make him returne from the water with Naaman and come to offer the rich and precious gift of his whole heart to the Lord as an acceptable sacrifice wherewith hee in mercie is euer well pleased The like course if euery one of vs would take after our great and marueilous deliuerances euen with the Ruler Ioh. 4.52.53 whose sonne Christ had healed being at the point to dye to enter into a serious and through search This particular course is meete for all of vs the more to moue vs to thankfulnes of the very particular circumstances of the daunger wherein we were and the deliuerāce thereout in Gods mercie it could not but vrge the efficacie of this point wonderfull much Sinne no more And first I will by some examples and proofes out of the Scriptures shew how from time to time the godly being deliuered out of any dangers either spirituall or corporal the Lord hath required and they willingly haue acknowledged some speciall dutie therefore Moses with the Israelites hauing enioyed the great and memorable mercies of the Lord in ouerthrowing Pharaoh and deliuering them from him letting them goe through the red sea as on drie land doe present y ioyne all together with hart and voyce to praise the Lord Moses beginning and they all following in the heauenly melodie of thanksgiuing thus I will sing vnto the Lord Exod. 15.1 for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and him that rode vpon him hath he ouerthrowne in the Sea Vers 4. The deliuerance Pharaohs charets and his hoste hath he cast into the Sea his chosen captains also were drowned in the red Sea Therfore as his dutie he acknowledgeth saith Ver. 2. The duetie The Lord is my strength and my praise and he is become my saluation He is my God and I will prepare him a tabernacle He is my fathers God and I will exalt him Iudg. 5. Ver. 27. The Lord hauing giuen Deborah and Barak a triumphant victorie ouer their cruel enemie Sisera Deborah thereupon reasoneth of the miracle in her song and resolueth of performing a most excellent dutie as thus They that remaine The deliuerance haue dominion ouer the mightie the Lorde hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong Ver. 13. He meaning Sisera bowed downe at her feete he fell downe and lay still at her feete he bowed him downe and fell and when he had sunke downe he lay there dead Therefore as our dutie Vers 2.3 The duetie Praise ye the Lord for auenging of Israel for the people that offered themselues willingly Vers 12. J will sing vnto the Lord I will sing praises vnto the Lord our God Vp Deborah vp arise and sing a song arise Darak and loade thy captiuitie captiue thou sonne of Abinoam Psal 107. The deliuerance Dauid rehearsing in the 107. Psalme many and great deliuerances as first of dispersed strangers and their miserie vers 3.4.5.6.7 deliuerance out of captiuitie and prison vers 10.11.12.13.14 and lastly the deliuerance of poore tossed shipmen from the dangers of the seas vers 25.26.27.28.29.30 addeth the dutie of all such as are deliuered therefrom thus Ver. 8.15.21.31 The duetie O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the sonnes of men In the 105. Psalme Dauid from the beginning thereof vnto the latter end thereof Psal 105. The deliuerance is wholly occupied in expressing Gods miraculous and merciful power in protecting Israel from Abrahams time when they were but a few in number and strangers in the land till such time as by a mightie hande and out-stretched arme he brought them into the pleasant land of Canaan And in the last verse he noteth what vse they must make of so many mercies and what dutie diligently they must walke in for Gods fauourable dealing with them thus That they might keepe his statutes and obserue his lawes Praise ye the Lord. Ver. 45. The duetie Many moe proofes I might alleadge out of the word of God for corporall deliuerances bestowed vpō the Church from time to time and what must be the duty of such deliuerances but these may suffice for the plaine proofe of outwarde deliuerances and their duties Of spirituall deliuerances The deliuerance Luke 1.74 Vers 77. Vers 79. Now of spirituall deliuerances and their duties Being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies knowledge of saluation giuen vnto vs by remission of our sins in Iesus Christ light giuen to vs that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and guiding our feete into the way of peace must of necessitie in the partakers of this deliuerance bring forth this duty euen to serue the Lord without feare Vers 74.75 The dutie in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romanes Rom. 13.12 The deliuerance noteth a great deliuerance in a fewe words The night is past and being so neuer forget the dutie which followeth therefore let vs cast away the workes of darknes Vers 13.14 The dutie and put vpon vs the armour of light hereafter to walke honestly as in the day time not in gluttonie and drunkennes chambering and wantonnes strife and enuying but put yee on the Lorde Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 6.20 The deliuerance The dutie Vers 20. Paul telleth the Corinthians of a great deliuerance thus Ye are bought with a price and therefore your dutie is to glorifie God both in your soules bodies for they are the Lords And againe Seeing ye are so dearely bought and purchased with such a pretious pearle therfore be not the seruants of men 1. Cor. 7.23 1. Pet. 2.18.19 The deliuerance Peter speaketh of a most comfortable deliuerance Yee know that yee were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation but with the pretious blood of Iesus Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot And therefore seeing the purchasing of our saluation was a matter of such difficultie for siluer and gold could not doe it a matter of such necessitie for the diuell ruled ouer vs as a cruell tyrant a purchase at such a high rate and the matter of it of such a pretious valuation for it was the blood of Christ being most pretious and the lambe of God vndefiled and without spot 1. Pet. 1.17 The dutie all Christians duties therefore it is that are partakers hereof euen hereafter to passe their time and spend the daies of their dwelling here on earth in Gods most holy feare Now out of all these testimonies and examples which haue hetherto beene alleadged concerning Christians duties for deliuerances either spirituall or corporall may further very fitly bee gathered what is the end of the grace and fauour of God towards vs in The end of Gods mercies towards vs. by and through his sonne Christ Iesus euen thus Vt Deo reconciliatus
