onely he would haue vs vse our tongues so well as that wee may be at the day of Iudgement praised by him Yea sâ—eing praysing is a delightfull employment God would thereby cheere vp our spirits with a sweete foretaste of that life which we shall leade in heauen for praysing is the Angels worke in the Church Militant we haue both praying and praysing but in the Church Triumphant there is onely praysing there is no praying at all that Eucharisticall sacrifice shall continue when all Propitiatories doe cease for praise is the euerlasting sacrifice of the New Testament and of that the saying is true Praise shall neuer depart from the mouth of a Christian Iewes and Christians haue both agreed to repeate daily this Text in their Liturgie out of that which you haue heard you may gather that it is not without cause that they haue so done Wee say it daily I pray God wee may haue learned this day to say it well hereafter so may we that now in Gods House on earth speake his praise sing for euer Halelu taâ— praise yee the Lord with the Saints in Heauen The words as I haue opened them are conceiued in a Prayer but as they are read in the I salter they represent a Prophecie the odds is not great because a good Prayer if it bee conceiued for spirituall grace is indeede a prophecie for he that disposeth to sue doth purpose to grant What shall we say then to these things But euen pray that seeing God hath the key of our Eares as well as of our Tongues and by the temper of our eares wee may guesse what will bee the temper of our tongues and he that hath a deligh to heare his dutie will haue a tongue readie to yeeld God his due and God will neuer open his tongue that suffers the Diuell to keepe the key of his eare Let vs I say pray that by being willingly deafe we doe not become vnwilling dumbe but that Christ by his Ephphata would rid vs of the spirit both deafe and dumbe that hauing heard these words as we ought we may vse our tongues as is meete That we may so doe let vs all ioyntly present our humble petitions vnto God in the words of my Text. O Lord open thou our Lippes and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise Blessed are they O Lord that dwell in thy House Psal 8â— they shall alwayes bee praysing thee SELAH PSAL. 51. VERSE 16. For thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I giue it thou delightest not in burnt offering KIng Dauid in thankfulnesse for Gods mercie promiseth religiously to serue him but whereas Gods seruice is either Morall or Ceremoniall he voweth a Morall and not a Ceremoniall seruice Of this choice he yeeldeth a reason and that reason is Gods good pleasure he maketh Gods pleasure to set bounds vnto his Vow and is willing to enlarge or contract his Vow according to Gods pleasure To contract it as appeares in that which he speaketh of the Ceremoniall worship for he forbeares it and to enlarge it as appeares in that which he speaketh of the Morall for that is it which he obserueth as acceptable vnto God On this Verse which now I haue read wee shall heare of his conceipt concerning the Ceremoniall worship and what hee conceiueth of the Morall worship which is answerable thereunto when I open the next Verse I shall then shew vnto you The Ceremoniall worship is exprest in two words Sacrifice and Burnt offerings which words may betaken either in a large or in a restrained sense In a large so may you reduce vnto them all Ceremoniall worship in a restrained and so they comprehend the two offerings which the Law required for a Ceremoniall reconciliation of a sinner Take them which way you will my Text sets downe Gods disposition towards them and King Dauids conformitie to that disposition of God Gods disposition is twofold First he doth not desire them secondly he doth not delight in them before they are offered he doth not desire them neither doth hee delight in them when they are offered so must you in this place difference Gods Desire and his Delight To this disposition of God King Dauid doth conforme his seruice he professeth that hee would haue tendered these Ceremoniall offerings if God had affected them and onely because God did not affect them therefore he doth not tender them both these propositions are wrapt vp in these words Else would I giue it I would giue sacrifices and burnt offerings if thou didst desire them if thou didest delight in them but thou desirest not sacrifices thou delightest not in burnt offerings therefore doe not I presume to giue them to reconcile my selfe by them These be the Heads whereunto I purpose to referre whatsoeuer I shall deliuer in farther opening of this Text Now because you may mistake in your Deuotion as the Iewes did be perswaded in the feare of God to listen attentiuely to what shall be said that you may learne of King Dauid to passe a true iudgement vpon all Ceremoniall worship and vpon all corporall seruice Let vs come then to the particulars whereof the first is those words wherein the Ceremonies are exprest and they are two Sacrifice and Burnt offerings Which words may bee taken first in a large sense they may comprehend all kind of animat Offerings that were burnt vpon the Altar for of them some were Merocausta burnt but in a part the rest was the Priests portion alone or else he did share in it with him that presented the sacrifice Other Offerings were called Holocausta they were wholly burnt neither the Sacrificer nor the Offerer had any part therein God reserued it wholly to himselfe so that if wee thus farre enlarge these words they wrap in them all kinde of corporall Sacrifices Ruffinus and others giue them so wide a signification That signification is true but happily it is not so proper to this Text a more restrained sense may better fit this present Argument Obserue then that these wordes doe containe the two Offerings which God in Moses Law prescribed for the reconciliation of a sinner hee was required to bring one expiatory the Law calleth it a sinne-offering and that is it which is here as else-where meant by the generall name of Sacrifice another Dedicatory which was called an Holocaust and is here translated a burnt offering but you must vnderstand it burnt not in part but wholly therefore it is sometimes called a whole-burnt-offering These two Offerings went together in the ceremoniall reconciliation of a sinner we find it so in Leuit at the purifying of a woman after Child-birth Chap. 12. at the cleansing of a Leper Chap. 14. finally at the expiation of the Tabernacle or Temple and therein of the whole Church of Israel Chap 16. In all these places you shall find that they goe together But to looke a little farther into these Offerings there are two remarkable things in them 1. the Mystery and
but it is also a word which the Prophets doe vse in foretelling the miracles of Christ for he was amongst other things to open the mouthes of the Dumbe and in the Gospell working such a cure hee vseth the word Ephata 〈…〉 be thou opened loosing the tongue by the eare But we must vnderstand that in the corporall cure there was an intimation of the spirituall and indeede Christ had neuer come into the world to cure the corporall had it not beene thereby to bring vs to an higher conceite of him that he was the Physitian of our soules and came to enable them to speake the language of Canaan And this is the opening of the lippes which King Dauid here desires This is a great worke great in regard of the difficultie that is in the thing 〈◊〉 6 or the inabilitie that is in vs. There is a difficultie in the thing for we cannot praise God farther then we know him but how little a portion is heard of him 〈…〉 We may speake much saith the sonne of Syracke yet come short when we glorifie the Lord exalt him as much as wee can for euen yet will he sarre exceede and when you exalt him put forth all your strength and be not wearie for you can neuer goe farre enough There are yet hid greater things then these be Psal 14â— 13 for we haue seene but a few of his workes Dauid in few words tels vs that his praise is aboue Heauen and earth that is the conclusion which he sets downe after he had summoned all creatures to praise the Lord. Seeing God then is aboue all praise it is certaine that he cannot bee worthily praised of vs by reason of the difficultie of the worke But were there lesse difficultie in that yet is there great inabilitie in vs inabilitie from our Affections inabilitie from our Conscience From our Affections there are two preualent ones that hinder vs in this worke first Spes Lucri secondly Metus periculi the wages of iniquitie will hire a Balaam a Iudas ro curse Gods people the subiect of Gods praise and though he be the top of Gods praise to betray the Sauiour of the world how many in all Ages haue beene so farre bewitch with worldly honour and profit Haue fallen downe and worshipped the Idoll of mens fancies and blasphemed God and his truth The hopc of gaine is a great tongue tie The feare of danger is a greater the verie Apostles themselues fot a time felt the strength thereof and after their time it made many Renegadoes and Apostata's Iob 2.4 Skin for skinne and all that a man hath will he giue for his life he will redeeme that though it be with cursing of God himselfe the world hath had had too many spectacles of such feare of danger But if we can master both these vnruly Affections yet will the conscience of sinne be a bridle to our tongues it will make vs silent In Leuit. c 13. or put vs to silence Cyril of Alexandria moralizing those words of Moses that he that is a Leaper shall haue his mouth couered saith that he which is in the leaprosie of sinne hath lost all authoritie of speaking for how should he teach another that hath not taught himselfe Comment in Nazian Psal 137.3 And Nicètas to this purpose wittily allegorizeth those words of the Psalme How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land A sinner is truely a stranger and hee that is in the state of sinne is farther from God then Babylon from Hierusalem therefore doth his conscience tell him that he is in no case to make melodie to the Lord. Certainely Chap. 6. Esay when in a vision he heard the Seraphins sing the Lords song Holy Holy Lord God of Hoasts heauen and earth are full of thy glorie was thereby put in mind of the fault of his owne lippes and the lippes of the Iewes which made him crie out Woe is me that am a man of polluted lippes and dwell in the middest of a people of polluted lippes neither was he quiet vntill a Seraphin touched his lippes with a coale from the Altar But put the case some man may be so foole-hardie that though he be a sinner yet will he not be silent he shall bee put to silence the vncleane spirit gaue glorie vnro Christ when he said I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God But Iesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace Marke 2. and Saint Paul refused the testimonie of a spirit of diuination Acts 16. though hee spake honourably of him and of his followers these men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of saluation yet did hee command him out of the Damsell and suffered him to speake no more Neither is this checke giuen onely to wicked spirits but euen vnto euerie wicked man saith God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes Psal 50. or that thou shouldest take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Eccles 15.9 and hast cast my words behind thee Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner for he that is vnholy doth defile that which is holy Hagga 2.82 therefore no man may presume to touch sacred things with prophane hands nor with a prophane tongue to speake sacred words By this time you perceiue that the shewing forth of the praises of God is a great worke and whether wee looke vpon the difficultie that is in the thing or the inabilitie that is in man Dauid had reason to pray Aperilabia open my lippe But to whom doth he pray To the Lord Lord open thou my Lippes And he hath a good ground to pray so Proueth 16 1. Solomon teacheth that the preparation of the heart is from man but the answere of the tongue is from the Lord he is the key-keeper of our mouth if he shut no body can open and if he open no body can shut â—â—â—d 4. God tels Moses that this is his power Who maketh mans mouth or who maketh the dumbe haue not I the Lord And verily were it no more but our naturall speech that we desire wee must seeke it of him Acts 17 2â— in whom onely we liue moue and haue our being and who in the person of Zacharie sheweth Luke 1 that hee giueth and taketh away euen that speech at his pleasure How much more must we accompt him to be the fountaine of our supernaturall speech Certainely Christ giueth the glorie thereof vnto him 〈◊〉 50. Actâ— 2 the Lord saith he hath giuen me the tongue of the learned and it was from God that the fierie tongues descended vpon the Apostles Psal 8.2 and inabled them to speake it is God that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hath perfected praise Men may be otherwise satis loquaces of eloquent of free speech who when they come to the seruice of God seeme to be
the Text wee sound another merit and that is meritum dignationis the interest therein vouchsafed vs. Were there none but meritum dignitatis there were ground enough of our loue but this meritum dignationis the interest that we haue doth quicken vs to take notice of the worth that is in the thing Euery man naturally loueth that which is his owne and if the thing bee good it doth him the more good to looke vpon it Let a man walke in a faire Meadow it pleaseth him but it will please him much more if it bee his owne his eye will be more curious in prying into euery part and euery thing will please him the better so it is in a Corne field in an Orchard in a House if they bee good the more they are ours the more contentedly doe they affect vs for this word meum is suauissima amor is illecebra it is as good as an amatorie potion Then marke put tuus to Dominus and if so bee the Lord be louely how much more louely should hee bee in our eyes if hee bee our Lord and doth appropriate that infinite good that hee hath vnto vs hee holdeth of none but of himselfe and who would not ioy to bee owner of that good which is independent Hee is whatsoeuer heart can desire and who can but reioyce in hauing him in hauing of whom wee can want nothing Put tuus to Deus and see how it doth improue the motiue of loue there also Had wee nothing to doe with so tender hearted a Father so sweet natured a Sonne so gracious a Comforter as is the holy Spirit we could not but loue them if we did know them But when wee doe heare that these bowels of the Father doe yearne vpon vs that wee are the Spouse whom the Sonne of God doth wooe and that the holy Ghost vouchsafeth to make his Temple of vs how can wee bee but loue-sicke how can our Hearts choose but melt and our Affections gaspe and bray like the Hart after those Persons which haue in them so strong so manifold persuasions to loue But alas wee that in regard of our carnall loue are easily transported by any seeming good are altogether senslesse when wee are sollicited by our spirituall good so senslesse that God is passionate in his Prophets when hee doth taxe our more then bruitishnesse herein Isay 1. Hearken O heauen heare O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against mee the oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Ier. 3. Can a mayd forget her ornaments or a bride her attire yet hath my people forgotten me dayes without number Wee doe loue our corporall benefactors at least while they are doing vs good but our spirituall benefactor wee forget euen while hee is doing vs good for when is hee not doing it wee cannot looke vpon our soules our bodies our state but wee see the perpetuall influence of his goodnesse and yet Tuus worketh little here and though God vouchsafe vs a great interest yet are wee little moued therewith Wee can loue a man in whom there are so many defects to allay the regard of his goodnesse and from whom we may receiue as much wrong as fauour how much more should we loue God in whom there is no defect and from whom thou canst receiue nothing but good I haue shewed you the reason of loue which is included in the name it followeth that I now come on to the dutie that is required and that is Loue. Wherein we are first to obserue that God speaketh not vnto vs as vnto seruants but as vnto friends hee would not haue vs in his seruice expresse a spirit of seruitude in feare but of adoption in loue hee would not bee feared as a Lord but loued as a Father O derint dum metuant is a Tyrants voyce God will haue all his seruants ingenuous hee will haue our seruice as naturall as is our allegiance Wherein the King of Heauen giueth a good patterne to all Kings and Gouernours in earth Though God hath qualified vs many wayes to doe him seruice yet doth hee in this word diliges Loue shew what hee doth principally respect and his eyes are vpon nothing so much as our Loue not on our wit our wealth our honour c. yea all other things are valued according to our Loue and without Loue they are nothing worth And why Loue is that which setteth all a worke for he that loueth will keepe Gods commandements hee will doe no euill But wee may not forget that seeing this Loue hath for its obiect him that is so farre aboue vs wee must not seuer it from Reuerence which must qualisie the loue which we owe to our Superiors in expressing our affection wee must not forget our distance yea and our feare in regard of our flesh may bee seruile to awe it and keepe it downe though it must bee also filiall in regard of the spirit to keepe it in heart I should now if the time would giue leaue shew you how those things that are required in loue must be applyed vnto this obiect The first propertie of Loue is Vnion and we should endeauor to become one with the Lord to bee transformed into him and as neere as a Creature can partake of his Creator partake of the diuine nature Wee should desire Vnion also with God with God the Father by Adoption with God the Sonne by a spirituall Wedlocke with God the holy Ghost by entertaining him as his Temple wee should so grow one with all three persons From this Vnion our Loue should come on to a Communion Communion in that infinite good which you heard is in the Lord for though Vnion bee a great aduancement of our Nature yet doth our comfort stand in the Communion neither did God euer intend the Vnion but for the Communion As wee must haue Communion with the Lord so with God also as Children wee must communicate in the inheritance of our Father as a Spouse in the honour and state of a Bride-groome as the Temple in the ornaments and endowments thereof Yea in this Communion there must appeare Beneuolentia Benesicentia there must appeare an intercourse of good will and good deeds betweene the Lord God and vs otherwise wee doe not loue as wee should This is not all the seate of Loue must be exercised also the Heart for the loue of God must bee free God doth not respect forced Loue. The Minde God will bee knowne before hee is loued and hee will haue them that loue him to meditate vpon him hee will not regard an vndiscreete Loue. Thy Soule must bee exercised if thou dost not long after him earnestly and take sweet content in him thou dost not loue Finally thy Courage must bee employed thou must bee as resolute to compasse this spirituall Vnion and Communion as carnall wooers are
Esay 6. Esayes lips were touched with a coale from the Altar before he could receiue his message When we come before God wee must endeuour to bee like vnto him Leiuit 11.44 Holy as hee is holy for God is a God of pure eyes Habak 1 13. and can behold no iniquitie such as bee wicked cannot stand before him Wherefore clense your hands Iames 4.8 yee sinners and purge your hearts yee double-minded If he that was inuited to the mariage was challenged for wanting his wedding garment how shall God take it at his Spouses hand if she come vnprepared We reade Ezech. 16 how God trimmed her against that day the day of Espousals and how he will trimme her against the mariage day we may reade Reuel 21 But I cannot stand to amplifie these things To draw to an end I will put you in minde to doe that to a good purpose which you vsually dâ—e You put on cleane linnen your best clothes and how often doe you looke in a glasse to see that all bee handsome before you shew your selues in the Church to your Neighbours I was about to say that they may see how gay you are but I will hope in Charitie you doe it out of good manners to God You that will not come slouenly before your betters should doe well not to come stouenly before the Lord of Heauen and Earth But remember that God that approueth this outward decencie requireth the inward much more he will haue you lift vp to him not only cleane hands but pure hands also hee will haue you not only to heare his Word Luke 8. v 15. but also to receiue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into an honest and good heart A neat outside and a slouenly inside is like a painted sepulchre full of dead mens bones And most Churches are full of such painted sepulchres They are a generation cleane in their owne eyes but not washed from that filthinesse Prou. 30. I wish better to you and I hope better of you Therefore I exhort you I exhort my selfe in the words of the Prophet Esay Goe out of her expounded by the Apostle 2. Cor. 7. or briefly in the words of the Apostle Let vs clense our selues from all vncleannesse both of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God And that this exhortation may succeed with vs no worse then Moses did with the Israelites for they did as they were commanded Verse 14. and obserued the first stipulation 1. Thess 5 23. Verse 5. The very God of peace sanctifie vs throughout in spirit soule and bodie and keepe vs blamelesse to the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ At what time hauing had our fruâ— here in Holinesse our end shall be euerlasting life This God grant vs for lesus Christ his sake To whom c. Blessed are the pure in heart 〈◊〉 8. for they shall see God The ninth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 12.13.21.24 12. And thou shalt set bounds vnto the people round about saying Take heede to your selues that yee goe not vp into the Mount or touch the border of it whosoeuer toucheth the Mount shall surely be put to death 13. There shall not a hand touch it but he shall surely be stoned or shot through whether it be beast or man it shall not liue when the Trumpet soundeth long they shall come vp to the Mount THat branch of Gods order which prepared the Israelites â—o receiue the Law required their Puritie and their Modestie I spake last of their Puritie I come now to speake of their Modestie It is deliuered in those words that now I haue read vnto you Therein we must obserue that Moses had his charge and the Israelites had theirs Moses charge is to make a fence betweene the people and the Hill hee must set bounds round about the people The Israelites charge is they must not breake through the fence made by Moses They must not goe vp into the Mountaine The Israelites must not But they are diuided into common People and the Priests the Prohibition is laide vpon them both vpon the People in this 12. verse and in the 24. verse it is laid vpon the Priests Moses is to bid both take heede vnto themselues Neither to themselues onely but to their beasts also they are put into the number verse 13. Besides this in the Prohibition the text doth lead vs to consider the stricktnesse wherewith the Israelites were to obserue it and the sharpnesse of the punishment which they were to vndergoe if they presume to violate it The stricktnesse is great for they might not transgresse the bounds set them either Cominùs that is at hand by so much as touching the border making the very first and least approach vnto it there can be no lesse then touch and the first touch is in the border As they must not transgresse Cominùs so must they not Eminus aloofe they must not gaze on the Hill and you know the eye can goe whether the foote cannot come God will haue the first Inlet and the first Out-let of sinne to be heeded And hee will haue them both heeded vnder a Paine a sharpe Paine it is no lesse then death the Transgressour must die But obserue touching this death that it is such as is inflicted vpon an execrable thing and the doome thereof is vnpardonable See both these points in the text First the execrablenesse of the Transgressour all must abhorre him for No hand may touch him and yet all must be against him for they must stone him with stones or shoote him through with Darts And he that dieth so dieth as an execrable thing He that Transgresseth must die that death without remission Moriendo morietur he shall certainely die Non viuet he shall not liue both phrases are peremptorie they leaue no place for pardon Not for the pardon of any one for the text saith Quicunque Whosoeuer shall presume to transgresse be hee of the People or bee he of the Priests be he a reasonable creature or be he a beast the doome is vnchangeable They must die Die certainely for though they scape the hands of men yet they shall not scape God will breake out vpon them as we read verse 24. especially vpon the greatest of them which are otherwise most likely to scape He will breake out vpon the Priests Finally obserue that the charge of the Israelites is often repeated and limited to a time you haue it in my Text and you haue it againe and againe in the 21 22 23. and 24. verses what God will haue carefully obeyed of that he will haue vs often remembred But our obedience is limited Though in morals our dueties are euerlasting yet our ceremonials doe last but for a time When the Trumpet soundeth long then the Israelites may goe vp into the Mount You haue heard the particulars whereof I meane to intreate on this text they all Preach vnto vs Modestie to bee
