nor the inextricable suddaines of his Iudgement yet the weight of sinne will crush and beare a Sinner to the ground Dauid in his owne person and conflicts with a guiltie Conscience out of which notwithstanding by Gods mercie he did finally rise yet confesseth that the sense of guilt is like a drowning Floud like a crushing Burden a Burden too Heauie for man to beare and if the righteous that Man after Gods owne Heart when he sell as a man were scarcely saued where shall the Vngodly 1. 〈◊〉 â— and the vnrighteous appeare You see then how true it is that The Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement Causâ cadent cadent persond themselues with their Cause shall fall to the ground they shall both sinke as low as the Chambers of death But Bonâ— concessum quod impijs negatum as Bede noteth though They shall not yet shall The Righteous stand And no maruell for they shall bee free both from the guilt of Conscience and the terrour of the Iudge And why Their hearts are purified by Faith yea purified from dead workes whatsoeuer is mortall is taken from them for Christ Iesus of God is made vnto them Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 〈…〉 the Law of Life which is in Iesus Christ freeth them from sinne and death so that Rom. 8. Matth. 24. there is no condemnation vnto them which are so in Christ And if there bee no Condemnation then may they Lift vp their heads with ioy when Christ commeth 1. Iohn 3. Luke 21 knowing that their Redemption draweth neere If their Conscience doe not accuse them they may haue boldnesse in the Day of Iudgement they shall stand before the Sonne of Man and his Throne shall be vnto them a Throne of Grace But more distinctly The Standing of the Righteous is opposed to the Flying from and Sinking vnder Iudgement if Adam did flie only because hee was Naked that which remedieth the Nakednesse stayeth the flight now Nakednesse stood in Sinne and Mortalitie both these are remedied in the Resurrection of the Iust The Sinne is all taken away by the Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and Sanctification of his Spirit The Mortalitie because as they are quickened by Grace in their Soules so their Bodies of Naturall become Spirituall 1. Cor. 15. and their Corruptible puts on Incorruption their Mortall Immortalitie so then there being no part of Nakednesse left there can remayne no cause of Flying And if not of Flying from then not of Sinking vnder Iudgement for that which is the Cause of Flying is the cause of Sinking also but the state of their Person doth deny al possibility of Sinking the Spiritin their Soule is the Pledge of their Inheritance in Heauen and their Bodies which they shall then receiue are not only Houses from Heauen 2. Cor. 5. but such as are fitted for Heauen both carrie vpward and not downward But marke more particularly 1. Thes 4.16 what the Scripture saith of the Resurrection of the iust The Dead in Christ shall Rise first Yea they onely shall Rise from death for the Resurrection of the wicked is not from but vnto Death from one Death vnto another And therefore in Saint Luke onely the Righteous are called Filij Resurrectionis Luke 20.36 because their Resurrection is vnto Life which is properly a Standing the wicked doe but Rise to take a greater fall they fall from a Temporall to an Eternall Death Secondly As the Righteous shall Rife first so being raysed 1. Thes 4.17 Rapientur in occursum They shall be taken vp into the ayre to meete Christ and so shall euer be with him So that except He fall they shall neuer fall they shall be remoued from the Earth which is the place of falling Thirdly they shall be placed at the right Hand of Christ to be taken vp vnto him is to be admitted to a Beatificall Vision Psal 16. for what is our happinesse but to see Him as He is For in his presence there is fulnesse of ioy and if we be placed at His right Hand there is pleasure for euer more secure Honour and endlesse Life if that support vs no feare of falling we shall certainely stand But to put it out of all doubt When we come to the right Hand Matth 9. we shall be set vpon Thrones and shall with Christ iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel 1. Cor. 6 yea the Angels also so farre shall we be from being wofully Passiue that wee shall bee gloriously Actiue in that Iudgement How we shall Iudge is a curious question I will not now vndertake to resolue it it sufficeth to my purpose that howsoeuer we shall Iudge as many as are honoured with that function may well be held Standers they shall neither Shrinke nor Sinke But we may not forget
the heauiest Iudgement of God and some thing left to mitigate the extremitie of their paine not so in the Life to come of that time we may vse those words of the 68. Psalme Let God arise and his Enemies be scattered Let them also that hate him flie before him like as smoke vanisheth so shall he driue them away as Waxe melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God In the Booke of Wisdome Chap. 5. this is amplified What hath Pride profited vs What good hath Riches with our vaunting brought vs All these things are passed away like a shaddow and as a Post that hasteth by he goes on resembling it to the way of a Ship of a Bird of an Arrow and concludes The Hope of the Vngodly is like Dust that is blowne away with the wind like a thinne froth that is driuen away with the storme like Smoake that is disperst with a Tempest the same we may reade Iob 18. As these wicked wayes perish Totally so doe they Finally also for destruction Nahum 1. â— as Nahum speaketh shall not arise the second time their perishing is eternall like that of the Deuill and his Angels who go into euer lasting fire And indeed these wayes are in this point opposed vnto the Righteous wayes Wisdome 3.4 Isal 139.24 for Righteousnesse as the Wiseman speaketh is full of immortalitie and the Psalmist calls it A way euerlasting each Bodie shall continue his state answerable to his Head as Christ so Christians as the Deuill so the wicked both shall bee lasting the one in Blisse the other in Paine But the word here vsed shall perish is worth the noting for Abad signifies Perdere and Perire and what is fitter for a destroying way then to be a way that shall be destroyed During this Life the wayes of the wicked are Viae Perdentes for they doe nothing but destroy either Gods good Creatures as the Epicure and Voluptuous or other men as the Couetous and the Oppressors yea their owne selues for they waste Gods Image in them and fight with their Lusts against their owne Soule they shew themselues to be the children of their Father which in the Reuelation is called Abaddon or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reuel 9.11 and what is fitter for him that is a Destroyer then to bee Destroyed and so to bee destroyed as they doe destroy not quoad Esse but quoad Bene esse Their Persons still continuing all their Comforts faile as they endeauoured to make all good Persons and things to be vncomfortable But as this Destruction is Opus Potentiae proceeds immediatly from Gods Power so is it guided per Sapientiam his wisdome hath a hand in it for as he doth blesse those whom he doth specially know so if hee destroy any it is because they are not within the compasse of his speciall knowledge And indeed so shall Christ say at the last Day Luke 13.23 Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I know you not How can God bee ignorant and yet Iudge It is not meant simply of knowledge but of that speciall knowledge whereof you heard before and if you will haue it more plainly conceiue it in these foure Degrees First God knowes not the wayes of the wicked In se He finds no such thing in Himselfe and yet is his Nature the Exemplar of all good things Secondly He knowes them not Aâ—se No such Effects euer proceeded from his Spirit and yet Euery good and perfect gift commeth from aboue Iames 1.17 from the Father of Lights Thirdly He doth not know them Secundum Se as an Image of himselfe as all his Creatures are not only the little World was made after his Image Psal 19. but also The Heauens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy worke and the Visible Creatures make knowne the Inuisible Creator Rom. 1 4. And lastly Hee doth not know them Secum Hee hath no such in his Retinue Psal 93.5 Holinesse beseemes his House for euer and they must bee sanctified that come neere him and be Holy as He is Holy and the wicked shall not stand in his sight Exod. 11 44. Well then When we behold the wicked on Earth prospering in their wicked wayes we see that euery one takes notice of them and euery bodie is readie to doe seruice to them and haply this may bleere our eyes and we may thinke better of their state then it deserues But as Christ when his Disciples shewed Him the goodly Fabricke of the Temple said vnto them Are these the things that you wonder at I tell you Luke 21. not a stone of these shall be left vpon a stone which shall not be destroyed So I tell you gaze not vpon such wayes dote not vpon them for God knoweth them but afarre off Psal 138. They are strangers vnto him and therefore tollentur impij ne videant Gloriam Dei they shall haue as little part in Gods Blessing as they haue in his speciall knowledge Lay both these works of prouidence together and then see the Truth of Maran-Atha in Saint Paul the Lord commeth 1. Cor. â—6 22. as Saint Iude translates it yea and Christ himselfe in Saint Iohn Reuel 22. Behold I come quickly and my Reward is with me to giue to euery man according to his workes What shall I then say to you but euen remember you of those words in the Prophet Ieremie chap. 6. Stand yee in the wayes and see and aske AN EXPOSITION Of the one and fiftieth PSALME THE TITLE To the chiefe Musician A Psalme of DAVID when NATHAN the Prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba I Haue ended the first PSALME wherein I opened vnto you the Couenant of God the Parts of it the Parties to it the Parts are a Vow and a Reward the Parties God and Man Man voweth his Seruice God promiseth a Reward an euerlasting Reward for a momentainie Seruice Behold a gracious an vndoubted Truth and yet doth it prognosticate little good to vs neither may we presume of any interest therein if wee trie our Case by our Liues For who is there amongst vs that tollerably performes his Vow And therefore which of vs can hopefully expect the Reward Surely all assurednesse of the latter is cleane taken away except we bee prouided of some remedie for our failing in the former Now God bee thanked there is one and you shall find it in this Psalme The Remedie is Repentance and this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Saint Irenie calleth it a Penitentiall Psalme Lib. 4. c. 45. There are seuen which we vulgarly call Deadly Sins we may call them also if not more fitly yet as truely Cardinall or Mother Sinnes for they are the nurseries of others For the recouerie out of these Sinnes Secund. Vsum Sarum the old Liturgies haue prescribed the vse of seuen speciall Psalmes they call them Penitentials amongst them this
is the chiefest and to be vsed Contra Luxuriam which is not the least of those seuen Deaths Heads When we looke vpon the Deluge of Sinne wee find that all the fountaines of the deepe the bottomlesse Pit are broken open and the streames thereof drowne many Soules in perdition yet amongst them there is none more vniuersall none more preualent then is this Sinne of Luxurie Desire you a proofe You shall haue a short but yet a pregnant one Men are turned into Women and Women into Men. Anatomize that Carrion well may you find more certainely you can find nothing worse therein There is nothing worse then this preposterous Vnreasonablenesse and vnreasonable Preposterousnesse Well what then is the Remedie Surely I know none better then that old one practised by the Church and therefore haue I chosen to recommend vnto the World this Penitentiall and shall be glad if any that is bewitch with that pleasing poyson may bee cured hereby This Psalme was occasioned by a wanton Man and Woman and therefore the better fitting to our Wantons of both Sexes and I doubt not but the most monstrous Changeling if hee meditate sadly hereon may bee brought to change againe but for and to the better I meane hee may resolue to turne from his Sinne and turne vnto God To worke this shal be my endeauour and to this end will I bend the Exposition of this Psalme Let vs come then to it There are two meanes of Instruction Rules and Examples a Rule is more apt to make a man wise but to make a man good there is much more power in an Example an Example is not onely a quicker but also a more quickning course Of Examples some are onely reported some are represented also the force of a Report is very great yet comes it far short of that which proceedes from a Representation for wee are much more affected with that which wee see then that which we heare this was the ground of instituting Tragedies and Commedies or to speake more to our purpose of those seuere Penitentiall Formes practised in the Primitiue Church Now the Doctrine of Repentance is in this Penitentiall deliuered not in a Rule but in an Example in an Example not reported but represented Ambrose therefore a Latine Father cals it Monumentum A liuing Portraiture of a Penitent Chrysosome a Greeke Father cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A speaking Image it doth so eye vs that it cannot but affect vs affect vs not Sensually as dead Pictures doe but Morally as a reflecting Example that transformes into it selfe all those that doe discreetly behold it Certainly if any this kind of Instruction will worke vs and worke Repentance into vs. Touching then this Vertue of Repentance wee may learne heare Whence it springs and What it is The Fountaine of it is opened in the Title but the Nature of it is vnfolded in the whole Body of the Psalme The Title doth set before vs a Person and his State the Person is Dauid for this is a Psalme of Dauid But the words must bee resolued into more then appeare for Dauidis is as much as a Dauide and de Dauide Dauid was the Author and Dauid is the Argument of it with his owne Pensil doth he draw this Picture of himselfe He represents Himselfe two wayes Cadentem Resurgentem in the State of a Sinner and the state of a Penitent In the state of a Sinner he confesseth that he went went into Bath sheba in the state of a Penitent in the other words Where you haue the Meanes by which he was brought to Repentance and the Successe of those Meanes The Meanes are Nathan the Prophet Nathan King Dauids subiect but as a Prophet he was the Embassador of God the King of Heauen had his Leidger with that King on Earth Neither doth the holy Ghost only mention the Meanes but giues vs also to vnderstand the needefulnesse and the powerfulnesse thereof the needefulnesse in the word Venit Nathan came to Dauid Dauid neuer sought to Nathan we are as carelesse to returne as wee are gracelesse to goe from God it is needefull therefore that God seeke vs that wee may seeke to him otherwise we will not nay we cannot The Meanes is no lesse powerfull then needfull that is intimated by After that that is after he had committed his Sinne. Sinne doth not only wound to death but disenable also to rise there from for the holy Spirit of Discipline will flie deceipt Wisd 1.5 will not abide when vnrighteousnesse commeth That which we cannot doe lying in the dregs of sinne God doth supplie by the Ministrie of his Word the Ministerie of his Word is the Meanes to worke Repentance Reade this truth in the Successe of those Meanes The Successe was King Dauids speedie and sollemne Conuersion speedie no sooner did Nathan reproue him but he gaue glorie vnto God he acknowledged his sinne and penned this Psalme Neither was his Conuersion only speedie but solemne also hee deliuered this Psalme to the chiefe Musician he would haue it published in the Church the Church to be a witnesse vnto his Conuersion I haue broken vp the Title and poynted out the Particulars to the fuller vnfolding whereof let vs now so listen that we may by Gods grace be led onward some steps in our owne Repentance The first thing that offers it selfe is the Person One Person is both Authour and Argument of this Psalme and when we consider the Argument we may wounder at the Author wounder that there should bee found a man so humble as to record his owne so notable defects But yet such Ingenuitie though neuer so distastfull to flesh and blood hath beene found in manie worthie Children of God especially in those that haue beene chosen to be Penmen of the Scripture they report as sincerely their owne faults as their vertues no lesse Gods Reproofe of them then his Fauours towards them such Ingenuity wee finde here in King Dauid But it was not only in King Dauid Moses went herein before him so did Samuel also Saint Mathew followeth them so did Saint Paule none of these spared themselues neither were they ashamed to record the errors of their life to record them I say which is much more then only to acknowledge them though the acknowledgement be publike They obserue not amisse who herehence gather That the Scriptures are diuine because the Penmen thereof are so vnpartiall such dealing is vnlikelie to come from flesh and blood whereupon it followeth well that they wrote as they were moued by the Holy Ghost 1. Pet. 1.22 Our lesson is the Humilitie of a Publican sauoureth much more of Gods Spirit then the Pride of a Pharisee and if wee desire either to resemble these worthies in our Persons or that our words should bee conformable to the Holy Canon wee must indite no lesse Penetentials then Panegyricks and make Remembrances of our Sinnes aswell as of our Vertues Certainelie
