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A08578 An explanation of the generall Epistle of Saint Iude. Delivered in one and forty sermons, by that learned, reverend, and faithfull servant of Christ, Master Samuel Otes, parson of Sowthreps in Norfolke. Preached in the parish church of Northwalsham, in the same county, in a publike lecture. And now published for the benefit of Gods church, by Samuel Otes, his sonne, minister of the Word of God at Marsham Otes, Samuel, 1578 or 9-1658.; Otes, Samuel, d. 1683. 1633 (1633) STC 18896; ESTC S115186 606,924 589

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as hee is righteous yea perfect as hee is perfect For wee must bee followers of God as deare children and walke in Love as he loved Ephes 6. us So much for Gods Love towards us And now to speake of our love to God and that the love whereby wee love God is a worke of Gods Love whereby hee loves man Causa diligendi Deum Deus est modus sine modo The Bern cause that wee love God is God himselfe the measure without measure And Saint Iohn saith We loved him because hee loved us first For our love springs out of his as the rivers from the Sea 1 Iohn 4. 19. his Love drawing our hearts to him as the Loadstone doth iron to it or as the Sardius doth wood our love answering to his Love as an Eccho to a mans voice and as one candle doth light another so the consideration of his Love to us doth cause a reflexion of our love to him And there bee many reasons to move us to keep our selves in the Love of God The first is his Commandement Thou shalt Deut. 6. 5. Deut. 10. 12. love the Lord thy God And againe What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare and love him This our Saviour calleth The great Commandement The Commander is great the Object is great the use of the duty is great and their reward is great that take care to doe it and though there were no other reason to move us to love God but his bare Commandement yet were that reason strong enough to bind us the power of a King the authority of a Father the place of a master requireth obedience of a subject child and servant but God is our King our Father and Master and therefore his bare command is sufficient to bind us to love We must love God because he commands it and equity requires it him A second reason to move us to keep our selves in the Love of God is in regard of equity For seeing Almighty God doth love us it is a matter of equity that wee should requite love with love againe For though wee cannot love him as wee ought and as hee loveth us yet must wee love for ours is an ascending his a descending love and love descending is more naturall more fervent and vehement than love ascending as wee see in parents who love their children better then their children love them besides God loved us when wee were his enemies Ephes 2. Aug. Durus est animus qui si dilectionem nolebat impendere nolet rependere His heart is oke not flesh but flint that though hee will not beginne to love yet finding love will shew no love God doth love us out of his Love hee sent his Sonne his onely Sonne the Sonne of his Love into the world to save us hee giveth for us the earely and latter raine and reserveth Ier. 5. for us the appointed weekes of harvest yeerely Hee anointeth our head with oyle and our cuppe runneth over wee should bee Psal 23. 5. very unjust and injurious unto our selves if wee will not love him For all things worke for the best to them that love God Rom. 8. 28. Thirdly Commodity should move us to keepe our selves in the Love of God For first by this Love our faith produceth those good duties which wee owe unto God For faith is as one hand receiving love as the other giving For Faith worketh by Gal. 5. 6. Love And as Augustine saith Our life and all our conversation is named of our love Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores which being good or bad make our manners to bee thereafter such as our love is such is our life an holy Love an holy life an earthly love an earthly life if a mans love bee set on God his life must needs bee good and though this bee certaine That a man is justified by Faith yet this is as certaine that the life of a man is justified by love Rom. 3. Againe by the Love of God wee may know in what estate wee are in Saint Augustine saith Duas Civitates duo faciunt amores Aug. in Psal 64. Hierusalem facit amor Dei Babyloniam amor saeculi Interroget ergo se quisque quid amat inveniet unde sit Civis Two loves make two Citties the Love of God maketh Ierusalem the love of the world Babylon therefore let every man but examine himselfe what hee loves and hee shall see in what estate hee is and to what City hee belongs As a man by looking upon a diall may know the motion of the Sunne in heaven so by looking upon the thing hee loveth hee may know in what estate hee standeth whether hee belong to Babylon or Ierusalem to Hell or Heaven to God or the Divell Againe the Love of God ingenders in us the love of the We must love God because duty requires it godly for God for as hee that loves the Father cannot but love his children and as hee that loves his friend will not misvse his picture so hee that truly loves God will love Gods children which are the lively pictures of God this love is comfortable because it assureth us that wee are Christs disciples and by this wee know that wee are translated from death to Ioh. 13. 