soules all which wee finde infolded and comprehended in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words shepheard and Bishop which in our Blessed Saviour like mercy and truth doe meete together and like righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each other For methods sake now having divided the Text thus and that we may enjoye the whole meaning of the words we will briefly betake our selves to the handling of the samâ— beginning with the first considerable point of divinity touching mans misery living in the state of sinne and arising from the forefront of the Text thus eratis velâ—t â—ves errantes c. ye weâ—e c. And for the better and more cleare explanation of this first point of divinity touching mans misery living in the state of sinne and running every day more and more from the fold of Christ take this observable and undeniable ground of truth viz. How that all men till that they are effectually called from heaven The first Doct. Vndenâ—able Eph. 5.8 as here Saint Peters auditors in the Text were till they are called out of darknesse into light out of the state of corrupted nature into the blissefull state of grace are no better in the Holy Ghosts censure and opinion than straying sheep which is a most fearefull condition a most horrible and a dismall state for any poore sinfull soules to be in being that they are out of Christ The Doct. proofe To prove this point the Prophet Jsaiah cryeth out in generall tearmes thus omnes sicut oves aberravimus we all like sheepe have gone astray meaning all before Gods effectuall calling Jsa 53.6 yea wee have turned every one to his owne way saith the Prophet agreeable with that universall staine and pollution that the Apostle S. Paul speakes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. They are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doeth good no not one Rom. 3.12 But here perchance you will demand and aske me by and in what particulars doe unregenerate and unmortified Christians shew themselves before Gods effectuall calling of them Ob. to bee straying sheepe and wandring from the fold of Christ For the resolution whereof observe these following discoveries Sol. First unregenerate men runne from the fold of Christ like wandring sheep The first discovery of a sinner which runs astray 1 King 21. by their unsatiable and greedy avarice when they doe most wickedly thirst after that which is not their owne which is not their right nor due when with Ahab they both bloudily and greedily seeke after poore Naboths Vineyard and when with Demas they leave the word and immoderately love the world 2 Tim. 4 10 and hereupon the Holy Ghost calleth their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their love of money meaning inordinate and insâ—tiate desires and practises to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee the roote of all evill which while some have coveted after saith the blessed Text they have erred from the faith that is they have shewed themselves straying sheepe and have â—ierced themselves through with many sorrowes and therefâ—â—e saith Saint Iohn 1 Tim. 6.10 love not the world nor the things that are in tâ—e world for if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Ioh. 2.14 The second discovery of a sinner which runs astray Secondly unmortified Christians before their calling shew themselves to be straying sheepe and wanderers from Christs fold by their grosse and erroneous tenents in Divinity holding those things lawfull that the Text condemneth and those againe unlawfull that the text alloweth and for this cause we read of Christs condemnation of the Saduces and that they were going astray touching their judgment and opinion about the doctrine of the resurrection saying erratis you doe erre that is you straggle from the fold of truth not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat 22.29 Ezec. 18.8 Glomerantur in unum innumerae pâ—stes Brebi I could here condemne sundry that are straglers in the like nature some holding the damned sinne of usury to be lawfull that the text condemneth others that t is a sinne to take an othe which the text alloweth a third with the nice ruler of the Synagogue impudently averring that it is a fault to heale upon the Sabbath day with infinite others of the like stragling humour Luk 13 14. to whom I say with the Apostle St. Iames ô do not erre any longer after these courses and conditions my beloved brethren Jam. 1.16 because the wages of them is death though the gift of God be eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 The third and last discovery of a sinner when hee runneth astray Thirdly and lastly unregerate and unmortified Christians before their calling shew themselves to bee straying from the fold of Christ sometimes by their uncleannesse and fleshly lusts which Moses the man of God calleth going aside Numb 5.12 sometimes by spirituall whoredomes as superstition and Idolatry which the Holy Ghost calleth a turning away from the Lord or a thrusting out of the â—ay Deut. 13.5 which the Lord commandeth sometimes again by their swinish sensuality and excessive drunkennes which as the prophet telleth us causeth erring from the right way and stumbling in judgment Isa 28.7 Isa 53.6 sometimes