on vs his Sonne Fitly when the time was full come Freely for hee was not bought or stolne but sent Gift Christ described heere by his Diuinitie his Sonne Humanity made of a woman Humility bond to the law Effect vers 5. to redeeme them which were bound vnto the law c. The heire as long as he is a child This comparison is taken out of the Roman law by which it is ordained that a pupill albeit he be Lord of all his fathers inheritance should be kept vnder tutors and gouernours vntill hee come to full age to wit vnder tutors till fourteene yeeres vnder Curators vntill fiue and twenty Tutores dantur impubâ—ribus Curatores puberibus Tutors are guardians of the pupils person principally so called Quasituitores atque defensores but Curators are factors especially for his goods and estate Now the Ward during the time of his minority suffers much bondage differing saith Paul nothing from a seruant nothing in respect of any present possession or actuall administration of his owne estate but very much in respect of his right and proprietie being dominus habitu non vsu as hauing free hold in law though as yet not free hold in deede and so the Ward doeth differ from the slaue who was in old time no person in law but a meere chattell and as it were of the nature of cattell It was in Pauls age then a great slauery to be a pupill And Bishop Latuner complained of late that there was not a schoole for the Wards so well as a Court a schoole for their learning so well as a Court for their lands It should seeme Gardians in his daies vsed young Noble men not as Lords but as seruants as Paul here c. In like manner when wee were little children in our nonage we were heires hauing the promise of an eternall inheritance to come which should be giuen vnto vs by the seed of Abraham that is to say by Christ in whom all nations should be blessed but because the fulnesse of time was not yet come Moses our tutor and gouernor held vs in bondage The law doth threaten accuse condemne so long as we be children in vnderstanding dwarfes in faith ignorant of Christ. Saint Paul cals the law rudiments of the world not onely because it is our first schoolemaster and A B C to Christ but because it leaues a man in the world and prepares not a way for him to heauen I kill not I steale not I commit not adultery this outward honest conuersation is not the kingdome of Christ but the righteousnes of the world The law when it is in his principall vse cannot iustifie but accuse terrifie condemne Now these are things of the world which because it is the kingdome of the diuell is nothing else but a puddle of sinne death hell and of all euill and so the whole law especially the ceremoniall are beggerly rudiments of the world I speake not this to disgrace the law neither doth Paul so meane for it is holy righteous spirituall diuine but because Paul is in the matter of iustification it is as Luther obserues exceeding necessary that he should speake of the law as of a very contemptible thing Wherefore when Satan assaults thee with the terrors of the law banish that stutting and stammering Moses far from thee let him vtterly be suspected as an heretike or as an excommunicate person worse then the Pope worse then the diuell himselfe quoth Luther buâ— out of the matter of iustification and conflict of conscience reuerence Moses as a great Prophet as a man of God euen as God In the ciuill life Moses and Christ agree for our Sauiour said he came not to destroy but to fulfill the law but in the spirituall life the one cannot abide the other for no man is iustified by the la but the iust shall â—â—ue by faith And therefore when Christ is presenâ— the law must depart out of the conscience and leaue the bed which is so strait that it cannot hold two to Christ alone Let him onely raigne in righteousnesse in peace ioy life that the soule may sleepe and repose it selfe in the multitude of his mercies sweetly without any terror of the law sinne death hell And thus you see the law tyranniseth ouer our consciences as the cruell tutor doth ouer his vnfortunate Ward till God in fulnesse of time giueth vs freedome by Christ. When the time was full come Not by fatall necessitie but by Gods appointment For there is a time for all things and Almighty God doth all things in his due time he created and redeemed vs in his due time preserueth iustifieth sanctifieth in his due time and he will also glorifie vs in his due time Now the comming of Christ in the flesh is called the fulnesse of time for many respects as 1. For the fulnesse of grace receiued by his comming 2. Because Christ is the fulfilling of the promises of God as being in him yea and amen 3. Because the Law and the Prophets are fulfilled in him 4. Because the times from Christ are the ends of the world and it was fit hee should come so late when the time was full for two reasons especially 1. Because Christ is a Lord yea the Lord and therefore most meete there should be great preparation and long expectation of so puissant a person 2. Because Christ is the grand Physition of the world and therefore very requisite al sinners his patients should throughly feele their sicknesse and misery before hee came to visit and redeeme them vt conuincerentur homines de morbo vt quantum ad defectum scientiae in lege naturae quantum ad defectum virtutis in lege scripta His Sonne God is father of All men and all things by creation generally