1 Iohn 3. 14. life Againe from the Love of God ariseth much grace and goodnesse as much water from one spring Non habet viriditatem ramus boni operis nisi manserit in radice charitatis Good works wither except they bee nourished by this Love As the love of mony is the root and nourisher of all evill so the Love of God is the mother and nurse of all good of all pious offices to God and Christian duties to man To conclude this point the Love of God is as strong as death for as death doth kill the body so our love to God doth mortify our love to the world and dispels rancour wrath malice and as the rising of the Sunne doth chase away the darkenesse of the night so the Love of God doth drive away the inordinate love of worldly vanities and thus yee see the utility of the Love of God 4. Wee ought to keep our selves in the Love of God because hee is our gtacious Father and of his owne good will begate he us through the Word of truth Now if a child must love his father Iam. 1. 18. of whom hee hath received a part of his body how much more ought wee to love God qui animam suam infundendo creavit creando infudit of whom hee hath received his soule and unto whose goodnesse hee stands obliged both for soule and body Hereupon saith Iob Thine hands have made mee and fashioned mee Iob 10. 8 11 11. wholly round about thou hast cloathed mee with skinne and flesh and joined mee with bones and sinewes Thou hast given mee
sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere For the uncertainty of our owne righteousnes and danger of vaine glory it is the safest way to repose all our confidence in Gods only mercy and bounty Then is it not as hee disputes Lib. 1. de justificatione cap. 4. wrought by charity but contrariwise charity doth arise from faith I will conclude with Bernard Omnia merita Dei dona sunt ita homo magis propter ipsa Deo debitor est quàm Deus homini all our merits are the gifts of God so man is rather a debtour to God for them then God to man So much as touching this life Touching the other life hee commends them to God that they may behold the presence of his glory with joy for in the life to come wee shall have plenitudinem gaudy fulnes of joy Here all Psal 16. joy is at an ebbe it is mixed with some sorrow light with darkenesse heate with cold health with sicknes life with death glory with ignominy but there is joy and nothing but ioy no change no alteration day without night light without darkenesse summer without winter youth without age life without death there we shall have all teares wiped away from our eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall Apoc. 21. 4. there bee any more paine but they shall have perpetuall ioy death The ioyes of Heaven fill all powers of soule body and Hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire and shall bee destroyed for ever The second death shall have no power upon them that be in heaven but they shall bee the Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeeres That is for ever We looke too much to Apoc. 20. 6 5 14. Hebr. 6. the pleasures of this world which maketh us care lesse for Heaven but looke into the powers of the world to come vide intùs extra supra infra circumcirca ubique erit gaudium Looke within and without above and beneath and round about and yee shall find ioy every where within shall be ioy for the glorification of the body and soule for our Saviour even The Lord Iesus shall change our vile body and make it like his glorious body according Phil. 3. 21. to the working whereby he is able to sub due all things unto himselfe It is much to have our bodies changed more to have our vile bodies changed but to have our vile bodies so changed that they shall be facioned like the glorious body of the Lord Iesus is most of all and must needs fill us with ioy Wee shall have ioy without by reason of the company of the blessed Angels for wee shall inioy not onely the celestiall Ierusalem but also the company of innumerable Angels which shall glad us and reioice us exceedingly Wee shall have ioy above in the sight of God for wee shall bee like God and see him as hee is Wee shall have ioy beneath of the beauty of Heaven and of the world for 1 Iohn 3. 2. Wee looke for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. Wee shall have ioy round about of the delight of all our senses when God shall bee the obiect of them all for he shall be a glasse unto our eyes musicke unto our eare hony to our taste a flowre to our hands and sweet Balsamum to our smell there shall be the fairenes of the Summer the sweetnes of the Spring the plenty of the Autumne the rest of the Winter yea God shall 1 Cor. 13. bee all in all unto us This life is as a seed-time in teares as the travell of a woman as a weary prentice-hood as a tedious iourney but the harvest is in the life to come there shall we reape joy there Psal 126. 5. are wee delivered of our child birth and forget our sorrow for ioy that salvation is come our sorrow shall be turned into ioy A Iohn 16. 