seemely order of seruing of God Some of vs crie out against the Kings supremacie some raile against the reuerend Priesthood and Prelacie and too many of vs whet our tongues and sharpen our pennes to speake and write against the 〈…〉 chaste ceremonies and discipline of this Church of England and so wee must fill vp our Sermons with 〈…〉 inuectiues exclayming against the 〈…〉 forsooth and withall falsly reproching the 〈…〉 Ecclesiasticall as full of superstition and Poperie Wee call euery thing in question and raise doubts where the matter is as â—â—eare and euident as the light of the Suâ—â—â— By 〈◊〉 doing wee giue our Adueâ—saries iust cauâ—e to 〈…〉 in hope of aduantage Wee cause the Word of 〈…〉 spâ—ken of and bring many of the ignorant sort to waue and wander in their opinions stumbling at euery straw and starting aside at euery crosse and is to bee seared erelong the complant of Chrysostome in a case not much different bee not verified amongst vs whilst we are doubtfull in questions there be but few true Christians there is but one Faith one Truth and one Baptisme one Law and one Gospell and why should there not bee one heart and one soule one tongue to preach and one hand to penne the onely Truth these jarres about light and slight queres befits not true Christians there is but one harmonie amongst the Saints in heauen and there should bee but one harmonie amongst the Saints on earth Christ is of all with one voyce praysed in the Church triumphant and should be so also in the true Churches militant Wherefore let vs imitate and follow the Apostles who with one consent continued landing and praysing x Act. 2. God Now Lord we beseech thee to be with our mouth as thou wast with Moses to open our lips as thou did deft Dauids and to touch our tongue as thou did dest Ezekiels and to open to vs a doore of vtterance as thou did-deft thy Apostle that so we may continually pray vnto thee and daily prayse thee so long as we liue vpon the face of this earth that hereafter wee may with Quires of Saints and Angels sing vnto thee in the highest Heauens prayse and glorie wisedome and thanks honour and power for euermore Amen THE ATHEISTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR The third sequell that followed vpon their deliuerance viz. The Heathens confession THE FOVRTH SERMON VERS 3. Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them IN these words you haue the third sequell that followed vpon this deliuerance viz. The Heathens confession what God had done for his people When the land of Israel was desolate and when the house of Iudah went into captiuitie the Ammorites reioyced at their fall crying ha ha against them they clapt their hands they stamped with their feet and reioyced in heart against the land of Israel The Moabites insulted ouer them the Edomites molested them and the Philistimes did reuenge themselues for their old hatred vnto them and all that pâ—ssed by Ierusalem opened their g Theodoretus nonnulli aperite os pro irridere accipiunt iuxta illud Psal 22.7 14 13 14 79.4 Origen aly ex stimant referre potius mâ—rem belluae deuerare cupientes Psal 23.13 Jer. 51.34 Christoph à costro lib. 5. comment ler. mouth they h Sibilare mouere caput signa iocaâ—tis per ludibâ—ium contemnentis itaâ—ccipitur sibilare Reg. 9. Zoph 2. similiter mouere caput Psal 21. hissed they gnashed their teeth they wagged their heads they clapt their hands saying is this the Citie that men call the perfection of beautie and the ioy of the whole earth Come let vs deuoure it for certainely this is the day wee have seene it and found it Thus did the prophane Heathen insult ouer Gods People and Sanctuarie but now when they see that they haue found fauour againe with God and that hee hath graciously brought againe their captiuitie and in his wrath cast downe their enemies they are confounded for all their power and they lay their hands vpon their mouth not daring to barke or bay any more at them but amazed and astonished they are forced to confesse that The Lord hath done great things for them In the words The parts of the Text. we may obserue First The Confessors the Heathen Secondly the thing confessed the Lord hath done great things for them And therein wee may note First the Agent the Lord. Secondly the Act hath done great things And thirdly the Persons for whom for them By whom the godly are reproched by the same they are