againe by their braine sicke fancies which the Holy Ghost calleth a turning after our owne wayes sometimes againe by their wages of unrighteousnesse their greedy taking of bribes following the way of Balaam the sonne of Bosor 2 Pet. 2 15. which the Holy Ghost calleth a forsaking of the right way and somtimes againe by withholding the meanes of salvation away from others to whom they should dispense them which the Holy Ghost calleth a driving away from the sold crying against the Shepheards of Jsrael and saying thus wo be to you for the diseased you have not strengthened neither have you healed that which was sicke neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought againe that which was driven away Eze. 4.2.3 4. neither have â—e sought that which was lost but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them And thus doe we see in briefe that by these and by diverse other sundry wayes and courses unmortified Christians remaining in the state of corrupted nature like straying sheep doe ever wander and runne away from the fold of Christ The Vse The Vse that is to be made now of all that hath been spoken is an use of illustration to shew the lamentablenesse and accursednesse of the state and condition of those men who as hath been shewed by the former discoveries runne away every day more and more from Christs fold and like straying sheepe keep not company with Christs flocke There are foure most fearefull miseries wherein appeareth the accursed condition of a straying sheep The first
because the Sonne of God was plagued for thy sinnes Rom. 4.25 Secondly because hee was delivered to Death for thy sins Thirdly Because he was sacrificed as a Passeover for thy sins 1 Cor. 5.7 Fourthly Because hee was made a curse for thy sins that thou mightest bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Gal. 3.13 Lastly Because he hath taken all thy sinnes with the hand-writing that was against thee and hath nayld them to his Crosse Col. 2.14 Yea to conclude all in a word ô be not dismaid then by no manner of meanes in the world for though thou canst not speake for thy selfe 1 Iohn 2.1 2. 1 Tim. 1.15 The third and last encouragement why we should not dispaire though wee have been a long time out of the fold of Christ yet thou hast an advocate in Heaven that will speake for thee even Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation and sacrifice for all thy sinnes Yea thou mayest say with St. Paul namely that it is a true saying and worthy of all men to be believed that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom thou art chiefe The last encouragement why thou shouldst not dispaire though thou hast gone astray from the fold of Christ like a lost sheepe is taken from the free welcome which thou shalt have at the fathers hands when with hearty repentance thou dost returne againe Oh remember remember the welcome of the Prodigall recorded in the Parable as soone as hee returnes to his father from his wandring errors First the best Robe is called for to be put upon him Next The Father calls for a Ring to put upon his hand Thirdly for shooes to put upon his feete Fourthly and lastly for the satted Calfe to bee killed for him that so they might solace themselves and eate and bee merry For applications sake ô know that such nay a greater welcome hath the penitent sinner at our heavenly fathers hands when with the Prodigall hee returnes in penitency unto the fold againe for first the best Robe is put upon him even the Robe of CHRISTS Righteousnesse Secondly instead of a Ring and shooes and the fatted Calfe he hath a kingdome assured him and therefore our Saviour saith feare not yee little flocke it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdome Luk. 15.10 Lastly for mirth and joy the very Angels witnesse it joying and rejoycing at the straying sheepes returne and therefore for conclusion of all and to end this point in a word I would intreat all in the feare of God and for the salvation of their owne soules that for many yeares together have any way erred from the fold of CHRIST for to performe now the taske that our Saviour doth enjoyne his Spouse saying Returne returne ô Shulamite Cant. 6.13 returne returne that we may look upon thee And thus much be briefly spoken for the first estate of Saint Peters Auditors which we call'd their preterit estate in sinne Now followes their present condition their present estate in grace specified in these words following but are now returned unto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules IN this their estate of grace we are to consider two materiall points First their action in the word returned but are now returned c. Secondly their object the object of their action and that is our blessed Saviour set forth here by two Appellations or titles 1. SHEPHEARD 2. BISHOP As we reade in the next words viz. Vnto the Shepheard and Bishop of your soules As for the action that teacheth us what wee must doe and as for the object that teacheth us to whom wee must so returne First againe for the actions that we must observe is to be performed in the practice of two particulars First in our aversion from sinne Secondly in conversion unto God In our aversion from sinne wee are to observe terminum a quo 