21 22. woman when shee travaileth hath sorrow because her houre is come but as soone as shee is delivered of her Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the world In this world wee have sorrow but in Heaven joy there wee shall rejoice and our joy shall no man take from us Looke to Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith and let the same animate us that did him hee for the joy that was set before Hebr. 12. 2. him endured the Crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the Throne of God Let us so doe and wee shall follow the Lambe and be partakers of the price of our high calling which is in Christ Iesus tantum gaudebunt quantum amabunt tantum amabunt quantum cognoscunt Deum sic cognoscunt ut cogniti Rom. 8. sunt so much shall they reioice by how much they love and so The land of the living cōpared with the land of the dead much shall they love by how much they know God and they so know as they are knowne The situation and height of Heaven may teach us the quantity and quality of the glory of heaven Coelum Empyraeum is 1 Cor. 13. higher greater and more excellent than all Heavens the Scripture calleth it The land of the living as if the earth which we inhabit were the land of dead men and indeed Wee are dead and Psal 116. 9. our life is hidde with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life Col. 3. 3. shall appeare then shall wee also appeare in glory Now if in this land of dead men the creatures bee so precious what shall they bee hereafter in the land of the living In this dead land see the greatnesse of the heavens the brightnesse of the Sunne and Moone and starres the beauty of the earth how pleasant is it to see the height of the mountaines the plaines of the fields the greenenesse of the vallies the fountains of waters the current of the streames and rivers which like veines runne thorow the earth the mines of gold and silver pearle the mines of metals If all these bee in the land of the dead what is in the land of the living There shall bee a new Heaven and a new earth and new creatures 2 Pet. 3. 15. Againe there be three places in this life The first is in the wombe from our corruption The second is in the world from our birth The third is in Heaven after death Betwixt these three there is a proportion looke how much the world is bigger and pleasanter than the wombe so much is Heaven bigger and fairer than the world as well in length of time as in beauty Touching durance the first life in the 2 Mathab 7. wombe is not above nine moneths the second life is foure score yeeres at the most the third is infinite and
excellent of all vertues 413 All vertues vaine without love ibid. Many excellent properties of Love 414 Little love in this age ibid. Love makes men of one heart 415 Many men implacable cruell like Wolues or Divels ibid. An exhortation to love 416 Foure properties of love that it be holy just true constant ibid. The love amongst Atheists and impious condemned 417 The excellency of Love ibid. Atheists agree like a kennell of dogs 418 Most love for lucre ibid. Gods love to us infinite 419 Gods love to us diversly distinguished ibid. Gods loue set out by all the dimensions yet transcendent and unmeasurable ibid. No love comparable to Gods Love 420 Gods love to us the cause of our love to him and the godly ibid. Foure reasons or motives to incite us to love God 1. à mandato 2. ab aequo justo 3. à commodo 4. ab officio 421 The manner how God is to bee loved 422 Love a debt that all owe to God and man but few poy it ibid VVe must shew our love to God by keeping his commandements and serving him 423 An honorable and happy thing to love God ibid. Sermon 34. THe hope of eternal life allays the hardnesse of Gods Commandements 425 Hope of reward makes men endure labours and dangers 426 The blessed estate of the Saints in Heaven 427 Christ and the Saints in their sufferings had an eye to the reward ibid. The joyes of Heaven unspeakable incomprehensible 428 The glorified bodyes shall have spirituall and heavenly qualities namely clarity agility subtility unpassibility and immortality 429 The principall points wherein the glory and joy of the glorified soule and whole Saint consist 430 Earthly mindes regard not Heavenly joyes 431 Divers errours concerning eternall life 432 The joyes of Heaven eternall and infinite ibid. Heaven compared with the wombe of the world 433 An exhortation to seeke after eternall joyes ibid. Eternall life onely the free gift of God 434 Merit end mercy gift and desert opposite ibid. Papists works many of them merit death 435 Merit three-fold Congrui Digni Condigni ibid. None can merit ex condigno but Christ 436 Our works cannot merit because finite and unperfect ibid. Christs righteousnes ours 437 Our works merit not jointly with Christs ibid. Grace threefold Praeveniens Subsequens Consummans ibid. Many Papists renounce their merits and fly to Gods mercy 438 Our election vocation justification sanctification all from grace 439 We must not trust in our works but confesse our sinnes ibid. Sermon 35. DIscretion necessary for distinguishing sinnes and sinners 441 Ministers must use discretion not deale alike with all sinnes and sinners ibid. How to restore with m●ekenes them that are fallen 442 VVee should pitty and pray for sinners and