fragrant field unto the Lord. I speak not this to perswade any man wilfully to make himself miserable for our Saviour himself hath pronounced it to be A more blessed thing to give then to receive Neither doe I speak to commend or justifie the counterfeit zeal of those that mock the world with a false shew of wilfull poverty whiles shutting themselves up in a Cloister that they may seem to forsake the world they do indeed enjoy it in all superfluity Or at the least the worst of their misery is no more then that which that holy man prayeth for Pro. 30.8 Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me If they have no excesse they are sure to feel no want but to be sufficiently provided for both for back and belly so long as they live there and are they not then very zealous think you in binding themselves to such a misery But my speech is to hearten all those with comfort on whom God hath layd affliction that they may bee so far from impatience as rather to rejoyce in tribulation Rom. 5.3 because it was their Masters common lot and portion for the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord it is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master and the servant as his Lord. Yea not onely the afflictions of life but death it self and the grave should be welcom and acceptable to us for Christ also hath passed them and by suffering hath sanctified them unto us so that the curse of death is turned into a blessing and the grave is become a bed of rest Rev. 14.13 and that Prophecie Is 11.8 is fulfilled The sucking child shall play upon the holt of the Asp and the weaned child shall put his hand upon the Cockatrice hole There is now no danger to Gods children in the hole of death that is the Grave for death hath lost his sting and cannot hurt us so that we may triumph and say O death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God which hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. In the last place let us learn not onely to admire Christs love to us nor onely to love him again nor only to love those that are like to him in suffering nor onely to love his sufferings themselves but withall to hate sin which was the occasion of his sufferings Sin was the occasion of Christs sufferings for had not Adam sinned Christ had had no cause or need to suffer If therefore wee love him wee cannot chuse but hate that which was to him the occasion of such a miserable life and such a shamefull painfull and cruell death David 2 Sam. 23. being an high Captaine though he longed for the water of Bethleem yet would not tast it when hee had it because it cost his three souldiers the hazard of their lives thathe might have it Much more we being servile souldiers though our soules long for the sweet waters of sin yet should we forbear to tast it because it cost our high Captaine Christ not the hazard but the very loss of his life that we might not have it God shewed Moses a tree wherewith he might make the bitter waters sweet Exo. 15.25 but behold I shew you a tree wherewith ye may make the sweet waters of sin to become bitter Look upon the tree of Christ remember his Cross and the pains he suffered thereon and the false sweetnesse of sin will quickly vanish and ye shall rightly rellish the bitterness of it If the delight of any sinne offer it self unto you cast Christ his Cross into it do but remember his sufferings for sin and all sin will presently grow distastfull For how can it choose but be hatefull to us if we consider how hurtfull it was to him The Jews would not put those thirty peeces into their Treasury because they thought them to bee the price of blood Mat. 27.6 but therein I must say they were deceived for Judas for that money did rather sell himself and his own soul then Christ or Christs blood For Christ was sold before even God had sold him before to death for the sin of man For when in the fall of man the devil offered sin unto God then did God threaten Christ unto him namely That the seed the woman should break the serpents head Gen. 3. And had not Christ been so sold before to death for sin not all the treasure in Jerusalem nor in all the world could have bought him Seeing then that Sin was the true and proper price for which Christ was sold how unworthy are wee the name of Christians yea how much worse are we then Jews if we suffer this price of blood to come into the treasury of our hearts If therefore any motion of pride arise in thy mind answer and tell it thou art the price of blood If any temptation of lust be offered to thine eyes answer and tell it thou art the price of blood If any provocation of anger or revenge be urged to thy hands answer and tell it thou art the price of blood If any greedinesse of gain move thee to wrong or oppression answer and tell it thou art the price of blood And whatsoever sin thou art tempted to answer and tell it thou art the occasion of my Saviours death thou art the price of Christs blood thou mayst not therefore come into the treasury of my heart O blessed Lord and sweet Saviour we do even with astonishment admire thy passing great love towards us we pray thee also by the fervent fire of thy great love that is upon us to kindle in us true love to thee again yea to all that are like thee in thy sufferings yea to thy sufferings themselves that we may patiently bear them whensoever they befall us But make us truly to hate sinne that was the occasion of thy sufferings We beleeve O Lord that by thy blood thou hast washt us from the guilt of sin wee beseech thee also make us more and more effectually find and feele that by thy spirit thou doest purge us from the love of sin that so our consciences may be comforted in all our life and especially in our death and our soules and bodies eternally saved in the life to come by and thorough thy all-sufficient sufferings and satisfactions For which unto thee with the Father and the Holy Ghost three persons one eternall God wee render all possible praise and thanksgiving and desire all honour and glory might and majesty may be ascribed for ever and ever Amen Finis Serm. 2. Trino-uni gloria Per me Gulielmum Gaium Martial At male si recites incipit esse tuus A SERMON preached at the Visitation held at Campden May 4. 1636. Text. JOH 13.17 If ye know these things blessed or happy are ye if ye doe them
them for their work sake then ye will love them for their own sake because they are workers and for Gods sake because they are his workers and for your own sakes because the benefit of their work extendeth to you temporally spiritually eternally For bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yea love them for their presence and companies sake for much is the benefit that secretly you may receive thereby God blessed Laban for Jacobs sake Gen. 30.27 and Potiphar for Josephs sake Gen. 40.5 yea he gave Saint Paul the lives of all his fellow passengers in that desperate danger of shipwrack Act. 27.24 And if ten righteous could have been found in Sodome all the multitude of miscreants even all the whole citty should have been spared for their sakes Gen. 18.32 And what knowest thou whether the company and acquaintance the society and near neighbourhood of one of Gods favourites may be unto thee and all thine both a prospering in good and a defence from evill But what is the notice that God gives and thereby shews that he took of Moses life Even this That he was his servant Behold then God is no ungratefull Master no man can serve him for nought He observeth as diligently thy obedience to approve and reward it as thy disobedience to reprove and punish it yea though it bee in secret he will reward thee openly Mat. 6.4 yea though it bee but little and of small value that thou doest for a cup of cold water shall not lose its reward Mat. 10.28 The Widdows Mite is not disdained but extolled Luke 21.1 Yea he keeps a book to register every word and a bottle to preserve every tear that true repentance shall bring forth Put my tears into thy bottle are not these things noted in thy book Psal 56.8 O then be not weary of well doing for in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 6.9 And say not it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Commandements and walked humbly before the Lord Mal. 3.14 But be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwaies rich in the work of the Lord for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 But doth God give no other notice of Moses then that he was his servant No this was the height of his honour for the Law afforded but Servantship it is the Gospel that bringeth Sonship the time of Sonship was not yet come For even that Heir the Church of Israel differed nothing from a servant though he were Lord of all but was under Tutors and Governours yea in a kind of bondage under weak and beggarly rudiments Gal. 4. But when the Son became a Servant then servants became sens He made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a servant Phil. 2.7 From thence forth that was fulfilled to us Thou art no more a servant but a son Now if thou be a son thou art also the heir of God through Jesus Christ Gal. 4.7 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with with the yoke of bondage Gal. 5.1 The yoke of bondage of the Ceremonial and of the Moral Law Of the Ceremonial Law as touch not tast not handle not which were shaddows of things to come but the body is in Christ Col. 2.21 Of the Morall Law For even that also may prove an entangling yoke of bondage Namely if we stick to the Covenant of Works and presume on our own meriting Beware then with the Dog in the Fable ye lose not the substance by catching at the shaddow That ye go not about to establish your own righteousness not submitting your selves to the righteousnesse of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes Rom. 10.3 in him we must seek it or else we shall never find it It may prove also a yoke of bondage if we stick to the covenant of it the contrary way namely by dispairing yeelding to the force and sinking under the burthen of the curse of it taking no hold on that Anchor of hope which we have in Christ Heb. 6.19 For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 In all these respects therefore stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made us free for the sonne having made us free now are we free indeed Joh. 8.36 even of servants we are made sons But how are we made lawless sons and hath the Law indeed no more power over us Not so the curse of it is taken away not the force of it the killing letter is blotted out not the binding Letter We are freed in respect of vengeance from God not in respect of obedience to God so that still we must doe all that ever we can but when all is done we must say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Luk. 17.10 As free and yet not as having your liberty for a cloak of malitiovsness but as the servants of God 1 Pet. 2.16 For brethren you have been called unto liberty onely use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Gal. 5.13 For how much more priviledge God affordeth us so much more duty we should afford him acknowledging his service to be perfect freedom And so much of Gods notice taken and given of Moses in his life Of his death also he takes and gives notice Moses my servant is dead shewing that even Gods servants also must dye from that none can be priviledged By Adams sin death went over all men Rom. 5.12 It is appointed to all men once to die Heb. 9.37 Yea though Christ hath taken away his Fathers wrath in the curse of death yet he hath not taken away his Fathers word concerning the course of death he hath turned the curse of death into a blessing because he is merciful He will not alwaies be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever Psal 103.9 but he hath not stopped the course of death to stay it from proceeding because he is just and true Heaven and earth shall passe away but his word shall not pass Mat. 24.35 All must dye Let every man therefore from the meanest to the greatest from the worst to the best watch and wait yea provide and prepare for death as unavoydable thy poornesse cannot hide thee thy greatnesse cannot protect thee thy holinesse cannot priviledge thee Moses Gods servant dyed and so must thou Again this sheweth that God taketh notice of the death as well as of the life of his servants and that they who live to him cannot dye from or without him Right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Ps 165.15 he dearly regardeth it he
may truly use Jacobs words here and say This is none other but the house of God and this is the gatef heaven Gen. 28.17 Two things we may especially observe in the Text the matter and the manner the substance and the circumstance of the businesse here related The matter and substance is the coming and appearing of the Holy Ghost in sensible forms The circumstance is manifold chiefly it may be referred to the time when and the persons to whom this apparition was made With these points of the circumstance I will begin so to make way to the substance of the matter which is the larger and weighter point and part First then for the time And when the day of Pentecost was fully come This day as it is commonly held was the day of the publishing the Law upon Mount Smai In memory whereof the Jews kept a solemn feast which they commonly called The feast of weeks Deut. 16.10 It got also this name Pentecost because of the number of fifty being fifty daies after their Pascha the fiftieth day after their coming out of Egypt they received the Law and that day they kept this holy feast in remembrance thereof And this day was the fiftieth after Christs resurrection For it is plain that Christ suffered on the Jews preparation day of their Passeover and that the Passeover that year fell on the Sabbath which is therefore called An high day or the great Sabbath Joh. 19.31 and that they reckoned their fifty daies from the first of or after the Sabbath Lev. 23.11 15. which was Christs rising day the first day of their week So then this Pentecost was the fiftieth day from their Passeover exclusively and the fiftieth from Christs resurrection inclusively What then Behold the truth answerable to the figure that shaddow fulfilled in this substance As on the fiftieth day after their Passeover and their deliverance from corporall bondage under Pharoah they received Legem timoris the Law of fear upon Mount Sinai so on the fiftieth after day the accomplishment of our Passeover the Lamb of God slain and risen and our deliverance from the spirituall bondage under Satan we received Legem amoris the Law of love upon Mount Sion For Christ also is a Law-giver even the giver of a new Law as he himself speaketh Joh. 13.34 A new commandement give I you What That ye love one another Which yet is not a new or another Law but the fulfilling and consummation of the old Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 The end of the commandement is love 1 Tim. 1.5 This Law was given when the Holy Ghost was given For the fruit of the spirit is love Gal. 5.22 The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of love 2 Tim. 1.7 This is that Law of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Gal. 5.1 Free in regard of the outward man because the inner man is accepted In my mind I serve the law of God though in my flesh the law of sin Rom. 7.25 Free not in the tie of obedience which is still upon us but in the tax of disobedience that is punishment which he hath taken from us Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 Well then brethren ye see your calling the sum of all is love Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart love thy neighbour as thy self the sincerity of the inside Truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 For he is an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile Joh. 3. 47. Truth of heart supplyeth defect of hand for ye are called into liberty Gal. 5.13 The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed us from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 And where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 Stand fast therefore in this liberty of love Gal. 5.1 As free and not having the liberty for a cloak of malitiousness but as the servants of God 1 Pet 2. Not usin your liberty as an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Gal. 5 13. For indeed Love is the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 binding not onely us one to another for the unity of the spirit is in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 but binding us unto God and God unto us For he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4.16 and that not for a time but for ever For this Law is not written with ink or in tables of stone corruptibly but in fleshly tables of the heart yea in the immortall table of the soul incorruptibly For though tongues cease or knowledge vanish away yet love never falleth away 1 Cor. 13. Now abideth Faith Hope Love but the chief of these is Love For Faith apprehendeth the promise hope attendeth the matter but Love sealeth and assureth confirmeth and strengtheneth both Again this coming of the Holy Ghost was the fiftieth day after Christs Resurrection and therefore the tenth day after his Ascension for he ascended not till the fortieth day Act. 1.3 and then he made his last promise of this which he now performed Ye shall be baptised with the holy Ghost not many daies hence Act. 1.5 He deferred it till the tenth day and on the tenth day he fulfilled it He deferred it till the tenth day that they might be exercised with expectation and whetted with delay For Gods delaies are nothing else but whettings His delay of judgements to the wicked is a whetting of his anger For if a man will not turn he will whet his sword Psal 7.13 Yea he will fourbish it that it may consume Ezek. 21.28 But his delay of grace to his children is a whetting to their zeal For the Physitian by restraint of dyet gaineth stomack health and strength unto his patient And God who best knoweth what is best for us by denying or by deferring grace oftentimes gives grace unto his children Else why did not St. Pauls threefold petition prevaile for his deliverance from that buffeting messenger of Satan but that he might receive a sufficiency of grace to strengthen him 2 Cor. 12. And else why did the prayer of the woman of Canaan suffer likewise a threefold repulse but even to whet her importunity and constancy that at the last she might receive that acclamation O woman great is thy faith Mat. 15.28 Again as untill the tenth day so no longer then the tenth day did Christ defer his promise but on that day he did fulfill it for God is not slack as some men count slackness 2 Pet. 3.9 Not so slack as to forget his promise Hath he said and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Numb 23.19 No but heaven and earth shall sooner passe away Patientia est non negligentia Aug. de ver ap ser 20. then one
