many euill men that haue sought death and it is as true that there haue bene many good men that haue sought death yet neuer one of these sought death for it selfe for it is not naturall to seeke the dissolution of our selues But these euill men that sought death and put hand on themselues in their appearance they sought it for a better to wit to eschue the present torment and vexation of hell in their conscience wherein they were thinking that their miserable soule being out of the body should be at greater libertie then if it were detained in this prison But they are all deceiued For suppose hell be begun here yet it is not in a full measure vntill this life be done and so the miserable caitife deceiueth himselfe On the other side there haue bene good men that haue sought death but not for it selfe but for a better If they knew not felt not that there were a better life to follow after death they would not seeke it but by reason they see there is a greater ioy to follow after it therefore they regard not to taste in some measure for the present of the bitternesse of death It it true againe I grant that death vnto thee who art a Christian is sanctified in the death of our maister and Sauiour Christ Iesus for blessed is the death of them that die in the Lord. But suppose the death be sanctified yet thou art not wholly sanctified for if thou were as sanctified as the death thou wouldst not haue such a thing as terror paine or griefe in thy death But seeing in the best of vs all there is a remnant of corruption would to God it were but a remnant so thicke and foule that it is shame to speake of it this corruption vrgeth the conscience so that where the conscience is vrged there must be a feare and the more the conscience be vrged the greater is the paine and terror It is true that this feare is tempered by faith that dwelleth in the soule and the hope of ioy that dwelleth in the faithfull soule holdeth this feare in awe that hope of heauenly ioy so swalloweth vp and deuoureth the feare and maketh it to appeare to the looker on that the soule hath no feare but no doubt there is a feare and it is sure there is some griefe It is onely as I haue said the hope of that heauenly ioy that holdeth this feare in awe where this hope is not terrible is that feare wonderfull are these terrours great is that anguish of soule that is there so that I cannot find names to expresse it Terrible it is to see the countenance of God in his iustice there is no creature that can abide it Terrible it is to see their owne sinnes present themselues the ouglinesse and guiltinesse of sinne And beside all these to be left destitute of hope it is not the least part of their grief and yet this is not regarded For men will not rise to get faith if it should cost them but an houre they will not come to heare the word This is a wonderfull and miserable madnesse that is in the soule of man that he will neuer prouide for hell vntill hell catch him Now to come to our purpose the lesse the corruptions be the lesse must be the feare Wherein then should your exercise stand should ye not studie to diminish this corruption For he that would be voide of feare must trauell to diminish this corruption that the conscience may be cleane and ye may haue a good testimonie which maketh men to be without terrour For as long as the loue of this world and of worldly things occupieth our soule it is not possible that it can be without feare For why there is no heart that can willingly part with the thing that it loueth without exceeding sorrow and griefe Then we should trauell to take order with these affections and loue to worldly things but so farre as they may serue to the loue of God and in God to loue our selues and our neighbour that when he calleth no strange loue may draw vs from him There is a common law in all cities concerning the forbidden goods which are discharged plainly to be carried out of the country where we are presently and suppose they were carried they can serue to no vse in the countrey whither we go To let you see the exposition of the Parable I say the loue of this world the cares thereof the loue of the flesh and the lusts thereof are these forbidden goods which serue to no vse in the countrey whither we go yea they are plainly forbidden by the King of the countrey For the heart which is replenished with these shall haue no entrie there There is a plaine discharge sounded concerning these goods that we cleanse our hearts of them and prepare our selues to bring those commodities with vs that agree with the nature of that countrie Let vs make vs for the loue of God and of our neighbour and let vs cast off all contrarie loue onely let vs loue God and in God let vs loue our neighbour Now if I might obtaine this one lesson for all the rest I would thinke my trauell verie well bestowed and therefore I insist so much the more in it that it may sinke into your hearts Now then this good King feareth which telleth me that in all Christians there is some feare I come to the next what saith he in his trouble and perturbation The effect of the thing he saith is this First he saith He saw his owne death prepared for him Next because he was troubled with it and cast in a great perturbation he subioyneth the reasons why he was so grieued And as I may gather them they are three in number But ere I come to the reasons I will tell you his owne words which he said in time of his trouble he said I shall go downe to the gates of the graue I am drawing neare to the gates of death For so soone as I heard the Prophet say that I should die so soone I began to prepare me for it for if all threatnings come to passe as the Prophet hath said if I find no outgate in the mercie of God I must die For this I know that I am a mortall man and suppose I be a King and a glorious King yet I am not exempted from death and therefore I will prepare me for it He knew wel that suppose he made himselfe readie he was not one haire nearer to death Now surely if ye would follow this King ye would be a thousand times readier and more able to liue then ye are in your diseases But ye are cast vp in such a daintie and delicate fashion that no man will suffer to heare of death saying It is a thing that will further man to die But I say the contrarie and the Spirit of God saith the contrarie I say the readier ye be
his beliefe whereby he might know the truth of the last promise This signe was giuen him as ye heard and looke after what manner he craued it after that same manner it is granted according to his desire The Sunne is bâ—ought backe as also the shadow of it in his Fathers diall by ten degrees and the day which otherwise should haue lasted but twelue houres by this wonder it is made to endure for the space of 22 houres The signe was wrought partly in the diall partly in the body of the Sunne It was wrought in the bodie of the diall because it was a publike worke see vp in a publike place at the head of the palace ouer against the Temple to the end the miracle wrought in it which was in such an open and common place might be knowne to all the Citie and consequently to all that were in Iudea It was wrought in the bodie of the Sunne that the knowledge of that worke might come to the whole world that the whole world who saw that light might see in that worke a God whom they saw not so before This signe was exceeding fit and proper for the purpose for by this signe the King saw euidently that it was as easie to God to bring backe his life to a flourishing youth which was hastening to decay as it was to bring backe the Sunne which was very neare to his going down This signe is wrought onely by the vertue of God For that generall is true There is no creature yea not the diuell himselfe that hath power to shew any true miracle Then all those miracles that are in the popish Churches as the images of legs and armes waxe clothes and all the rest of that sort are deceiuing lies of the diuell The King purchaseth this signe by his owne prayer to learne vs this lesson That suppose the Lord be of minde and purpose to giue vs benefits and suppose he hath promised to grant benefits vnto vs yet he will not giue them but to the seekers he will haue vs first seeking them before we obtaine them And so he would learne vs this exercise to stand constant in honouring and worshipping of him who hath these benefits to giue vs. Before we entred into the song we declared vnto you the whole course of this Kings life from the 14. yeare of his reigne and in his whole course ye saw that his whole life was a continuall falling and rising a continuall praying and praising of God Praying in the time of his falles and of his trouble that the Lord would strengthen him by his Spirit And praysing God for his victories that he had so mightily deliuered him In this we see an image of a Christian life and of a Christian exercise to assure euery one of you that while ye are here your life shall be but a continuall falling and rising rising by the speciall grace and mercie of God in Christ Iesus And therefore it becometh you to be occupied in the same exercises wherein this King was imployed In the time of your falles and troubles to be diligent in prayer seeking strength of the Lord to endure and praysing him in your victories He that forgetteth to pray forgetteth to rise and therefore take heed that in all your troubles ye haue euer recourse to God by prayer We tooke the song to stand of these three parts In the first part is set downe the great trouble perplexitie and perturbation wherein the King was what he said during this trouble and what he did In the second part there is a rehearsall made of the great benefit that he obtained how singular and how excellent it was In the third part he maketh a faithfull promise to be thankfull to God for this benefit to praise him all the dayes of his life that so long as he liued he would neuer forget him In the first part we marked the circumstance of time when this trouble of mind ouertooke the King to wit at what time the seruant of God came to him told him it behooued him to die from the time he heard death denounced incontinently the mention of death striketh a feare and a trembling in him It casteth him in a great perturbation of mind Suppose he was a