often commended viz. the Iewes The parties confessing were the Heathen euen they who before did deride them and thought them a people forsaken and not regarded So that here wee may learne that often they who laugh at Gods people and children in time of their afflictions and reproch them * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Gen. kom 51. in time of their miserie euen they in the end are constrained to acknowledge Gods goodnesse towards them and whereas before they opened their mouthes against them so in the end they are forced to commend them And herein is both the power and loue of God manifested when he forceth his childrens enemies to be the trumpets of their praise And so whilest the Viper is vpon Paules hand the Barbarians abhorre him as a murtherer but when he casts it off without harme they thinke a Acts 28.3 4 5 him a God Whilest Iob lyes a wofull wretch vpon the dunghill his neighbours forsake him his acquaintaince forget him his wife disdaines him his seruants him his wife disdaines him his seruants disobey him the wicked despise him and euen vagabonds and villaines deride b Iob 19. him But when the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Iob then they came all to him feast and reioyce with c Iob 42. him As Dauid went out of Ierusalem sleeing from Absalom wicked Shimei vpbraides him as a bloudie man and a man of Belial curses him and throwes stones at * 2. Sam. 16. him but as Dauid returned to Ierusalem hee was one of the first that went to meet him falls downe before him acknowledges him for his Lord and Soueraigne confesses his fault and craues his gracious * 2. Sam. 19. pardon Our Sauiour himselfe whilest he suffered vnder and vpon the Crosse was stripped scoffed at crowned and crucified of the Souldiers and the high Priest Scribes and Pharises mockt him saying He trusted in God let him deliuer him now if he will haue him Yet when the vaile of the Temple rent asunder when the Heauens were darkened and the Sunne obscured when the Graues opened and the Earth quaked the Centurion and his companie were all stricken with an exceeding feare and confessed that he was the sonne of d Matth. 27.43 God And so the Iewes in their miserie and extremity became an open shame vnto their enemies a very
Oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes to free vs from the Graue and Hell As Cyrus was the Lords c Isa 44.28 Shepheard to bring his sheep out of the mouth of Daniels d Dan. 7.4 Lion the King of Babylon so Christ was the chiefe Shepheard and Bishop of our e 1. Pet. 2.25 soules to bring vs out of the jawes of the deuill who goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may f 1. Pet. 5.8 deuour As Cyrus releeued the poore and impotent with siluer gold and g Ezra 1. substance so Christ ascending on high gaue gifts vnto men for to euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of h Ephes 4.7 8. Christ. As by Cyrus the Temple was replenished and beautified againe with vessels of gold and siluer so through Christ the Temple was purged from Pharisaicall i Luke 19. leauen and the Church beautified againe with the pure and vndefiled Word And as by Cyrus the Lord deliuered the Iewes after Ieremiahs threescore and ten yeeres were expired euen so when Daniels threescore and ten weeks foure hundred and ninetie yeeres were k Dan. 9.24 fulfilled euen in the fulnesse of time God sent his Sonne borne of a woman and made vnder the Law to redeeme vs which were vnder the l Gal. 4.4 Law at what time the Lord brought againe the captiuitie of Sion Sion was a Mountayne by Ierusalem The partie deliuered Sion so famous amongst all the Mountaynes of Iudaea that not onely the Iewes Ierusalem nay nor yet the whole Kingdome of Iudaea but euen the whole vniuersall Church consisting both of Iewes and Gentiles are comprehended vnder that name for Mount sion lying Northward is faire in situation it is the ioy of the whole Earth and Citie of the m Psal 48.2 great King but in this place it is taken for the remnant of the Iewes that were permitted to returne from Babylon to Ierusalem from Chaldaea to Iudaea according as it was shewed to Ieremiah in a vision wherein he saw two baskets of Figs the one exceeding good the other exceeding n Ier. 24. euill by which was signified that the prophane and rebellious amongst the people should be destroyed with the sword famine and pestilence but vpon