we flea the backs of beasts we pluck the plumes of birds And when we have searched both sea and land for dainties to feed it at last it self must be meat for worms And when wee have built stately Castles wherein to lodge it at last it must lie in a narrow grave or stinking toomb And when wee have rob'd all creatures for rich ornaments wherewith to cloth it at last it self must put on corruption If then with the Peacock we would turn our eyes from our plumes and behold our black legges that is consider our foundation or if with that proud King Dan. 2. we would take notice as well of the clay feet as of the golden head and silver body of our image we should easily perceive that it is subject to falling and that all our glory and pride must come down to the dust And so much of the first consideration expressing mans vilenesse namely the consideration of his corporall estate or condition both in respect of his beginning and of his ending Again mans vilenesse also appears in consideration of his temporall estate and condition and that both in respect of the miseries of his life and also of the shortnesse of his life First for the miseries of his life they be so many that I cannot propose to speak of them all I will but touch upon his defects wants and failings in the chiefe supplies of life that is food and rayment which will the more appear if we compare our selves with the bruit and unreasonable creatures For in both those kinds of things how easily and readily are other creatures sped and furnished and how hardly doth man get them First for food Consider the Ravens saith our Saviour they neither sow nor reap they have neither storehouse nor barn Lu. 12.24 But this is mans portion Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread He must sweat for his bread before he hath it he must plow before he can sow and sow before he can reap and reap and thrash and winnow and grind and Bake and all before he can eat Such a world of work hath hee with a little grain of Wheat before he can make it fit sustenance to his body And for his raiment the case is much alike For whereas all other creatures are naturally clothed every one with his own coat some with wooll some with hair some with fur some with feathers onely man poor naked creature hath nothing of his owne to put on but must be ber holding to other creatures for every thing that he doth wear to the earth for his linnen to the sheep for his woollen to the wormes for his silkes to the birds tailes for his choisest and daintiest feathers that come so near the incest noses And indeed if every bird should take his own feather if every creature should exact and take from us what we have taken from them the sheep his woollen the Earth its linnen and so the rest then should man be left like Aesops Crown Moveat cornicula risum furtivis nudata coloribus All creatures may laugh at our nakednesse when we are stript of our borrowed feathers Neither do wee onely borrow our clothing of other creatures but we must take a great deal of paines with that which we do borrow before it will be fit for our use as may appear in the wooll our most ordinary wearing which requires as great plenty and as much variety of labour before it comes to our backs as the wheat doth before it comes to our mouths Thus is man born to labour as the sparks fly upward Job 5.7 To which difficulties of getting if yee will add the consideration of the hazard of keeping and the disquietnesse of losing which all are subject to in all temporall things then I doubt not but yee will be ready to subscribe to that of the preacher Eccles 1.14 I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Vse 1. And that we passe not this without some use and benefit let us in the first place consider what should be the cause thereof and what hath brought man so much below other creatures for in his Creation he was the King of creatures and therefore no lesse happy then they what then should be the cause of this alteration It was sinne beloved it was sinne that cursed offspring of hell that was the bane of all our blessedness It was sin that made a separation between God us It was sin that tumed our glory into shame our joy into sorrow our quiet into trouble our happinesse into misery our immortality into mortality For as soon as Adam had sinned the curses came over his head like waves in a stormy Sea Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the daies of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee and dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Thus ye see that sin was the mother of all our mischief sin was the bane that poisoned us sin was the serpent that stung us even unto death for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 And yet such is our foul folly and monstrous madnesse we are not yet out of love with this ugly monster of Hell that hath wrought us all this woe and misery We are more foolish then the silly sheep for though they feed upon their own bane yet they do it ignorantly not knowing that it will poison them but wee draw on sin with cart ropes Is 5.18 and drink iniquity like water Job 15.16 and yet we know it is most deadly bane and poyson to our soules We are more mad then Aesops Husbandman who finding a snake in the cold weather frozen in the field brought it home and warm'd it it at the fire For he did it before he was stung or had received any harm But we do not warm and revive but hatch and cherish not a snake but sin that is a serpent worse then Hydra not at our fires but in our brests and bosoms not that onely will sting us but that hath already stung us as aforesaid unto death They say that burnt children fear the fire and yet we ripe enough in age yet too childish in understanding cannot beware of the fire of sin which hath already burnt down the house of our happinesse and consumed our glory and laid all our honor in the dust but like the frantick Satyr we be in love with this fire and fall to imbracing it like the foolish fly we play with this flame till both our wings of faith and love be scorched and our soules fall headlong into Hell Flee therefore and avoid all manner of sin for it is the bane that poysoneth us it is the serpent that stingeth us it is the fire that will utterly consume us unlesse it be quenched by the tears of repentance and the blood of Christ 2. Vse Again
Because God hath prized us so highly we should not disesteem or sleight our selves but carefully passe the time of our dwelling here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 18 19. 10. Q. Why to our neighbour A. Because God hath so dearly loved us 1 Joh. 4.10 Sect. 4. Of our receiving our Remedy 1. Q. HOw doe we receive the remedy which Christ hath wrought for us A. Onely by Faith Ioh. 1.12 Ioh. 3.16 Rom. 10.4 2. Q. But doth not faith work by love Gal. 5.6 A. Yes outwardly to the world and inwardly to our self in point of its own probation but not upwardly to God in point of our justification there Works are shut out Rom. 3.28 Eph. 2.9 3. Q. But though our Works have no hand in receiving our Justification yet do they not help to make us acceptable to God A. No more then the wiping with a filthy ragge would cleanse our faces Is 64.6 4. Q. But is there no worth or virtue in our Faith for which it receiveth our justification A. No for we are said to be justified or saved by Faith Rom. 3.28 and through Faith Eph. 2.8 but never for Faith for the price is onely Christs satisfaction Act. 4.12 Is 53.5 And to say we are justified by Faith is but a Figurative speech for Faith doth justifie us no otherwise then our hand doth feed us and that is but as a receiving and an applying instrument 5. Q. And doe you by your particular faith receive your own justification to your self A. Yes or else my faith were no better then the Devils I am 2.19 6 Q. But is it not enough at least for the ignorant to beleeve as the Church believeth in implicite Faith A. No for the just shall live by his faith Heb. 2.4 And in the Creed we are taught and required every one to professe and confess the particulars of our faith 7. Q. And have you any assurance in your particular Faith A. Yes though in much weaknesse Mark 9.24 and reluctation of the flesh Gal. 5.17 For Faith is the ground of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 8. Q. How can you have particular assurance having no particular warrant or promise to you by name A. Because the Covenant of Grace was made indefinitely to all beleevers every beleever may and must take and apply the same unto himself in particular as Iob 19.25 Iob. 20.28 Gal. 2.20 9. Q. What followeth or may be gathered out of this doctrine of our justification by Faith onely A. Humiliation and Confirmation 10. Q. How or why Humiliation A. Because in our justification we are meer and bare receivers and have nothing to boast of 1 Cor. 4.7 Luke 17.10 11. Q. How or why Confirmation A. Because we build not on the sand of our own merits but on the foundation of Gods knowledge 2 Tim. 2.19 Gal. 4.9 and on the rock of Christs perfection 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. Sect. 5. Of the proof of our Faith 1. Q. WHat need is there of proving our faith A. None in respect of God for he knoweth what is in man Ioh. 2.25 and worketh whatsoever is good in man Iam. 1.17 but in respect of the Church and of our selves 2. Q. What is the proof of our faith outwardly to the Church A. It s good fruits Gal. 5.6 2 Cor. 5.17 Iam. 2 18. 3. Q. How necessary is that good fruit Obedience to true faith A. As necessary as the soul is to the life of the body I am 2.26 4. Q. What reason can you shew for this A. Because love is of the nature of fire 5. Q. And what do you infer from that A. That the fire of Gods love wheresoever it is received by faith will inflame Ps 39.3 and purifie Act. 15.9 6. Q. What inward proof is there to our self and our own conscience A. The testimony of Gods Spirit Ioh. 4.13 Rom. 8.16 7. Q. How is that wrought known or found A. Descendendo by showring down comforts Ps 72.6 and ascendendo by exhaling Graces Gal. 5.22 for so Iacobs dream Gen. 28.12 is fulfilled in Christ Ioh. 1.51 8. Q. What followeth for instruction of our practise out of this doctrine of the necessity of good works A. That we must take heed of denying God our selves Tit. 1.16 and of setting others awork to blaspheme him Rom. 2.23 24. 2 Sam. 12.14 Sect. 6. Of the helps of our Faith 1. Q. WHat speciall help have you of or to your faith A. The Sacraments for therein Christ is offered to us both by word and action 2 Q. How long have Sacraments been in use A. From the beginning 3. Q. What Sacraments had Adam A. The tree of Life pawning life to his obedience and the tree of knowledge of good and evil pawning death to his disobedience Gen. 2.9 4. Q. Had these any relation to Christ and the covenant of Grace A. No for there was yet no need because no sin 5. Q. When began the Sacraments of Grace A. Circumcision began by Abraham Gen. 17.9 and the Passeover by Moses Ex. 12.3 6. Q. Why are these ended and taken away A. Partly because Christ was the end of the Law Rom. 10.4 and the body of those shaddows Col. 2.17 and partly because God fitteth his Church according to its age and quality with spirituall as the Nurse doth her child and the Physician his patient with corporall food and Physick 7. Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church A. Two onely as generally necessary to salvation that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. 8. Q What say you then to those 5 which the Church of Rome will have also to be Sacraments Confirmation Pennance Extreme Unction Orders Matrimony A. That they be not Sacraments First because Christ did neither partake nor ordain them Secondly because they be not all alike common to all for Orders can belong but to one profession Thirdly because they crosse and oppose one another as Orders and Matrimony which cannot agree together as they suppose 9. Q. What meanest thou by this word Sacrament A. I mean an outward visible sign of an inward and spiritual Grace given unto us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and as a pledge to assure us thereof 10. Q. What do you shew or touch in this answer A. The nature of a Sacrament that it is an outward sign of an inward grace The Author that it is from Christ The Effect that it doth conveigh and assure the Grace which it signifieth 11. Q. Doth then the outward sign alwaies give and confirm the grace which it signifieth A. Not properly of it self and by the very action but instrumentally where it pleaseth God to make it effectuall for Simon Magus was in the gall of bitternesse after Baptism Act. 8.13.23 Whether Judas did communicate is controverted and Iudas after the Lords Supper if he received it was a lost child of perdition Joh. 17.12 12. Q. Why then doth your common Catechism say that in Baptism you
and whereto A. Out of darknesse into marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Col. 1.13 8. Q. How A. Ordinarily by the Ministry of the Word Rom. 10.14 but not onely so for God is above means Psa 135.6 9. Q. VVhy is the Church called holy A. Because none are to be acknowledged therein but such as are holy at least in profession 10. Q. VVhat is the meaning of Catholike A. Generall or universal so the Church is in respect of time place and persons 11. Q. VVhat do you professe in saying The Communion of Saints A. That the Church that is the faithfull have a common share in Christ by faith Ioh. 1.16 and one with another by charity 1 Cor. 12.26 12. Q. VVhat learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the ninth Article A. To ascribe my salvation wholly to Gods choosing and calling 1 Cor. 4.7 Secondly to make precious accompt of the ordinary means 1 Pet. 2.2 Thirdly to prove what I professe my self to be of the Church by my holiness 2 Pet. 1.10 Fourthly to take heed of breaking my professed Communion by breach of charity Sect. 19. Of the tenth Article or next following 1. Q. WHat is the tenth Article or next following A. The forgivenesse of sins 2. Q. VVhat is it to forgive A. To accompt a thing as not done which is done Rom. 4.7 3. Q. Doth forgiveness then take away the punishment with the fault A. Yes for Gods forgiving is forgetting Is 43.25 Ier. 31.34 4. Q. But doe we not after forgiveness of sins suffer many punishments A. Not properly punishments but chastisements or warnings to cut off or to prevent sin 1 Cor. 11.32 or else tryals and proofs Gen. 22.1 1 Pet. 1.7 Ioh. 9.3 5. Q. Doe our sins then go unpunished A. No for they are punished in Christ 1 Pet. 2.24 6. Q. And doth forgiveness of sins consist onely in not imputing it A. Properly and specially it doth yet so as that thereto necessarily belongeth infusion of grace and imputation of Christ 1 Cor. 6.11 7. Q. If we must believe forgiveness of our own and the Churches sins why must we pray for the same in the Lords Prayer A. Because Faith and Prayer must one help another 8. Q. Is any sin veniall A. Not properly of its own nature Rom. 6.23 9. Q. Is any sin unpardonable A. Not that it is incident to the Elect Mat. 16.18 10. Q. VVho may forgive sin A. Onely God whose will it transgresseth Is 43.25 Mar. 2.7 11. Q. But are we not taught in the Lords Prayer to forgive sins A. Yes so far as concerneth us 12. Q. And have not the Ministry power to remit and to retain sins Joh. 20.23.18.18 A. Yes but as the Levitical Priests not to make but to pronounce clean or uncleane Levit. 13. Not to forgive but to declare forgivenesse 13. VVhat doe you learn for practise out of all this aforesaid of the tenth article A. To bear afflictions patiently as being rather remedies then punishments of sin Secondly to take heed of renewing my sins Rom. 6.1 Thirdly to abhor Popish pardoning Sect. 20. Of the eleventh Article or next following 1. Q. WHat is the eleventh article or the next following A. The resurrection of the body 2. Q. VVhat is the meaning hereof A. That the bodies of all mankind shall be raised again from death 3. Q. How shall all be raised seeing all shall not die A. Their changing shall be unto them in stead of death and resurrection 1 Cor. 15.51 4. Q. Why must we die who have forgiveness of sins A. Not for punishment but for finishing of sinne Rom. 6.7 and for passage to glory Luk 16.22 5. Q. But shall the bodies of the reprobate and cursed rise also A. Yes Act. 24.15 for they must come to judgement Ioh. 5.28 29. 6. Q. If all must rise what needeth care of buriall A. That doth not crosse or disprove but express and confirm our hope of the Resurrection in that we doe our parts to prepare thereto 7. Q. VVhen shall this resurrection be A. At Christs coming to Judgement 1 Thes 4.16 Mat. 25.31 32. 