omnipotent as the Father is Infinite in Majesty Wisdom Goodnesse Power c. How can they I say but admire to see him demitt himself so farre for us and to us As man also he offereth himself to be seen by us spiritually Here we may see him and should look upon him as he suffered and was crucified for us Here thou may see his Head crowned with thornes which should have been and now is crowned with Glory His Face spitted on and busseteâ—â— which should have shined and doeth shine with the beams of heavenly Light His Hands and Feet pierced and in a word all wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and now giving his Body that was broken and his Blood that was shed as the food of our souls unto eternall life O what a wonderfull and sweet sight is this what reverence and humility what love and thanksgiving should it raise up in us Dost thou see what thou receivest in these sacred mysteries and from whom and wilt thou who art but dust and ashes refuse to humble thy self in body and in soul or can thou consider his infinite Love to thee which made him to give himself for thee when thou was his enamie to exchange as it wer the Throne of his Glory with the ignominy of the crosse canst thou I say consider this and not be inflamed with love and breake out in thanksgiving Secondly He speaketh to us in these sacred mysteries most sweet and comfortable words which we should heare and answer unto He sayeth I am the bread of life c. that we may answer LORD evermore give us this bread He sayeth I am the water of life that we may answer LORD give us of this water that we thrist not againe He sayth This is my Body which is broken for you This is my Blood which was shed for you he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him that we may answer Whence is it that our LORD cometh to us O LORD we are unworthy that thou should enter under the rooffe of our unclean souls but let it be unto thy servants according to thy word Here he reacheth us as it were from his crosse all the precepts of divine vertue He sayeth Learne of me for I am meek and lowly in heart I humbled my self and became obedient to the death of the crosse when I was stricken I revenged not I gave my life for mine enemies I prayed for them in my greatest distres I cleaved most firmly unto God thus he speaketh unto us and we should devotly answer him But the time is spent and therefore I forbeare to proceed further The LORD imprint these things in our hearts that for the merits of Christ to whom c. A SERMON UPON the II. of the CORINTH chap. VII Vers 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvatiâ—â— not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death THe holy Apostle in the former words speaketh of the effect of his former Epistle unto the Corinthians wherein he had rebuked them for not censuring the incestuous person that was among them of whom ye may reade in the 5. chap. of that â—repist This his reprooffe of them had grieved them made them sorrowful but he tels them that if it could have been he wished not their sorrow If it might have stood with their wel-being he would have been glad that thy had not been sorrowfull at all Yet in the mean time he declareth that this their sorrow which his epistle had wrought in them was matter of joy unto him not for that they were grieved but because they had sorrowed in a Godly manner and that unto repentance unto the Glory of God and good of their own souls He confirmeth this particularly by the generall doctrinâ— of the fruit of Godly Sorrow in the place that I have read For Godly Sorrow sayeth he worketh repentance c. Here he commendeth Godly Sorrow of which nature that was which his epistle wrought in the Corinthians first The very name he giveth it containeth an argument of commendation for the Sorrow which he speaketh of is a Godly Sorrow or a Sorrow according to GOD. 2. He commendeth it from the fruit of it it is such a Sorrow as worketh repentance even a repentance that is never to be repented of because it is unto salvation 3. He commendeth it by opposing the contrary Sorrow namly the Sorrow of this world which worketh death That we may proceed the more clearly we shall beginne at this last point The Sorrow of this world sayeth he worketh death He opposeth as yee see two kinds of Sorrowes the one to the other the Sorrow which is according to God and the sorrow of this world The sorrow of the good Corinthians had this good in it that it was not a sorrow of this world which is no matter of joy for it worketh death All sorrow presupposeth love for no man sorroweth but for the losse or want of that which he loveth therefore where this worldly sorrow is there is also a love of this world Such is the sorrow that men have for the losse of worldly things wealth honours delights or friends If their heart and love be set upon these things they foolishly and without the feare of God rejoyce in them when they have them and being drunke with that transitory happines they seek for no more On the contraâ—y when they losse or want them their hearts are cast down and they are pressed down with Sorrow inordinatly Such a Sorrow the Apostle recommendeth not nay he dehorteth from it for it worketh death This Sorrow can do no good When a man hath lost his riches if he sorrow for that this sorrow will not restore his wealth to him againe If a man hath lost his honour the sorrow which hee hath for that will not recover it againe If hee hath lost his friends or children should he mourne never so much for them his sorrow will not bring them to life againe So this sorrow can do no good yea on the contrary it doth great harme it worketh death It maketh the way to bodily death especially when it is inordinate The heavines of the spirit dryeth up the bones saieth SOLOMON Proverb 17. 22. Sorrow hath killed many and there is no profite in it saieth the WISE-MAN Ecclestast Chap. 30. 23. And which is worst of all this sorrow leadeth to eternall death For God is offended with it it stirreth up a man to do many things wherat God is offended and maketh a man guilty of eternal death so this sorrow is no matter of joy but the sorrow that was in the Corinthians and which ought to be in us all was of another kinde It was a Godly sorrow or a sorrow according to God For better understanding of this Consider first That this sorrow which is according to God is such a sorrow as a man
