condemnation in the second Councell of Ephesus his members consumed and his tongue rotted in his mouth The like the tripartite History reporteth of Nicasius the Donatist and the Eumenians who eate up Cyrillus liver or heart with salt The toungs of the wicked shall rot in this life or burne in hell fire that give God no glory T is not enough to meditate of Gods goodnesse in thy heart but thou must also proclaime it with thy tongue Noli nimis vultum seu oculos meditationis intueri nam meliora sunt ubera gratiarum actionis Doe not behold the countenance or eyes of meditation too much better are the brests of prayses and thankesgivings David said I will alwaies give thankes unto the Lord Psal 34. 1 2. his praise shall bee in my mouth continually my soule shall glory in the Lord c. So let us alwayes praise our God and never rob him of his glory There bee two sorts of theeves that robbe God the proud man and the envious the proud man robbes him of his glory the envious of his Iustice these bee greater robbers than the Sabeans Iob 1. 14 17. who carried away Iobs Oxen and Asses then the Caldeans who carried away his Camels then Achan who stole the wedge Wee should exercise our selves to this duty of thankfulnes of gold then Barrabas for all these robbed but from men but these from God and that not the least thing but the greatest his glory When we should sound our praises and glory to God we are silent like Pythagoras Schollers who spake not in five yeeres like the dumbe man in the Gospell who spake not at all Ios 7. Mat. 27. I appeale to your consciences whether for fourty requests made to God we have given him one thanks No no shame may cover our faces wee may hang downe our heads with the Publican and say Lord be mercifull unto us ingratefull unkind forgetfull Luk. 38. and vile men The Father of all mercies and the God of all consolation give us eyes to see and hearts to feele so great unkindnes Let us awake our tongues our hearts as David did and let us say My heart is fixed ô God my heart is fixed I will sing Psal 57. 7 8 9. and give praise awake my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake earely I will praise thee ô Lord among the people and I will sing unto thee among the nations There is a spirituall palsy in our tongue that wee cannot praise God a vaile is over our eyes that wee see not Gods glory an impostumation is in our eares that wee heare not his Word a Cardiaca passio hath covered over our hearts that wee thinke not of his blessings a lethargy in the whole man that we give him not glory say therefore with David Awake ô my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake earely Psal 103. 1 2. I will praise thee ô Lord among the people and I will sing unto thee among the nations Speake unto thy soule chide it and say My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits Vow to God as the Prophet did that thou wilt praise the Lord during thy life Yea as long as thou hast any being to sing unto God and fulfill his desire I meane Davids ô sing praises sing praises unto Psal 146. 1. our God sing praises sing praises unto our King for God is the King of the whole earth sing yee praises with understanding Marke how hee doubleth redoubleth his words as Roscius did his gestures as the Nightingale doth her notes as the Camelion doth her colors When the people would not praise and glorify God hee spake to the Heavens Heare ô Heavens and harken ô earth And Esa 1. 3. Ier. 9. 22. hee spake unto the earth O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord. And hee spake unto the mountaines Heare ô mountaines the Mich. 6. Lord his quarrell and yee mighty foundations of the earth He may do so now this English people will give him no glory yet all that we have our wit our wisdome our riches our honour our authority we should use these to his glory this is the right end why God hath given them wee must not seeke our owne glory in them but Gods when Herod was magnified of the people for his eloquence and honored as a God Immediatly the Angell of Act. 12. 23. the Lord smote him because he gave not the glory to God and so hee was eaten of wormes and gave up the Ghost O brethren it is wonderfull that the Heavens raine not downe fire and brimstone upon us Our unthankfulnes deserveth Gods vengeance as upon Sodom that the ayre infect us not as it did Iuda that the earth openeth not and swallow us quicke to hell as it did Corah and his company that the fire burne us not as it did Sodom For that which Christ objecteth to the Iewes may be verified of Gen. 19. 2 Sam. 24. Numb 6. 16. us How can yee beleeve which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God alone In all things that wee doe wee must seeke to set forth the glory of God If any man Minister saith Saint Peter let him doe it as of the ability which God ministreth that God in all things may bee glorified Iohn 5. 44. 1 Pet. 4. 11. through Iesus Christ Say to God as Aeschines said to Socrates when others gave him gold silver Iewels Aeschines gave himselfe like the poore widow who cast into the treasury two mites even all her substance So give God all thine eyes to see his glory thine eares to heare his Word thine heart to beleeve in him thy tongue to praise him thy foote to follow him and thy hand to serve him and let the saying of the Apostle bee never forgotten Yee are bought with a price therefore glorify God in 1 Cor. 6. 20. your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods stirre up thy tongue therefore to speake of God and his works plentifully shall thy bow and thine arrowes thy hawke and thy hound thy cart and thy plough have thy tongue tied to them to delite in their talke And shall not the Minister in Christ Iesus Hath thy tongue no portion in such heavenly things Or if it it bee in thy heart will it not fill thy mouth with praise Sermo index animi thy speech is a messenger of thy minde an Heavenly heart will use Heavenly talke and an earthly heart sendeth out vaine and earthly words deceive not thy selfe such as thy speeches are such is thy heart if thou canst eate drinke ride play journey with men and seldome or never talke of God it argueth a barren heart If there bee no meate in the dresser there is little in the kitchin the mouth is as the dresser the
understanding What blindnesse hath possessed our braine And how hath a covering of brawne covered our hearts that wee give no Majestie to God That which Paul said of the Gospel If our Gospell bee hid it is hid to them that 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded their mindes So say I of Gods wonders This sinne of England is written with an Iron penne and with a point of a Diamond God revealeth himselfe Ier. 17. 1. to the World six wayes 1 By his Word 2 By Visions Act. 26. 18. Esa 1. 1. 3 By Dreames 4 By Wonders or Miracles Numb 12. Iohn 5. Mat. 28. 19. 5 By Sacraments 6 By Types and figures By foure or five of these meanes God hath made himselfe knowne to us especially by wonders yet wee know him not wee are greater fooles than Nabal and verier beasts than ever was Nabuchadnezzar 1 Sam. 25. Dan. 4. Ier. 8. 5 6 7. God must end us before hee mend us wee are turned backe to a perpetuall rebellion Wee give our selves to deceit and will not returne no man repents him of his wickednesse saying What have I done Every one turneth to his race as the horse to the battell Even the Storke in the ayre saith God knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord. This is a nation that heareth not the voice of the Lord nor receiveth Discipline shall not these two great earth-quakes this yeere the one in the day the other in the night worke in us a feare of Gods majestie It is a token Amâ—â— 1602. that God is angry and so applied by the Prophet The earth trembled and shoke the very foundations of the Earth were seene at thy chyding at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure Psal 18. When God would take revenge of the people in the dayes of Tiberius hee overthrew with an earth-quake twelve Cities of Asia and in Constantines dayes ten or eleuen townes in Campania Lipisius when the Iewes under Iulian had tooles of silver to reedify Gods dominion is in all creatures especially in man Ierusalem the earthquake in the night destroyed their worke in the day fire from heaven burnt up their tooles The righteous will see this and rejoyce and all iniquity shall stop her mouth and who is wise that hee may observe these things that God is a God of Majesty and magnificence for it is he alone that doth wondrous things The fifth thing here attributed to God is Dominion which is the authority of commanding and making Lawes unto all men in the world by which meanes God ruleth and hath a dominion or Kingdome in every one of us whereof the Lord Iesus speaketh in the knitting up of his prayer to God For thine is the Kingdome c. Of this David speaketh The Lord hath prepared his Mat 6. 13. Psal â—03 19 22. Throne in Heaven and his Kingdome ruleth over all And againe Praise the Lord all works of his in all places of his dominion And againe Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy dominion endureth Psal 145. 