not despise them ibid. Many men more compassionate toward their beasts nhan brethren 444 Wee must tak away sinnes with mildenesse and mercy if possible ibid. Reproofe though not pleasing yet profitable 446 Compassion must be shewed especially to the soule 447 The Saints bewaile the estate of the wicked ibid. Threats of judgement belong to the wicked 448 The obstinate must be terrified not soothed ibid. Iudgements denounced against soothing false prophets 449 Reproofes more profitable than soothing flattery 450 Excommunication a grievous censure ibid. Excommunication three-fold 451 Two uses of Excommunication ibid. Sermon 36. THe sinner alwayes in danger 452 The fickle estate of the wicked set out by divers resemblances 453 No estate permanent 454 Sudden destruction waite on the wicked ibid. Death comes not sudden to the Godly 455 The Godly prepare by repentance and godly life for death while they have time 456 Repentance must not be deferred ibid. The saving of soules a most blessed worke 457 Though God save yet both Grace and Faith and Ministery concurre 458 Tho Ministrie being Gods ordinance to save soules is not to be slighted though the World despise them ibid. Foure faculties in the soule whereby it converts the food of the Word and Sacraments to nourishment of the spirituall life 459 The necessitie and excellent fruits of the Ministery set out by divers resemblances 460 The happy estate of them that have means of knowledge 461 Salvation and the misery of them that want it ibid. Sermon 37. NOt onely evill but all appearance of evill is to bee avoided 462 Sinne must bee hated not sported at if if wee love our owne soules ibid. No communion to be holden or society with the wicked 463 Wicked men must be avoided in respect of God and ourselves ibid. Sinne as contagious as the plague and more dangerous 464 Wee must hate sinne because the whole Trinity detest it 465 Wee must hate sinne because Satan is the author being enemie to God and our soules ibid. Sinne must bee hated because it dishonours God not our selves 466 Wee may not hold amity with the wicked boing Gods enemies 467 The amity of the wicked treachery ibid. Sinne onely is hated of God and man and not the person except reprobate 468 Two judgments the one of Faith the other of Charity 469 Wee must leave sinne of conscience not for other respects 470 The punishment of sinne ought to deterre from sinne ibid. Earthquakes an evident signe of Gods anger and a forerunner of judgement 471 Many earth-quakes in many places and much hurt 472 Christians not to be prophaned 473 Sermon 38 VVE are not sufficient to doe any good of our selves without grace 476 Exhortations do not shew what we can but what we should doe 477 Grace both preserves from falling and raiseth us being fallen 478 Our enemies many and powerfull 479 Prayer the best meanes to repell Satan and his temptations 480 All sorts of men have fallen even the Saints ibid. All have the Seminarie of all sinnes in them 481 Grace worketh all in all ibid. Wee walke in the middest of snares 482 God suffered Adam and doth still suffer the Saints to fall for divers reasons 483 Difference betweene the sinnes of Saints and Reprobates ibid. Whether and how the Church may erre 484 The best have erred ibid. The Pope may erre and many of them have erred 485 The distinctions about the erring of the Pope nice and frivolous 486 Sermon 39. HOw wee are said to bee blamelesse notwithstanding we are full of sin 487 Two kindes of righteousnesse 488 Our righteousnesse consists rather in the remission of sinne than perfection of vertue ibid. How we are said to be perfect and yet imperfect 489 The Iesuits and latter Popish writers the worst 490 The Church and members of it impure in it selfe but perfect and pure in Christ 491 Our service may be sincere not perfect 492 Iustification by workes confuted how justified by faith explained 493 Papists flye to the mercy of God and merit of Christ 494 No true joyes and pleasures in this world but all in Heaven ibid. The Saints in Heaven shall have fulnesse of joy undique 495 Heaven the land of the living and Earth land of dead men 496 God shall be all in all to the Saints in Heaven ibid. Worldly minded men desire not Heaven 497 Our life nothing to eternall life ibid. All honours and pleasures on earth nothing to them in Heaven 498 The World fraudulent turbulent momentary 499 Christ the onely comfort to the elect both in this life and that to come ibid. Many hindred from Heaven by pleasure Sermon 40. PRayer and praise the two chiefest parts of Gods worship must follow one another 501 The glory of God hath beene celebrated by all Saints 502 Wee slauld not thinke of the mercies of God in Christ without praising him 503 God described by many attributes yet none can sufficiently set him out ibid. God onely wise all men ignorant and foolish 504 Wee have no true wisedome till infused by God ibid. All wisedome and Knowledge hid in Christ 505 Destinction betweene Science and Sapience ibid. Worldly wisedome folly ibid. Gods Wisedome seene in creation and disposing of all creatures and governing the Church 506 Christ a mercifull and powerfull Saviour in life and death ibid. No Saviours comparable to Christ 507 The Papists derogate