grant that we may so profit thereby that whensoeuer God giueth any signification of his accesse to vs we may bee affected with a religious feare toward him that so keeping this manner by the helpe of our Mediatour wee may giue him a blessed meeting Come we then to the first particular the circumstance of time It was the third day the third after their comming vnto mount Sinai but the fiftieth after their comming out of Aegypt Which you may gather if you adde hereunto the time specified in the first Verse of this Chapter there you read that they came to the Hill the first day of the third moneth Now the moneths of the Iewes being Lunarie and reckoned from one coniunction to another in vulgar computations are reckoned to consist of thirtie dayes one with another though in the exactnesse of Astronomie it bee somewhat otherwise this being knowne we must calculate thus The children of Israel came out of Aegypt the fourteenth Moone as they call it that is the fourteenth day of the Lunarie moneth so that of the first moneth they spent seuen teene dayes on their way for so many there are from foureteene to thirtie inclusiuely Adde hereunto the whole second moneth which consisteth of thirtie dayes and seuenteene and thirtie maketh fortie seuen whereunto if you adde the three dayes which they had beene now at the Mount your number will be iust fiftie So that the Law was deliuered the fiftieth day after the celebration of the Passeouer You may not thinke this note ouer-curious it is of speciall vse in comparing the new Testament with the old The truth did exactly answere vnto this Tipe and Whitsuntide keepeth the same distance from our Easter Christ the true Passeouer was offered for Vs to deliuer vs from the slauerie of sinne death and Hell at the season of the yeare wherein the Passeouer was offered for the Redemption of the Israelites out of the Aegyptian thraldome And at that time in which God deliuered the Law vnto the redeemed Israelites hee gaue the spirit which is the life of the Law vnto the redeemed Christians That spirit which is the finger of God to write the Law in the fleshly Tables of our hearts which the I sraclites long before receiued written indeede with the finger of God but in no better then the two Tables of stone So that that we enioy the truth whereof they had the Type Vnderstand me de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the formall administration of this first Couenant Colos 2. v. 14. which did containe onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle calleth it mans Obligation what dutie hee owed what punishment he deserued These be the things that are principally represented in the forme of this first couenant And therefore doth the Apostle call it the ministrie of the letter and of death 2 Cor. 3.6 in opposition to the second Couenant which hee calleth the ministrie of the spirit and of life Otherwise wee may not denie that the Patriarches had the spirit of Grace also though not dispenced by the forme of the old Couenant yet whereunto the old Couenant led them as a Schoolemaster making them sensible of their miserie it made them seeke vnto Christ for remedie But I haue touched at this point once before therefore I will dwell no longer on it Onely take this note that as Whitsontide followeth Easter so doth Sanctification follow after Iustification whom God redeemeth to them hee giueth his Law and he doth sanctifie all those whom he instifieth He that keepeth one feast must keepe both because he that hath one hath both these gifts I need not speake of the Morning which shewed Gods exemplarie forwardnesse for this blessed meeting which we shall doe well to follow as Dauid did Psal 130 Enough of the time I come now to the signification of Gods readinesse to come I told you it was full of state the harbingers come before to prepare Gods place Mortall Princes come not to great assemblies to Parliament to the throne of Iudgement to the ratifying of Leagues Act. 25. ver 2â— but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a great deale of pompe If euer they then shew their royaltie they make it appeare that they are neither beggerly nor contemptible nor vnable to reuenge themselues they make shew of their glorie and their power There is reason for it for the vulgar that haue no iudgement of true Moralitie are held in from disrespects to their Gouernours by these ceremonies and the attention of their eares is kept waking by such amazing of their eyes and discreete Policie doth this way make them obedient beyond their vnderstanding God taketh the same course and sheweth not himselfe vnto his people but with much ceremonious Maiestie at this meeting which did partake of these three kinds of assemblies For it was a Parliament it had the Image of an Assises and therein was the coniugall league confirmed betweene God and Israel I shall touch at all three I might lead you to behold this in his appearing to Abraham Gene. 25. when he entred into Couenant with him where the thicke darknesse the smoaking furnace the fire goe before him 1. King c. 19. his apparition to Elids which was attended with an Earthquake a whirlewind and a fire too None so stately Cap. 4. so ample as that which is described by Ezechiel and Daniel except happily that in the Reuelation I omit many others it is enough in these to let you see that it was vsuall with God to shew himselfe in state to send his harbingers before him The reason whereof is to worke a due respect towards his sacred Maiestie you are taught it plainely in the Psalmes Giue vnto the Lord O yee mightie giue vnto the Lord glorie and strength giue vnto the Lord the glorie due vnto his name worship the Lord in the beautie of holinesse The reason followeth in the Psalme and it is taken from these harbingers of God the Thunder and the Lightning you may read it at your leasure I call these the harbingers of God because we may not grossely conceiue 〈…〉 lib 2. 〈◊〉 â—â— that God is like vnto any of these Saint Austin hath refuted that dreame and indeed it is the seed of Idolatrie They are but the attendants vpon God his guard you may call them or you may call them his hoast they are the instruments of his Power he was pleased to vse them to set forth his state both in Mount Sinai as we read here and in Mount Sion as wee read Act. 2. the place paralell to this But I will keepe my selfe to mount Sinai I told you then that the harbingers here specified were dreadfull dreadfull some to the eare some to the eye The eye and the eare are the best Intelligencers of the reasonable Soule the quickest of apprehension and truest in their information And therefore when God will worke our heart he worketh it by these and in these you shall first
More distinctly to breake vp this Application I will obserue therein Argumentum and Argumentationem What is affirmed and How it is inferred That which is affirmed is in a word this The Religious deuotion of the Militant Church is very powerfull but is not very lasting The Church is here called the Elect of God but we haue to doe with no more of them then are on earth that limitation is in the end of my text wherefore no more of the Church is here mentioned then that which is militant The Church being militant is made deuout by the Crosse the Elect therein are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being conscious to themselues of their owne weaknesse they call for helpe against their aduersaries The text telleth vs to whom and how They call vnto him that is best able and most willing vnto God and to him they call earnestly for they crie and constantly for they cry day and night Such is the religious deuotion of the Church Militant And such deuotion is Powerfull marke with whom and to what effect It is powerfull with him to whom the Church prayeth it preuailes with God And the effect to which it preuaileth is vindicatio cum vindictà the deliuerance of the Church to the vtter confusion of her foes God will auenge his Elect. But yet in this auenging festinat lentè God maketh no more haste then good speed for he forbeareth long and yet he stayeth not so long as to come too late hee will auenge speedily The deuotion is powerfull But it is not very lasting the rest of the text will teach that Neuerthelesse c. though deuotion steed vs so much yet become wee most lither when we should ply our helpe most And here marke first how the word is changed Before our deuotion was called crying here it is called faith There is good reason for the change for Prayer if it be religious is