godly King and indeed such a King of whom there is as good mention made as of any other King in the Scriptures of God yet notwithstanding at the hearing of death he feareth and trembleth This death is indeed a renting asunder of those two parts which were appointed to haue remained together and therefore it is no maruell suppose the mention of it strike a feare in the heart Our owne sinne hath procured it and in some measure it is good that we taste what sin hath brought with it It is true indeed our death that are Christians is fully sanctified in the death of Christ Iesus But it is as true on the other side that suppose our death be fully sanctified yet so long as we remaine in this earth we are not fully sanctified And in respect there remaineth in vs yea in the best of vs all a remanent of corruption yea would God it were but a remanent of this floweth this feare trouble perturbation of mind It is true that this faith and the constant hope of a better life that dwelleth in the other part of the soule do temper the feare mitigate the trouble and swallow vp the paine of death yet in respect of the corruption that remaineth some feare must be and the greater the corruption is the greater feare falleth vpon the conscience The chiefe corruption that grieueth vs in the time of death is the loue of the world the cares of the world the inordinate loue of flesh and bloud So that he that would make himselfe voide of feare must prouide to rid his hands and his heart of these inordinate affections for experience although vnhappie teacheth vs that there is no man that can part with that he loueth without exceeding griefe And therefore in the point of death experience teacheth what it is to cast our affection on friuolous things that suddainly vanish So I say now it is time to rid your hands and purge your hearts of such preposterous affections that death which vnto others is so terrible when it cometh it may be a blessing vnto you I shew vnto you that all those care were forbidden goods expresly inhibited by the King of heauen which are neither profiâ—able for you nor to the countrey whither ye go And therefore I desired you to carrie with you the loue of God and the loue of your neighbour in God And these kind of commodities shall both profit you and be welcome to the countrey whither ye go In this trouble the first thing that he vttereth he sayth with himselfe I see I must die I am drawing neere to the ports of the graue Suppose he was very loath to die as his words do testifie yet he maketh
him ready It is foolish false to thinke that preparation to death is a furtherance to death No the contrary is true The readier ye are to die the more able ye are to liue the lesse shall be your anguish when the Lord calleth As to the reasons I will not insist in them onely the last reason that maketh death to be so fearefull to this good King was the great loue which he had to the Church that was in his country the great care which he had of his faithfull subiects who should lacke by his death his mercifull protection And in this I did let you see that the country had an exceeding blessing where the Prince is so carefull for the Church in his country and of his faithfull subiects that in his death he hath mind of them and is grieued to depart from them As on the other side the Church must be as heauily cursed where the Prince hath no regard of the Church in his country nor of his faithfull subiects As to the reasons I will not stand precisely in iustifying of them all I thinke as the word soundeth that there is some thing worthy of praise and commendation in them and some thing worthy of dispraise and reproofe For so farre as they flow of faith and of the good spirit of God no question they are worthy of praise and so farre as they flow from the Kings vnruly affections they are worthy of dispraise And surely it appeareth by the words that his affections had bene somewhat vnruly Well the lesson that I gathered was This is the profite that we reape of these preposterous affections they draw our loue from God to the creatures And ere these affections can be drawne from the creature they bring such a griefe vnto them as it were another death Therefore the thing that we craued was that ye should set your affection vpon God The truth of loue is in God and therefore it becometh you to bring your hearts from the creature vnto God and imploy your affection vpon him in whom onely is solid ioy Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now in the words which I haue read he returneth to his complaint and he taketh vp his lamentation againe in the first part of the 12. verse he vttereth his trouble wherein he was In the end of that verse and in the verse following he vttereth the great rage furie of his sicknes And in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great rage and extremity of his disease Then to returne to the 12. verse I say in the beginning of it he returneth to his lamentation and he vttereth his complaint as he had wont to do bursting out after this manner Mine habitation saith he is departed and transported from me As if he would say my life is to depart and the Lord is to transport it to another part I see death is instant and the Lord is cutting off this present life of mine He letteth vs see the maner how his life is to be transported by two similitudes The first similitude he taketh from a shepheards tent The second similitude he taketh from a Weauer and his web As to the first similitude he sayth his life is to be transported from him like a shepheards tent Looke how the tents of shepheards are remoued transported and remoued so saith the King he saw his life to be subiect to the same transportation It is knowne to you all that reade histories that in the East hote countries as namely among the Tartars and Arabians where the shepheards in the sommer seasons remaine vnder tents so often as they remoue their flocks they remoue their tents And in our owne countrie here when our shepheards remoue their flockes they remoue their other necessaries alluding to that same custome so would the King say look how these tents are remoued in the sommer season transported my life is subiect to the same condition Of this similitude we haue matter full of good doctrine For this similitude doth first teach vs that there is nothing more instable vncertaine then is the life of man here beneath There is nothing more subiect to instability then this life which we liue in this body For as to the nature of tents ye see whether ye call them tents pauillions or tabernacles all is one by experience there is nothing more vnstable nor vncertaine to dwell in then is a tent For why it lacketh a ground it lacketh a foundation and stability and in stead of a ground it leaneth onely to certaine pinnes which enter not deepely into the earth and consequently by the lightest blast of euery wind they are blowne vp and when the pinnes faile the tent falleth So the King would teach vs by this similitude that this life of ours lacketh a ground lacketh a foundation and lacketh a stabilitie And therefore the King in this comparison would send vs to the life which hath the sure ground foundation and stability he sendeth vs to that kingdome which as the Apostle Heb. 12. saith cannot be shaken by no kind of stormy blasts And as I remember Heb. 11 9.10 there in these verses the Apostle maketh a flat opposition betwixt these tents that lacke a ground and the City of God saying that as tents and tabernables lacke a foundation and ground so the City of God on the contrary hath a ground and a foundation and in steede of one he calleth them in the plurall number foundations Looke saith he to the City that hath the foundations whose craftsman and builder is the God of heauen He expoundeth himselfe what he meaneth by the foundations in the last verse where he saith Such a kingdome as cannot be shaken that is whose ground is so sure that it cannot be shaken nor totter by no processe of time nor stormy blasts Then the first lesson that ye haue from this part of the comparison is this Learne to seeke for the City that hath sure foundations seek for the City that can not be shaken The Lord giue you grace so to do In the other part of the comparison he letteth vs see that so long as we are in this life we haue no pernament abode nor certaine remaining whereunto we may leane For as ye may perceiue by the historie of Genesis the Patriarkes dwelled in tens to testifie vnto vs two things First to testifie that they were no countreymen there nor natiue borne men of that country but strangers and pilgrimes in that country and as they professed themselues that they were not onely strangers of that countrey but counted themselus strangers so long as they remained on the face of this earth The second thing that they testified by dwelling in tents is that they were minded not to remaine there it was not their purpose to fixe their staffe as we speake there But they were vpon their iourney and seeking the way that leadeth homeward the way that