from the power and merit of Christ ibid. The imputative righteousnes of the Saints more set out Gods glory than the inherent 508 Mans worke cannot merit ibid. What it is to glorifie God 509 Thankefulnesse the onely sacrifice that God requires ibid. We pray in our wants and doe not praise God when we are releeved 510 Thankesgiving and the praise of God the end of our creation ibid. They thrt doe not glorifie God here shall not be glorified of him hereafter ibid. Two theeves that rob God of his glory and justice 511 A powerfull exhortation to praise God and give up our selves in thankefulnesse ibid. If no praise of God in the mouth no thankfulnesse or grace in the heart 512. Sermon 29. VVHat it is to ascribe majestie to God 514 Miracles are admired for the rarenesse 515 All Gods ordinary workes wonderfull 516 Our dulnesse in ascribing to God majestie in regard of his workes ibid. God re●eales himselfe sixe wayes ibid. Gods judgement do not worke Repentance ibid. Wherein Gods dominion standeth 517 Gods three-fold kingdome of power grace glorie ibid. Wee ackowledge our selves subjects of Christs kingdome of grace and yet are rebellious 518 Three properties in the Angels Obedience Libentissime Citissime Fidelissime Obediunt 519 Notorious sinners Satans bond-slaves ibid. Wee must be pure in soule and body that Christ may dwell and rule in us 520 Gods power omnipotent ibid. Christ every where present by his power though not corporally ibid. Christs omnipotenty gives comfort to the Christian 521 Gods incomprehensiblenesse set out by comparison ibid. Christ all in all to us 522 God cannot doe those things that imply contradiction or defect ibid. How attributes are ascribed some time to the whole Trinitie sometime to particular persons 523 All Gods attributes are eternall ibid. God must bee praied and praised for all things temporall and eternall 524 Amen the diverse significations thereof and the efficacie thereof in the conclusion of our praiers ibid. Note that the folio's are mistaken at fol. 425. where you shall finde this marke 〈◊〉 FINIS
quàm anima dissimulans coram Deo Angelis A dead dogge sauoureth lesse in our noses then a dissembling soule an hypocrite doth in Gods and therefore Let death seaze upon them let them goe downe quicke into the grave for wickednesse is in Psal 55. 15. their dwellings even in the middest of them But in that he compareth us to trees it is to teach us that God will come take an account of our fruit A grievous day it will be when he shall say to these hypocriticall professors Where is prayer knowledge godly conference meditation instruction of your families education of your children love of religion The greater part of Christians hypocrites zeale of my glory When hee shall say Why stand these vineyards and yeeld no grapes why hangeth this ivy-bush here and there is no wine why stand these trees and yeeld no fruit what doe these starres in heaven and yeeld no light why doe these husband-men occupie my farme and pay no rent He will command the clouds to raine no raine upon these vineyards he will Esa 5. 7. Luk. 13. cut downe these trees and burne them he will destroy these husband-men let out his vineyard to other husband-men which shall deliver him the fruits in their seasons When God shall aske for fruits we may say as the woman said of her accusers Lord they are gone either wee never had any or else they are lost Mat. 21. 41. either our brests never had milke or else like dry nurses we have lost our milke either our candles never had light or else are out Iohn 8. 1 Pet. 2. Hebr. 12. either we never had any birth-right or else with Esau wee have sold our birth-right either we never had zeale or else it is quenched like the fire on the Altar in the Babylonicall captivity We heare the word we communicate but where is private praier private conference private meditation private instruction of our families We professe Religion we come to the Church we heare the Word for shew only for fashion only of custome not of conscience Dagon of the Philistines and the Arke of God is all one to us the temple of Salomon and the temple of Rimmon is all one the service of God and the worship of Diana is all one Sion and Samaria Ierusalem and Ierico the Gospeland the Masse to us are both alike Satan may say to us as he did unto the Monke who had his portise in one hand and his harlot in the other Parùm refert atraque enim via ducit ad interitum it is no matter both wayes lead to hell and to destruction so it is not matter whether we professe the Gospell or not so long as wee professe it so coldly and so carnally so hypocritically so dissemblingly both are naught both damnable Our carnall gospelling first tooke King Edward from us then Queene Elizabeth from us then King Iames I pray God at the last it take not the Gospell from us and our Soveraigne from us It is monstrous for trees to stand seven and seven yeeres yea forty fifty nay sixty yeeres and more and to yeeld no fruit For us to live long in the Church and to doe no good Devide the world into an hundred parts scarce one is Christendome and that one devide into tenne and scarce one is sincere voide of hypocrisie Oh remember that yee are washed with the water of Baptisme that yee have