part of the people God would set his eyes for good build them and not destroy them plant them and not roote them out One part of Ezekiels haires were cut with a knife another burnt with fire the third scattered in the wind but a few in number were bound vp in his o Ezek. 8.1 to the end lap The Prophet saw sixe men euery one hauing a weapon readie to destroy and yet they that mourned were markt in their p Ezek. 9. foreheads By these figuratiue comparisons wee may see that it is the godly who are but few in number compared to the wicked that mourne and grieue for their sinnes to whom properly belongs the tender mercy and free loue of God it is Mount Sion the Lords Church and Children whom hee tenders as the apple of his eye whom hee couers vnder his wings whose mouth hee filleth with good things whose dayes hee renewes like the Eagles whose life hee redeemeth from the graue and whose soule hee freeth from corruption But thou wilt say Quest. were there none else but the Elect of God onely set at libertie and freed from this captiuitie Yea truely Answ Animalia mitia immitia For I know that in Noahs Arke there was the Lion and the Lambe blessed Shem and cursed Cham who were together deliuered from the Deluge representing the visible Church wherein many wicked as well as the godly are freed from corporall troubles and doe frequently participate of temporall blessings as here no question but many of the vngodly as well as the Saints of God did receiue the benefit of this deliuerance but they haue no part in our Redemption they doe not participate of Sions saluation for Cham may bee in the Arke with Shem and yet be accursed and Iudas may be in the ship with Peter and yet bee damned and herein doth their deliuerance differ from our Redemption A difference betwixt their Deliuerance and our Redemption although the one was a type of the other For their deliuerance by Cyrus out of Babylon was common to the vngodly with the godly but our Redemption from hell through Christ is proper and peculiar to the Elect onely Let not vs therefore from this their deliuerance conclude a generall Redemption like the Origenists who hold an vniuersall saluation of Men and Deuils God hath shut vp all vnder vnbeliefe q Rom. 11.32 that he might haue mercy on all this and such like Texts they wrest and misse-construe but we must know that this word is sometimes taken vniuersally for all mankind as in that place In Adam all die sometimes more strictly for some viz. the Elect onely as in the words following r 1. Col. 15.22 In Christ all shall be made aline sometimes indefinitely as in that place All held Iohn as a f Matth. 21.26 Non de singulis generum sed de generibus singulorum Prophet that is many for all neither saw nor acknowledged nor beleeued Iohn I thousands neuer heard of him Lastly Augustine himselfe who for a time was much blemished with this error but after espying the danger thereof hee mightily confutes this erronious opinion and wisely answeres such fond obiections This All saith he must be vnderstood not of euery man but of men of euery sort the Gentile as well as the Iew the poore as well as the rich contra for there is no difference betwixt the Iew and the Grecian for he that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him and whosoeuer shall call upon the name of the Lord shall t Rom. 10.12 13. Reade the second Chapter to the Romans Quest Answ The Church compared to Mount Sion both for the situation and signification of Sion First for situation in foure respects 1. Sion a Hill of great heighth be saued Now why is the Church compared to Mount Sion First for the situation and secondly for the signification of it as for the situation of it one saith that it was a Hill magnae altitudinis fortitudinis plenitudinis pulchritudinis of great height strength fruitfulnesse and pleasure First a Hill of great heighth and sublimitie whereon the Temple of Salomon was built and not below in a Valley Noahs Arke did rest on the Mountayne u Gen. 8.4 of Ararat the figure of the Tabernacle was first shewed vpon Mount * Heb. 8.5 Moriah the Law was giuen vpon Mount x Exod. 20. Sinai and Salomons Temple was built vpon Mount Sion all teaching vs where our conuersation should be ☞ not here below in this theeuish Caue of Cacus in this hellish Den of Cerberus in this wofull Valley of Teares and in this