FOVRE SERMONS PREACHED AND PVBLIKELY TAVGHT BY RICHARD LEAKE Preacher of the word of God at Killington within the Baronrie of Kendall and Countie of Westmerland immediatly after the great visitation of the pestilence in the foresayd Countie Ezechiel 24. vers 13. Thou remainest in thy filthines and wickednesse because I would haue purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not bee purged from thy filthines till I haue caused my wrath to fall vpon thee AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KINGSTON for Thomas Man 1599. TO THE WORSHIPFVLL M. THOMAS STIKELAND AND M. IAMES BELLINGHAM Esquires and two of her Maiesties Iustices of the peace within the Baronrie of Kendall and countie of Westmerland RICHARD LEAKE wisheth all graces needefull for this life and the continuall encrease of all graces pertaining to eternall life to the ende of their dayes IT is not vnknowne vnto your worships and to vs all round about what great and manifold dangers haue ouerspread all our countrie by the space of these two last yeares and more as well by dearth as also by strange fearefull diseases and sicknesses It is no lesse knowne vnto vs also how little good and small reliefe all outward meanes of remedie and comfort brought vnto the distressed ones in their extremities and who knoweth not how lamentable and wofull was the state of the afflicted one especially in such places as were infected with the pestilence and what feare came vpon vs all thorough that their affliction what mourning amongst them and daily deuises amongst our selues how to auoide escape dangers I wish from my heart that the originall breeding and first occasion of these lamentable times were as well knowne or herafter may be knowne of vs all viz. how that it was not infection of the ayre distemperature in their bodies much lesse the malitious and diuelish practises of witches or yet blinde fortune or any other such like imagined causes which were breeders of these euils But the masse and multitude of our sins in rebelling against the holie one of Jsrael these I say haue been the prouokers of the Almightie to make vs drinke of the cup of afflictions these haue pulled vpon vs al these plagues and brought vpon vs all these fearefull and afflicted times wherein we haue lately been which poynt that it might appeare plaine to the sight view of all my neighbours whose hearts haue awaked at the beholding of the said calamities I haue laboured in this little treatise following to make knowne what hath caused all these woes and who hath wrought and brought vnto vs better dayes as also what dutie we owe to the Lord for our gracious and long desired deliuerance Which I am bold to dedicate vnto your Worships and that for two respects first for that I perswade my selfe that you are both fauourable and also forward to entertaine and bid welcome all that bring the glad tidings of saluation whereby I am resolued that you will not only your selues accept and take in good part these my poore labours but also patronize countenāce and defend thē against al those who shall deride and scoffe at them as they doe at all good things in my self or others and secondly for that you be Magistrates and Iustices within those limits and precincts most parts whereof haue bin infected most pitifully and I am perswaded most iustly for those great and capitall sinnes which rule and raigne amongst vs as grosse Poperie and blinde superstition in very many places in so much that I am afraide that that abhominable Idoll of indignation the Masse is vsed in diuerse places about vs and that very boldly adde hereunto filthy drunkennesse abhominable whoredomes open profanation of the Sabbath vnlawfull pastimes with infinite many moe which the further they bee ripped into the more filthy stinch ariseth out of them These and such like sinnes I say being so pregnant and rise amongst vs I doubt not but as you espied them and heard them cryed against by worde and writing you with the rest of your associats ioyning with you will holde on in zeale of Gods glory the peace of Gods children and the discharge of your owne dueties that these sinnes may haue those lawes executed vpon them which most christianly is prouided in this land for restraining them which no doubt shall so greatly tend to the glorie of God the furthering of the couse of the Gospell and the flourishing estate of our christian common-wealth that in short space the excellent effects of this zealous gouernement shall proue the trueth and vprightnes thereof And thus briefely I cease committing this little worke and the issue thereof for acceptance at your Worships hands and all other that shall reade it to the wisedome of him who hath the disposing of the hearts euen of Kings and rulers euen one God and three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit to whome be glorie maiestie dominion and praise for euermore Your VVorships bounden Richard Leake To the Christian Reader THe occasion good reader of my offering this poore mite into the Lords treasurie and of sending abroade this fruit which the increase of my small talent bringeth forth vnto the Lords familie was this I pleased God by the space of two yeares together to giue our country in the North parts of this land a taste of his power in iudgement being prouoked thereunto by our manifold enormious sinnes he visited vs with many and grieuous sicknesses as first with the hot feuer after with the bloodie issue and lastly most fearefully with the extreame disease of the pestilence inflicted vpon many and shaken at all in our whole countrie And albeit neither I nor any of the people vnder my charge were infected therewith yet had we all of vs the cause thereof within our sinfull hearts as well as any others it had inuironed vs almost round about we had scarcely any way to turne vs but mourning might be heard so that we expected no better than neighbours fare Furthermore in this time and before as it is well knowne the Lord our God did chasten and punish this whole land with dearth and famine of bread and scarcitie of other victuals in diuers places since which time of tribulation it hath pleased him who is God blessed for euer amen to make knowne his power in mercie as he had before manifested the same in iudgement For be gaue plentie and cheapnes of bread and all kinde of victuals in stead of scarcitie and dearth hee extinguished the heate of sickenesses in those places where it was most feruent with-held it from those places vnto which it was most fearefully threatned so that then might be heard amongst vs mirth in stead of mourning songs in stead of doleful sighings gladsome salutations in meetings in stead of diligent shunning each of others presence for feare of infection The boistrous stormes of afflictions now driuen away and calme showers of comfort descending the cloudes of his heauie displeasure now