God for your Father the Church for your mother that yee have beene fedde with the milke of the Gospell instructed in the Word of God fed with the bread of Angels with sacramentall bread and will yee yet live like Ethnicks like Pagans like Turkes like infidels and like hypocrites yet most men so live For what forbidden fruit will they not eate Iudgements denounced against hypocrisie with Adam What Babylonish garment will they not take with Achan What usury with Zacheus and what Naboths vineyard will they not covet with Ahab what sinne is there which they can commit but they have committed they bee trees indeed but bad trees without fruit and therfore two things hath God prepared for them a sharp axe and a quicke fire For every tree Mat. 3. that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewne downe and cast into the fire And Saint Iude tells us that these trees be twice dead and plucked up by the rootes dead in worke and deed and inword dead tam in ramis bonorum operum aswell in the boughes of good workes quàm in radicibus fidei as in the rootes of faith twice dead because according to the flesh they be most corrupt and according to the soule most perverse twice dead dead to God dead unto the world both in this world and in the world to come Augustine maketh three deaths the death of the soule the death of the body the death of both body and soule called the second death the first death is here meant But to draw unto a Conclusion If hypocrisie be a sinne so odious and seeing that hypocrites be as clouds without raine as starres without light as trees without fruit and shal be sharply Apoc. 20. 1. punished and pulled up by the rootes Let us stedfastly cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart and let us abandon hypocrisie that we may please the Lord and let us reject dissimulation that we may be blessed and let us not presume to carry the name of Christ without sincerity and godlinesse of conversation THE FOVRE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XIII To whom is reserved blacknesse of darkenesse for ever Hell torments set out by divers names YEE heard before of their sinnes as namely of their Epicurisme in that they did eate and drinke without feare feeding themselves then of their pride in that they were like the waves of the sea swelling high lastly of their hypocrisie in that they were as cloudes that promise raine and had nothing but drynesse in them in that they were as trees that promise fruit and yet they had nothing but leaves And now in these words hee commeth to their punishment and their punishment is that blacknesse of darkenesse is reserved for them for evermote Whereby hee meaneth Hell fire Hell paines For there the Sunne never shineth the Moone and Starres never give light Hell is diversly called by the holy Ghost who taketh great paines in this matter and all to drive us from sin and wickednes He calleth Hell A place for divels Mat. 25. Mat. 18. 8. Mark 9. 2 Thes 1. 8. Psal 11. Vnquenchable fire A worme that ever gnaweth Flaming fire Fire and brimstone A river of hot brimstone All sufferings here but shadowes and beginning of sorrowes A Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone A second death The wine-presse of Gods wrath Damnation of body and soule Esa 30. Apoc. 19. 20. Apoc. 20. Apoc. 14. 19. Mat. 10. 2. 9. Cap. 22. 13. Vtter darkenesse And here in
will not rectified Deest enim intellectus voluntatis consiliari●s for understanding is wanting which is the Counseller of the soule The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2. 14. unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned at spiritus non natura sed gratia the spirit is not of nature but of grace So said Christ of the whole world O righteous Father Iohn 17. 25. the World hath not knowne thee but I have knowne thee and these have knowne c. therefore hee prayed for his Apostles and in them for us all I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou keepe them from evill And againe Sanctifie them Iohn 17. 15 17. with thy truth by nature wee are the children of wrath by grace we are Gods adopted Sonnes Hereupon saith the Apostle In times past we walked according to the course of the World and after the spirit that ruleth in the Ayre and that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whome also wee had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde Ephes 2. 3 4 5. and were by nature the children of Wrath nor by creation but by Adams transgression and so by birth as well as others But God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith he loved us when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace we are saved There are but two things in us either nature or grace either flesh or spirit Now in the state of nature al are accursed in the state of grace we are blessed For by grace wee beleeve and faith Act. 18. 27. Iohn 1. 12 13. maketh us the sonnes of God for as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the No true good in us by nature till regenerate will of man but of God Where he distinguisheth of two births the one naturall and the other spirituall a birth from men a birth from God a generation by nature a regeneration by the Spirit as he doth againe to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter the Kingdome of God and againe Yee Cap. 3. 