Oratio fidei it is endited by and vttered from our saith This crying faith or faithfull crie hath a wayning the nearer the world is to an end the older it groweth and becommeth weaker The end of the world is here meant by the comming of the Sonne of man at that time the dotage shall I call it or rather death of this deuotion shall appeare for it shall be sought for then but it will not then bee found there will bee then found no such praying as is powerfully deuout These things shall you find in that which is affirmed After that you must see how they are inferred And we shall find that the inference is made strangely but strongly Strangly for whereas God should be a patterne to the best of men here one of the worst of men is made a paterne vnto God And that is strange But yet the conclusion is strong for if there be any sparkle of compassion in stonie hearted man how tender are the bowels of our most gracious Father Whatsoeuer good the best of men will doe God will doe the same insinitely much more You haue the contents of my text what remayneth but that wee beseech God that I may cleere them so plainly and you so religiously entertaine them that whereas the ends of the world are hastening vpon vs our languishing deuotion may so be quickned that we may come with boldnesse to the throne of Grace obtaine mercie and find grace to helpe in all our time of need The first particular which I pointed out was the Title that is here giuen to the Church it is here called Gods owne Elect which is all one in the Originall Tongue with Ecclesia the things as well as the words haue a neere cognation And if you looke vpon them well they are though a short yet a full definition of the Church for the Church doth consist of a number of persons exempt from the common condition of men and none can so exempt them but only God More plainly Men by the common condition of their nature since the fall are children of wrath a Masse of Perdition they are without God without Christ without the Spirit without the Couenant without hope without all true life To be elected is to be taken not only out of the number but out of the condition of such wretched men to be made vessels of mercie a new lumpe vnto the Lord to be admitted into Gods house to bee incorporated into Christs bodie to be possessed of the Holy Ghost to be made parties to Gods Couenant partakers of the Communion of Saints and heires of euerlasting life This is the Exemption or Election here remembred And such an Exemption such an Election none can make but God God only can forgiue sinnes release punishments giue grace adopt for sonnes finally doe whatsoeuer was before exprest in the Exemption euerie branch is a Royall Prerogatiue of the King of Heauen But I must not omit to obserue vnto you That if Gods Election I speake not of the eternall Decree but the manifestation thereof in the Church militant there are two Acts. The first is the admission of persons into the outward Congregation and vnto the Sacramentall Obsignation which is nothing else but the outward profession of man that he is a partie to the Couenant of God Deut. 7. Psal 146. and so Moses telleth the Israelites that God hath chosen them to be his peculiar people which is no more then that God hath giuen them his Law which he had not done to euery Nation Rom. 9. Saint Paul addeth more particulars of this kind and in this respect giueth the name of Elect to whole Churches of the Gentiles But besides this Outward there is an Inward Act of Election and that is the operation of the Holy Ghost giuing vnto vs spirituall Wisdome and Holinesse making vs Gods children and members of the mysticall Bodie of Christ And that Church which wee beleeue in the Creed is partaker of both these Acts of Election aswell the Inward as the Outward and these latter are Electi ex Electis whom Christ doth designe when he saith in the Gospel Many are called but few are chosen Because there are none in this world actually of the Church inuisible but those that are in the visible and men cannot distinguish betweene the persons that partake either only one or both of the Acts of Election therefore in my text we will take the definition of a Church in the widest sense according to the rule of Charitie which the Scripture obserues although the power of denotion doth properly concerne the whole visible Bodie by reason of the better part thereof those which are aswell inwardly as outwardly of the Church The vse that wee must make of this definition of the Church is by the first word to be remembred of our Prerogatiue If we doe partake only the outward Act of Election how much are we better then the Heathen that know not the true God nor the Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ and are destitute of all those meanes by which
was stung by the Serpent so in Paradise was hee cured by the seed of the Woman The Patriarchs in their order Heb. 11. not onely knew but felt the vertue of this Childe this Sonne St. Paul comprehends it in a short Rule Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Hee was a Lambe slaine not onely borne from the beginning of world Neither onely did the efficacie of his person worke but in a sort his presence also was vouchsafed vnto the world It is an ancient opinion of many of the Fathers and not a few of the worthiest late Diuines approue it that all apparitions of God in the Old Testament were of the second Person In the eighth of the Prouerbs himselfe saith that his delight was to be amongst the Sonnes of men Yea and to say nothing of other shapes how often did hee appeare in the shape of a man which apparition the Fathers call Praeludium incarnationis It was a faire intimation of that which in time hee should bee for euer after hee had once taken vpon him the nature of man which death it selfe should neuer seuer from him O Lord that wouldest not only become Man but also bee Gods gift to Man thou which wert before all time wouldest be bestowed in time bestowed vpon Iewes bestowed vpon Gentiles and make them both one Israel of God Notwithstanding there was nothing in them to demerit thee much in them to prouoke thee yet hast thou out of thine own goodnesse so tendered Man as to satisfie thy Iustice that it might bee no hinderance vnto thy Mercy but that thy Mercy might remedy both our Woe and Sinne We beseech thee that wee may all be new borne by vertue of thy Sonnes birth and giue our selues to Thee as he is giuen to Vs that so we may be in the number of those which with the Prophet may say Tovs a Childe is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen Which grace he vouchsafe vs that is giuen vnto vs To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be giuen all honour and glory now and for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders THe Doctrine of this Scripture containes the Truth and Excellencie of Christs Person and State Of the truth of Christs Person I haue already spoken and shewed you both the Natures wherein it subsisteth and the People to which it belongs The Natures wherein it subsists are two The Nature of God and of Man which haue a most streight vnion in one Person and yet without the least diminution of eyther nature This Person belongs vnto the Iewes not according to the flesh but according to the spirit euen to the whole Israel of God which consists of beleeuing naturall both Iewes and Gentiles To this People doth Christ belong But of what degree is hee amongst them For euery companie that consists of many persons if they bee incorporate hath men of sundry degrees by the Ordinance of God and the common rules of discretion there are superiours there are inferiours some which command some which are commanded Of which ranke is our Sauiour Christ Of the highest it appeares in his State The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders Although then the Scripture affirm that Christ appeared in the forme of a seruant and himself said That he came not to be ministred vnto but to minister et must we not mistake his Ministery was not of the foote but of the head it was not an obeying but a commanding Ministeric The Head ministers and so doth the Foote in our body naturall but they minister not both alike The head ministreth to the foote by way of commanding the foote ministreth to the head by way of obeying Christs Ministery was of the former not of the later kinde his Foes and his Friends in the Gospell both salute him by the name of Rabbi or Rabboni which is by interpretation Master And our Sauiour Christ telleth his Disciples in St. Iohn You call me Master and Lord and you say well for so I am And elsewhere he calleth himselfe The Heire of the Vineyard The Lord of the Sabaoth The Name of Christ or Messias is a most cleare proofe hereof for none