Psalme to all men in his tâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…red out of dangers O that we would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse Psal 107.5 and declare abroad the workes that he doth for vs most sinfull men Further in that he healed this man which had been possessed with a lamenes or numnes so long a space as thirtie eight yeeres in his whole body appeareth the exceeding great power of almightie God for in that the disease was vniuersall ouer the whole body and besides had continued so long till he was old The power of the Lord set forth there is no rule in phisicke that euer could giue him any hope of recouerie yet herein note the vnspeakable power of the Lorde that by speaking a word or two he healed him perfectly in mans hope past healing By the like power hee healed the woman of the bloodie issue Luk. 8.42 who had spent all her substance vpon Phisitions and could not be healed By this power he healed the woman who had a spirit of infirmitie eighteene yeres and was bowed together Ioh. 11.43 44. Mar. 7.32 and 9.26 Matth. 11.5 24.36 Mar. 1.42 Ioh. 6. Matth. 14.19 By this power hee raised Lazarus from death to life who had lien in his graue foure daies By this power he made the deaffe to heare the dumbe to speake the lame to go and clensed the leper By this power hee fed fiue thousand with fiue barly loaues and two fishes I may in like sort speake of this mightie and exceeding great power towards all those that are translated and deliuered out of the kingdome of darknesse and Satan into the kingdome and cleere light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ What a great power of the Lord was it Act. 9.1.20 that persecuting Saul was healed of his sinne made zealous Paul preaching Christ Iesus and him crucified What a great power was it that Mary Magdalene in whoÌ„ raigned dwelled 7. The true conuersion of a sinner manifesteth Gods power Luk. 7.37.38 c. diuels was cleaÌ„sed made whole and a woman euer after to weepe for her sins and to wash Christ his feet with her teares But greater was the manifestation of his power wheÌ„ he healed the man which had a legion of diuels in him And at this day may euery true conuert say oh the exceeding greatnes of Gods power towards me poore wretch who being vnder the bondage of sinne and thereby the bondslaue of Satan all the power that was in me or that I was able to make could neuer make me free from that thraldome till that the exceeding power of GOD by the sounding ministerie of his word cryed vnto me Awake thou that sleepest Ephes 5.14 and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light Such a miraculous power and a powerfull miracle is the raising vp of a sinner from his snorting in iniquitie to walke and runne the race of a Christian Moreouer Note his mercie as we note his power in healing him of such a long continuing sicknesse so note wee his compassionate mercie in hauing a feeling and before touched with our infirmities We haue an high Priest Heb. 4.15 who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort as we are sinne only excepted This his compassion and mercie made him to weepe ouer Ierusalem Luk. 19.41 viewing their great sins and his fathers wrath readie to fall vpon them for the same It made him pitie the great multitude of people that came pressing vpon him when hee saw them as sheepe without a shepheard It made him to sigh and groane at the hardnes of the peoples hearts yea so forcible and plentifull was it in him that hee neuer denyed helpe to the miserable comfort to the comfortlesse nor heaueÌ„ly counsell to them that carefully sought for it His loue to vs for our saluatioÌ„ is as large as the East is from the West Psal 103.12.13 and the North from the South as great and greater then the loue the father hath to his sonne or the mother to the babe sucking her breasts for that hee euen spreadeth out both his armes of mercie readie to embrace euery sinner truly turning vnto him and clocketh vs vnto him by his liberall mercies Matth. 23.37 Deut. 32.11 12 13. euen as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings Yea this one thing doth greatly extoll the largenes of his loue and fauour in that he extendeth it to vs without any of our merits or deserts For he loued his owne before euer the foundation of the world was laid Rom. 9.23 ere euer Iacob had done good or euill he loued him and hated Esau The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 10.12 He that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him Rich he is in power able to helpe rich he is in mercie most willing and readie to heare all those that call on him faithfully I should be endlesse if I should repeate the proofes of this great loue mercie of God The loue of God to vs in his son Christ is endlesse in and by his Sonne Christ Iesus But because his loue to vs is endlesse I wil here end the speaking of it with that admiration wherewith the Apostle Paul endeth his speech of Gods election and reprobation O the deepnes of the riches both of the power and mercies of God Rom. 11.33 how infinit is the one and the other not able sufficiently to be expressed by the tongue or penne of any man Our dutie hence Our dutie hence that we must learne is regeneration and true repentance otherwise wee shall treasure and hoord vp wrath and clowdes of witnesses against the day of wrath and declaration of the iust iudgement of God Rom. 2.3.4 Seeing the bountifulnes of God ought to leade vs to repentance The comfort we may hence reape is great The comfort Art thou sicke art thou afflicted art thou pressed downe with the sight of thy sinnes criest thou after Christ and desirest with blind Bartimeus to be healed of thy infirmitie No sore to the Christian but Christ will serue it then continue thy crying labour that thy sighs and groanes may be increased yea if it were possible euen to pearce into the heauens And though thou findest not present remedie dispayre not consider Gods power is able to raise thee vp when thou art fallen consider also his mercie to bee such that although the wife play the harlot and her husband giue her a bill of diuorcement hee will neuer receiue her againe yet saith our gratious and mercifull God vnto our sick soules turne again thou disobedient man whosoeuer thou bee and though thou hast committed whoredom with thy louers Ierem. 3.2 3 4. yet will I receiue thee into my fauour againe And thus much for the second circumstance to bee considered in healing of the man vz. how long hee had beene