led to their natiue countrie to the City that hath the sure foundations as they confessed themselues Then I say there is another lesson that we may reape of his similitude It teacheth vs that we haue no permanent being here and we ought not to settle our hearts nor cast our loue on any thing here but seeing we are subiect to flitting and remouing not knowing what houre we shall be warned to remoue there is nothing more sure then that we must remoue and nothing more vnknowne then the time Therefore it becometh vs now in time while we haue leasure to transport our goods and to send them before vs where we are to remaine to send our substance where we are to abide for euer For proofe hereof your owne experience teacheth you that there is none of you who haue warning and are certaine that ye are to remoue but ye wil transport your goods and send your substance where ye are to abide Therfore seeing that this is concluded principally in all your hearts that there is no remaining here but we must remoue and ye are vncertaine in what moment ye shal be warned to remoue it becometh vs to send our goods substance riches before vs. And if it be true that our Maister sayth that the heart followeth the treasure let both heart and treasure be sent thither surely this is a singular lesson if it were learned For he is a mad man more then mad that will place his felicity where he is not to remaine and where he knoweth not what houre he shall be warned to depart I am assured there is none here but they will say as I say Yet on the other side it is as true there is none here but he doth as pleaseth himselfe Therefore I will call onely one thing to your mindes I remember there is a parable set downe Luke 12.16 concerning a rich man who did cast downe his barns and inlarged them for his great abundance when all this was done he saith to his soule Take thy rest eate and drinke and take thy pleasure for I haue laid vp enough for thee This insatiable foole as our master calleth him there knew not that he was tenant at will and he knew not of the thing that was to come but as if he had had the times and seasons at his command he layeth this resolution with his soule But ye see in this parable how soone he is disappointed and his soule getteth not the vse of this conclusion for that same night it is taken from him Well I know there are none so grosse that in words will lay this conclusion with this rich man but I know againe there are none so wise but in effect they do it There are none but they say the same to their soule in deed Alwaies I say all these conclusions are false and proceed of a foolish braine and the wisdome that bringeth on this conclusion is plaine follie and their soules shall be disappointed There is no certaine conclusion but that which floweth from the truth This word is sure therefore thou must haue thy warrant out of the word of God this word saith thou hast no certainty no not an houre here Therefore this word admonisheth all to be readie And if ye would be rich seeing riches is the blessing of God be rich in good works and send your riches before you and be rich in God that ye and your riches may remaine together there for euer If I might obtaine of you this lesson and no more I would thinke this dayes exercise well employed Then let men take such a resolution with themselues that they may be so disposed that when the messenger of death cometh he cannot come amisse come when he will Thus far concerning the first similitude The other similitude is taken from a Weauer and his web And in the words he saith after this manner I haue saith he wrought my life or wouen the web of my life to the off-cutting As the Weauer weaueth his web so is my life wouen readie to be cut off as if he would say in effect I see I haue shortned my dayes there is no remaining for me I haue brought my life to the off-cutting I haue preuented the iust time by mine owne doing I haue procured my owne death In whiâ—h words he would teach vs that by his owne doings he hath procured hastened his owne death and by his euill life shortned his time It is true indeed that as by sinne death entred into the world so by the multiplying of sinne our death is hastened For that disease is not that striketh on bodie or soule but it floweth of sinne yea the death of soule and bodie floweth of sinne The thing that shorteneth our dayes is sinne the thing that maketh our daies euill and troublesome is sinne saith Iacob Sinne maketh our daies full of anguish and griefe full of trouble and sorrow Sinne wrappeth vs in a thousand cares and exceeding vanities whereby we are deceiued and sinne consumeth vs with vnprofitable labors and trauels which are not necessarie And what more Sinne weakneth this body of ours by deceiueable pleasures it vexeth our mind with such feare and terrors as I cannot expresse them Shortly all the euill that euer God inflicteth it floweth of sinne And if it be true that this good King had occasion to say that his sinne procured his death If so godly a King so good a youth had occasion to say this that sinne shortened his dayes what may the youth of this countrey say what may I pray you our yong Nobilitie say Surely if this King walked in such paths as made him to draw neare to his death it appeareth well that they haue taken post in this way euery one as appeareth contending who should runne the speediest course to an euill end except God preuent it The Psalmist saith that the bloudie man shall not liue halfe his dayes if this be true what shall become of the bloudie adulterer of the sacrilegious blasphemer much more the Papist and the Idolater In the which and infinite other vices they runne post If a man hauing this one vice shall not end the halfe of his dayes how much more shall his dayes be shortened in whom these vices concurre all in one this is sure it cannot faile I leaue the great men and come to the inferior sort Looke to the prophane multitude ye see in their behauiour how speedily they runne this post There are two sinnnes which are ioyned together in them to wit gluttonie and drunkennesse And there are none but they know that these two are the fountaines of all bodily diseases and of the chiefe diseases of the soule whereby they perish for euer Now what I pray you saith Salomon Prouer. 23. with whom saith he lodgeth feare sorow contention debate and strife with whom but with the drunken man and with him that loueth wine yet ye see how the greatest part in
to God in these words Cast me not away from thy presence And what addeth he And take not thy holy Spirit from me Had he not lost the Spirit by his adultery and murther No for he would not haue said then Take it not from me but Restore it to me It is true that he vseth the like in the verse following Râ—store me to the ioy of thy saluation Not that he wanted the Spirit wholly but that the Spirit lacked force in him and needed strengthening and fortification it would be stirred vp that the flame of it might appeare Therefore I say in that Dauid speaketh so plainly after his adulterie and murther Take not thy Spirit from me it is a certaine argument that the faithfull haue neuer the Spirit of God alwaies taken from them in their greatest dissolutions The second point is this How proue I that these sparkles are not idle though the outward effects be interrupted As Dauid felt this in his conscience so euery one of you may feele it in your owne consciences The Spirit of God in mans heart cannot be idle but these sparkles during the time that the bodie is let loose to all dissolutions these sparkles are accusing thy dissolution are finding fault with thy manners these sparkles suffer thee not to take the pleasure of thy bodie without great bitternesse and continuall remorse And these sparkles where they are will make the soule wherein they dwell to vtter these speeches at one time or other once in the twenty-foure houres Alas I am doing the euill which I would not do if I had power or strength to resist my affection if I might be master of my affections I would not for all the world do the euill which I do Againe if I had power to do the good which I would do I would not leaue it vndone for all the world So these sparkles though they haue not such force and strength presently as to resist the affection abstaine from doing euill deeds yet perpetually in the heart they are finding fault with thy corruption and suffer thee not to take thy pleasure without paine but last of all force thee to vtter these speeches If I had strength to resist I would not do the euill which I do Where these speeches are no question they are the words of a soule which the Lord hath begun to sanctifie and being once sanctified in despite of the diuell and of the corruption that is in vs this faith shall neuer perish but if the whole soule without contradiction with a greedy appetite and pleasure be carried to euill and hath no sorrow for it that soule is in an ill estate I can looke for nothing in such a soule but death except the Lord of his great mercie preuent it But where this remorse and sorrow and such speeches are in the soule that soule in the time that God hath appointed shall recouer strength The Lord shall neuer suffer those sparkes to be wholly taken away but in his owne time he shall fortifie them and make them to breake out before the world in good works The Lord in his owne time will sanctifie them he will scatter the ashes of corruption stirre vp the sparkles and make them to breake out into a better life then euer they did before as ye may cleerely see that Dauids repentance hath done more good to the God then if he had neuer fallen Thus farre concerning the effects Though the effects of repentance be interrupted yet those sparkles are not extinguished For there is no man will thinke that the fire which is couered with ashes is extinguished but being stirred vp in the morning it will burne as cleerely as it did the night before There is no man will think the trees that now in the time of Winter want leaues fruite and externall beauty to be dead There is no man will thinke the Sunne to be out of the firmament though it be ouershadowed with a clowde of darkenesse and mist. There is great difference betweene a sleeping disease and death for men are not dead though they be sleeping and yet there is nothing liker vnto death then sleepe As there is great difference betwixt a drunken man and a dead man so there is great oddes betwixt the faith that lieth hid for a while and vttereth not it selfe and the light that is vtterly put out When we breake not forth into outward deedes God forbid that we should thinke that these sparkles are whollie extinguished Indeede the soule which is visited after foule and haynous backslidings from his calling and against his knowledge before this soule recouer the former beauty it is in a strange danger For if the Lord suffer thy corruption to get loose in such sort that it carry thee as it will and by all meanes possible maketh thee to labour to put out the sparkles of regeneration when the Lord beginnes to challenge thee or to make thee reÌ„der an account of this life past the soule of that man when it is challenged is in great danger So that no question when the Lord beginnes to lay to your charge your dissolute life the contempt and abuse of your calling assuredly your soules are so neere to the bâ—inke of desperation that there can be nothing neerer For wilt thou looke to God Thou wilt see nothing but his anger kindled as a fire against thee Wilt thou looke to thy selfe Thou wilt see nothing but sin prouoking his anger thou wilt see the contempt and abuse of thy calling enlarging his anger thou wilt see nothing but matter of despaire And what is the best pillar and surest retreat whereupon such a soule that is so neere to the brinke of desperation may repose I will shew you the helpe whereupon When thou art assaulted by all the greatest tentations thou canst imagine when there is nothing before thee but death when thou seest the diuell accusing thee thine owne conscience bearing him witnes against thee thy life accusing thee and the abuse of thy calling accusing thee whither shalt thou go Looke backe againe to thy forepast experience cast ouer thy memorie and remember if God at any time and in any measure hath loued thee if euer thou hast felt the loue and fauour of God in thy heart and conscience Remember if euer the Lord hath so disposed thy heart that as he loued thee thou louedst him and hadst a desire to obtaine him Remember if euer the Lord hath so disposed thy heart that as he loued thee thou louedst him hadst a desire to obtaine him Remember this and repose thine assurance on this that as he loued thee once he will loue thee euer and will assuredly restore thee to that loue before thou departest this life The heart that felt once this loue of God shall feele it againe and looke what gift or grace or what taste of the power of the world to come that euer the Lord gaue to his creatures in this life to
