the Papists commendations of Infidels workes Surely the worke is good according to the judgment of man and so hath the rewards that are so deemed of naturall men So was Nebuchadnezzar Iehu and others rewarded But out of this Observation that the mind and not the action is rewarded here arise two excellent points The one is that we must take the definition of a good worke from the Scripture The end of the Commandement is Charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned For God respecteth not so much opus operatum as opus operantis and when it is said secundum opus it is taken with all his circumstances for ordinata and subordinata though they be not expressed they are understood otherwise we shall commit many absurdities in expounding the Scriptures When the effects of Faith are given to Charity to the feare of the Lord to Repentance c. Faith must worke by Charity and a worke tantum habet virtutis quantum fidei charitatis It is Saint Augustines rule Bonum opus intentionem fides distinguit Aug. praefat sp 31. And this overthroweth all the workes that are about merit for the foundation of the reward is faith which beares out all the defects of our conscience and of Charity The second thing that this doth yeeld is that all men herein are equalled because a man is accepted according to that which he hath not according to that which hee hath not According to workes We must looke immediately to our selves and foresee our conditions of reward or punishment But we must not lay our foundation there but goe higher remembring that of God in Moses Secreta mea mihi my lawes are for you And seeing the other vertues are in the sight only of God and the works before the world God that will judge in the sight of the world will judge according to works Reward Hoc ipsum laborare mercedis loco habendum it is an honour to doe so here by grace for it is the uttermost we shall attaine unto in the state of glory For what is the greatest reward of glory but to stand by the throne and praise God and it is our duty yet no man shutts the doors of God in vaine The servant must come with his talent and enter into his masters joy or into utter darknes Behold I come and my reward is with me Reward Isay 40.10 62 11. Esa 40.10 62 11. But where doth God reward in this life or in the next Ordinarily God doth it in both he suffereth not the sinnes of his owne children unpunished nor the rightnesse of the heathen temporally unrewarded hee keepeth eternall rewards of mercy for his children and of plagues for his enemies That God punisheth his children read the stories of Moses David Aaron that he rewardeth see supra But he punisheth his children not taking his mercie from them but virga viri which at the most can but kill the body but not Dei that casts both body and soule into hell fire Yea it is Enos of a weake feeble man They drinke of the Red Wine but the wicked have the dregs The strokes of God upon his enemies are described Esay 30 32.27 7. Esa 30 32.27.1 7 12. He will not strike twice It is good wee consider every man his wayes and turne his feete unto GODS Commandements for GOD will enter into judgement even with those that strive to bee most in favour The summe of all is this What we have done and how we have lived towards God yea and towards men O Lord God of Truth that in witnesse of thy constancy and for reliefe of our infirmity hast many times and wayes informed us of thy power and mercy grant that what thou speakest we may heare attentively and obediently and thereby bee so qualified through thy grace to use those holy meanes which lead to a happie end That when thou takest account of our lives and tryest our works what we have bin towards thee towards our neighbour that we may be such as may partake thy glory and bee crowned of thy mercy per Dominum nostrum Iesum * ⎠* A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSSE WINCHESTER PSALM 82. ver 5. They understand not they consider not they walke on in darknesse All the foundations of the land are moved THe Originall of Magistrates the duty answerable thereto required in Magistrates the danger of the defects and who must remedy what is amisse by the default there are foure points contained in this Psalme Magistrates are from God and hee resides among them Magistrates must proceede like God partiality must be farre from them Magistrates defects are dangerous both to the state and to themselves finally God can and will redresse the evils that spring from them because hee is Soveraigne in and over those places and persons which are misgoverned by them Of those foure points I have chosen the third and thereof but one part even so much as is contained in this fifth verse whereon for my better direction and your fuller satisfaction it may please you to observe with me these three points First The defects in the Magistrates They understand not they consider not they walke on in darknesse Secondly The danger of the state All the foundations of the land are moved 3. The Collection of both which may be framed two wayes either thus They understand not and therefore all the foundations are moved or thus They understand not and yet behold all the foundations c. Of these two senses the first makes the danger of a state the fruit of a bad Magistrate the second taxeth in Magistrates stupidity if they be not moved with the Common-wealths calamities To these three points by Gods assistance and your Christian patience I will speake briefly and in their order They understand not The mother of imperfections and root of all defects markable in Magistrates may be reduced to three all mentioned in the first part of the verse for either they understand not and that is Ignorance or they consider not and that is Negligence or they walke on in darkenesse and that is want of conscience Touching ignorance the Sonne of Syrach reckoning diverse trades some manuary some imployed in husbandry concludeth in effect thus Although without these a City cannot be maintained yet by these a City must not be governed these sit not upon the seat of Iudgment these cannot declare the forme of the Law they are not meet to discerne hard matters such things must be left unto the learned Pro. 8.15 which must with much paine attaine great wisdome Prov. 8. By me Kings Reigne and Princes decree Iustice by me Nobles beare rule and all the Iudges of the earth And the Author of the booke of Wisdome If your delight bee in Thrones and Scepters then honour Wisedome When Moses tyred with the government of all Israel would unburthen part of his charge upon other mens shoulders bring saith he unto me