full of faintnes when the fat buls of Basan and the deuouring lions shall be sent emptie away yea they shall clap their handes and lift vp their heads for ioy of that In terror and feare wherof the wicked shall gnash with their teeth grin like a dog and for auoyding of it though all in vaine they shall wish the rockes to open the hils to couer and the mountaines to be as a shelter vnto them from the glorious presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne Thus death against the godly hath no sting hell against the Christian hath no victorie Reade Heb. 12 11. Psal 30.8.9 34.18.19 119.71 affliction is not our confusion as husbandmen vse to bring dead trees and burne them in the fire but our affliction is for our firmer further consolation and edification like as a good husbandman purgeth his vine that it may bring forth more fruite Psal 30.5 Heauinesse with the godly may endure for a night but assuredly peace ioy commeth in the morning Seeing then that thus happily it goeth with vs all in our greatest afflictions if we belong vnto Christ I will conclude as Saint Paul concludeth his treatise of our immortall state in the life to come that seeing death once had dominion ouer vs but is now destroyed afflictions hurted vs but now they profit vs sicknesse affraied vs but now comforteth vs euen thankes and all thankes be giuen for euer to God the father 1. Cor. 15.57 who hath giue vs this happie victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ Now for the wicked their sicknesse sores As for the wicked it is not so with them griefes and vexations are still vnto them as stipends of sinne tokens of Gods wrath and vnlesse they speedily repent euen beginnings as I said before of the flashings of hell fire I denie not but the godly man may haue for the outward operation the same sicknesse sore For the outward operation of the sicknesse they may agree Cal. in Psal 37.19 A difference betweene the afflictions of the godly and vngodly Psal 1.4 griefe and trouble that the wicked and vngodly haue yet inwardly euer this difference shall be found Quòd Deus suis in necessitate manum porrigens impios deferit God in time of his childrens necessities bee they neuer so great still stretcheth out his hand for helping them and vpholding them least they fall but as for the wicked it is not so with them he vtterly reiecteth them forsaketh and giueth thē ouer vnto their owne hearts lust Propter peccatum Flagellantur iusti propter probationem iniusti ad perditionem The godly are afflicted for their greater triall but the wicked are afflicted for their cōfusion because of their great sinnes Esay 9.13.14 For the people saith Esay turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hosts Therefore will the Lord cut off in one day from Israel head and tayle branch and rush Pijs afflictio est disciplina qua docetur iram Domini effugere voluntati eius obsequi Afflictiō to the godly is for discipline in themselues whereby they are taught to auoide the Lords wrath by reformation of their liues and willingly to yeeld obedience to his commandements Whereupon Paul saith When we are iudged 1. Cor. 11.32 wee re chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Impijs verò afflictio est obduratio qua a malo in peius progrediuntur sicut Pharaoh But vnto the wicked In euerie affliction two things to be considered afflictiō is a meane of hardening their hearts whereby they proceede from worse to worse In euery affliction two things are to be considered first Gods iudgement secondly Gods mercie The wicked partaker of the former but neuer of the latter The wicked in their afflictions are partakers of the one which is Gods iudgement but neuer of the other The godly are partakers of both iudgement for their sinnes mercie for Iesus Christ his sake Hereupon saith Nahum Nah. 1.7 Good is our God and comfortable to his owne children in the day of trouble And Dauid Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Loe his mercie whereof the wicked are neuer partakers So that herein appeareth againe wherein the godly are commō partakers with the wicked in afflictions and where they differ Psal 85. The last thing that I will note out of this part and so end it is this That in the words sinne no more we may note that the Lord was priuie to al his former sinnes and offences that euer before he had committed and therefore it is as if he should say I haue seene noted and obserued all such sins as euer before this thou hast committed either publikely or priuately inwardly or outwardly by thought word and worke and for the same haue afflicted thee and also in the end deliuered thee take heede therefore thou sinne no more Hence note the Lord hath Eagles eyes to see the corners of our hearts and all our sinnes neuer so closely committed nothing so secret but it shall bee made manifest Mat. 10. Read Psal 138. and that which is committed in corners shal be published on the house top Then euer hereafter let euery man worke as in the day time walke as in Gods presence behaue themselues as hauing the Lorde an eye vvitnesse who if we doe well in his mercie vvill accept of vs but if wee doe euill Gen. 4.7 then know sinne standeth at the doores who will neuer cease crying in the eares of the Lord for vengeance till such time as it bee powred downe vpon the wicked in fearfull manner and executed vpon the vnbeleeuers to their euerlasting destruction And thus much for the second part of the words of exhortation which is that sinne was the cause of his long sicknesse THE THIRD SERMON OF THE DVTIE OF OVR DELIVERANCE The third Sermon NOw followeth the third part vz. what must be the effect of his health recouerie or what must bee the dutie of his deliuerance drawne out of the same wordes that the other part was though not in the same sence Sinne no more This is the subiect of the whole treatise describing the dutie that this man healed must euer bee mindfull of to his louing and mercifull father for his great and large deliuerance and in him may fitly bee gathered the dutie of all Gods children to the Lord for so many liberall and louing mercies as continually he powreth vpon them Particulars shewing the mercies of God How greatly this poore man was bound to render thankes to the almightie for his deliuerance I haue before set down in some particulars as the dangerous disease ouer his whole body the long continuance of it euen most of his life the little good that any likely meanes of outward medicine did for him with some other moe the consideratiō whereof could not but