fearefull Field of Blood but as the Apostle saith Aboue in Heauen from whence we looke for our Sauiour y Phil. 3.20 the Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly ☞ shee is compared to Sion to shew vs that as a Citie that is built vpon a Hill z Match 5.14 cannot bee hid so shee and her members should not alwayes lurke in obscuritie nor lye hid through aduersitie the Arke must not euer be kept close in the House of Obededom Moses Basket must not alwayes bee shrowded among the Bull-rushes the Prophets cannot bee continually hid in the Caue of Obadia nor Eliah lurke still in a Caue on Mount Horeb no for it shall bee in the last dayes that the Mountayne of the House of God shall be prepared on the top of the Mountaynes and shall be exalted aboue the Hills and all Nations shall flow vnto it and many people shall say come let vs goe vp to the Mountayne of the Lord to the House of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes c Isai 2.2 3. and we will walke in his paths Againe 2. Sion a Hill of great strength Sion was a Hill of great strength and securitie so the Church of God is so firmely and steadfastly grounded that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it shee is that House of wisedome ☞ surely seated vpon seuen g Pro. 9.1 Pillars she is that goodly edifice built vpon a Rocke against which though the winds blow the floods flow and the raine beate yet can shee not be moued for the Rocke whereon shee stands is Christ how is both the ground-stone that doth vphold and the corner stone that doth conioyne the whole * Matth. 21.42 Psal 118.22 Isa 28.16 Acts 4.11 Rom. 9.33 1. Pet. 2.6 7. building so that neither the assaults of Satan nor the attempts of man can ouerthrow the least stone thereof For all that trust in the Lord shall bee as Mount Sion which cannot be remoued but remayneth for h Psal 125.1 euer Thirdly Mount Sion was not barren through coldnesse 3. Sion a Hill very fruitfull like the Hill Caucasus nor through heate like the Hill Vesuvius it is not cursed like the Mountaynes of Gilboah nor polluted with corruption like Golgatha but it is watered with dew from heauen like Hermon moystned with the siluer Streames like the Springs of Lebanon and stored with all fruitfull Plants like Mount Ephraim where by wee are taught ☜ that the Church is replenished with all spirituall blessings and heauenly graces shee is that Mountayne whereon the Lord doth feast all people with fined wines and fat things shee is that House of wisedome wherein the Lord hath killed his victuals drawne his wine and prepared a Table for his ghests shee is that Orchard replenished with all sweet fruits as Camphyre and Saffron Calamus and Cinamon here are the waters of Life to quensh our thirst here is the bread of Life to stay our hunger here is the precious balme of Gilead the costly oyle of Oliuet to soften our wounds and to cure our sores here is hony to comfort vs milke to nourish vs and wine to cheare our hearts and in a word the Lord will satisfie vs with the fatnesse of his House and will giue vs drinke out of the Riuers of his pleasures for with him is the Well of Life and in his Light shall we see light Lastly Mount Sion aboue all the Mountaynes of Iudaea was most beautifull and seemely 4. Sion a Hill most beautiful the situation of it being delectable and amiable For Mount Sion lying northward is faire in situation it is the ioy of the whole Earth and Câ—tie of the great King whereby mystically was expressed the beautie of the Church the Arke of the Couenant was ouer-layed within and without with gold and all things in Salomons Temple were couered with gold ☞ pointing out the glorie and the beautie of the mysticall Temple the House of Christ the Hill of Holinesse and the Tabernacle of the most High wherein must enter no deformed Thersites no base Abimelek no crooked Vulcan no lame Mephibosheth no couetous Croesus no vncharitable Diues no lasciuious Lamea no gadding Dinah and no wanton Dalilah but such as with Esther are purified and cleane such as leaue their sinnes as the Woman did her pitcher such as forgoe their iniquitie as the Apostles did their Nets such as throw their errors away as blind Bartymeus did his cloke euen such like and none else The Church called Sion in regard of the signification must stay on this holy Mountayne for none shall dwell in the Lords Tabernacle nor rest on his holy Mountayne but such as walke vprightly