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to things hoped for but the words rather respect the severall faculties of our soule then the quality of those things that are the object of these faculties and so you may learne by the words of Gods covenant â—â—r 31.33 This shall bee the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts So he saith in generall and then descends to particulars I will write it in their hearts and will bee their God and they shall be my people this respects the will and the affection embracing it as good and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest this agrees to the understanding resting on it as true And agreeable hereunto is that of Saint Paul Eph. 3.14 For this cause J bow my knees unto the Father of our LORD Iesus Christ that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory Rom. 1.17 to be strengthened with his might that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith c. He saith in the heart and will not in the understanding only For indeed this is the faith whereby the just man doth live therefore the seat of it must be in the heart And this faith is distinguished from the faith of those impure persons of whom Saint Iude speaketh in this Epistle that they turne the grace of God into wantonnesse verse 4. Rom. 1. â—8 1 Pet. 2.16 and Saint Paul that they detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse and Saint Peter that they abuse their Christian libertie as a cloake of maliciousnesse But our Faith lodgeth Christ in the Sanctum Sanctorum the most holy Person in the most holy place yea and there doth Faith conceive and bring forth Charitie which sanctifieth every Morall Vertue unto an heavenly end And finally by Faith it comes to passe that Gods Commandements are not grievous unto us We are not like that man that went away heavie Matth. 19.21 when he was willed to forsake all and follow Christ but like Abraham Genes 4. readie at the call of God to forsake our Countrey and our Fathers House though we know not whither we shall goe Matth. 26.39 Heb. 10.7 and with our Saviour Christ we say Not my will but thy will be done I am readie to doe thy will O Lord. By this qualifying of our Vnderstanding and Will we perceive the reason why Atheists and Epicures beleeve and regard so little Heaven and heavenly things Their Vnderstanding and Will are earthly they make Reason the Iudge of the Articles of their Faith and Concupiscence makes the choise of their happinesse But I hope none of us have I could wish none of us had so learned Christ though it is true that the life of very many of us savoureth little of a most holy Faith Most holy Faith There are three degrees of Faith Holy more holy most holy First That Faith that can remove Mountaines cast out Devils fore-tell Secrets c. is an holy Faith for it is inspired by the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 13.2 but it is onely in regard of the Graces of Edification notwithstanding which Christ will say to such Matth. 7.23 I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Secondly There is a second Faith more holy Heb. 6.4 5. by which men being inlightened and partakers of the heavenly gift are made partakers of the Holy-Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the World to come and yet fall away againe Their Graces indeed are in nature the same with the Graces of Adoption but they never entertained them absolutely but conditionally so farre as they might enjoy them with the profits and pleasures of this life being readie to forgoe them rather then to hazard Earth to gaine Heaven 2 Pet. 2.21 It had beene better for them never to have knowne the way of Righteousnesse then after they know it to turne from the holy Commandement given unto them and like a Dogge to returne to their owne Vomit or like a Swine to their wallowing in the Mire Thirdly finally the last degree of Faith is that which is the most holy Faith which is not onely a Grace of Adoption but also free from all condition we captivate thereby our wit simply to Gods Word and yeeld our will without exception to Gods pleasure This is a saving Faith and of this that of the Prophet is true Aâ—ak 2.4 The just shall live by his Faith His Faith So it must be saith Saint Iude Ed fie your selves in your most holy Faith I need not say much of this having alreadie proved unto you that Faith belongs as well to the Will as the Vnderstanding for nothing is more ours then that which hath gotten possession of our Will the Will being that which commands all that is within us and seasoneth whatsoever proceeds from us The generall Promises of God worke not that Peace which passeth all understanding which must keepe our hearts and minds in Christ Iesus Phil 4.7 but it is the appropriating of them to our selves when the faculties of our soule can say Christ died for our sinne Gal 3.13 1 Joh. 1 7. Christ was made a Curse for us The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sinnes Let the Church of Rome rest in her Catholike Faith and proceed no further our comfort and confidence is the same that was Saint Pauls Gal. 2.19 20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God I am crucified with Christ but I live yet not I but Christ that liveth in me and in that I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith in the Sonne of God who hath loved me and given himselfe for me And indeed if we should onely assent unto Gods Truth wherein should our Faith differ from the Faith of the Devils in Hell who doe also beleeve and assent unto the object ratione essentiae benevolentiae divine but without any application and so the more knowledge the more paine But we must observe that it is one thing to hold that â—here is such a speciall Faith another thing that every â—an which conceits it hath such a speciall Faith We doe â—ot patronize the erroneous conceits of men but mainâ—aine the Truth of God in whom we find that Maxime â—ncontrollable That because we are Sonnes Gal. 4.6 God hath sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Sonne that cryes Abba Father They that are Sonnes have the Spirit but we presume not to determine who are Sonnes Let every man examine himselfe as Saint Pauls directs 2 Cor. 13. and so let him judge whether his be a most holy Faith for by this we know saith Saint John that Christ abideth in us 1 Joh. 3.24 even by the holy Spirit which