of wrath Repentance should be vsed while we may sinne for then it will be fruitfull and medicinall because we leaue sinne before sinne leaueth vs but if we will then vse Repentance when we can sinne no more our Repentance will be vnfruitfull and only penall And indeed they which will not vse Repentance in this World fruitfully shall will they nill they repent in the World to come but it will be vnfruitfully they will not weepe here for their sinnes but in Hell they shall both weepe and gnash their teeth they will not here manicle and fetter their lusts but there they shall be bound both hands and feet they will not here purge their stubble and drosse with the fire of Gods Spirit therefore hereafter they shall burne and their drosse their chaffe shall be endlesse fuell of the flames of Hell O then let mee weepe let mee repent out of the loue and with the comfort of Iesus Christ that hereafter I be not driuen to repent out of feare and with the paine of the fire of Hell The conclusion of all is God by the sight of our euill moueth vs to a desire of our good when he preuenteth vs with his grace we must take care that we receiue not his grace in vaine and this shall we doe if we disparage not our heauenly Conuersion with an earthly Conuersation LOrd graft in thy Preachers such Charitie that they may aime wisely at their hearers good and increase in their hearers that desire of goodnesse and happinesse which may make them capable of wholsome counsell So shall the dew of Heauen worke fotnesse in the Earth and wee shall all grow in thy Church as trees loaden with abundance of fruit when wee sinne wee shall repent and we shall repent also that we may not sinne vntill the Haruest day come when thou shalt haue reaped all the fruits thou requirest of vs in this state of Grace and we shall begin to reape those fruits which thou hast premised vnto vs in the state of Glorie Amen The fourth Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. And beginne not to say within your selues we haue Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham OF the remedy of their Heart which came to Saint Iohn Baptist I haue already spoken the next point is the remedy of their Heads which taketh vp the remainder of the Text. In applying this remedy the Baptist doth first open then correct their errour hee openeth it in their obiection and in his owne answere doth correct it their errour was this vaunt We haue Abraham to our Father this they obiected against the first part of Iohn Baptists Sermon But the words are ellipticall they include more then they expresse you may gather it out of the Baptists answere which is the rust measure of their obiection for what he correcteth in that they erred Now he correcteth in their obiection Ignorance and Arrogancie both double double Ignorance double Arrogancie double Ignorance for they first maine secondly misplace the truth They maime it in that not knowing how much was requisite to the making vp of a child of Abraham their words meant that they were wholly his whereas they were his but in part and that too the worst part Saint Iohn correcteth this he forbiddeth their claime say not we haue Abraham to our father you haue nothing in you worthy of so honorable a title As they did maime the truth through ignorance so did they also through ignorance misplace it they did misplace it in beginning their defence at this claime For although there bee comfort in being any wayes a child of Abraham yet the triall of our comfort must begin at our resemblance of not our allyance vnto Abraham therefore Saint Iohn that corrected their defect in matter correcteth also their defect in order Begin not to say let not this be the entrance to your Apologie Hauing thus corrected their Ignorance hee goeth on and correcteth their Arrogancie Arrogancie is the child of Ignorance of the good things which we thinke we haue the lesse we know the more we crake certainely the Iewes did they were doubly arrogant first they did appropriate Abrahams family vnto them selues As they thought them selues to bee wholy his so they thought none his but themselues onely they held all other Nations vile the Iewes onely to be noble And this first branch of Arrogancie sprang from the first branch of their Ignorance for indeed as they were children of Abraham so none were children but they Saint Iohn correcteth this Arrogancie and telleth them that there is no impediment in Gods power but Abraham may haue yea there is faire euidence in Gods Couenant that Abraham shall haue other children seeme they neuer so vnlikely to become children not onely besides them which is enough to take downe their pride but also which striketh them to the very heart insteed of them though they all faile this Saint â—ohn meaneth when he saith that God is able euen of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham The second branch of their Arrogancie is their scoffing at Gods Iudgements as if We haue Abraham to our father were armour of proofe against them and they needed no buckler but their pedigree This second Arrogancie springeth from their second Ignorance for where they begin their defence vpon that they stand and thinke their needeth no more prouision against the wrath to come so they put it off as if liued they neuer so inordinately it did nothing concerne them This Saint Iohn correcteth hee telleth them that they are not so in the Couenant but they may be cast out that they must haue some worth of their owne besides that of their fathers otherwise they must looke for and that shortly a totall a finall eradication Now is the Axe layed to the roote of the tree You see what particulars remaine vnhandled of these by Gods affistance and your Christian patience I will now touch at so many as the time will permit And first because no defect nor excesse and such are the Iewes Ignorance and Arrogance the on detracting from the other adding to the truth can bee knowne without the meane which is their measure in reference whereunto we iudge of them the truth of Abrahams fatherhood must first be opened and we must see what grace God vouchsafed him that thereby we may conceiue the vprightnesse of the Baptists censure I will not fall into the common place of Abrahams praise the large Texts which the Scripture doth yeeld thereof hath found most eloquent most aboundant commentaries there is scarse a Iew or Christian Greeke or Latine Father that doth not write of him and make a Panegyricke of his worth I will cull out of them so much as will illighten my text And the first thing that I obserue is that there were Patriarkes before him and Patriarkes that came after him yet none left behind them so honourable a name
vpon his shouldeas And indeede our Faith in him must begin at that which was endured by him and therein must wee imitate him and write Cedendo vincimus The Church neuer triumphed so much ouer the world as when it did most resolutely sustaine the bloudy malice of the world The last thing that is to be noted on these words is the exchanging of the yoke mentioned before and rod of the oppressor which lay vpon the shoulders of the People into this Royalty and Gouernment which lyeth vpon the shoulders of the King Great odds there was betweene the People and the King the enemies had to do with the People they imposed their persecutions as a yoke vpon them but when they come to deale with the King this yoke is turned into a gouernment The same God that commanded light to shine out of darkenesse so altered the Crosse of Christ that it became to him the Chaire of Triumph And this is the cause why Princes weare it in their Crownes in token that they are subiect to it and why it was of old set vp where triumphall Arches were wont to stand that the world might haue so many witnesses as it were of the Triumph of it Which superstition at length abused and therefore haue they in many places iustly been abolished though the originall of the erection of those Crosses deserued rather praise than blame But we may not omit to obserue the seeming Contradiction that is in the Prophets words At first it is said The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders as if hee did beare it afterward it is said that Hee shall sit vpon the Throne and the Kingdome as if it did beare him The reconciliation is easie The body politicke is like the body naturall the foundation of it stands vppermost the head stands aboue the feete and a man would thinke that the feet did beare the head but indeede the head beareth the feete For were it not for the influence of sense and motion which the head deriues vnto the feete the feete could not sustaine themselues much lesse could they beare the body Wee see it in a dead palsie that intercepts the intercourse of the spirits betweene the head and feet We haue another Simile also of our Soules and our Bodies We would think that our Body did containe our Soule but indeed it is the Soule that containes the Body For no sooner doth the Soule part from the Body but the heterogeneous parts fall asunder and this goodly frame commeth to nothing Euen so fareth it betweene the Prince and the People he seemeth to rest vpon the people as the head vpon the body but indeed the people doe rest vpon him and therefore in Greek a King is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a phrase borrowed from a Building whereunto the Common-wealth is compared and whereof the King is said to be the Foundation For a wise King as it is Wisd 6. is the vpholding of the People and King Dauid Psal 75. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued I beare vp the Pillars thereof And indeede the parts of euery State were they not vnited and supported by the Soueraignty of the Prince would sooner moulder and come to nought than doe the parts of our Naturall body when it wants a soule for there is not so much nor so eager naturall ambition and coueteousnesse in the elements whereof our bodies consist whereby they striue to gaine the one vpon the other and to tyrannize the one ouer the other vntill the one hath wrought the others bane as there is ciuill both ambition and coueteousnesse in the Members of euery State whereby the one striueth to get the vpperhand of the other and each man would denour his brother Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iuda as the Prophet speaketh in this Chapter vntill the Kindome of Israel be layd waste Whereas then in euery State there are rich and poore that the rich doe not deuoure the poore crafty and simple that the crafty doe not circumuent the simple strong and weak that the strong doe not offer violence to the weake the reason is There is a King Rege incolumimens omnibus vna The King maintaines the Concord By him it commeth to passe that euery man sitteth quietly vnder his own vine and dwelleth safely vnder his owne roofe Mutiners and Murmurers are therefore iustly to be abhorred who speake euill of Authority and would withdraw their necks from obedience vpon this ground That superiours liue by the sweat of the inferiours browes being themselues deuoyd of care Their quarrell is like that which in Menius Agrippaes Apologue the outward members of the body had against the stomacke They complained of his lazinesse and their owne painfulnesse and therfore conspired to starue him and ease themselues They euen discouered their folly for soone after the hands began to faint and the leggs to faulter and the whole body to pine Then they perceiued that the stomacke which they condemned as lazie laboured for them and that they were beholding to the labour of the stomacke that themselues had any strength to labour So is it in the body politicke though the State of the Prince is supported by the Commons yet the spring of the Commons wealth is the prouidence of the Prince and soone would these streames dye if that fountaine were dammed vp It is so in a ciuill state but in the spirituall state it is much more so If a mortall Prince bee so beneficiall vnto a temporall State much more is the immortall King of heauen and earth beneficiall to the state of his Church sustaining and supporting the same That which you haue heard of mortall Princes sheweth rather what they should doe than what vsually they doe But this immortall King doth what he should hee is not so much aduanced aboue his people as his people are eased by him He beareth them vp on his wings as an Eagle doth her yongue ones as it is Deut. 32. but more amply Esay 36. his care his prouidence and the efficacie thereof are most aptly most significantly set downe there But because of this we shall speake more hereafter when wee come to entreate of his excellent managing of his State wee will pursue that Point no further nor trouble you further at this time O Lord who art high in place and great in care in thy Person and by vertue of thy bitter Passion exercising thy prouidence which guides and supports the whole frame of and euery member in thy Church Lord wee beseech thee to guide vs that wee bee not mis-led and that wee faile not to sustaine vs. So shall we neuer repine at thy sitting vpon vs thy Kingdome seeing wee rest more vpon thee that art our King And euer good Lord so rule vs from Heauen that wee may rest on thee in Earth So shall wee beeing translated from Earth vnto Heauen fully rest and reigne with thee
vpon whom this Law was made blasphemed but in his rage as appeares yet he dyed for it Wonder not at GODS seueritie he measureth no more to himselfe then he doth to Parents Exod. 21 to Magistrates He that curseth his father and his mother the parents of his flesh must be vsed so and shall not he be vsed so much more that curseth the Father of his Spirit He that speaketh euill of the Ruler of the people must be vsed so and shall not he that speaketh euill of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The comparison maketh Quicunque in GODS case to be most iust To which root we shall refer your Blasphemie that are the penitent I know not in charitie we hope the best we hope that it commeth from a mixture of grosse ignorance and vnruly passions for these doe rayse euill thoughts and murmurings That it doth so let it appeare in your repentance St Paul in conscience of his Fall by ignorance gaue himselfe no better a title when he had occasion to mention it then Maximus peccatorum the most grieuous of sinners euen when he lead a most holy life he could not forget his fall in the hight of GODS grace And of St Peter the Ecclesiasticall Storie reports that at the crowing of the Cocke the Remembrancer of his Fall euerie night during his life he did wash his bed and water his couch with his penitent teares GOD make you so mindfull and so sorrowfull otherwise you will betray that your Blasphemie sprang from malice and then be sure that the same GOD that commanded such seueritie to be executed here on earth will himselfe execute much greater vpon all those which through irrepentance goe to Hell Yea haply he may euen in this world make you a Spectacle of a forlorne wretch to the terrour of others as he did Sennacherib Hercdot â—â—b 8. vpon whose Statua there is this Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let euerie one that looketh vpon me learne to be godly Such a Spectacle I say may he make you if by often recounting and bewayling of this crying sin you doe not quench the fire of his wrath and preuent his iudgements For God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine The last point is that it must be done without all indulgence Moriendo morietur he shall surely dye surely be stoned We may not with Eue turne surely into ne fortè lest the Diuel worke vpon vs and we prouoke GOD as Saul did in Agags case and Ahab in Benadads You haue heard the Law A word of those to whom it was giuen and so I end In the entrance of my Text you find that it was giuen to the Israelites the Israelites were the people of GOD and surely it concernes them if any to be most zealous of his glorie who is their Glorie But did it concerne them onely Then it is dissolued because their Common-weale is at an end Take therefore a Rule That if a Law which in the institution thereof was Nationall to the Iewes in the equitie of it be Oecumenicall euerie Christian nation is bound to giue it a Reuiuor though they may varie the punishment as they find it expedient for their State And indeed this hath receiued such a reuiuor in most Christian States Iustinian the Emperour of Constantinopâ—e made it capitall The wise Gothes inflicted an hundred stripes for it and in disgrace shaued the delinquents head and beard and imprisoned him during life Fredericke the Emperour cut out the tongue of all that offended in this kind St Lewis of France caused their tongue to be bored with a hot Iron wishing that his owne tongue might be so vsed if euer he did blaspheme Philip of Vuloys caused their lips to be slit And touching our owne State I haue nothing to say in excuse thereof for that it hath all this while left this sinne onely to Ecclesiasticall censure and hath not prouided some corporall punishment for it but that of Solon who being demanded why he made no Law against Parricide answered that he thought none in his Common-weale would euer be so impious to commit it So I thinke our State thought there would neuer rise such lewd persons amongst vs But seeing there doe it is high time we had some sharpe occasionall Statute to represse them If holy Iob were so carefull to sacrifice for and sanctifie his sonnes ne fortè lest peraduenture they had sinned with what zeale should we be stirred vp when we see the fact is most apparent I conclude Let all Blasphemie be put out of all our mouthes yea and hearts also and let vs pray GOD to set a watch before our lips and keepe the doore of our mouthes that his grace may rule in our hearts that he may be our feare and his prayse may be our talke that praysing him here on Earth we may be admitted into the number of his Saints which with heart and voyce prayse him for euermore in Heauen A penitent Prayer for a Blasphemer MOST Sacred and most dread Almightie Euerlasting God to whom the Angels continually doe cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Hoasts the glorie of whose admirable and comfortable wisedome reacheth from one end of the world to another mightily and sweetly ordereth all things J the vnworthiest of men the most grieuous of sinners humbly sorrowfully prostrating my deiected disconsolate both soule and body before thy holy eyes pray that the sighes and groanes of a broken and contrite heart may not be excluded from thine offended eares Lord J haue beene deepe in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Sathan hath filled my heart therewith and out of the aboundance thereof my tongue hath sent forth many flashes euen of the fire of Hell as a brood of the Serpent J haue set my mouth against Heauen J haue blasphemed the holy the reuerend Name of my God and vilified his vnchangeable vnchallengable Prouidence Haddest thou dealt with me as I deserued fire and brimstone from Heauen should haue consumed me or the Earth should haue gaped and swallowed me downe quicke into the pit of Hell J deserued to be made a spectacle of thy iust vengeance that gracelesse wretches seeing my iudgement might feare my offence J confesse this ô Lord J confesse it vnfainedly penitently but woe is me if J haue no more to confesse but these my euill deserts Thy long-suffering towards me putteth me in better hope yea this medicinall confusion whereunto thou now puttest me puts me in good hope that thou hast not forgotten to be mercifull vnto me neither hast thou shut vp thy tender mercie in displeasure Lord J doe not despise this goodnesse of thine that leads me to repentance that workes in me remorce of conscience And from that penitent Blasphemer that proued a most worthy Apostle from his mouth doe J take vnto my selfe that saying worthy of all men to be receiued That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue
Therein what dost thou shew Lord but how powerfull thy grace is and what an alteration it can worke in me I acknowledge this and Lord let me feele that truth which I acknowledge make hast to moisten him that early seeketh to thee I should haue sought vnto thee in the morning of my age and happie had I beene if I had so timely sought vnto thee I had not so long continued in the wildernesse Yea the trees which now scarce blossome would then haue beene loaden with ripe fruit the seed which is now scarce in the blade would haue shot an eare and beene white for haruest But Lord I that neglected that morning to testifie my griefe therefore take holdfast of another morning as much as I can I redeeme the time the day hath dawned I suffer not the Sunne to shine in vaine so soone as I can see my way I take my way to thee I come earely I would speed betimes See Lord my desire in my haste and Lord let thy grace hasten like my desire yea preuent my desire who cannot desire so timely as I would Onely O Lord I take notice of my Day and would not haue it spent in vaine Turne my morning into high-noone let the Sunne of righteousnesse ascend vnto his greatest highth but proportion my desire to thy light and let mee so beginne betimes as that I perseuere vnto the ende let my later workes bee better then my first let my motions bee not violent which slacken as they goe on and are weakest in in the end but let them be naturall yea supernaturall motions let them increase as they goe on and the neerer my race draweth to an end the hotter let my zeale bee towards God Let me thirst the more let me the more desire those waters that moysten my drougth and refresh my wearinesse so let me appeare before thee But where art thou In thy Sanctuarie thy holy place How reuerent is that place And how vnfit am I to bee seene there Is that a place for a wildernesse Paradise is a better obiect of the eyes of God where God may see all that he hath made and see it good and blesse it being so but sinne hath no place in Paradise Gods eyes cannot endure it yea therefore were the Cherubins set with the flaming sword that sinners might not approach the place of God How senslesse then am I that being such as I am dare approach the place of God being such as it is True Lord I am senslesse indeed if I come onely as a drie as a thirstie land such an obiect is not for the holy eyes of God it is not to approach his presence But if the drie land bee also thirstie then thou callest Ho all yee that thirst come yee to the waters and he that hath no money buy and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price If the barren land be wearie thou callest O Lord Come vnto mee all that labour and are heauie loaden I will ease you I will giue you rest Seeing this thirst this desire is acceptable vnto God euen where there wanteth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of good workes and God whose Throne is heauen and whose footestoole is the earth will looke to that man euen to him that is poore and of a contrite heart though I want righteousnesse yet because I hunger and thirst after it I am not afraid to be seene in the Sanctuarie of God yea in the Sanctuarie to looke vpon God For I know what he will shew vnto me euen his Power and Glorie hee will shew them both to me nay he will shew them both on me His power that shall worke on me and his glorie that shall crowne me He will make me as a water garden and plant me with most generous plants by his power that so I may flourish and bee comly in the eyes both of Angels and men Yea God will shew his power and God will giue me glorie that my eyes beholding them my mouth may speake of them speake of the workes of God and tell what he hath done for my bodie and for my soule O Lord other creatures partake thy Power partake thy Glorie but all doe not see it wee that are indued with reason not onely haue them but perceiue them and it is our happinesse that we know what blessings wee haue Lord let me neuer be so stupid as not to behold thy Mercies and when I doe behold them let mee also feele how blessed I am whom thou vouchsafest to possesse them so shall I more and more confesse that thou O Lord art my God and being my God I shall make haste to thee my Soule shall make haste and so shall my bodie also my drie and wearie bodie and soule shall goe out of this world wherein there are no springs of life and thirstie and longing as they are they shall approach thy Sanctuarie and there Lord let them see not onely feele thy Power thy Glorie quenching my thirst and satisfying my Desire Amen A Meditation vpon Psalme 90. VERSES 11 12. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger euen according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12. So teach vs to number our dayes that wee may applie our hearts vnto wisedome THE FIRST PART SInne and wrath by nature should go hand in hand and as deepe as we plunge our selues in to sin so deepe should we sinke in wrath Wee should if Iustice measured vnto vs as we deserue but mercie hath prouided better for vs and God is pleased to proportion the smart of stripes to the feare which we haue of them the lesse feare the more smart and the lesse smart the more we feare Thou hast left it O Lord in the power of a sinner how farre thou shalt take vengeance of his sinne Let the Law speake neuer so terribly let sinne offend neuer so grieuously let the curses be neuer so many let the plagues be neuer so manifold yea let thy countenance be ouer-cast with neuer so thicke a cloud let the burning coales that are kindled by thy wrath be neuer so scorching rore the waues of thy ouer-flowing indignation neuer so hideously and bee the whirle-wind of thy wrath neuer so tempestuous feare onely feare the feare of a penitent Soule that trembles at the voice of thy Law that melteth at the sight of thy Iudgements that accuseth it selfe that condemeth it selfe that is readie to ioyne with God to doe Iustice vpon its sinfull selfe this feare I say that least armeth it selfe against God is best armed and preuailes best by stooping most And this is powerfull weakenesse a conquering captiuitie a match ouer-matching that for which we can otherwise find no match This power O Lord hast thou giuen to repentant feare a blessed power and yet there are few that vse it though all doe stand in neede of it And why Who armes himselfe against that whereof he hath no regard Men sinne but little doe they thinke that
opinion of ignorant people towards them that are bad is to vilifie those that vndertake the defence of that which is good This hath beene alwayes the practice of the enemies of the Church whether Infidels or Hereticks as appeares by the Ecclesiasticall Storie and at this day the Romanists vse the very same method who spend more Bookes in reproaching their Aduersaries persons then in refuting of their Arguments and thriue better by this indirect course then they could by any that is direct You haue heard from what we must be separated It remaines that now in few words you heare How farre This it set downe in three verbes 1 Walking 2 Standing 3 Sitting wherein there is a gradation for standing is more then walking and sitting more then standing but this gradation is somewhat strange for though in Exhortations wee doe rise from the lowest degree to the highest yet in dehortations wee vse to fall from the highest degree to the lowest As for example when we exhort to liberalitie we tell men that it is not enough for them to haue a charitable heart they must also haue a good eye neither will a good eye suffice except they haue a liberall hand so do we by degrees draw them to the height of vertue but when wee dehort as for example from murder we tell men that they must be so farre from shedding bloud that they must not vtter so much as an vnkinde word yea they must bee so farre from letting loose their tongue that they must set a bridle vpon their hearts so doe wee endeuour to hold in the verie first motions of sinne Strange then may it seeme that these words being a Dehortation should follow the course of an Exhortation and in marshalling of sinnes should begin at the least but the reason is The Psalmist sets downe the method by which sin first entred vpon man and euer since doth worke it selfe into man to the end that we may obserue how we must preserue our selues from it and take heed that it preuaile not so farre as to bring vs to a desperate case There are three degrees here specified which ascend one aboue the other First the Serpent tries whether hee can worke in vs an vnresoluednesse of heart and tries whether we be stedfast in our faith and here must we begin to withstand him and not be brought to any parley such deliberation must be auoyded for it is no better then the receiuing the Serpents poyson into our vnderstanding which must be the guide of our life but if wee haue beene so foolish as to walke in his counsell wee must take heed that we bring not forth the fruit of that wee haue conceiued and let not our life witnesse that wee haue beene inueighled by his Counsell we must not stand in his way But it is too vsuall with men to be ouertaken with this second degree of sinne wherein the Serpent will not suffer them to rest He will carrie them forward to the consummation of gracelesnesse he will make them his seedsmen like vnto himselfe he is not contented to haue poison except he also poison others and whom he cannot worke to be a Serpent on him hee will roare like a Lyon euen so doe wicked men when they are come to the height of sinne they neuer cease till they haue corrupted or oppressed those that are good answerable to this contagious disposition of theirs the Septuagint and the Vulgar call their Chaire the Chaire of Pestilence for it is obserued as a malignancie that doth attend the pestilence that they who are infected take great delight to infect others also But when men come so farre they are euen past hope nothing remaines but that iudgement ouertake such Miscreants the floud must drowne these Gyants fire and brimstone from Heauen consume such Sodomites and such Israelites must bee corrected with the Babylonian captiuitie But I conclude You see how farre a man may goe in sinne if we will be as thorowly separated from it as we ought we must haue these three degrees alwayes before our eyes for we can neuer know certainely how to keepe our selues in the way that doe not know how farre wee may goe out of the way wherefore let vs take heed vnto these degrees that we slip not if it may be into any of them or if we slip in yet that we goe not so farre as to be past recouerie this is required in the first part of our Vow that Vow which we made vnto God in Baptisme PSAL. 1. VERS 2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth hee meditate day and night THe Article that is required on our part in the Couenant whereinto we are entred with God or the Vow which we haue made in Baptisme doth as I haue told you consist of two parts an Abrenunciation of the state wherein we stand by Nature and a Dedication of our selues vnto a better state whereunto we are called by Grace You haue heard of the first of these two parts of the Abrenunciation but you haue not heard of the best that is the Dedication The Abrenunciation is required Non per se sed propter aliud not that wee should rest in it but that wee should tend vnto a farther end by it The reason is plaine it is but Remouens impedimentum non efficiens communionem Heb. 12 1â— it is but the laying aside of the waight and sin which doth easily beset vs and clog vs in our race we haue not by it a Communion with God Men plow their ground but it is that it may bee the fitter to receiue good seed and they purge their bodies but it is that they may be the better able to digest good meat euen so the first part of our Vow serues to make way vnto the second true Pietie is like Iacobs Ladder which hath one foot vpon the Earth and the other in Heauen it is not enough to ascend from the earth we must also climbe vp into Heauen when we haue really shaken off our corrupt course we must then betake our selues vnto a better And that is expressed in the second part of our Vow Wherein we must obserue two points First Whereunto then in What sort we must dedicate our selues that whereunto is the Law of the Lord and the Text tels vs How and How long we must dedicate our selues thereunto How we must first receiue it into our Inward man our delight or Will with a Delight must be in the Law from thence it must spred it selfe ouer the whole Man we must meditate thereon You see How The Text also tels vs How long euen Day and Night this Dedication must neuer be giuen ouer These be the particulars whereof now briefly and in their order First we must see Whereto wee must bee dedicated and wee finde that it is The Law of the Lord. When wee finde that wee haue freed our selues from our serpentine guides then must wee bee aduised in