and worke righteousnesse Now 1. Heape tumulus acer nus as for the signification of the word Sion first it is translated a heape and that doth shew vs first that the Church is a company ☞ called and collected from all the corners of the Earth to be one body in z Rom. 12.5 Christ the Iewes aboue all the Nations in the world were chosento bee a precious people to God â— Deut. 7. yet the inuisible Church was not limited within such narrow bounds for euen among the Heathen God had his throughout all Ages he called Rachab out of Iericho Ruth from Moab and he had Iob in the Land of Vz and now the partition wall is broken downe there is but one Sheepherd and one sheep-fold There is neither Iew nor Grecian bond nor free male nor female but all are one in c Gal. 3.28 Christ Iesus Againe ☞ the Church being compared to a heape conioynd and gathered together doth shew vs what vnitie and amitie what peace and tranquillitie there should be within her walls Shee should be like Ierusalem all within her selfe at vnion and not like the Tower of Babel full of confusion like Christs Coat all of one peece and not like Ieroboams coat cut into twelue peeces teaching vs that there ought to be no contention no diuision no confusion no dissention amongst her members but we should all be of one soule and one minde keeping the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of * Ephes 4.3 2. A Glasse Speculum Speâ—ulatio peace Moreouer Sion signifieth as much as a Glasse or Speculation because the Law which serues for a looking glasse wherein a man may behold his naturall f Iam. 1.23 face ☜ and whereby he may come to know himselfe and his corrupt nature was first there to be read there to be had and there to be vnderstood For the Law came foorth of Sion and the word of the Lord from g Isa 2.3 Ierusalem The Women brought their looking glasses and offered them to the vse of the h Exod. 38.8 Tabernacle teaching vs that if we would apparantly perceiue the leprous spots of our vgly sinnes to repaire to the Tabernacle to Mount Sion where the Law
tenent qui se vitys contaminant fundatos nullo modo esse Qui fieri â—otest vt sundamenta habean ' qui sunt eiect ab Ecclesia in Christo fundata qui deficiunt à fide qui ruunt vento tentationis qui seruiunt Nebuchadonâ—sori hoc est dâ—abolo in Babyloniae regno hoc est in Lutheranica congregatiouâ— haretiâ—â—rum confusione in spirituali captiuitaâ—e In Ez. 37. 2 Papist of no small learning would make this captiuitie to prognosticate as hee calls it the Lutherane heresie His words bee these speaking of the foundation of the Church and wresting the Scriptures to his owne ends It is to bee noted sayth he that they are firmely founded who are armed and fortified with faith who embrace pietie and righteousnesse who are obedient to the holy Catholique Roman Church and who follow Christ the founder of the same Church But on the contrarie they are not grounded vpon the true foundation who worship Babylon who hold the Lutheran falshood and who defile themselues with vice and vncleannesse for how is it possible that they should have any foundation who are cast out of the Church founded in Christ who are apostataes from the Faith who runne headlong with euery wind of temptation who serue Nebuchadenosor that is the deuill in the kingdome of Babel that is in the Lutheranicall congregation in the confusion of heretickes in spirituall captiuitie Thus farre Pintus But if wee compare that easterne Babylon with their Sea of Rome and conferre the pride crueltie and idolatrie of the one with the other any one who is not wilfully blind may easily discerne the liuely resemblance betwixt them Babylon was the first Monarchie Rome the last Babylon most grieuously afflicted the people of God Rome most cruelly doth handle the Church of Christ Babylon subdued and oppressed Israel with wofull captiuitie Rome doth vexe the Church more then with long and slauish captiuitie Babylon ouercame the people of God and hauing set Ierusalem on fire and broken downe the temple carried Israel away captiue so Rome hauing burnt Ierusalem and rased the temple to the ground triumphed ouer Israel Babylon planted fostered and defended idolatrie superstition and all kind of abomination yet at length when shee little thought Gods people beeing on a sudden deliuered shee vtterly perished and so is Rome the mother and nurse of all abominations in