corporall health or bodily deliuerances First it is not vnknowne what deuises Satan by his ministers An answer vnto it hath vsed both forren and domesticall for the subuersion of our gratious prince the stay of our safetie and the staffe of our strength next vnder God the inuasion and possession of our Realme by forrenners and frō all these behold we are made whole and both the deuiser and the deuises brought to nought For other deliuerances corporall as from famine the pestilence the running issues and the burning feuer whereof most parts of our land haue tasted I spare to speake because wee are so lately made whole or deliuered from them and doe conclude my answere of the obiection with Paul the Apostle to the Romanes If God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all other things also needfull for vs Nay blessed be God he hath giuen vs them alreadie so that now hence followeth the dutie he requireth of you Magistrates that professe to defend the Gospell by the sword of your authoritie of you pastors that preach the Gospell and of all others that openly professe the Gospell in more zeale and forwardnes for outward shew then many others to you all I say take heede looke to your selues that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine that ye do not crie Lord Lord in voice and deny him in your liues that yee bee not professors and no practisers hearers but no doers Sinne no more in your loose liues as you haue done by dispensing with iustice daubing vp the Lords wall with vntempered morter rising vp earely or sitting vp late to drinke strong drinke defiling your bodies by the vncleannes of whoredome blaspheming God by swearing or prophaning the Sabboth of the Lord by following your worldly businesses for with these sinnes I am afraid many that professe the Gospell are defiled whereby iustice is peruerted the Lords building hindered the godly offended and occasion of stumbling to the weake ones thereby administred and generally by meanes hereof the wicked vncircumcised Gentiles haue taken an occasion of blaspheming the glorious Gospell of Christ Iesus as the wicked by Dauids offence in his daies Doe not account the shew of this worlde such a siluer shrine as you doe doe not with one hand receiue Christ with the other embrace this euill world with Demas Kisse not Christ once and after with Iudas betray him be not so newfangled this day as with the Pharisees to cry Hosanna welcome Christ and to be altered soone after with the Camelion crying kill and crucifie him Let not such vnsauorie and vnsanctified cōmunication come out of your mouths as sometime one shall heare euen from those that brag much of the Gospell either concerning worldly matters or their vaine sportes and pastimes of this life Doe not for a time affect loue your pastor for his message sake and after a while to bring itching eares that vnles he will speake ad placidum you will persecute him and vnlesse he wil be a wether-cocke to transforme himselfe fit for your humors you will account him an vnprofitable watchman runne not too fast for feare you faint neither runne aside for feare you fall in the ditch but runne so as you may finish your course with ioy lay your building vpon that corner stone as you resolue to perseuer beginne not in the spirit and ende in the flesh remember from whence ye are fallen euen from your first loue and your former care repent and doe your first workes yee that know the way of truth walke in it worke by it let word and deed profession and practise be simul eodem circa eadem concurre together for the aduancement of the glorious crowne and kingdome of Christ Iesus And to conclude in the bowels of Iesus Christ I beseech all you my brethren by profession giue no more such a scandale by your lewd liues as you haue done neither to Iewe nor Gentile to those that are without or within the Church take the Apostle Paul herein for an example walke more warily that the Gospell on your behalfe be not euill spoken of finally dearly beloued let your light so shine before men let your conuersation be so honest among the Gentils that they seeing your good works may glorifie God our heauenly father in the day of their visitation And thus much of the force of these words Sinne no more to all that doe professe the Gospell of Christ not so syncerely as they ought It followeth now to set downe the measure of this dutie Sinne no more viz. How and of what manner of strength sinning no more ought to be with the godly and here we may not thinke that the drift of our Sauiour Christ in laying downe his dutie is to persuade the man healed or in him anie one of the godly that he expecteth in them an immunitie and freedome altogether from sinne and the remnants thereof and that after our deliuerance from dangers either spirituall or corporall we should become so perfect in our profession of Christianitie Esay 64.6.7 Prou. 20.9 Eccles 7.21 1. King 8.46 as that we should be altogether pure from the blots and blemishes of any sin whatsoeuer For the example of the godly of all ages recorded in the booke of God testifie the contrarie who still feeling in them a rebellious nature prone and prompt to sinne doe pray continually for strength against the same And in all humiliation doe prostrate themselues Psal 143.2 130.3 Dan. 9.5.6.7.8.9.10.11 before Gods tribunall seat humbly crauing the Lord neuer to enter into iudgement with them for their sins daily committed vsing these or the like speeches Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for if thou doest no flesh shal be iustified before thee Again If thou ô Lord marke what is done amisse oh who may abide it The rule of praier giuen by our Sauiour Christ enforceth this point teaching the godly while they liue euer to pray forgiue vs our debts Mat. 6.12 the authoritie of the scriptures confirmeth the same in many and sundrie other places Gal. 5.17 teaching vs to acknowledge and confesse when we haue done all that euer we can we are vnprofitable seruants And that if we would Luke 19. we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs so that hence 1. Iohn 1.8 if any spirit there arise so foolish as dare affirme that the Church and the particular members thereof ought to be a pure and sanctified Church of it selfe and in it selfe from all staine and corruption either in doctrine or manners The only perfection in this life is to know our selues imperfect Ierom. in epist Nunquam ad perfectionē pertingemus nisi confecto nostro stadio Cal. in Ephes we are taught what to answere that we can neuer be partakers of that totall freedome and finall victorie ouer
