times betwixt them both but it were in so manifest a truth but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew light to the Sun as the Greeke Adage speaketh All which haue first begun to walke by error proceeded to stand in Schisme and haue concluded to sett downe in Heresie Secondly the increasement of sinne from Walking to Standing from Standing to Setting downe holdeth the course in the corruption of manners by impiety so it was in Iudas who was first a cunning dissembler Second a secret Theefe third an Impudent Lyar fourth a Bloudy Traytor fift and lastly a desperate Reprobate First sinne seemeth Importable then Heauy then Light then Desirable then Insensible and past feeling and in the end Defensible so as wee make a shamelesse and publike defence of it Sinne therefore getteth strength by committing as Figures in Arithmeticke by numbring where the first place standeth but for One the second for Tenne the third for an Hundred the fourth for a Thousand So Sinne when it is first committed seemeth to haue but the strength of One in the second place of Tenne in the third place of an Hundred in the fourth place of a Thousand and so if it be infinitely committed it may be infinitely multiplyed Chrisostom in Psalmos Calleth our sinn by the name of Ragges to shew that as ragges the longer they bee worne the more they are increased So sinne the more it is practised the further it is inlarged A storme wee see by experience if it in the first beginning thereof dissolueth groweth to nothing but a barren mistinesse and so departeth but if it more and more gathereth vnto it selfe and thickneth in the own substance it falleth from heauen to the earth by the rage of an infinit dropping peccatum procella saith Chrysost Sinne is this storme which if we shall at the first Chry homil 5. ad â—opull Antioch dispell or disparke it shall be shaken off with no more hurt to our soules then the viper brought to Paules hand when hee shooke it into the fire and it did him no harme Acts 28. 5. But if wee shall by often committing make it like vnto him Abac. 2. 6. who was laden Act. 28. 5. Abuc 2. 6. with thicke clay it will like vnto the Indian Figg-tree ground it selfe with an infinite rooting Sinne is not vnlike to a Ring-worme which desireth to be rubbed and then increaseth by rubbing The itching humor of one Sinne intifeth vs to the committing of many the committing of many to a custome of sinning a custome of sinning to a sencelessenesse of sinne a sencelessenesse of sin to a finall impenitency when that saying of Hesiodus shall be verified in vs. Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 waxe old in wickednesse yea Hesiodus and die in it also bequeathing Oh fearefull security their bodies to the Beere of death while they themselues sitte in the Chayre of sinne Isiodorus saith that sinn is committed either by ignorance Isiodorus this may bee likened to the walking in the councel of the wicked or by Infirmitie this may answer to the Standing in the way of sinners or else of sett purpose this may fitte the sitting on the seat of the scornefull This is the full pitch of sinne causing sinne to be as the Sunne at noone-day in his full strength This increasing of sinne whereby sinne is so intertayned as it is also cherished ought to mpose vpon vs the exercise of a twofold Taske for the auoidance therof The former Taske concerneth the hinderance of the Planting of Sinne before it bee planted The second Taske informeth the Supplanting of sinne after it bee planted Concerning the hinderance of the planting of sinne before it bee planted A most happy thing it is if God giue vs grace to attayne vnto it for what more happy thing can there be then to haue escaped the mortal sting of a deadly Serpent Sin is this Serpent from which because it stingeth as a Serpent wee are willed to flee as from the face of a Serpent Eccles 21. 2. What is more happy then to haue auoyded the ragâ—â—g flame of a tormenting fire Sin is this fire which a man cannot beare in his bosome but hee must of necessity be burnt with it Prouâ—â— 6. 27. What is more happy then to haue declined the flattering treasons of a false Traytor Sinne is this Traytor fawning on a man with a Kisse and betraying him to the Crosse as sometime did Iudas Math. 26. 49. What is more happy then to bee Ridded from the Iawes and Talants of a hungry angry Lyon who longeth speedily greedily to deuour vs Sin saith S. Basil is the Diuell and the Diuel is this Lyon 1. Pet. 5. 