Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A14975
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Two sermons of assise the one intituled A prohibition of reuenge, the other, A sword of maintenance : preached at two seuerall times, before the right worshipfull iudges of assise, and gentlemen assembled in Hertford, for the execution of iustice, and now published / by W. Westerman ...
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Westerman, William.
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1600
(1600)
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STC 25282; ESTC S2384
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63,408
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150
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like men perish but the word of God endureth for euer To be short let all that feare God obey this precept of his renounce the pursuite of their owne malice purge their hearts and cleanse their hands giue place to his ordinance reuerence his Ministers seeke lawfull remedies vpon necessitie but seeke not so reuenge in this world as though thou wouldest leaue nothing to be reuenged of God in another Despise not Gods vengeance here on earth neither faint nor be astonied though thy cause can not bee heard though thy right cannot be cleared appeale in prayers to the witnesse and Iudge of heauen he is higher than the highest euen that king of kings that God of Gods that Lord of lords whose great name is heere subscribed to the claime and promise of trueth vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord to whome being one in substance three in person the onely wise inuisible and eternall God be all honor power and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS THE SWORDE OF MAINTENANCE A Sermon preached before the Right Worshipfull the Iudges of Assise and gentlemen assembled at Hertford the 13. of Iuly 1599 for the execution of Iustice * ⎠* PERIIT ET INVENTA EST LONDON ⧠Printed by R. B. for Gregory Seaton 1600. The text Hate the euill and loue the good and establish Iudgement in the gate it may be Amos. 5. 15. that the Lord God of hostes will be mercifull vnto the remnant of Ioseph INeede not vse many circumstaÌ„ces Right worshipfull Fathers and brethren beloued in the Lord to moue this graue assembly to attention whose religious mindes are readily prepared I trust to receiue with meekenes the worde of God and therefore cannot but affourd mee beneuolent audience in the handling of the matter of this text being so consonant to your godly dispositions pertinent to the present occasion and set downe in compendious precepts so fit for your sharpe vnderstanding short allowance of time For what else is my text but a briefe issue of a long Processe betweene the Lord of hostes his people Who like a plaintiffe much agrieued Amos. 3. had often protested against the rebellions of Israell and made many proclamations as with sound of trumpet against their iniuries offered reproued their corruptions of Amos. 4. religion and their defaults of Iustice cut downe their mightie sinnes with mightie iudgements executions of famine sword pestilence thereby hauing wasted their multitude from thousands to hundreds from hundreds Am. 5. to tennes and yet now as a kinde father intending the correction and not the coÌ„fusion of his children hee offereth a capitulation of peace with these conditions If you will seeke the Lord and liue if you will seeke good and not euill chuse life and not death hate his enemies loue his friends establish his approued ordinance of iudgement abandon all places of idolatry surcease those loftie sinnes of oppression and iniustice so commonly practised in the gate then goe to the Lord will reason with you and come to a friendly parle for further reconciliation But before any peace can be concluded mercie expected punishment released or execution stayed you must condiscend to these Articles Hate the euill and loue the good and establish iudgement in the gate In these wordes we may generally note these two pointes First what conditions the Lord requireth Secondly what truce hee offereth The conditions concerne the affections and actions the affections are hatred and loue each of them being directed vnto his seuerall obiect hatred is let loose at euill loue is drawne and confined wholly to the good The action is mixt including many vertues excluding many viâ—es being an accomplishment of iustice and mercy and the establishment of iudgement whose fountaine is in the heart and priuate affections of men reformed but the streames do flowe runne downe in publike to the comfort of the good and terrour of the badde These are the Articles which the Lord doth