accessary to the death of the Lord of life And not only those that committed high treason against the sacred person of the Lords Annointed and imbrued their hands and stained their consciences with that bloud which cleanseth us from all sinne 1 John 1.7 but also Nero and Domitian and Trajan and Antoninus and Severus and Maximinus and Decius and Valerianus and Dioclesianus and Maxentius and all other Emperours that employed their swords and Simon Magus and Cerinthus and Arrius and Nestorius and Manes and all other obstinate arch-Heretickes who employed their pens against him none have hitherto escaped the heavie judgement of God who have bid battell to the Christian Faith and have wilfully and of set malice given the Spouse of Christ the least wound or skarre either by a gash with their sword or a scratch with their pen. Bee wise now therefore O yee Kings Psal 2.10 11 12. bee instructed yee Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling Kisse the Sonne lest hee bee angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him Some Interpreters by Judgement understand the spirituall government of Christ which is managed in his Church with excellent wisedome and judgement and by Victory the prevalent power of grace in the faithfull wherby they are victorious in all temptations in such sort that though Sathan labour with all his might to blow out a poore sparke yet hee shall not be able to quench it and that the smallest degree of faith like a grain of mustard seed is stronger than the gates of hell and is able to remove mountaines of doubts and oppositions cast up by Sathan and our rebellious hearts between God and us And from hence they inforce the Apostles exhortation to all the souldiers of Christ to be strong in the Lord Ephes 6.10 and in the power of his might not to looke who are their enemies but who is our Captaine not what they threaten but what hee promiseth who hath taken upon him as to conquer for us so to conquer in us These are sweet and comfortable notes but as I conceive without the rule of this Text for questionlesse the Donec or Untill is not superfluous or to no purpose but hath reference to some future time when Christs mild proceedings shall be at a period and he shall take another course with his enemies such as I have before described in the particular judgement of the Jewish Nation and the generall judgement of the whole World But if Judgement and Victory bee taken in their sense there needed no untill to bee added For Christ even from the beginning of his preaching when he strived not nor cryed nor brake the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe sent forth judgment unto victory according unto their interpretation that is wisely governed his Church and gave victory to the faithfull in their conflicts with sinne and Sathan That therefore the members of this sentence bee not co-incident and that the donec or untill may have his full force I conceive agreeably to the exposition of the ancient and the prime of the later Interpreters that in this clause Till hee bring forth judgement unto victory the Prophet determineth the limits of the time of grace Whosoever commeth In between the first and second comming of Christ shall be received into favour but after the gates of mercy shall bee locked up Yet our gracious Ahasuerus reacheth out his golden Scepter to all that have a hand of faith to lay hold on it but then he shall take his Iron mace or rod in his hand to bruise his enemies and breake them in pieces like a potters vessell I must sing therefore with holy David of Mercy and Judgement mercy in this life and judgement in the life to come mercy during the day of grace but judgement at the day of the Worlds doom For although sometimes God meets with the Reprobate in this life yet that judgement which they feele here may bee accounted mercy in comparison of that which shall be executed upon them hereafter without all mitigation of favour release of torments or limitation of time Now the vials drop on them but then they shall bee poured all out upon them Wherefore let us all like the bruised reed fall downe to the earth and humble our selves under the mighty hand of God Let us like smoaking flaxe send forth bitter fumes of sighes for our sinnes assuring our selves that now whilst the day of grace lasteth hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flaxe but if we neglect this time of grace and deferre our repentance till he send forth judgement unto victory we shall smoake for it Cogitemus fratres de tempore in tempore ne pereamus cum tempore Let us thinke of time in time lest we perish with time Let us imagine that we now saw the Angel standing upon the sea Apoc. 10 5 6. and upon the earth and lifting up his hand to heaven and swearing by him that liveth for ever who created heaven and the earth and the sea and the things that are therein that there should be time no longer Jonas 2.8 O let us not forsake our owne mercy but to day if wee will heare his voice harden not our hearts but mollifie them by laying them asoake in teares Let us breake off our sinnes suddenly by repentance and our iniquities by almes-deeds Now is the seed-time let us now therefore sow the seeds of faith hope mercy meeknesse temperance patience and all other divine Vertues and we shall reape a plentifull harvest in heaven Cypr. ad Dom. Hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei fructu fidei providetur Galat. 6.8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting Which God of his infinite mercy grant that we may all do in heaven through the merits of his Sonne by the grace of the holy Spirit to whom c. THE TRAITORS GUERDON A Sermon preached on the Gowries conspiracy before his Grace and divers Lords and persons of eminent quality at Croydon August 5. Anno Dom. 1618. THE FIFTH SERMON PSAL. 63. VER 9 10 11. 9. But those that seeke my soule to destroy it shall goe into the lower parts of the earth 10. They shall make him run out like water by the hands of the sword they shall be a portion for Foxes 11. But the King shall rejoyce in God every one that sweareth by him shall glory but the mouth of them that speake lyes shall be stopped Most REVEREND Right Honr. Right Wor sh c. WEe are at this present assembled with religious Rites and sacred Ceremonies to celebrate the unfortunately fortunate Nones of August which are noted in red letters in the Romane Calendar as