were anointed but to be superiours and the Acts which Christ did exercise beare witnesse hereunto which were all of them eyther Propheticall when hee taught or Priestly when hee sacrificed or Kingly when hee wrought Miracles These bee the things which were done by him and the Gospell relates no other kinde of acts or at least none in comparison And all these are commanding acts they are acts of a Superiour exercised in the dayes of his flesh in the dayes of his greatest humiliation So that the forme of a Seruant and the ministring of Christ shew that he had not the attendance for worldly respect that was due to such a Superiour hee had not so much as a house to hide his head in much lesse had hee any Princely pompe But they deny him not to haue been a Superiour they deny him not that which was giuen him in my Text and my Text giueth him the State of a Superiour To come then vnto it There are two things to bee obserued in the words 1. Of what sort the Gouernment was 2. and Wherewith Christ did sustaine it The Gouernment was of the best sort it was Regall it appeares in the next Verse where Christ is said To sit vpon the Throne of Dauid And this Gouernment he sustaines by his owne carefull Power for it is layd vpon his shoulders These two Points we must at this time looke into briefly and in their order I beginne with the Gouernment If wee looke backe to the Story of Genesis we shall finde that when God promised Isaac which was a Type of Christ he changed both his Fathers and his Mothers name shee was called Sarai but God new named her Sarah which is a Princesse and Abram was new named Abraham a Father of many Nations And me thinks when I reade these words here in the Prophet and those that follow wherein Christ is described I see the application of those names to this Person I see the Principality I see the Posterity I see in Christ the truth of Sarah and of Abrahams name And surely the word which here signifieth Gouernment hath great affinity with the name of Sarah But of Gouernments some are subordinate some are absolute Some so command as the Centurion in the Gospell I am a man set vnder authority though I haue diuers vnder mee and I say to one come and hee commeth and to another go and he goeth But some so command as Salomon speaketh of a King against whom there is no rising vp whose Lawes must not bee disputed on earth and his Commandements bee obeyed by all that are his Subiects Christs Gouernment is not of the subordinate but the absolute sort it appeares by the Throne by the Kingdome vpon which he sitteth places of absolute power especially if
not temporall but eternall so likewise the condition of it is not worldly it is Peace Divus Nerua saith Tacitus duas res olim insociabiles coniunxit imperium libertatem Hee spake with the most that ascribed so much vnto Nerua but of Christ is may be most truly affirmed that where he raignes there is peace and free liberty for euery Subiect It is too vsuall with men the wiser they are the more to bee turbulent and disquieters of States the more power they haue the more to tyrannize it is not so with our King but hee that is wonderfull for Counsell mighty for Power bends both his Counsell and his Power to worke Peace that peace which is the portion of his Church and which none partake beside the members thereof This Prophet hath peremptorily pronounced There is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God Esay 57. Hee compares them to the Sea still raging and foming casting out their owne shame Salomon vnto vanity adds vexation of spirit You may see it in the particular case of all wicked men that sure they haue no rest They haue no rest ab intra they neuer can light vpon that which doth sistere appetitum which maketh them range in their desires in their endeauours neuer finding where to settle and ab extra too they are vnquiet for the whirle-winde of God driueth them like chaffe and like a floud it driueth them downe the streame And indeed how should they bee quiet that are compared vnto the sea which when there is no storme cannot stand still but hath his flux and reflux And no wonder for it is the subiect of the Moone than which nothing is more changeable A fit Embleme of the world vpon which whosoeuer dependeth cannot be stable when the world it selfe is so vnstedfast But no greater argument can be brought for their want of quiet than that which is taken from the nature of peace and the nature thereof is insinuated in the word wherewith the holy Ghost in the Hebrew tongue expresseth it no tongue doth so vsually fit words to things and giue vs a notion of the things by the words Now the word Shalom which signifieth Peace doth in the roote containe two significations the one of Perfection the other of Retribution and these two comprehend the full nature of peace wherein there is first perfection What perfection is I will shew you corporally that you may the better conceiue it spiritually God hath made the eye to see and the eare to hear the eye seeth colours the eare heareth sounds that betweene those obiects and these senses there may be quiet the sense must be in good temper and the obiect such as will giue content if the sense bee sound and the obiect pleasing there groweth peace betweene them but if eyther the obiect bee not proportioned to the eye to please it and so likewise the sound to the eare or if the eare and the eye be vnsound so that it cannot endure the obiect then groweth vnquietnesse As it is thus bodily so spiritually there is an obiect that must be entertained by vs and wee must be fit to entertaine it Gods Word and his Workes If our senses be so sanctified that we can behold them and they doe so testifie Gods will to vs that we receiue comfort by them then there is Peace Apply this vnto the godly and you shall finde that the things of God doe alwayes giue them content and they delight to solace themselues in them yea though the crosse goe withall and they are exposed to worldly troubles yet euery good man is Medijs tranquillus in vndis Et si fractus illabatur orbis impauidum ferient rumae As for the wicked it is not so with them for eyther they want those senses whereby they should entertain Gods gracious countenance when it is present with them and so peace faileth in them for want of that wherewith they should receiue it or else if God giue them senses to see him they see nothing but Iustice and Wrath in him and so in regard of the obiect they haue no peace stupidity and senslesnesse of Gods iudgements which sometimes doth befall them especially in prosperity maketh a shew of peace but indeed it is nothing lesse For if so bee the parts of our body and powers of our soule doe not worke vpon their proper obiects and in working finde content there is not the nature of peace peace so farre as it consists in perfection Which vnderstood spiritually is nothing else but grace grace is the first kinde of peace which belongs vnto the Church Besides this peace of perfection there is a peace of retribution Euery Commandement as it hath his precept so it hath his sanction also and as we are commanded in the one so wee haue a promise in the other Glory is promised for grace and the seruant to whom the master saith Well done shall enter into his Masters ioy he shall haue peace for peace yea peace vpon peace the peace of heauen heaped vpon that peace which he had in earth which is nothing else but the reward of godlinesse You see the two branches of peace perfection and retribution of both these Christ is Prince Hee is the Author both of grace and glory the true King of Salem Ephes 2.14 the true Salomon the true Noah whom St. Paul calleth our Peace Luke 2.14 Luke 10.5 at whose birth the Angels sung In earth peace whose first Sermon that he commanded his Apostles to preach was Peace be to this house who taking leaue of his Disciples Ioh. 14.27 gaue them Peace when he went to his death Luke 24.36 when he rose from the dead finally as the Apostle saith Slew hatred and set at one all things both in heauen and earth The Prophets euery where speak of his Kingdome as of a Kingdome of peace Read Psalm 72. Esay 32. c. That the inheritance wee shall haue is eternall you heard before But the inheritance of the wicked is eternall also Goe ye cursed shall the Iudge say into euerlasting fire and they haue a worme that neuer dyeth but theirs is a miserable eternity an vnquiet inheritance hunger and thirst nakednesse and paine chaines and vtter darkenesse weeping and gnashing of teeth are their portion and where these are what trouble is there not But ours is a better eternity it is a peaceable one as wee shall euer bee so shall we euer be at quiet at quiet passiuely nothing shall disquiet vs at quiet actiuely we shall disquiet none Wee shall be pacati and pacifici sit at rest our selues and disturbe none It shall be so in heauen fully in earth it should be so in a good measure for Gods will should be done in earth as it is in heauen and we should begin our heauen here vpon earth We should beginne to exercise the Peace of Perfection and foretaste the Peace of Retribution that so we might haue a good experiment