13. throughout all ages And here learne a profitable lesson that when wee obey the Word of the Lord and suffer it to rule and overrule our passions then hath God a Kingdome and wee ascribe Dominion to him hereof the Lord Iesus spake For when Luk. 17. 20 21. hee was demanded of the Pharises when the Kingdome of God should come He answered them and said The Kingdome of God commeth not with observation neither shall men say Loe here or loe there for behold the Kingdome of Heaven is within you he meant not the Kingdome of glory but of grace For this dominion or Kingdome is threefold of Power Grace Glory The Kingdome of Power is whereby God subdueth his enemies and Tyrants of his Church and crusheth them in pieces like a potters vessell and of this Kingdome the Prophet thus Psal 2. 9. Psal 93. 1. Psal 97. 1 2. speaketh The Lord reigneth and is cloathed with Majesty the Lord is clothed and girded with power c. And againe the Lord reigneth let the people tremble hee sitteth betweene the Cherubins let the earth bee moved the Lord is great in Zion and high above all people His Kingdom of Grace is that wherby God ruleth in his elect through his Spirit inwardly as his Word outwardly whereof the Prophet speaketh thus With righteousnes shall he judge the poore Esa 11. 4 5 6. and with equity shall hee reprove c. Iustice shall bee the girdle of his loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reines the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the kidde and the calfe and the Lion and the fatte beast together and a little Child shall lead them When the corruption of our nature beginneth to bee like the house of Saul weaker and weaker and faith repentance zeale knowledge and other graces of the Spirit stronger and stronger in us and wee now beginne to love feare trust and serve and obey God then is the Kingdome of grace in us The Kingdome of Glory is that wherein the Angels and Saints We count our selves subjects of Christs Kingdome of grace but are rebellious departed now are and wee shall bee hereafter when mortality shall be swallowed up of life when wee shall sing the songs of our triumph O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory The songs of our joy such as none can understand save the hundred forty and foure thousand which are received up from 1 Cor. 15. the earth But here hee meaneth chiefely the Kingdome of grace for God is a King everlasting immortall invisible and onely wise Wee 1 Tim. 1. 17. are then his subjects The Lawes are the Word Psal 2. 8. Psal 119. 105. Ephes 6. 12. The enemies of this Kingdome are Satan sinne death Hell domination the flesh and the wicked The time of it is to the worlds end Mat. 28. 20. The place is this world and the world to come Apot. 5. 10. But ô foolish men how doe wee pray for this dominion and Kingdome of the Lord when in our works wee destroy it When wee rebell against the Word like a rebellious nation Ezech. 2. 3 4. and like impudent children and stiffe-hearted As the horse rusheth into the battell so we rush into our sinnes we sinne Ier. 8. 6. Ephes 4. 19. with greedines wee draw it with cordes of vanity wee love the wicked we loath the godly we freeze in love we boile in malice Esa 5. we sell vertue we buy vice we refuse Christ we chuse Barrabas wee lay away life and embrace death wee overthwart the will of God in all things wee follow our owne wills and desires wee are traytors to God in
incideret in mortis malum sempiternum portum potius nobis paratum putemus We are not borne or created rashly or by chance but verily there was a certaine divine power which did provide for mankind neither would it suffer them so to be borne as that when they had undergone all manner labour they should be utterly lost in the everlasting evill of Death but rather let us thinke some haven of rest is prepared for us A divine speech of a prophane man The Epicures said that God was idle in heaven quodque Deus ambulat circa cardines Coeli and that he was walking about Gods power providence governe◠all things the poles of heaven that nature ruleth all by chance and at adventure On the contrary the Stoickes held that God is nothing but nature and that all things are wrought by necessity and destinie that God can worke no miracle nor contrarie to the course of nature But the Platonists held that nature is Quicquid Deus vult that it is subject to God that there is neither chance nor destinie but all things are done by God Some therefore compare Nature to an horse and God to the rider that bridleth her and ruleth her as he list Anima mundi est virtus Dei the power of God is the soule of the world Mundus est schola animarum the Origen Basil world is the schoole of soules to lead us to the knowledge of God God therfore quoth he was able by his power to change the course of nature as thus To divide the Sea in two parts Exod. 14. Ios 10. Num. 16. Ios 3. Psal 114. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Luk. 7. To stay the Sunne To open the Earth To drie up the Waters of Iordan To make the Mountaines skippe like Rammes To quench the Flame To mussell the Lions To raise the Dead In this sense Simonides the philosopher said that Solus Deus est metaphysicus that God alone was supernaturall Pindarus called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best artificer Diogenes seeing Harpalus that great theefe to be fortunate a long time said that he gave a lively testimony against the Gods So Dionysius said that God favoured pirats for that he had a good winde after the robbing of the Temple So Hermogenes reasoned seeing so much evill in the world Aut voluit Deus tollere mala non potest tunc infirmus est aut potuit noluit tunc invidus est God either would take away evill and cannot and then he is impotent or could and would not and then he is envious But Tertullian retorted it thus on him Deum velle posse omnia mala tollere quatenus expedit God is Rom. 8. 28. both willing and able to take away all evill so farre as it is expedient For all things worke for the best unto them that love God Quaedam tollit in hac vita alia reservat in extremum judicium some hee takes away in this life some hee reserves to the last iudgement Facessant ergo illi monoculi Cyclopes qui Deum negant istud quatenus expedit relinquamus Deo herewith therefore let those one-eyed Cyclopes which deny God be content let us leave to God that same so far forth as it is expedient So reasoneth the Manichaeans against Moses when he said In the beginning God made heaven Gen. 1. 1. Aug. lib. 1. de Genes Iohn 1. 2. earth quaerentes in quo principio Deus fecit Coelum Quibus respondit Augustinus Deum non fecisse in principio temporis sed in Christo per quem omnia facta sunt nam antequà m fecit Deus tempora non erant tempora nam tempus est creatura dicit Paulus veritatem fuisse ante tempora aeterna Asking in what beginning God made heaven All men by the light of nature have acknowledged a divine power To whom Augustine makes answer God made it not in the beginning of time but in Christ by whom all things were made for before God made time time was not for time was a creature S. Paul saith The truth was before time eternall These men say much but to little purpose Loquacior est enim vanitas quà m veritas altiùs clamat for vanity prattles more than verity and Ephes 3. 9. makes a greater noise I alleage not all these prophane writers for need I know that the darts that are taken out of the Lords armorie pierce deepest that the arrowes that are drawne out of the Lords quiver are the sharpest that the sword of the spirit cutteth deepest that proofes taken from the Scripture are strongest But it is not amisse to confute a naturall man by naturall men as here by Philosophers But to follow this point a little further Naturally a kind of religion is found in all men in genere though they erre in specie Caine and Abel did first sacrifice to God Enoch was the first that Gen. 4. instituted prayer After Noahs flood were many Lawes of religion given to many nations Mercurie and Mena gave lawes to the Aegyptians Melissus to them of Candie Faunus and Ianus to the Latines Orpheus to the Greekes Numa pompilius to the Romanes Draco to the Athenians Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians Deuter. 4. but Moses and Aaron gave lawes to the Hebrewes that passed them all Naturally we know that there is a God For the invisible Rom. 1. 20. things of God that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world The very Poets spake of Iupiter Castor and Pollux Venus Saturne Vulcan Mars Mercurie yet Iupiter was an adulterer Gastor and Pollux two incestuous twinnes Venus an harlot in Cyprus Saturne a Runnagate in Italie Vulcan a theese Mars a bastard yet this sheweth that there is Divinum numen a divine power that the Heathen thinke so therefore they adore something as God they invented Gods in hell as Pluto Proserpina the Aegyptians worshipped Calves the Ophytes serpents the Persians fire they of Canopus water the Coloridians Heva the Philistines Dagon halfe-fish and halfe-flesh the Turkes at this day worship Mahomet the Tartarians grand Cam the Calecuts the Divell But there be many reasons to prove that there is a God all the creatures of God doe it from the Eágle to the Flie from the Elephant to the Pismire from the great Whale to the little Lamprey from the Camell to the Gnat from the Cedar to the Brake-bush from the Starres of Heaven to the Dust of the Earth from Angels to Wormes And therefore men that deny God may be sent to the creatures to learne that there is a God Esay reasoneth thus Who hath measured the waters Esa 40. 17. 21 22. in his fist and counted Heaven with the spanne and comprehended the Dust of the Earth in a measure and weigheth the Mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance And againe Know yee nothing Conscience in man a testimonie of the