8. What to conclude is more happy then to be deliuered from a mortall poison which will not only worke the dissolution of the body but euen the wracke of the Soule Sin is this dealy poyson Iames 3. 8. Oh! then it must needs bee deemed a Quintessentiall parte of happinesse or an happynesse of happinesse to hinder this planting that as not a Dart of Senacherib was shot against Ierusalem the Citty of the Lord. 2. Reg. 19. 32. So not a plant of Satan may take roote in our soules the garden of the Lord. Lett vs therefore with Heartes of Loue and Armes of zeale affect and imbrace that Councell which Sainte Basill giueth Quaeso ne bibas poculum S. Basill aâ—m ad Fil. spiritu c. I intreat thee not to drinke of the cuppe wherby thou hast seen many to perish Receiue not the meat which thou hast seen eaten to the destruction of others Go not that way where thou hast knowne many to suffer shipwrack Auoid those snares where-with thou hast vnderstood others to be taken To yâ— which I may Adde preuent those Plants whose increase is so prodigious whose sap so venemous Secondly seeing sin proceedeth from footing to rooting from rooting to shooting out to such an increase It is necessary for vs if wee cannot hinder the Planting of sin by Prouidence yet to make the Supplanting of it with speed which is either done by making of Resistance vnto it or else by crauing of Assistance against it First it is done by making of resistance vnto it and this is performed either by weakning the hability of Sinne or else by opposing of his contrary vnto sinne First by weakning of the ability of sin as by taking away all the occasions to sin by remouing all the susteinments of sinne by making a holy Couenant with euery member of our bodies and power of our soules euer to to repell sin neuer to admit it by which meanes it may come to passe that sin may be as a Lake into which the current of no Stream runneth which must needs be dryed vpp as a House without a foundation which must needs be ruinated as a Cittie besieged without sustenance which must needs be â—aâ—â—ished Secondly it is done by opposing of his contrary vnto sin Charity to Mallice Temperance
terris most neare the earth so the Church of God said to be Militant here vppon Earth cannot auoid but thereby become some-what earthy Thirdly the Moone is eclipsed by the interposition of the earth betwixt the Sun it so the Church of God no doubt is som-what blemished by the interposition of the eatrthhy members of our fleshly concupiscence betweene the graces of Christ and it Fourthly the Moone hath her spottes so hath the Church of God her blemishes The Mone then wee may see for one benefit that shee hath receiued in that she is made glorious with the beames of the Sun hath a threefold inconuenience that shee cannot but som-what be tainted by the earth being the nearest caelestial body vnto the earth that she is eclipsed and obscured by the putting betweene of the earth betwixt the Sun and hir that she hath hir spots in her to shew that if the church here siguified by the Moone hath any good she hath it not from her selfe but from Christ as the Moone hath her brightnesse from the Sunne and for that one good with the Moone she hath a threefold euilâ— Imperfect therefore is the Church in this life as she that weareth this badge of imperfection Wee must further know that this part of the Assembly of the righteous the Church militant which groneth vnder affliction and â—mpeth by imperfection is congregate and mette together chiefly to exercise a threefold duty first to heare the word secondly to bee partakers of the sacraments thirdly to begge what we need and to offer vppe the sacrifice of praise and thankes-giuing A thing anciently vsed by the Church and perpetually to continue in the church this may appeare to haue had an ancient vse in the church by those three thousand soules whome Peter by one Sermon had added to the Act. 2. 42. Church which first Continued in the Apostles doctrine there is the assembly of hearing the word Secondly in breaking of Bread there 〈◊〉 receiuing of one of the sacraments Thirdly In prayer there is begging that was needfull and the tendering to GOD the sacrifice of thankesgiuing This is one part of the Assembly of the righteous which how-soeuer it is not wholy to bee excluded yet is not so directly intended in this place where it is said that the sinners shall not â—â—se or stand in the Assembly of the righeous The second part of the Assembly of the righteous is that which is tryumphant in heauen which shall then be accomplished on Gods chosen when they which suffer here with Christ shall in heauen bee gloryfied with Christ at Rom 8. 