5 6. Psal 2. 7. must be borne againe there is no naturall Sonne of God but the Lord Iesus we are all the adopted Sonnes of God in Christ and by Christ by his meanes we are raised up together and made to sit together Ephes 2. 6. Rom. 8. 17. in Heavenly places For saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires even the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ c. we bring nothing from our mothers wombe but death and damnation every one must say with David I was shapen in wickednes Psal 51. 5. and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse What Iob 14. 4. can be had from the egge of a Cockatrice but a Serpent From a spider but venome from the Taxus tree in India but poyson from the bitter poole Exanthus but bitter water Wee have not Math. 7. Lambes from Woolves no grapes from thornes nor figges from thistles Well said the Schooleman Quòd dona naturalia in Adamo sunt corrupta supernaturalia ablata ille ut radix nos ut rami radix est venenata ergo rami Our naturall gifts in Adam were corrupt our supernaturall taken away he as the roote we as the boughes the root is poisoned therefore the boughes like the waters of Mara untill Moses put in the sweet wood untill God Exod. 17. infuse grace for by grace we are saved and where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned unto death so Ephes 2. 8. Rom. 5. 20 21. might grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life The Pelagians held that sinne came by imitation not by propagation but Paul confuteth them saying As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as Rom. 5. 12. all men have sinned c. These men quoth Iude walke as Naturall men that is in all sinne and vanity as is said of the Gentiles That they walked in the vanity of their minde having their cogitations darkened being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts So Paul reasoned with the Corinths Are yee not carnall For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions 1 Cor. 3. 3. are yee not carnall and walke as men even so reason wee with you When malice envy rancour whoredome covetousnesse pride raigneth among us are wee not naturall men For God would cut downe these sinnes as a sickle If yee live after the flesh yee shal dye but if yee through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. yee shall live Yea many naturall men goe before us in brideling their lusts and affections Aristides being by the unjust Law of Ostracisme in Athens banished and being asked what hee would to Athens answered Se nihil velle quin tantam rerum prosperitatem ut illis nunquam in mentem veniat Aristides hee desired nothing We should strive to exceed naturall men but so much prosperity to Athens as that they might never remember Aristides The like is said of Phocion condemned to drink hemlocke the juce whereof through extreme cold is poison Being asked what he would unto his Sons said Nothing sed ne hujus unquam iniuriae velint meminisse but that they should never remēber this injury Socrates by Philosophie brideled whoredome in himselfe and Telamon by it bare the death of his sonne patiently saying Sciebam me genuisse mortalem I did know that I begat a mortall man I take no pleasure in these prophane examples save only to ashame us as Paul did the Athenians by Aratus and the Cretians by Epimenides and the Corinths by Menander Let our righteousnesse exceed theirs else there is no roome for us in Gods Kingdome our life must have all vertues in it such a life led the Christians they could be touched with no open crime or notorious fault but that they sung Psalmes to Iesus before day as Plinius secundus writeth of them to the Emperour our Saviour Christ told his disciples that their justice must exceed the justice Mat. 5. 20. of the Scribes and Pharises and so must wee tell all Christians that they must exceed Turkes and Pagans or else they shall never see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liuing yet it is reported
saith he cōmeth Prov. 6. 15. speedily hee shall bee destroyed suddenly without hope of recovery all these three bee fearefull The wages of sinne is death yea sudden death We pray in the Letany to be delivered from sudden death Rom. 6. 23. but our prayer is nothing except our life be godly that shall give a rest to Gods children No sickenesse no death commeth suddenly Esa 28. 12. to the childe of God for hee prepareth himselfe ever hee is a childe of light and of the day therefore hee will not sleepe as other men doe but he will watch and be sober Gods children have oyle in their Lampes that is Faith and Repentance 1 Thess 5 5 6. Mat. 25. they have made their reckonings their loines be girt and their lights burning and let us bee like unto these servants that wait Luk. 14. 28. for their master when he commeth from the marriage that when he commeth koncketh we may open unto him immediately Luk. 12. The troubles that came upon Iob were not sudden he looked for them long before they came Multa cadunt inter calicem supremaque labra many things happen betweene the cup and the upper Iob 1. 