Esay Chap 3. Say vnto the righteous man it shall goe well with him so true is this that this word Ashre doth therefore signifie Happinesse because Happinesse is annext to Holinesse Moreouer wee must note that this word is plurall so is it euer read in the Originall the Holy Ghost intimating thereby that as a man is compounded of soule and bodie a bodie of many parts a soule of many faculties that which must make happie must containe a manifold Blessing which must giue content to euerie Part and Power and withall checking the vaine either definitions of Philosophers or elections of Men which haue recommended vnto vs or haue addicted themselues vnto a maimed Blessednesse But more of that anon when I shall open the nature of Blessednesse By the way I may not omit to obserue how in this Reward the Holy Ghost doth refute the vulgar opinion For vulgarly men are of their opinion 〈◊〉 3.14 whom Malachi speakes of who account it a vaine thing to serue God and say what profit is there in walking humbly before Him we account the proud blessed and they that set light by God are lifted vp and in the Booke of Wisdome the vngodly say Chap. 5 4. They accounted the righteous mans life madnesse and his end without honour the Apostle telleth vs that Christians seeme in this life 〈◊〉 15.15 to be of all men most miserable the vnthriftie seruant did not sticke to challenge his Lord to his face that hee was a hard man and gathered where hee hath not scattered reaped where hee had not sowen Matth. 25.24 So farre are worldly men from thinking that the Children of God are encouraged by any Reward to be constant in performing of their Vow that they hold them most miserable because they keepe the same Read Esay 53. vers 1 2. c. But in the afore-cited places you shall finde an Answer to their Exceptions and they are sufficiently answered where they are brought in so blaspheming But you will not wonder at their errour if I open vnto you the ground thereof Wee must obserue then that they frame vnto themselues false Notions of Blessednesse and according vnto them doe they iudge of euerie mans state For Example hee that placeth Happinesse in Riches what wonder if he hold all poore men to be wretches and if any make his Belly his God will hee not thinke basely of Daniel Dan. 1. and the three children that liue with water and pulse Marke the forecited places and you shall finde that euerie one of these made his owne choyce the measure of his Iudgement and contemned all others that were not like vnto himselfe Wherefore that we be not lead away with their errour and that wee may be as wee ought affected towards our Reward it is behoofefull that we better vnderstand the nature of Blessednesse All men naturally desire to bee blessed and hee were a monster and not a man that were contented to bee a wretch but that which in common wee all desire when we come to determine most doe mistake Not to tire you with the enumeration of mistakes in this kinde De Ciuit Dei lib. 19. c. 1 whereof Varro as Saint Austin reports made a long Catalogue In few words Blessednesse is the enioying of the Soueraigne Good What the Soueraigne Good is wee must iudge by these two Characters it must be Optimum and Maximum it must bee the best that can be and the most complete if it be not the best it will not sistere appetitum we shall not leaue shifting of it it will neuer giue vs content wee will euer be longing vntill wee light vpon that beyond which there is nothing that wee may long for And if it bee not Maximum the most complete it will not implere appetitum wee shall not be satisfied therewith we shall be hungring and thirsting still though we desire no other thing yet of that thing wherein wee take content wee shall still desire more and more vntill our vessell is filled vntill we haue as much as wee are capable of Now these two Characters of the Soueraigne Good belong onely vnto God He by the verie Heathen is stiled Optimus Maximus and the Scripture that tels vs There is none good but God only and that He only is Almightie doth confirme vnto him these attributes as also doth that title of his Shaddai All-sufficient and therefore as the Apostle speakes 2. Timoth. ◠15. only Blessed Whereupon wee may conclude that hee only is our Soueraigne Good for if by enioying of himselfe hee make himselfe blessed hee must needs bee the Fountaine of Blessednesse to all others And indeed Saint Austin expresseth this religiously vnto God Confess lib. 2.5.1 Fecistinos Domine ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat inte Whom haue I in heauen O Lord but thee and there is nothing on Earth which I desire with thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer Psal 73. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee Psal 84. But God is Essentia simplex of an vncompounded nature the nature of man is many wayes compounded how then can this single nature satisfie our compound Especially seeing before you heard that it is a manifold good that must make a happie man We must helpe our selues with a Schoole distinction A good may be manifold either Formaliter or Eminenter in Kind or in Vertue As for Example there is a vegetable Soule in a Plant there is a sensitiue Soule in a Beast the Soule of Man hath not these in their kind yet hath hee them in Vertue for the reasonable Soule is endued with faculties which in his Body performe both vegetation and Sense a man hath an Eye and an Eare a Hand and a Foote to see to heare to worke to goe an Angell hath none of these Formaliter according to their kind yet hath he them all Eminenter his nature is such as hath the Vertue of seeing hearing mouing and doing and that in a more excellent sort then man is capable of Euen so the single nature of God may giue full content to the manifold capacities of man seeing no created good proceedes from God which is not eminently in him for there is no Effect that is not an Image of the Efficient though created Effects are Images of the vncreated Efficient no otherwise then if wee consider them defecated or purged from those imperfections whereunto the condition of a Creature a mortall Creature doth subiect them seuer them and then whatsoeuer good they haue is an Image of that which is in God Whereupon it followeth that if any sense of our Body or power of our Soule find any good in the creature it shall enioy the same though in a more eminent sort if it enioy the Creator Hauing found the Soueraigne Good It followes that we now see how
we become Blessed We become Blessed then not by hauing but by enioying for if hauing were enough euerie creature should be Blessed for all creatures haue him because they cannot be without him yea they liue moue and haue their being in Him Acts 17.28 But onely reasonable creatures are capable of happinesse for they onely can see God and take their Delight in God The vnderstanding and the will are those immediate faculties whereby we partake the Soueraigne Good each by a double Act First the Eye of the vnderstanding being illightned doth discouer it then doth the will sanctified fall in loue and make to wards it when they are both met then fals the vnderstanding a worke againe and doth vncessantly contemplate it wherewith the will is stirred to a second worke it takes inexplicable pleasure in it And this is the true enioying of the Soueraigne Good which makes a happie man Where hence we may also gather the cause of the Angels and Adams fall both of them were made after the Image of God and thereby made partakers of the Diuine nature they fixt their Eyes and setled their Affection vpon themselues that modell of Diuine being which they had in themselues and so fell in loue with themselues and ouer-valuing their own worth deemed themselues meet to be their own Soueraigne Good and so lost the true while they sought an imaginarie Happinesse But we must know that the abilities that we haue be they neuer so diuinely qualified are but Vessels whereinto we must receiue they are not the Happinesse it selfe which we must enioy the glorie of being the Soueraigne Good is the incommunicable prerogatiue of God But God is in Heauen and Man on Earth and of Man on Earth the rule is true He cannot see God and liue how then should he enioy him Exod. 33.20 and so become Blessed We must vnderstand that there is a presence of God in his Word which is apprehended by faith of which Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3.13 Wee with open face behold the glorie of our God and are changed into the same Image this sight is Aenigmaticall as the Apostle speakes 1. Cor. 13. and like the beholding of our face in a glasse but yet is it a true sight and the pledge of a cleere It is true for whether we respect the Obiect God as he is described in his Word or our faith whereby we apprehend God so described neither can deceiue vs if they bee sincere if there bee no mixture of humane inuention with Gods Reuealed Will and our faith be not allayed with our corrupt affections As this darke enioying of God is true so is it the pledge of a cleere Men come not to Heauen per saltum men leape not out of the dregs of nature into the glorie of Saints neither can they be Blessed in the Church Triumphant that are not Blessed in the Militant but if we be Blessed on Earth by beleeuing God in his Word we shall be Blessed in Heauen and there our faith shall be turned into sight and God will shew himselfe vnto vs as He is we shall see him face to face Now because the state in Grace is Blessed as well as the state in Glory and these two Blessednesses are inseparable as we may gather by the two Titles that the Scripture giues vnto the Spirit which are Rom. 8.23 2. Cor. 1.22 First fruits and a Seale or Pledge the Psalmist pronounceth them Blessed that performe their Vow two wayes Blessed Re and Spe Blessed in that they are in the Kingdome of Grace and Blessed in that they shall be of the Kingdome of Glory both these Blessednesses are included in this Word and more Blessed a man cannot desire to be As hereafter you will be more fully perswaded if this perswade not enough when you shall heare of the Euidences that are annext to either of these Blessednesses But for this time I conclude The summe of all that you haue heard and whereof I pray God we may all make vse is we must not hold our labour vaine which we take in seruing God and that wee contemne not the true Let vs not fancie a false Reward of our paines God vouchsafeth to be our Reward and we shall want nothing if we enioy him and enioy him we must by knowing and louing truly and sincerely though darkly and imperfectly in the state of Grace that we may cleerely and fully know and enioy him in the state of Glory God-grant that his Word may dwell richly in vs in keeping whereof there is so great a Reward PSAL. 1. VERS 3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the riuers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leafe also shall not wither and whatsoeuer hee doth shall prosper THis Psalme breaketh it selfe into as many parts as are contained in the Couenant of God therefore haue you more then once beene told that wee may consider therein the Parties to the Couenant and their mutuall Stipulation the Parties are Man and God Man is to vow his Dutie God doth promise a Reward Of the first Partie Man and his Vow you haue heard at large and I haue begun to speake of the second I haue shewed you what is obseruable in the second Partie in God And whereas touching the Reward the Psalme teacheth What it is and what Euidence there is for it I haue shewed you What it is vnfolding the riches that are contained in the first word Blessed It followeth that I now goe on and with the Psalme let you see what Euidence there is of this Blessednesse And here wee finde a double Euidence as there are two degrees of Happinesse Men are happie in this life and happie in the life to come of each the Psalme expresseth a distinct Euidence the Euidence of Happinesse in this world stands in the apparent difference that in this life appeares betweene the good and bad Good men are compared vnto a Tree and touching this Tree wee are taught what good is done for it and what good commeth of it The Good done for it stands in the Husbandmans care and choyce Care in setting the Tree for the Tree is not wilde but planted Choyce in setting it in a fruitfull ground For the Tree is planted by the riuers of waters this double Good is done for the Tree But what good comes of it Surely as manifold a Good for it proues well and is well approued it proues well whether you looke to the Principall or the Accessorie Good expected from a Tree the principall good is Fruit and this Tree bringeth forth Fruit Fruit that is good it hath the two markes of good Fruit stamped vpon it for it is kindly and timely fruit Kindly the Tree brings forth fructum suum such fruit as well beseemes such a Tree and so well husbanded neither is it onely kindly but timely also for the Tree bringeth it forth tempore suo in his season when it is fittest to serue the
planters vse A tree that beares such fruit answereth the desire of the Husbandman in regard of the Principall Good but what doth it in regard of the Accessorie It failes not there neither for it beares leaues which are Ornamenta arboris and Munimenta fructus that grace the Tree and defend the Fruit and this Accessorie good is lasting for the leaues doe neuer faile It is plaine that the Tree proues well neither is it lesse plaine that it is well approued for what it doth prospers the Fruit prospers the Leaues prosper yea it is as farre Approued as it proues good whatsoeuer it doth prospers it doth and receiues as much as you can require of a Tree A happie coniunction when doing well and faring well meet so louingly together But all this while I haue beene talking onely of a Tree the Holy Ghost meanes more then a Tree in this place what Saint Paul said Gal. 4. Gal. 4 24. of Abraham his Wiues and Children the same may I say of this Tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things are spoken by an Allegorie and so much is intimated by the first words of this Text He shall be like a tree so that what you haue heard is but the outside we must also looke into the inside of this Allegorie And there wee shall find that by the Tree is meant a Christian whom God the Father as a carefull Husbandman hath planted in our Sauiour Christ as a soyle well watered with the Grace of God and that this Tree proues accordingly abounding in good Workes cloathed with their due Circumstances so that they are acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto Man This is the inside of the Allegorie Hauing laid it open before you in grosse and giuen you a taste of the contents therein it followeth that I now resume the particulars and lead you by the outside more fully and profitably to vnderstand the inside of this Allegorie First then the Holy Ghost resembleth a Christian man to a Tree It may bee that you would expect that hee should propose Abraham Isaac Iacob or some of the Patriarchs they may seeme fitter patternes and better looking-glasses but the Holy Ghost passing by them pitcheth on this And why to make the deeper impression in vs if we will profit and if we will not to worke in vs the greater confusion Those Worthies are dead well may we heare of them we cannot now see them Et segnius irritant animos demissa per aures Quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus things heard doe lesse affect then those that are seene therefore doth the Holy Ghost bring euery man home and presents him with a visible Sermon in his owne Orchard whereof hee should neuer behold the trees but he should behold an Image of himselfe in euery good Tree an Image I say of that which hee should striue to be But a little more distinctly to shew how reasonable this Choise is We must obserue that as the Philosopher sayth Homo est arbor inuersa a man is a tree turned vpside-downe for a tree hath his roote in the ground and his branches spread aboue ground but a mans root is his head therein is the fountaine of Sense and Motion and there doth hee take in nourishment but the armes and legs as branches of this tree they spread downeward And there is a mysterie shadowed in this for the roote of a Christian man it is in Heauen Our life is hid in Christ Col. 3 and we spread downeward fructifying in good workes in the sight of the world whereas before we were in Christ our roote was downeward It was in old Adam and it bare fruit answerable to that Roote This Saint Paul sets downe excellently 1. Cor. 15. The first man was of the earth earthly the second was the Lord from heauen as is the earthly so are they that are earthly and as is the heauenly so are they that are heauenly This is the first reason of the Holy Ghosts choise A second reason is Mat. 1◠33 because a tree is the best patterne of Synceritie make the tree good saith our Sauiour and the fruit will bee good Mat. 7.18 make the tree euill and the fruit will be euill for a good tree cannot beare euill fruit nor an euill tree good fruit There is no dissimulation in a Tree neither should there be in Men but it fals out too often that mens outside and there inside are not like they are plaine Stage-players and very Hypocrites A third reason why the Holy Ghost delighteth in this Similie is because a Tree is a patterne of true Gloriation it makes shew of nothing but it s owne Fruit it s owne Leaues by them doth it commend it selfe vnto the Husbandman and men should not stand vpon their Pedigrees but vpon their owne Vertues and thinke themselues best graced by that which testifieth their owne worth But enough of the reasonablenesse of the Holy Ghosts Choice especially seeing the Analogie that is betweene the particular parts of this resemblance will more and more confirme the same Some inquire what Tree is here meant whether the Oliue Psal 52. or the Palme Tree Psal 92. because these are perpetually flourishing and greene but I suppose that the whole contexture of this Verse alludes to the Garden of Eden or rather the Vision Ezech. 47. where we find flourishing Trees planted by the waters of the Sanctuarie that place and this haue the same Mysticall sense But let vs come to the branches of the Similie And first wee are to see What Good is done for the Tree and that appeares in the Care and the Choice of the Husbandman we haue here first his Care He plants the tree The Tree is not Natiue but Satiue not a wilde Tree but a Tree of the Orchard and there is great ods betweene such trees and the ods is worth the marking for this obserued in the outside of the Parable giues light vnto that which we must principally obserue in the inside In the first of Genesis God bids the Earth bring forth trees but Genesis the second it is said that God planted a Garden and there doth God first shew himselfe to bee an Husbandman as Christ cals him Iohn 15.1 The Holy Ghost doth often frequent that Similie to giue vs to vnderstand that Gods care of Man is more then ordinary wee see in the Creation with what circumstances the framing of Man is described Let vs make man after our owne Image and when Man forfeited the new-making cost more Care the second planting then the first Saint Hierome out of Aquila reades transplanted and indeed so it is we grew vpon a wilde Oliue and wee are grafted into a true wee were branches of a degenerated Vine and are now set into a generous to speake it plainly we were Children of wrath and are made Children of God besides our birth in our Mothers wombe wee haue a new birth in the wombe of the Church This
their owne Heads winnowed like Chaffe Neither with their Heads only but also with their Hearts There is not a Passion which like a strong Gale of Winde doth not transport them Anger raiseth stormes within them Vaine Glorie as wings carrieth them beyond themselues Couetousnesse makes them base Enuie makes them vnsociable Pride maketh them Tyrants Luxurie makes them Beasts the Vngodly are as plyable as a Weathercocke neither need they any other winde to shift their situation but only their owne Passions But as if this Inward Wind did not turmoile them enough they are subiect to an Outward the wind of Gods Iudgement which the Chaldee Paraphrase calls Ventum furentem and the Prophets very commonly call it a Whirlewind Saint Iohn Baptist tels vs Matth. 3.12 that Christ shall come with his fanne in his hand and therewith shall throughly purge his floore Where marke that Gods Iudgement is compared to Wind of which our Sauiour Christ tels Nicodemus the wind bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3.8 thou knowest not whence it commeth nor whether it goeth so doe Gods Iudgements surprize men when the vngodly crie Peace Peace 1. Thess 5.3 then comes suddaine destruction vpon them You shall find this fully and excellently described Iob 21. But marke the Opposition of Chaffe vnto the Wind the weaknesse of 〈◊〉 to the irrisistiblensse of the Wind especially if it be a Whirlewind whither you respect the Impotencie of their owne Affections vnder which they sinke or Gods Vengeance which must needes ouer-beare them Who would set the Briars and Thornes against me in Battle saith God Esay 27 I will goe through them I will burne them together It must needs make much to the Miserie of the Vngodly that being so little able they must abide so violent an encounter violent it is but yet such as is meet for them for the Vngodly are called Reshagnim turbulent and tumultuous people and what Iudgement is so fit for them as to bee harrowed and hurled with the Wind They that giue rest to none it is pittie they should haue any rest The Vulgar addes to the Text Exegeticè from the Earth The wind driues the Chaffe from the Earth Saint Hierome makes a good Note vpon it Tà m infoelix erit impius vt ne terrenus sit puluis most miserable is the case of the Vngodly when the Earth that bare them 〈…〉 will not endure them God in Deuteronomie threatens such a Iudgement to the Iewes and we see that at this day they endure it their case may be any mans case and if wee bee Vngodly the Whirlewind may driue vs out of the good Land which God bestowes vpon vs. Russinus goeth a step higher Si facies terrae species patriae Coeleâ—lis accipitur recrè puluis à facie terrae proijci dicitur quia à Visione Calestis Gloriae impius remouetur Adam in Paradise below forfeited Paradise aboue and the Iewes had little hope of Heauen the Truth that were cast out of Canaan the Type thereof Neither may wee presume of the Kingdome of Glorie if we be vnworthy of the Kingdome of Grace And no wonder for Chaffe that is winnowed from the threshing Hoore is reserued for the fire 〈◊〉 3. as Saint Iohn Baptist telleth vs neither are the wicked separated from the good but for their greater Woe But I must conclude Three things we learne in this Text First that the Vngodly are subiect to a double Punishment Poena Damni and Poena Sensus they are depriued of great Good and the Euill is great whereunto they are exposed Secondly the Non Sic and the Sicut aduise vs to compare the Happinesse of the Blessed Tree with the Miserie of this winnowed Chaffe that the Contraries being set one against the other we may the better discerne them and resolue which of them to choose Last of all We may see that there is no reason why we should enuie the pompes and vanities of this wicked World seeing they haue neither Substance nor Continuance Iob teacheth it more then once and so doth Dauid Psal 37. and 73. When we goe to a Play we doe with the Eyes of our Reason correct the Eyes of our Bodie and our Reason iudgeth them but Varlots whom our Sense beholds as Kings It were to be wished that when we come to the Stage of this World we would bring thither aswell the Eyes of Faith as of Reason our Iudgement would not bee so often perplext nor our Resolution staggered as they are with the seeming prosperitie and Glorie of the World we would with Moses 〈…〉 esteeme the rebuke of Christ better then the Treasures of Egypt and endeauor to be happy rather in deed then shew To shut vp all Blessed we would all be in this World but few take Notice of the Euidence of true Blessednesse That Euidence is in the first Resemblance the Resemblance to the Tree Let vs obserue it and desire to partake it otherwise we may be deluded with a seeming Euidence which you haue heard of in the latter Resemblance the Resemblance of winnowed Chaffe the double Miserie that is in it should make vs abhorre it as the double good of the former should make vs affect it God giue Vs a true Iudgement to distinguish them and Grace to make that discreet choice that we may partake the former of them Amen PSAL. 1. VERS 5. Therefore the Vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgement nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous THe words contain the second of those Euidences whereby it may be known who are Blessed Men are Blessed in this Life and that which is to come and God hath set marks vpon either degree of Blessednesse The markes of the first degree you heard vnfolded when I last spake vnto you vpon this Psalme It followes then that I now open vnto you the markes of the second degree so farre as I find them exprest in this Verse For the better vnderstanding whereof we must obserue First what matter is contained in these words and then whereupon these words are inferred In the World to come there are two remarkable things the Entrance into and the State of it in either of these there is some thing Common and something Proper both to the good and the bad In the Entrance that which is Common is Iudgement both must come to the Barre that which is Proper is That in the Iudgement the Righteous can the Vngodly cannot stand In the state it is Common to good and bad to bee Societies or Congregations but it is Proper to the Righteous to be of such a Congregation whereinto the Vngodly shall not come neither shall the Righteous come into the Congregation whereof the Vngodly shall be So much must bee supplyed à Pari the ground is the same for both the reason of the latter difference is contained in the former for they that differ in the Iudgement must differ in the Societie also seeing God is pleased that that shall be