17. which time the affliction and imperfection which haue beene annexed vnto their Crosse shall be turned into tryumph and perfectâ—on necessarily accompanying their Crowne In the Church militant as one speaketh mala persâ—quntur euills doe persecute vs But in the Church tryumphant bona sequentur good thinges shall follow vs. The euer-flowing and indeed ouer-flowing abundance of which happy estate causeth Saint Augustine August to say that therein wee may more easily tell quid non sit quam quid sit what there is not then what there is For of this wee may bee well assured that in this glorious Assembly of the righteous there shall be no weaknesse no sorrowing no calamity no corruption no death no greefe no discontentment But the thinges wee shall there inioy are first for their quality ioy and pleasures Secondly for their quantity fulnesse of them Thirdly for their Constancy at Gods right hand from whence it is vnpossible they should bee remoued Fourthly for their continuance for euer-more euen in the presence of God In whose presence there is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand Psal 16. 12. there is pleasure for euermore This is the Assembly of the righteous heere principally meant which the Sinners shall not rise nor stand in because they shall neuer attaine to this tryumph neuer to this perfection neuer to this pleasure this presence this right hand this ioy The second point offered vnto our obseruation hauing learned what is the Assembly of the righteous is that the sinners shall not rise nor stand there But may some man say this is a hard saying Ioh. 6. 60. Who then can bee saued For wee are all sinners The authority of the Apoâ—â—le excellently proueth this point Rom. 5. 12. As by one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne so death went ouer all men for as much as all haue sinned The Apostle in that place intendeth to Mark 10. 26. shew the enterance of death into the world in foure points First from whom from one man that is Adam Secondly by what by sin Thirdly to whome to all men Fourthly the reason of it because All men haue sinned If there weare any man which had not sinned that man could not dye But all men dye as wee say in Shooles eyther Actualiter or Potentialiter in Act or in Power because though Henoch and â—eliah where taken away before their death yet had they sinfull bodyes subiect vnto morâ—ality therefore must all men of necessity bee conuicted of sinne also The earth is the most vnâ—elane Element as that which settleth it selfe in the bottom of this glorious frame or fabricke of the world as the dregges doe in the lowest parts of their vessell of this earth is euery man composed If then the heauens themselues whose Curtaines are spred out with more glory then those of Salomon Cant 1. 4. be vncleane in Gods sight Iob. 15. 15. how much more man which is but dust and earth If God hath found no stedfaâ—â—nesse no not in his Saints which are soe named of holinesse What is man that hee should bee clâ—ane or hee Ioh. 15. 14. 15 that is borne of a woman that hee should bee iust Man may bee considered in two estates in the estate of nature and in the estate of grace In the estate of nature whereby a man is meerely man and borne of a woman in which respect hee muâ—â— bee sayd to bee vncleane and vniust In the estate of grace by which a man becommeth a Saint yet in that estate also in the fore-aâ—eaged â—lace God findeth no stedfasâ—â—esse in him In neither state then can man bee cleered but in both estates condenmed to bee sinfull The Heathens themselues haue not beene vnacquainted with the truth of this matter among whome one saith Cebes in tabu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—eâ—y man coâ—miâ—g into this life driâ—keth from the cuppe of 〈◊〉 eâ—â—or and igâ—orance â—â—â—ery man then be a sinner and no 〈◊〉 shall rise 〈◊〉 stand in the assembly of the righteous what 〈◊〉 â—â—vs but â—xâ—ect that seâ—â—â—nce which Christ◠〈◊〉 agâ—â—â—st sinners Depart from me yea Matth. 7. â—3 that worke iniquity That I may the better answeare this obiection wee must know thaâ— there is a two-fold Sinner The former so sinneth as he 〈◊〉 with â—isâ—th from his sinne hauing because he hath sinned