propounde to the Israelites by his Prophet Amos and daily by vs his Ambassadors doth offer vnto you his people 2. Cor. 5 with desire that you would be reconciled vnto him and subscribe with heart and hand to the contents thereof Which being promised and performed beholde a gratious truce and couenant on Gods behalfe It may be the Lord of hostes will be mercifull to the remnant of Ioseph Let no man be discouraged at this phrase of speach as though Gods promises were like the doubtful Oracles of heathenish Idoles yea and nay it may be and it may not be for with the Lord there is assurance of mercie his wordes be yea and Amen Hath hee saide it and shall hee not doe it hath hee spoken and shall hee not accomplishe it The possibilities Numb 23. of men are full of hazard but the Lord is not a man that hee should lye or double or be preuented of his purpose Is there no doubt then in this speach None touching the absolute performance of the Lord but much difficultie in respect of flesh and bloud if men looke vpon their owne vnworthinesse vnconstant perseuerance and the lowe ebbe that the house of Ioseph and Gods people are sometimes driuen vnto Yet againe all is courage when we cast our eyes vpon the Lord of hosts who is strong to saue inclyning to mercy whose readinesse to helpe in extremitie appeared to Ioseph and was often shewed to his seed when they were but a remnant and reuersion and therefore may assuredly comfort all faithfull hearts that without all doubt hee will be mercifull vnto them if they keepe this couenant with the Lord and consent to hate the euill and loue the good and establish iudgement in the gate Thus much haue I spoken to declare vppon what ground our doctrine exhortations by Gods assistance shall be planted in what tearmes the estate of the Israelites â—hen stoode and what Articles were propounded for the redresse of their calamities in the vrging vnfolding whereof our greatest time shall be spent because we desire to apply the same approued remedy to our owne decayes waÌ„ts assuring our selues the Lord will not faile to be mercifull if we keepe touch and promise with him in such conditions as he requireth In one word therefore to winde vp the suÌ„me of all these conditions it is that which wee Knowledge 1 call sometimes conscience sometimes zeale not the common conscience of the world but that same which is first cuÌ„scientia ioyned with knowledge that it may haue an eye to discerne Couragâ— 2. good from euill Secondly that which is rooted and planted in the will and affections that it may haue an edge of hatred to threaten the euill and a backe of loue to defend the good Practise 3. Thirdly such a conscience here is required as hath not onely skill to discerne or will to desire but also a readie hand to practise not resting in contemplation but proceeding to such action
as the place and vocation of euery man exhorteth him vnto for the maintenance of iudgement in the gate These three properties of a good conscience called by the Lord in this text and aspired vnto by all that feare God or loue the good estate of their country amongst this graue assembly occasion mee to speake somewhat of eyther and first of knowledge Knowledge is the guide and light of a good 1. Knowledgâ— conscience A fit Intelligencer for the will and affections for it aduiseth what is euill and to be eschewed what is good and to be embraced Without this direction hatred like a blinde archer shootes beside the marke and may kill a man in steade of a beast And loue cherisheth often a snake in the bosome in steade of a friende As the eye discernes betweene light and darkenesse so the vnderstanding tryeth out the difference betweene good and euill Therefore seeke good and not euill sayd the Prophet in the former verse No man can seeke well without light nor finde the good except hee can distinguish it from the badde and trying all hold that which is the best Many are the difficulties that hinder vs from the discouery of euill and the recouery of the good and yet great is the daunger if wee mistake the one for the other The difficulties appeare if wee consider first Difficult the blindnesse of our owne heart except it be renewed and supplyed with a light from heauen Secondly if wee beholde the readinesse of euill being present with vs at euery turne compassing vs about pressing vs downe Satan as a prince in the ayre tempting vs a worlde of sinne about vs a bodie of sinne within vs. Besides this the custome of sinne hath made vertue so vnpleasant and straunge the euil so sweete familiar that it seemeth death to be rowzed out of the myre wherein wee haue long wallowed in ease and securitie And further iniquitie is very strong being in this world as