1. the matter from which we are to turne viz. from the region and land of darkenesse and shadow of death in our conversion unto God we are to observe terminum ad quem namely the fountaine and well spring of life to the which we must bend all our course Jsa 9.2 and that is to the great shepheard and Bishop of our soules We will not speake here touching the first particular namly our aversion from sinne because we are to handle it shortly in another treatise come we therefore briefly to the second namely our conversion and returne to God or as the Text saith to the Shepheard and Bishop of our soules But are now returned c. And happie ô thrice happie were all wee in this world might this heavenly action and practice of Saint Peters assembly be as truly and as really verified of us as it was of them But alasse alasse our times are such and men now adayes so averse from Pietie as that we may say with the Prophet hee that departeth from evill maketh himselfe a prey yea glomerantur in unum innumerae pestes erebi The mischiefes of hell are got to one Croude and we God wot are scarce free from them Yea and the Prophet Isaiahs reproofe may justly bee cast in our teeth viz. Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie Jsa 1 4. a seed of evill doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy One of Israel unto anger they are gone away backward Nay the Poets out-cry may most truly cry downe our corruptions saying Vivitur ex rapto non hospes ab hospite tutus Non sâ—cer a genero fratrum quoque gratia rara est Imminet exitio vir conjugis illa mariti Lurida terribiles miscent aconita Noverca Filius ante diâ—m Patrios inquirit in annos Victa jacet Pietas virgo caede Madentes Vltima coelestum terras Astraea reliquit Rom. 3.12 Which words of the Poet are concordant with the Apostle to wit they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one But now to alter the course of these mens sinfull conversations whose wayes are the wayes of death and whose steps goe downe quicke into hell Certaine Motives to move men to returne to the fold againe I would desire them in the feare of God and for their more speedy conversion and returning unto the great Shepheard and Bishop of their soules to entertaine into their considerations these certaine motives which like piercing Goades are able to make to stirre even a very heart of flint The first motive The first Motive why we should speedily bethink our selves of turning the Card of our affections and of returning to our blessed Saviour and his fold againe is taken from Gods infinite love most marvellouslie shewed this kingdome from time to time Oh my deare brethren Miâ—ah 6.4 hath not God with a mightie hand brought us out of the land of Aegypt and redeemed us out
loynes and with ropes on our heads knowing the King of Jsrael is a mercifull King Secondly or the second manner of way how we are to returne to our blessed Iesus from whom wee have gone astray even from our Cradles to this present houre is this wee must retuâ—ne cum fidelitate with an assured faith and confidence that his bloud and passion hath merited our redemption and also hath merited an eternall acceptance for us into the fathers love and favour againe and the reason is this because hee that believeth so shall be saved Mar. 16.16 but hee that beleeveth not so shall be damned Oh therefore my brethren let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinckled from an evill conscience Heb. 10.22 and our bodies washed with pure water Thirdly wee must returne cum detestatione iniquitatum with a loathing and detestation of our former conversations we must be weary of the burthen and pressure of our sins our former life in sinne must bee no more pleasant in our sight than your bitter gall and worm-wood is to our tastes and pallates for so will the children of GOD behave themselves when they returne to God Ezec. 36.31 according to the saying of the Prophet in this particular saying then shall you remember your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loth your selves in your owne sâ—â—ht for your iniquities and for your abhominations Fourthly we must returne cum sinceritate with the sinceritie and integrity of all our hearts T is not enough for us to cry Lord Lord we returne to thee and to thy kingdome and to do this only with a meere orall and verball expression with the utterance and declaration meerly of the lips and tongue but we must performe and do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with and in the tâ—uth of the substance of our hearts sincerely loving nothing so dearely as to be with Christ and therefore saith the blessed father of all mankinde Mat. 15.18 fili da mihi cor tuum sonne give mee thine heart mightily disliking and condemning all such manner of men whose lips are neere him and whose hearts are far from him yea and in great wrath and indignation threatning a most dismall plague and misery to fall upon them and the kingdome wherein they live according to the words of the Prophet saying because this people honour mee with their lips and their heart is removed far from me therefore behold I will proceed to doe a marvellous worke amongst this people even a marveilous worke and a wonder the