euery side and that God had blessed the worke of his hand and his substance was increased in the land Iob. 1. 10. His vertuous actions as the vertuous actions of the righteous were prospered Secondly which haply may seeme strange he shal prosper in his Vices This prosperity accrueth vnto the righteous man from his Vices not simply but respectiuely not in regard of the beeing or existence of the Vice but of the dependance or consequence thereupon not in respect of the act but of somethinge deriued from the act For bee it far from the heart of any man to thinke it from thetongue of any Pastor whose lippâ—s God hath touched with a coale from his Altar to publish it for the eare of any Christian to listen vnto it which certaine men whom the God of this world hath blinded 2. Corin 4 4. namely the Libertines Swenckâ—eldians but most especialy the Familists haue broched and maintained that when GOD is Hominified in man and man Deified in GOD whatsoeuer man doth yet is it accepted with GOD alledging for themselues Scriptures to no better purpose then the Diuell vidz All thinges shall bee cleane vnto you If all thinges say they shall bee cleane then our sinnes Math. 4. Luk. 4. Luk. 11. 41 likewise Again there is no condemnatioÌ„ to them which are in Christ Iesus If no condemnation say they then let them do whatsoeuer they wil they shal bee saued An interpretation of Rom. 8. 1. Scripture with like vnto the vipers brood eateth out the bowels of the text by taking yâ— which may serue their turne omitting that which may make against them wheras they should haue well scanned that which our Sauiour Christ speaketh who is so far from admitting that darknesse should become light as these men would haue it in that they would make vice vertue as he◠〈◊〉 vâ—geth this caueat that we should Take heed that oâ—r â—â—ght doth â—oâ— become darknesse Likewise thâ— Apoâ—â—lâ— S. Paul in the fore-alledged Luke 11. 35. place that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesuâ— Annexeth that which must of necessity bee implyâ—d to them which walke not after the flesh but afâ—er the spirâ—t These men therfore if they walke after the Rom. 8. 1. flâ—sh stand not in the state of saluation but are to be sentenced with dome of condemnation But where I affirme that that the doings of the godly man shall prosper as well in his Vice as his Vertues my meaning is not as I formerly distinguished simply in the existence and act of sinnne but respectiuely in the dependance or some-thing deriuatiue from the act thereof The Godly man no sooner falleth into sinne but he forth-with riseth againe How many fallings so many risings how many â—rrors so many returnings into the way how many pollutions and defilements by the sinne of Adam so many bathings and cleansings by the blood of Christ that as his Offences do abound so his Repentance may superabound Lead thy captiuity captiue thou sonne of Abinoam Iud. 5. 12. The Godly man hath bene led captiue by sin but so as afterward he also leadeth this his captiuity captiue though sin causeth them on whome it ceazeth both in the affections and actions to be Bestiall Beast-like yet vseth the Godly man repentance as the Priest vsed the sacrificing-knife to kill those beasts in mortifying of his earthly members Coloss 3. 5. Though his sinnes bee as Tares in his conuersation yet his Repentance as teares in his eyes sueth and sobbeth for remission He indeauoureth for that perfection which may occasion him truely to auouch with Dauid Psal 6. 6. 7. that hee doth not onely shedde teares but in that aboundance which 1 watereth his couch 2. causeth his bed to swim 3. not some but euery night 4. so as his â—ie was dimmed yea as it is in the Originall his eye was eaten as it were with wormes Hee riseth from the Graue of sinne as Christ arose from the graue of death 1. betimes 2 neuer to returne thither againe He prouideth all that he may not to sinne at all but because it cannot be auoyded but hee must sinne when hee hath sinned he husbandeth his sinne to the best aduantage and will not continue in it but as speedily as may bee deliuer himselfe from it answearing therein as writeth Saint Augustine to the August praesat in lib. retrecta Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fore-wit and after-wit by which name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or after-wit repentance is also called His offending of God causeth Godly sorrow this Godly sorrow leadeth vnto repentance not to bee repented of 2 Corinth 7. 