that the Sinewes by which wee are supported in this Standing are deriued from Christ if out of Him we looke vpon our selues Psal 113. we may well say Enter not into Iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh liuing be iustified Or to keepe to the word of my Text Psal 130. If thou Lord marke iniquities who shall be able for to Stand Wee cannot Stand without Corruption except his Grace doe clense vs neither can we Stand against Condemnation except his Merits doe secure vs. Some here worke vpon the difference which they suppose to be betwixt Vngodly and Sinners vnderstanding by vngodly those wicked men who are open and professed Enemies to God Malefactors Deprehensi in flagranti Crimine taken in the manner of doing by Sinners vnderstanding other wicked men which seeme to be in the Church and are as it were but Probabiliter suspecti Challenged vpon suspition And they tell vs The first sort of wicked men Shall not stand in Iudgement that is shall not be graced with any formall Arraignment before their Condemnation The second sort howsoeuer they may stand in Iudgement so farre as to be legally tried yet they shall neuer come to stand in the Congregation of the Righteous In Iob. c. 36. neuer partake with them in Happinesse Princes saith Gregorie deale otherwise with their Subiects then they doe with their Enemies in point of Iudgement for if they take an Enemie they vse Martiall Law and command Execution without any iudiciall Processe but if a Subiect be called in question hee hath the benefit of the Law he is suffered to plead for himselfe neither is hee doomed before hee is tried The meaning is that of the wicked which shall bee arraigned at the Day of Iudgement such as are without the Church shall without all plea as profest Enemies of Christ bee proceeded against for their Infidelitie shall be vndeniable But those that are within the Church God condescends farther vnto them they shall haue a trial they shall be heard what they can say though it will steed them little because it shal be shewed them how vaine it is And indeede such a forme of proceeding is exprest Matth. 25. and Luke 13. Where by the way It is good for vs to take notice That though it be a Priuiledge to be of the Church Militant in this world yea and it giues vs also a Priuiledge aboue Infidels at the entrance into the World to come Yet except we so shew our faith in our workes on Earth that we may haue the benefit of it at the Day of Iudgement there is little comfort in such a Priuiledge For in regard of Death a Citizen is no freer then an Enemie if both come to it though one come to it by Martiall Law the other by Processe in a Ciuill Court So if both meete in Hell it skils not whether one come as an Infidell and the other as a wicked Christian except haply the Christians case be the worse because he neglected the good meanes which the Infidell had not I haue shewed you wherein the Vngodly and the Righteous agree and differ at the entrance into the world to come we must now following the Text see the very same points in the state of both which followeth vpon that entrance And here first we doe find something Common for both are Socteties or Congregations They haue beene so from the very beginning of the World there hath beene the Serpent and his Seede the Woman and her Seed the Sonnes of God and the Daughters of men Michaell and his Angels the Dragon and His Babel and Hierusalem Saint Austen in his learned Bookes De Ciuitate Dei hath enlarged this point it is so cleere I neede not dwell longer vpon it But we must marke that these Societies may bee distinguished â—ither onely Habitu or also Actu onely in Qualitie or also in Place In this World they are in place confounded though they are distinguished in qualitie the Righteous though they are not of the World Iohn 17 yet they are in it and many false Christians are in the Church which are not of it the World is as Gods Feild wherein grow both Wheate and Tares in his earthly Barne there is both Graine and Chaffe his House hath Seruants Thriftie and Vnthriftie and in his Flocke are as well Goates as Sheepe But this confusion shall not hold on alwayes they that differ in Qualitie shall also be sundred in Place the Goates from the Sheepe the Tares from the Wheate the foolish Virgines from the Wise the Vnthriftie seruant from the Thriftie This is the first point of Difference But it is not the onely point but as they are separated Luke 16. so this separation shal continue for euer so doth Abraham assure Diues Betweene you and vs there is a great Gulfe no passage from one to the other The same God that separated the Egyptians from the Israelites by the Pillar of fire when they came out of Egypt will neuer suffer them to come together will so part the Saints of Heauen from the Feinds of Hell that they shall neuer grow into one Societie againe Not that absolutely it cannot be otherwise but God will haue it to be so 2. Cor. 6.14 he will haue it cleerely to appeare that there is no Communion betweene Light and Darknesse Christ and Belial the Temple of God and the Synagogue of Satan Eay 66.14 It is true that the Godly shall goe out and see the wicked tormented Luke 16. and Diues in Hell shall see Abraham in Heauen and Lazarus in his bosome to the greater Comfort of the one and terrour of the other But they shall neuer come together neither shall they change their Place or State This latter Difference is grounded vpon the former for they that differ at the entrance into the World to come must needes differ in the state thereof for Iudgement is the Gate that doth as it were lead vnto that State therefore if the vnchangeablenesse of the State doe moue vs wee must not bee carelesse of the Iudgement Let this suffice touching the Contents of these words a word of the Inference and so an end Therefore the first word of this Verse lookes backe vpon that which goeth before and out of that truth collects this You haue heard that the Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement wonder not at it The Vngodly are but Winnowed Chaffe and how should that Stand that is so light as Chaffe or rest which is so restlesse as Chaffe which is winnowed The Righteous shall stand and wonder not at it They are Trees well planted Trees Trees laden with Fruit with Leaues Trees wel-liking well liked euery point addes weight vnto them maketh them firme and standing If a man bee disenabled to stand it is because hee is Chaffe and if hee bee a Tree hee shall bee well able to stand You see what you should feare what you should desire
feare to be like this winnowed Chaffe desire to be like the happie Tree that you may haue a blessed Entrance into the World to come Neither a blessed Entrance only but a blessed State also must you affect to haue therein and how shall you haue it Learne of Therefore It looketh backe to the beginning of the Psalme you see there the disposition of good Men in this World they will haue nothing to doe with Wickednesse they will not walke in the Counsell of the Vngodly nor stand in the way of Sinners nor set in the Seat of Scorners they will haue no communion with wickednesse on Earth and the wicked shall haue no Communion with them in Heauen It is a Poeticall Fiction that what euery Man affected here in Earth with that hee shall bee solaced in the Elysian Fields Certaine it is that looke in what men delighted while they liued on Earth with their Companions in that shall they be ranged in the Life to come they shall not there bee the Seruants of God who here were the Slaues of Satan spirituall Eunuches that bring forth no good workes Bastards that are not the Seed of God the incestuous brood of Ammonites and Moabites that are borne of worldly lust and concupiscence shall more certainly bee excluded the Congregation of Heauen then were the Corporall from the Congregation of Israel on Earth Dent. 23. Seeing then Psaâ— 5. God is a God that hath no pleasure in wickednesse neither shall Euill dwell with him The foolish shall not stand in his sight He hateth all workers of Iniquitie Ecclesiast 18.18 Let vs prouide Physicke before we are sicke and get Righteousnesse before we come to Iudgement so shall the Tribunall of Christ bee vnto vs as Mount Sion when to others it is Mount Sinai when they flie and fall we shall approach and stand vpright And if wee liue the Life of Christ tread the steps of the Faith of our Father Abraham Philip. 32 â— haue our Conuersation in Heauen wee shall not only bee as Angels but with Angels wee shall bee refreshed in Abrahams Bosome wee shall sit downe with him with all the Patriarches and Prophets with all the Saints and Angels at Christs Table eternally Blessed in the Kingdom of Heauen God grant vs such Grace in this Life as may bring vs to such Blisse in the Life to come AMEN PSAL. 1. VERS 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the Righteous and the way of the wicked shall perish VPon former words of this Psalme I haue obserued a double difference betweene the Righteous and the Vngodly a difference in this life and a difference in the life to come In this Life the Righteous are like vnto a Blessed Tree to which there is much good done and of which there commeth much good but the Wicked are like winnowed Chaffe that hath small worth and takes as little rest in the Life to come they differ also whether you looke on the Entrance thereinto or the state therein at the Entrance the Wicked shall not endure the Iudgement wherein the Righteous shall stand vpright and the Righteous shall be of a Societie whereinto the wicked shall not come I haue opened both these differences so farre as I was occasioned by words of this Psalme It remaynes that now wee see the Cause thereof which is the Argument of this Verse It will teach vs that of so notable a difference there is some remarkable Cause the Cause then is Gods Iudiciall Prouidence Gods Prouidence is very large but there is a speciall Branch thereof that calls Men to an account for their Liues In this Branch which I call Iudiciall Prouidence there are two things which wee must obserue Sapientia and Potentia it is a true Discerner and a powerfull Rewarder of all men bee they Good or Bad so much shall we find in these words The Lord knoweth the way of the Righteous but the way of the wicked shall perish For the words are Synecdochicall there is more implyed then is exprest in them the word that notes Sapientiam Gods discerning of the Wayes implies Potentiam his answerable dealing with them and the word that notes Potentiam his reuengfull Hand on the Wayes implyes Sapientiam his discerning thereof also And why this Iudiciall Prouidence is Operosa Cognitio therein the Power of God attends his Wisedome and his Wisedome guides his Power This being obserued in Generall vpon the words of my Text we must more distinctly therein see first Whereupon then How this Iudiciall Prouidence workes that whereon it workes hath something Common and something Proper that which is Common is Via bee men what they will bee they haue a course of Life but all take not the same course there is something Proper which stands in their seuerall courses therefore the Text doth distinguish of Wayes saying that there is Via Iustorum the Iust mans way which is all one with a iust way and there is Via peccatorum the wicked mans way which is all one with a wicked way this is that whereon Gods Iudiciall Prouidence doth worke Now his work Thereon hath also Aliquid Commune and Aliquid Proprium both the Wayes are wrought vpon by Gods wise Power or Powerfull Wisdome for God is a Discerner and Rewarder of both as I told you when I opened the Synecdochie of the Verse But there is something Proper in either Word the Wisdome and Power Iudiciall workes one way vpon the way of the Righteous and an other way vpon the way of the wicked Nouit Viam Iustorum he takes a speciall Notice of and bestowes a gracious Reward vpon the way of the Righteous but Via peccatorum peribit the way of the wicked shall feele another kind of Reward because it is excluded from this speciall kind of Notice And these bee the Contents of this Scripture which I will now vnfold briefly and in their Order First then of that Whereon the Iudiciall Prouidence worketh therein as I told you there is something Common and that is a Way Praesens vita saith Saint Basil nihil aliud est quà m perpetua Via this our mortall life is nothing else but a passage and this World a Through faire therefore the Schooles distinguishing betweene those that are departed and those that Liue call the Liuing Viatores way faring men and those that are dead Comprehensores such as are at their Iournies end the Patriarches acknowledge as much when they call themselues Pilgrimes Strangers Soiourners and their Life a Pilgrimage And indeed 〈◊〉 13 â—4 neither Good nor Bad haue here any Abiding place they doe in purpose or in practice seeke one to come It is true that worldly men thinke of no other World â—uke 11. but the 49. Psalme confutes their folly so doth the Gospell in the Parable of the Rich man and how should that be stable 1. Cor 7 â—1 that rests vpon a thing most vnstable Praeterit figura huius secult the fashion of
would receiue and something that hee must render render out of thankfulnesse for that which out of the goodnesse of God he receiues I haue ended the first of these two parts King Dauids desire hath beene vnfolded vnto you the briefe whereof is he desired to be restored vnto and preserued in the state of grace Let vs now goe on and heare King Dauids Promise heare what he will render thankfully if God vouchsafe mercifully to grant his desire King Dauid doth promise that hee will religiously serue God this is the summe of his promise But in the pursuite of this point we shall be led to see first of what kind his seruice is and then what reason hee giueth for his choice Gods seruice is either Morall or Ceremoniall The seruice which King Dauid doth promise is morall this is plaine in my Text and the two following verses Will you know the reason of this his choice You haue it in the 16. and 17. verses the reason is Gods good pleasure his choice is guided by that God delighteth more in Morall then in Ceremoniall seruice absolutely he doth so and especially in pacification for such enormous such hainous sinnes But let vs looke into the Morall seruice which he promiseth there me thinkes the first thing I see is that Kiing Dauid hath sped of that which he desired last He desired a free a liberall Spirit and surely but from a free a liberall spirit so large a promise could not proceed His promise taketh vp both Tables of the Decalogue his dutie to God his dutie to his Neighbour His dutie to his Neighbour he will edifie others his dutie to God he will glorifie him At this time I will insist only vpon his promise to edifie his Neighbour for that is the proper argument of my text wherein I shall shew you first seuerally what Meanes he vseth and what Successe he hoped for The Meanes are the teaching of Gods wayes Gods wayes the best of lessons but such a lesson as cannot be knowne without teaching His Successe is the conuersion of those that are taught But more distinctly in the teaching wee must consider Quis Quos who is the Master and what Schollers hee taketh in hand The Master is King Dauid King Dauid newly conuerted by grace Ego docebo I will teach But whom Transgressors Sinners those that are such as I was and indeed such Schollers need such a Master those that goe astray such a one as is newly returned home This we must obserue in the Teaching And in the Conuerting we must moreouer obserue Vnde Quo from Whence and vnto whom these Schollers shall returne Whence that is implyed in their name Transgressors Sinners then must they returne from their transgressions and from their sinnes that is from their owne wayes But whether vnto God from whom they went vnto him they must returne and to returne vnto God is to returne vnto Gods wayes and so to learne the lesson which their Master teacheth them Hauing thus seuerally considered the Meanes and the Successe wee will consider them ioyntly wee will see how fitly they are coupled together There is no true conuersion without teaching and teaching must worke that conuersion which must bring a Sinner vnto God You heare the particulars wherat God willing I shall now touch I pray God I may so doe it that wee may all carrie away a true touch thereof But first you must take a lesson from the connection of the parts of King Dauids vow of his Promise with his Desire and the lesson is wee must not be vnthankfull when God is mercifull vnto vs not that God can be bettered by ought which we doe for the Psalmist doth teach Bonum meum nihil ad te Esal 16. My good reacheth not vnto thee but we should testifie that we receiue not Gods grace in vaine our fruit must shew what trees wee are and because we are it by an others gift Ingenuiest agnoscere imitari benefactorem suum There is no truer character of ingenuitie then an humble acknowledging whose creatures we are and a careful resembling of our Creatour Especially seeing our gifts are bestowed vpon vs not only vt ornamenta but instrumenta not only to recommend vs but also for the good of others We see it in the frame of the whole World in Heauen and in earth neither of them is more beautifull then vsefull yea the more glorious the more commodious are the parts of the Great world which should make our little world blush if wee vse our indowments as many doe their garments for pride and not for profit that fooles may gaze on vs and no body be the better for vs. This lesson we must take in the way Let vs now come to the particulars whereof the first is the meanes that are vsed the teaching of Gods wayes Gods wayes I told you is the best of lessons for wee are in this world Viatores way-faring men and what should way-faring men spend their Studie vpon but that which is answerable to their name that is a Way Yea seeing we are not only wayfaring men but as the Apostle teacheth peregrinamur a Domino 2. Cor. 5. we are absent from the Lord what other wayes should we studie but vias Domini the Lords wayes the wayes that are here mentioned in my Text. Surely that must needes be the safest way for it is sine diuerticulo sine praecipitio it is a very straight way it hath no turnings where a man may lose himselfe and it tends all vpward no feare of tumbling into the gulfe of perdition But the way of the Lord though in it selfe but one is yet considered two wayes first as God doth trauell in it vnto vs secondly as we walke in it vnto God for both causes it is called via Domni and good reason for God is such a Lord as doth praeire not onely praecepto but also exemplo he leadeth vs not onely by good Lawes but also by his owne good deedes and doth before vs whatsoeuer he commands If hee command vs to be holy iust true mercifull Psal 145. the Lord himselfe is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes and in another Psalme All the wayes of the Lord are mercie and truth But what need any more proofe Psal 25.10 when our goodnesse is but his Image and our liuing well but a shewing forth of the vertues of him that hath called vs. So that if a man were to choose a way 1. Pet. 2. hee can desire no better then the way which the King doth goe in himselfe and can a Christian haue a better then is the way of God Way or wayes the Holinesse is but one but it sheweth it selfe in many formes in wisedome in righteousnesse in temperance in patience in whatsoeuer other vertue the Charitie is still but one but such a one as is able to giue fit entertainement to euery obiect and because the entertainement is various
wee reade sometime Vias the wayes of the Lord and wee reade sometimes Via because the Charitie is alwayes but one and we should haue such grace as may answere all occasions neither is it true regenerating grace that is vnprepared for any alteration that can beare prosperitie but not aduersitie that can conuerse with God but not with men that can not bee militant as well as triumphant This propertie is a good toueh stone for euery man to trie his grace thereby But to leaue the Lesson and come to the Teaching The way is such as no man can goe without a guide and no maruell for no man euer went it twice no man euer passed from Earth to Heauen and being there came downe to the earth to returne to heauen againe haply if he did he might haue remembred the way and so goe it the second time without a guide but God alloweth not a second iourney to heauen therefore is euerie man a stranger in this way whereupon it must needes follow that euerie man doth need a guide or else he cannot be sure that he goeth a right especially seeing the way he must goe is bee set on either side with so many broad but mis-leading pathes Teaching then is necessarie for those that meane to goe the way Hauing thus in a generalitie shewed you the meanes that is vsed wee must now distinctly consider Quis Quos who is the Master Ego â—ocebo King Dauid saith he will take vpon him to be the master But King Dauid must be considered as a newly conuerted Paenitentiarie as one restored vnto and established in the state of grace he had plucked out the beame out of his owne eye before hee offered to plucke the moates out of his brothers eye hee was illightned himselfe before he offered to illighten others and he would not purge others before hee was purged himselfe Grat. 1. Nazianzene hath a good rule Cauendum est ne admirandae virtutis malipictores simus we must take heede that we blurre not the vertue which we desire to limme A man that goeth about to teach another the wayes of God is by that father resembled vnto a Painter that draweth Gods Image vpon his brother now he accounts him a good Painter that is himselfe a good patterne of the virtue that he doth teach but hee is but a bad Painter that blotteth out with his life what hee Painteth with his tongue who may bee cast off with that scornefull Medice cur a teipsum who will beleeue him whose deedes discredit his words Dauid was not such a Painter he taught not others before he had learned himselfe But how did he teach Two wayes exemplo verbo his very case was a good Sermon a Sermon of the wayes of God of his way of Iustice of his way of Mercie Dauid was a monument of both A monument of Gods iustice who though he were a man after Gods owne heart yet did God not suffer his sinnes vncorrected A monument of Gods mercie for though his sinnes were very grieuous yet vpon his vnfeined repentance they were graciously pardoned So did he teach by his example teach men not to presume because in him they may see God is iust teach them not to despaire because in him they may perceiue that God is exceeding mercifull As he teacheth by example so doth hee by his word also witnesse this Psalme wherein he taught the Church in his time teacheth vs now and shall teach men vntill the worlds end for what is the contents thereof but this Come vnto me hearken vnto me I will shew you I will teach you what God hath done and for my soule Adde hereunto that Dauid was a King and his care that hee voweth may goe for a teaching for Kings communicate in the name of Pastors in the Scriptures they are more then once called by the name of Shepheards and Constantine the Emperour said well that Kings were Episcopi ad extra they haue a kind of Bishopricke and must be carefull of the ghostly wel-fare of their charge But we may not mistake Dauid did not take vpon him the Priest-hood as Vzziah his successor did and was plagued for doing it he kept himselfe within his bounds hee did but that which all that are trusted with Ciuill Authoritie are bound to doe except what in this kind he did as a Penitent or as a Prophet and his example is a good admonition for of all his ranke all in his case yea it may admonish all It was Caines voice that said Numquid ego sum custos fratris Am I my Brothers keeper Yea God hath giuen saith the Sonne of Syrack a charge vnto euery man concerning his brother The law will not suffer a man to neglect his brothers Oxe or his Asse going astray or sinking vnâ—â—â—â— his burden hath God care of Oxen or doth he not intimate thereâ—â— how much more wee must care for the master of those beastes It is the propertie of good men that the good which they receiue from God they dispense to others and are as carefull of other mens saluation as of their owne according to the rule Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe We haue found the Master Let vs now seeke out the Schollers wee find them here to bee Transgressors Sinners an vntoward subiect you would thinke for a Master to worke vpon to tame such head-strong Colts and bring such persons to a better course and yet nihil aptius nihil acceptius no Schollers are more fit to be vndertaken by such a Master and such a Master cannot better please the Master of Masters that is God then by vndertaking of such Schollers vndertaking to teach transgressors and sinners to teach them Gods wayes that haue gone farthest our of the way for such must you vnderstand by these words It is euerie mans worke to set them forward that are in the way to teach the righteous it is a harder taske to fetch them in that are gone out and such a Master must put himselfe to the hardest taske A Souldier that hath plaid the coward cannot recouer the reputation of a valiant man by aduenturing no farther then ordinarie Souldiers but by vndertaking some dangerous assault or trying his valour vpon an enemie of note and no teaching is worthy of a conuert but the teaching of those that are much auerse for how should hee shew that he doth throughly detest sinne that hauing rooted it out of himselfe can indure it in another No his owne passion will fill him with compassion the remembrance of the losse which himselfe sustained of the smart which himselfe hath felt the experience I say of this double euill will not suffer him to stand as an idle spectator while the spirituall thiefe the murderer doth spoyle doth slaughter others he will be aiding to such forlorne ones with his best with his readiest succour Adde hereunto that they that are conuerted were corrupters while they were in the state of sinne they led many out