of a hopelesse answer she kneeles to him she speakes to him she fawned upon him like a dogge she was instant with him to help her at a dead lift So that if ye did before wonder at her cry so constantly professing Christ and her prayer so plainly expressing what inducement shee had to seeke to Christ now wonder much more at her gesture so humble her words so importunate she doth more lively expresse her faith in Christ when she worships him then when she did describe him and her cry is of greater force when she doth intimate that Christ doth use to helpe but it is when he is importuned with a cry for so signifies the Greeke word which is as much as to runne at a cry So that this second cry is equivalent to the former though it doth adde unto it for she doth really confesse him to be a Saviour whom she doth worship for worship belongs only to a Saviour and in that she did worship him she implyeth notwithstanding CHRISTS answer that he was her Saviour and He was to save her because she called upon him The lesson that belongs to us is that a true feare of God is not only verball but reall and that he proceeds in this feare that addes deeds to his words and yeelds unto CHRIST in deeds what hee confessed to be his due in words Secondly That CHRIST will not helpe except we cry for the proper word that signifies helpe implies that Gods mercy is to be obtained by our performance of our duty You have seene this womans faith her redoubted faith still the same but not in the same degree she began well she goes on better hoping that though Christ put her off with silence and with words the first shewing contempt the second cutting off all hope yet he would be entreated seeing that his denyall left still some advantage unto her to reply unto him and to gather that she might yet well hope to speed well with him But poore woman she hath not yet heard the worst her faith hath not had yet a full proofe it was bad before the next words will make her case worse the higher she riseth in faith the lesse Christ is seene to be moved with pity for what faith he It is not good to take the childrens bread and to cast it unto Whelps Contempt is grievous unto flesh and bloud but yet if there be hope it is better borne but if no hope and yet contempt durus est hic sermo who can endure it If you adde reproach to both you must needs breake the I eart a naturall man cannot but sinke under it Christs last speech then is a most bitter speech It was enough not to reckon her for a sheep not so much a lost sheep but to count her and call her a Whelp this seemes more than enough and a Whelp being in opposition to children the comparison encreaseth the reproach when others were so neere Christ and she so farre off from him The phrase alludes to uncleane beasts such as had no accesse unto the Temple might not bee offered in sacrifice So that Christ now doth expresse plainly and fully not only that he was not sent unto her but that she was not in any sort worthy to be respected by him For as it is in Jerusalem above the mother of us all so it is likewise in Icrusalem below extra canes there is no place for dogs within it So then the woman may be gone when her answer is so plain that whatsoever goodnesse is in Christ it nothing concernes her because there is so little worth in her But she will not yet be gone she presseth yet neerer Christ and is more vile as David speakes in her owne eyes she doth not stomacke the reproach she acknowledgeth her small worth she confesseth that Christs words though they be bitter are true and that she is no better than a Whelp but yet though she be of so meane worth yet is she not without hope for she hath one advantage left that she hath some likelihood to speed for though she be not a Child but a dogge yet may she be fed with crummes if not given unto her yet falling from her masters Table The humility was great in the prodigall child that said Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee I am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne make me but as one of thy hired servants Greater in King David who was not only contented to be a servant so he might be a servant of God but a servant in a meane place I had rather bee a doore keeper in the house of the Lord then to dwell in as Lord of the tents of the ungodly But this woman goes beyond them both she is contented to be a Whelp so she may be Christs Whelp and to gather crums so it be from the Table of such a Master and the crums of that bread wherewith he feeds his children though it fall from that Table whereat the Children sit It is no wonder though Saint Paul counted all worldly things but dung in comparison of that excellent knowledge which is in Christ when this woman makeâ—h so great account of the crums that fall from that Table What blame then doe we deserve that being accepted for children and admitted to Christs owne Table set so little by the childrens bread when every crumme thereof is of so great worth They that loathed Manna were sharply punished how much more doe wee deserve it that make so little account of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ This womans faith will one day rise in judgment and condemne us that in esteeming the gifts of God did go so farre beyond us even so farre that Christ may wonder at our unbeliefe as he did at the Iewes no lesse then he did wonder at this womans faith which was but a Gentile wondred at it and was conquered by it Joseph made himselfe strange to his brethren that so he might breed in them a sense of their sinne and so in the end make himselfe knowne with greater comfort stood out long but in the end could forbeare no longer but shed teares and discovered himselfe that hee was not what hee seemed an enemy but indeed as it proved a kind brother to them Even so our Saviour made semblance as if he had no compassion for this woman when â—s indeed hee meant both to make her renowned for her â—aith and to yeeld her a good proofe that such a faith is â—ot in vaine Therefore I call this delay a profitable deâ—ay it was delay in that he would be so often importuâ—ed that was otherwise so tender hearted a Saviour but â—t was profitable both for her whose faith was hereby commended and her daughter relieved and for Christ â—hat the world might see what that is which is due unto him and when it is fit to relieve us We must come unto him in a true sense of our unworthinesse reputing our selves no better