10. The effect of that is in him to bee found which is witnessed by Saint Chrisost Peccatum dolorem peperit dolor Chryso hom de pâ—nitent peccatum contriuit Sinne hath brought forth sorrow and sorrow hath crushed sinne a sunder euen saith hee as the worme which is bred in the woode perisheth the woode that breedeth it so sorrow which is borne of sinne proueth sinnes distruction In which sence euen the doings of the vices of the GODLY man may bee sayd to bée Prospered Moreouer we may obserue a two-fold fruit which the GODLY man reapeth by repentance and by consequence by sinne which causeth repentance whereof the former is that hee is made more wise in his knowledge the other more wary in his cariage and through them both by occasion of his vices prospered First after his repentance for sinnes committed is hee made more wise in his knowledge for hereby is he taught that In his owne strength no man is strong but it is the Lord which keepeth the feete of his Saints 1. Sam. 2. 9. That God dealeth with his chosen as mothers deale with there children who let them goe of themselues till they waue and reele and then lay they hold of them to keepe them from falling or as Christ dealt with Peter walking vpon the sea whome he first suffered to size and then stretched forth Math. 14 30. 31. his hand and saued him from sinking Secondly heereby is hee made more wary in his carriage that after the first hee may not fall into the second shipp-wracke that after the first hee may not bee tainted by the second venome that after the first he may not receiue the second wound of his spirituall enemy Indeed the wicked leaue sin as the Letcher the Stewes with a minde to returne thether againe But the godly man as Amnon did Thamar neuer to regard her againe The wicked deale with their wickednes as Chiurca a certaine Ioseph Acosta natur moral hist Eastâ—â—nd VVest Indies beast in Brasilia among the West-Indians with her yong ones which she whelpeth a thousand times as often receiueth them into her womb again But the godly in his repentance dealeth with sin as Iaelâ— with Siserah who Iud. 5. 26. not only pierced his Temples but cutte off his head that
stocke thirdly withernig and drooping in the age of it so man while he is as a twigge in the first spring of his infancy or childhood is tender in his body being but as a flower which is sonne blasted and withered away And in his mind is flexible as a twigge easily inclined either to Vertue if hee bee informed or to Vice if hee bee neglected being as waxe which may be wrought and brought into all formes but being once stiffened and confirmed in the strength of his â—â—cke by his youth or Mans-age he is it may bee in his body more firme though â—ee can neuer bee wholy without them against infirmities and more tough in his mind either to retaine the habit of Vertues if he shall be seasoned with them or to cotinue the poyson of vices if hee hath bene nusled vp in them An exccellent Caueat vnto all Parentes and gouernours vnto whome the educacion of these young springes euen in the first sprigge or twige of them is committed that they may while they bee tender enbow them frame them while they be plyable and worke them while they be flexible least that when of pliant sprigs they shall become stockish trunkes they grow curelesse they waxe redreslesse As Adam our first Parent was appointed to tend the Trees of Pradise so wee his ofspring Gen. 2. 15. haue misticall trees commited to our keeping and dressing euen the fruit of our bodies Which if they shall bee timely tended duely ordered and rightly framed vnto that Mica 6. 7. which is good will proue such plantes as shall bee both peaceble and pleasant peaceable shall they bee because they shal be as Oliue plants pleasant shall they bee because they shal be as curtaines of ornament spread round about our table Psal 118. 3. But if wee shall bee ouer-indulgent and ouer-tender toward them a fault ouer-rife in these times they will grow stiffe in sin and be hardned in the thicke dregges of there owne lose and misleading courses prouing no better then wild-trees which will bring forth fruit no better then the Wild grapes Esay 5. 