worth is meant by his Praise for Praise is the due of worth God is most worthy and therefore most rightly to bee praysed What God deserueth Dauid will yeeld for he intends to be Praeco a proclaimer of Gods praise He will shew it forth Narrando and Enarrando the word signifieth both he wil not only deliuer a plaine history of it but he will also make a feeling CoÌ„mentarie vpon it This he will do but wherwith That also is set downe in the Text he will doe it with his Mouth with his Mouth that others might heare and that Mouth shall bee his owne it shall bee the Interpreter of his owne heart You haue heard his good intent but it is a true proâ—erbe Man purposeth God disposeth therefore for the doing of what hee intended Dauid presumeth not of himselfe but imploreth the helpe of God O Lord open thou my Lippes The Lippes are as the doore of the mouth a doore shut vp naturally in regard of the seruice of God and therefore he had reason to desire that it may bee supernaturally opened Lord open thou God onely hath the key which will open this doore so open our Lippes that they may shew forth the prayse of God These points which I haue touched offer themselues to our consideration in the parts of my Text but if we lay together these parts there wil arise two other good Obseruations out of the whole The first is the true vse of our abilities when wee receiue them from God we must vse them to glorifie him if God open our Lippes our Mouth must shew forth his Praise The second Obseruation is implied which is If our mouth be vsed to worse purposes then certainely some other then God doth open our Lippes I haue laide before you the Contents of this Scripture God so open my Lippes and your eares that my mouth may shew forth and your hearts be affected with Gods Praises and our duties that shall be opened therein The first point that I specified was the Praises of God The word Praise as many other elswhere doth signifie not the Act but the Obiect or to speake it plainely not the due but the merit of goodnesse so Saint Paul telleth the Thessalonians that they are his hope his ioy 1. Thes 2. â—9 his crowne in the day of the Lord hope that is the thing hoped for ioy that is the thing wherein he shall ioy and Crowne that is the thing for which he shall be crowned so here the Praises of God is that for which God deserueth to be praised so strict a coniunction is there betweene the Act and the Obiect and so inseparable should the one be from the other that the name of the one may very fitly be vsed for the other he that is good should receiue praise and he that receiueth praise should bee good Gene. 1.31 God saw all that hee had made and loe it was verie good and presently hee kept his Sabbaoth whose natiue vse is glorifying of and glorying in that which is good And herein should God be a Precedent vnto man hee should not put asunder what God hath conioyned but as the very word here admonisheth let Praises be a Synonymon for goodnesse But when we come to determine what Goodnesse is vnderstood in this word Praise some will haue vs looke backe vnto the Verse going before and will haue the goodnesse here meant restrained to the Righteousnesse there specified to the Euangelicall Righteousnesse the mercie of God in Christ whereof Dauid had good proofe And indeede that is the prime Goodnesse of God and calleth for the highest degree of Praise God deserued praise when hee made man of the dust of the earth so goodly a creature of so base stuffe but hee deserued much more praise when hee redeemed sinfull man from the flames of hell and made him with his owne Sonne an Heire of the Kingdome of Heauen to bring so forlorne a wretch to so exceeding happines must needs bee a matter worthy of extraordinary Praise Ephes 1.6 S. Paul maketh praise the end of that great Worke and in the Reuelation the Angels and Saints all fall downe before the I hrone and giue glorie for the same for that it was a worke not onely of Almightie Power but also of vnspeakable Grace therefore had they reason to giue glorie for the same This is true but yet Praise must not in this place bee so restrained Dauid before his fall had more contemplations of God then one and made his Psalmes accordingly and indeede the verie word here vsed for Praise is Tehillah and hath good cognation with Tehillim the Title of the Psalmes therefore may we well extend the one as farre as the other the argument of the Praise as farre as the Argument of the Psalmes and then you shall find that there is no Booke in the Bible whose Argument will not come vnder some one or other Psalme of Dauids he hath Psalmes of the Creation Psalmes of Redemption Psalmes Historicall and Propheticall Legall and Sapientiall Psalmes hauing beene so copious and in such varietie hauing indited Psalmes before his fall it is not likely that after his fall hee will confine his thoughts and not be so large in Gods praises nor intermeddle with all sorts of them Certainely when God is called the praise of Israell Psal 22. ver 3. it must be conceiued in that widenesse which is mentioned Psal 145. All thy workes praise thee O Lord for God is totus laudabilis nothing is in God nothing commeth from God that is not praise worthy So that there is something to be obserued in the word Tua thy praise that is the praise which is proper vnto Thee Gregorie Nyssen writing the life of another Gregorie called Thaumaturgus giueth a good note Nulla vera est Laus c. There is no praise truely so called which consisteth not in that which the person praised may accompt to be his owne now that I accompt his owne which abideth with him for euer By this rule praise is proper only vnto God for with him onely in Goodnesse is there no variablenesse nor shadow of change He that praiseth man cannot praise him but as a mutable creature so good to day that he may be bad to morrow hee waxeth and he waneth euen like the Moone yea and when hee is full of goodnesse as the Moone of light yet are there Maculae in Lunâ as staines in the Moone so haue there beene blemishes in the best of those which haue beene but meere men the Scripture that hath Chronicled the Patriarches liues hath Chronicled their faults also God onely is as the Sunne 1. John 1.5 he is Light in whom there is no darknesse at all as he is constantly so is he entirely Holy Therefore Praise when it is applied vnto men is a word of limitation it implieth inconstancie or defect it neuer so praiseth but leaueth some place for dispraise but when it is applied vnto
You begin the Lords Prayer with Our Father and so professe that euery member of the Church and you are Children of one heauenly Father wherein you acknowledge in euery member a ground of loue Throughout the second Table of the Commandements our neighbour is enioyned to loue vs which iniunction to performe hee hauing taken vpon him in his baptisme we cannot looke on him but wee see ground why wee should loue him for then wee looke on the man that hath vowed vnto God that hee will loue vs. And if wee looke on him as he partakes in the Sacrament of the Eucharist then wee see another ground why wee should loue him for then we behold him as professing that hee doth loue vs in testimony whereof the Saints were wont to begin this Sacrament with a mutuall holy kisse in lue whereof the supersticious kissing of the Pax succeeded in the Romish Church You see then that if so bee the sociablenesse which is naturall requireth loue that of grace requireth it much more What shall wee say to them that are without the Church that persecute the Church is there any ground of loue in them yea the wickednesse of man cannot euacuate the right of Nature much lesse of Grace they are our neighbours whether they will or no by Nature because they are men and so are they also by Grace because they may bee Christian men so that wee cannot say to them in neither respect what haue wee to doe with you Therefore in the same person wee must distinguish betweene his ill affection towards vs and his neighbour-hood which God vouchsafeth him and not let the malice of the one intercept the sight of the louelinesse that is in the other And if so bee wee may not forget that spirituall Louelines which is only in hope as it is in Infidels much lesse may we forget that Louelinesse which is indeed in those which are Christians these haue in them most vndoubted grounds of Loue. The next degree of Diuine neighbourhood is betweene vs and the Church Triumphant Angels and Saints wee cannot doubt of their Louelinesse if wee know wherein their neighbourhood consisteth I shewed it you before and further they really testifie their Loue toward vs the Saints in praying for the Church in generall the Angels in being ministring spirits for the good of the Church Heb. 1. But here wee must take heed that wee inlarge not this bounderie too farre for men that haue made little account of Saints on Earth haue made too much of them when they haue beene departed this life and to Angels they haue attributed more then euer God bestowed vpon them Wee for the auoyding of their errours must confine our thoughts within the iust bounds of their Louelinesse The third degree of neighbourhood is that which is betweene the Church and our Sauiour Christ and here wee find the fullest ground of Louelinessâ— that euer was or will be created the Church saith truly in the Canticles totus est desiderabilis view him from top to toe C. 5.16 you shall find nothing in him that doth not shew him to bee a most louely neighbour peruse all his fore specified references towards his Church there is not the least of them that doth not challenge the loue thereof And now that wee haue gone ouer all you see a good reason why the word that is vsed by Moses Reang signifieth not only a neighbour but also a friend for euery one that is a neighbour is by the vertue of his neighbourhood to be accounted as our friend Secondly that all persons must bee considered as they are in God and Christ and not as in themselues otherwise wee shall misdeeme them for any communion which a man hath with God and Christ cannot but seeme vnto vs an apparant right that he hath to be accounted our neighbour and our friend But he that appeareth vnto vs as deuoid of both these communions hee cannot seeme vnto vs to bee our neighbour and therefore not our friend A third thing that I noted in the person whom we must loue is euery mans interest in him for the Law speaking to euery man saith He is thy Neighbour therefore thou must not looke vpon him only with thy direct sight but with a reflected also Let vs runne ouer the degrees of Neighbourhood againe and see how euery of them doth concerne euery one of vs. The first degree of humane neighbourhood is neighbourhood in place that was instituted as I told you Propter auxilium solatium and God knoweth there is no man that doth not stand in need of both and it is not Gods will that any should bee excluded from either but euery man hath an interest of helpe and prosit from him that is his neighbour in place therefore we must euery man take care to yeild and expect to receiue whatsoeuer helpe or comfort he hath in himselfe or is in any other these gifts must bee mutuall they must bee interchangeable a neighbour must doe for thee as well as be a receiuer from thee therefore doth God call the neighbour thine The next degree of humane neighbourhood is that of bloud wherein men are brought neerer one vnto another then they can bee by any politique Lawes because of a neerer interest which doth combine them the interest of nature For euery man hath his nature and being in or from those of his bloud the father hath his being in his sonne the sonne hath his being from his father a brother hath his being in a brother an vncle in a nephew And so betweene all other degrees there is an interest of being which one hath in anoher more or lesse as the degrees are more or lesse remote Whence it is that politique neighbourhood respecteth no man but out of deliberate reason it is quickened by hope of receiuing like kindnesse when time shall serue but neighbours in bloud respect each other out of an inborne affection for it is naturall to euery man to affect himselfe and his owne being without any farther consideration and consequently he cannot but affect another in whom he beholds his being to be preserued as well as in himselfe or from whom he conceiues his being to haue proceeded Hence it is that Parents loue their children and children their Parents and a brother loues a brother and an vncle his nephew euen where they looke for no retribution Come wee on to the third degree of neighbourhood which superaddeth another ground of loue and by consequent increase of interest This third degree goeth beyond that of bloud as the Lawes of men doe limit Consanguinitie but yet in true iudgement Consanguinitie hath no stricter limits then the nature of man because all men are made of one blood and so in true iudgement euery man must thinke that hee hath in euery man an interest of his naturall being and vpon this ground a man in whom nature is not degenerate will loue another man and doe for him be he
must be broken off from the wilde Oliue tree before that by grafting it can bee made partaker of the fatnesse of the true Oliue Therefore our Baptisme beginneth with Abrenuntio I renounce the Deuill and all his workes c. then come wee to the confession of our Faith and profession of our Obedience And this Separation if not in Place yet at least in Disposition we must hold to our liues end if we meane to haue any communion with God This is a true rule but not to bee rackt as it was by Nouatians and Donatists of old and is by the Anabaptists and Brownists at this day For they fancie Egypt in Canaan and thinke that the Oracles of God are reuealed only to them in their Schisme Silly soules that they are feeding only vpon the wind and running mad with their owne deuices The Romanists are little better they please themselues with the vsurped name of Catholiques and conclude the Holy Ghost within the Diocesse of Rome and affirme that none can go out of the Popes sheepfold and bee saued Chap. 11.8 But wee that haue tried them and found them to be the spirituall Egypt mentioned in the Reuelation haue vpon iust grounds come out from the and without any preiudice to our Communion with the Catholique Church haue forsaken their corruptions since which time the Oracles of God sound more cleerely to vs and are enioyed by vs more comfortably You haue heard whence the reckoning of the Time beginneth let vs now see where it endeth The word in the originall signifieth either a new Moone or a whole Moneth and therefore a whole Moneth because a new Moone For it is an vsuall thing in the Scripture to denominate the whole time from a principall part thereof Gen. 1. The euening and the morning were made the first day Luke 11. Ieiuno bis in Sabbato saith the Pharisee in the Gospell the sense is well exprest in our English I fast twise in the weeke the weeke is there denominated from the Sabbath which was the seuenth day thereof and the whole yeere is in Hebrew called Shanah from the Tropicke point to which when the Sunne is come it turneth from vs or to vs in like manner is the whole moneth denominated from the beginning thereof Our language beareth some markes of this obseruation for what is a Moneth but a Mooneth that is the time of the Moones period or circle The word then being doubtfull there are here other words added to expound it which are On the same day that is the very day of the new Moone For as for their opinion that thinke it was the third day that so the number of dayes might answere the number of moneths it is not so agreeing to the signification of the word therefore the most iudicious Chronologers iustly reiect it But you must moreouer obserue that because the Moone was made to rule the night Psal 104 19. and as the Psalmist speaketh for certaine seasons and to distinguish times therefore in the first ages of the world and at this day in some Countries the ciuill moneths were not Solarie but Lunarie that is euery moneth began with the new Moone and ended at the change Numb 18. Psal 80. Esâ—y 1. when therefore you reade in the Scripture that amongst the Feasts of the Iewes one was the feast of the new Moone enioyned by the Law and practised by the Iewes you must vnderstand that of the first day of euery moneth So then my text in the third moneth in the same day is as much as the first day of their third moneth Theirs I say for we cannot parallel ours with theirs ours being Solarie and theirs Lunarie moneths Euerie one of ours partaketh two of theirs and euery one of theirs partaketh two of ours Therefore when Chronologers say this was the moneth of Iune because the first moneth was April they must be vnderstood warily Only this is agreed vpon by the Iewes and Christians Greeke and Latine Fathers that this day was the seuen and fortieth after the Israelites departed out of Egypt Whereupon will follow another note more for the capacitie of of the people That God did not deferre long the giuing of his Law for he suffered not much more then a moneth and halfe to passe before he gaue it So great a Bodie would not haue held out without confusion except it had beene speedily prouided of a Law Verse 18. Iethro taught Moses as appeareth in the Chapter which goeth before that the gouernment of so huge a multitude was a burden too heauie for one to beare wherefore following his aduice Moses made many Officers But God was not pleased to bee so familiar with them as hee was with Moses whom he knew by name and spake with all face to face that they should come immediatly to him for resolution of their doubts Therefore a generall Law was expedient and it was timely giuen them The King of Heauen in this branch of his prouidence being a good patterne to Kings on earth teaching them that they must not leaue their subiects cases to the discretion of their vnder Officers but command them to bee ordered by an indifferent Law Put both the Termes together that wherein the reckoning beginneth and that wherein it endeth and there will arise another very profitable note For how commeth this moneth to bee called the third The ancient yeare of the Iewes began at Autumne when they gathered in their fruit as it appeareth Exodus 23. and from that this was the ninth moneth It is true but God in Exodus 12. tooke order for another Epoche hee commanded from that time forward their yeere should begin at the Spring This moneth shall bee vnto you the beginning of moneths the beginning of the Sacred yeare as some distinguish calling the other Politike Yet the Sabaticall and Iubile began at the other it may bee because of the rest of the Land the Feasts began here I will not dispute whether this were a new or a renued beginning Whether it now were first instituted of God or whether it had his beginning when the world was first framed Let Chronologers perplexe themselues with that doubt who are still seeking but cannot agree at what time of the yeere the world began the resolution thereof is not to our purpose if it might be had But hardly can it bee had for the world being an exact Globe there were in the first moment of creation all seasons of the yeere though in seuerall places and the season from whence they will begin the world must be vnderstood but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the place first inhabited Paradise whose situation is not yet resolued This we must obserue That though the common reckoning of time bee from the beginning of the world yet haue all nations specially Epoches of their owne occasioned by memorable euents which haue befallen their States which being not well either knowne or heeded cause those great perplexities and
taught that as this people were to be a seed not only according to the flesh but also according to the promise so were they to enter into the Couenant as persons clothed with this double relation to their Ancestors We haue a double birth one from ours mothers wombe the other from the Churches wombe the latter we claime in right of our parents from whom wee haue the former and we should remember that God expects we should bee as well heires of their Faith as of their Lands and not looke otherwise to haue any interest in his Couenant except we be as well children of Israel as of the house of Iacob Well by this time you reasonably vnderstand who the parties are that enter into the Couenant Now I must shew you that Moses whom before I described was their common Minister It is plaine in the text that hee went vp from the people vnto God that is to the mountaine of God as the seuentie supply adde to the representation of God that was vpon the mountaine for that is meant by the name of God And God sent him downe with a message to the people that is plaine in the text God called him out of the mountaine saying thus shalt thou say to the house of Iacob c. It may be a question whether Moses went vp before God called as some thinke he did to relate the successe of his embassage to Pharaoh and to receiue instructions what manner of worship God would haue done vnto him in that place in performance of the signe which hee gaue to Moses of good successe or to bee farther directed what the people should now doe These may bee thought reasonable inducements to Moses to goe vp vncalled Others thinke that God called before Moses went vp The reason is because hee had before beene checkt for comming too neere when God first appeared there vnto him it is likely therefore say they hee would be more modest and not ascend before he was called therefore they render the text for God had called him But whatsoeuer is to be thought of this question the whole Chapter putteth it out of question that he went betweene them both that he was Gods mouth to the people and the peoples mouth to God and so was as the Apostle calleth him a Mediator Gal. 3. But least we mistake we must obserue that there is a principall and a Ministeriall Mediator S. Ambrose openeth the difference betweene them Tom. 2. p. 3â—â— the briefe of it is Moses was but a figure whereof Christ was the Truth or to speake in the Apostles words Christ was the sonne and Moses was but the seruant to signifie that there is such distance betwixt God and man that they cannot come together without some interuenient person God appointed properly his sonne to be the Mediator but in a type of him hee appointed Moses And there is a perpetuall succession of such mediating persons in the Clergie which doe administer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they informe vs of Gods mind and present the Churches dutie vnto God and though in a much lower degree then Moses yet we must repute them Mediators Ministeriall Mediators otherwise the word cannot bee vsurped without arrogancie by any meere creature I haue done with the common Minister and come now to the first branch of the solemnitie which is the mutuall stipulation mutuall I say this is worth the marking That God would bee pleased to Contract that may Command this is a great grace done to man for so though wee owe all our dutie to him yet for our performance of it he becommeth now a debtor vnto vs. Not only so but also our good deeds haue a double valuation one of Iustice another of Mercie Gods Iustice when it scanneth them findeth them very meane Mercie setteth a higher rate vpon them it esteemeth them not only as a dutie but as a meanes which by Gods ordinance may acquire a reward So is God pleased to grace our dutie for it hath not this estimate ex dignitate operis for any intrinsecall worth but ex dignatione gratiae out of Gods gracious acceptance The Fathers meant no more by the merit of workes and wee should not differ from the Church of Rome about the word merit if they did not racke it farther It is too much pride to challenge the reward of our workes at Gods Iustice which are happie if we may expect it from his Mercie the rather because the little which God requireth and would accept the best of vs doe not performe as wee should wee need a second that we may haue the benefit of his former grace Though the Stipulation be mutuall yet God maketh the first motion and indeed who should begin in such a worke who can thinke himselfe worthy of such a Contract if it were not offered of God especially being in the state of sinne Nay when it is offered we haue good reason to thinke our selues most vnworthy of it 8. Sam 25. Abigail when Dauids seruants told her that hee would take her to wife bowed her selfe on her face to the earth and said Behold let thy handmaid bee a seruant to wash the feet of the seruants of my Lord. And how then should wee abase our selues when an offer is made vs of marriage to the sonne of God Such hopes could neuer enter into our hearts therefore God must needs preuent vs therein we cannot presume that we shall come so neere him except he vouchsafe thus to fauour vs. But let vs come to the Motion and see whereof he doth remember them From the first time that Moses brought them the message that they should bee deliuered out of Egypt they had shewed themselues vntoward people murmuring vpon the least occasion and repenting that they had hearkened to Gods voice and come out of Egypt God doth not challenge them for this though well he might and the best of vs would haue done we would not haue endured so great vnthankfulnesse but God was more patient Before the contract hee did not so much as reproue them much lesse strike them for their murmuring And how often doth God passe in silence our sinnes and winne vs to our owne good with second fauours when he might iustly punish vs with neglect of the former In steed thereof he recounts those things wherein he had alreadie well deserued of them that the remembrance thereof might make them more willing to enter the couenant by vertue whereof God was pleased to deserue of them much better The workes of God whereof they are put in mind are two The first is that which he had done for them and it was a worke of Iustice he had reuenged the wrongs which they had receiued from the Egyptians The Egyptians were of the posteritie of Cham infamous for Idolatrie Quis nescit qualia demens Aegyptus portenta colat so that there was cause enough why God should destroy the Egyptians though they had nothing to doe with the Israelites but