those few cornes of good seed which I deriued from them At least if their leprosie ouer-spred my whole man yet was it not so deepe rooted or so strongly setled as by my ill diet it hath since beene What then may this house of my body this garment that couereth my Soule expect but to be vsed as the leprous house the leprous garment which in a fretting leaprosie were the garment to bee burnt the house to be plucked downe And indeed as impossible is it for the Iuie that springs and ouer-spreads a wall to be killed without taking in sunder of all the stones and separating them from the morter which knitteth them together as for the natiue sinne wherein I was borne branching it selfe ouer euery part of my body and power of my soule to be purged except I be dissolued my Soule part from my bodie and the parts of my bodie loose that knot wherewith each is linked to the other I doe not then complaine of the Decree it is iust it is necessarie my sinne maketh it iust and that this sinne be dispossest it becomes necessarie necessarie for All and then for me I would yeeld vnto it I would be contented with it blessed Apostle the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken were good I would obey it I would yeeld to death though death be bitter were there not a heauier thing that followeth death more terrible then death it selfe Let me feele Gods hand so I come not into Gods presence into the presence of the Iudge to giue an accompt for my life Blessed Apostle is it not enough that my Soule can no longer enioy her bodie no longer by her bodie enioy those things wherein shee hath placed her soueraigne good that shee can no longer solace her selfe with her mate take comfort in her of-spring eate the fruit of her labours receiue honour from others bestow fauours at pleasure bee an Oracle vnto many and to as many be a terror Blessed Apostle is it not enough that these things faile and I must part with them No thou sayest no when thou hast lodged my bodie in the the Graue thou sufferest not my soule to rest thou callest her to a straight accompt thou tellest her of a Iudgement How vainely haue I beene abused by heathenish prouerbs that told me death ends all and yet all is not at an end When I come to death I must come before my Iudge I must answere the Law the Law must trie my life how well I haue obserued it how answerable my carriage hath beene to it And Lord what a fearefull thing is this When thou blessed Apostle didst reason of these things thou madest Foelix a great man a heathen man to tremble and a greater then Foelix the King of Niniuie did tremble also when hee heard Ionas And yet how little did they know thy Law How much did their ignorance excuse their transgression thereof And what then will become of me that know so much and haue so little to plead Can I chuse but tremble O Lord while I liue I often heare of thy Law and the accompt that must be giuen thereof but I neuer had so much grace as Foelix or the King of Niniuie no not when I read the storie of Foelix and the King of Niniuie Neither of them onely but of good King Iosias also whose heart did melt at the reading of thy Law when he saw how vnanswerable the liues of his people were thereto And what wonder that Iosias heart did melt when Moses himselfe did quake at the receiuing of the Law Surely these all felt the terror of the Iudgement they knew what it was to come before their Iudge And I the more in my life I was senslesse the more sensible shall I bee hereof in my death vnexpected euils afflict the more especially if they bee great their impression must needs be deepe But bee I affected neuer so wofully I must appeare I must be tried hee that gaue the Law will inquire into the obseruance of his Law While we liue many couer our faults which when wee are dead they will not sticke to amplifie and he that liuing goeth for a Saint after his death is traduced as a diuell A heauie Iudgement yet how many vndergoe it But this is their comfort that of this Iudgmēt they haue no sense how their name fareth in this world in death they know not But against the other Iudgement there is no shelter all the stormes of it must light vpon vs in our owne persons we must answere for our selues and we are not so well knowne to our selues as to him that sifteth vs. Yet so much we know that we shall trauerse no Indictment we shal plead guiltie to euery Bill our owne conscience is a true counterpart vnto Gods Booke we shall bee charged with nothing out of the one which we shall not read distinctly in the other To read it were enough for the vttermost confusion for what man knoweth and doth not abhorre himselfe Had we a true looking glasse wherein wee might behold the manifold enormous sinnes of our life neuer could any thing be more vgly neuer would any thing be more abominable neuer were we so much in loue with our selues when we acted sinne as wee shall detest our selues when we see the staines of sinne But detestation and confusion are but the first part of this Iudgement the worme the sting bitter tortures euen before we are sentenced for Hell make vs to be wofull wretches Adde hereunto that which is the hight of shame the depth of paine Were no body priuie to our sinnes but our selues the knowledge of them wil confound vs but when they become knowne to others if they be but men sinners like our selues and therefore more likely to be temperate in their censure the shame groweth double but how manifold then will it be when the Angels shall bee witnesses to it the holy Angels whose puritie will the more illustrate it Nay God himselfe whose Image wee should beare and to whom how vnlike we are his presence wil make most manifest So that our shame will bee out of measure shamefull Our paine will bee no lesse painefull For here in this world the remorse of sinne euen in those that haue not a seared conscience is many wayes delayed in sleepe by feasts with companie many other outward helps but especially the putting farre off the euill day and the weake information that our distracted vnderstanding giueth our Heart and the hardnesse that doth benumme the senses thereof all these more or lesse doe mitigate our paine But after death these lenitiues are withdrawen from vs our eyes will be kept waking our stomacke fasting our friends farre from vs our wits that were wise to doe euill and to doe good had no vnderstanding at all shall then be wise onely to know our euill but good of ours it shall haue none at all to know and our heart was neuer so waxie to be wrought
lift vp mine eies vnto that Hill but from thence commeth my saluation And no maruell that Hill is the Hill of the Lord it is lifted vp aboue all Hils the Hill of Mercie is higher then the Hill of Iudgement there the punishing Angell that with his sword drawne pursueth the sinnes of men is commanded for to sheath it It is Hieâ—usalem indeed The Vision of Peace there is the Altar there is the Sacrifice whereat God will be worshipped wherewith he will be pacified Yea where Abraham shall haue his Jsaac redeemed and a Father greater then Abraham will giue a Sonne dearer then Isaac that Isaac may liue and indeed to bee an Isaac that is a matter of true gladnesse vnto Abraham There Dauid shall find a truer Dauid Dauid out of loue to his people would haue yeilded his life to end their plagues but he findeth there a Dauid that is more louing and more beloued and which indeed there doth what Dauid was but willing to doe but was willing in vaine for no man can by any meanes redeeme his brother or giue a ransome to God for him No man if he be no more then a man can doe it it is a worke of God of Dauids Lord he it is that is the Resurrection and the Life it is his bloud that speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel Abels bloud called for vengeance euen the vengeance of eternall death and so doth all sinne which shed the bloud of a more righteous one then Abel euen the bloud of Christ himselfe it should call for vengeance vnto God But see how the voice thereof is changed and how Christ excuseth sinne before hee sacrifice for sinne Father forgiue them they know not what they doe euen in the act of his Passion he maketh this intercession when hee felt their wrongs see how he excuseth them to his Father that they may find mercie hee pleadeth for them that they doe it ignorantly How much more did hee in his Oblation for sinne speake for remission