mouth Marke this That if it were not of Gods speciall grace and mercy that he giueth me an eye to perceiue him a mouth to receiue him I would refuse him as wel as they So this Argument holdeth not Christ is offered to all Ergo he is receiued of all Happy were they if they could receiue him Thus far for the 3. Argumēt What resteth now for the full vnderstanding of the Sacrament These things remaine That we vnderstand the Sacramentall speeches that are vsed in the Sacrament for we vse to speake of them God vseth to speake of them and the Ancients vse to speake of them We vse to say that the soule eateth the body of Christ and drinketh the bloud of Christ. These speeches would be opened to you how the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ these speeches are Sacramentall yet ye are not the wiser but I will make it plaine by Gods grace They are Sacramentall what is that Ye know it is proper to the body to eate and drinke they are the proper actions of the body onely Now they are ascribed to the soule by a translation by a figuratiue manner of speaking That which is proper to the body is ascribed to the soule and it is said that the soule eateth and drinketh The eating of the soule doth resemble the eating of the body then the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of Christ to the soule to beleeue that he hath shed his bloud for me that he hath purchased remission of sinnes for me Wherefore then call you this an eating Thy body eateth when thou appliest the meate to thy mouth If then the eating of the body be no other thing but the applying of the meat to the mouth the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of the nourishment to the soule Then ye see what is meant by the eating and drinking of the soule no other thing but the applying of Christ to my soule and the applying of his death and passion to my soule and this is onely done by faith therefore he that lacked faith cannot eate Christ. Thus farre for the eating and drinking of the soule which are Sacramentall speeches There remaineth now of all these great things of al this doctrine which hath bin taught but this one lessō That thou learne to apply Christ rightly to thy soule Thou art a great Diuine if thou hast learned this wel for in the right application of Christ to the sick soule to the wounded conscience and diseased heart here begins the fountaine of all our felicity and the wel-spring of all our ioy And I will tell you what this application worketh Obserue what the presence of thy soule within thee suppose thou want Christ in thy soule doth to this earthly body to this lumpe of clay as by the presence of the soule it liueth it moueth it feeleth as the soule giueth to the body life mouing and senses that same very thing doth Christ vnto thy soule Hast thou once laid hold of and applyed him to thee As the soule quickens thy body so he quickens thy soule not with an earthly or temporall life but with the life which he liueth in heauen he makes thee to liue that same life which the Angels liue in heauen he maketh thee to moue not with worldly motions but with heauenly spirituall and celestiall motions Againe he inspires in thee not outward senses but heauenly senses he worketh in thee a spirituall feeling that in thine owne heart and conscience thou mayst find the effect of this word So by the coniunction of Christ with my soule get a thousand times greater benefits then the body doth by the soule for the body by the presence of the soule getteth onely an earthly and temporall life subiect to continuall misery but by the presence of Christ in my soule I see a blessed life l feele a blessed life and that same life takes daily more and more increase in me Then the ground of all our perfection and blessednesse standeth in this coniunction suppose thou mightest liue Methushelaes yeers and wert euer seeking yet if in the last houre thou get this coniunction thou must thinke thy trauell well bestowed thou hast gotten enough for if we haue obtained Christ we haue gotten al with him Then the applying of Christ to my soule is the fountaine of all my ioy felicity Now let vs see how we get this coniunction This is a spirituall coniunction a coniunction hard and difficult to be purchased obtained gotten of vs. How then is this coniunction brought about which are the meanes of this coniunction on Gods part and which are the means on our part to get Christ to put Christ in our soules and to make Christ one with vs There is one meanes on Gods part that helpeth vs vnto Christ and there is another on our part On Gods part there is the holy Spirit which offereth the body and bloud of Christ to vs and on our part there must be a meanes or else though he offer we will not receiue Therefore of necessity there must be faith in our soules to receiue that which the holy Spirit offers to receiue that heauenly food of the body and bloud of Christ which the holy Spirit offers Then faith and the holy Spirit are the two meanes of this spirituall and heauenly coniunction By these two meanes by faith and by the holy Spirit I get the body of Christ the body of Christ is mine and he is giuen to my soule Now here comes in the question How canst thou say that the body of Christ is giuen or deliuered to thee seeing the body of Christ is sitting at the right hand of God the Father and looke how great distance is betwixt heauen and earth as great distance is there betwixt the body of Christ and thy body how then say ye that the body of Christ is giuen to you The Papists vnderstand not this and therefore they imagine a grosse and carnall coniunction Except the Spirit of God reueale these things they cannot be vnderstood The Spirit of God must illuminate our mindes and be planted in all our hearts before we can come to the vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstand how Christ is giuen thee This ground is true that the body of Christ is a◠the right hand of the Father the bloud of Christ is at the right hand of the Father yet notwithstanding though there be as great distance betwixt my body and the body of Christ as is betwixt heauen and earth yet Christs body is giuen to me because I haue a title to his body giuen to me the right and title which is giuen to me of his body and bloud makes me to possesse his body and bloud The distance of the place hurteth not my title nor my right for if any of you haue a peece of Land
He changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts and minds be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change we are called new creatures and except you be found new creatures ye are not in Christ. Now to come to the point This secret coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy Spirit by faith we lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though we be as farre distant as heauen and earth are the Spirit serueth vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the Spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word What maketh you to haue any right or title to Christ Nothing but the Spirit nothing but faith What should be your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to get faith that as Peter Acts 15.9 saith your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your minds your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and bringeth a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy heart and consent of thy will to do that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith auaileth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and minds and doing so ye do the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that he would nourish your soules inwardly with the bodie and bloud of Christ That he would increase faith in your hearts and minds and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortalitie Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Ancients of the Latine and East Churches we heard the chiefe ends wherefore and whereunto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted we heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued we heard also some obiections that might be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine we heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted we heard how the faithfull soule is said to eate Christs body and drinke Christs bloud We heard the manner how Christ is or can be receiued of vs. And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot be perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way and apprehension Neither the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can be perceiued but by the eye of faith can be receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of faith Now faith is a spirituall thing for faith is the gift of