must not onely cease for to hate him but beginne to Loue him also Secondly Christ founded both these partes in our Redemption for Hee dyed and rose againe Saint Paul telleth vs there is a morall in that mysterie it lessoneth vs to dye vnto sinne and to rise vnto righteousnesse finally the Sacrament of Baptisme which in the Scripture is called the Baptisme of repentance Symbolically preacheth both vnto vnto vs the dipping into the water and the taking out of the water what doth it figure but the drowning of sin and the recouering of a sinner The vse that wee must make hereof is that we must not onely desire to be rid of the vncleane spirit but also to be possest of the holy Ghost if wee doe not change one for the other we are not changed so fully as we ought to bee and we must feare his doome out of whom the vncleane spirit was cast in the Gospell whom because the holy Ghost succeeded not the foule spirit repossest the person with seuen worse then himselfe Matth. 12. and made the latter end of that man worse then his beginning And thus much of the nature of Repentance which is the first worke Gods worke which changeth vs from bad to good not onely cleansing sinne but also giuing grace I come now to the second worke which is mans worke in handling whereof we must consider the Order and the Nature of it A word of the order Gods worke goeth before mans man could neuer doe good if God did not first make him good as truely as the dew doth first fall from heauen before there can bee fatnesse in the earth Psal 1. euen so must Gods grace change man before any alteration will appeare in the conuersation of man the tree must be planted by the Riuers of waters Ephes 2.10 before it can bring forth her fruites and we must bee Gods workmanship created vnto good workes before we can walke in them Wee must not therefore take such pleasure in beholding the Tree bee it neuer so richly loaden with fruites as to forget the roote which yeeldeth the iuice without which the Tree could beare no fruit we must so regard mans worke that wee giue the precedencie alwayes to Gods and acknowledge this to bee the off spring of that but enough of the Order I come now to the Worke which is bearing of fruites That which is here called fruites Acts 26. is called workes whereby we gather that good workes are fruites and indeed onely good workes deserue this name for if Saint Austins definition bee true Fructus est quo quis cum gaudio fruitur That is fruit which a man may with comfort enioy how should sinne be reputed fruites Who can take any content in it Not the sinner himselfe for though it be sweete in his mouth as Iob speaketh yet when it commeth downe into his maw Iob 20. it turneth into gall of Aspes Deut 22. well doth Moses compare it to the fruites of Sodome and Gomorrah for as the Booke of Wisedome describeth that fruit faire on the out side but the in-side nothing else but cinders euen so the appearance of sinne is pleasant but the substance of it is very vnsauorie If onely our lustes should be iudges howsoeuer at first they taste it as fruit yet euen they also loath it if they bee long vsed to it but if they swallow it and find no offence in it as too often they doe yet when it commeth to our conscience and thither sooner or later it must come Saint Pauls question will then come seasonably Tom. 6.21 What fruit had yee then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed Sinnes then may not passe for fruits fruits properly so called this title belongeth only to good workes they are fruits indeed they may say as the Vine in the Iudgess They cheare God and Men Chap. 9. God taketh delight in them they are to him a sacrifice of a sweet smell yea hee taketh as much content in them as if he did feed vpon them we learne it in the fiftieth Psalme Thinkest thou saith God that I will eat Buls flesh and drinke the bloud of Goats Offer vnto God praise and call vpon his Name in denying the former he acknowledgeth the later to be his food not that God is the better for ought we doe but so is hee pleased for to honour our workes as the Angels that came to Abraham did partake of his meâ—te not to refresh themselues but to doe him honour As God accepts them for fruits so are they fruits vnto men also vnto others and vnto our selues but with this difference that whereas God was not the better for them men are other men by our good workes are either brought to goodnesse or confirmed therein and as for our selues wee grow thereby in grace and fauour with God and feele more comfortable ioy in our owne soules therefore well may good workes beare the name of fruits And I the very name of fruits distinguishing good workes from bad containeth a good motiue to doe well and forbeare sinne for Who would labour for nought and spend his strength in vaine being not to haue so much as his labour for his paine for he must write vpon his wages not only vanitie but also vexation of spirit And againe Who would bee wearie of well doing that knoweth his labour is not in vaine but that in good time he shall eate the fruit of his labours O well is hee and happie shall he be But wee must marke that our worke is called fruit and not flowers not but that the flower goeth before the fruit but it is the hope of the fruit that maketh the flower to bee esteemed and God counteth that flower little worth that neuer commeth to be fruit we see this in the parable of the seed where that ground only goeth for good in which the feed giueth not ouer vntill it be fit for the Barne and hee that puiteth his hand to the Plough saith Christ in the Gospel Luke 9 6â— and looketh backe is not fit for the Kingdome of Heauen I obserue this the rather because here we may see many faire flowers which in their youth shew good effects of their Gouernours care and paines who no sooner are set at libertie as too often they are before the flowers become fruit but they wither and faile neither Church nor Common-wealth nor themselues are the better for their breeding whom I would haue to carrie this Lesson with them That Goodnesse is not a flower it is fruit and they must aswell ripen as blossome otherwise it will appeare that God in them hath done his worke but they come short of their owne Neither is Goodnesse only called Fruit in the singular number but the word is plurall our worke is many workes wee must beare Fruits we must as the Apostle speaketh be fruitfull in all good workes Col 1.10 The soule of a man is but one but
true Oliue is the Iew and if the Gentile partake of the fatnesse thereof he must be grafted thereinto and become a Branch of that Oliue To the Ephesians more plainly more fully he maketh the receiuing of the Gentiles into the Church to bee an admission into the Couenant into the Common-wealth of Israel Ephes 3. a becomming one body with them But as the Gentile becommeth a Iew so is it not a Iew according to the flesh but according to the spirit A Sonne of Abraham he is but a spirituall Sonne the partition wall is taken downe yea the Arke it selfe is remoued Ieremy 3. and the Ceremonies which cloath the Religion of the Iewes cease they are not imposed vpon the Gentiles Yea the Iew himselfe becommeth a Gentile the Iew I say becommeth a Gentile carnally as the Gentile becommeth a Iew spiritually Of the ten Tribes it is most cleare that after their Captiuity they neuer returned and there is no such Nation to be heard of in the world they are mingled with other Nations and become Gentiles according to the flesh And as for the other two Tribes that made vp the Kingdome of Iuda many thousands of them were conuerted to the Christian Faith in the daies of the Apostles and yet there is not extant any Nationall Church of them neither was there long extant any they also are become Gentiles according to the flesh And God that buried the bodie of Moses so that it could not be found lest the Iewes should commit Idolatry with that body whereby God had wrought so great Miracles seemes also to haue as it were buried so many Iewes as became Christians by mingling them with the Gentiles lest that superstition which hath besotted the Gentiles to goe a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land should haue wrought more strongly in making them dote vpon that holy people But God hath turned all the world into a Canaan hath of all Nations compounded the Israel of God Of a truth saith St. Peter I see there is no respect of Persons with God but in euery Nation whosoeuer beleeueth and feareth God is accepted of him There is neyther Iew nor Gentile Graecian nor Barbarian bond nor free but all are one in Christ all are contained vnder this name Vs. In the Prophet vpon this ground Israel seemes to note the Gentiles Ezek. 37. when both Iuda and Israel are remembred to bee conuerted to God and the whole house of Iacob You see of what Nation the People is now see of what Condition Borne to Vs giuen to Vs. And who are we for whom God hath done this Gifts are bestowed vpon Persons eyther for their worth or for their need For their worth and so they are Munera honoraria they are presented in dutifull acknowledgement of their worth whether it be worth of vertue or worth of degree For their need and so they are Munera eleemosynaria conferred out of a pitifull compassion of others wants This gift is not of the first kinde it cannot be Honorarium There was no worth in vs which God should honour with this gift bestowed vpon vs. Our degree was of no regard our vertue of much Iesse the former was none in comparison and the later was none at all It must then be Munus eleemosynarium and indeed so it was the Scripture so speaketh of it Through the tender mercy of our God the day-spring from on high hath visited vs so saith Zacharie And St. Paul Tit. 3. After the kindnesse and loue of our Sauiour towards man appeared not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but of his mercy he saued vs. And indeed it was a worke of great mercy For whereas there is but duplex malum malum Poenae and malum Culpae a double euill of Sinne and Woe we were plunged deepe in both deep in Sin deepe in Woe To pity him that is deep in woe is not strange it seemeth to be the proper act of Mercy but pity towards Malefactors the Philosophers acknowledge none No man say they pitieth a Thiefe when he goeth to the Gallowes or a Murderer feeling the stroke of Iustice how much lesse would they pity them if the sinne were against themselues and that committed by a Vassall against his Lord a Vassall that had receiued much fauour against his Lord from whom he receiued it In such a case they acknowledge no pity Yet this is our case and we haue found pity so great pity that Christ was borne for Vs and Christ was giuen vnto Vs. So that of this pity as well Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely the Cause but the Occasion must be found in God It is cleare that the proper Cause is the goodnesse of God and it is as cleare that the occasion also must bee fetched from him Were there onely malum Poenae in vs there might bee found in vs an Occasion of Mercie but seeing there is also malum Culpae there cannot but bee an Occasion of Iustice Our double Euill worketh a double Occasion and so maketh Mercie and Iustice as it were to striue in God And indeed both take their occasions Natus satisfied Iustice for a Person came forth that was able to giue full satisfaction vnto Iustice but Datus satisfied Mercy because this Person was freely bestowed vpon Vs. So that if we put Borne for Vs and Giuen to Vs together we see the sweet Harmony that is in the Quire of Gods Attributes None singeth alone they concent together yet so that some one doth most loudly speak the praise of God and in our case Mercy reioyceth ouer Iudgement For though our sinnes haue occasioned Iustice and therefore Christ was borne for Vs that he might satisfie that iustice that was too heauie for vs yet our Woe occasioned Mercy which gaue Christ vnto Vs that in our own Person we might enioy the Blessings of God We are borne for our selues that we may liue and haue all the comfort of our life present to come blessings which we wanted and by which when we receiue them our state is the better It is not so with Christ he was borne for others not for himselfe and giuen to others not to himselfe for what wanted he whereof he needed a supply Hee was in the forme of God and what good is there that is not in the Nature of God which is the ouerflowing Fountaine of all good Looke vpon the State of Christ this Point will appeare clearly No man will doubt but his Birth was for the good of others that considereth that his glory is not his owne but ours He sitteth indeed at the right hand of God and is lifted vp aboue all Angels and Arch-angels and euery Name that is named in Heauen and Earth in this World and that which is to come but what gaineth he by it who was from eternity most high in the glory of his Father Christ himselfe affirmeth it Iohn 17. Glorifie mee O Father with that glory
temporall Iurisdiction should be swallowed vp in the Ecclesiastical State sauour not of the things of God but of the things of this world yea they sow dangerous seeds of discord betweene Princes and Pastors and seeke to breed iealousies vpon which what will follow but that the one will seeke to ruinate the other Christs Kingdome then is of his Church and it is a spirituall Gouernment of his Church Notwithstanding these words must not bee vnderstood exclusiuely as if Christ were so confined to his Church as that he had nothing to doe with those that were without the Church As King Dauid ruled in Israel but so that the Philistines Ammoniâ—es Moabites and all the bordering Countries were subiect vnto his Scepter and hee layd tribute vpon them and commanded them at his pleasure Euen so our Sauiour Christ not only ruleth in his Church but commandeth them also that are without it not onely men but euen the powers of Hell also He hath the keyes both of death and hell and euery knee boweth to him at of things in heauen and of things in earth so euen of things vnder the earth also And it is our comfort that hee which is our King hath so great a Power ouer our Foes the more power hee hath ouer them the lesse wee neede to stand in feare of them the more securely may wee obey him And so haue you heard of what sort Christs Gouernment is The next Point is Wherewith he sustaines this Gouernment it is here said that it shall be vpon his shoulders Morall Princes vnburden themselues vpon the shoulders of others the wits the power of their Officers in peace and warre doe beare vp the greatest part of their state It is not so with our King he beareth all himselfe euen when hee vseth meanes those meanes are but Instruments whose abilitie and efficacie are both from him The Minister speaketh words and dispenseth Elements but in vaine doth he both except Christ bee with him and his spirit make effectuall that which is done by him if there bee not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it will be indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what likelihood was there that a few Fishermen and those vnlearned should euer haue subiected the crownes of Princes the wits of Philosophers the stomacks of the Mighty the desires of the Ambitious finally all kinde of dispositions vnto the Scepter of Christ had not Christs spirit wrought with them A second thing that is to bee obserued in this Word is that as Christ is highest in degree so is hee deepest in care and so should Kings bee The Great world the Little world both preach this Lesson vnto temporal Kings The Great World hath many parts whereof it doth consist and of them one is placed aboue another The higher any part is placed the more it laboureth for the rest by motion and influence Witnesse the Sun the Moone the Starres compared to the inferiour Bodies all which labour for the Earth the basest of all In the Little World of our Body is not our Head set aboue our Hands and our Feete And how painefully doth the Eye watch the Eare heare and euery sense employ it selfe for the direction and preseruation of the Hands and Feete If it bee so in the Creatures that are destitute of Reason betweene reasonable Creatures it should bee much more so The Gouernour must lesse take his ease and lesse be idle than those which are gouerned nay his care his paine must farre exceede theirs he must partake of euery one of theirs Doe wee not see it so in our Body The hand hath his peculiar worke so hath the foote and euery other in feriour part employes it selfe about some particular function but the directiue and commanding parts in man are Architectonicall they resemble the Master of the works in a Building whose presence and guidance runneth through all the seuerall kinde of Labourers appointing what they must doe and caring that they doe it well whether they hew stones or lay them square timber or coâ—ple it whatsoeuer other worke is to bee done the Master hath though not his hand yet his head working with them No otherwise should the Magistrate carry himselfe in his charge nor be lesse prouident in the Common-weale the influence of his care must quicken must order must further whatsouer functions of the people and make them tend to the common good The 72. Psalme compares our Gouernour I meane Christ of whom this Text speaketh vnto a showre of raine and wee see that a showre of raine waters carefully all the plants of the fields the rose the lilly the violet the cedar and the pine all of them do fare the better for the watering of the raine And the grace of Christs spirit is no otherwise showred downe vpon euery member of the Church euery one is nourished therewith Malachie compares him to the Sunne he calleth him The Sun of Righteousnesse And who knoweth not how common the warmth of the Sunne is and how effectuall it is also The Raine yeelds matter to the earth but that it may become prouing matter the earth is beholding to the Sunne which workes the moisture and distributeth it through the whole body of the herbs and plants Christs grace supplyeth both Rain and Sunne from him wee haue both Posse and Velle nay the Apostle saith He worketh in vs both to will and to doe euen of his own good pleasure So that we may well say The Gouernment lyeth vpon his shoulders Vpon his shoulders Princes on earth beare the Ensignes of their Gouernment some in their hands as Scepters some on their heads as Crownes but Christ weareth his on his shoulders The Fathers generally vnderstand this of Christs Crosse some looking to the History related in the Gospell that Christ was made to bear his own Crosse vpon his shoulders when he went vnto his death which they say was prophesied of in the 95. Psalme Dicite in gentibus quia Dominus regnauit à ligno So saith St. Austin it was anciently read though it be not found so read now ordinarily in the Septuagint The Iewes in malice razed it out as hee thinkes But because the Hebrew Text hath it not wee neede not stand vpon so vncertaine a ground Wee may take a better eyther from the type of Aaron bearing the twelue Tribes ingrauen vpon his shoulders when he went into the Temple or from Eliakim Esay 22. vpon whose shoulders the key of the house of Dauid was layd or from the shepheard bearing the lost sheepe vpon his shoulders or if you will haue it of the Crosse take it from Christ himselfe speaking to the Disciples that went to Emmaus Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and so to enter into his glory or from St. Paul also Christ triumphed ouer Powers and Principalities in his person but then when this Person suffered vpon the Crosse So that Christ reigned in his passion and because in his passion therefore had he his Gouernment
not temporall but eternall so likewise the condition of it is not worldly it is Peace Divus Nerua saith Tacitus duas res olim insociabiles coniunxit imperium libertatem Hee spake with the most that ascribed so much vnto Nerua but of Christ is may be most truly affirmed that where he raignes there is peace and free liberty for euery Subiect It is too vsuall with men the wiser they are the more to bee turbulent and disquieters of States the more power they haue the more to tyrannize it is not so with our King but hee that is wonderfull for Counsell mighty for Power bends both his Counsell and his Power to worke Peace that peace which is the portion of his Church and which none partake beside the members thereof This Prophet hath peremptorily pronounced There is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God Esay 57. Hee compares them to the Sea still raging and foming casting out their owne shame Salomon vnto vanity adds vexation of spirit You may see it in the particular case of all wicked men that sure they haue no rest They haue no rest ab intra they neuer can light vpon that which doth sistere appetitum which maketh them range in their desires in their endeauours neuer finding where to settle and ab extra too they are vnquiet for the whirle-winde of God driueth them like chaffe and like a floud it driueth them downe the streame And indeed how should they bee quiet that are compared vnto the sea which when there is no storme cannot stand still but hath his flux and reflux And no wonder for it is the subiect of the Moone than which nothing is more changeable A fit Embleme of the world vpon which whosoeuer dependeth cannot be stable when the world it selfe is so vnstedfast But no greater argument can be brought for their want of quiet than that which is taken from the nature of peace and the nature thereof is insinuated in the word wherewith the holy Ghost in the Hebrew tongue expresseth it no tongue doth so vsually fit words to things and giue vs a notion of the things by the words Now the word Shalom which signifieth Peace doth in the roote containe two significations the one of Perfection the other of Retribution and these two comprehend the full nature of peace wherein there is first perfection What perfection is I will shew you corporally that you may the better conceiue it spiritually God hath made the eye to see and the eare to hear the eye seeth colours the eare heareth sounds that betweene those obiects and these senses there may be quiet the sense must be in good temper and the obiect such as will giue content if the sense bee sound and the obiect pleasing there groweth peace betweene them but if eyther the obiect bee not proportioned to the eye to please it and so likewise the sound to the eare or if the eare and the eye be vnsound so that it cannot endure the obiect then groweth vnquietnesse As it is thus bodily so spiritually there is an obiect that must be entertained by vs and wee must be fit to entertaine it Gods Word and his Workes If our senses be so sanctified that we can behold them and they doe so testifie Gods will to vs that we receiue comfort by them then there is Peace Apply this vnto the godly and you shall finde that the things of God doe alwayes giue them content and they delight to solace themselues in them yea though the crosse goe withall and they are exposed to worldly troubles yet euery good man is Medijs tranquillus in vndis Et si fractus illabatur orbis impauidum ferient rumae As for the wicked it is not so with them for eyther they want those senses whereby they should entertain Gods gracious countenance when it is present with them and so peace faileth in them for want of that wherewith they should receiue it or else if God giue them senses to see him they see nothing but Iustice and Wrath in him and so in regard of the obiect they haue no peace stupidity and senslesnesse of Gods iudgements which sometimes doth befall them especially in prosperity maketh a shew of peace but indeed it is nothing lesse For if so bee the parts of our body and powers of our soule doe not worke vpon their proper obiects and in working finde content there is not the nature of peace peace so farre as it consists in perfection Which vnderstood spiritually is nothing else but grace grace is the first kinde of peace which belongs vnto the Church Besides this peace of perfection there is a peace of retribution Euery Commandement as it hath his precept so it hath his sanction also and as we are commanded in the one so wee haue a promise in the other Glory is promised for grace and the seruant to whom the master saith Well done shall enter into his Masters ioy he shall haue peace for peace yea peace vpon peace the peace of heauen heaped vpon that peace which he had in earth which is nothing else but the reward of godlinesse You see the two branches of peace perfection and retribution of both these Christ is Prince Hee is the Author both of grace and glory the true King of Salem Ephes 2.14 the true Salomon the true Noah whom St. Paul calleth our Peace Luke 2.14 Luke 10.5 at whose birth the Angels sung In earth peace whose first Sermon that he commanded his Apostles to preach was Peace be to this house who taking leaue of his Disciples Ioh. 14.27 gaue them Peace when he went to his death Luke 24.36 when he rose from the dead finally as the Apostle saith Slew hatred and set at one all things both in heauen and earth The Prophets euery where speak of his Kingdome as of a Kingdome of peace Read Psalm 72. Esay 32. c. That the inheritance wee shall haue is eternall you heard before But the inheritance of the wicked is eternall also Goe ye cursed shall the Iudge say into euerlasting fire and they haue a worme that neuer dyeth but theirs is a miserable eternity an vnquiet inheritance hunger and thirst nakednesse and paine chaines and vtter darkenesse weeping and gnashing of teeth are their portion and where these are what trouble is there not But ours is a better eternity it is a peaceable one as wee shall euer bee so shall we euer be at quiet at quiet passiuely nothing shall disquiet vs at quiet actiuely we shall disquiet none Wee shall be pacati and pacifici sit at rest our selues and disturbe none It shall be so in heauen fully in earth it should be so in a good measure for Gods will should be done in earth as it is in heauen and we should begin our heauen here vpon earth We should beginne to exercise the Peace of Perfection and foretaste the Peace of Retribution that so we might haue a good experiment
before God wee thinke wee should haue lesse sense of our sinne because we haue in worldly things outstript our neighbours And yet if you obserue you shall finde that none are more ambitious after caps and knees and more moody if they bee disregarded than they that regard God least and are least respectiue of his Maiestie What shall I say then to you imitemur Ducem nostrum let vs thinke Christs practice worth the imitation let not seruants sticke at that which is done by the Sonne let vs not bee ashamed to doe for our selues that which Christ hath done not onely before vs but for vs also when we pray let vs pray most humbly The second part of Reuerence is Loue and that appeareth in the compellation My Father Abba Father But I told you that we were therin distinctly to obserue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my Father so St. Matthew deliuereth Christs words and they are a sweete insinuation they serue stealingly to melt the affection of a Father As a Father pitieth his childe saith the Psalmist Psal 103. seuen so doth the Lord pity them that feare him Esay goeth farther cap. 59. Can a woman forget her sucking childe that shee should not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe yea she may forget yet will not I forget thee Our Sauiour Christ enlargeth this comparison If you being euill know how to giue good gifts vnto your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue good gifts to them that aske him Mat. 7. So then where there is a Father there are bowels on earth commonly in heauen vndoubtedly Lib. 1. de Abraham◠cap. 8. What then St. Ambrose spake of the like words vttered by Isaac to his father Abraham when Abraham went about to sacrifice Isaac a liuely type of this entercourse betweene God and Christ in the matter of the Crosse may I well apply to this compellation of God Pulsatur pietatis vocabulis these bee words that will try his bowels whether they be tender or no he giueth a good reason Nomina vita solent operari gratiam non ministerium necis what stronger motiue to obtaine grace than for a childe by mentioning the word Father to put him in minde that he was the author of his life for can he be so hard hearted as to further the abolishing thereof by death St. Chrysostome weighing the very same words as they were vttered by Isaac pronounceth of them Sufficiebat hoc verbum ad lancinanda iusti viscera Abraham could not digest the words but hee must offer violence vnto his owne bowels How powerfull then must Christs words be with God if nature required that Abraham should be so moued with them when they were spoken by Isaac Certainly if My Father preuaile not I know not what compellation will worke in the bowels of God And yet here you must obserue that as Isaacs My Father remoued not Abraham from his faithfull obedience no more did Christs My Father alter Gods determinate course for the redemption of man his Loue vnto vs made him seem to be bowellesse towards his owne Sonne at so much the higher rate therefore are wee to value our Redemption As there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the compellation so there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also besides the sweete insinuation Christ expresseth a feruent importunity Abba Pater as the Greeke as the Syriac Father Father The Greeke expresseth the language of the Iew and the language of the Gentile to signifie that God by Christs Crosse was to become the Father as well of the Gentile as of the Iew. But the Syriac doubleth the same word while Christ was in his Agonie saith St. Luke he prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more earnestly Cap. 22. St. Paul Hebr. 5. tels vs that Christ offered vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death And the passion Psalmes how full of this zeale are they Psal 22. 69. c. and how do they as it were force a way by Gods eares vnto his heart Certainly God doth not loue cold prayers that biddeth vs aske seeke knocke in the Parable of the vniust Iudge Christ teacheth vs this duty and the Canaanitish woman is a good example of such acceptable importunity but beyond all this practice of our Sauiour Christ for what can bee added vnto his compellation surely nothing and yet it is little that so much religious Rhetoricke doth worke And what doe wee learne herehence euen this that though in praying we doe our best yet we must not looke to speede alwayes neither must it grieue vs seeing Christ was contented to take a repulse God will haue vs entreate him with the best of our deuotion but the successe thereof he will haue vs leaue to his disposition wherein I commend no more vnto you than I find done by Christ as now you are to heare in the following part of my Text. Hauing shewed you sufficiently to whom Christ directeth his prayer I will now shew vnto you what he expresseth therein hee expresseth the wish of Nature and the will of Grace The wish of Nature is against the Crosse the Crosse is exprest by two words haec Hora and hic Calix this Houre this Cup the Houre noteth the time prefixed for Christs suffering as that which Christ was to suffer is vnderstood by the Cup yet so that the Cup includeth the Houre and the Houre the Cup. But to handle them distinctly Haec hora is an Ellipticall phrase you may supply it out of the third of the Reuelation where it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Houre of temptation And indeede the Crosse put Christ to it it tryed him to the vttermost therefore well may it bee called Haec hora more than an ordinary houre for it was a most wofull time But this word hath two additions elsewhere for sometimes wee reade Hora mea my Houre Luke 22.53 sometimes Hora vestra your Houre Iohn 12.27 It was a time wherein Christ was to be a patient in that respect doth he call it His houre and the wicked were to be agents in that respect hee calleth it their houre each of them were to act their parts and for that they had this time assigned them But we must ascend aboue them both euen vnto God who as he is Gouernour of the world keepeth times and seasons in his owne power so that nothing is either suffered or done but in the time which he hath prefixed And if it be true of all times then specially of most remarkable times such as was the time of Christs Passion which being fixed neither himselfe did preuent neither could it be preuented by others Christ doth more than once alledge for a reason why the malice and craft of his enemies tooke not place but that maugre all their endeauours he went on in his Ministry Hora mea nondum venit