8. Q. How shall this resurrection be effected A. By no naturall power or meanesi but by the supernatural force of the sound of the Trumpet 1 Cor. 15.52 and of the Archangels voice 1 Thes 4.16 and of Christs voice Joh. 5.28 9. Q. With what body shall they come A. The same that dyed in substance Job 19.25 though much changed in quality Phil. 3.21 1 Cor. 15.43 10. Q. What learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the eleventh Article A. Not to fear mine own death for it is but a sleep Joh. 11.11 Secondly not to lament inordinately for others death 1 Thes 4.13 Thirdly not to be careless of my life as if all would be ended with death 1 Cor. 15.32 33. Sect. 21. Of the last Article 1. Q. WHat is the last Article A. And the life everlasting 2. Q. What doe you confess in this article A. The estate of the Elect after death 3. Q. And is it not the estate also of the reprobate A. No for though they also be raised and live yet so as it is not called life but death Rev. 21.8 4. Q. What is this life everlasting A. It cannot be expressed nor conceived 1 Cor. 2.9 5. Q. What is the means of it A. No means but God himself Rev. 21.23 2 Cor. 15.28 6. Q. But do we not read of Angels food Ps 78.24 25 A. Yes but that is figurative signifying either the excellency or the Ministry of that food 7. Q. What is the place of this life A. Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 8. Q. What is the company A. The Saints the Angels Christ the Trinity Heb. 12.22 9. Q. What is the exercise A. Continuall praising God Rev. 4.8 10. Q. What is the continuance or endurance A. For ever 1 Pet. 1.4 Mat. 25.46 11. Q. What are the degrees and parts of it A. It is begun in this life by faith as by an evidence Joh. 5.24 it is entred by the soul at the hour of death Eccles 12.7 but is fulfilled and perfected at the resurrection 1 Thes 4.17 Heb. 11.40 12. Q. What learn you for practise out of all aforesaid of the last Article A. To endeavour to begin life everlasting while I am here both by faith Gal. 2.20 and by conversation Phil. 3.20 Secondly to rejoice in my change being so much for the better Luk. 23.43 Phil. 1.23 Thirdly to fear nothing after death Rev. 14.13 Sect. 21. Of Prayer in generall 1. Q. SEeing Faith is to be proved by its fruits what is the speciall fruit of it or the chief particular of good works A. Prayer 2 Cor. 4.13 2. Q. Why doe you make Prayer the principall part or point of good works A. For its dignities sake because it is drawing near to God Jam. 4.8 and for its generallities sake because serveth to all times persons and places c. 3. Q. What are the chief rules of Prayer
life A. Yes for the bruit creatures are given us for nourishment Gen. 9.3 6. Q. And doth it bind onely us to and concerning other men A. No but as all the second Table doth especially to our selves 7. Q. Is he taking away of mans life then absolutely unlawfull A. Our own self-killing must needs be so but not the taking away of others life in case of judgement just war and self-defence 8. Q. Is nothing here forbidden but killing and proceeding to death A. Yes even all degrees and means of wronging or impairing our own or our neighbours livelyhood 9. Q. And is the bodily life here onely to be understood A. No but also the soules which is much more precious 10. Q. But how can the soul be killed A. Not properly and naturally Mat. 10.28 but spiritually by sin Eph. 2.1 11. Q. Though there be no reason here expressed yet may there be none rendered for the equity of this precept A. Yes because we are Gods Image Gen. 9.6 and because one with another we are naturally one flesh Is 58.7 and mystically one body 1 Cor. 12.27 Eph. 5.30 12. Q. What doe you learn for practise out of all aforesaid of the sixth Commandement A. 1. To be carefull to avoid all degrees of blood-guiltynesse 2. To be ready to sustaine and comfort life naturall and spirituall 3. To begin with my self Sect. 39. Of the seventh Commandement 1. Q WHat is the seventh Commandement A. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 2. Q. How many parts hath it A. Two a Negative and an Affirmative 3. Q. What is the Negative part A. That which is expressed 4. Q. Is nothing for bidden here but Adultery A. Yes also Fornication and all acts of unchastity 5. Q. Are onely the acts of unchastity forbidden A. Nay but also all sinfull thoughts Mat. 5.28 2 Pet. 2.14 and all means occasions and helps to it 1 Thes 5.22 6. Q. What is the Affirmative part of this Commandement A. All that is contrary to that aforesaid the sum whereof is that we possesse our vessels in holinesse and honour 1 Thes 4.4 7. Q. Is not marriage here implyed in the Affirmative part A. It is appointed for a remedy against unchastity 1 Cor. 7.2 but not absolutely commanded for Christ alloweth single chastity Mat. 19.12 8. Q. Is it not as lawfull for Ministers to marry as for others A. Yes for Marriage is honourable among all Heb. 13.4 and to forbid Marriage is a doctrine of devils 1 Tim. 4.1 3. 9. Q. But is there no restraint of marriage to any A. Yes the respect of degrees of consanguinitie Lev. 18.6 and of precontract Mal. 2.15 and of parents consent Gen. 24.49 and of the parties own consent Gen. 24.57 10. Q. What reason may there be to shew the equitie of this Commandement A. Because our bodies are the Members of Christ and Temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.15 19. 11. Q. What extraordinary reason can you shew to fright men from Adultery A. First because above other sins it hath certain and grievous punishment in this life Prov. 6.26 32 33. Eccl. 19.3 2. Because it is a self punishment of other sins and an effect of Gods rejecting and giving men up to sin Prov. 22.14 Eccl. 7.26 12. Q. If God give up the wicked to this sin then it followeth that he preserveth godly from it as also it appeareth in that Text Eccl. 7.26 can you then shew any instance hereof A. Yes Sarah though through her own and her husbands weakness she ran into great hazard of this sin yet by God was preserved Gen. 20.6 13. Q. But is every one then falleth into this sin absolutely rejected of God A. God forbid for he may rise and recover by repentance as David did 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. 14. Q. What do you chiefly observe and learn in all afore said of the seventh Commandement A. That seeing not only the acts of unchastity but also all occasions means and helps thereto are forbidden I must therefore take heed of giving occasions of it to others and of taking occasions of it from others and of being guilty of the means of it in and to my self by idleness 2 Sam. 11.1 or by drunkenness Prov. 23.33 Sect. 40. Of the eighth Commandement 1. Q. WHat is the eighth Commandement A. Thou shalt not steal 2. Q. How many parts hath it A. Two a Negative and an Affirmative 3. Q. What is the Negative part A. That which is expressed forbidding the wronging of our neighbours estate 4. Q. What is the Affirmative A. That which is implyed requiring the contrary 5. Q. Doth this Commandement respect and concerne only our neighbour A. Nay but also our selfe as other of the second Table do 6. Q. How may a man be a thief to or steal from himself A. 1. By idlenesse Prov. 10.4 18.9 20.4 2. By prodigalness in his own estate Prov. 21.17 Luk 15.13 3. By miserableness in denying our self the comfort of our labour Eocl 2.24 3.12 13. 4.8 4. By indiscreet medling with others estates 1 Thes 4.11 Prov. 6.1 7. Q. How may this Commandement be broken concerning our neighbour A. Directly or indirectly 8. Q. How directly A. 1. In things taken by force or by fraud 1 Thes 4.6 2. In things received for or in purpose of working pawn loan or trust Psal 37.21 Joh. 12.6 if they be wronged or not restored 3. In things neither taken nor received but wrongfully detained in whole or in part whether they be things found Lev. 6.1 2 3 4. or due by promise Psal 15.4 or by any other right Rom. 13.7 9. Q. How indirectly A. When we eat not our own but others bread by idlenesse 2 Thes 3.12 or unlawfull calling or practise as Sorcery Exod. 22.18 Act. 19.19 16.16 or Usury Deut 23.19 Ps 15.5 10. Q. Is there yet no other kind of thefe A. Yes of the heart in coveting Mar. 7.21 22 and of the tongue in lying and flattering 2 Sam. 15.1 2 3 4 5 6. 11. Q. Are we bound by this Commandement to help and relieve our neighbour A. Yes Mat. 25.42 1 Joh. 3.17 according to our ability Act. 11.29 1 Cor. 16.2 12. Q. What reason may there be rendered for the equity of this Commandement A. Even that aforementioned in the sixth Commandement viz. because naturally we are one flesh Is 58.7 and mystically we are one body 1 Cor. 12.27 and also because we cannot live one without anothers help 13. Q. What do you especially observe in all aforesaid of the eighth Commandement A. 1. That for keeping thereof first I must shun all wilfull wronging mine own estate Eccl. 14.5 2. That I must keep my heart and tongue as well as my hands from wronging my neighbours estate 3. That I must not only forbear hurting but also be ready in helping my neighbours estate in what I may Sect. 41. Of the ninth Commandement 1. Q. WHat is the ninth Commandement A. Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy
with God there is not magis minus his infinitenesse admitteth no degrees of comparison how much more I say is his providence exercised concerning that World of Worlds his Church wherein every Member is a little World renewed or made new And how much most of all towards those who are the Stars of that World I mean the Ministers who are ordained to shine not onely in glory hereafter They that turn many unto righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 but also in grace here for they are the light of the World Mat. 1.14 Yea Stars already The seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches Rev. 1.20 This that I have said is plainly exprest in this Text now read wherein is shewed Gods great care and love towards his Church in fitting them with Ministers Moses and Joshua to guide and lead them I call them Ministers for though they were not properly Priests in Sacrificing yet they were Ministers in teaching they were Ministerial Magistrates Teachers as well as Governours Gods providence towards them and theirs in them appeareth in two parts of the Text viz. In his approbation of th' one deceased Moses my servant is dead and in the ordination of th' other to succeed Now therefore arise Joshua His approbation of Moses is in taking and giving notice of his life that he was his servant and of his death that he was dead 1. He taketh notice of his life for he calleth him his servant Note here God is watchfull over men and specially over special men 1. He is watchful over men even generally over all for he can neither slumber nor sleep Psal 121.4 It was a mockage of the false God It may be hee sleepeth 1 King 18.27 But the eyes of the Lord in every place behold the evill and the good Prov. 15.3 Yea and that not only for actions but for words and thoughts Thou art about my path and about my bed and spiest out all my wayes for loe there is not a word in my tongue but thou O Lord knowest it altogether Psal 139.3 4. This teacheth us to beware of hiding both before hand and after hand Before hand in respect of practise Wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord Is 29.15 And so do all that practise evil For every one that evill doth hateth the light Joh. 3.20 But in vain for the darkness is no darkness with him but the night is as clear as the day the darkness and light to thee are both alike Psal 139.11 He that planteth the ear shall not he hear or he that made the eye shall not he see Yes all things are naked and open to his eyes Heb. 4.13 Walk with God then as in his presence since out of his presence thou canst not goe And after hand likewise beware of hiding and not confessing For hast thou been shameless and fearless in doing and wilt thou be ashamed and afraid to confesse what thou hast done Doest thou not see it is one wrong to God to transgress his will and another to think thou canst deceive him by hiding it Forget not thy self then so much at any time as to practise the works of darkness as if God did not see thee but if thou hast so forgotten O remember at last thou wast mistaken and freely open what thou canst not hide For he that hideth his sin shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 2. But God is especially watchfull over speciall men generally his Elect The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers Ps 34.14 And specially to the special ones the heads and principals and that in his Donation Protection Offence Acceptance 1. In his Donation to whom he gives greater place to them he gives greater grace that he may prepare them to greater glory Solomon having a great government had a great gift of wisdom 1 King 3. I say must have his lips touched with an hot coal from the Altar Is 6.6 Moses hath a word of warrant I will be with thy mouth and will teach thee what thou shalt say Exed 3.12 And the Disciples I will give you a mouth and wisdome where against all your adversaries shall not be able to speake or to resist Luke 21.15 My use of this shall be to my self I trust God will make this good in me that with my greater place I shall receive greater grace gift of Ability as well as of Imployment and the Lord grant it not for mine but for his own honour and glory in the good of you whom he hath given me 2 In his Protection Touch not mine Annointed and doe my Prophets no harm Ps 105.15 The Disciples are warranted there shall not one hair of your head perish Luk. 21.18 Beware then of opposing Gods Ordinance and offer no despite nor despising to the Magistrate or to the Minister think not to prevail by stubborness for ye shall therein but imagine a vain thing Ps 2.1 Why doe the heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine thing Yea ve shall be found but fighters against God Act. 5.39 He that resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.2 3. In Offence For they are the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Ps 17.8 Keep me as the apple of the eye their blemishes as well as their touches are his great offence see it in his reckoning with David 2 Sam. 12.7 and with his people Mic. 6.3 Beware then of playing the wanton with God turn not his grace into wantonness let not his favour imbolden thee to sin for the more his kindnesse is unto thee the more unkindly he takes thy sin Therefore grieve not the good Spirit of God for the more he loves thee the more offence he takes at thy lack of love to him 4. In Acceptance For though the Lord is generally gracious and mercifull loving unto every man nigh unto all men that call upon him Ps 145. Yet some mens calling upon him is of speciall acceptance with him yea not only for themselves but also for others insomuch that some are commanded to make use rather of their then of their own calling Abraham must pray for Abimelech Gen. 20.7 and Job for his friends Job 42.8 Yea God hath ordained and set an order and function of men to be petitioners for others even the Ministry with promise of speciall acceptance Jam. 5.14.15 And while Moses held up his bands Israel prevailed but when he let down his hands Amaleck prevailed Exod. 17.11 Learn therefore to love them whom God so accepteth Now we beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake 1 Thes 5.12 13. For if you love