His elect by adoption specially Christ by nature singularly See before the Creed Art His onely Sonne Made of a woman In expounding this clause we must take heed of sundry wicked heresies on the left hand and on the right On the left first of Paulus Samosatenus and Fotinus affirming that Christ had his being and beginning from his mother Mary whereas the Scripture teacheth plainly that Christ was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh not according to his person for that is eternall In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God Againe we must take heed of Ebion holding that Christ was not conceiued of the holy Ghost but begot of Ioseph and the reason of his madnesse is taken hence because Mary is called a woman not a virgin Our answere is that a woman in scripture doth not alway signifie the maried or one that hath knowne a man but sometime it doth onely denotate the sex as Gen. 3.12 The woman which thou gauest
to be with mâ— she gaue me of the tree and I did eat Eua must needs be a virgin because so soone as she was made she was maried and yet the text calles her woman at that time when there could bee no time for man to corrupt her On the right hand we must shun the rockes of Valentinus and Nestorius of Valentinus who taught Christ had not his body from Mary but that he brought it with him from heauen and passed thorow the wombe of the virgin as water thorow a conduit pipe contrary to the text here made of a woman Ex muliere non in muliere not in a woman but of a woman And the preposition ex notes the matter as an house is made of timber and stone bread is made of wheat wine of grapes and therefore Christ had the materials of his body from Mary so some copies haue it here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet Christ had not his formale principium of Mary for the holy Chost was agent in his wonderfull conception and therefore fitly said here to be borne or as we reade to be made not begotten of a woman By this also we may shun Nestorius his rocke who thought Mary might not be called the mother of the Sonne of God for the text is plaine God sent his Sonne made of a woman Ergo the Sonne of God was the sonne of Mary For the confutation of this error the famous Councell of Ephesus was assembled wherein it was concluded and that in the first canon that Mary should be called the mother of God See before the Creed Art Borne of the virgin Mary Bond to the law Though he were Lord of the law yet made he himselfe subiect to the law circumcised according to the law and presented in the Temple according to the law yea it executed vpon him all the iurisdiction it had ouer vs. It doth by good right accuse conuince condemne vs. For alas all of vs are sinners and by nature the children of 〈◊〉 but Christ did no sinne neither was there guile fâ—und in his mouth yet notwithstanding the law was no lesse cruell against this innocent and blessed lambe then it was against vs cursed and damnable sinners yea much more rigorous For it made him guilty before God of all the sinnes of the whole world It terrified and oppressed him with such an heauinesse of spirit that he sweat blood and in fine condemned him to death euen the death of the Crosse. Thus Christ was made bond vnto the law to redeeme them which were bond vnto the law for hee died for our sinnes and indured all this for our sakes and so being vnder the law conquered the law by a double right first as the Sonne of God and Lord of the law secondly in our person which is as much as if our selues had ouercome the law for his victory is ours And therefore remember alway this sweet and comfortable text in the midst of all dangers all assaults of tyrants all temptations of Satan in the houre of death especially saying to the law Thou hast no power ouer me for God the Father hath sent his Sonne to redeeme mee from thy bondage thou dost accuse terrifie condemne in vaine for I will creepe into the hole which bloudy Longinus made with his speare in my Sauiours side There will I hide my selfe from all my foes I will plunge my conscience in his wounds death victorious resurrection glorious ascension besides him I will see nothing I will heare nothing The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. The Nouelists exception against our translating naturall sonnes is idle for our Communion booke doth not call vs naturall sonnes as Christ is Gods naturall Sonne by eternall generation but as it were naturalized by spiritual regeneration adopted through election and grace so Paul elsewhere termeth vs Coheâ—res with Christ. Neither doth this paraphrase wrong the Patriarks before the law nor the Prophets vnder the law for as I haue noted out of Martin Luther Chirst who came in the flesh once comes in the spirit daily crying Abba Father as it followeth in the text he is one yesterday and to day and shall be the same for euer Yesterday before the time of his comming in the flesh today now he is reuealed in fulnesse of time For euer the same lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world The Fathers then had Christ in spirit which holy spirit made them free from the bondage of the law so that they and we are saued by one and the same grace by one and the same faith in one and the same Christ. How the blessed Spirit crieth in our hearts assuring our spirit that we are the children of God helping our infirmities and making