c. may be puld out of mans minds that no string or roote of vices at all may be remaining in men through the exercise of vertue which is to take man out of man and for a man being in the body to be without the body Thus farre Ierome And the same man a little after in the same treatise saith very excellently thus He that alwaies forgetteth things past and longeth for things to come sheweth that he is not content with neither that there is any perfection in this present world The aduersaries being by the examples of the diuers falles of the faithfull in all ages their humble confessions concerning their imperfections and the manifolde testimonies of the word to this end so hampered 1. Obiection See Cal. lib. 2. instit cap. 7. that they are grauelled and can go no further haue no refuge but are constrained to flye to the almightie power of God leauing what man can do of himselfe reasoning what is Gods power in man Answer We answere and doe not denie but God can perfectly regenerate vs in this life if hee will but why hee doth it not he hath many causes among the rest note these First that wee may diligently consider the power of sin how great it is and what effect it hath in man which we see cannot bee destroyed in vs but by little and little that by the speciall grace of the spirit and therefore we are so much the more to be afraid of it Secondly that when to this life we finde no end or stay of the conflict betweene the flesh and the spirit we may so much the more long for that blessed life wherein wee shall appeare before God perfectly regenerate and holy whereas if God should out of hand renew and totally sanctifie vs the dignitie should not bee of so great accompt with vs but now by little and little bringing the same to passe in vs the perfection thereof is so much the more deare vnto vs. Lastly for this cause God doth not perfectly here regenerate vs to the end that his power may bee made perfect in our weaknesse and when wee are saued by meere grace and not of workes he that reioyceth may reioyce only in the Lord. Obiection 2 Philip. 3.15 The Scripture say they attributeth perfection to the godly saying As many of vs as are perfect let vs be thus minded Answer When Paul reckeneth himselfe amongst the perfect he speaketh not of such a perfectiō of faith in vs Cal. in Phil. 3.15 as the Perfectists do imagine but hee speaketh there of the perfection of knowledge in respect of the only foundation of our saluation Iesus Christ when casting away confidence in all things vvee reioyce in the onely righteousnesse of Christ Iesus and setting all other things aside to attaine to the fellowship of his sufferings which may bring vs to the blessed resurrection So that this proofe which they vse as a daunt to driue vs from the trueth may wee vse as a sword to pearce them thorow who withstand so plaine a trueth Secondly it is true by comparison vz. If you compare persons with persons that there is more vertue and knowledge to bee found in one man then in another so the Apostles well instructed in Christ were called perfect in respect of them who being too much set vpon ceremonies of the Law were pulled asunder from the body it selfe So Noah for his life is said to haue been a iust and perfect man in his generation Obiection 3 They alleadge further that so earnestly to maintaine this imperfection is to make Christians slothfull which otherwise by preaching perfection would be pricked forward to the attaining thereof Answer I answere that the knowledge of a mans owne imperfection in this life doth rather stirre the godly forward to endeuour to attaine to perfection and euery day to goe stedfastly forward in the course of their calling to striue with the Apostle Phil. 3.11 if by any meanes they may attaine to the resurrection of the dead Which obiection being thus answered appeareth manifestly how wicked and directly against this sound and holesome doctrine of the vnperfect obedience of the faithfull in this life is that Canon of the Tridentine Councell Can. 18. sess 6. enacting thus If any man say that the commaundements of God are impossible to be kept euen of a man iustified and vnder grace let him be accursed And here for the summary conclusion of this point I cannot omit the testimonies of two ancient learned fathers concerning the premisses August contra duas epist Pelag lib. 4. c. 10. Augustine saying thus With what presumption doe they openly gainsay the Lords prayer wherein all the members of Christ doe cry with a true heart and daily voyce forgiue vs our debts And a most excellent saying is that of Cyprian Cypr. epist de mortal who saith We haue a combat with couetousnes with wrath with ambition we haue a daily and troublesome wrastling with the corruption of the flesh and with the entisements of the world If couetousnes be vanquished lust riseth vp if lust be suppressed ambition commeth in place if ambition bee contemned wrath galleth pride puffeth vp drunkennes allureth wickednesse cutteth off friendship and yet it pleaseth a man to stay long amōg these snares of Satan whereas wee ought rather to wish to make haste vnto Christ where we may bee freed from them all The last point that I haue thought good to note out of these wordes Sinne no more is the priuate and particular vse and application that euery one partaker of any deliuerance either spirituall or corporall from the Lorde must make to his own soule concerning such dutie as the Lord requireth of him which is this That the wordes and power of them should euer sound vnto his owne soule as a summon to bid him awake stand vp and walke no more in the course and waies of his former wickednes as thus O thou man whosoeuer thou bee who hast tasted most abundantly the sweete mercies of thy God escaped many dreadfull dangers passed many perils the Lord still preseruing thee and shadowing thee vnder the wings of his mercie till they were all ouerpast looke now to thy selfe how thou walkest hereafter not so loosely negligently and disobediently as thou hast done before sinne no more in vnthankfulnes as thou hast done sinne no more in contemning Gods long louing and gratious visitation sinne no more in prophaning the Lords day sinne no more by thy drunkennes adulterie Atheisme contempt of Gods word and many moe sinnes wherein thou hast been found faultie let Gods iudgements shaken at thee as a sword for thy sinnes terrifie thee let the same now remoued allure thee euer hereafter to walke and worke as in the presence of the Almightie And thus may euery priuate soule now saued from daungers sound out the alarme of his continuall dutie in manner and forme aforesaid euer labouring and striuing that the Lords