of sinnes when in his Passion hee was so indulgent vnto sinners This person doe I find on this Hill and I find him able and readie to calme all the stormes that were raised in me at Mount Sinai The storme of Death the storme of Iudgement for must I die I feare it not I am assured of life Christ is to mee life Is death the gate that leadeth to Iudgement I will enter it it shall turne vnto my gaine for the Tribunall of God is but the Theater whereon I shall bee crowned Yea Christ hath so altered both death and Iudgement that well may I say Perijssem nisi perijssem I had neuer tasted of such a life had I not beene subiected vnto death And how much of my glorie should I haue lost if I should neuer haue beene brought vnto Gods Barre O Iesuâ— how wonderfull is thy vertue what strange effects proceed from thee The Alchymists boast much of their skill that they can turne baser metals into better lead into siluâ—r copper into gold but this is their presumption whereupon they build that these baser metals are in their nature in the way to the better and they doe but perfect that which is imperfect and which by the course of nature of imperfect would haue become perfect if they had nouer laboured it But they neuer aduenture to turne drosse into siluer or dirt into gold Thou dost more much more of so base a one as I am for who is more base then a sinner who is indeed seruus seruorum a slaue of slaues for sinne is nothing but seruitude and the Master whom a sinner serueth who is it but the Deuill then whom there is none more slauish of so base a one thou makest a vessell of gold euen where there was no disposition to become such thou hast giuen so excellent a nature and makest death to become life Thou hast quickned me which was dead I that was dead in sinne am quickned by thee the fountaine of grace my vnderstanding liueth my will liueth my affections liue they liue their true life they know God they loue God they long after him they discouer the euill of sinne they hate it because it is euill and what they hate that they abhorre Are not these Euidences of life I cannot be dead so long as I feele these things in mee I feele them in me but I confesse they spring not from mee they haue a better Fountaine that is Christ He is this life of mine it began in him when he became one with mee by his personall Vnion then the Vnderstanding then the Will the Affections of man which had beene long dead began to liue As this began in part when Christ became one with mee by personall vnion so did it streame forth into me when I became one with him by Mysticall Vnion then the beames of his light cleared my darknesse the comfort of his Heate warmed my chilnes then was I quickned by the influence of his life I doe not count that life which I liued before though it goe for such with men and it seemed such to me I thought as the world thinketh that if my soule dwelt in my bodie I was aliue but alas if Christ be from my soule my soule is dead and how can a dead soule quicken my bodie the bodie of a man of such a man as should bee of the same societie with Angels Well may it make my bodie vegetable and so range it with the Planets and yet therein I shall come short of many of them It may doe more my bodie by it may become sensible and I may be of the condition of beasts and yet therein how many of them will ouermatch me Happily or vnhappily rather it may boast of more it may boast that it maketh me reasonable and indeed such faculties haue I but corrupt in that I haue a reasonable soule But this aduanceth me no higher then Deuils and herein the Deuils incomparably surmount me But that life which is the chiefe life the life which is proper to the children of God I liue not except I liue by Christ and if once I liue that life I liue indeed And heare a Paradoxe I desire to die this life maketh mee most desirous of death of any death sauing that which is opposite to this life I would not die the death in sinne but the other death I will die most gladly I would be dissolued I would lay aside this Tabernacle of my bodie Not that grace maketh me vnnaturall to my flesh No it maketh mee loue my flesh the more the more but the more truly I would haue my bodie doe aswell as my soule and therefore I mortifie it that it may bee holy as my soule is holy Flesh and bloud thinketh that fasting and watching and other castigation of the flesh is a hatefull austeritie of the soule but well may the soule replie Castigo non quod odio habeam sed quod amem and though
liue amongst Beasts and vpon his acknowledgement of the Lord of Heauen and Earth was restored againe maketh this cleare Canutus a King of this Land when flatterers magnified his power and did almost deifie him to confute them caused his chaire to bee set by the Sea shore at the time of the floud and sitting in his Maiestie commanded the waues that they should not approach his Throne but when the tyde kept his course and wet his garments Lo saith hee what a mighty King I am by Sea and Land whose command euery waue dareth resist Though then they are mighty yet there is much weakenesse ioyned with their might Not so Christ It appeares in the Epithite that is added vnto El which is Gibbor importing that he is a God of preuailing might In Daniel he is called El Elim The Mighty of mighties whereupon Moses magnifying his might saith Who is like vnto thee Exod. 15. O Lord amongst the gods Which words abbreuiated the Maccabees in their wars against their enemies did bear in their standard and therehence as the learned obserue did take their name of Maccabees Certainely this Epithite is a lust ground of that which King Dauid perswades Psalme 29. Ascribe vnto the Lord O yee mighty ascribe vnto the Lord glory and strength But there are two Eminences in Christs might by which hee is aduanced aboue all Creatures The first is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty of himselfe The second is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Creatures haue their power from him and therefore their power depends vpon him so that he can at his pleasure intend or remit theirs but his owne continueth euer the same Secondly they can doe but euery one so much as is permitted him and neuer was there any creature to whom God imparted all his power I speake not of the degree but the parts thereof some things he committeth to Angels which Men cannot doe and some things to Men which Angels cannot doe the earth hath not the power of the heauens nor the heauens of the earth but God is the fountaine of all power there is nothing done by any of these which without these he cannot doe Ier. 23. Nothing is hard vnto him and the Angel Luke 1. Nothing is impossible vnto God therefore hee hath wrought the same effects without these creatures What he doth by his Angels ordinarily he extraordinarily hath done by himselfe and what doth hee by Man which without Man hee hath not done And as for the Sunne and the Starres he hath illightned the ayre without them and without the earth hath he prouided both bread and flesh yea at his pleasure he hath stript all those of their power in an instant in a word He doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth he cannot will that which he cannot doe nothing resisteth his will but all things readily do serue him If this title be carried through the Gospell euery point of the Gospel will witnesse the truth thereof in Christ it will witnesse that hee hath a preuailing power and that he is therefore worthily called a mighty God When God promised him hee promised him in these words I haue layd helpe vpon one that is mighty Psalme 89. When God exhibits him Luke 1. Zacharie proclaimes him thus God hath raised vp a mighty saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Christ himselfe Mat. 28. All power is giuen to mee both in heauen earth to say nothing of like titles that are remembred in the Reuelation But I chuse rather to obserue vnto you out of both Christs Regall titles how well they fit vs what comfort they doe yeeld vnto vs. Our enemie the Diuell is compared to a Serpent to a roaring Lion hee is full of craft and of great strength and so are his instruments the wicked subtill and violent but wee are silly and we are feeble If we compare our selues to them how can we but feare to be deceiued to bee opprest See how God hath prouided for vs see how hee hath furnished Christ whom hee sendeth vnto vs Hee is a Counsellour and it was a Counsellour that wee needed that â—ight discouer vnto vs the Serpents policie in his end and Sophistrie in his meanes wherewith he setteth vpon vs He pretends that we shall be like vnto Gods when he meaneth to make vs Diuels and by setting an edge on our desire of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill he would