request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed see before The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. This Epistle doth accord with the Gospell which intimates in particular how Christ became the Sonne of man that hee might make vs the sonnes of God how Christ is Iesus and Emmanuel Both fit the time that in the midst of Christmas our soule might magnifie the Lord and our spirit reioice in God our Sauiour who was made of a woman and made bond vnto the law to redeeme those who were bound vnto the law that wee might bee sonnes and heires of God through him The Gospel MATTH 1.1 Liber generationis Iesu Christi filij Dauid filij Abraham SVmma Theologiae Scriptura summa scripturae Euangelium summa Euangelij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summa summarum Iesus Christus filius Dauid filius Abraham ille primus ille postremus Alpha legis Omega Euangely principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amen Velatus in veteri Testamento reuelatus in nouo in illo praedictus in isto praedicatus Vno spiritu dicam breuissimè nihil aliud continet verbum Domini nisi verbum Dominum Innuit hoc in praesentiâ—itulo Matthaeus annuit Paulus ad Corinthios primâ— Non statui quicquam inter vos scire nisi Iesum Christum crucifixum Apertiùs ait Augustinus confessionum quinto cap. 4. Infoelix homo qui scit caetera omnia te autem nescit beatus autem quite scit etiamsi illa omnia nesciat qui verò te illa nouit non propter illa beatior sed propter te solum beatissimus Est ars artium scientia scientiarum ea legere agere quae narrantur in hoc libro generationis filij Dauid filij Abraham Cuius frontispicij duo sunt luminae Inscriptio Euangelij Descriptio Christi Inscriptionis vt ita loquar duo praecipus sunt radij respâ—cientes Euangelium 1. Quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Quòd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Descriptionis item duo
together immoderate diet begets chambering chambering wantonnes wantonnes strife strife enuying thus sinne doth first couple then increase This text ought to be regarded of vs the more because it was the very place to which Augustine that renowned Doctour by a voyce from heauen was directed at his first conuersion as himselfe witnesseth Lib. 8. confess cap. 12. Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ. As we must put off the old man so put on the new man and that is done two waies either by putting on his merits or by putting on his maners Our Sauiour Christ in his life but in his death especially wrought for vs a garment of saluation and a long white robe of righteousnes now the spirituall hand of faith must apprehend and fit this wedding apparell on vs in such sort that all our vnrighteousnes may be forgiuen and all our sinne couered Secondly we must put on the maners and excellent vertues of Christ in whom was no worke of darknes but all armour of light so the phrase is vsed Iob 29.14 I put on iustice and it couered me my iudgement was a robe and a crowne This apparell is the true Perpetuan neuer the worse but the better for wearing The Gospel MATTH 21.1 And when they drew nigh vnto Hierusalem c. CHrist is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and ending wherefore the Church allotting a seuerall scripture for euery seueral Sunday thoroughout the whole yeare begins and ends with the comming of Christ for the conclusion of the last Gospell appointed for the last Sunday is Of a truth this is the same Prophet that should come into the world and the first sentence in the first Gospell for the first Sunday Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Wherein the Church imitated the method of Gods owne Spirit for as the first prophesie mentioâ—ed in the old Testament is The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head and the first historie deliuered in the new Testament is The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ so the first Gospell on the first Dominical according to the Churches account is Aduentual a scripture describing Christ and his kingdome fitting the text vnto the time teaching vs hereby two things especially first what maner of person the Messias is who doth come secondly what maner of persons we should be now he is come In the former part obserue two points a Preface All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of by the prophet verse 4. Prophesie taken out of Zacha. 9.9 Tell the daughter of Sion c. All this was done that it might be fulfilled An vsuall phrase with our Euangelist as cap. 1.22 cap. 8.17 cap. 27. 35. It doth insinuate the sweet harmonie betweene the Prophets and Apostles as Numenius said Plato was nothing els but Moyses translated out of Hebrew into Greeke and Ascham that Virgil is nothing els but Homer turned out of Greeke into Latine and as the Nouelists affirme that our Communion Booke is nothing els but the Romane Missall and Portuis thrust out of Latine into English and as Diuines haue censured Cyprian to be nothing els but Tertullian in a more familiar and elegant stile so the new Testament is nothing els as it were but an exposition of the old That difference which Zeno put betweene Logicke and Rhetorick Diuines vsually make betweene the Law and the Gospell the Law like the fist shut the Gospell like the hand open Euangelium reuelata Lex Lex occultum Euangelium The Gospell a reuealed Law the Law a hidden Gospell This harmonicall