4. resembling the bramble in presuming against vs and vsurping ouer vs there parents and Gouernours though we be towards them for Fatnesse as the Oliue Tree for Sweetnesse as the Figge-tree for Pleasantnesse as the Vine Rough and vntrimmed Brambles Iâ—dg 9. indeed will they argue them-selues to bee which vnlesse they may haue their mindes will threaten fire to come out of them which shall consume the Cedars of Libanon A lesson is this seriously to bee weighed and â—eedfully to Iudg. 9. 15. bee practised in these times wherein the complaint of Saint Chrysostome may often and againe bee vsed Patrâ— Chrysost sup illud Matth accessit ad illum mater Zebâ—dâ—orum et matres corpus suorum natorum amant animam autem contemnunt c. Fathers and Mothers doe â—oue the bodies of their children but lightly passe by their Soules for they desire onely to see them in this world not caring what they shall sufâ—er in the life to come A folly is this euen with teares of the bitterest sorrow to bee lamented that Men should loue the huske and neglect the graine regarde the Shell and reiect the Kernell esteeme of the Bagge and despise the Treasure therein contained beautifie the Bodies of their children and suffer their Mindes to bee blacke deformed corrupted whereby these mysticall trees waxe so rough and tough in their stocke being not other-wise set and disposed in their twigge as they will bee broken before they bee bent ended before they bee mended More-ouer in the third place is man in his growth like a tree flourishing haply in his youth but drooping in his age looking toward the Dust before hee returneth to Gen. 3. 19. the dust This is the worke of Time who is the great conqueror of all things A time is appointed to â—uery thing so Eccles 3. 1. cannot this thing escape from this appointment There is a time to be borne a time to dye so is there according to to the same proportion a time to be Yong and a time to waxe Old also Mans life is but a day whose euening will certainly follow his morning vntill the night of death maketh him to sleep in the bed of the graue vnto the time that the day of the resurrection shall awaken him againe Bee it that a Man in his youth bee as strong as the Oake as tall as the Cedar as straight as the Pine-tree as flourishing as the Greene Bay-tree yet when the winter or his age shall ceaze vpon him his strength will bee weakened his talenesse abated his streightnesse crooked his florishing withered because then the Keepers of the house that is the hands will tremble the Strong-men that is the legges will bow the Grinders that is the teeth shall cease they shall â—axe darke which looke out at the windowes that is the eyes the dores shall bee shut without that is the lippes and he shall rise at the voyce of a birde that is sleepe shall depart from him and the daughters of Musicke that is the eares shal bee abased and they shall bee affraid at the high thinge that is they shall stoope towards the earth againe and the Almond Tree shall slorish that is their haire shall bee as white at the blossomes of that tree and the Grassehoppers that is as some will haue it the shoulder-pinnes shall sticke vp And old-age shall be as an house which euery man if death cut him not of before must goe vnto Eccle. 12. 5. Eccl. 12. The Philosopher mentioneth small flies neare to the bankes of a certaine riuer which liue but one day They are bred in the morning like vnto Man in his infancy therin Aristo de natu animal lib. 3. as a Tree in the twigge they are at there full strength at noone like vnto man is his confirmed age therein as the Tree in the stocke they are at night growing toward there end like Man in his Old-age therein as a Tree in the drouping thereof Third Man may bee said to bee like a Tree in the state of a Tree which the higher it is the more dangerfull it is as that which then is more exposed to the violence of the Windes to the blasting of the Lightninge to the dent of the Thunder-boult and the lesse fruitfull it is as may appeare by the Cedar one of the talest Trees yet none of the frut-fullest whereas those Trees which are of a lower and more base groth are both lesse dangerfull as they which are exempted by there submissenesse and deiection from the ragings of the Windes the flashings of the lightnings and the fury of the Thunder-bolts as also more fruitfull as it may appeare by the Vine the lowest almost among the Plants as that which vnlesse it bee by the care and hand of man shoared and vnderpropped creepeth vpon the ground leaneth and layeth still vpon the