25. lip but not to the godly for they stand alway in awe of God and are affraid to offend him for which cause Salomon counteth them blessed saying Blessed is the man that feareth alway And againe hee saith A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe Pro. 28. 14. Prov. 22. 3. that is the punishment that is prepared for the wicked and flyeth to God for succour hee seeth his wants he suspecteth himselfe hee daily asketh God mercy whereas the wicked feareth nothing like the Amalekites who eating drinking 1 Sam. 30. 16. playing dansing and even in the middest of all their sport and pastime were suddenly slaine For the wicked say Come I will bring wine and wee will fill our selves with strong drinke and to morrow Repentance and godly life must not bee deserted till death shall bee as this day and much more abundant but God saith Hac nocte repetent animam tuam This night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee when some are eating some drinking some stealing some whoring some building buying selling Esay 56. 12. Luke 12. 45. 1 Thess 5. 2 3. then shall God come For the day of the Lord shall come even as a theefe in the night for when they shall say Peace peace sudden destruction shall come upon them as sorrow commeth upon a Woman travelling with childe and they shall not escape and therefore the counsell of Augustine is good Vitam emendare dum tempus habenius to amend our lives while wee have time Operari dum dies est to worke Aug. Ser. 4. de sanctis while it is day Pulsare dum aperitur ostium to knocke while the doore is opened falcem mittere dum messis durat to thrust in the sickle while the harvest lasteth Negotiari tempore nundinarum to buy and sell while the Faire or Market lasteth Misericordiam implorare ante diem justitiae to crave mercy before the day 2 Cor. 5. 2. of justice approcheth For now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation Begge mercy then to day thou knowest not whether God will give thee time and grace to doe it to morrow To this saying of Augustine I might adde the saying of Ierome upon his death-bed as saith Eusebius Cremonensis Cur moraris miser de die in diē converti ad Deum O miserable and wretched man why doest thou deferre from day to day to bee converted unto God Cur te jam malorum nonpoenitet Why doest thou not now repent thee of thy sinnes and wickednesse Ecce mors properat ut te conterat Behold death approcheth to teare thee and kill thee the Divell plyeth him to receive thee the wormes expect thee daily to devoure thee wit and strength and all beginne to faile thee But thou wilt say I will repent in articulo mortis at the very point of death O vana suspitio oh falsa meditatio O vaine suspition oh false meditation Looke and see if thou canst finde one of an hundred nay one of a thousand that have obtained this grace and mercy of God that his end should bee happy whose life was unhappy his death good whose conversation hath beene bad Ignis est ira Dei Gods wrath is fire Nos sumus stipula wee are as stubble and straw devoured of the fire wherefore let us worke while it is day the night commeth when as no Iohn 9. man can work And as Noah built the Arke in faire weather and Ioseph laid up graine and corne in the seven plentifull yeeres and Gen. 6. as the Ant that hath neither Master Ruler nor Guide provideth in the plentie of Summer for the dearth of Winter so let us Prov. 6. like good Noahs build the Arke of a good Conscience before the judgement overflow like provident Iosephs let us lay up the graine of godliness in the barnes of our hearts before the dearth of Mercy come and like painefull Ants provide food for our soules before the Winter of justice doth approach And whatsoever Eccles 11. we put our hands unto let us doe it quickly For there is neither worke nor invention nor wisdome nor understanding in Ministers save the soules the grave that wee go unto Save them with feare in plucking them out of the fire he saith Save them with feare Christians are said to save men when God useth their speech and exhortation to doe good on men they are said to winne soules which is the greatest gaine in the world For all the gold in the world laid in one ballance and the soule of a man in another will not countervaile one soule they cost more then so for We are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold 1 Pet. 1. 18. but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled and without spotte Salomon gained gold and silver and had it in abundance Alexander gained men for he subdued whole hosts Augustus gained 1 Reg. 10. Luk. 2. Countreyes for hee taxed the world but good men gaine soules this is most of all For he that winneth soules is happy happy indeed For they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Prov. 11. 30. Dan. 12. 3. starres for ever and ever Wee are said to convert a sinner because God useth our ministery in it and this should be our chiefe care to convert one another from sinne to sanctity from Sodom to Sion from Babylon to Ierusalem from the power of Satan unto God For hee which hath converted a sinner from going astray out of the Iam. 5. 20. way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes And our Saviour saith If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell Mat. 18. 15. him his