wisdome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid Isa 29.14 Fifthly and lastly wee must returne cum perseverantia with continuall perseverance endeavouring this so sacred a duty daily and hourely nay even till our last breath whereupon saith Salomon bee thou in the feare of the Lord all the day long and he rendreth an effectuall reason for it because that he that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remaine in the congregation of the dead Prov. 21.16 It ought therefore to bee our daily care to bee continually busied about so sanctified a work and the rather too Gal. 6.9 because as Saint Paul saith metemus si non elanguerimus wee shall reape if we faint not that is wee shall enjoy the crop and harvest of everlasting glory if wee persevere to the end without Apostacy and therfore as S. Paul sayth be stedfast and unmoveable 1 Cor. 15.58 alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord I say not in vaine because also an uncorruptible Crowne of life God hath promised in his mercy to bestow upon them Rev. 2.10 Mat. 24 13 witnesse his words to Smyrna thus be faithfull unto the death and J will give thee the Crowne of life and againe qui perdurabit ad finem is servabitur hee that endures to the end the same shall be saved But how shall I know saith the wounded Conscience Ob. sayeth the remorsefull heart and bosome that I doe observe all these rules and directions that I returne to my blessed SAVIOUR with Humiliation with fidelitie with a detestation of mine iniquities with sinceritie and with perseverance For the resolution of this point Sol. that thou mayest undoubtedly know when thou art effectually returned unto the great Shepheard and Bâ—shop of thy soule Divers characters whereby wee may know when we from the practice of sinne are returned to the fold of Christ The first character 1 Cor. 2.9 take into consideration these Characters which will infallibly informe thee whether thou beest return'd or not Which characters are three First if thou beest effectually returned from the wilde and vast commons of sinne into the inclosure and pasturings of grace namely unto the great Shepheard and Bishop of thy soule then thou wilt minde nothing more than the things of a better life namely which thy blessed Saviour hath prepared and laid up for those that love him An instance for confirmation hereof we have in Saint Paul who being wean'd from the worlds vanities and entred into the fold of CHRIST mindes nothing more than a dissolution for to be with Christ saying Cupimus dissolvi I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Besides if it be so with thee as is before spoken of thou wilt have then such an high esteeme and conceit of the happinesse that Christs Lambes enjoy and are partakers of within the fold as that for other mundane transitory and perishing matters Phil. 3.8 thou wilt account them no better than dung for to winne Christ Oh then my brethren how farre thinke you are those men from the state of holinesse yea from Christ and his fold that minde nothing else but this world how wretched are their meditations yea ô how miserably are their mindes pestered with cankering cares They lie downe in carefulnesse they rise up in sorrow and the pelse they dote on is reserved to their owne hurt Eccl. 5.13 for conclusion therefore of this point ô you that are sheep of Christs blessed pasture that are Lambes of the flock and are within Gods pale see that you shew it in your lives and conversations let the things of a better life be the chiefest treasure you set your minds upon set your affections on things that are above Col. 3.2 and not on things that are below Shew to the world that you are risen with your blessed Saviour by seeking those things above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Yea seeke you first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and then all other things shall bee added unto you Mat. 6.33 Secondly the second Character The second Character to testifie to thine owne bosome and also to all the world that thou art effectually returned is a
the holy and sacred Scriptures which if I may be so bold to use the phrase like faithfull suffraganes or surrogates are supporters and helpers to the Bishops flock For instance sake when any wounded conscience is terribly skared with the affright of sin then speak Christs suffraganes even the holy Scriptures viz. that we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for all our sins Rom 8.1 If again death and damnation tell us wee are damn'd then speake Christs suffraganes even the blessed Scriptures namely that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus In a word when Sathan sets upon any within the jurisdiction of our Bishops See telling them they are but lost sheep and under the shaddow of death then speake Christs suffraganes even the supporters of his poore flocke that they are delivered from the power of darkenesse and translated into the kingdome of Gods deare Son Col. 1.13 Thirdly The third agent of comfort which our Bishoâ— useth in his Diocesse for to comfort his people withall is his register book or the third agent of comfort that our Bishop hath for to support aid and comfort his little flock the Church is Regestum his Register booke wherein heavens records