to speak to us or wee have libertie to speak to him Lastly The consideration of this infinite Greatnesse of God serveth to give us comfort and confidence in all our troubles The Lord useth this argumeÌ„t to Aâ—RAHAM to encourage him I am God Alsufficient saieth he walk before me and be upright and I will be thy exceeding great reward so when he sent Moses to the children of Israell to assure them that he was to deliver them out of the Egyptian bondage Hee declared to him his Name which signifieth his greatnesse and commanded him to reveale it unto them thus shal thou say unto them said the Lord Exod. 3 14. I am or Hee that is hath sent me unto you as if he would have said feare not hee hath spoken it who is the great and infinite Being who maketh every thing to bee that he will and giveth being unto all his promises In like manner the Lord reasoneth Isal 40. where he comforteth the fainting hearts of his people even ready to murmure with this consideration of his greatnesse Why sayest thou O Jacob why speakest thou O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fâ—inteth not neither is weary of his understanding there is no searching Hee giveth power to them that are faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength Even the youths weary and faint and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Thee is no trouble nor distresse against which this infinite greatnesse of God cannot comfort us Are thou weak and thy enemies strong yet remember that the power of this great God of whose greatnesse ther is no end is greater then all thy weaknes or their might Are thou oppressed with the greatnes of thy sinnes Remember that thy sinnes how great soever are small in respect of his mercies who is infinitly great in that as well as in other perfections Are thou perplexed and seest no outgate in thy difficulties Remember the Wisdome of Him that is infinitly great can find out the way In a word His infinite greatnesse can supply us in all our evils and wants Let us therefore seek our comfort hence against the manifold evils which afflict us or are imminent over our heads There is no day almost which bringeth not some evill with it and some tydings that are sorrowfull I shall instance but in one particular the death of your Reverend and worthy Pastor whereof yee lately heard I may truly say The losse of him was not a small losse He was a man endued with singular and excellent gifts especially of Learning and Devotion His Judgement was solid and piercing his Conception was most cleare he was strong in reasoning distinct and sweet and pithie in his expressions and by the diligent use of these gifts highly esteemed at home and famous abroad amongst the best learned as I very well know How comfortable his travels were to you how plainly and perfectly he instructed you how sweetly and powerfully hee exhorted and comforted you from this place I appeale to your own consciences But that which is most of all I am perswaded he had the true feare of God in his heart in his wayes he set him before his eyes and was fervent and frequent in the devot service of him He made not a shew of devotion but God Who seeth in secret I trust hath now openly rewarded him Hee had indeed an apprehension of death a long space before his end and I very well know that he was most earnestly and devotly prepared for it His preparation was fruitfull for God gave him a sweet and calme and holy departure which joyned with integritie of his life assureth us that he is now translated from this valley of teares into his Fathers house and to that City that hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God For my self I make no doubt at all but that he is with this great God and is now entered into his joy So it is well with him but alace These and the like losses are matter of sorrow and heavinesse to us yet as I said we must not be too much cast down There is comfort against this in all our evils in that infinite greatnesse and sufficiencie of God whereof I have been speaking The Lord grant us confidence in him and that for the merits of Christ Iesus to whom c. A SERMON Vpon the CXXXIII Psalme Jule 22. 1638. A song of degrees of DAVID Vers 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie 2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons heard that went down the skirts of his garments As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the LORD commanded the blessing even life for evermore THis Psalme is one of the 15. songs of degreâ— The 1. wherof is the cxx the last the cxxxiv. Why these Psalmes are called particularly songs of degrees it is not certaine Some think they are called so from the fifteen degrees by which they ascended to the temple of Jerusalem whereupon they were sung upon particular occasions Some think they are so called in reference to the ascending of the Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem after their deliverance from captivitie foreseene by DAVID by the light of Gods Spirit But to leave things uncertaine This is certaine that these Psalmes are singularlie excellent and well agreeing to men that are sojourning here and ascending by degrees of pietie and vertue to the heavenly Ierusalem They are full of divine instructions affections wherby we may be directed and inflamed to make progresse and ascend in the way to our heavenly countrey and city In particular this Psalme which of the fifteene is the last except one though short is a most sweet and heavenly song wherin most divinlie DAVID commendeth brotherly love the coÌ„munion of the saints he representeth the beautie of it most liuelie it is very necessar to all to look thereupon that they who have concord peace may be thankfull to God for it and be carefull to maintaine it that they who have it not may desire seek after it And therfore it shall be fit for us this day to Behold how good how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie Behold saieth DAVID This word calleth us to attention and to the present view and inspection of the beautie of brotherly love He setteth and presenteth it as it were before our eyes and therfore saieth Behold Beside he doth not simply call us