of men and yet no cause of that evill Another useth this Simile That as in cutting with a bad knife the cutting is of my selfe but the evill cutting is of the knife So the action is of God but the evill of the action is of our selves Augustine affirmeth Deum per malos agere Lipsius August in Enchiridion ad Laurentium that God worketh by evill men Deus enim inquit ille jussit Shemei Davidimaledicere for God saith he commanded Shemei to curse David Againe he saith In peccato peccatoris nihil esse positivum sed privativum In the sin of a sinner nothing is positive but privative So God is said to make blind whom he inlightneth not to harden whom he softeneth not and to reprobate whom he calleth not effectually But I will conclude this point with the saying of two worthy men Augustine and Fulgentius Augustine The causes of Reprobation are hidden but iust saith thus Deus operatur in cordibus hominum ad inclinandas voluntates eorum quocunque vult sive ad bona pro sua misericordia sive ad mala pro ipsorum meritis God worketh in the hearts of men to incline their wils to whatsoever hee will either to good things by his mercy or to evill by their deserts And Fulgentius saith thus Deus licet author non sit malarum cogitationum ordinator est tamen malarum voluntatum de malo opere cujuslibet mali non desinit ipse bonum operari Although God be not the Author of evill cogitations yet is hee the orderer of evill wils and of the evill worke of every evill man hee ceaseth not to worke a good worke Beza hath three Aphorismes against Castellio Primùm causas reprobationis esse à nobis absconditas sed tamen justas alioquin judicium esset penes lutum non penes figulum First the causes of reprobation are hid from us yet they bee just otherwise the judgement were in the power of Clay not of the Potter Secondly Deum non simpliciter creare quenquam ad exitium that God not simply hath created any to destruction but the causes 1 Hosca 13. 2 Pet. 2. of destruction are of himselfe Perditio tua ex te O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe O Israel and the Apostle saith that the wicked perish through their owne corruption Thirdly Deum non spectare reproborum exitium ut ultimum finem sed gloriam suam quae in eorum justa condemnatione lucet that God beholdeth not the destruction of the wicked as the last end but his glory which shineth most brightly in their condemnation As Salomon saith The Lord hath made all things for his glory even the wicked for the day of evill So that the justice of God shall appeare to his glory even in the destruction of the wicked The second opinion is of them Qui dicunt Deum omnia permittere sed non velle which say that God permits and suffers all things but hee willeth not all things but God saith that it is his will and that nothing is done without his will Our God saith Psal 115. 3. Psal 135. 6. David is in heaven hee doth whatsoever hee will No impediment can let his worke but hee useth even the impediments to serve his will And whatsoever hee willeth that doth hee in Heaven and in Earth in the Sea and in all deepe places That appeareth in the affliction of Iob Satan envied Iob and the Chaldees robbed him Iob 1. 1 Reg. 22. yet Iob said Dominus dedit dominus abstulit the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away In the deceiving of Achab the Divell is sent of God to bee a lying spirit in the mouthes of the foure hundred Prophets Si ista execatio est Dei nudum permissionis figmentum evanescit If this execation bee the judgement of God this bare and naked figment of permission must vanish as smoke and as the untimely fruit of a woman An earthen pitcher shall drive away the Madianites Trumpets of Rammes hornes shall blow downe the wals of Iericho a peble stone shall God worketh by evill men and not in them overthrow the great Goliah that is the scripture shall overthrow the conceit the imagination and fiction of bare permission As Iael with one nayle stroke Sisera to the ground so will I with one example beate downe the paper-wals of this opinion Absalom defiled his fathers bed and committed a notable villany yet God calleth it his worke Verba enim Dei sunt they are Gods owne words Tufecisti occultè ego vero palam coram 2 Sam. 16. hoc Sole thou hast done it secretly but I openly before this Sun To strengthen this for Vis unita fortior The Iewes Pilate Herod crucified Christ yet the Apostle said that they did nothing but that which the hand and counsell of God had decreed And yet againe Act. 4. that a threefold cable may not easily bee broken the Ier. 5 cruelty of the Chaldees in Iudaea Ieremy calleth the worke of God In which since Nebuchadnezzar is called Servus Dei the servant of God and God calleth the King of Assyria the rod of his wrath Esa 10. I doe but crop some few examples of millions and infinite that might bee alleaged Nothing is clearer than these speeches that God blindeth men that he giveth them the spirit of slumber Esa 29. Exod. 9. Rom. 1. 28. that hee hardeneth their hearts and so is hee said to have hardned Pharoahs heart and to give men up into a reprobate sense And of the inhabiters of Canaan Moses said that God hardneth their hearts to fight against the Church And Paul calleth the wisedome of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These bee not matters of reason but of faith Et ubi fides incipit ratio desinit where Ios 11. Ephes 3. 10. Ambr. faith beginneth reason endeth But I answere with Calvin that though God willeth all things yet hee neither commandeth nor compelleth the wicked Though God would revenge the Adultery of David by the Incest of Absalom yet God neither commanded nor compelled him which freeth God The third opinion is of them that say all things come to passe by Gods providence that our actions as they proceed from God are just and as they come of our selves unjust Hereupon Beza distinguisheth thus Deum agere in bonis per bonos that God worketh in good men and by good men Per malos vero 1 parte quaesâ—ionum agere at non in malis and that hee worketh by evill men but not in evill men In his enim duntaxat agit quos spiritu suoregit Hee worketh in them onely whom he ruleth by his spirit In malis igitur non agit aliquid hee worketh not therefore in evill men Ephes 2. 2. for Satan not God worketh in them And Master Calvin against the Libertines produceth two exceptions Primò sic Deum agere periniquos
tie them together that these all agree in one to worke mischiefe They have Seven heads and tenne hornes Here in the wicked his members are Apoc. 12. like to their Head for howsoever they hate one another in private quarrels yet agree they in the maine point against God and good men Ephraim against Manasses Manasses against Ephraim Esa 9. yet both against Iuda The Pharises against the Saduces the Saduces against the Pharises yet both against Christ The Iewes Mat. 22. against the Gentiles the Gentiles against the Iews and yet both against Paul The Canonists against the Schoolemen and the Acts 19 9. Schoolemen against the Canonists for auricular Confession yet both against the Gospell Parish against Parish one against another yet all against the Minister This may be a good lesson to us that wee may learne all to joyne together against the common enemy If wee will not learne of God and good men to love one another and to cling and cleave together as one man for shame let us learne of Divels for they cleave together like burres Howsoever wee differ in private matters yet let us all agree together against the adversarie Division the cause of Confusion the Papists and other Hell-hounds of division that remaine within and without the Land Division in Christendome opened a way to the Turke to get Constantinople Buda Belgrade Strigonium and all Hungaria almost The division in Italy Inter Guelfos Gibelinos brought all into the hands of that man of Rome The division in England brought in the Spanish Navy hither Anno 1588. Sub spe vincendi In hope to have conquered us and that the Papists would have revolted to them But let not the Papists thinke that the Spaniards would have spared them all had beene fish that had come to net All had bin Huguenotes So was it in the massacre of Paris by the Guise So was it in the conquest of Antwerpe by Parma Therefore that Papist that hath an English heart left in his breast to knocke upon let him pray for our Soveraigne and State now and God blesse both the one and the other and make Gods and our foes his and our foot-stoole THE THIRTEENTH SERMON VERS 6. Hee hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse The Angels that fell are reserved in eternall slaverie HAving already spoken of the sinne of the Angels wee are now come to handle their punishment their fall was great so was their punishment Quanto gradus altior tanto casus gravior the higher their state and condition the grievouser their fall Sin and punishment goe together like Ionathan and his harnesse-bearer Sin goeth before and punishment follows after If it was much for Caine Gen. 4. Gen. 3. to be a vagabond and Adam to be driven out of Paradise and Ismael out of his Father Abraham his house how much more for the Angels to bee driven out of heaven and not to returne like Noahs Dove to the Arke but to live in darkenesse for ever Let the earth tremble let the Sea make a noyse let the Ayre bee darke let all hearts melt and all faces gather blackenesse at the hearing of this Iudgement The Lords face is burning his lips are full of indignation Esa 30. 