preseruation from imminent dangers may bring foorth and breede in vs reformation of life and mortification of sinne raigning in vs. And thus much for the dutie of the man deliuered wherein hath bin shewed at large the dutie of vs all for Gods many and miraculous mercies whereof we haue of late most abundantly tasted and which whole point is the subiect of this vnworthie treatise THE FOVRTH SERMON OF THE DVTIE OF our deliuerance drawne out of the last words of the text Least a worse thing come vnto thee NOw followeth the fourth and last part of this treatise The summe of the words which is the louing and friendly caueat of our Sauiour Christ to the man healed forewarning him of the danger that would ensue if he did not presently put in practise the dutie of his deliuerance contained in these wordes of the text Least a worse thing come vnto thee In these words vttered by our Sauiour Christ to the man healed is described the danger this man was in if he sinned againe euen a worse thing to fall vpon him The Lord in his former sicknes had dealt with him like a sonne but if he continue obstinate and offend again he will plague him like a wayward seruant He had visited him with a long sicknesse to purge him that he might be a profitable plāt but if after this purging of the Lorde hee still became vnprofitable hee will the next time plucke him vp by the rootes and cast him into the fire In his former sicknesse God shewed his mercifull power and powerfull mercie in healing him when he had no hope to be healed but if he fall and offend againe the Lord will shew his iust power and powerfull iustice in condemning him The danger of a relapse into sinne againe after God hath deliuered vs out of dangers Heb. 6.6.7 The man stood therefore in a dangerous case better he had neuer been healed then sinne againe better neuer to haue receiued the sweete raine and dew of Gods blessings then after the receipt of them to bring forth nothing but bryers and brambles for so hee is nie to cursing Out of all which I gather this doctrine vz That when for sinne God hath inflicted sicknesse sores and griefe vpon any and afterward he in mercie hath healed the disease by remitting the sinne and the partie so healed doth fall afterward into his accustomed manner of sinning againe that same partie whosoeuer he or she be is in great daunger that God will inflict a greater plague vpon him then euer he had before For proofe hereof reade Leuit. 26. from the 14. Reade Leui. 26. from vers 14. to the end of the chap. and Deut. 28. verse to the end of the chapter where the seruant of God Moses setteth downe that for the peoples disobedience and contempt of his lawes God will bring a consumption and a burning ague but if they will not for these things repent he will punish them seuen times more if they will not then repent hee will plague them seuen times worse then that The Prophet Amos rebuketh Israell that though she was in captiuitie yet was she not humbled thereby to forsake her sinnes Amos. 5. vers 10.11.12 but rather worse and worse in contemning his Prophet in oppressing the poore in peruerting iudgement by taking bribes the Prophet prophesieth telleth them that a worse thing shall come then euer befell them hitherto for whereas they seemed to crye for the day of the Lord he telleth them the day of vengeance shall fall vpon them in stead of the other Yea one iudgement shall follow after another Vers 19. As if a man did flie from a Lion and a beare and did meet him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him Gods iudgementes shall be readie to seaze vpon him Pro. 1. vers 24. what way soeuer he turne him Wisedome telleth the wicked that because she hath stretched out her hand to correct diuerse of her rebellious sonnes and yet they continued wicked Vers 28.29.30 and would none of her correction loe the next time she will stretch forth her hand but not as before before she stretched and spread abroad both her armes of mercie clocking her disobediēt children vnto her As the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings Math. 23.37 But her second stretching shal be as an Eagle prepared for his pray to bring vpon them sodaine desolation and destruction like a whitewind Esay speaking in the person of the Lord to his rebellious Israell saith Esy 65.12 I shall number you to the sword and all you shall bow downe to the slaughter because I cried and you did not answere I spake and ye did not heare Ierem. 2.30 but did euill in my sight Ieremie complaineth that although they were smitten and corrected yet all was in vaine And howe fearefull a thing it is after God hath giuen vs health or deliuerance out of dangers to offend him againe by our loose life appeareth by Pharaoh and his fearefull ende Exod. 13.28 Luke 17.17 and by that sharpe censure Christ gaue of the nine leapers by him cleansed and yet remained vnthankfull Heb. 6.4 And if it be so dangerous to sinne againe after the recouerie of the health of the bodie much and more dangerous it is for those to fall againe Heb. 10.26 Mat. 12.45 whom God hath enlightned with the sight of their sinnes and knowledge of the truth Heb. 6.6 for they entertaine other spirites worse than the former they crucifie againe the sonne of God and therefore better had it beene for such neuer to haue knowne the way of truth then after they haue knowne it to prophane it 2. Pet. 3.13 by their lewd and wicked practises least a worse thing come vnto thee This word least doth not here signifie any vncertainty as being a thing proceeding from man The right sense of the word least in this place whose promisses or threatings are vncertaine but it signifieth a thing most assuredly that will come to passe as being a iudgment proceeding from the father of light Iam. 1.18 Gods iudgements are not to be dallied withall with whom is no variablenes not shadow of turning We may not dally with the threatnings of the Lord here as Euah did with the cōmandement in Paradise who whē the Lord had absolutely threatned death to thē assoon as euer they should transgresse his commaundement Euah by the subtiltie of the serpent is brought to make a peraduenture of that which God absolutely set downe and saith Gen. 3.3 Of the fruite of the tree in the middest of the garden God hath said ye shall not eate least ye die It may be some now a daies may sooth vp Gods iudgements and threatnings The speech of a carelesse Atheist and sooth themselues in their sinnes and say tush to sin is not so great a daunger as it is taken to