body 7. It was but an Oaken bough wherein Absaloms head was entangled but it was a sharp thorny bush wherewith Christs head was wreathed 8. In a word Absaloms story was a right Tragedy for it began merrily he invited his brethren to a Feast but it ended mournfully he and his followers were put to the sword but Christs story was more and worse then tragicall for his birth his life his death began continued ended with no mirth at all but with continuall mournfull misery But that I may proceed orderly in this my discourse I propose these three chief parts or points of the Text to be observed 1. The sufferer Christ 2. His sufferings hath suffered 3. The cause of his sufferings for sins Concerning the sufferer we are to consider who hee was and what he was who in his person what in his office The former the Prophet plainly sheweth Is 9.6 Unto us a child is born and unto us a Sonne is given Parvulus a Child that noteth his humanity Filius a Sonne that noteth his Deity Parvulus a Child even man of the substance of his Mother born in the World Filius a Sonne even God of the substance of his Father begotten before the World Parvulus a Child behold his humility She brought forth her first born Son and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a manger Luk. 2.7 Filius a Son behold his dignity When he bringeth in his first begotten Son into the world he saith and let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 That hee was man there is proof It is enough to the purpose to say seeing it is a saying undenyable he was born he lived he dyed That he was God there is proof St. Peter saith They killed the Prince of life Act. 3.15 and St. Paul saith they crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Yea that God hath purchased his Church with his own blood Act 20.28 That he should be man there was reason For man had sinned therefore man must be punished By a man came death therefore by a man must come the resurrection of the dead Man was the offender therefore man must be the satisfier Angels could not do it they had no bodies to suffer the bruit sensible creatures could not do it they had no soules to suffer The insensible creatures could not doe it they had no sense to suffer therefore man having body soul and sense must do it for he had sinned in all and he could suffer in all That hee should bee God there was reason yea double reason First that his sufferings might be sufficient and againe that his merits might bee sufficient That his sufferings might be sufficient For the sin of man was infinite I mean infinitely punishable If not infinite in number infinite offences yet infinite in nature every offence infinite because against God who is infinite No creature could therefore satisfie for it but the sufferer must be God that so his infiniteness might be answerable to the infiniteness of mans yea all mens offences And again that his merits might be sufficient he must bee God for sufficient merit for all Mankinde could not be in the person of any meer man no not in Christ himself considered only as a man For so all the grace he had he did receive it and all the good he did he was bound to doe it for he was made of a woman and made under the Law Gal. 4.4 therefore in fulfilling it hee did more then that which was his duty to doe he could not merit by it no not for himself much lesse for others considered only as man therefore he must also be God that the dignity of his person might adde dignity and virtue and value to his works In a word Deus potuit sed non debuit homo debuit sed non potuit God could but he should not man should but he could not make the satisfaction therefore he that would doe it must be both God and Man Terris crutus ab igne as the Prophet speake h Zac. 3.2 Is not this a firebrand taken out of the fire In a firebrand there is fire and wood inseparably mixed and in Christ there is God and Man wonderfully united He was God else neither his sufferings nor his merits could have been sufficient And if his could not much lesse any mans else for all other men are both conceived and born in original sin and also much and often defiled with actuall sin Away then with all such doctrines of prayers and Masses for the dead and whatsoever other merit or satisfaction of man for no man may deliver his brother nor make agreement to God for him for it cost more to redeem their souls so that he must let that alone for ever Ps 49.7 He was man even God became man by a wonderfull unspeakable and unconceivable union Behold God is offended by mans affecting and coveting his wisdom and his glory for that was the Devils temptation to our first Parents ye shall be as Gods and man is redeemed by Gods assuming and taking his frailty and his infirmity Man would be as God and so offended him therefore God becomes man and so redeemeth him Away then with all pride and disdain scorn and contempt of our brethren despise not hate not revenge not him that compares himself unto thee or lifts himself above thee pursue him not with fury prosecute him not with rage but rather seek to reconcile and winne him with kindnesse meeknesse and humility so did God deal with man his proud daring and too too high comparing creature Because man in pride would be a God therefore God in love became a man And so you have one particular concerning the sufferer namely who he was in his person God and Man Again as aforesaid we are to consider what hee was in his office the Text doth yeeld it in the name Christ This name or title Christus was wont to be given to three sorts of dignities or degrees Namely to Kings Priests and Prophets and that because the signification of that name that is Anointed did belong to them for those three degrees were wont to be consecrated and confirmed with the ceremony of Anointing so was Aaron Anointed to be a Priest Jehu to be a King Elisha to be a Prophet And of them all the Psalmists words may be understood Psal 105.15 Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine Anointed But never was this name so properly given to any as to him of whom my Text speaketh For if any were Anointed with material oyl hee was Anointed with spiritual oyl the oyl of gladness if any were Anointed abundantly he was Anointed superabundantly above his fellows if any were Anointed temporally he was Anointed eternally Thou art a Priest for ever saith the Psalmist Whose Kingdom shall have no end saith the Nicen Creed If any were Anointed for any of those three dignities or degrees it was for one of them or but for two at
suffer Indeed such a true and proper sufferer he was for so himself confesseth I lay down my life no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again Joh. 10.17 And again to say plainly he suffered what is it but to shew his innocencie that he had not offended For if hee had been a malefactor or offender it should have been said rather he was punished or he was executed And so it is most true for so it followeth in the next words of the Text the just for the unjust And again to say peremptorily he suffered what is it but to set him forth by the way of excellency for the chief and archsufferer and that not onely in respect of the manner of his sufferings that he suffered absolutely so as never did any but also in respect of the measure of his sufferings that he suffered excessively so much as never did any And so also wee may well understand and take it For to him doth well belong that lamentation of the Prophet Lam. 1.12 O vos omnes qui transitis attendite videte si dolor est ullus sicut dolor meus O all yee that passe by attend and see if there be any sorrow like to mine Behold then in saying nothing else but Christ hath suffered 1. He implyeth that he alwaies suffered constantly without intermission 2. That he onely suffered patiently without opposition 3. That he properly suffered voluntarily without compulsion 4. That he innocently suffered wrongfully without just condemnation 5. That he principally suffered excessively without comparison And is it not enough then that he saith Christ hath suffered but will ye yet ask what Nay but I pray you be satisfied and rather of the two ask what not For what sufferings can ye think on which he suffered not Sufferings in birth he suffered them Sufferings in life he suffered them Sufferings in death he suffered them Sufferings in body he was diversly tormented Sufferings in soul his soul was heavie unto death Sufferings in estate he had not where to rest his head Sufferings in good name he was counted a Samaritane and a devillish Sorcerer Sufferings from heaven he cryeth out My God my God why hast thou for saken me Sufferings from the earth he findeth for his hunger a fruitlesse Fig-tree Sufferings from hell he is assaulted and encountred with the Devill himself He began his life meanly and basely and was sharply persecuted he continued his life poorly and distressedly and was cruelly hated hee ended his life wofully and miserably and was most grievously tormented with whips thorns nails and above all with the terrors of his Fathers wrath and horrors of hellish agonies Ego sum qui peccavi I am the man that have sinned but these sheep what have they done So spake David when he saw the Angel destroying his people 2 Sam. 24.17 And even the same speech may every one of us take up for our self and apply to Christ and say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this sheep what hath he done Yea much more cause have we then David had to take up this complaint For David saw them die whom he knew to be sinners we see him dye who we know knew no sin David saw them dye a quick speedy death we see him die with lingering torments David saw them dye who by their own confession was worth ten thousand of them wee see him dye for us whose worth admitteth no comparison David saw the Lord of glory destroying mortall men we see mortall men crucifying the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 How then have not wee more cause then David to say I have sinned I have done wickedly but this innocent lamb what hath he deserved to be thus tormented But let us not goe on with Davids words to adde as he doth there Let thy hand I pray thee be against me and against my Fathers house Let us not desperately offer our selves to condemnation when we see redemption fairly freely fully offered unto us rather let us sing Maries Magnificat My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour Let us take heart of grace courage and comfort in faith for Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing that was against us and hath nailed it to his crosse and hath spoyled Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in the same cross Col. 2.14 And so much for the second generall part or branch of the Text his sufferings hath suffered The third and last part is the occasion of his sufferings for sins Look how largely he spoke before of his sufferings in a generall word hath suffered meaning all sufferings so largely he also speaketh of the occasion of his sufferings in a generall word for sinnes meaning all sins But take this all with this restraint namely for all mens sins And let this all againe bee thus expounded for all mens sins competently and sufficiently but onely for all the Elects sins actually and effectually For first it appeareth that he suffered for no sinnes of his own for the Text here denyeth him to have any in that it calleth him just the just for the unjust And it is also plain that he suffered not for lost Angels sins for he in no sort took the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 And why not them as well as us seeing they were the more noble and excellent creatures They were celestial spirits we earthly bodies dust and ashes They were immediate attendants upon God as it were of his privy chamber we servants of his lower house of this world farther remote from his glorious presence Their office was to sing Haleluiahs songs of praise to God in the heavenly Paradise ours to dresse the Garden of Eden which was but an earthly Paradise They sinned but once and but in thought as is commonly held but Adam sinned in thought by lusting in deed by tastting in word by excusing Why then did not Christ suffer for their sinnes as well as for ours or if for any why not for theirs rather then ours Even so O Father for so it pleased thee Mat. 11.26 We move this question not as being curious to search thy secret counsels but that wee may the more fill our hearts with admiration of thy goodnesse towards us and be the more tankfull for thy favour joyfull in thy mercy and cheerfull in thy love acknowledging ourselves more bound unto thee for that we have received more bounty from thee then even thine Angels thy noblest creatures So then Christ hath suffered for the sinnes of Mankind onely and that as aforesaid of all Mankind if we respect the sufficiency of his sufferings so that if any be not benefited by it the defect and fault is not in it but in their not apprehending and applying it Else why is it thus largely said in this indefinite speech
blood not for his friends but his for his enemies behold a wonder It caused the Lord of life to be billed as St. Peter speaketh Act. 3.15 and the Lord of glory to be crucified as St. Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 2.8 Behold a wonder yea it is so wonderfull that it is supra omnem creaturam ultra omnem mensuram contra omnem naturam above all creatures beyond all measure contrary to all nature Above all creatures for it is above the Angels and therefore above all others Beyond all measure for time did not begin it time shall never end it place doth not bound it sinnes doth not exceed it no estate no age no sex is denyed it tongues cannot expresse it understandings cannot conceive it Contrary to all nature for what nature can love where it is hated can forgive where it is provoked can offer reconcilement where it receiveth wrong can heap up kindnesse upon contempt favour upon ingratitude mercy upon sinne Well therefore and much more justly then David may wee make use of that speech and say to Christ Very kind hast thou been to us O dear Saviour thy love to us was wonderfull And now I can no longer stand in admiration of this wonder for behold another wonder offereth it self to take me off from this and that is the wonderment of our lack of love to him for his so wonderful loving us doth make this also to be a wonder that we should lack love to him The Scripture saith that in doing works of love unto our enemy we doe heap coales of fire upon his head Rom. 12. Love is compared to fire in heaping love we heap up fire Now the property of fire is to turne all it meets withall into its own nature fire makes all things fire the coale maketh burning coales Prov. 26.21 And is it not a wonder then that Christ having heaped such abundance of the fiery coales of his love upon our heads we should yet remain key-cold in love to him what mettall are we made of that Christs fiery love cannot work upon us or enflame us Can a man take fire in his bosome and his cloathes not be burnt or can a man goe upon coales and his feet not be burnt Prov. 6.27 And is it not a wonder then that we can take the fervent fire of Christs love into the bosome of our memories that wee can remember it and passe over it with the feet of our cogitations that we can thinke upon it and yet receive no heat or inflamation from it Moses wondered why the bush consumed not when he saw it all on fire Exod. 3.3 but behold I shew you a greater wonder we walk like those three children in the fiery furnace Dan. 3. even in the midst of Christs fiery love flaming round about us and yet alass how little true smell of that sweet fire is there to be felt upon us But there may be some reason rendred of this wonder namely because we are too much overwhelmed with the love of the world for as love is compared to fire so the world is compared to the sea Now the sea is a contrary element to the fire and doth hinder the working of it So long then as wee lye soked in the love of the world the love of Christ cannot inflame us Let us therefore rouze our selves and shake off from us this waterish worldly love that so wee may bee fit matter for Christs fiery love to work upon that our hearts being hot and the fire being kindled within us it may break forth continually in our tongues and in our hands in our words and in our works to his praise and glory Thirdly the consideration of Christs sufferings doth move us not onely to admire his love to us nor onely to be ashamed of our lack of love to him but it doth also move us to love those that are like him in suffering the poor and needy the miserable and afflicted are lively images and resemblances and therefore also should be remembrances to us of Christ When we meet a man that is like some friend of ours we rejoyce to doe him all the love and kindnesse that we can for our friends sake whom hee doth resemble And shall wee not also rejoyce to shew love and kindnesse to the afflicted and miserable seeing they doe so lively resemble their chief and best yea indeed our only true friend Christ Yea they doe so lively resemble him that hee speaks of them as if they were himselfe and puts himself in their stead I was hungry and yee gave mee no meat thirsty and ye gave mee no drink for in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these my brethren ye did it not to me Mat. 25. It is then a great presumption and a shrewd suspition that wee never took Christ for our friend or that now wee have forgotten our friendship if we shew no love or respect to those who are so well like him And if we shew our selves so forgetfull of him here as to take no notice of him in his so lively images it will be just that hee also forget us hereafter and answer us with Nescio vos I know you not Fourthly the consideration of Christs sufferings doth move us not only to admire his love to us nor onely to love him again nor onely to love those that are like him in sufferings but further also to love and embrace his very sufferings themselves cheerfully and comfortably to entertain misery and affliction seeing it was the speciall ornament wherewith Christ was swadled at his birth clothed in his life and crowned in his death We use to make much accompt of those robes and ornaments which our loving friends were went to wear therefore some doe superstitiously worship the reliques of Christ and of his Saints but behold misery and affliction is the chiefest relique that Christ hath left behind him for with it he clothed himself at his birth as with a garment and wore it all his life and never put it off until he dyed It was the first and the last thing that he wore he never slept nor waked without it If then we love and make accompt of Christ we wil also love and make much accompt of this relique which he hath left behind him wil think it rather a grace then any disgrace unto us Never was Jacob more gracious and acceptable to his Father Isaac then when he stood before him clothed in the garments of his rough brother Esau then the Father smelling the savour of the elder brothers garments said behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Gen. 27. And never are we more gracious and acceptable to God our heavenly Father then when we stand before him clothed in the rough garments of Christs miseries and afflictions for then especially we become noisom to our selves and to the world and therefore then especially we are as a