they shall be forced to remember and that remembrance shall be one of their greatest torments What greater torment have the damned then to remember how often and how willingly God called upon them yet they refused to hearken unto him What greater torment then to remember how easilie they might have escaped these infinite and eternall torments and how easily they might have attained unto eternal joyes Let us therefore take heed than we forget not Christ and if we have forgotten him let us call to minde againe as S. Peter did whose remembrance was most fruitfull for He went out and weept bitterly There was bitternes and grief in his heart and aboundant tears in his eyes Neither at that time only did he weep but as it is reported by Clemens as long as he lived He weept when he heard the cock crow so that at last his tears drew furrows in his cheeks We reade not his words which may bee were chocked with aboundance of his tears but no doubt since he called to minde his sinne repented fruitfully he had thoughts or inward words both of sorrow and confidence When he thought upon his sinne we may well thinke he said within himself Alace miserable man what have I done How do I yet live who have denied him who is the life what wonder though the earth should swallow me up who have denied my Lord and redeemer O wicked mouth how could thou deny that thou knewest him who hath bestowed so many benefits upon thee cursed tongue how could thou abjure him who hath showed so many tokens of his love unto thee In like manner while he thought upon these words of Christ I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not we may think that he hath said within himself I will turne to him who hath turned to me I will look to him who hath looked to me It is he that hath said As I live I love not the death of a sinner I will cast my self down at his feet and say Master and LORD I have sinned against the heaven and against thee and am no more worthy now to be called thy Son Would God we would imitate the Apostle in these tears of unfeigned sorrow Nothing more pleasing to God No face so beautifull in his Eyes as that which is bluddered with tears The teares of a penitent are the pearles which he delighteth in Nothing more profitable to us Hast thou lost thy goods thy tears will not recover them againe Hast thou lost thy children thy tears will not bring them back againe Hast thou lost health thy tears will not make thee better but rather worse But if thou hast lost GOD and his Favour the tears of unfeigned sorrow can bring him back againe and who would not for recovering of so great a good with Peter here weep bitterly with Mary Magdalen wash his feet with tears and with DAVID make his bed to swime with them But it may be ye will say to me I would do so if Christ would turne and look upon me Is not Christ turned to thee when he speaketh to thee in his Word and inviteth thee to come to him doth he not turne and look unto thee when he offereth to thee his own Body and his Blood Look therefore unto him and look unto thy self Look to him sweating his own Blood crowned with thorns scourged buffetted denuded of his garments and all for thee Canst thou look upon this sight without tears what are the tears of thine eyes to the Blood of his sacred Body and to the sorrowes and travailes of his Soul look upon thy self consider thy ungratitude the filthines and defilment of thy soul and body how thou art exposed by thy sinnes to his dreadfull and eternall wrath If thou can consider this aright it will make thee to say with the PROPHET O that my head were waters and that my eyes were fountaines of teares that I might weep day and night Blessed are they that so sow in teares they shall reap in joy but â—o to them that will needs laugh now for they shall mourne and that without comfort for ever The Lord make us wise in time and that for the merits of Christ to whom with the Father c. A SERMON UPON the XV. Chapter of MATTHEW Vers 21. Then Iesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon Vers 22. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O LORD thou Sonne of David my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil Vers 23. But he answered her not a word And his disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she cryeth after usâ—â— Vers 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel Vers 25. Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me Vers 26. But he answered and said It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs Vers 27. And she said Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbes which fall from their Masters table Vers 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her daughter was made whole from that very houre I Have made choise of these words at this time which containe a most notable historie and most fit for the worke which we have in hand this day for in it is set before us an exact paterne teaching us how to pray and how to wrestle with God so as we may prevaile and have a blessed successe as the woman here mentioned had who prayed with such faith confidence humilitie and invincible constancie that not only obtained she her desire but much more O woman said our Saviour unto her great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt The historie is very easie and and plaine and requireth not so much to be explained as to be remarked and applyed Three things are chiefly considerable in it First the description of the person so much commended here Secondly her carriage toward Christ and his behaviour toward her Thirdly the obtaining of her suite and praise of her faith To come to the first The person that was here a supplicant to our Lord was a woman One of the weaker sex by which the devill first prevailed against man expelled him from paradise and the joyes of it Secondly she was a gentile or a heathen woman as S. Mark telleth us she was none of the peculiar people of God but a greek as it is in the original which according to the phrase of scripture is as much as a gentile and so a stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel and had her being among them who worshiped the devil in stead of the true God Thirdly yet more she was a Canaanite as S. Mathew calleth her S. Mark calleth her a Syrophenician both which agree