27 28. and his tongue is as a devouring fire his spirit is as a river that over-floweth up to the necke c. And when hee is kindled The rivers shall bee turned to pitch and the dust thereof into brimstone and the Cap. 34. 9 19. 11. land thereof shall be burning pitch it shall not be quenched night nor day the smoke thereof shall goe up ever it shall be desolate from generation to generation none shall passe through it for ever but the Pelicane and the Hedgehog shall possesse it the great Owle and the Raven shall dwell in it and hee shall stretch out upon it the line of vanity and the stones of emptinesse The Angels now are Divels reserved in chaines If The Divels malice infinite but his power iimited you aske mee where I say in the earth as it appeareth by the words of our Saviour When the uncleane spirit is driven out of a man hee walketh through drie places seeking rest and findeth none c. And not in the earth onely but in the ayre For hee is a Prince that ruleth Mat. 12. 43. Apoc. 20. 1 2 3. in the ayre and not in the earth and ayre onely but in the deepe also For saith Saint Iohn I saw an Angel come downe from Heaven having the key of the bottomelesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and hee tooke the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Divel and Satan and hee bound him a thousand yeeres and cast him into the bottomelesse pit and shut him up and sealed the doore upon him that hee should deceive the people no more But in that God hath reserved them in chaines it is a thing of singular comfort as was Davids harpe to Saul in his melancholly and the Dove to Noah in the deluge Like the news brought unto the shepheards whiles they were watching their flockes in the Gen. 8. Luk. 2. night Here therefore wee learne that they cannot passe their linckes and bounds they are under God Pendent exillius nutu they depend on his becke For God useth Satan to serve his justice yet Satan knoweth it not hee is Gods ban-dogge let slip at wandering sheepe and lawlesse swine he is Gods hangman or executioner to punish the reprobate yet can he goe no further than God will For he hath him in chaines as Clemens had Dandalus the Duke of Venice as Sapor had Valerian the Emperour Heereupon saith Gregory Diaboli semper iniqua voluntas nunquā injusta est potestas the Greg. will of the Divell is alwayes wicked but his power never unjust and he giveth the reason Voluntatem habet a se potestatem verò à domino he hath his will of himselfe but his power from God The spirit therefore that vexed Saul is called the evill spirit of the 1 Sam. 18. Lord evill in regard of his will the spirit of God in regard of the power given him of God Isodore saith Adversaria potestas non habet Isodore vim cogendi sed perswadendi the Divell hath no power to compell but to perswade For then he would not leave one man alive He is like the Libberd who is so hatefull to man that if he see but his Luk. 8. picture he will teare it in peeces The Divell could not enter into the swine but by licence An euill spirit vexed Saul but it is added That God sent him An evill spirit deceived Ahab but it is added that God put him into the mouths of the Prophets Satan 1 Sam. 16. 1 Reg. 22. Iob. 1. Exod. 11. could not touch Iob but as God permitted him Moses was a figure of Christ Pharaoh of the Divell now as Pharoah could not hold Israel in
and from noone unto night In the day Ios 10. of Ezechia the Sunne went tenne degrees backward In the day of Christs passion the Sunne waxed darke and the Moone lost her light the 1 Reg. 20. earth quaked the graves opened the stones brake the dead rose but in the day of Christ there shal be no Sunne no Moone no Heaven no earth For the Heavens shall passe away in manner of a tempest the Element shall melt for fervent heat the 2 Pet. 3. earth and all that is therupon shall burne and yet this burning shall not be a consuming of the substance but only a purging of the creatures from the drosse of those alterable qualities wherunto they are now subject And therfore finely to this purpose saith venerable Bede Per imaginem transeunt per essentiam subsistunt praeterit figura hujus mundi non substantia their image Beda faileth their essence remaineth the figure of this world passeth away not the substance For if the day of Christs humiliation was so glorious what shal be the day of his glorification Where then will appeare those that make the world and the things of the world their stay when the world and all the wealth and substance of the world must passe away And wher ewill the penny-father and covetous person appeare who like the serpent is ever licking up the dust of the earth and scraping up gold and silver that red and white earth when silver and gold and earth shal be no more Where will the proud ones appeare that fold themselves in silkes and loade themselves with pearles and Iewels when Iewels and pearles shal be no more Where then shall appeare the greedie oppressour whose throate hath beene an open sepulcher When he shal not find a man to oppresse any more Where shall the whoremonger appeare whose body hath beene as the Oven of a Baker when he shall find none to defile any more Where shall the slanderer appeare whose tongue hath cut like a sharpe rasor when he shall not finde any to slander any more where will the drunkard appeare that hath washed his soule with wine and strong drinke when there shal be no liquor any more Where will these magnificent and stately builders appeare when building and state shall fall all to the ground Where shall the usurer appeare who is worse than Hell for Hell torments only the bad but the usurer crusheth and oppresseth both good and bad I say where shall he appeare seeing his house here is the banke of the Divell and his purse Os diaboli the mouth of the Divell Surely he with the Divell must abide in Hell and torments surely all these and The fearfull estate of all sinners at the last judgment all other that have sowen in sinne shall reape miserie for these that have plowed wickednesse shall reape iniquitie Vanitie was their traffique and griefe will be their gaine Detestable was their life and damnable shall be their death For as they have sowen Hos 10. 13. so shall they reape they have sowen in the flesh and of the flesh they Gal. 6. 8. shall reape corruption Tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every one of them when this great day shall be Let us pray therfore that in this great day Christ his wisdome may answere for ourfollie his humilitie for our pride his meekenesse for our crueltie his righteousnesse for our sinnes that this Lambe that was without spot may answere for us who like Iacobs Lambes are full of spots Ostende patri latus vulnera Shew the father thy side and wounds that thy side and wounds may heale us from these sinnes that like the blood of Abel crie against us Amen THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON VERS VII As Sodom and Gomorah and the Cities about them which in like manner as they did c. Sodomesfinne all kind of uncleanesse WEE are come to the third example of Sodome and Gomorah Wherin also he noteth their Sinne. punishment Their sinne was uncleanesse Fornication whordome Incest Buggerie their punishment hell fire the second death the burning lake fletus stridor dentium the horrour of conscience torments unspeakeable Now for their sinne it appeareth how filthy it is seeing that Paul would not have vs eate with whoremongers If any 1. Cor. 5. 11. saith he that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a rayler or a drunkard or an extortioner With such see yee eate not And in another place he would have us to be so far from this sinne that he would not have it to be once named amongst us much lesse committed For so runne his words But fornication and all uncleannesse or covetousnesse let it not be once named amongst you Ephes 5. 3. The name as it were darkeneth the Ayre and polluteth the earth the Lord Iesus condemneth the very intent of the heart even lusting after a woman though the act be not done you have heard Mat. 5. 27. 