depriue vs of the Tree of life but Christ is at hand to discouer his purposes and to giue vs timely caueats that we bee not abused by them Secondly he still compasseth the world seeking Whom he may deuour and is mighty to destroy And certainely none should escape him were it not that we haue on our side a mighty God the seed of the Woman that shewed himselfe so much mightier than the seed of the Serpent by how much breaking of the head is more than bruising of the heele Wee haue a Dauid for that Goliah and a stronger man that hath entred that strong mans house bound him rifled him and diuided his spoyle So that if now it be doubtingly asked Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawfull captiue bee deliuered we may answer with the Prophet Esay 49. Thus saith the Lord Euen the Captiues of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall bee deliuered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and will faue thy children and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Iacob Wherefore seeing Christ is become our Counsellour let vs not leane vnto our owne wisedome but be counselled by him It is the second degree of wisedome when wee cannot aduise our selues to bee aduised by others if we faile herein the Philosopher himselfe will censure vs for fooles And remember withall that of the Sonne of Syracke Bee in peace with many neuerthelesse haue but one Counsellour of a thousand cap. 6. hee giues the reason at large cap. 37. And well may we rely vpon the iudgement of this Counsellour who much better than Elizeus can detect vnto vs the plots of the King of Aram of all our Enemies that we may prouide against them yea he can take them all in their owne wilinesse and infatuate their Counsels as he did Achitophels Reade Esay 19. 8. So did Christ deale with the old Serpent and with the broode of the Serpent in all ages our age our country hath had proofe thereof As this must encourage vs to rely vpon his Counsell so must the other title encourage vs to rely vpon his power his preuailing power We walk in the middest of our enemies and they vse the vttermost of their strength to ruine vs yet though we are in the middest of the valley of the shadow of death let vs feare none euill
for they that trust in the Lord are like vnto mount Sion which shall neuer be remoued LOrd guide vs by thy Counsell support vs by thy Power that wee be neyther circumuented nor quelled but by thy direction and protection we may escape both the craft and the force of all our Enemies So shall we euer glorifie thee as our admirable Counsellour and our most mighty God THE FIFTH SERMON The euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace THe Excellencie of Christs Person consists in the indowments thereof which are Regall but Spirituall That they are Regall appeares in his two first titles whereof I haue already spoken and that they are Spirituall it will appeare by the other two whereof I am now to speake Whereof the first sheweth that Christs Kingdome is not of this world He is the Father of eternity the second sheweth that the condition of his people is not worldly Christ is Prince of Peace To begin with the first In the Originall the first of these two titles is so exprest as I haue read it The Father of eternity And the words beare a double sense for either Aeternity is made the Attribute of the Father and so by an Hebraisme The Father of eternity is no more than the eternall or euerlasting Father so some Translations reade it or Aeternity may note that which is subiect to the Father and so the title imports that he is a Father of eternall things and so some Translations reade The Father of the world to come We need not to bee troubled with this variety for the words will beare eyther Translation and both these things concurre in the same person He that is the euerlasting Father is a Father of euerlasting things We will therefore handle both and first shew you that Christ is an euerlasting Father The phrase doth distinguish betweene our Father and our Father the Father of our flesh and the Father of our spirits of whom St. Paul speaketh Heb. 12. Of these two the first is Temporall the other is Aeternall that the first is but temporall wee may gather out of the fift of Genesis where are reckoned vp the longest liued Fathers that euer were in the world but of them all it is said that they begat children and then they dyed they left their children to the world And as they so their posterity come within the compasse of that of Iob Man that is borne of a Woman is but of a short time or as Dauid speakes His dayes are but a spanne long When he hath serued his course he goeth the way of all flesh and sleepes in his graue Neyther is he temporall only in regard that he must dye but also in regard that his affection is mutable Some parents destitute their children inforced by death but not a few put off the affection of Fathers euen in their life and they in that respect also may be termed but temporall Fathers Our Sauiour Christ speaking of the later times telleth vs that the Father shall rise against the Sonne as the Sonne against the Father Saint Paul speaking of former times Rom. 1. amongst other wicked ones reckoneth vp persons that were without naturall affection and it were an easie matter out of Histories to report that many haue dis-inherited many haue murdered many haue deuoured their own children so farre vnnaturall haue they beene In opposition vnto these two cases which apparantly conclude that the Parents of our flesh are temporall temporall in regard that they are mortall in their nature and temporall in that they are mutable in their affections our Sauiour Christ is termed an euerlasting Father death cannot take him from vs for euen in his death wherein notwithstanding his abode was so little that hee saw no corruption the hypostaticall Vnion which made him a father did not cease And as for his affection it is immutable Whom he loueth hee loueth vnto the end of the perpetuitie of his being excellent is that place Esay 63. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not Thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting And touching the perpetuity of his louing the Church there speaketh also Looke downe from heauen and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercy towards me 〈◊〉 9. â—â—al 27. are they restrained No they cannot bee restrained For as God in this Prophet speaketh elsewhere Can a Mother forget her child If she can yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord And King Dauid When my father and my mother forsooke me the Lord tooke me vp This is the reason why our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell biddeth vs Call none father vpon earth for that we haue but one father which is in heauen hee liueth when the other dye and when the other hateth he continueth his loue and therefore is deseruedly called the euerlasting Father Two good Lessons are implyed herein the one teaching Piety the other Charity We are taught Piety when we are taught that he whom we obey is our Father for if I be a Father saith the Lord where is mine honour Mal. 1. and Moses to Israel Deut. 32. Doest thou so reward the Lord O thou foolish people and vnwise is not he thy Father that made thee c. And as the very name of Father teacheth Piety so doth the name of Euerlasting teach it much more St. Paul argueth so Heb. 12. If so bee wee honoured the fathers of our flesh which are mortall as is our flesh how much more should we honour the father of our spirits which is immortall as is our spirits Great reason haue we to reuerence this Father that neuer ceaseth to be our Father that hath prouided that euen when we lose our fathers we should yet stil haue our Father haue him for our Father which is the Father of Orphanes It is no small comfort nor weake pillar of our faith that we neuer want a Father yea our double birth readeth vs this Lecture For as we come out of our mothers wombe by the help of our mortall Parents so to signifie that we haue immortall parents we are then borne againe in the Churches wombe Neither doth this title teach vs only Piety but Charity also charity one towards another For whereas our mortall parents extend their consanguinity and affinity but to a few this euerlasing father extends his vnto all Malachy worketh vpon this Haue we not all one Father Cap. 2. wherefore then do you iniury one to another The blood should neuer be cold seeing wee are all kinne in the first degree all brethren sonnes of one father euen of him that is here called the euerlasting father But how commeth Christ to be called father who otherwise is called our brother he being the sonne of God and God being his father as hee is ours If you respect the Communion of