Lord so that I may do and not only to know what to do And if knowing alone bee not enough what shall we say then for doing that may seem to be of it self all-sufficient for if a man do the will of God what can be more required Yes it is required also that ye know it as well as do it and if thou doe it not knowing it thou doest but lose thy labour For it is an infallible rule that without faith it is impossible to please God and it as infallible that without knowledge it is unpossible to have faith For how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.13 Without knowledge therefore there can be no faith without faith no pleasing of God and so it followeth necessarily that without knowledge there can be no pleasing of God and that he that doth the will of God not knowing it to be Gods will he doth but beat the air and labour in vain yea so far is he from pleasing God that hee doth directly displease and offend him for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14.23 If faith doth not draw it from the will of God as the original cause and direct it to the glory of God as the finall cause it will prove no better then sin Quia non actibus sed finibus pensant ur officia saith Mr. Calvin because our performances of duties are not weighed by the actions but by the ends Therefore St. Augustine calleth the good works and virtues of the heathen splendida peccata sins that make a fair shew And Cyprian writing on the Creed wisheth rather to doe sinfull works being a faithfull Christian then virtuous works being a faithlesse Pagan for whatsoever is done without faith and knowledge turneth unto sin Therefore as at first If ye know these things blessed are ye but how not unlesse ye do them so again If ye doe these things blessed are ye but how not unlesse yee know them Neither knowing alone nor doing alone can be sufficient to make us blessed but both must goe together If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them And if it be not sufficient to have one of them alone how much more insufficient is it to want them both Some perhaps may think that it is no matter for works so long as they have no knowledge and that the want of th' one shall excuse the want of th' other that their ignorance shall excuse them Indeed Christ excuseth the Jews by their ignorance They wot not what they doe but yet he plainly intimateth that they were not innocent or guiltlesse in that he prayeth his Father to forgive them Father forgive them they know not what they do And St. Peter testifieth of them that that through ignorance they did it but yet hee doth not therefore hold them innocent for he bids them amend their lives and turn that their sins may be put away Act. 3.17 But this you may say was wilfull obstinate ignorance hear therefore that which may be understood of invincible ignorance Luk. 12.47 That servant that knew his Masters wil and prepared not himself to do it shall be beaten with many stripes His knowledge shall condemn him but he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes his ignorance shall not excuse him Or at the least if it do somewhat excuse him in that he shall bee beaten but with a few stripes yet it shall not quite clear him for he shall be beaten with stripes It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah saith Christ in the day of judgement then for that City Easier their ignorance may somewhat excuse them but yet hard enough and little ease for they suffered no doubt the flashes of hell in their consciences living the fuell of hell in their bodyes dying the Lord rained brimstone and fire upon them from heaven Gen. 19. and the flashes fuel and fire of hell in their soules departed for so St. Jude testifieth of them they suffer the vengeance of eternall fire And from such easinesse good Lord deliver us Though therefore it be easier in the comparative degree yet it is not so much as easie in the positive degree the word easier spoken there comparatively and relatively is not so much as the word easie spoken positively and simply It was but little ease then that their ignorance brought them even such as belong to them that know not God that is Christ shall come in flaming fire and render vengeance to them 2 Thes 1.3 Ignorance then is as far from making innocent as knowing alone or doing alone is from making blessed Ignorance cannot excuse us knowing cannot suffice us doing cannot suffice us but ignorance being put away knowing and doing must both come together If ye know these things blessed are ye if yo do them Here are those two Sisters so loving to and so beloved of Christ Martha and Mary the one studying to know if ye know these things th' other earnest to doe them if ye doe them the one stuffing her head with Doctrine if ye know these things th' other filling her hands with practise if ye do them the one diligent in speculative contemplation if ye know these things th' other as busie in practique operation if yee do them Here is Jacobs Ladder touching heaven with the top if ye know these things and reaching earth with the foot if ye do them Here is Aaron the Priest If ye know these things holding up the hands of Moses the Law if yee doe them Here is St. Paul for Faith if ye know these things shaking hands with St. James for Works if yee doe them Here is the Philosophers Arbor transversa a Tree turned upside down the root upwards if ye know these things the fruits downward if ye do them Here are those two not Meteors but true lights Castor and Pollux which when they appear together are surely prosperous to all that sail in the sea of this life Here is calor humor the heat of Faith the moisture of Workes both of them so necessary to the life of the soul that if either of them doe faile or exceed the other it breedeth death or dangerous sicknesse Here is Oleum flamma the flame of Faith the oyle of Works if either of them be wanting or superabounding the light of your conversation will soon goe out Here is Urim and Thummim light and perfection eyes and hands faith and works the two Cherubims knowing and doing turning both their faces toward the Mercie-seat of blessedness If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them Blessed are ye which is the reward of our knowing and doing and is the last thing that I have before observed in the Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I crave leave to read blessed for the Translators doe allow it in as much as though here they render it happy yet nine times together they read it
blessed Mat. 5. Blessed are ye for your knowing because ye do what ye know and blessed are ye for your doing because ye know what ye do blessed are ye internally for the peace of your consciences is unto you a continual feast blessed are ye externally for your light shineth before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Blessed are ye supernally for God is not ashamed of you to be called your God for he hath prepared for you a Citty Blessed are ye in things temporal in things spiritual in things eternall In things temporall read the 28. of Deut. Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed also in the field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattle blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in and blessed when thou goest out In things spirituall for your understandings shall be illuminated your wills rectified your affections sanctified your old man mortified your new man quickned and ye wholly made accepted in the beloved In things eternall for there is an inheritance immortall undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved for you in heaven where ye shall have joy without sorrow health without infirmity pleasure without satiety life without death and indeed I cannot tell you what but this I may warrant all that ye would and nothing that ye would not as appeareth Psal 16.11 In thy presence is the fulness of joy and Psal 17.15 When I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it Blessed are ye in the present Tense which I adde as a vantage to the former Notes as being indeed the speciall of all even now already ye have obtained it Now whiles ye dwel with Mesech and have your habitation among the tents of Kedar now whiles ye live in this vale of tears in this sea of glasse in this dungeon of the flesh now even now blessed are ye Blessed are ye in the unchangable decree of God the Father who hath elected you in the Incarnation of God the Son who hath redeemed you in the effectual operation of God the holy Ghost who hath sealed you Blessed are ye in the knowledge of God who hath called and justified you in the knowledge of the Church who hath received and acknowledged you in the knowledge of your selves your own consciences testifying together with Gods Spirit bearing witness with your spirits that yee are the children of God Blessed are yee for though yee shall not take possession of it till your soules be parted from your bodies Eccl. 12.7 and though ye shall not have the compleat perfection of it till your bodies be raised again and reunited to your soules Heb. 11. yet even in this life ye have the pawn and pledge of it 2 Cor. 1.22 Arrham spiritus the earnest of the Spirit a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 And now concerning the present business Of the Visitation which is the occasion of our meeting and of my present speaking I need say nothing of it for my Text hath said all already If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them To or for our quickning to this or any other duty what need more be sayd then this that our professed burthen of blessednesse our hoped weight of glory dependeth equally on our knowing and doing our duty Neither can I judge any of you my hearers to have need of more application of this unto you This assembly consisteth especially of three sorts Churchwardens Ministers Visiters And each of these concerning the businesse in hand I hope I need question no otherwise then Saint Paul questioned Agrippa Beleevest thou the Prophets I know thou beleevest So I now to you Are yee prepared and ready to doe your duties I know yee are prepared To the Churchwardens why should I make other question seeing the businesse is not new but very antient and of frequent use and seeing they are taught their lesson not by rote but by book having Articles to direct them whereof to consider and whereto to answer To the Ministers why should I make other question seeing their lips are to be the preservers of knowledge Mal. 2.7 and their foreheads the stamps of holiness Exod. 28.38 I may say therefore for them as the parents of the born blind man answered for their sonne concerning his blindnesse and recovery Hee is old enough ask him he shall answer for himself Joh. 9.20 To the Visitors what need I make other question seeing they cannot bee ignorant that hee who saith to them I have said ye are Gods addeth also immediately but ye shall die like men yea and in another place professeth himself to be the Visiter of Visiters Namely that in case of forsaking his Law and not walking in his Judgements he will visit such offences with the rod and such sinne with scourges Psal 89.31 What need I then say any more of this businesse yet I remember a passage of Mr. Latimer that man of the worn-out-age being challenged and taxed for somewhat spoken by him before and concerning the King he answered Would ye have me preach before a King and say nothing of a Kings duty This made mee to think it unfit for me to preach at a Visitation and say nothing thereto properly belonging To avoid this therefore I offer to your consideration and reformation two abuses which I take to be no small ones for they touch our coppyhold as I may say or rather our Freehold the honour and dignity of our Sacraments The first concerneth the former Sacrament Baptism and namely in this that it is grown a common custom to keep children from Baptism till the moneth be up for the Mothers churching sake some for state some to save charges But if the childe bee dead bom the parents grieve to look upon it and speedily commit it to the earth and shall not the apprehension of spiritual death be also grievous and make us speedily seek the remedy to bury that death in Christs death Circumcision was a bloody and cruell a tedious and grievous Sacrament as may appear by that forty years forbearing of it for journeying sake Josh 5.6 and by the prevailing of Simeon and Levi two men for there be no more mentioned to the Massacre of all the Males in a whole City being newly circumcised Gen. 34.25 Yet that Sacrament might not be omitted past the eighth day But our Sacraments as St. Augustine observeth Aug. Ep. 118. are numero pancissima observatione facilima few and easie and shall wee presume then to delay Baptism which is to us in stead of Circumcision till the moneth bee up The Minister is required to bee speedy in ministring it in case of danger And doth not this also binde the people to shun delay and to prevent danger Yea the Common Prayer book in the beginning of private Baptism injoyneth that Baptism be not delayed past the first
here for good men but there they shall be taken from good men For God will lighten things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest 1 Cor. 4.5 Christ discovered one traytor in this world by giving him a sop but God usually covereth rather then discovereth hypocrites by giving them sops of spiritual as well as of temporal blessings but though he feed them with the childrens bread for a while yet he cuts them off at the last and gives them their portion with hypocrites yea the devil who helps to hide them here will do his best to open them there for though he be the father of falshood yet he differs from false men in this they keep light and counterfeit peeces to shuffle them in in great payments But he though he falsifie Gods coyn here in the particulars as much as may be yet in that great and general Audit hee will not have one counterfeit go undiscovered And if he would he could not for all the covering wherewith he clotheth them will not hide them For many saith Christ will say to me in that day Lord Lord have not we by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out devils and by thy name done many great works And then will I professe to them saying I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mat. 7.22 Therefore whiles we have time let us do good Let us be good for as that time finds us so it will take us If it finde us not good it will not make us good Now is the time of growing to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts then will be the time of gathering And gathered the good into vessels c. 2. The second thing observed in this separation was By whom it is That is expressed in the exposition of this Parable namely that it is the Angels ver 49. The Angels shall go forth and sever the bad from among the just So afore ver 39. in the Parable of the tares the Reapers be the Angels The son of man shall send forth his Angels c. And so Mat. 24.31 Hee shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four winds and from the one end of heaven to the other And no marvail that they have the gathering of us at the last who have the guarding of us at the first For that charge no doubt concerns not only Christ but all that are in Christ He shall give his Angels charge over thee Ps 91.11 And that not only in our life but in our death In our life for the Angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Psal 34.7 whereof we have many examples in the Scriptures In our death for Lazarus his lot I doubt not shall be the lot of all the faithful his soul was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom Luk. 16.22 Which excellency of power and exactness of knowledge in their so generall guarding here and gathering there the elect of God though it doth not expresse any such infinitenesse in the Angels as to make us worship them for I doubt not this so absolute knowledge is not theirs properly and alwaies by creation but received for the present by special illumination For I read The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 but I read not that any Angel knoweth who are his Yet the consideration of this their general Ministry yeeldeth us a great deal of fear and a great deal of comfort A great deal of fear in our conversation considering their watchfulness over us and their frequent presence for what fear and shame what reverence and holyness what purity and cleanness may be sufficient for us in the presence of such holy blessed and glorious creatures For if St. Paul propose a rule of modesty to women because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 why should not the same rule hold to all upon the same reason even because of the Angels It may be they come to guard and defend us as they did unto Elisha 2 King 6.16 It may be to converse with us as unto Abraham Gen. 18.2 It may be to pluck us out of some ill company as unto Lot Gen. 19.15 It may be to rid ue of some captivity as to the Apostles Act. 5.19 It may be to try or to exercise our strength as to Jacob Gen. 22. It may be to bring us some good news as to Zacharias to the Virgin Mary to the Shepheards Howsoever seeing they are ministring spirits and have frequent commerce with us let us fear alwaies to commit uncleanness that may annoy them and seeing God thus giveth us heaven upon earth in regard of the Angels ministring let us so pass the time of our dwelling here in fear that we may also on our parts make heaven upon earth by our holy conversing Again without fear here is also a great deal of comfort offered us in that the Angels are our continuall guardians for though the great dragon the old serpent the devil be come down upon the earth and hath great wrath Rev. 12. and walketh about as a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And hath many Angels of his own kind and instruments of our kind to annoy and vex us yet what of that This is Gods host saith Jacob when he saw the good Angels Gen. 32.2 And if Gods host and strength be with us no strength shall be able to hurt us Therefore let nothing in all our life terrifie us no nor yet in our death For Gods Angels are ready not only to conveigh our souls to heaven but even to conduct our bodies to the earth as appears in that Moses body was defended and protected against the devil by the striving of Michael the Archangel Jude 9. Yea as they guard us to our lying down in the grave so will they gather us at our rising up from thence and therefore against the fear of death and the grave and the corruption thereof we may say with comfort I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwel in safety Ps 4.8 3. The third and last thing observed in this separation is to what end it is And gathered the good into vessels but cast the bad away Here is a plain difference and dissimilitude as in most Allegories commonly there is for the casting away of the refuse fish into the sea again is their desired life and safety and the gathering of the good fish into vessels is their death and destruction Yet contrariwise the bad fish cast away doe here signifie the reprobate condemned and the good fish gathered do signifie the elect saved And gathered the good into vessels that is to good use and purpose to be reserved and saved as afore in the Parable of the Tares Gather my wheat into my barn but cast the bad away that is to