28. saith he that it was said unto them of the old time thou shalt not commit adulterie but I say unto you whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie with her alreadie in his heart Whordome is one of the manifest workes of the flesh For the Apostle reckoning up the workes of the flesh nameth adulterie Sodoms sinne all kind of uncleanesse first and placeth is as Vrias in the forefront of the battell The workes of the flesh saith he are manifest adultery fornication uncleanesse wantonnesse c. Yea this sinne brings with it horrible dishonour If a theefe saith Salomon steale to satisfy his soule because Gal. 5. 9. he is hungry men doe not so despise him but he that committeth adultery with a woman is destitute of understanding he shall find a wound Pro. 23. 27. and a dishonour that shall never be put away for a whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit Yea this sinne will make a man make shipwracke of innocency and honesty A man may aswell Pro. 6. 27. take fire in his bosome and not be burnt or goe upon coales and his feet not be burnt as goe into his neighbours wife and be innocent Pro. 23. 28. The strange woman increaseth the transgressors among men so that it is impossible to be incontinent and honest It is a sinne Hos 4. 11. Pro. 9. 18. Pro. 18. Pro. 6. 26. of which a man or a woman can hardly repent For whordome and wine as the Prophet notes take away the heart The Guests of a strange woman art most of them in Hell For the wiseman further avoucheth Surely her house tendeth to death and her pathes unto the dead This sinne will bring Gods curse upon a mans estate many a man by it is brought to a morsell of bread For fornication is a fire that will devour to destruction and roote out all a mans increase
in heart and therefore he shall not inherit the earth which hee so much wisheth Cursed be the covetous for he doth not long after righteousnesse but after riches and therefore hee shall never be satisfied Cursed bee the covetous for he is not mercifull but hard-hearted therefore he shall finde no mercy Cursed be the covetous for he is no peace-maker but a make-bate and therefore he shall be called the child of the divell Cursed be the covetous for he is not pure but filthy in heart and therefore he shall never see God Cursed be the covetous for he cannot suffer the losse of his wealth for righteousnesse sake and therefore the Kingdome of Hell is his And is it thus is covetousnesse the occasion of so much evill Let us take heed and beware of covetousnesse and let us have our conversation Luke 12. 15. farre from covetousnesse for it is Gods owne saying I will never forsake thee nor leave thee so that thou maist boldly say Heb. 13. 5 6. The Lord is my helper Let us not bee like Moles which make Covetousnesse excludes out of heaven many holes and digge many dens in the earth and yet are not satisfied but still labour and digge Let us not build many houses digge many cellers fill many barnes and yet bee unsatiable and unthankefull and in all abundance and plenty will not say Blessed bee the name of the Lord which Iob did in his greatest Iob 1 21. poverty The covetous Cormorant when his barnes were full and his houses furnished was satisfied saying as it were Soule thou hast sufficient Eate drinke and take thine ease but many having ynough and more than ynough are not satisfied but as the Luke 12. 19. Beare seeketh after hony and the Hart chased for the soile and the Eagle for the carkasse and the Woolfe for bloud so the covetous man for gold for gaine Vbi hoc cadaver ibi hae aquilae Where this carkasse is there be these Eagles Their feet run to evill and make haste to shead bloud such are the wayes of every one that is Prov. 1. 16 19. greedie of gaine hee would take away the life of the owners thereof As Vultures smell a dead carkasse a great way off As Eagles flying aloft in the Ayre behold the little fishes swimming below in the waters and deuoure them Sic avari lucrum longè Aug. odorantur so the covetous smell their gaine afarre off they say with Vespatian who tooke a tribute of the peoples urine Suavis odor lucri ex re qualibet the savour of gaine is sweet from every thing according to that of Salomon The bread of deceit is sweet Prov. 20. 17. to a man but afterward his mouth shall bee filled with gravell Iosephs golden cup was found in Beniamins sacke and if God rifle us and search us and our sackes I feare that much evill gaine will bee found amongst us Protestants That as a Cage is full of birds Ier. 5. 27 29. so our houses are full of deceit whereby many are become great and waxen rich Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord or shall not my soule be avenged on such a people as this is These covetous men have no part with God no portion in Christ no fellowship with the Saints As there be no Serpents in Ireland no Owles in Crete no wild beasts in Lebanon so there be no covetous men in Heaven For without shall be dogges and inchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and Idolaters but covetous Apoc. 22. 15. men are Idolaters therefore not in Heaven Yea and moreover they lose both Heaven and earth like Aesops dogge that lost both the shadow and the beefe Therefore Salendine the Emperour of the East dying caused a man to carry a sheete in Damascus on the end of a speare and to say Ecce trophaea Imperatoris Behold the King of the East carryeth nothing with him but a winding sheet And surely As wee brought nothing into the world so we may carry nothing out Great men have their Porters to 1 Tim 6 7. see that men carry no more out than they brought in and if he chance to spie a silver spoone or a piece of plate in a mans bosome Soft sirrah saith he whither carry yee this plate you brought it not in you must not carry it out Now death is Gods Porter and performeth this O terra cinis O dust and ashes Earthly minds uncapable of heavenly things why art thou greedy and yet men are most greedy of the world and then too when they are ready to leave the world as old men which is monstrous in them Membra frigescunt cupiditas autem calescit their members grow cold but their desire still waxeth warme Caro senescit at affectus iâ—venescunt the flesh waxeth old but their affections grow yong gray heads but greene affections Finis vitae non imponit finem avaritiae the end of their life makes no end of their covetousnesse but still he loadeth himselfe with thicke clay for gold is but red clay and silver white clay Hab. 2. 6. These men are like the dogs snowt that is ever cold like Tantalus that standeth in the water and yet is ever dry Hee hath enlarged his desire as Hell and is as death that cannot bee satisfied As Hab. 2. 5. the Raven feedeth not her yong till they be blacke as the Eagle acknowledgeth not her birds till they can soare to the Sun So God acknowledgeth not them that are drowned in the world and are carryed away by the deceit of Balaams wages that is covetousnesse If yee be risen with Christ seeke the things that are above Col. 3 1 2. where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections upon heavenly things and not upon worldly These bastard Eagles they cannot mount like Noah's Raven they seize upon carrion As dust cast into the eyes hindreth sight so covetousnesse hindreth our sight that we looke not to heaven it is like the Swallowes dung that put out the eyes of Tobias Wee see not the powers of the Heb. 6. 5. 2 Pâ—â— 2. 14. world to come Our hearts are brawned and exercised with covetousnesse they thinke on nothing else from Munday to Sunday from Ianuary to December The Wise man saith that there is not à viler thing than to love â—â—ney Money doth all now in the world Give Balaam money and Eccles 10. 9. he will curse the people of God whom before he blessed Give 2 Pet. 2. Iehoakin money and he will spoile the poore rob the fatherlesse undoe the widdow pervert all justice Give Achan money and Ier. 22. Ios 7. he will steale the execrable thing the Babylonian garment and the wedge of gold give Iudas mony and he will sell his Master betray Christ Iesus give the Souldiers money and they will Mat. â—6 â—ap 28. lye cog sweare resweare forsweare Christs Resurrection and say that