God powred downe into the hearts and minds of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mighty working and operation of the holy Spirit So the onely way to lay hold on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature being spirituall it followeth therefore that there is no way to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but a spirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures familiarly by all these termes describe the nature and efficacy of faith We are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drinke his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefly in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passion of Christ the bloud that he shed vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse the commandement which he gaue Do this in remembrance of me I say we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually First in this point in recording and remembring faithfully how he died for vs how his bloud was shed vpon the crosse This is the first point a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mighty power of the holy Spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euery one of you beleeue firmely that he died for me in particular That his bloud was shed on the crosse for a ful remission and redemption of me and my sins The chiefe and principall point of the eating of Christ his flesh drinking of his bloud standeth in beleeuing firmly that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that bloud of his was shed for the remission of my sinnes and except euery soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and be perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule can not eate the flesh nor drinke the bloud of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloud of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme belief and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular There were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I will not insist to repeate them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kinde of spirituall receiuing by faith they say If Christ his flesh nor his bloud be not perceiued nor receiued but by the Spirit by faith in the Spirit then say they ye receiue him but by an imagination if he be not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the Spirit and by faith then is he not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to thinke so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetenesse of hony but they that haue tasted of it so there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it
and tasted in their hearts what it is And if they had tasted and felt in their soules what faith brings with it alas they would not call that spirirituall Iewell and onely â—ewell of the soule an imagination They call it an imagination and the Apostle describing it Heb. 11.1 calleth it a substance and substantiall ground Marke how well these two agree An imagination and a substantiall ground They call it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the braine and fantasie of man He calleth it an euidence and demonstration in the same definition See how directly contrary the Apostle and they are in the nature of faith Vpon this they infer that as it is true in generall he can not be deliuered nor giuen but that same way that he is receiued and looke what way any thing is receiued the same way it is giuen and deliuered So as they say he being receiued by way of imagination he is also in their fantasie giuen and deliuered by way of imagination For if he be not giuen say they to thy hand to thy mouth nor to thy stomack corporally he cannot be giuen but by an imagination and fantasticall opinion The reason that moueth them to thinke that Christ cannot be theirs nor giuen to them truly in effect and really except he be giuen carnally is this That thing which is so far absent and distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be giuen vs nor to be ours But by our owne confession say they to vs Christ his body is as farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth Therefore Christ his body nor his flesh cannot be giuen vnto vs except by way of imagination and so not truly nor in effect This argument framed in this sort would at the first sight seeme to be of some force But let vs examine the proposition of it The proposition is this That thing which is so farre absent from vs as the heauen is from the earth cannot be said to be deliuered to vs to be giuen to vs or any wayes to be ours Now whether is this proposition true or false I say this proposition is vntrue and the contrarie most true A thing may be giuen to vs and may become ours though the thing in person it selfe be as farre distant from vs as the heauen is from the earth And how proue I this What maketh any thing to be ours What maketh any of you esteeme a thing to be giuen vnto you Is it not a title Is it not a iust right to that thing If ye haue a iust right giuen vnto you by him who hath power to giue it and a sure title confirmed to you by him who hath the power though the thing that he giueth vnto you be not deliuered into your hands yet by the right and title which he granteth to you is not the thing yours There is no doubt of it for it is not the neernes of the thing to my body to my hand that maketh the thing mine for it may be in mine hand and yet not belong to me Neyther is it the distance nor absence of the thing that makes it not to be mine but it may be farre absent from me and yet be mine becaue the title is mine and because I haue gotten a right to it from him who hath the power to giue it So then this ground is true It is a sure title and a iust right that maketh a thing though it be far distant from vs to be ours But so it is that a liuelie and true faith in the bloud and death of Christ maketh vs to haue a sure title and a good right to the flesh and bloud of Christ and to his merites looke what he merited by his death shedding of his bloud vpon the crosse all that together with himselfe also appertaineth to me and that by a title and a right which I haue gotten to him of God which is faith And the surer that my title is the more sure am I of the thing that is giuen me by the title Now this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to confirme our title to seale vp our right which we haue to the bodie and bloud to the death and passion of Christ and so the bodie of Christ is said to be giuen to vs the bloud of Christ is said to be deliuered to vs when our title which we haue of him of his death of his bodie and bloud is confirmed in our harts For this Sacrament is instituted for the growth and increase of our faith for the increase of our holinesse and sanctification which faith the greater that it is in our hearts the more sure are we that Christ his death appertaineth to vs. I grant as I haue said that the flesh of Christ is not deliuered into my hndes his flesh is not put into my mouth nor entreth into my stomacke Yet God forbid that thou shouldst say He is not truly giuen although Christs flesh be not put into thy hand nor mouth of thy body and wherfore should it Hath he not appointed bread wine for the nourishment of the bodie may not that content you Are they not sufficieÌ„t to nourish you to this earthly temporall life Hath he not appointed Christ to be deliuered to the inward mouth of thy soule to be giuen into the hand of thy soule that thy soule may seede on him and be quickned with that life wherewith the Angels liue wherewith the Sonne of God and God himselfe liue So the flesh of Christ is not appointed to nourish thy bodie but to nourish thy soule in the hope yea in the growth of that immortall life and therefore I say though the flesh of Christ be not deliuered into the hand of thy body yet it is deliuered to that part that it should nourish the soule is that part that it should nourish therefore to the soule it is deliuered Yea that Bread and that Wine are no more really deliuered to the bodie and to the hand of the bodie then the flesh of Christ is deliuered to the soule and to the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith therefore craue no more a carnall deliuerie nor thinke not vpon a carnall receiuing Thou must not thinke that either God giueth the flesh of Christ to the mouth of the bodie or that thou by the mouth of thy bodie receiuest the flesh of Christ For ye must vnderstand this principle in the Scriptures of God our soules cannot be ioyned with the flesh of Christ nor the flesh of Christ cannot be ioyned with our soules but by a spirituall band Not by a carnall band of bloud and alliance not by the touching of his flesh with our flesh but he is conioyned with vs by a spirituall band that is by the power and vertue of his holy Spirit And therefore the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 12.13 That by the meanes of his holy Spirit all we who are faithfull men