utter destruction and condemnation as it followeth in the exposition And shall cast them into a furnace of fire Briefly the sum is that here are two several ends proposed and answerable to the twofold condition of the subjects the one of safety and gathered the good into vessels that is into everlasting habitations as Christ speaketh Luk. 16.9 the other of destruction but cast the bad away that is into everlasting condemnation into the furnace of fire as the exposition sheweth Of which two estates or ends how shall I speak seeing I cannot understand how shall I utter that I cannot comprehend for the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man that which God hath prepared for them that love him and consequently neither that which he hath prepared for them that hate him For which may somewhat save my labour the greatness of th' one sets forth the greatness of th' other the one is the fulness of joy therefore the other must needs be the fulness of wo the one is the enjoying of all things in the enjoying God the other is the losing of all things in the losing God the one is everlasting life that 's perfection of excellencie the other is everlasting death that 's perfection of misery yea the happiness is double considering the escape of misery and the punishment is double considering the loss of felicity And what then is there any need of use or application of this to be made unto you will ye look for my sparing it hath it not life enough to speak it self will ye expect my pressing it is not the weight of it sufficient to press and oppress your consciences When Paul disputed of judgement to come it made Felix an Infidel to tremble so that he could not endure the hearing of it and shall not all Christian hearts shake and tremble and be astonished at the very thought of it If you will have any use or instruction of it take it of St. Peter The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God by the which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with heat Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless 2 Pet. 3.10 He speaketh by way of exhortation but the wise man speaketh by way of threatning Rejoice O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the waies of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Eccl. 11.9 As if he would as it were dare any man to fin having but the remembrance of this judgement before him Wherefore let us not dare to heap up wrath against the day of wrath but walk circumspectly not as unwise men but as wise redeeming the time because these daies are evill especially because that day is so evill And so abide in him here by true faith and the fruits thereof love and fear that when he shall appear we may be bold and not be ashamed before him at his coming which the Lord grant to us all c. Finis Serm. sive tract 4. Trino-uni gloria TWO SERMONS preached at the Feast of the Nativitie of CHRIST and here set forth in one continued tract Text. JOH 1.16 And of his fulnesse have all we received grace for grace THis time is a speciall time of Grace both exhibited and returned Of Grace exhibited from God to man in and through Christ Of Grace returned from man to God in piety from man to man in charity from man to God in piety sanctifying dayes to Gods publick service in hearing praying communicating from man to man in charitie almes to the poor inviting neighbours visiting friends hospitality to all And well do we apply our selves to the practise and exercise of these two speciall duties for this speciall time and business sake this solemnizing and celebrating of the coming of Christ For these Piety and Charity are twins of the Holy Ghost never begotten one without th' other for true faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 And true love must be with faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 What then It is right and fit that we present him with this joynt issue of the spirit from whom joyntly with the Father the spirit proceedeth and upon us descended that he should be honoured by th' effects and works of the spirit by and from whom we receive the gift of the spirit When the comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the spirit of truth Joh. 15.26 Again Piety and Charity are the two feet of the soul whereon it standeth wherewith it walketh though feet of different nature and divers qualitie even like those feet of Nebuchadnezars Image Dan. 2.33 part of iron part of clay part of iron strong to God-ward in the duties of the first Table so is Piety part of clay plyable to man in the duties of the second Table so is Charity What then we can doe no lesse then extend these footsteps in both kinds whiles we intend the meeting or entertaining of him that comes in both kinds We necessarily express our right respect at once to both natures for the honour of him who comes at once in both natures in one person to visit us for in him God was manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Again Piety and Charity are the two hands of the soul by the hands the body holdeth by these the soul holdeth For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith that worketh by love Gal. 5.6 And these are well like the Spiders hands mentioned Prov. 30.28 For though they work weakly yet are they so ambitious as to take hold in the Kings Palace yea even in the Palace of the King of Kings What then Now especially is it convenient for us to stretch forth these hands and to exercise this hold in the heavenly palace because the heavenly King to fetch us thither vouchsafeth to descend not to a palace but to a vile place his humiliation opportuneth importuneth our exaltation our exultation For Behold saith the Angels to the shepheards Luk. 2. I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people that is that unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. Again Piety and Charity are the two wings of the soul whereon it mounteth even as high as heaven For though worldly
us not love darknesse more then light Joh. 3.19 Ye are all the children of the light and of the day wee are not of the night neither of the darknesse 1 Thes 5.5 Where then is our Lumen superius our knowledge of God Are we not either like owles hiding us from this light or like flies playing with it or presuming too near it Where is our Lumen interius our knowledge of our self Are we not like the blind Sodomites groping in our own streets Gen. 19. like the blind Aramites that went they knew not whither notwithstanding the Lords Prophet did lead them 2 King 6. Where is our Lumen exterius our knowledge of our neighbour May not St. Paul's words be inverted Henceforth know we no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 May we not invert it and say Hitherto have we known no man but after the flesh with fleshly affections to carnall ends and temporall turnes O beloved let us not make so much abuse of light but walk while we have light lest darknesse come upon us Joh. 12.30 For the night commeth when no man can work Joh. 9.4 the night of persecution the night of losse of outward senses the night of losse of inward senses the night of age the night of death the night of judgement Divers kinds of night do hang over our head wee know not how soon our light may be put out in obscure darknesse Pro. 20.20 Onely this wee know that no darknesse can hide us from God for the darknesse and the light with him are both alike Ps 139.12 Yea wee niay well fear that if we turn his light into darknesse now he will again turn our darknesse into light hee will lighten things hid in darkness and make the counsells of the heart manifest 1. Cor. 4.5 And that 's enough to our shame before men by the present light and fiery tryall of the spirit and of the word Every mark shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 but especially to our confusion before men and Angels When the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from heaven with his mighty Angells in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God 2. Thes 1.7 Again Heat also is another property of the fire and that of divers kinds and uses 1. Heat reviving 2. Heat consuming 3. Heat hardning 4. Heat softning 5. Heat drying 6. Heat moistning 7. Heat increasing and decreasing by the wind All these are kindes of heat and proper to the fire and are well agreeing also to this our Heavenly fire the Holy Ghost 1. He yeilds heat reviving Doth not the fire revive frozen creatures and what cold so strong as the death of sin And yet from that by this heat of the spirit men are revived You hath he quickned which were dead in trespasses and sin Eph. 2.1 Gehazi with his masters staffe could not revive the Shunamites Son 2 King 4. For the staffe was dead it self and cold and had no warmth in it But the Prophet himself coming and his warmth applyed the child revived which is allegorized thus that Moses by the Law could not but Christ by the spirit doth revive sin dead mankind Yea indeed Moses made but the smoke of this fire The smoke must go before the fire The smoke smothereth the fire quickneth So the Law must go before the Gospel that stroke us dead but this reviveth us again The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 2. Heat consuming The fire consumeth and turneth all into ashes and by ashes it is preserved and out of ashes again revived And the heat of this heavenly fire consumes all worldlinesse and fleshlinesse and makes all as ashes by the memory of death For this was Abrahams confession I am dust and ashes Gen. 18. Yea this was Davids meditation I have eaten ashes as it were bread Ps 102.9 And by this ashes is this fire preserved and out of it again revived even as the Phoenix out of her own ashes The fires heat consumeth drossy and dry things yet so as it refineth and purifieth the pretious metall And this our God the Holy Ghost is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 How To purge the corruptions of nature I will purely purge thy dross and take away thy tinne Is 1.25 and to refine the perfections of nature that they may shine as Gold in the furnace Wis 3.6 and as silver seven times tryed in the fire Ps 12.6 This is that fire that burneth onely the bonds of Gods Children and makes them like those three in the fiery furnace Dan. 3. of bound become free and to walk at liberty even in the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God And this Divine fire purgeth that hellish fire of the tongue Jam. 3.6 As Phaetons inflammation was said to be quenched by lighting Et saevis compescuit ignibus ignes one fire was striken out with another 3. Heat hardning Doth not the fires heat harden the potters ware and make it of weak and limber clay to become stiffe and strong to serve the uses of the house And we are Gods clay and he is our Potter Is 64.8 and through the fervent heat of this Heayenly fire wee of weak are made strong Heb. 11.34 Even vessells of honor sanctifyed and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work 2 Tim. 2.21 even serviceable to the most honorable use of the house even to hold in martyrdome For so Saint Peter before the sending down of this fire was weak clay easily moulded unmoulded rather from his profession by the objection of a silly maid But he and his fellowes after this fire had past upon them and throughly seasoned them became so strong that they rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs name Act. 5.41 4. Heat-softning Doth not the fire soften the hardest mettall iron and steel and make it yield to the hammer and to be plyable to the workmans purpose yea to become liquid to melt and run like wax or water And the heat of this Heavenly fire mollifyeth the hardest hearts that they may be wrought by the hammer of the word yea makes them even like wax that melteth in the fire I am powred out like water saith David my heart is like wax it is even molten in the midst of my bowells Ps 22.14 5. Heat drying Doth not the Suns heat dry the fields and make them choppe and cleave and gape for rain And this Heavenly descending from above maketh our soules dry to thirst after righteousness to be athirst for God Even like a barren and dry land where no water is untill we receive the former and latter rain My soul gaspeth after thee saith David even as a thirsty land Ps 143.6 6. Heat moistning Doth not the heat of the Sun exhale moist clouds from the Earth and Waters and dissolve the same again into showers and dewes And doth not the heat of the limbeck make water
drop out of such things from which otherwise it could hardly or never be extracted And this celestiall heat that exhaleth cloudes of water into the head and distilleth them in tears even such clouds as drop fatness and are as the dew of Hermon which fell upon the hill of Sion and come down like the rain into a fleece of wooll Even like that rain upon Gideons fleece which was to assure him of the Victory Judg. 6. This exhalation this distillation no doubt have many of the Saints felt As Peter who went forth and wept bitterly Mat. 26. Mary Magdalen who washed Christs feet with her tears Luk. 7. And David who every night washed his bed and watered his couch with his tears Ps 6. 7. Heat increasing and decreasing by the wind Doth not the fire increase or abate by the wind respectively according to the nature or qualitie of the subject or matter wherein it is sometimes blown in sometimes blown out by one the same kind of blast And so indeed this fire of the spirit is sometimes increased sometimes decreased by the Word The Disciples going to Emaus hearing Christ their hearts did burn within them Luk. 24.32 there it was kindled by the wind But Ahab hearing Michaiah hated him 1 Kings 22. and the Jews hearing Stephen were cut to the heart Act. 7.54 there it was quenched by the wind And why the fire worketh not alike in every subject therefore the same Word that is the savour of life unto life is also the savour of death unto death in divers men 2 Cor. 2.16 O heat unsearchable in faculty incomprehensible in variety irresistible in efficacy What pains should we take in seeking it What joy should we make in finding it what care should we shew in keeping it For what comfort can we have inwardly or yeeld outwardly what growth what health what life can there be without it Wo be then unto us if we have no sense or feeling of it or but falsly in a wrong kind and the quite contrary way Namely if in what we should be revived hardned dryed increased even in that we be consumed softned moystned decreased or if instead of gaining the heat we have onely stoln the light of this fire to shine onely instead of burning and that but in the dark like gloworms meteors rotten wood Then such lack or abuse of heavenly fire here will but prepare and entitle us to hellish fire hereafter If ignis fatuus hypocrisie be our practise here ignis furens tormenting fire shall be our portion there If light without heat content us here heat without light shall discontent us there even unquenchable fire in utter darkness 3. But how doth this fire appear In the form or shape of cloven tongues This is the third symbole And there appeared unto them cloven tongues Tongues Tongues cloven First Tongues Very notably and excellently doth the Holy Ghost expresse and exhibit himself in the figure of a Tongue whether you respect the work or the instrument of that work which he now intendeth 1. The work what is it The work of Regeneration the making of new man which is the making of true man For man though true made at first was now marr'd and had need to be new'd and as I may say tru'd again What then behold a lively figure of this holy work What A Tongue A Tongue the figure of a true man Yes a more lively one cannot be devised For wherein consisteth the truth of a man but in his tongue whether ye take truth properly in its naturall sense or for the perfection of any other good For truth it self where is it if it be not in the Tongue And where else also is the perfection of any good Take the four Cardinal virtues Prudence Temperance Justice Fortitude where is the perfection of each of them but in their expression and where is that but in the tongue Ye will say they all especially Fortitude seem rather to belong to the hand No no the hand is but the tongues servant and but a blind one too it doth nothing but by command and direction from the tongue And what act so strong or great was there ever performed by the hand which hath not been matcht or excelled by the tongue Cyneas plures dicendo qua m Pyrrhus dimicando subegit Cedant armatog concedat laurea linguae Strength must yeeld to eloquence the faculty of the hand to the faculty of the tongue Bring man to the touchstone search his substance to the quick Is it not in his tongue For what differenceth man from beast Ratio oratio reason and speech and speech is the flower of reason without speech reason is but a dumb shew Yea what differenceth man from man but speech Stulto intelligens quid interest What 's the difference between a wise man and a fool Ask Socrates and he will say Loquere ut te videam speak that I may see thee he will find a mans substance in his tongue Ask Solomon and he will say A fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise Prov. 17.28 He knows no difference but in the tongue In a word doth not David reduce a mans whole perfection to his tongue when he calleth it his glory Ps 59.7 Awake up my glory If therefore all the Magi of the East all the old Egyptian and Chaldaean Wise men were alive again to exercise their Hieroglyphick art to make holy Sculptures dumb shews and figures speaking signes to tell their eye their meaning they could not devise a more fit character to signifie a man then a tongue A tongue is a lively hieroglyphick of a man because by his tongue a mans substance is exprest Behold then this holy workmaster by this figure sheweth what work he intends he comes to renew man into his perfection he comes therefore in the likeness of tongues O come hither and consider this all ye that abuse your tongues to lying and falshood to vanity and sin What are ye not men but monsters devils incarnate Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devill Joh. 6.20 Good mens tongues are sparks of heavenly fire but wicked mens tongues are sparks of hellish fire The tongue is a fire it is set on fire of hell Jam. 3.6 Is not every man distinguished by his tongue and known what country man he is And do not our tongues also discover us whether we belong to heaven or hell Away then thou prophane swearer thou false lyar thou ribald talker away from Christ and from his spirit Have thou nothing to doe with that just man Thou art none of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee Say shibboleth Learn the language of Canaan speak edifying words that may minister grace unto the hearers Canst thou not so pronounce then thou art a rebellious Ephraimite thou art to be cut off from the congregation of Israel And may I not here especially and most properly speak to the Doctors of equivocation even