jury into the world Ex multis iâ—ramentis perventum est â—andem in peâ—iuâ—ia in multilâ—quio non deest peceatum From many oathes men Chrysost came at last to perjury and in much speaking there is sinne with much water there goeth some gravell with much fire some smoke and with many words some lies as among many wounds some skarres Aquinas saith that we must use an oath as we use physicke which is not used but in necessity in diseases So an oath is to be used in necessity when the trueth otherwise cannot appeare Parcè utenda medicina parcè iur amentum A medicine Aquin. is to be used sparingly and an oath sparingly yet a number cannot talke but they must sweare As the girle said of Peter Thou art of Galilee for thy speech bewrayeth thee So these Mat. 26. swearers that thus speake against God are of the Divell By thy barking I know thee to bee a dog by thy hissing to bee a serpent and by thy swearing to bee a vile man Shall I call that a sweet fountaine that sendeth out nothing but brine salt water and sulphurous Shall I call that good earth that yeldeth nothing but briers and brambles And shall I call him a Christian The generall Iudgement most certaine that cannot speake five words but one shall bee against God one shall be an oath by God and by God As she said Call me not Naomi but call me Mara So call not these Christians but beasts monsters Divels as Christ called Iudas These men Iohn 6. 70. as S. Iohn said have the hornes of the Lambe but they speake like the dragon they have a shew of religion but they sweare like reprobates they speake by the mouth of a greater beast Apoc. 13. then themselves These men are like belles that hang in the steeple but they are not seene but heard so these men though they be nor seene they may be heard in the Ale houses and Tavernes as men passe by there they roare and sweare and speake against God and count it a gentlemenly quality In times past Gentlemen were knowne by three properties Learning Armes and Gentlenesse but now by swearing wantonnesse and taking of Tobacco I speake not of all God hath his number Lord how are men degenerated from that they have beene What a Metamorphosis is in the world Have men drunke of Circes cup or are they changed with Hecuba for railing at the siedge of Troy into dogges that they barke thus against God Well they shall come to Iudgement one day for this Christ will come and we expect it To give iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds that they have committed and of all their cruell speakings which ungodly sinners have spoken against And Come Lord Iesus come quickly Apoc. 22. One thing further let me observe unto you that he saith Behold the Lord commeth with thousand of his Saints to give iudgement against all men c. That hee speaketh in the present tense not in the future tense to note the certainty of his comming So Esay Esay 9. said of Christ Vnto us a Child is borne yet was he not then borne but five hundred yeeres at the least after So Iohn spake Ecce venit Apoc. 1. 7. in nubibus Behold he commeth in the clouds and yet hee is not come but to note the trueth of his comming he affirmeth that he commeth The Apostle saith That Faith overcommeth the World and yet we are striving with the world as yet wee are in the 1 Iohn 5. 1. mayne battell as yet the plowers plough long furrowes on our backs as yet we strive unto bloud and yet he saith We have overcome the world because wee shall overcome it The Shepheards said that the words of the Angell were come to passe yet had they Luk 2. 15. Rom. 3. Numb 23. 19. not been a Bethelem Let God be true and all men liers He is not a man that hee should lye neither as the Sonne of man that hee should repent hath be said and shall he not doe it and hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Heaven and earth shall passe before one iot or tittle of his Luk 16 17. Word shall passe As for him that thinkes that the Lord will never come to iudgement nor that this body shall rise againe Let him remember that he who bringeth the Sunne out of his Chamber daily who reneweth the dead hornes of the Moone Psal 19. Psal 104. every moneth who dried up the sea in one night who caused None so vile but sometime feareth iudgemeÌ„t inwardly Aarons withered rod in one night to beare ripe Almonds who quickened Sara her dead wombe who revived the dead corne in the ground can raise againe this body and howsoever the Exod. 14. Gen. 18. 1 Cor. 15. wicked seare up their consciences with a hot iron yet I am perswaded there is none so wicked but sometime trembleth at the iudgement That the Lord shall come with thousand of his Saints to give Iudgement on all flesh c. None so riotous but sometime he saith Esca ventri venter escis Meate for the belly and the belly for 1 Cor. 6. 13. meate but God shall destroy both it and them None so covetous but sometime saith The rust of these things will be a witnesse against me None so blasphemous but at one time or other Iam. 5. 3. saith The plague departeth not from the house of the swearer None so adulterous but saith I may not make the Ecclus 23. 12. members of Christ the members of an harlot I may not make the 1 Cor. 6. temple of God the stable for the Divell And to conclude none so past all feare of God but sometimes saith This geare will not last alway what shall become of me when I stand before Gods iudgement seate Foelix trembled when he heard Paul preach of Iudgement and Adrian the Emperour said at his death Animula Act. 24. vagula blandula quo nunc vagaris O my little wandring tender soule whither doest thou now goe Thou wouldest not have the conscience of a damned creature to gaine tenne thousand worlds and to bee the Monarch of them for so many thousand yeers Well yee see there shall be a Iudgement yee see the person that shall be our Iudge The Lord he shall come in his owne person to iudge us and what a comfort will this be that hee shall come for us that went up to send the Comforter unto us Yee see the manner of his comming with thousand of his Saints The end of it to rebuke all the ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all the cruell speakings that wicked sinners have spoken against And now to make some use of all this that hath been spoken concerning this Iudgement The use of it is triple 1. For terrour 2. For comfort
heart is as the kitchin wherein things are prepared for God the vessell is at tilt when dregs and lees wanton and filthy speeches bee drawne from the heart the quiver is empty when never an arrow can bee drawne out never a word that savoureth of goodnes but all our speeches are for our profit or our pleasure wee are men of polluted lippes CHRIST is the fountaine of the water of life and Esa 6. Esa 35. faith in the heart is as the leads or pipes that receive it and hold the water and confession is as the cocke of the conduite Rom. 10. the spowte that lets out the water to all commers Earthly men seldome talke of CHRIST but wee have not so unfruitfully learned CHRIST nor so unhappily given witnesse of his trueth but better things belong to us in better wayes wee will runne our course in a better hope lay downe our bodies Let them talke of the world that make it their portion wee looke for a City whose builder and maker is God Let the Aegyptians talke of their walled The godly talke of God and praise him Cities Nabuchaduezzar of his buildings the foole of his barnes the voluptuous of his hawks and hounds wee will speake of God and our care shall bee to glorify him hee is a God of glory and his is glory to him will wee give glory and honour and thanks for evermore THE ONE AND FORTIETH SERMON VERS XXV To God onely Wise and our Saviour bee Glory Majesty Power and Dominion How Majesty is ascribed to God THere bee six Attributes here in this verse of God Wisedome Salvation Glory Majestie Dominion and Power Wee have handled and heard of three of them that is of his Wisedome Salvation and Glory and I am to speake of the other three Majesty Dominion and Power Majestie is his incomprehensible greatnesse which worketh wonders and bringeth forth most excellent and rare workes to ascribe therefore unto God a power and an incomprehensible might whereby hee doth the workes of wonder is to render majestie to God Hereupon said David Blessed bee the Lord God even the Psal 72. 18 19. God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things and blessed bee his glorious name for ever and let all the earth be filled with his glory so bee it Therefore is David so earnest with the tyrants and great men of the world to give this Majesty to God and addeth often Vno oris halitu that the voyce of the Lord doth all Give unto the Lord O yee mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto Psal 29. 1 2 3 4 10. the Lord glorie due unto his name worship the Lord in his glorious Sanctuary Miracles admired for the the rarenesse The voice of the Lord is upon the Waters The God of glory maketh it to thunder the Lord is upon the great Waters the voice of the Lord is mighty the voice of the Lord is glorious c. The Lord sitteth upon the floud and the Lord doth remaine King for ever Hee repeateth one thing often over for wee passe over all the workes of God without consideration like horse and mule that have no understanding and they are buried in the grave of oblivion Wee Psal 22. will not confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men They that dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death being bound in miserie Psal 107. 