which at length shee shall perish all true beleeuers in Christ being safely deliuered Babel signifies confusion and a wofull confusion Rome hath brought into the Church Now then let Pintus and all the rest of them call her as they list The Primitiue Holy Apostolique Catholique Church yet wee see that shee is Babylon that great whore and mother of l Reu. 14. harlotsand abominations of the earth who sits like a Queene and sayth in her heart shee is no widdow shee shall see no sorrow and in one day her plagnes shall come death mourning and famine shee shall vtterly be burnt with fire shee shall become the habitation of deuils and a hold of euery foule spirit and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull m Reu. 18. bird Then shall Heauen the holy Apostles and Prophets and all the Saints reioyce ouer her when the Lord hath auenged the bloud of his seruants at her hand and all the faithfull shall confesse the Lord hath done great things for vs. Hecre they acknowledge that God hath done these great things for them and they assume and appropriate Gods fauour therein to themselues as wee may see more fully and plainely in the 85. Wee must take speciall notice of Gods benefits bestowed vpon vs. Psalme where they acknowledging Gods free mercie to be the cause of their deliuerance they say Lord thou hast beene fauourable vnto thy land thou hast brought againe the captiuitie of Iacob thou hast forgiuen the iniquitie of thy people and couered all their sinnes Selah thou hast withdrawâ—e all thine anger and turned backe from the fiercenesse of thy n Psal 85. 1 2 3. displeasure Where they make not onely a generall acknowledgement but a particular confession of Gods free mercie and kindnesse shewed vnto them And so from this example we learne that it is the dutie of euery one of vs to take notice of Gods singular goodnesse and to acknowledge his particular bountie to wards vs. The Church in the Canticles takes speciall notice and makes a particular relation of Christs prouident care loue and dearenesse ouer her Where shee confesseth that vnder his shadow shee tooke delight and his fruit was sweet vnto her mouth his left hand was vnder her head and his right hand did embrace o Cant. 2.3 6. her So deare and carefull hee was of her both in prouâ—ding all things for her and in protecting of her The princely Prophet throughout all his Psalterie makes not onely a generall confession of Gods blessings but taking a speciall view of them makes a particular relation so farre foorth as he is able of them in the 16. Psalme he sayth that the lot is fallen to him in pleasant places and that he hath a goodly heritage In the 23. That the Lord prepared his table anointed his head and made his cup to oâ—erflow In other Psalmes he confesseth that God vpheld him when he was readie to haue fallen In the 30. that hee had turned his mourning into ioy that hee had loosed his sack-cloth and girded him with gladnesse Thus hee confesseth Gods speciall fauour vnto him in changing his pouertie into pleutie his danger into safetie and his sorrow into gladnes of heart And is this all No these were indeed great things but yet the Lord had done greater for him And therefore sayth hee Come all yee that feare God and hearken and I will tellâ—you what hee hath done for my p Psa 66.16 soule Hee hath forgiuen her iniquities healed her infirmities redeemed her from the graue and crowned her with mercie and q Psal 103. compasion The like wee should all doe but alasse such is our forgetfulnesse that we neuer enter into any serious consideration with our selues what great things God hath done for vs and so neuer acknowledge any benefits receiued of him And this forgetfulnesse is either because wee vnderstand not what God hath done for vs like the old Israelites who remembred not the multitude of his mercies because they vnderstood not his wonders in r Psa 106.7 Egypt Or because wee misunderstand them and thinke all that he hath done for vs is nothing like prophane Esau who esteemed his birth-right of no f Gen. 25 3â— worth And so from these two it proceeds that although God hath shewed his loue vnto vs euen in all things our hearts haue desired yet will wee say impudently Wherein hast thou loued t Mal. 1.2 vs Because wee cannot discerne Gods loue manifested therein vnto vs or else like carnall beasts wee still cry out Who will shew vs any u Psal 4.6