concent may serue to confound our aduersaries and to comfort our selues It doth abundantly confute obstinate Iewes who expect another Messias to come conceiting as yet all things not to be done in the Gospell which was said of him in the Law so that whereas the great question of the world is Who is that Christ and the great question of the Church Who is that Antichrist the Iewish Rabbins are ignorant in both Secondly this harmonie conuinceth all suâ—h Hereticks as hold two sundry disagreeing Gods to be the authors of the two Testaments one of the Law another of the Gospell It affordeth also comfort first in generall it may perswade the conscience that the Bible is the booke of God For if Prolomee was astonished at the 72. Interpreters because being placed in sundry roomes and neuâ—r conferring nor seeing one another did notwithstandiâ—g write the same not only for sense of matter but in sound of words vpon the selfe-same text as Iustin Martyr and Augustine report then how should we be moued with the most admirable diuine concoâ—dance betweene the Prophets and Apostles who writing the word of God in diuers places at diuers times vpon diuers occasions do notwithstanding agree so generally that they seeme not diuers pen-men but rather inâ—â—â—ed only diuers pens of one and the same writer In more particular it may strengthen our faith in the gracious promises of Almighty God he speakes the word and it is done commands and it is effected Heauen and earth shall passe but not one iot of his word shal perish he promised by Zachary that the Messias of the world should come and he tels vs here by Matâ—hew that he is come All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Behold thy king commeth vnto thee Thus much of the Prâ—face generally now to fist the words seuerally Thaâ— is taken here non causaliter sed consecutiuè not for an efficient cause but rather for a consequence and euent Christ did not thus â—ide into Hierusalem because Zachary foretold it but Zachary foretold it because Christ would thus ride Christ being the complement of the Prophets and end of the Law yet the word That insinuates as Chrysostome notes the finall cause why Christ did thus ride namely to certifie the Iewes how that himselfe only was that King of whom their prophet Zachâ—ry did thus speake that none but he was the King of the Iewes and Messias of the world Fulfilled A prophesie may be said to be fulfilled foure wayes especially 1. When the selfe-same thing comes to passe which was literally deliuered in the prophesie So S. Math. cap. 1.22 saith Esayes prophesie Behold a Virgin shall conceiue c. was fulfilled in Mary who brought forth a Sonne c. 2. When the thing allegorically signified is fulfilled as Exod. 12 46. it is said of the Paschall Lambe Yee shall not breake a bone thereof yet S. Iohn cap. 19.36 affirmes this to be fulfilled in Christ The souldiers brake not his legs that the scripture should be fulfilled Not a bone of him shall be broken 3. When as neither the thing literally nor allegorically ment but some other like is done so Christ Math. 15. tels the peâ—â—le in his time that the words of Esay This people draweth neere vnto
but vpon constraint of law and penaltie of statute such oblations are not acceptable because they bee not quicke The Lord loueth a cheerefull giuer and thanksgiuer Nothing is done well but that only which is done with our will freely readily liuely Or quicke That is quickned through faith for as the soule is the life of the body so faith is y e life of the soule without which he y t liueth is dead for the iust doth liue by faith Hâ—e situs esâ— Vacia said Seneca when he passâ—d by the ground of that voluptuous Epicure Vacia lieth here dead and buried and so Paâ—l of a widow liuing in pleasure She is dead euen while she doth liue That our sacrifice therefore may bee liuing it must proceede from a faith that is liuely Or liuing That is a continuall sacrifice The sacrifices of the Iewes haue now their end but the sacrifices of Christians are without end We must 〈◊〉 giue thanks and alâ—aies pray The fire on our altar must neuer goe out our sacrifice neuer die In the Law beasts appointed for sacrifice were first slaine and then offered and that for two causes especially first as Ambrose notes to put the sacrificer in mind what hee deserued by sinne namely death and secondly because those bloodie sacrifices were types of Christs death on the crosse which is the propitiation for our sinnes In like manner euery Christian sacrifice must bee dead to the world that he may liue to God mortifying his earthly members and crucifying his carnall affections that he may become a new creature in Christ. As death depriues a man of naturall life so mortification destroyes the bodie of sinne which is the sensuall life Moriatur ergo ne moriatur mutetur homo ne dâ—mnetur quoth Augustine We must die for a time in this life lest wee die for euer in the next life Wee must rise againe with Christ saith Paul Now a man must be dead before hee can rise againe first grafted with Christ to the similitude of his death and after to the similitude of his resurrection Hee that liued ill and now demeanes himselfe well is risen againe from the death of sinne to the life of grace mortified and yet a liuing sacrifice the more mortified the more liuing Rom. 8.13 If ye mortifie the deedes of the bodie by the spirit ye shall liue This killing