8 10 14 15. and yron hee brought out of darkenesse and shadow of death and brake their bands asunder Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men The like hee saith of the sicke whose soule abhorreth all manner of meate and they are hard at deaths doore and of the mariners which goe downe to the Sea in ships and fee the wonderous workes of God and to all these one and the same conclusion is repeated Let them confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Wee see many wonders but wee give not God praise in them a wonder lasteth but nine dayes Vilescunt omnia Dei miracuâ—â— all Gods miracles are vile and are not regarded Augustine said God doth not now miracles ob duas causas for two causes First Ne vilescant miracula as I said before Secondly Ne terrena semper Aug. lib. 9. de civitate Dei quaeramus that wee should not alwayes seeke after earthly things it is as great a miracle to governe the World as to feed Iohn 6. five thousand men with five loaves and two Fishes Et tamen illud ownes mirantur hoc nemo yet all men wonder at that none at this Non quia majus sed quia rarum not because it is the greater but because it is rare it is as great a miracle to raise a barley kernel as to raise a dead body out of the grave Vilescit tamen 1 Cor. 15. ob assiduitateÌ„ yet this is not respected because of assiduity whereas the other is thought impossible The Israelites saw the light of Aegypt turned into darkenesse the waters into bloud the dust into lyce the bitter waters of March into sweete the Psal 105. Heaven open to give them Manna the rocke open to give them drinke the flint stone turned into a well yet doubted of Gods Psal 78. Majestie in giving them bread The Pharisees saw and perceived the blind to see the deafe to heare the dumbe to speake the lame to walke the dead to live yet blasphemed God The Luke 7. Iewes saw the fiery and cloven tongues yet railed on the Apostles as men not full of the Spirit but full of new wine Wee Act. 2. in England have seene wonders in Heaven as strange starres never seene before blazing Comets at other times and wonders in Anno 16. Eliz. the Sea as fishes at the I le of Tennet two and twenty yards long and wonders in the Earth as trees to remove in Dorset-shire and Hereford-shire yet have wee ascribed to God no Majestie Nay God reveales himselfe six wayes greater wonders than these have we seene for God did restore to us the light of the Gospell in the greatest darkenes of the world hee did unhorse the Pope in the time of King Henry the eighth and increased the light of it as the noone-day in the dayes of Edward the sixth and after it was eclipsed hee restored the light of it in the daies of Queene Elizabeth he hath put down the Northerne tumults hath drowned the Spanish Navy Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth for the sonnes of men But alas we have eyes but wee see not eares and heare not wee have hearts like mules and understand not wee see no more than beasts wee are as stockes and blockes what folly hath Ier. 5. 21 23. wrapped up all our
Non tamen pugnat ejus potentia cum voluntate his power fighteth Tart. adversus Prax. not with his will Lay thy hand on thy mouth with Iob reason not against God Quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God so much for the attributes Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Dominion and Power But it is further to bee noted that in naming God To God only wise c. Hee comprehendeth the three persons for these attributes are due to all the whole Trinity Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Power and Dominion The Scripture speaketh diversly of the Trinity sometime ascribing things to one person sometime to another sometimes to all joyntly as power to the Father wisdome to the Sonne goodnesse to the Holy Ghost Psal 104. 1. Prov. 14. Greeve not the good Spirit of God saith the Apostle Yet power wisdome goodnes are due to all the persons of the whole Trinity in a Gods glory dominion power is eternall more strict sence signification Againe yee shall see the creation of all things ascribed to the omnipotency of the Father the administration of all ascribed to the Sonne the sanctification Ephes 4. 30. Gen. 1. Prov. 9. 1. 1 Cor. 6. â—1 of all ascribed to the Holy Ghost yet all three create preserve and sanctify the Church Pater à se Filius per se Sanctus Spiritus à Patre Filio The Father of himselfe the Sonne by him and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Augustine speaketh Aug. thus Sicut ex intellectu generatur voluntas ex his ambobus procedit memoria in anima ipsa As the will springing from the understanding and from them both the memory in the soule it selfe so the Sonne is begotten of the Father and from both these proceedeth the Holy Ghost This causeth the Scriptures to speake so diversly of the Trinity Power is attributed to the Father but not exclusivè exclusively quoth Vrsinus in his Catechisme sed inclusivè but inclusively for all three are of equall power sed Patri potentia tribuitur Vrsinus quia est fons origo but power is given to the Father because hee is the fountaine the originall the rest of the persons are from him but not as touching their essence but person and manner of existing To conclude the works of the Trinity quoad extra are indivisible but quoad intus they bee singuler as the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both hold this Axiome in divinity and learne to speake wisely and soberly of the Trinity Well this glory Majesty dominion and power must be yeelded now and ever for the glory of God endeth not with the end of the world it is for ever here and in heaven the continuance of this world before God is but as a day the Morning of this day was the creation of the Heaven and of Adam untill the flood the Noone of this day was the comming of Christ the Evening is the end of the world a thousand and six hundred yeeres S. Iohn cals but one yeere A thousand and six hundred yeeres are past as 1 Iohn 2. an houre but the glory of the Lord is from eternity to eternity from everlasting to everlasting from eternity as touching election quae est sine principio to eternity quoad reprobationem as touching reprobation for it shall abide without end but in that hee saith both now and for ever this teacheth us that there must be no end of praising God his praises must bee ever in our mouth First for spirituall blessings bestowed here in earth in Heaven as Election Redemption Adoption Vocation Iustification Sanctification Psal 86. Glorification for every one of these commeth from God therefore hee is to be praised both now and for ever Now in this life wee must sing Hosanna to the Sonne of David and hereafter we shall sing Allelujah in Heaven with all the Saints For all spirituall blessings wee must say with the Apostle Blessed be God which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings For temporall blessings Ephes 1. 3. glory and praise is to bee given to God Christ gave thanks for God is to bee prayed to and praysed for all things food Anna for a child Iacob for riches Abrahams servant for prospering his journey and in a word for all other temporall blessings as health wealth peace prosperity God is to be praised now and ever As there is no end of his benefits towards us Iohn 6. 12. 2 Sam. 2. 1. Gen. 32. 10. Gen. 24. 48. so there should bee no end of our praises towards him but wee must praise him both now and ever To conclude this point here is a secret comparison betweene the glory of man and the glory dominion and power of God mans glory is as a flowre All flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof as the flowre of grasse for so Esay was willed to cry but though hee Esa 40. 6. cry it few will beleeve it wee trust not the Lord one speaketh of an Epitaph graven in the tombe of a great man Hic fuit hic fecit pugnavit vicit amauit Composuis libros gentes populósque subegit Quid mihi cum fuit aut erit est valet vnum He was he did he fought he conquer'd lov'd Wrote books nations and people hee subdu'd But what have I to do with was or Shall With me the Present only is worth all Things past bee gone things to come are uncerten that which is and is for ever goeth for all glory present will bee past and glory future will bee for ever haec vita haec gloria non est vita non est gloria this life this glory is neither life nor glory for wee are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory AMEN This word is an Hebrew word and it is taken in the Scriptures three manner of wayes sometime as a Nowne signifying Christ himselfe sometime as an Adverbe so Christ useth the word saying Amen Amen that is Verily Verily I say unto you and sometime as a Verbe as in this place signifying So be it or be it so So that this word Amen contayneth more than the prayer it Apoc. 1. Iohn 3. selfe For in the prayer wee testify our desire how that wee desire Glory Majesty Dominion and Power to bee given unto God but in this word Amen wee witnes our faith that wee believe Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power to bee his So that from hence wee have to observe to pray with faith to beleeve we shall receive those things wee have prayed for This appeareth in the Prophet Praised bee the Lord for evermore so bee it even so be it And Christ hath taught us thus to shut up our prayers Psal 89. 52. Mat. 6. 13. and the Apostle closeth