second place with the denunciation of death Indeed Esay in his denunciation appeareth to be very strict but how strict soeuer he was he hath his warrant We haue not the like warrant therefore we ought not to vse the like strictnesse toward the Patient Alwaies generally we ought to exhort him to vnbuâ—den his conscience to disburden his soule and to make 〈…〉 whensoeuer it shall please the Lord to call 〈…〉 the chiefe points of our visitation standeâ—h 〈…〉 two first to bid the Patient lay aside the 〈…〉 and next to prepare for the heauenly part Yet ere I leaue the denunciation theâ—e â—ppeareth in the denunciation three faults to concuâ—â—â— First it seemeth that the Prophet in his denunciation 〈◊〉 ouer rigorous against so godly a King and handlâ—â—â—he King ouer extremely in this heauie disease for he cuâ—â— from him at the first all hope of this present life He doth farre otherwise then our Doctors of medicine for if they see any certaine signe of death they will not shew it to the Patient himselfe but to some of his friends he on the contrarie denounceth death to himselfe constantly affirming that he shall die Now this appeareth to be very hard But I answer if this denunciation had bene vsed against an Ethnick or a licentious liuer indeed it had bene an hard denunciation For as to an Ethnick who hath his hope onely in the earth it is not possible that he can make his hope to mount aboue the earth so that he thinketh when he is gone all is gone to him Secondly this denunciation would appeare hard and extreame to them that liue according to the flesh for ô how bitter is death saith Salomon to them that liue according to the flesh And I pray you what is the cause that death is so bitter vnto them Because in the agonie of death they feele another thing then this violent separation of the soule from the bodie for beside this they feele a conscience of iniquitie gnawing them they feele also the heauie wrath of God kindled against their sinne and iniquitie and the sense of this wrath striketh such a horrour in their soules that at the very memorie of death they tremble Therefore I say to such kind of persons as those this would haue bene a hard kind of threatning But vnto Christians and namely to such a godly King as this was it was no hard language For as to vs that we Christians we must not looke on death as she is in her owne nature But we must looke vpon her as she is made to vs by the benefite and mercie in Christ Iesus And looking on death this way is not death spoiled of her sting is she not sanctified to vs in the death of Christ and is she not made to vs an entrie to euerlasting felicitie is she not a returning from our banishment and passing to our euerlasting heauen So looking on death not in the owne nature but as she is made to vs in Christ at the voice of death we ought to lift vp our eyes and be glad that the redemption of our soule is so neare when the separation shal be made the Lord shall call on vs we ought to reioyce seeing he hath made death to vs a further step to ioy and a meanes of a stricter coniunction But it is not possible that words can make men prepare them for death The readiest way to eschue the horror of death is to thinke vpon death and yet notwithstanding of all the great spectacles that we see dayly we are neuer an haire moued Alwaies the readiest way as I haue said is to take vp such a life presently as may best agree with that life which we aspire vnto Thou must take vp a new course thou must conforme thy life here with the life to come that an harmonie being betwixt the two liues death may be to thee an entry to that euerlasting ioy Thou must bid all thy foule affections good night for thou and they cannot come both to heauen Thou must bid sinne whereunto thou art a slaue and an ordinarie seruant farewell for except thou be this way altered thou must not thinke that death shall be to thee a passage to heauen Then learne ye that would haue death pleasant so to rule and square this life that it may agree in some measure with the life to come The second omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this â—t seemeth to be superfluous for why the kind of plague assured him of his death the Physicions assured him the weakenesse of his owne nature assured him that he should die So the denunciation seemeth to be superfluous but it is not superfluous in deed if we shal examine our owne nature how loath all men are to die for we know by experience that there are some who wil scarcely take death to them euen at the last gaspe and what loue we haue to this life it is knowne to all men Therefore the Prophet so strictly denounced death that by this strict denunciation the King may be moued to lift his hope aboue nature and all naturall meanes and of God onely to seeke support where nature had denyed him And so the denunciation is not superfluous it is the ready way to make him runne vnto the right way Now the last omission that appeareth in this denunciation is this The Lord seemeth by his Prophet to dissemble for is not this an high dissimulation to say that he shall die and yet notwithstanding to meane the contrary So there appeareth a great dissimulation on Gods part denounced by his Prophet that he should die instantly and yet he was of minde that he should liue fifteene yeares after this To answer vnto this this generall must be layed downe for a ground that Vnto all the threatnings and promises of God there is a condition annexed which condition is either secretly inclosed in the promise or threatning or else it is openly expressed That this is true see Ezechiel the 18.1 and Dan 4.27 this condition hath place Then this being the nature of the threatnings of God this terrible denunciation how terrible soeuer it appeare yet it hath a condition in it to wit Except he repent except he seeke me and make his recourse to me by prayer For out of question the Lord was of minde to punish Niniâ—e except they had preuented him by repentance So I say all the promises and threatnings of God haue a condition annexed which is either openly expressed or couertly to be vnderstood And therefore the denunciation hath a secret condition and this condition made the King to liue for suppose it be simply propounded yet it is not to bring him to despaire but onely to make him the more instant to sâ—eke grace health at the hands of the liuing God Now haue I touched the greatnesse the time and the kind of the disease Let vs make our profite thereof for it is necessary that this doctrine
not my selfe but thee onely therefore Lord deliuer me So this kind of reasoning commeth neither of ostentation nor of pride Now as to my selfe would he say when I examine my doings I find my conscience so pure that in all my proceedings I had a good warrant and in all my doings I sought not mine owne particular but thy glorie And therefore Loâ—d remember me take not my life from me that I be not a stumbling blocke to the weake ones and a reioycing to mine enemies This is the onely thing whiâ—h we aâ—e taught here We see this good King when all worldly comfort faileth him and in his greatest extremitie he reposeth himselfe vpon the testimonie of a good conscience this is the onely thing that sustaineth him this is the onely thing that comforteth him and wherein now in the very instant of his death he hath to glorie Surely when I reade through the Bible I find that all the seruants of God in their greatest trouble had recourse to this testimonie of consciâ—nce Ye see Moses when he hath to do with Core Dathan and Abiram he haâ—h recourse to the testimonie of his conscience Ye see Dauid when he hath to do with Saule he hath recourse to this testimonie of conscience Ye see Nehemiah maketh recourse to this Ye see Daniel maketh recourse to this 6.23 And the Apostle Paule 1. Cor. 4. maketh his recourse to this and saith I passe very little for your iudgment or any mans iudgement my glorie is the testimonie of mine owne conscience And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes in his last Chapter I am assured saith he that I haue kept a good conscience in all things So go through all the seruants of God and ye shall see they haue had euer recourse to this testimonie of conscience and blessed is that man that iâ— not condemned in his doings by his owne conscience For if we are not able to eschue the condemnation of our owne heart how shall wee be able to eschue the condemnation of God who seeth all the secrets of the heart So that man is more then blessed that is not condemned of his owne heart For as to this conscience it is a faithfull pledge keeper the pawnes that it receiueth it rendreth of good turnes it giueth a ioyfull testimonie of euill turnes it giueth a bitter testimonie And suppose the most part of our deeds be now couered from the eye of man and her testimonie for the most part hid from our selfe yet there is a day coming which now is at hand in the which all these things that are now hid vnder darkenesse shall come to light and the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed The bookes of conscience shall be cast open and he that bringeth not in these bookes the discharge of his sinnes in register purchased by the bloud of Christ Iesus whereby our consciences are onely washen from these dead workes he that bringeth not this discharge with him to him shall his whole sinnes present themselues So that not onely shall he be iudged by the sentence of the righteous Iudge but his owne conscience which in this life foreiudged him shall coÌ„demne him there and all the Angels of God with his elect children shall iustifie his iudgement Therefore it is time we had now our discharge registred Now would God I might obtaine this of the office bearers in Church or Policie that they would now cast them in their life to haue the approbation of their conscience in the time of their death The Lord grant it to all them that seeke to serue him But specially the Lord make you Sir so to walke in your life that you may haue a ioyfull testimonie of your conscience in your death that being approued with your owne conscience and the testimonie of God within your conscience in the mouth of these two faithful witnesses your saluation may be sure not in your selfe but in the bloud of Christ Iesus whose mercie is onâ—ly our merit As this is desired in him so it is required in the rest of the office-bearers Lord grant that they may follow such a trade of life that in their death their conscience may make mention of their deeds to their ioy Thus far for this part of his behauiour Now resteth one thing to speake and so I shall end Tâ—ke vp the manner of his behauiour vnder this disease he is straitned with the extremitie of his disease on the one side and with the Lords threatning on the other what doth he in this strait pinch He seâ—keth by prayer to the same God that strooke him and now by his Pâ—ophet threatneth him This is wonderfull for if he had had to do with any other person as namely if he had had to do with the King of Ashur as before it had bene an easie matter to haue retired to God But now hauing to do with God and God apparently being his enemy it is wonderfull that he should haue recouse to God This is a notable faith in him for he hopeth against hope he runneth to that same God that smiteth him So notwithstanding that he threatneth him with death yet he runneth to him and he appealeth from his iustice to mercie in the merits of Christ he appealeth from God as a righteous Iudge vnto him as a Redeemer in Christ and his appellation is heard For as we shall heare hereafter by Gods grace he is healed Thus farre concerning his repentance Now as to the prorogation of his dayes the question might rise whether it was lawfull for him to craue it or not I shall touch it but in generall and first I say in Hezechias person it is very lawfull for he lacked posteritie and in this the promise of God had not taken effect in him and so it was lawfull for him to seeke the accomplishment of the Lords promise made to his father Dauid and also the reformation of the Church was but new begun the common-wealth was not as yet established and all these craued the presence of the King So if we looke to the particular in him it was lawfull I come to the generall it is lawfull at some times to seeke at God prorogation of dayes and my reason is this Length of dayes is one of the greatest blessings temporall that we haue as in that promise annexed to the commandement appeareth And as the Apostle in the 2. Chap. 27. to the Philip. when he maketh mention of the disease of Epaphroditus he saith No doubt he was sicke verie neare vnto death but the Lord had mercie on him and not onely vpon him but on me also So he counteth the prorogation of dayes a speciall mercie And there is no mercie nor benefit of God but it may be craued so that it be craued to the right end For we directing our life to the glorie of God and vsing it as Pilgrims and strangers seeking our home and hauing it ready to lay downe in the hands of God