shepheard and high steward of Gods house appoints all vnder officers He sent the Apostles and by the Apostles others And this his sending is called here a Gift and well it may be so called for God might haue left vs in the dregges of our corrupt nature or after we are called suffer vs to relapse but hee is pleased to appoint meanes of our new birth and to recouer vs when we fall which wee may well call a Gift Secondly it is such a gift as men desire In the fift of Deuteronemie it appeares that when the Israclites had once heard God they desired to heare him no more they desired a Moses and God was pleased to yeelde to their desire and hath euer since fedde them by men Thirdly this dedit is not restrained only to the Apostles time for they had semen in speciem the Church hath still the same commandement and the same promise and must propagate these functions and what wee doe Christ doth by vs. Fourthly no man must take it before it s giuen no man must take this office before he is called seeing it is a power no man must vsurpe it without his leaue to whom God hath giuen all power especially seeing the sinewes of it are the assisting Spirit of whose presence no man may presume without imposition of hands for he breathes where he will not where we will Christ though hee bee gone from the Church doth not destitute his Church if the Church will follow his Ordinance Finally holy Orders are a Gift therefore not to be bought Symony is opposite to the nature of them Precio res nulla Deiconstat Tertul. apolog This generall Rule is specially true of holy Orders and therefore I thinke the Schooles call grace of Edification gratis datam I am sure these things must be freely receiued giuen I conclude when wee looke vpon holy Orders we must obserue two duties that are required Reuerence which is called for by the Author and Obedience by the vse ANd God grant that we may both Pastor and People so be affected to these meanes and so be wrought by them as that God may haue his glory and we may reape our good Amen THE THIRD SERMON EPHES. 4. Vers 8 9 10. Wherefore he saith when he ascended vp on high heled captiuitie captiue and gaue gifts to men Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth He that descended is the same also that ascended vp farre aboue all Heauens that he might fill all things THE Church is but one and therefore the members thereof should liue at one two speciall reasons mouing hereunto the Apostle in the second part of this Chapter alledgeth the first of which is drawne from the meanes whereby the second from the end wherefore the Church is indued with manifold graces Of the meanes I haue begun heretofore to speak and told you that the meanes is Christ and touching Christ the Text doth teach what he did and what right he had to doe it Of these two points I haue handled the former at seuerall times I haue shewed you what Christ did it followeth that I now goe on and shew what right he had to doe it And the Apostle will shew vs that Christ did no more than he might he gathereth it from Christs ascension for that ascension was a deserued Triumph In a triumph as they which are read in stories doe know there were two obserueable things the person of the Conquerour was carried in state and the monuments of the Conquest did attend his chariot and were disposable at his pleasure behold these things in the Ascension of Christ first Exaltation of his person Hee ascended on high farre aboue all Heauens secondly the Attendants vpon his exalted person Hee led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts to men such was his Triumph And this Triumph was deserued for he was not exalted before he was humbled that hee ascended what was it but that hee first descended yea he ascended not so high but hee first descended as lowe as hee ascended farre aboue all Heauens so hee descended into the lower parts of the Earth The same person is the subiect of both He that ascended is the very same that descended These are the particulars whereof I shall God willing now speake briefly and in their order and first of the Exaltation of his person And the Exaltation was the ascending thereof on high Ille triumphato Capitolia ad alta Corintho Victor agit currus On high saith St. Hierome that is to an high place and state First to a place Localis Homo c. saith Fulgentius ad Thrasimundum Christ being man wheresoeuer he is he is in a place and St. Austin Tolle spatia corporibus non erunt Christ could not haue a body and that body not contained in a place whatsoeuer deuices the Vbiquitaries haue to colour their conceits of the illocality of Christs body by that rule of St. Austin and St. Austins rule is grounded vpon the nature of bodies they cannot auoide a contradiction Into a place then Christ ascended and it is behoofefull for vs so to thinke for as Christs Ascension was so shall ours be Christ speaketh it expresly Where I am Iohn 17. 1. Cor. 5. there saith Christ in his prayer I will that all that beleeue in me be also and St. Paul doth distinguish betweene our presence and absence from the Lord which could not be if Christs body were euery where Where the place is whereinto Christ ascended we may gather out of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth often signifie Heauen God on high is as much as God in Heauen but St. Paul here puts it out of all doubt when hee saith he ascended farre aboue all Heauens meaning the visible Heauens and so pointing at the place which hee elsewhere calleth the third Heauen 2. Cor. 12. which is a place appointed to bee the receptacle of Saints What manner of place it is we need not curiously enquire wee should rather striue to come to the place of this wee may bee assured that being the place which God hath assigned wherein hee will haue Angels and men enioy blessednesse it must needes bee a blessed place it is resembled to Paradise wherein grow the trees and runne the waters of euerlasting life it was shadowed by the holy Land flowing with milke and honey it was represented to St. Iohn in that glorious heauenly Hierusalem that came downe from Heauen it is called Gods House Gods Sanctuary the City of God and the Kingdome of Heauen the pleasures thereof we finde touched in the 16. and in the 36. Psalmes This must be obserued concerning the place because it is the first steppe of felicitie this earth is the valley of teares and they that liue here are in condition answerable to the place mortall in a mortall place and Christ hauing put off his mortality was no longer to abide in a
haue not been carefull to bring them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to the knowledge of Christ and participation of the Gospel Much trauelling to the Indies East and West but wherefore some go to possesse themselues of the Lands of the Infidels but most by commerce if by commerce to grow richer by their goods But where is the Prince or State that pitieth their soules and without any worldly respect endeauours the gaining of them vnto God some shew we make but it is but a poore one for it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an accessorie to our worldly desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not it is not our primarie intention wheras Christs method is Mat. 6.33 first seeke ye the kingdome of God and then all other things shall be added vnto you you shall fare the better for it in your worldly estate If the Apostles and Apostolicke men had affected our saluation no more we might haue continued till this day such as somtimes we were barbarous subiects of the Prince of darknesse Those of the Church of Rome boast of their better zeale for the Kingdome of Christ but their owne Histories shew that Ambition and Couetousnesse haue beene the most predominant Affections that haue swayed their endeauours and they haue with detestable cruelty made their way to those worldly ends in stead of sauing soules haue destroyed millions of persons We should take another course for their conuersion yea the same that was taken for ours and if wee doe it is to be hoped God will continue vs his people and adde daily to his Church such as shal be saued For Popish Recusants let me speake a word their case is mixt consisting partly in ignorance of the truth and partly in the seed of disloyaltie Wee haue made many good Lawes if not to roote out at least to keepe downe so much of their corruption as is dangerous to the State it were to bee wisht that greater care were taken for informing their consciences and indeed there should our Lawes beginne with them vnder a reasonable paine to vrge them to conference for why should we doubt but that God would blesse the honest endeauours of the Ministers of the truth who permits the Seducers to steale away so many hearts from God and the King Of this we may be sure that eyther God will worke that which we wish the recouery of those which are seduced or at least their obstinacie will bee without all excuse and the punishment thereof by sharpe Lawes will be no more than is iust in the sight both of God and man The neglect of this care of infidels and recusants is no small cause of that great distresse which at this day is fallen vpon the reformed Churches and God thereby calleth vpon vs to amend these defects Let vs vse our punishment well and let Gods chastisement prouoke vs to a better life though it seeme grieuous to vnderlie Gods heauy hand yet it is much more grieuous to be neuer a whit the better for the plagues for it is a second refusing of grace the same God that doth at first recommend vnto vs pietie by sweetning it with temporall blessings when that course speedeth not tryeth whether wee will bethinke our selues if we smart for our vntowardlinesse and certainly his case is desperate who is the worse for his stripes as you may reade in Gods complaint passionately exprest by Esay Cap. 1. Cap. 5. Cap. 4. by Amos and Ieremie hath illustrated it by an excellent simile of reprobate siluer which is molten in vaine because the drosse cannot bee separated from it Amend then wee must That is not enough we must be constant in our amendment we must feare God all the dayes of our life that is true Repentance when a man so turneth to God that he doth not returne againe like a dogge to his vomit or a sow to wallow in the myre Relapses are dangerous as Saint Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 2.21 and our Sauiour Christ tels the recouered lame man in the Gospel Iohn 5. Behold thou art made whole goe thy way sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thee I will hearken saith the Psalmist Psal 85. what the Lord will say vnto me for he will speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they returne not again vnto their folly We should all remember Lots wife who for looking backe was turned into a pillar of salt Animae in vitia relabentis accusatricem a visible inditement of relapsing soules Most men are to God-ward like Planets sometimes in coniunction with him sometimes in a more or lesse aspect too often in plaine opposition but let vs take heed we be not in the number of those wandring stars of whom St. Iude speaketh to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer To begin well and not to go on is as if a man should put a soueraigne plaister to a dangerous wound and after a while teare it off againe thinke you that man would bee the better for his salue or the worse rather you heard before our sinnes are wounds and although repentance be a soueraigne salue yet proueth it not such vnto vs except it be lasting There is a good reason giuen by St. Bernard Cecidimus in lutum lapides our sias are like vnto fals into the myre wherein there are stones the mud doth soile vs and the stones bruise vs we may soone wash away the myre but we cannot so soone recouer our bruise euen so the guilt of our sin is sooner remitted than the corruption can be purged Therefore Repentance taketh time to restore our spirituall health and doth not compasse it but with much fasting watching praying almesdeeds c. and is watchfull ouer vs that second wounds make not the first more dangerous in a word being deliuered from our enemies and the hands of all that hate vs we endeauour to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Here are added two motiues vnto this constant amendment taken from the place wherein they liue It is true that wheresoeuer they liued they were to feare God all the dayes of their life because God is euery where a knower of the the heart a rewarder of men according to their workes But the place of their aboad put no small obligation vpon them first because it was an eminent place eminent corporally a good Land a Land flowing with milke and honey eminent mystically for it was the seate of the Church and a type of heauen and who should bee fruitfull in good workes rather than they that dwell in a fruitfull Land and holinesse beseemeth Gods house for euer But to sin in the Land of Immanuel in the Land of vprightnesse is no small improuement of sin and hee that is barren of good works in a fruitfull Land shall haue the earth that brings forth her increase rise vp in iudgement against him Our Countrey hath both
them Glory here he commandeth our seruice there he giueth vs our reward in Earth hee bindeth and looseth by his Ministers and what soeuer they binde or loose here himselfe doth ratifie in Heauen he reigneth in Heauen in glory and by his Spirit hee ruleth on Earth therefore the Angels and Saints adore him in Heauen no lesse than the faithfull doe here on Earth both are recapitulated in him as the Apostle speaketh hee is that Iacobs Ladder one end whereof reacheth to Heauen and the other to the Earth vpon him continually do the Angels ascend and descend vnto these two places Finally the Angels at his Birth congratulate both places Glory be to God on high that is in Heauen in earth peace good will towards men Luke 2. and the Apostle saith it is the fulnesse of Him that filleth all in all And thus much of Christs right or power to send Come we to the Errant he sends them on This is grounded vpon that power of Christ wherof you haue heard the Illatiue Therefore importeth as much And indeede a Kingly power hath good right to send Embassadors and the Dignity of the Embassador is answerable to the King from whom he commeth he that looketh vpon the persons of Ministers only will not much esteeme eyther them or their words but adde whose Ministers they are and that requireth reuerence to bee yeelded to their persons and obedience to their doctrine Especially if we consider that all those to whom they come are at his mercy from whom they come for he hath power ouer them all and such power hee must haue that sends so it is not a message sent by a King to a neighbour King but by a King to his Vassals the more are they to be respected and their words heeded But let vs come to their Charge Ite Goe yee They were not to abide still at Ierusalem after they were endued with power from aboue they were presently to be walking their names Apostles Angels Embassadors all sound a walking life But in the word take notice of two things First the Apostles doe not goe before they are sent it is the marke of a false Apostle to bee so forward Hebr. 5. No man should take vnto himselfe this honour except hee be called by those to whom Christ hath giuen authority It is an Anabaptisticall dreame that euery man may thrust himselfe into this worke as he findeth himselfe moued by the Spirit and it is an impious attempt of some vagrant Schollars that make vp a poore liuing by exercising this Function whereunto they were neuer ordered how farre are both these from that modesty which was in Moses in Ieremy and others who were so farre from going before they were called that they held backe when God would send them and pleaded their insufficiency so did Chrysostome Nazianzene other Lights of the Church And indeede Quis ad haec idoneus He is ouer well conceited of himselfe whosoeuer he be that doth not thinke it to be an ouer-weighty burden a burden that will crush the strongest shoulders if he beare it as he should Notwithstanding when God commeth to Quid statis hic otiosi Why stand you idle as many as are fit to worke wee must yeeld our paines and doe as well as wee can though wee cannot doe so well as wee should it is no lesse a fault to bee too backward than to bee too forward and yet there are many such whether because they thinke the calling vnworthy their gifts and below their birth or because they will not vndergoe the paines and danger that doth accompany the same men that will neuer bee Labourers except they be thrust into the Haruest thrust not by the Lord of the Haruest but by their owne necessities or aduantages A second Note in this word Ite is that wheras the world should come vnto God out of a sense of their owne want God is faine to send to them this word iustifieth that saying of God in the Prophet I am found of them that sought mee not I am made manifest to them that enquired not after mee Esay 65. Neuer would Adam haue returned to God if God had not sought him out and the sonnes of Adam would perish in their sinnes did not he seeke them likewise The Marriage Feast would hane no guests if the King did not onely inuite them but send his seruants also to call yea compell them Therefore this Ite should remember vs to magnifie the goodnesse of God which is so indulgent to vs carelesse men But let vs come to the particulars of the Charge and first see to Whom they are sent They haue a great Iourney to goe for they must goe to all Nations In the first Mission the Apostles were restrained to the lost sheepe of Israel and forbidden to goe into the way of the Gentiles or into a Citie of the Samaritanes that Commission is here recalled and the partition Wall is broken downe and their Circuit is enlarged they are taught that in Iesus Christ there is neyther Iewe nor Gentile Grecian nor Barbariaâ— bond nor free male nor female all are one in him as St. Paul saith and St. Peter warned by a Vision breakes out into this confession I perceiue of a truth that there is no respect of persons with God but in euery Nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him the Prophets foretold it should be so â—â—ay 2. 49. Psal 2. 71. and now the Apostles heare from Christ that they must make good those Prophesies their sound must goe out into all the world they must be the Light of the world or rather carry the Sunne of Righteousnesse round about the world and they must be the Salt of the earth that must season all mankinde which Christ sanctified in his person Rom. 10. compared with Psulmo 19. and though by others hee were called the Sonne of Dauid yet the name which hee commonly giueth himselfe is the Sonne of man And here see a difference between the Typicall and the true Redemption the Typicall extended to one Nation and Moses Law went no farther the true reacheth all mankinde and the Gospell must be carried as farre But here wee must take heede of a mistake the Nations are oftentimes opposed to the Iewes so wee finde it in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles But it is not so here for the Apostles are willed to preach vnto all Nations beginning at Ierusalem and so saith St. Paul To you ought the Gospell first to be preached but because you make your selues vnworthy of it loe we turne to the Gentiles And here also wee must not mistake for from the contempt of the Iew occasion was taken of preaching sooner to the Gentiles not simply of preaching to them had the Iewes entertained the Gospell the Apostles would haue spent more time with them and they spent the lesse time with them because they did not entertaine it The truth then is that all
the vncleane Spirit I goe on This censure which you haue heard of was inflicted by St PAVL and the Acts of inflicting it are two first it is pronounced by himselfe iudicially and then he requireth that it be solemnly denounced by the Corinthians First touching his owne iudiciall pronouncing here is something remarkable in his person for he was absent and present absent in body present in Spirit There is a morall rule contained in these words and a miracle The morall is this distance of place doth not extinguish the relation that is betweene persons though a King and his Subiects a Master and his Seruant a Husband and his Wife a Father and his Child be farre a sunder yet may they giue order one to another concerning their affaires so may a Pastor to his CHVRCH Especially an Apostle might who wheresoeuer he were was neuer out of his Dioces for his Dioces reached ouer all the world and so St PAVL being at Ephesus in Asia was in regard of his relation at Corinth also which is in Europe thus was he present euen when he was absent These words containe also a miracle Papae quanta est virtus doni saith St CHRYSOSTOME What a strange guift of the Spirit was this which maketh men that are a sunder to be together and informeth men of those things which are done a farre off so that none of his Dioces could any where be out of his reach Such an assistance of the Spirit had ELIZEVS 2 King 5. 8 who being in Israel could tell what was done in the King of Syria's bed-chamber and being in his owne chamber saw GEHEZI take bribes of NAAMAN when he was farre out of his sight Such a guift had St PAVL and thereby could be present where he was absent as he speaketh here and he tels the Colossians Cap. 2. that when he was absent yet he did he hold their order and stedfastnesse of their faith in Christ as his knowledge so also his power reached to any distance for the punishing of offendors This being obserued concerning his person we are now to see his worke he doth pronounce iudicially I haue iudged already Where we must first obserue that when Iurisdictions are subordinate if the inferiour be carelesse the superiour must take cognizance of the disorder and supply the others negligence otherwise Churches and Common-weales will come to confusion this is the course that St PAVL taketh in his place Secondly the word iudging doth import that he did not deale passionately or rashly but aduisedly and as beseemed a Iudge he tryed the cause by the Law of GOD and doomed not what he found not forbidden therein And indeed Apud Deum non sacerdotis sententia sed reorum vita quaeritur there must be some generall Law which men are bound to obey and mens liues must be tryed by that Law and as they are found so they must be censured otherwise GOD doth not regard he doth not approue the censure Last of all marke that St PAVL doth not onely say I haue iudged but I haue iudged already he doth not put off his iudgement vntill he commeth to Corinth but proceeds without delay you shall find the reason in the Preacher cap. 8. Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe euill a timely chastisement of one is a soueraigne preseruatiue of many You haue heard how iudicially St PAVL pronounced the sentence the next thing that you must heare is that he requires the Corinthians to denounce it solemnly he will that they haue a hand in it partly to redeeme their negligence and partly to expresse their detestation of sinne in both respects it was behoofefull that they should denounce what he had decreed denounce it by the mouthes of their Pastors as what is decreed by vs in the Consistorie is published by the Minister of the Parish where the sinner dwelleth whom our Decrees concerne But to denounce is not enough they must denounce it solemnly First in regard of the place it must be done in the face of the CHVRCH You being gathered together and my spirit with you that is in the presence of the chiefe Pastor and all his Flocke at Corinth Notorietas facti must haue notorietatem iuris Deut. 29. a publike sinne must haue a publike doome that others may behold and beware But this is done tantum conscia Ecclesia the Congregation is but witnesse to the doome not Iudge of the fact the power of the Keyes is giuen to the CHVRCH quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may haue the benefit of them not the managing the managing is committed onely to the Pastor as appeares Math. 16. and Ioh. 20. As the denouncing must be solemne in place so must it be in proceeding also for they must proceed cum potestate potenti â with the Authoritie and Efficacie of our Lord IESVS CHRIST St PAVL doth pronounce the Corinthians doe denounce neither of them must arrogate more to himselfe then is committed to him in regard of Authoritie they are but Delegates in regard of Efficacie they are but Instruments of CHRIST he is the Author and Actor of the Censure so that the proceeding must not be in mans name or with mans power but in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ and with the Power of our Lord Iesus Christ This maketh the proceeding to be solemne in deed CHRIST is present at it his Commission is our warrant and his cooperation maketh good our censure Whose soeuer sinnes ye remit Iohn â—â— they are remitted vnto them and whose soeuer sinnes ye retaine they are retained Whatsoeuer ye bind on Earth it shall be bound in Heauen So that we must doe all ad nutum summi Pastoris as we are directed and authorized by the chiefe Pastor And you that are the Penitent must heare and feare the sentence as if it came from CHRIST's owne mouth and were to be performed by CHRIST's owne hand Put all the parts of the censure together and you will confesse that it is horrendum iudicium for you must set before your eyes Heauen and Hell the blessed state of those that are in the one the woefull state of those that are in the other then behold a man taken out of the blisse of the one and throwne into the woe of the other by an Apostle and in the presence of all the Saints nay by CHRIST himselfe by his voyce by his hands you must suppose that all this is done Contra Aduer sarium legis Lib. 1. cap. 17. St AVSTIN when he considered it thought it was grauius quam gladio feriri c. much more grieuous then to be beheaded burned stoned c. Many euidences there are of GODS seueritie against impure lusts Deut. 23. as namely he would not that a bastard should come into the Congregation of Israel