excellent of all vertues 413 All vertues vaine without love ibid. Many excellent properties of Love 414 Little love in this age ibid. Love makes men of one heart 415 Many men implacable cruell like Wolues or Divels ibid. An exhortation to love 416 Foure properties of love that it be holy just true constant ibid. The love amongst Atheists and impious condemned 417 The excellency of Love ibid. Atheists agree like a kennell of dogs 418 Most love for lucre ibid. Gods love to us infinite 419 Gods love to us diversly distinguished ibid. Gods loue set out by all the dimensions yet transcendent and unmeasurable ibid. No love comparable to Gods Love 420 Gods love to us the cause of our love to him and the godly ibid. Foure reasons or motives to incite us to love God 1. à mandato 2. ab aequo justo 3. à commodo 4. ab officio 421 The manner how God is to bee loved 422 Love a debt that all owe to God and man but few poy it ibid VVe must shew our love to God by keeping his commandements and serving him 423 An honorable and happy thing to love God ibid. Sermon 34. THe hope of eternal life allays the hardnesse of Gods Commandements 425 Hope of reward makes men endure labours and dangers 426 The blessed estate of the Saints in Heaven 427 Christ and the Saints in their sufferings had an eye to the reward ibid. The joyes of Heaven unspeakable incomprehensible 428 The glorified bodyes shall have spirituall and heavenly qualities namely clarity agility subtility unpassibility and immortality 429 The principall points wherein the glory and joy of the glorified soule and whole Saint consist 430 Earthly mindes regard not Heavenly joyes 431 Divers errours concerning eternall life 432 The joyes of Heaven eternall and infinite ibid. Heaven compared with the wombe of the world 433 An exhortation to seeke after eternall joyes ibid. Eternall life onely the free gift of God 434 Merit end mercy gift and desert opposite ibid. Papists works many of them merit death 435 Merit three-fold Congrui Digni Condigni ibid. None can merit ex condigno but Christ 436 Our works cannot merit because finite and unperfect ibid. Christs righteousnes ours 437 Our works merit not jointly with Christs ibid. Grace threefold Praeveniens Subsequens Consummans ibid. Many Papists renounce their merits and fly to Gods mercy 438 Our election vocation justification sanctification all from grace 439 We must not trust in our works but confesse our sinnes ibid. Sermon 35. DIscretion necessary for distinguishing sinnes and sinners 441 Ministers must use discretion not deale alike with all sinnes and sinners ibid. How to restore with mâ—ekenes them that are fallen 442 VVee should pitty and pray for sinners and not despise them ibid. Many men more compassionate toward their beasts nhan brethren 444 Wee must tak away sinnes with mildenesse and mercy if possible ibid. Reproofe though not pleasing yet profitable 446 Compassion must be shewed especially to the soule 447 The Saints bewaile the estate of the wicked ibid. Threats of judgement belong to the wicked 448 The obstinate must be terrified not soothed ibid. Iudgements denounced against soothing false prophets 449 Reproofes more profitable than soothing flattery 450 Excommunication a grievous censure ibid. Excommunication three-fold 451 Two uses of Excommunication ibid. Sermon 36. THe sinner alwayes in danger 452 The fickle estate of the wicked set out by divers resemblances 453 No estate permanent 454 Sudden destruction waite on the wicked ibid. Death comes not sudden to the Godly 455 The Godly prepare by repentance and godly life for death while they have time 456 Repentance must not be deferred ibid. The saving of soules a most blessed worke 457 Though God save yet both Grace and Faith and Ministery concurre 458 Tho Ministrie being Gods ordinance to save soules is not to be slighted though the World despise them ibid. Foure faculties in the soule whereby it converts the food of the Word and Sacraments to nourishment of the spirituall life 459 The necessitie and excellent fruits of the Ministery set out by divers resemblances 460 The happy estate of them that have means of knowledge 461 Salvation and the misery of them that want it ibid. Sermon 37. NOt onely evill but all appearance of evill is to bee avoided 462 Sinne must bee hated not sported at if if wee love our owne soules ibid. No communion to be holden or society with the wicked 463 Wicked men must be avoided in respect of God and ourselves ibid. Sinne as contagious as the plague and more dangerous 464 Wee must hate sinne because the whole Trinity detest it 465 Wee must hate sinne because Satan is the author being enemie to God and our soules ibid. Sinne must bee hated because it dishonours God not our selves 466 Wee may not hold amity with the wicked boing Gods enemies 467 The amity of the wicked treachery ibid. Sinne onely is hated of God and man and not the person except reprobate 468 Two judgments the one of Faith the other of Charity 469 Wee must leave sinne of conscience not for other respects 470 The punishment of sinne ought to deterre from sinne ibid. Earthquakes an evident signe of Gods anger and a forerunner of judgement 471 Many earth-quakes in many places and much hurt 472 Christians not to be prophaned 473 Sermon 38 VVE are not sufficient to doe any good of our selves without grace 476 Exhortations do not shew what we can but what we should doe 477 Grace both preserves from falling and raiseth us being fallen 478 Our enemies many and powerfull 479 Prayer the best meanes to repell Satan and his temptations 480 All sorts of men have fallen even the Saints ibid. All have the Seminarie of all sinnes in them 481 Grace worketh all in all ibid. Wee walke in the middest of snares 482 God suffered Adam and doth still suffer the Saints to fall for divers reasons 483 Difference betweene the sinnes of Saints and Reprobates ibid. Whether and how the Church may erre 484 The best have erred ibid. The Pope may erre and many of them have erred 485 The distinctions about the erring of the Pope nice and frivolous 486 Sermon 39. HOw wee are said to bee blamelesse notwithstanding we are full of sin 487 Two kindes of righteousnesse 488 Our righteousnesse consists rather in the remission of sinne than perfection of vertue ibid. How we are said to be perfect and yet imperfect 489 The Iesuits and latter Popish writers the worst 490 The Church and members of it impure in it selfe but perfect and pure in Christ 491 Our service may be sincere not perfect 492 Iustification by workes confuted how justified by faith explained 493 Papists flye to the mercy of God and merit of Christ 494 No true joyes and pleasures in this world but all in Heaven ibid. The Saints in Heaven shall have fulnesse of joy undique 495 Heaven the land of the living and Earth land of dead men 496 God shall be all in all to the Saints in Heaven ibid. Worldly minded men desire not Heaven 497 Our life nothing to eternall life ibid. All honours and pleasures on earth nothing to them in Heaven 498 The World fraudulent turbulent momentary 499 Christ the onely comfort to the elect both in this life and that to come ibid. Many hindred from Heaven by pleasure Sermon 40. PRayer and praise the two chiefest parts of Gods worship must follow one another 501 The glory of God hath beene celebrated by all Saints 502 Wee slauld not thinke of the mercies of God in Christ without praising him 503 God described by many attributes yet none can sufficiently set him out ibid. God onely wise all men ignorant and foolish 504 Wee have no true wisedome till infused by God ibid. All wisedome and Knowledge hid in Christ 505 Destinction betweene Science and Sapience ibid. Worldly wisedome folly ibid. Gods Wisedome seene in creation and disposing of all creatures and governing the Church 506 Christ a mercifull and powerfull Saviour in life and death ibid. No Saviours comparable to Christ 507 The Papists derogate from the power and merit of Christ ibid. The imputative righteousnes of the Saints more set out Gods glory than the inherent 508 Mans worke cannot merit ibid. What it is to glorifie God 509 Thankefulnesse the onely sacrifice that God requires ibid. We pray in our wants and doe not praise God when we are releeved 510 Thankesgiving and the praise of God the end of our creation ibid. They thrt doe not glorifie God here shall not be glorified of him hereafter ibid. Two theeves that rob God of his glory and justice 511 A powerfull exhortation to praise God and give up our selves in thankefulnesse ibid. If no praise of God in the mouth no thankfulnesse or grace in the heart 512. Sermon 29. VVHat it is to ascribe majestie to God 514 Miracles are admired for the rarenesse 515 All Gods ordinary workes wonderfull 516 Our dulnesse in ascribing to God majestie in regard of his workes ibid. God reâ—eales himselfe sixe wayes ibid. Gods judgement do not worke Repentance ibid. Wherein Gods dominion standeth 517 Gods three-fold kingdome of power grace glorie ibid. Wee ackowledge our selves subjects of Christs kingdome of grace and yet are rebellious 518 Three properties in the Angels Obedience Libentissime Citissime Fidelissime Obediunt 519 Notorious sinners Satans bond-slaves ibid. Wee must be pure in soule and body that Christ may dwell and rule in us 520 Gods power omnipotent ibid. Christ every where present by his power though not corporally ibid. Christs omnipotenty gives comfort to the Christian 521 Gods incomprehensiblenesse set out by comparison ibid. Christ all in all to us 522 God cannot doe those things that imply contradiction or defect ibid. How attributes are ascribed some time to the whole Trinitie sometime to particular persons 523 All Gods attributes are eternall ibid. God must bee praied and praised for all things temporall and eternall 524 Amen the diverse significations thereof and the efficacie thereof in the conclusion of our praiers ibid. Note that the folio's are mistaken at fol. 425. where you shall finde this marke 〈◊〉 FINIS