to die ye are the readier to liue he that saith the contrarie I say he speaketh an vntruth if he were the best Doctor of Physicke Therefore when sicknesse which is the messenger of death beginneth to pull your eares the first thing that ought to be propounded to the patient is to bid him make him readie for death for the readier he is to die as I haue said he is the more able to liue Then ye see Hezekiah knew that suppose he was a King yet he was mortall As to his words he setteth downe three reasons wherefore his death grieueth him so much If ye looke to the reasons there appeareth at the first no weight in them yet being tried more narrowly ye shall finde in them a greater validitie The first reason is this I am depriued of the residue of my yeares He was a man at that time of 38. or 39. yeares and of such age as he might haue liued twise as long by the course of nature as Dauid saith O! but this appeareth to be a slight reason it is slight indeede if there be no more in it He is not so much grieued at the cutting off his yeares as at the cutting off the affaires which the shortning of his yeares brought with it So there were two respects wherefore this King was so grieued at the cutting off of his dayes The first because the worke of reformation in Church policy which he had begun would ceasse And out of question this hastie cutting off made him so well prepared in his heart to die as he would haue bene if he had had leysure So in respect he lacked time and yet he was not so voide of all preparation as commonly youth is that cast off all repentance to the last age thinking there is time enough before them In these respects that the worke of reformation by the cutting off of his time would be imperfect and in respect he should not haue bene so well prepared in his heart therefore he is grieued at his death and saith I am depriued of the residue of mine yeares Well to apply this vnto our cause I thinke there is none but they see clearely that if we come not with better speede to the worke of reformation then we are like to do I feare that we leaue not this worke onely vn-ended but vn-begun for if this confusion of Church and policie grow from day to day as it doth without interruption as if there were not a King in Israel I say if this confusion endure no question but the birth of iniquitie shall so ouerburthen the land that it shall make it to spue foorth the inhabitants I will not insist I am assured there is no magistrate of any degree but he is lawfully forewarned and made inexcusable before God The second reason wherefore his death grieued him is set down in the beginning of the 11. verse where he saith I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing Then this is it that grieued him because he should not see the Lord. How can this be I am assured he had that same eye in seeing of the Lord that Dauid had How is it that he sayth he shal not see the Lord What kinde of eye Dauid had is declared in the 16. Psal. Where he sayth that he set the Lord before him in all his works he reioyceth exceedingly in his heart and he sayth I am sure that my soule shall be gathered with the rest of the soules of my faithfull predecessors who are in the presence of God where there is fulnesse of pleasure and sweetnesse of life for euer I am assured this good man was not destitute of this eye but in some mâ—asuâ—e he saw with it as his father Dauid How is is then that he sayth He shall not see the Lord He expoundeâ—h himselfe a little after ye see a cleare commentary in the end of the verse he sayth He shall not see the Lord in the Land of the liuing As though he would say I shall noâ— see him as I was wont to see him before I shall not see him in his Church as the rest of his faithfull seruants see him How this was ye know the custome of the Scriptures in this matter God was said to be seene of old when the visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene For God being in himselfe inuisible when the visible signes of his presence were seene he himselfe was said to be seene As when they saw the Temple God came in their minde when they saw the Tabernacle God was said to be seene chiefly when they saw the Arke God was said to be seene because about it appeared the glory of God For in that same cloud which replenished the inward house his glory appeared Now by reason that these visible signes wherein he gaue his presence were seene God was said to be seene Then the reason is this I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing That is I shal be taken from his seruice I shall not see him in his Temple as I was wont to do Surely in this as in all the rest he followeth the footsteps of his good father Dauid As we may read in all the Psalmes made in time of his greatest persecution There was nothing grieued him so much as because he had not liberty to assemble with the rest of the faithfull as Psalm 84. and 112. he sayth My heart reioyced when they said to me Let vs go to the house of the Lord. This singular godly loue of the word of God among many vertues is extreme losse to this King And for this reason he is now grieued Now let vs compare our selues with this King and trie whether ye follow him in your hearts in this poynt or not that is whether ye haue such a desire to heare the word as he had But surely he shall condemmne all estates For if ye will looke to the prophane multitude of this country how well they like of the hearing of the word their maners declare For as to the multitude if they haue any businesse remaining it is cast off vntill the Lords day and if there be any markets meetings appointmentes and traffiques all is cast off till that day And the best of you hath taken such a loathing at the hearing of the word that ye are wearie to rise in the morning to heare it if it were but an houre sooner then your diet What must this contempt worke Of necessity it must bring exceeding famine of that same food which we loathed For the Lord will not suffer his word which of it selfe is so dainty and delicate to be contemned And it cannot be but that the same word which your fathers and some of your selues haue runne many miles to heare is as dainty now as it was then And therefore it cannot be that the Lord wil suffer this contempt but either there must be greater
zeale or of force we shall be spoyled of it Thus farre concerning the second cause As to the third I shall touch it shortly and so I shall end The third cause is this he sayth he shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the earth Now what a cause is this This appeareth to be a very slight cause that he should be grieued at his death because he should see man no more For I am assured there were men in his daies whom he tooke no pleasure to see and whom he could not see without great griefe euen such monsters as are now in our dayes This generall must be restrained to this as if he would say I shal not see men that is faithfull men honest and obedient subiects to God and their King of whose company I had delight and whose protection I was I shall see these good men no more He had such a care of the Church and of the Christian subiects vnder him that in the very houre of his death he sheweth his compassion toward them and is grieued that they should lacke his protection in time coming Well the country is exceeding blessed that hath such a Prince who is endued with the care of his subiects and specially of the Church that in his death he is sorrie that they should be depriued of his protection And turne it ouer againe As cursed and vnhappy is that countrie who hath a King that hath no kind of care or respect of his subiects much lesse of Gods Church which is the best part of his subiects Therfore it is euery one of your duties that heare me see what it is to lacke this blessing to craue of God that he would distill his grace into his Maiesties heart which may moue him to take vp another manner of protection then hitherto he hath done Oh would to God it were so Thus farre for the exposition of the causes shortly In all these causes some things are worthy of praise and some things are worthy of dispraise for I stand not to iustifie him in them all They are worthy of commendation so far as they flowed from faith and tended to the glory of God and weale of his Church They are worthy of reproofe so far as they flowed from the foolish affectioÌ„ corruption of nature without the which none can be so long as we be in this life Then ye see the best goods that we haue to carry with vs of our owne is this corruption foolish affection No question Kings haue not this power to carry their iewels magnificencâ— with them but surely they carry their vices faults of their gouernment with them which shall meete them And surely if this good King caried any of this stuffe with him much more shall other Kings And as it is in