devour widowes houses Mat. 23. Ishmael entertained those with tears whom by and by he put to the sword Ier. 41.6 The Basilisk kills if he first espy not if hee be first seen so the hypocrit doth mischief whiles he is undiscryed but not if he be first discovered The Camelion that changeth his colour The Silk-worm that changeth his shapes Many other creatures might fitly resemble and rightly expresse the hypocrite But Christ insisteth upon none but only the Serpent and the Viper Astutia eorum non est bono sed in malo Chrys oper imperf in Mat. 23. sed in malo the the wittiest in evill doth best set forth the wickedest in evill The Viper the most monstrous of all creatures both in their ingendring which is at the mouth in which act the female suffocateth or strangleth the male And in their procreating for the young ones eat their way thorough their damms belly and so come to life by the death both of their begetter and breeder Their teeth are hidden in their gumms and yet the least touch of their biting is present death as may appear by that Act. 28.6 when the Barbarians saw the Viper on Paul's hand they looked for his sudden falling down dead which because they could not see they said he was a God Behold then what emblems our Saviour useth to set forth the hypocrit even the most hatefull things to set forth the hatefullnesse of the evill Wherefore let it be as hatefull to us as it was to him or at least so hateful that he may not hate us for not hating it The Israelites were forbidden to wear Linsey-Woollsey garments made of linnen and woollen there is no doubt a mystery in it The linnen is of the earth which may signifie uncleannesse the woollen is of the sheep which is an emblem of innocencie Greg. Mor. 8. Per lanam simplicitas per linum subtilitas designatur the wooll figureth simplicity the linnen subtlety And again the wooll is a covering and hiding to the linnen that it can hardly be seen All is for our instruction that our conversation should be one and the same in substance and in appearance No covering of sinfullnesse with holinesse No dsfiguring the face that we may appear holy For disfiguring the face is worse then painting the face for this is but the mocking of nature and that but in seeking to mend it but the other is the mocking of grace and that in seeking to marre it Chrys in Mat. Ho. 45. Si bonum est esse bonum ut quid non vis esse quod vis apparere Si vero malum est esse malum ut quid vis esse quod non vis apparere Nam quod turpe est apparere turpius est esse quod autem formosum est apparere formosius est esse ergo aut esto quod appares aut appare quodes If it be good to be good why wilt thou not be what thou wilt appear to be But if it be evill to be evill why wilt thou be that thou wilt not appear to be For that which is foul in seeming is fouler in being And that which is fair in seeming is fairer in being Therfore either be thou what thou appearest or appear that thou art So doth Saint Chrysostome upbraid the hypocrits of his time But we have another evill in our time as much if not more to be cryed out upon which is another extream not in too much but in too little hiding Hyporcisis non est quae latere prae abundantia non valet prae impudentia non quaerit That is not hypocrisie which cannot be hid hy reason of abundance and will not be hid by reason of impudence saith Bernard Super Cant ser 33. Absolon put down his brother Amnons lust in punishing it but he more put it down in practising it For Amnon betrayed his sister secretly in his owne Chamber 2. Sam 13.6 but Absolon went in unto Fathers concubines openly in the sight of all Israel 2. Sam 16.22 Such is the outrage and madness of many that what they condemn in others hiding it the same they boast in themselves shewing it So that as Stella saith in Lu. 12.1 Opus est ut ad hypocrisin invitemus we have need now adaies to invite men to hypocrisie and to perswade them to hide their sinnes For the hypocrit though he doth allwaies hurt himself yet sometimes he doth good to others by shew of good giving good occasions and provocations But by open impudent and boasted evil no good but much hurt is ever done Yea he that is come to that degree to boast himself in sin he hath no other degree nor farther step to tread forwards but into hell And so much of this sinne in generall as it is here litterally set forth in its proper name Hypocrisie Now for the figurative description of it The leaven of the Pharisees Leaven is diversly taken and used in the Scriptures sometimes on the bad part sometimes on the good Mat. 16.6 It is put for false doctrine Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees The Disciples after Christs reproof of their mistaking him do at last understand him by leaven to mean the Doctrine of the Pharisees ver 12. But Mat. 13.33 It is put for true doctrine the doctrine of the Gospell The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till all was leavened And here in my text it is put for Hypocrisie which concernes rather the evill of practise then of Doctrine And so 1 Cor. 5.8 The leaven of maliciousness and wickednesse Now there is one reason may stand for all Namely that as leaven though it be but a little diffuseth and imparteth it self into a great quantity and ceaseth not its secret working untill it hath filled all the heap about it with its own nature so a little falshood whether in life or in doctrine and likewise a little sincerity growes and steales as it were by degrees into a great quantity and ceaseth not to work whiles it hath any thing to work upon A little leavea leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5.6 that for evill A woman hideth leaven in three measures of meal till all be leavened Mat. 13.33 that 's for good From whence we may learn not to despise small beginnings whether in good or evill Not in good for the greatest fires begin of small sparkes Behold how great a matter a litle fire kindleth Jam. 3.5 When therefore the hammer of the word striking thy stone heart shall fetch some sparkes out of it neglect them not but cherish them that they may grow unto a melting heat that thou maist be mollified unto a refining heat that thou maist be purified unto an exhaling heat that thou maist be elevated unto a sacrificing heat that thou maist be accepted Noe nor let the means be neglected though perhaps it be but mean and small No matter with what cattell the field be plowed
lyeth still till the quill of breath be quite wasted the life of man posteth speedily and never baits nor rests till it comes to its last Inne of death the life of man passeth quickly and admitteth no stops nor pauses till the last gasp make a full period For when the shuttle lyeth still the weavers life flyeth on when the Post baiteth his life keepeth on its journey when the tale-teller pauseth it is no stop to his life Nay when time or at least the measurers of time the sun and moon stood still in the dayes of Josuah yet then there was no stay in the course of life but many mens death were hastned and they ran to their ends faster then they could run from their Enemies as yee may read in the tenth of Jos Nay when the sun went backwards in the daies of Hezekiah even then no doubt mens lives went forward 1 Kin. 20. for wee not read that God brought backe any mans mans life when hee brought back the shadow he did onely adde some time to Hezekiahs life he gave him a longer journey to go he did not give him leave to goe it at his own leasure and pleasure but it was with Hezekiah as it is with all mens else there is no manner nor measure of stop or stay in the course of life but whether we wake or sleep eat or drink work or play still our glasses run and every moment we draw nearer and nearer to our ends My life is but a wind saith Job Job 7.7 Thou hast made my daies as it were a span long saith David Ps 39.5 What is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away saith St James Ja. 4.14 And herein I doubt not mans vilenesse is also much discovered namely in the shortness as well as in the miseries of his life And from hence I pray take out a twofold use First somewhat concerning God then concerning our selves 1 Vse Concerning God wee have here a discovery both of his mercie and of his justice I say of his mercie as well as of his justice for though indeed shortnesse of life came upon man at the first Nomine poenae in the name of a curse yet now Rebus sic stantibus the case standing as it doth the children of God may take it for a blessing For they endure many crosses and afflictions in this world but let them be comforted their life is but short they shall not endure them long and hereis Gods mercie Again for the wicked they prosper and flourish but let them fear and tremble their life is but short They spend their daies in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave Ps 1.21 And here is Gods justice The godly are Pilgrims and strangers upon Earth but they have an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved for them in heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 therefore their life is but short that they may not long be kept from it Behold a work of mercie But on the contrary the wicked have their portion here and all their felicity in this world as they are set forth speaking Wisd 2.9 Come let us enjoy the good things that are present For this is our portion and our lot is this therefore their life is but short that they may not long enjoy it Behold a work of justice And I hold it to be worth the observing that as the strength of sin hath increased and the times grown worse and worse Aetas parentum prior avis c. our fathers age worse then our grandfathers ours worse then theirs so the age of man hath decreased and grown lesse and lesse In so much that now adaies we do scarce reach to the tenth part of the time that the Fathers in the first ages did live To the end that the more iniquity doth abound and the more sin mischief and evill there is in the world the lesse the Saints of God might be incumbred with it might not be constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have their habitation among the tents of Kedar Ps 120 therefore the age of man is shortned and here is Gods mercie Again the more that wicked men do solace themselves in sin and take pleasure in unrighteousnesse the lesse time they might have to delight and rejoyce therein And here is Gods justice Mercie and truth are met together righteousness and peace have kissed each other Ps 85.10 In this one action of setting so short a date and stint upon the life of man both the hands of God 〈◊〉 may so speak with reverence his mercie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justice are exercised together And so ye have 〈◊〉 concerning God viz. the discoverie of his mercie and justice 2. Vse Again concerning our selves Seeing our life is so short swift and slippery that it flyeth faster then imagination O then I may cry out unto you in the words of Saint Peter what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godlinesse what a monstrous madness is it for men still to live as if they should never dye and never to prepare for the entertaining of death untill they hear him knocking at their dores Indeed 't is true death is a great man and a guest of Kings and therefore commonly hee sendeth one of his harbingers before him sicknesse or old age to take up his lodging But yet many yea very many times he rideth alone like an ordinary guest and comes unlookt for yea like a thiefe in the night at an hour when wee are most secure and unaware And therefore it cannot be denyed but that it is a good and godly prayer which we were wont to have in our Letanie From sudden death good Lord deliver us though indeed properly in it self death cannot be said to be sudden to them that ore of ripe age For how can he be said to die suddenly who having lived 50. or 40. or but 20. years hath had all or most of all that time to make himself ready death therfore cannot be said to be sudden unlesse it take us in our infancie before wee have had any time to prepare and make us ready for the very short and swift condition of our life is or should be a sufficient Item warning or notice of death Let us therefore remember the fearfull censure and judgement pronounced upon that servant that said in his hetar my master will defer his coming That servants master will come in a day when hee looketh not for him and in an hour when he is not aware and shall cut him off and appoint him his portion with hypocrits there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 24.48 And now my hour being out and requiring an end of my present discourse I pray give me leave to press upon you the duty of preparing for death by the sad occasion that is now offered to us and is so strong upon us namely the death of our late honorable Lady Wee little
thought but a little before the beginning of this festival of the Nativity that we should have kept it in so sad colours as wee have done But God hath much fulfilled on us that threatning Am. 8.10 I will turn your feasts into mourning and your songs into lamentation I have there-fore now produced this text of mortification to conclude and close our festivall as suitable to our occasion that I may bring you to that Jam. 4.9 Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heaviness Yet not in reference to her that is gone but to our selves according to that of our Saviour which we may apply as spoken by her weep not for me but weep for your selves And I also think it my duty though her funerall be already past to give her this funerall farewell yet not to ingage to her praises as in such services the manner is For that is simply needlesse and especially in this place where she was so well known so much honored I will give her no more praise then that which St. John gives to that Lady to whom he writes his second Epistle whom he calls the elect Lady So might our late honorable Lady also have been called for her life and death did plentifully confirm it And truly if that title were set upon her tombe it would be no scant or slight epitaph for the height of all honour is in being the elect of God But I may not insist in her praises yet though I may not praise her I may praise God for her And therein I pray you to joine with me Praise God both for giving her and for taking her For giving her to be a mother both natural spiritual A mother natural for she was given to two Honorable husbands in their turns for fulfilling of that blessing Ps 128.3 Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine c. so that she hath seen two honorable houses set up and well filled by two sonnes of her own body and a third house of honor planted with two hopefull plants of her daughters body and hath left a possibility of a 4th house to be set up in Gods good time by her third and youngest son And I may say also that she was given to be a spirituall mother as well as a natural mother even a mother in Israel though not in that sense as some dames even madames in this our age make themselves by taking on them the ministeriall work of preaching yet in some degrees beyond that of winning of souls by conversation recommended to women by Saint Peter 1 Pet. 3.1 For not onely to her family but upon all occasions to all commers and visiters who were not a few she had alwaies in a readinesse words edifying and ministring grace unto the hearers being able by the light of Orthodox truth to dazle and quench false lights now too common as oft as she met with them And she might be called a spirituall mother in that she was a fosterer and cherisher of the spirituall fathers and ministers as many as had any relation to her or occasion to be known of her they were not a few yea shee did not onely foster and cherish them with her purse but also incourage by her presence in visiting the publike congregation at least once every sabbath day By which constancie of her it seems her heavenly master whom she served took occasion to take her off from her work to bring her to her wages For not forbearing on a cold foggy day shee was stricken with cold or some ill aire or both so strongly that she soon apprehended it to be her last summoner And accordingly it proved for in a few daies it brought her to her end And as for giving her so also for taking her God is to be praised For taking her in a good time not in that sense as is said of many he died in good time when all the world were willing to be rid of him but she died in that good time when all that knew her would have been glad to have enjoyed her In a good time even in a time of gohd old age she having lived to her 72 year In a good time when she knew her masters calling and was in a right readinesse to open come unto him not taken suddenly nor with any violent distempering disease In a good time even in a time of peace It was a blessing to Josiah that he should not live to see the evill of wrath and judgement upon his nation but should be gathered to his grave in peace before trouble began 2 Chron. 