CHRISTS deed a verie miraculous deed As there was a miracle in this deed so was there in his words for they were commanding and the command was no lesse effectuall then peremtorie dixit factum est all obeyed without disputing Measure these words as you did the deed by the out-side of the person they also proue a great Miracle When CHRIST with such words and deeds had amazed the Iewes and prepared their attention tanquam Dominus carrying himselfe as a King he then goeth on saith St Cyril tanquam Doctor at my Text he puts on the person of a Prophet he seconds his correction with instruction and diswades from that which prouoked his displeasure So then the opening and forbidding of the Iewes sinne are the two points whereinto we must resolue this Scripture The Iewes did confound the Temple with a Market that was their sinne and that was it which CHRIST could not endure But more distinctly The Temple is a place of GODS gratious presence Of his presence for it is his House But that presence is gratious for he is there as the Father of CHRIST Sancta Sanctè they must looke to their feet that come into this House and put off their shooes that tread vpon that holy ground The Market is an House of Merchandize men assemble there for worldly commerce Terrena sapiunt dum terrena tractant as are the things so will their minds be those earthly therefore these Seing then these places be so different and our carriage must suit the place we cannot confound them without sinne and this sinne CHRIST forbids Make not my Fathers House an house of merchandize I haue vnfolded and digested the contents of this Scripture we must now looke into them more throughly I pray GOD we may doe it fruitfully also To begin then with the Temple It is here called Gods House But we may not grosly conceiue of this phrase or dreame that he is included in a place The properties of a place are to be definitiue and preseruatiue it limits and sustaines whatsoeuer thing is in it whereupon the Schooles make a question whether it may agree to any Spirit at all But it is out of all question That to GOD the Father of Spirits it can no way agree It could not before the Creation for then there was nothing but GOD neither can it since for he impaired not his owne when he gaue being to the Creatures His Essence then continueth vnlimited higher then the Heauens deeper then Hell longer then the Earth wider then the Sea as Zophar the Naamathite speaketh in the 11 of Iob GOD hath no bounds of himselfe but himselfe As his Essence continues vnlimited so doth it independent his name is Shaddai All-sufficient therefore doth the Scripture adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his perfections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely-wise Onely-immortall Onely-Lord c. and the Fathers compound his Attributes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mightie of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of himselfe what GOD is none is besides neither is he beholding to any besides himselfe for whatsoeuer he is Seeing then the condition of GODS nature doth exclude a place how may he be said to be in a house Philo Iudaeus answereth truly though briefly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for his owne but for his Creatures good yea there is a necessitie that wheresoeuer a Creature is there the Creator must be also for all things liue moue and haue their being not onely by him but in him Act. 17. as the Apostle speaketh So that Vorstius his limitation of GODS Essence to Heauen doth imply a denyall not onely of the Redemption for the Sonne of GOD could not be incarnate on earth if that were true but also of the Creation for if GODS Essence be not present with euerie creature then the creature subsisteth in it selfe and looke in what it subsisteth from that it had his being and so the Creature will proue a Creator which is a plaine contradiction Let it then stand for a fundamentall truth That GODS Essence is euerie-where and we are euer not onely vnder his eye but also in his hand therefore it is as impossible for vs to subsist without him as to hide our selues from him If we did meditate on such a presence it would breed in vs shame and feare shame to be guiltie before such a witnesse and feare to be obnoxious to such a Iudge But more think on GOD then make vse of this generall presence and no wonder seeing they neglect a greater shall I say certainly a better I meane GODS gratious presence in the Temple Let vs now come to that from a place to this place the place of GODS residence amongst his people Though then GOD be euerie-where yet where the Church is there is in a speciall sort his place which in my Text is called his house Now the Church is partly triumphant and partly militant therefore hath GOD an House in Heauen Cap. 14 of which CHRIST speaketh in St Iohn and an House on earth which Salomon speaketh of in his dedicatorie Prayer 1 Kings 8. we haue to doe with this latter yet may we not forget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is good correspondencie betweene the House in Heauen and the House on Earth as Nazianzene gathereth out of the Epistle to the Hebrewes Cap. 8. and the Apostle out of Moses Hereupon is grounded the frequent communion of names Heauen is called a Sanctuarie and the Sanctuarie is called Heauen as if that were Caelestle solum Earth in Heauen and this terrestre Caelum Heauen on Earth which I note the rather because this correspondencie maketh much for the increase of that reuerence which is due to the place The place of GODS presence in the Temple was full of gratious Maiestie Of Maiestie for it was called Hekal which signifieth a Kingly Palace And indeed GOD represented himselfe there as King for he was present in the Cloud that conducted the Israelites out of Aegypt Exod. 23 and of the Angel that appeared therein GOD said Nomen meum est in eo therefore where that rested GOD was said there to put his Name and it rested betweene the Cherubins as vpon a Throne of State to say nothing of the Cherubs that were figured on the walles enuironing that Throne seruing to set forth the Maiestie thereof But this is much more cleere in the Visions of Esay Ezechiel Daniel and St Iohn all which put life into these dead Types and set forth the liuing GOD attended with infinite numbers of holy liuing Spirits whose awfull behauiour preach humilitie to vs vile sinfull wretches and teach how we should come into the presence of our glorious GOD we should all be affected as Iacob was in his vision and breake out into his words How dreadfull is this place Gen. 28. But as the place is full of Maiestie so is that Maiestie gratious for there
pleasurably with sinne as it shall bee feeling when it is affected with all kind of woe This is our condition after death and such is the Iudgement where at we must appeare euen the first Iudgement Demie-Atheists though they would not hold an absolute imortalitie of their Soule yet for a time till the day of Resurrection they dreamt their Soules should bee as senslesse as their bodies but it was but the diuels Sophistrie to comfort the wicked with a Soules sleepe from the houre of death vntill the generall Assises of the world as hee did with hope of a generall pardon after some yeares of torment which made Origen to thinke that at length the diuels themselues should be released from paine But blessed Apostle I belieue thee I wil not flatter my self I do not more certainly expect death then I doe looke instantly thereupon to come before my Iudge I know that there is a Iudgement before a Iudgement a priuate before the publike I belieue as truly that euen now Diues burneth in Hell as that Lazarus is in Abrahams bosome and I doe no more doubt that Iudas went to his owne place then that the good thiefe was that day with Christ in Paradise no sooner doth the soule leaue the body but God doth dispose it to rest and paine O euer liuing God vnpartiall Iudge both of quicke and dead thy decree is past vpon my life for my arraignment I am here but a soiournour and yet accomptable for what so euer I doe here Let not this decree be vnknowne passe vnregarded of me if health if prosperitie promise a longer terme a carelesse life let me trie their perswasion by thy infallible word For there shall I learne that heauen and earth shall passe the greater how much more this litle heauen and earth of mine and that thy word onely endureth for euer Yea I see that all things come to an end but thy Commandement is exceeding broad and it is this Commandement that thou hast laid vpon my bodie and laid vpon my Soule a heauie Commandement that sounds nothing but that which is vnsauorie to flesh and bloud Death vnsauorie but Iudgement much more skin for skin and all that euer a man hath hee will giue for his life but life it selfe who would not part with that he might bee free from Iudgement My soule and body are loth to part but much more loth to appeare before thee it is grieuous to forgoe that which I loue but to feele that which I feare is much more grieuous if I die I want what I would haue but if I come to Iudgement then I must indure that which I abhorre death ends the pleasure which I take in life but Iudgement reckoneth for the inordinatnesse thereof And it is a double griefe to be so stripped to bee so tried but what shall I doe Thy word must stand and seeing it must stand let me not doubt let me not neglect let those two be euer before mine eyes let me vse this world as if I vsed it not seeing the fashion therof doth passe away and I change faster then it The little world hast thou proposed as a glasse wherin we may behold what will become of the great world both appeare subiect vnto Vanitie thou hast subiected both the frame of both must be dissolued so deepely is sinne rooted in either that nothing can extirpate it but the dissolution of the whole But the case of the greater world is better then that of the little that is dissolued but this must be arraigned also arraigned for it selfe arraigned for the great world also If that haue any euill it hath it from man man infected it and it is dissolued because of man but man for himselfe his owne sinne maketh himselfe and others mortall also good reason that he which hath baned the world so ruined the frame of all Gods creatures should account for it vnto the owner therof If a subiect trespasse against the King or his Image the Law doth challenge him it calleth for an amends and can the King of heauen and earth be wronged in his creatures be wronged in his owne Image and not challenge the offender No Lord there is great reason as for man to die that hath made all things mortall so for man to bee iudged that hath done it by sinne no reason that other things should suffer and he scape nay great reason why the blame of all should bee laid vpon him He deseruedly must be exposed to shame and blush for whatsoeuer himselfe hath deformed and what hee hath made to groane hee must sigh for it The maske must be plucked off where vnder in this life wee hide our selues and our sense must be rectified wherewith in this world wee excuse our selues we that would not iudge our selues must be iudged of the Lord. And his iudgement shall bee without respect of persons This Iudge standeth at the doore his Assizes are proclaimed no sooner are we quickned but wee are informed of death and Iudgement no sooner come we out four mothers wombe but we witnes our knowledge thereof euerie day of ourlife is a Citation day But as it wanteth not a date so it prefixeth not a day euerie one must dye once but the time of his death no man knoweth euerie man must be iudged no man knoweth how soone This vncertainety maketh death and Iudgement more terrible And it should make vs more watchfull watchfull for that which we are sure will come but when it will come wee are vnsure when it commeth it is fearefull but it commeth suddainely Did it concerne my temporall state I would take great care if the good-man of the house knew when the theife would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to bee surprised And care wee more for our goods then for our selues For that which may be repaired then for that which being past hath no recouerie So senslesse are we so vsually are we ouer-taken Let it not be so with me O Lord let me euer meditate vpon Death and let me euer be prouided for Iudgement Before Sicknesse prouide Physicke and Righteousnesse before Iudgement A Meditation vpon Philippians 1. VERSE 21. Christ is to me life and death is to mee aduantage I Haue beene at Mount Sinai I haue heard the thunder I haue seene the lightning I haue felt the shaking thereof it hath put mee in mind of my mortalitie at it I haue learned what it is to bee arraigned before my Iudge Were there no other Hill I were in wofull case woe is mee if I haue no succour against death which I cannot auoid against iudgement which is so strict But blessed be God I haue a succour though God bring mee to Sinai in my passage out of Egypt yet is it not his pleasure that I should stay there the Cloud is risen and goeth before me I will vp I will follow it And see it bringeth me to another Hill it resteth me vpon Mount Sion I no sooner
for the shield of faith is able to quench all siery darts of the Deuill The Martyrs tryed it who neither were circumuented by the Serpent nor dismayed by the Lyon but ouercame by the bloud of the Lambe in that they loued not their liues vnto death and therefore with Crowns with Palms and Harpes they sing the triumphant song of Moses And we must all be resolued that as Ioshua when he had ouercome the Kings of Canaan brought them and made the Heads of Israel to set their feete vpon their neckes euen so Iesus that hath spoyled the powers of darknesse will haue his members with like confidence to insult vpon them Yea it is a part of that iust and glorious reuenge of Adams cowardise in his great strength hee yeelded himselfe a prey to Sathan when he had full power to withstand him to blot out that shame hee will haue the sonnes of Adam that are much weaker to encounter and trample on that mighty Hunter and serpentine Lyon And wee much neglect the honour that Christ would doe vs and the manifestation of that power which hee is pleased to vouchsafe vs if so be wee haue no testimony from our owne conscience that wee haue in our owne persons experience of this Triumph Tertullian hath a good rule that oftentimes men are foyled not because he that set on them was the stronger but they did not know or vse their owne strength that did resist It is the case of most men I neede no other proofe than their enormous falls the reason why they become Sathans prey is their cowardise or their negligence eyther they doe not at all resist or they pray not for assistance vnto God if they did they might confidently say with Saint Paul I can doe all through him that strengthneth me Philip. 4.16 and that is Christ But howsoeuer we faile in doing what we should this is sure that this conflict is no disproofe of the Triumph seeing the intent of it is to be a perpetuall euidence or rather an euident perpetuation thereof And so haue you the first attendant vpon the Triumphant Chariot The second is the disposing of the spoiles He gaue gifts and hee that rifled the strong man distributed whatsoeuer hee found in his House Touching the nature of the gifts I need not speake now former words of my Text occasioned mee to open them here onely you must marke originem and mensuram donorum though they were giuen often before yet tho dispensation depended vpon Christs Ascension Cap. 7. In Saint Iohn we reade that the Spirit was not giuen because Christ was not yet glorified And Acts 2. Saint Peter tels the Iewes that Christ being exalted poured forth the Spirit yea Christ himselfe Acts 1. when hee was readie to ascend biddeth his Disciples stay at Ierusalem vntill they were endued with power from aboue And no wonder that it depends vpon his Ascension seeing it is an effect of his Kingdome and his Kingdome began properly at his Ascension And as this is true of the Originall so is it also of the Measure of the gifts though hee gaue them before yet hee neuer gaue them in that measure whether you respect the number of persons that partake them or the degree of the gifts which were bestowed on them Saint Peter 2. Pet. 1. compares the gifts of the Prophets vnto a candle the Gospell vnto the day light a great oddes betweene the lights and as great oddes is there betweene the Spheares of their actiuity for it is no great roome that a candle can illighten be it neuer so great a candle and the Prophets went not out of the Holy Land ordinarily and that was but a corner of the world but the Sunne goeth out from one end of Heauen and the circuit thereof is vnto the end of it and there is nothing hid from the heate of it Psalme 19. euen so the Sunne of Righteousnesse shed his beames ouer all the world and Christ after his ascension made his Church Catholike euen wee that are assembled here are beholding for this our sacred assembly vnto the Ascension of Christ from thence it is that this light is come to vs. And as often as in our Creede we remember his ascension let vs thankfully remember that we owe this our spirituall condition vnto it And let this suffice for the opening of Christs Triumph My Text doth not onely tell vs of a Triumph but tells vs also that that Triumph was deserued Christ by vertue of his Hypostaticall Vnion was able to doe all that is specified in the Triumph to ascend in place and state to leade captiuity captiue and to giue gifts But hee would not attaine it onely by power hee would receiue it by merit and why hee stood out for man and therefore would obserue the Articles of that Couenant which God did enter into with him and the Couenant was Hoc fac viues Though Adam being created holy was immediately fit for Heauen yet God would not haue him come vnto Heauen but by vse of his Holinesse in obedience to God euen so Christ would fulfill all righteousnesse and vndergoe the Crosse in satisfaction for our sinne before hee would enter into Glory And wee must not deceiue our selues and dreame of any other course for though wee cannot equall Christs Crosse yet by mortification and tribulation wee must resemble it though wee cannot fulfill the Law yet must wee doe our vttermost endeauour And this course must bee vnto vs though not causa a merit as it was to Christ yet via regnandi the meanes vnto the Kingdome of Heauen without which no man shall euer haue accesse vnto the blessed presence of God But more distinctly Wee must marke that the Descension went before the Ascension and that the degree of the Ascension beares correspondencie to the degree of the Descension First the Descension goeth before the Ascension and it must needs doe so in Christ you will acknowledge it if you know what the Descension is The Descension is the incarnation and the passion of Christ in respect of these the Sonne of God is said to descend And indeede he fell below himselfe when he submitted himselfe to them by so much as a man is below God and so to bee vsed being a man is little answerable to the Maiesty of a God Had hee not thus descended hee could neuer haue ascended for whither should hee ascend that was in the forme of God and so as coaequall as coaeternall what state what place could hee bee aduanced vnto that as God was highest in both But his pleasure to descend made it possible for him to ascend it was possible for him to ascend in regard of that wherein hee did descend hee might glorifie his manhood in which hee was pleased to be humbled Secondly as the Descension must needes goe before the Ascension so doth the Ascension keepe good correspondency with the Descension Christ ascended high farre aboue all Heauens and hee descended lowe
into the lowest part of the earth not onely to the earth the lowest part of the world but euen to the lowest part of the earth for wee say in our Creed He descended into Hell he tooke his rising from the lowest place to ascend into the highest And herein doth Christ reade a good Lecture to vs hee teacheth vs that Humility is the way to glory and the more we are humbled the more wee shall be exalted Adam and Angels were both ambitious both did desire to climbe but they mistooke their rising and so in climbing tooke grieuous falls If wee would climbe without a fall wee must learne to climbe of Christ so shall wee bee sure to tread the steppes of Iacobs Ladder which from earth will reach as high as heauen I may not omit to obserue that the Apostle speakes significantly when hee saith that He that ascended is the same also that descended Non ascendit alius licet aliter Nestorius was condemned for an Hereticke who distracted Christs two natures and made of them two persons but as it is Gods truth so it is our great comfort that the person is but one and these are the workes of one and the selfe same person they both concerne the same person in the nature which hee tooke from vs Hee that was humbled is the same person that was exalted And so will God deale with vs crowne no other person than him that doth conflict and in the depth of our Humiliation euery one of vs may say with Iob Chapt. 19. Though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God Non alius Sed aliter though the same person of Christ ascended which descended yet hee ascended otherwise than hee descended for hee descended Metaphysically ascended Physically hee descended not by changing of place but of state the Godhead that is infinite could change no place but it could exinnanite it selfe and become of a worse condition than it was But in the Ascension the person changed place the manhood remoued from earth to heauen hee that in his Incarnation being onely God became man in his Ascension went into heauen God and man hee that to make way to his passion suspended the influence of his Godhead into his Manhood did in his Ascension permit the one to indowe the other so far as a Creature was capable of the influence of his Creatour And wee shall ascend though not other men yet otherwise than wee descend wee descended morally but wee shall ascend physically in our descending wee put on other affections than before wee had wee exchange our naturall pride for Christian humility but in our Ascension wee shall change our place remoue out of this wildernesse into Canaan from earth to Heauen and the same God that is pleased here for a time to make vs sowe in teares will then yeeld vs a plentifull haruest which wee shall reape in ioy wee shall then see the fulnesse of his loue towards vs which too vsually wee misdeeme by reason of the Crosse which hardly can wee conceiue that it can stand with his good will towards vs Castigo te non quod odio habeam sed quod amem is a proposition more true than euident the combination is so strange that it is no wonder if we be hard of beleefe but God will then cleare it and we shall confesse we had no reason to discredit it One Note more and so an end Before you heard of Grace now you see that grace is a spoile a spoile taken from that enemy that tyrannized ouer vs and this is no small improuement of grace Before you heard that grace did fill vs but now you see that wee were captiues and the condition of captiues is to endure hunger nakednesse all kinde of miserie and how welcome is that grace that fils such empty persons Before you heard that this grace was a gift but here you finde that Christ payed dearely for it the more it cost him the more precious should it bee in our eyes What shall I say then to you but wish you to couple this third Sermon with the first that you may bee more feeling of the loue of God in Christ O Lord that wouldest descend before thou diddest ascend grant that wee may make our way through Humility to Glory giue vs grace to consummate thy Triumph by manfully resisting and conquering of Sathan Let vs not feare to tread on him whom thou hast disarmed yea enrich vs wee beseech thee with the spoyles which thou hast taken from him and make vs euer willing and deuout captiues of thine Let it neuer grieue vs to serue thee who hast so mercifully saued vs Let vs now ascend in heart whither we hope to ascend in place and so prepare vs on earth by a holy conuersation that wee may partake with Christ of a happy condition in the kingdome of Heauen Amen IHS A SERMON PREACHED IN WESTMINSTER BEfore his Matie the Lords and others of the vpper House of Parliament at the opening of the Fast Iulie 2. 1625. 1 KINGS cap. 8. vers 37 38 39 40. If there bee in the Land famine if there bee pestilence blasting mildew locust if there bee Caterpillers if the enemie besiege them in the Lund of their Cities Whatsoeuer plague whatsoeuer sickenesse there be What prayer and supplication soeuer bee made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know euery man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this House Then heare thou in Heauen thy dwelling place and forgiue and doe and giue to euery man according to his wayes whose heart thou knowest For thou euen thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men That they may feare thee all the daies that they liue in the Land which thou gauest to our Fathers THese words are a Clause of that Prayer wherewith King Salomon did dedicate the Temple and expresse that vse thereof which commeth very neare our present case Our case is twofold we suffer from Gods wrath wee are suppliants to Gods mercy And lo two like cases are presented in these words the case of Sufferers verse 37. and in the three next verses the case of Suppliants But more distinctly to rip vp the Text We will consider therein first the manner of the deliuerie and secondly the matter that is deliuered The Manner it is a Prayer the words are conceiued in that forme In the Matter we shall see 1. Whom these words concerne and 2. Wherein they doe concerne them Those whom they concerne are the inhabitants of Canaan the children of Israel the People of God this you may gather out of the 37. and 38. Verses And they concerne them in two maine Points for they shew first that they may vnderlye the heauie hand of God secondly that they must then haue recourse vnto the Throne of Grace The heauie hand of God is here set downe first definitely it may afflict Israel eyther only in