are most purely kept and preserved and this Register book I hope without any offence either to the Bishop of our soules or else to any of his beloved sheepe of his blessed Pasture may be adjudged of us to be liber vitae the book of life Which Register book of our blessed Bishop that I may speak all in a word is extraordinarily helpfull and comfortable to the whole Diocesse I meane to all Christs Saints that are members of the same and that for these three reasons following 1. Because all Christs Lambs all his deare Saints all the sheepe of his Pasture yea all that love him and are labourers in his sacred Gospell have their names there recorded Phil 4.3 2. Because their names being once there entred they shal never be cancelled out they shall never be obliâ—erated but Christ will confesse them before his Father The fourth agent of comfort which Christ hath in his Dâ—ocesse are his powerfull proctors vâ—z His sufferings and temptations which sollicits his Churches cause and before his Angels Rev. 3.5 3. Lastly because they shal be adjudged and because they shall have sentence past upon them by their soule-saving Bishop according to the records that are found therein Rev. 20.12 Fourthly or the fourth sort of comfortable agents that our Bishop hath for to speake for his Church and flock are procuratores are his powerfull Proctouâ—s which my brethren under him he being the grand Advocate of heaven and earth doe continually in the presence of his Father sollicite his Churches cause and these procuratores these powerfull Proctors are generally two viz. 1. Sanguis passiones his bloud and sufferings 2. Temptationes his Temptations which hee endured when he was on earth First I say againe the first Proctour that the Bishop of our soules the grand Advocate of heaven and earth The first proctour to sollicite Christs Churches cause is his sufferings hath for to sollicite his Churches cause in the presence of the eternall Father is sanguis passiones is his bloud and sufferings Oh his death and Passion my brethren is a powerfull pleader in the eares of the great Iudge yea their pleadings and sollicitations are so full of power and truth that they prevaile with the eternall Father to commiserate his oppressed Church and thereupon saith the blessed Spirit speaking of the efficacy of our Saviours bloud namely Heb. 12.24 that his bloud speaketh better things for us then that of Abel Yea and againe Heb. 9.13 14. If the bloud of Bulls and Goates and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh ô how much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God The second proctour to sollicite Châ—ists Churches cause is his temptations Secondly or the second Proctour that the Bishop of our soules hath for to sollicite his Churches cause in the presence of the eternall Iudge is temptationes is his temptations that he endured for us when hee was on earth Oh my brethren as his wounds plead for us that we may be made whole as his stripes plead for us that wee may not bee beaten as his shame pleades for us that we may enjoy honour so his temptations plead for us that wee may not bee tempted above our strength but that we may have through his merits an happie issue out of all according to the saying of the sacred Spirit namely In that he himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 Lastly or the last agents that our Bishop useth for the good of his Church and flocke The last agents of comfort for Christs diocesse are the Apparitours hee useth are Apparitores are his Apparitours whose office it is to summon all his flock to appeare before him either in the Court of conscience here where hee sits as chiefe or in the great Court of Heaven hereafter where he sits as Iudge And these Apparitors in the generall we finde to be three The three Apparitours which our Bishop useth for to summon al his Diocesse to appeare before him 1. Reprehensio Sanctorum the due reproofe of his Saints 2. Castigatio filiorum the chastisements he sends his sons 3. Vox tubae ultimae the sound of the last Trump The 2. first of these summon our Bishops flock to appeare before him in the Court of conscience here wherupon they make a conscience of their lives to come and the third which we may call Apparitor Apparitorum to wit the great and generall Apparitor of all namely vox tubae ultimae the sound of the last Trumpet summons them to appeare at the great Court of Heaven hereafter to heare then their judgment that shall last for ever First then againe I say the first Apparitor The first Apparitour that our Bishop useth to summon his flock that they may appeare before him in the Court of Conscience here where he sits as chiefe is reprehensio Sanctorum is the due reproofe of his Saints Witnesse that one example for all namely Acts 2.41 our Apostles three thousand soules who sometimes were ranke geerers of our Bishop and his Gospell too Oh my brethren for illustration hereof what I pray made those madde Cretians at the first to appeare such good Christians at the last what summoned them now to appeare in the Court of conscience and that before him whom they had contemn'd and scorn'd when before all their life time they made no conscience of what they did at all ver 12 13. What makes them to appeare now full