of our beastly desires is verie fit whether we consider our selues as Men. This killing of our beastly desires is verie fit whether we consider our selues as Ciuill men This killing of our beastly desires is verie fit whether we consider our selues as Christian men This killing of our beastly desires is verie fit whether we consider our selues as Eminent men As men that we may leade our life not according to sense but according to reason otherwise wee should be rather sensuall beasts then reasonable men As ciuill men that we may not liue according to lust but according to law though not according to conscience yet according to custome that wee breake not the statutes and disturbe not the common-wealth wherein we liue The Philosophers in old time comprehended all points of mortification in these two words sustine abstine As Christian men for he that will be Christs disciple must deny himselfe abnegare suos sua se. The kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force that is by mortification and daily fighting against the lusts of the flesh as Basil Chrysostome Augustine Hierome Gregoriâ— Theophylact Euthymius expound it Last of all yet most of all mortification is necessarie for eminent persons either in the Ministerie or Magistracie For great ones ought especially to be good Their sacrifice must be most quicke that they may be paternes vnto other as it were walking statutes and talking lawes to the people Holy The second thing required in our sacrifice so we reade Leuit. 22. that vnhallowed and vncleane persons ought not to touch the things of the Lord. Ye shall be holy for I the Lord am holy this is the will of God euen our sanctification The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued as Plato notes of the priuatiue particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying that holie things are not infected with the corruptions and filth of the world when our throte is an open sepulchre when our mouth is full of cursing and bitternes when our feete are swift to shed blood when our bodies are sinkes of sinne wee cannot be an holie sacrifice for the law is plaine Yee shall not offer any thing that hath a blemish not a beast that is scabbed not a bullocke nor a sheepe that hath a member lacking The drunkard then that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without his head as Clemens Alexandrinus termed him and the coward who wants an heart and the rotten adulterer whose bodie is neither holie nor whole is no sacrifice for the Lord. The Latines haue deduced the word sanctum of sancire quasi sancitum hereby teaching vs that our sacrifice must be constant and continuall That by-word A yong Saint an old Diuell is a wrie word for wee must be good in our youth better in our manhood best of all in our old age wee must grow from grace to grace till wee bee of full growth in Christ dedicating all that is within vs all that is without vs all that is about vs vnto the seruice of God Seruius expounding the words of Virgil Qui foedera numine sancit affrmes that sanctum is sanguine consecratum and so must our sacrifice be consecrated and dipped in Christs blood in whom only God is well pleased and therefore as it followeth in the text if holie then acceptable Now that it may bee well accepted of God two things are required especially 1. That it bee grounded vpon his word 2. That it be performed in faith Obedience is better then sacrifice no sacrifice then is pleasing to God except it bee done according to his will inuocation of Saints adoration of the consecrated host administration of the Sacraments vnder one kinde diuine seruice in an vnknowne tongue praying to the dead mumbling of Masses iumbling of beades worshipping of Images and other like trash which are the very Diana of the Romisâ— religion haue no foundation in holie Scripture not built vpon the rocke Christ but vpon the sands of humane braines and therefore not acceptable but abominable to the Lord. A new religion is no religion To deuise phantasies of God is as bad as to say there is no God Againe courses of life not warranted by Gods owne booke such as are rather auocations from God and goodnesse then vocations as ordinarie cheating brotheldrie coniuring and all other vnlawfull occupations or professions are not a sweete fauour to God but altogether stinking in his nostrels If we
disciples came to him and awoke him Almighty God likes in our necessity this importunity Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the time of trouble Psal. 91.15 He shall call vpon me and I will heare him And therefore learne by this example to come to Christ to cry to Christ in all extremity renouncing your selues and relying vpon him onely Master saue vs or else we perish He said vnto them Why are ye fearfull O yee of little faith It was great faith in that they followed Christ into the ship but little faith in that they feared He saith not O ye of no faith but O ye of little faith It was impossible to come vnto God and call vpon Christ without faith in saying we perish they shewed infidelity but in praying saue vs they manifested faith Againe he doth not say yee of little courage or ye of little charity but ye of little faith because faith is the ground of all other vertues and in aduersity most vsefull If we belieue that Christ is our Captaine in the ship with vs who can be against vs And therefore Paul Ephes. 