in her owne country and proper element where vertue is but a straunger alwaies flying vpward and therefore not followed with halfe so many schollers as iniquitie that pulles downe the hill to the broad gates of hell and destruction Lastly euill is mingled with the good as drosse with the siluer that it asketh much tryall and a cunning spirit to extract the one from the other In regarde of which difficulties hindering our choyce in the good and presenting to the lust of our eyes varietie and chaunge of euill in goodly shapes of apparant good it behoueth vs to haue a sounde vnderstanding for our guide but especially because the error of our choyce is the danger both of soule Daunger and bodie The fruite of the forbidden tree was pleasaunt to beholde and good to eate but it was bitternesse and death at the last For euill is of two sortes the seede and the fruit the seede is sinne and the fruite is punishment the one is a sweete baite the other a deadely hooke it goes downe pleasantly like wine but it stingeth in the end like a Scorpion Prou. 23. 31. And yet there is a league betwene iniquitie and our affections as there was betweene Iezabel and her chamberlaines As Iesabel pearching aloft painted her face and coÌ„mauÌ„ded 2 King 9. 30. her Eunuches attending vpon her til Iehu sent with reuenge froÌ„ God began to cry who is on my side who So doth iniquitie possesse the highest chamber of our heart and paints herselfe in fresh coloures raigning ouer our affections as slaues till vengeance hunt after her steppes and the messengers of God giue warning to the affections to cast downe their cursed mistresse and renounce that sinne which they haue serued least the fall of her drâ—we all her Eunuches and partakers to confusion The heathens themselues alwaies taught obedience of the will to the wit of the affections to reason which had beene well if the light of reason had not beene extinguished in heauenly things and so fowly blemished in naturall But the naturall mans reason perceiuing not the things of God his wisdome being folishnesse 1. Cor. 3. his light darkenesse made the conscience corrupt and vaine in the trewe and particular discourse of good and euill Many say who will shewe vs any good saide Dauid of the common Psal 4. 6. sort but he must haue a new spirit and a perfect vnderstanding that with Dauid can lift his eyes to heauen and cry Lord lift thou vp the light of thy couÌ„tenance acknowledging al our felicity to depeÌ„d vpoÌ„ the fauour of the Lord. In matters of coÌ„mon honesty humanitie ciuilitie of manners the heathens were a lawe to themselues and shall be a shame and condemnation Rom. 2. to vs in that with so small a glimse of naturall light they practised many thinges commendable made many wholsome lawes excelled in many outward censures and actions of indgement But wee hauing the word Psal 19. of the Lord conuerting the soule giuing wisdome to the simple and light to the eyes hauing the lawe of God I say to examine what is good and what euill being the onely touchstone of trueth and falsehoode the rule that sheweth as wel the crooked as the straight If wee loue darkenesse rather than light if wee faile in seeking and setting vp the kingdome of God or the righteousnesse thereof in our life and practise there remaineth vnto vs no colour of excuse nor cloke of defence For vnto euery one of vs in our seuerall charge may that protestation of Micah be vrged Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth Micah 6. 8. of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe and to walke with thy God And this is that knowledge of good euill deriued out of Gods holy and acceptable will and word which like a cunning rider turneth and directeth our affections being of themselues like horse and mule that haue no vnderstanding But as the Lord instructeth Psal 2. all Rulers to be wise and learned so in another place he will haue them in the feare of God to Exod. 18. 21. be men of courage also For courage is the feruencie Courage and concitation of the minde placed here in these two affections hatred and loue which are profitable to the furtherance of vertue and taking downe of vice so as they stand in awe of reason as a souldier of his captaine by whose commaunde hee takes vp and layes downe both his courage and Basi coÌ„â— Jrasc weapons Wherefore these affections are not onely to be allayed and cooled in man as some Philosophers affirme but sometimes Peripatet also to bee kindled and stirred vp that as the iron is steeled and hardned with the fire Bas so mans heart with concitation of the spirites against the right obiect may haue a tincture of greater courage and fortitude against GODS enemies Neither is this agreeable to the