be for we see them that most offended florish faire and stand as wel as the best and besides his iudgements are but threatned with a peraduenture or perhaps take heed ye catiffes and thrise blinded men of the world For this word least signifieth thus much That hee aduiseth them to beware for if he doe not A bone for such to gnawe vpon assuredly a worse thing will come vpon him And that Gods iudgements threatned against the wicked are without any peraduenture as coÌ„ming froÌ„ a God not vncertain what to do marke what Moses speaketh in the person of the Lord If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on iudgement Deut. 32.41.42 I will execute vengeance on mine enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make my arrowes drunke with blood and my sword shall eat flesh And Dauid saith God shall wound the hairie scalpe of such an one as goeth on still in his wickednesse And the authour to the Hebrewes hauing perswaded to holinesse of life addeth the daunger Heb. 12.29 and saith For our God is euen a consuming fire Again the same author sheweth the danger all such are in as by their continuance in sinne after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth do crucifie againe the sonne of God addeth as a coÌ„clusion these words It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 10.31 To conclude therfore this point Gods iudgements being threatned against the wicked for sinne they are ineuitable without alteration vnlesse they presently put in practise the holsome counsell of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthes What will alter Gods iudgments aduising them to enter into a serious and sound adiudging of themselues and so they should escape the great and fearefull iudgementes of the Lord 1. Cor. 11.31.32 which was partly begunne alreadie in execution amongest them and partly was readie to be inflicted vpon them It must be an eye to see Gods iudgement a heart to feele Gods iudgement a conscience to condemne and all concurring together to prostrate throwe downe and truly to humble the sinfull man vnder Gods mightie hand crying with the prodigal sonne O father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am not worthie to be called thy sonne I say it must be all these wrought most soundly by the worke of Gods spirit in the sinner that must be as a stoppe to Gods iudgements and a stay of his anger manifested Least a worse thing come vnto thee c. These words may be the speech of a master to his seruant thus I haue taken thee napping twise or thrise nay often and haue louingly admonished thee of it but if thou plaiest the like again thou shalt smart for all or of a schoolmaister to his scholler whose waggish trickes and great negligence he hath often pardoned but now threatneth the next time shall pay for all Euen so God from time to time seemed to winke at the sins of this man What the Lord long forbearing requireth yea euen at the sinnes of vs all and like a louing schoolemaster beares a while with our offences but either now cease from sinne learne to doe well and be a good scholler in Christes schoole or else looke thy lord and master the Lord Iehouah will take an account for all and in the ende pay thee home Least importeth necessitie Least this word least vsually in the scriptures importeth great necessitie of the matter in hand to be put in speedie execution as in Ieremie Ierm 4.4 Breake vp your fallow ground sow no more among the thornes be circumcised to the Lord and be no more stifnecked least my wrath breake forth and burne like a fire c. Psal 2.12 And the Psalmist Kisse the sonne least he be angrie and so ye perish sodainely if his wrath be kindled yea but a little c. And that necessarie admonition of our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples Watch and pray least ye enter into temptation Luke 22.40.46 Math 26.36 Mar. 14.32 And last of all that earnest caueat of the author to the Hebr. to all the godly Iewes for perseuerance in the profession of the Gospell and practise of holy daies meete for the measure of the grace of God they had receiued saith thus Take heed brethren least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God Heb. 3.12 vers 13. Out of all these aforenamed phrases may be gathered the vrgent necessitie that was imposed vpon this man healed presently to put in vre the continuall dutie of his deliuerance The vrgent necessitie of performing dutie to the Lord. and insinuateth also vnto euery one of vs or rather as a continuall cry soundeth in our eares O ye negligent coole carelesse disobedient and scornefull people in the North parts of England who deseruing Gods wrath for your manifold sins are yet now in the multitude of his mercies An Alarme to the North parts of England freed deliuered from the effect of his wrath sinne no more least if you againe tempt and prouoke the liuing Lord to anger he call you to recken and giue an account for your selues Heb. 3.9 so ye shall neuer be able to answere one of a thousand Further in that our Sauiour Christ heere admonisheth the man healed of his daily danger if euer after hee doe not crucifie the olde Adam with the lustes thereof God euer warneth before he plagueth we note the louing care mercy of God not to bring destruction vpon any before he hath both largly louingly forewarned them of the danger yea he desireth not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and liue according to the rule of the Apostle Ezech. 18.23 the Lord is not slack as some men count slacknes but is patieÌ„t towards vs would haue no maÌ„ to perish 2. Pet. 3.9 but would haue all men come to repentance and all are inuited to the mariage of the Kings sonne To conclude therefore this point Matth. 22. No cause to censure the Lord of hard dealing in iudgement we learne heere that all excuse or censuring the Lord of hard dealing in iudgmeÌ„t is remoued froÌ„ the wicked seing all of theÌ„ before they vndergo the intollerable burtheÌ„ of his wrath are offred most abundaÌ„tly to drinke of his loue A worse thing For the consideration of the measure and greatnes in some sort of this punishment which heere is threatned the man if he offend againe View in particuler I wish thee diligent wise reader to gâ—ue a glaunce backe to the viewe of his former sicknesse and certainly that will giue thee some probable demoÌ„stration of the measure of his punishment againe Cal. in Ioh. Cap. 5. vers 14. It is very likely that his correctioÌ„ was laid vpon him in his youth and the verie time which by