6.16 Aboue all put on the shield of faith wherewith ye may quench all the fiery darts of the diuell Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea Christ reprehends the disciples a little but instantly grants their requests his reprehensions had not so much sting as honie for a great calme followed a little chiding at his word the stormy wind ariseth which lifteth vp the waues of the sea They are caried vp to heauen and downe againe to the deep their soule melteth away because of the trouble They reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are at their wits end But when they cry to the Lord in their trouble he deliuereth them out of their distresse for he maketh the storme to cease so that the waues thereof are still A great calme followed a great tempest Decet enim magâ—um magna facere Christ spake but one word to the violent windes and vnruly seas and they both obeyed his command He doth at sundry times and in diuers maners speake to vs and yet wee will not hearken vnto his voice The spectators of this act might therefore wonder to see the senslesse water and weather obey more then man indued with reason and religion The men maruelled Ideo premantur iusti vt pressi clament clamantes exaudiantur exauditi glorificent Deum A great storme caused in the disciples a great feare great feare great deuotion great deuotion occasioned Christ to worke this great miracle this great miracle moued this great admiration What is this man that commands as a God And when he was come to the other side Two points are to be considered in this miracle principally the Gratiousnesse of Christ in curing two possessed of diuels Vngratiousnesse of the Gergesites preferring a peece of bacon before the Gospell hogs before Christ. Such as respect their tithe pig more then their Pastor are Gergesites and deserue that Christ should depart out of their coasts I will not in particular examine these but in stead thereof insert a few notes vpon the last verse of the first Chapter appointed to be read at morning praier this Sunday preached at Pauls Crosse. Ian. 29. 1608. ESAY 57.21 There is no peace to the wicked saith my God This text is a proclamation of warre against the wicked enemies to God and his Gospell wherein obserue the thing proclaimed No peace to the wicked An heauy doome whether we consider the time the matter or the men for there is no time no peace no wicked if impenitent excepted person proclaiming the Prophet as Herald Lord as chiefe CoÌ„mander able to make this war because God willing to maintaine this war because my God This sentence would not be so grieuous if it were not so generall if any wicked man at any time could inioy any kind of peace but the proposition is an vniuersall negatiue non est pax impiâ—s Our and other translations haue it not in the time past non erat there was no peace nor in the future non erit there shall be no peace but in the present there is no peace Or as it is in the originall indefinitely without a verbe naming no time that wee might feare this iudgement at all times Cognatum imò innatum omni sceleri sceleris supplicium In the words of Saint Paul the wages of sinne is death as the worke is ready so the pay present nec aufertur nec defertur if impiety no impunity When sin is finished it hath his hire scelus aliquis tutum nemo securum tulit If we consider a wicked man out of Christ he hath neither here peace of grace nor hereafter peace of glory but as he passeth from sinne to sinne he goeth as it were from diuell to diuell euen from hell to hell from the flashes to the flame from hell internall to hell eternall As this includes all time so likewise excludes all peace For albeit Harding found a great difference between no bread not bread yet Interpreters here make no difference betweene not peace and no peace For the wicked haue no peace with man no peace with God no peace with themselues None with man for as it is said in the verse before my text The wicked are like the raging sea whose waters cast vp dirt and mire They are of their owne nature turbulent but if we stir them a little then they fume and some like the sea both actiue saith Musculus and passiue being neither peace makers nor peace takers For nature and scripture tell vs plainly that righteousnesse is elder sister to peace So said Aristotle natures chiefe Secretary that agreement in euill is not loue but conspiracie So Dauid a man after Gods owne heart and a penner of Gods owne will iustitia pax osculatae sunt righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other As Augustine vpon the place fiat iustitia habebis pacem if thou wilt haue peace worke righteousnesse first eschew euill and doe good then seeke peace and insue it Psal. 34.13 Nay you need not seeke it for it will finde you peace will come of it selfe to kisse righteousnesse On the contrary no truth no mercy where there is no loue of good there can be no good of loue no true friendship except it be Christi glutino copulata glewed together in Christ a man can hardly be true friend to any that is not first truly friend to truth it selfe It was an excellent speech of Constantius how can they be faithfull vnto their Prince who are persidious and vnfaithfull vnto their God I tell thee saith Augustine to Martianus albeit you were mine old acquaintance yet neuer my friend vntill you were my louer in Christ. And therefore when Iehoram said vnto Iehu Is it peace Iehu replied