34.27 28. but this our good Lady hath had a greater blessing even to outlive troubles and to be preserved through times of wrath and to die in peace and to leave all hers in prosperous peace and safety But how shall we praise God for her truly not in word alone but in work and life also Awake up my glory saith David Ps 157.8 he sets his tongue a work but with condition that his whole selfe shall not be idle For so it followeth there I my self will awake right early True praising God is not a bare word matter but a life matter a whole selfe matter And truly we cannot better praise God for this our deceased Lady then in applying and conforming our whole self to her our whole life to hers our eyes to her eyes our mouth to her mouth our hands to her hands as the Prophet Elisha did his to the Shunamites son 1 Kin. 4.34 I mean in point of imitation Not for any intent to revive her as that prophets intent was to that dead son but to the intent of quickning our soules as the lot was of that dead man who was cast into the sepulcher of Elisha 2 Kin. 13.21 that so living the life of the righteous which it seems Balaam forgot for he made no mention of it Num. 23.10 We may also die the death of the righteous and our last end may be like hers And so much of the first genenerall part or branch of this text namely the basenesse or vilenesse of man In that out of the consideration of the Heavens the moon and the starres this question is raised What is man The second SERMON upon the same text Ps 8.4 concluded in the same place and presence Jan. 15. 1653. THE first chiefe part or point of this text being before spoken of I come now to the second which is mans unworthinesse which I gather here to be implyed in that the question what is man is made and moved in and with reference and comparison to Gods mindfulness What is man that thou art mindfull of him This point of mans unworthinsse to Godward may be discovered by a twofold consideration namely of his indisposition to good and his disposition or or proneness to evil each of which are such and so great that it may be said The best man cannot do one
toto totum in qualibet parte whole in the whole and whole in every part and yet not In loco not included in place 2. Again in time God is mindfull of man secondly in preserving him For God is not like a Shipwright or Carpenter who leaveth his work or building to it self as soon as he hath set it up but God is mindfull of man as well in preserving as in creating him Yea this also to the expresse of Gods perfection may be said that he cannot do he cannot make any thing to be or subsist of it selfe without him For so there should be something where at his power should be limited and whereto his strength should not extend And so hee should not be infinite he should not be almighty he should not be himself he should not be God therefore 't is of necessity that to every work which God maketh hee adde also a butteresse a prop or supporter of his of his power to sustain it which whensoever he taketh away the work what ever it be soon decayeth and perisheth For in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 And when thou hidest thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die and are turned again to their dust Ps 109.29 And in that Psalme we have a large discourse of the mindfulnesse of God towards man in providing him wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oile to make him a chearfull countenance and bread to strengthen mans heart Yea his providence extendeth to the least things that do concern us There cannot a tear fall from our eyes but he doth bottle it up Put my tears into the bottle P. 56.8 there cannot an hair fall from our heads but he doth take notice of it for even the hairs of our head are all numbred Luk. 12.7 Yea which is of us more considerable because to us more terrible there cannot a word fall from our mouths but he doth register it for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account hereof in the day of judgement Mat 12.36 3. Again God is mindfull of man thirdly in time in redeeming him And this work hath many parts too many for me to speak of at this time I can but name them His miraculous incarnation his charitable life and peregrination his painfull and shamefull death and passion descension resurrection his ascension And hereto also pertaineth his calling us his sanctifying us his justifying us and his pawning and pledging everlasting life unto us 4. Again fourthly and lastly God is mindful of man in time in raising him hee is mindfull even of our very dust and ashes when we be dead and rotten For saith Job I shall see God in my flesh Job 19.26 And he shall change our vile body and make it like to his glorious body saith Saint Paul Phil. 3.21 And this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 And then shall Ezekiels mysticall or parabolicall vision be literally fulfilled Every bone shall come again to his bone and the flesh and sinewes shall grow upon them and the skin shall cover them Ezek. 37. And Saint Aug. de Gen. ad lit lib. 3. ca. 17. is very punctuall and emphaticall upon this point Quasi vero quicquam intersit ad nostram utilitatem ista caro jam examinis per quos transitus eat c. As though saith he it were any thing considerable what becomes of our body being dead seeing that by whatsoever passages it shall go It shall thence be drawn out again by the almighty power of the Creator to be new formed And again in another place Enchirid. ad Laur. cap. 88. Non autem perit Deo terrena materia de qua mortalium creatur caro the earthly matter of mans body is never lost to God sed in quemlibet cinerem pulveremve solvatur but into whatsoever dust or ashes it be dissolved In quoscunque halitus aurasve diffugiat Into whatsoever spirits or airs it fly away In quorumcunque aliorum corporum substantiam vel in ipsa elementa vertatur Into whatsoever substance of other creatures be it into the very elements it be turn'd In quorumcunque animalium etiam hominum cibum cedat unto whatsoever food of other creatures be it of mankind it be converted Illae humanae animae puncto temporis redit It shall at last in a monent of time return to that soul Quae illam primitus ut homo fieret cresceret viveret animavit which did at first it that it might be made a man and live and grow 3. As before time in time so also 3ly and lastly after time God is or shall be mindfull of man in or by eternal everlasting glorifying him After time I say after nunc finiens or terminationum the end or consummation of created time For the day of judgment is called the last day Jo. 6.39 40. and Rev. 10.6 the angell sweareth that time shall be no more Yet then I say when all distinction of time shall grow up into one perfect constant day of eternity then shall God be mindfull of man in bringing him to and preserving him in the fulnesse of joy and pleasure for evermore For we shall be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we be ever with the Lord. 1 Thes 4.17 O infinite love O unmeasurable mercie O beginlesse O endlesse providence what is man O Lord what is man that thus before time in time and after time thou art mindfull of him I shall include this point and so the whole text with a brief touch of a twofold use This last Doctrine of Gods mindfulnesse of man teacheth us to be thankfull and it teacheth us not to be carefull 1. Vse First it teacheth us to be thankfull For seeing Gods providence is such and so great toward us and it is all Gratis It is but our thankfulnesse that hee requireth for all for he saith who so offereth praise glorifieth me Ps 50.23 And David saith My goodnesse extendeth not to thee Ps 16.2 what a shame will it be for us then to be found unthankfull Praise him therefore for thy soul and for spirituall blessings praise him for thy body and for temporall blessings according to that Ps 101.1 Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiveth all thine iniquities there 's for the soule and for spirituall things And ver 5. which satisfieth thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles ther 's for the body and for temporal things 2. Vse Again it teacheth us not to be careful This is our Saviours teaching Mat. 6.35 I say unto you take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink c. And why ver 26. behold the foules of the air they sow not neither do they reap c. And ver 30. If God so cloath the grasse of the field shall he not much more cloth you Oye of little faith Hee argueth à majore ad minus from the lesse to the greater I may therefore doubtlesse in this argue a majore ad minus from the greater to the lesse He doth the lesser saith Christ therefore he will much more do the greater may I in my sense say therefore he will much more do the lesser He provideth for the soul spirituall things here and eternall things hereafter And if he deal so freely and liberally in those greater matters shall he not much more do the same in these viler earthly things what man having received wine of his friend will be doubtfull whether he would afford him water or no What man seeing his friend send his son to help him will make question whether hee would spare him his servants or no What man seeing his friend offer his life for him will suspect or be jealous whether hee would impart unto him his goods or no And seeing God hath given us the wine of spirituall joyes shall we be doubtfull whethether hee will afford us the water of temporall comforts Seeing God hath sent his son to help us shall we make question whether he will spare us his servants his creatures to serve us Seeing our Saviour hath given his life to redeem us shall we be jealous that he will not impart to us his goods his corne and wine and oile to sustain us No no but cast all our care upon him because he careth for us Yet cast it in humility acknowledging our vilenesse acknowledging our unworthinesse For so humbling our selves we shall be sure to be exalted FINIS
seeing our miseries are such in our temporall condition in respect of getting keeping losing why then I may justly say what is there in this vale of tears that may deserve our love or be worthy of our affection Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity saith Solomon and wee our selves know that we are certain in nothing here but in an uncertain course of things and a continuall interchange of joy and sorrow Why then should these vanities and vexations like so many bewitching Cirees transform us into swinish quality that we should delight rather to ly wallowing in the miry mudde and puddle of worldlinesse then to be translated into the glory and blisse of Paradise why should they like so many Sirens with their deceitfull musick and melodie stop our course and stay our journy when we should be travelling into our own country why should they intice us to lie floating on the troublous and dangerous waves of this world when we should be striving to get into the Haven and Harbor of rest why should they so much deceive us as to make us make this our Paradise where wee find nothing but misery and here to settle our hearts where there is nothing that can satisfie our desire Love not the world saith Saint John nor the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Here is the privative use here is that we must not do what is the positive use what is that we must doe Our Saviour teacheth both together Mat. 6.19 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon Earth ther 's that we must not do but lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven there 's that wee must do It is Heaven that is our Country and inheritance on earth wee are but pilgrims and strangers It is Heaven where we shall have the fulnesse of joy there all our comforts are crost with cares Learn therefore of Saint Phil. 3.8 to count all things loss and to judge them to be dung that wee may win Christ Or if ye can not reach that perfection to despise the world yet at least labour and strive that yee may be able to use the world as though yee used it not and to have your conversation in Heaven And so much of the discovery of mans vileness out of the consideration of his temporall estate and condition in respect of the miseries of his life The same also will appear in respect of the shortnesse of his life For mans dignity and honor in his creation was in his being the Image of God and that was partly in his immortality whereof during his innocencie he was capable Potens non mori having a possibility not to die His immortality therefore and length of life being then his honor and excellencie it must needs follow by the rule of contraries that his mortality and shortness of life is his dishonor and vilenesse But out of the Scriptute also it may bee shown that long life is an honor and short life a dishonor a reproach and vilenesse unto man For in the ninteenth of Lev. ver 32. it is said Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the old man And in the Commandements Ex. 20. the only promise of reward expressed is that of long life That thy daies may be long in the land c. And as this is a reward and honor so on the contrary short life is a punishment and dishonor For 1 Sam. 2.32 when God would execute judgement and justice upon Eli one of his greatest punishments was that there should never be an old man in his house but his seed should be cut off before it should be ripe And often in the Scriptures we find long life as a blessing to the god ly and short life as a curse to the wicked on the one side promised on the other side threatned Let us look then upon the shortnesse of our life and consider the vileness of our condition therein Ye know Moses his accompt Ps 90.10 The daies of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years yet in their strength labour and sorrow He accounts it the utmost of our age but a little For to that purpose he closeth therewith this for it is soon cut off and we fly away It is soon cut off as if he should say It is a time of no considerable endurance But as touching the shortnesse of mans life the heathen man Tully by the twilight of nature could see to say thus Lib. de senect Quid est in vita hominis diu what length is there in the life of man Mihi quidem ne diuturnum quidquam videtur in quo est aliquid extremum me thinks there 's nothing long or lasting which hath an end For indeed when that is once come then 't is all nothing But Saint Augustine goes farther and saith Conf. lib. 11. cap. 15. that the life of man is neither long nor short but that it is not at all Quo pacto illud longum est aut breve quod omnino non est How can that be long or short which at all is not Praeteritum enim jam non est futurum nondum est For the time past is not now and the time to come is not yet So that then we can count our life nothing but the same to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that same instant present moment of time Now which the Philosophers make an end of the time past and the beginning of the time to come which is indeed so near to nothing that wee can hardly make any thing of it For now we live and now again that time is past And again Now we live and now again that time is past Dum loquimur fugit invida aetas saith the Poet whiles we speak our envious time flies away Yea sooner then we are able to pronounce that one syllable Now it is a hazard a doubt and question whether we live or no. So short and swift and slippery is that time which wee may boldly venture to call our life that it is gone before we can speak it yea before we can think it It is even swifter then conceit And therefore to shew the shortnesse and swiftnesse of our life the Scriptures do set it forth by the shortest and swiftest things as namely a weavers shuttle Job 7.6 a Post Job 9.25 a tale that is told Ps 90.9 And yet these shadowes and types short and swift as they are they are too long to measure the shortnesse of mans life For though the shuttle flyeth swiftly yet sometimes it lyeth still before the quil of yarn be quite spent though the Post rideth or runneth speedily yet sometimes hee baites and rests before he comes to his journies end though a tale passe quickly yet it hath some stops and pauses before it comes to the last full point But the life of man flyeth swiftly and never