Kings so is it in euery of vs we shall all carry with vs vertues or vices If we cary vertue with vs then shal we haue a good conscience to meete vs there Then to end this matter prepare your hearts and make both hand and heart voide of the loue and affection of the world that your hearts being busied onely with the loue of good things ye may cary your hearts with you when the Lord calleth And as your eares are bent to receiue this word so let it be digested in your hearts that in your death I may see the fruites and effects thereof And seeing we must either cary with vs vertues or vices the fauour of God to mercy or the fauour of sathan to iudgement should not our whole indeuour be that these foule vices may be remoued out of our hearts and should not our whole study be that our soule which is holden so fast bound in the chaines of wickednesse may be set at freedome and liberty That we may haue melting hearts acknowledging that by the bloud of Christ our sins are forgiuen that through a stedfast faith in his bloud sure hope in his mercy we may seale vp that peace which floweth from the pacification purchased by the offering vp of his owne body Now when I see mine owne conscience pacified and my soule so washed from the spots of corruption that all my sinnes are forgiuen me am I not happy and this can neuer be except in your hearts ye be as attentiue as with your eares ye are to heare me But if this matter as it is heard by the eare so it were learned remeÌ„bred by the heart we should see greater profite in sanctification and newnesse of life this day then we do and death would not be so fearefull to many as it is For the ready way to eschue the feare of death is not to delay your repentaÌ„ce but let the whole course of your life be a continuall repentance Happy is he that learneth this lesson and more then happy is he that followeth it and as vnhappy he that neuer practiseth it The Lord worke so with vs grant vs such increase of his Spirit that we may follow it and study to practise it in our life and conuersation The Lord grant this for the righteous merits of Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for now and for euer Amen THE NINTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 12 Mine habitation is departed and is remoued from me like a shepheards tent I haue cut off like a weauer my life he will cut me off from the height from day to night thou wilt make an end of me 13 I reckoned to the morning but he brake all my bones like a Lion from day to night wilt thou make an end of me 14 Like a Crane or Swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a Doue mine eyes were lift vp on high O Lord it hath oppressed me comfort me IN our last sermon welbeloued in Christ Iesus the Prophet assureth the King of his health by a wonderfull signe which was giuen to him The manner and forme of the manifesting of the signe was this The King seeketh a signe and the Lord granteth a signe vnto him and after the same manner that he sought a signe it was giuen to him Thirdly the Lord manifesteth this signe by his owne power and vertue without the support of any creature The King seeketh a signe not that he is distrustfull of Gods promise nor yet to tempt God as the wicked do but he seeketh a signe to strengthen his beliefe in the Lords promise He belieueth the promise yet his beliefe was weake and to strengthen his weake faiâ—h he seeketh the signe The thing that weakeneth his beliefe was this The Prophet in an houre and shorter space cometh to the King and proposeth two contrarie sentences Fiâ—st he saith to him Make thee readie thou must die in an instant of time he pronounceth the plaine contrarie and saith Thou shalt liue both these two could not stand Therefore he seeketh a signe to strengthen
warning and know not what houre the Lord wil call on vs. There is none that is sure that he must change habitation and is out of doubt in his conscience that he is to remoue that will settle his heart in that place which he is not able to keepe but being assured that he shall remoue he will send his houshold stuffe and substance before him If this be true in earthly things how much more ought we seeing the Lord giueth vs leasure to send our substance before vs And as it is true that the heart followeth the substance let both hart and substance be sent to heauen where they may both meete vs to our comfort Be rich in God be rich in good workes and that kind of substance shall be able to convoy thee and shall serue stand in stead to thee both in heauen and earth The second comparison was taken from the Weauer and his web and the effect of it is this as the Weauer bringeth his web to the off cutting so would the King say I see I haue brought this miserable life of mine to the off-cutting I haue procured my suddaine and vntimely death by mine euil life I haue hasted this messenger It is true that all the diseases of the body and the chiefe diseases of the soule flow from sinne And as death entred by sinne so by multiplication of sinne deaâ—h is hastened sinne shorteneth our life sinne maketh our dayes euill sinne maketh them full of griefe and sorrow sinne inuolueth vs in a thousand cares sinne wrappeth vs in infinite vnprofitable labours Sinne weakneth our body by deceiueable pleasures sinne vexeth our minde with such terrors as cannot be expressed Abeit if this good King had occasion to say that his euill spent life spurred him to his death what may our yong nobility say if it be true that one sinne blood cutteth the halfe of the dayes as the Psalmist sayth how much more shall an heape of sinnes concurring in one pâ—rson shorten the dayes The sacrilegious blasphemer and the bloudy adulterer and infinite more other sinnes concurring in one person shall not these shorten this miserable life The thing which they feare most would willingliest eschue that same thing such is their iudgement they runne headlong on As to the prophane multitude ye see these two vices gluttony and drunkennesse whereby they dâ—aw on themselues sudden death and there is neuer a man but he is subiect vnto one sinne or other which shorteneth the threed of his life and draweth on that which he would eschue Well I will not insist in these occasions of death take heede whether ye walke in mercy or in your owne sinnes If ye walke in your owne sinnes of all iudgements it is the most terrible to be left to your selfe now mercie is offered and therefore ye that would be translated from death to life vse this time diligently In the second part of that exercise I shewed you the rage and fury of his sicknesse we did let you see the weight of his feuer was so great that it made him thinke that God was a deuouring Lion readie to bruise all his bones to powder It made him to looke that both soule and bodie should be taken from him that day ere night We shewed that these voyces could not flow froÌ„ a temporall paine only but there behoued to be a fire in the soule a further paine then could come of any bodily disease in the earth Of all troubles that come vnto man the trouble of conscience is the greatest of all other troubles this is the chiefest when besides a sight of sinne there is a touch of â—he insupportable anger indignation of the liuing God It appeareth by these voyces that the King felt a touch of this wrath whereby God appeareth to be a consuming fire It is the custome of God to bring his children into these extremities that feeling the pangs of hell they may see how precious the death of Christ ought to be vnto them How farre they are bound vnto him what is the dutie they owe vnto him that went betwixt them and so bitter a punishment This kind of extremitie teacheth vs how easie it is for the Lord to represse the pride of the flesh and to beate downe this wantonnesse of our filthie nature This glorious King in the space of 12. houres is brought to the ports of the graue and of desperation in a manner So ye see how easie it is for the Lord to bring the proudest flesh low and to do this he needeth not fire nor sword nor any other instrument but such as we haue within our selues he is able to make our owne darlings to be our greatest tortures For we carrie within vs either one viper or other which shall destroy the soule except the Lord preuent in mercie Last of all we shew how this King in his greatest extremitie behaued himselfe notwithstanding God appeareth to be a fire to his soule yet he retireth to the same God and where he might not by words vtter the griefe and trouble of his heart when the benefite of his speech was taken from him yet he ceasseth not but he sigheth and maketh his moane counterfeiting the Doue the Swallow and the Crane he chattereth and lifteth vp his eyes vsing all such gestures so long as he had his tongue he prayeth and the words are few which he speaketh but they are sententious It hath oppressed refresh me or weaue me out As if he would say The force of this disease and furie of this feuer is so great that it ouercometh all force of nature Therefore seeing nature will auaile nothing I flie to the God of nature to whom it is easie to support nature and of this God I craue health and continuance of my daies I craue that as he hath begun so he would weaue out this web to the glorie of his name and comfort of his Church FroÌ„ this last part we shewed you two things we marked first these contrarie voyces into which the seruants of God burst foorth in their greatest troubles vttering sometimes words full of doubting and sometimes full of confidence In the 15. verse God appeareth to haue bene a consuming fire and a raging Lion to him In the 14. verse he maketh his recourse to the same God and suppose he threatned him yet he reposeth vpon him Vpon this we did let you see first that doubting and confidence may haue place both in one and the selfesame soule There was neuer a seruant of God but had experience of this yea it is proper to the children of God to be subiect to this doubting suppose in mercie they be kept from desperation For seeing this faith of ours as long as we are here is imperfect how is it possible that anie faithfull soule weighing their faith with that perfection which is in God to whom nothing is pleasant but that which is perfect how is it possible I say but that soule must doubt