the race of a Christian life yet perseverance alone obtaineth the garland Suppose a ship to be fraught with rich merchandise to have held a prosperous course all the way and escaped both rockes and Pyrats yet if it bee cast away in the haven the owner is nothing the better for it but loseth his goods fraight and hope also For this cause it is that in all the promises in these letters of the hidden Manna the white Stone the water of Life the tree of Life the crowne of Life c. the onely condition that is exprest is perseverance To him that overcommeth I will give c. for without it faith is not faith but a wavering opinion hope is not hope but a golden dreame zeale is not zeale but a sudden heat joy but a flash love but a passion temperance but a physicke diet for a time valour but a bravado patience but weake armour notable to hold out All therefore who expect to eat of the hidden Manna and receive the white stone with the new name must get unto themselves and put on the whole armour of God and be daily trained in Christs schoole and when they are called to joyne battell out of an exasperated hatred against the enemies of their soule with great confidence and courage fight against Satan and his temptations the world and all the sinfull allurements in it the flesh and the noysome lusts thereof strenuously valiantly and constantly never putting off their armour till they put off their bodies nor quitting the field till they enter into the celestiall Canaan whereof the terrestriall was a type and what title the Jewes had to the one wee have to the other not by purchase but by promise yet as the recovery of that Land cost the Jewes so the recovery of this costeth the Saints of God much sweat and blood too sometimes but neither that sweat nor that blood is the price of the Land of Promise but the m Joh. 7.29 blood of the immaculate Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world In which regard the Prophet n Hos 10.12 Hosea having exhorted the people to sow in righteousnesse varieth the phrase and saith not yee shall reape in righteousnesse but yee shall reape in mercy Why not reape in righteousnesse as well as sow in righteousnesse because mans righteousnesse is not answerable to Gods and therefore hee must plead for his reward at the throne of mercy not at the barre of justice For though the wages of sinne is death yet eternall life is the gift of God by Jesus Christ to whom bee ascribed c. THE HIDDEN MANNA THE XXVI SERMON APOC. 2.17 I will give to eat of the hidden Manna Right Honourable Right Worshipfull c. IN the Old Testament we heare Sic ait Jehovah So saith the Lord God the Father in the Gospell Thus spake Jesus but in this booke for the most part Thus writeth the Spirit as in this verse Wherein you are to observe 1 Literam Spiritus The letter of the Spirit 2 Spiritum Literae The Spirit of the letter Or to use rather the Allegory in the text fixe the eye of your coonsideration upon 1 The golden Pot the elegant and figurative expression 2 The hidden Manna the abstruse and spirituall meaning To him that overcommeth Hee who biddeth us stand upon the highest staire consequently commandeth us to runne up all the rest so hee that would have us to overcome implicitely comandeth us 1. To have our names enrolled in our Captaines booke 2. To bee trained in military exercise 3 To follow our Generall into the field 4. To endure hardnesse and inure our selves to difficult labour 5. When battell is joyned to stand to our tacklings and acquit our selves like men never giving over till wee have 1. repelled next chased lastly discomfited and utterly destroyed our ghostly enemies and when wee are in the hottest brunt and most dreadfull conflict of all by faith to looke upon Christ holding out a crowne from heaven unto us and after wee have overcome in some great temptation and seeme to be at rest to looke upon the labell of this crowne and there wee shall finde it written Vincenti dabo To him that overcommeth indefinitely not in one but in all assaults of temptation not in one but in all spirituall conflicts till hee have overcome the last enemy which is death There are many too many in the militant Church who drinke wine in bowles and sing to the pipe and violl and never listen to Christs alarum others there are who hearing the alarum desire to be entertained in his service and give their names unto him but are not like Timothy trained up in Martiall discipline a third sort like of training well where there is little danger but when they are to put themselves into the field like the children of Ephraim turne backe in the day of battell lastly many like the ancient Gauls begin furiously but end cowardly in the first assault they are more than men in the second lesse than women None of these shall taste of the hidden Manna nor handle the white stone nor read the new name but they who by a timely resolution give their names to Christ by private mortification fasting watching and prayer are trained for this service by faith grapple with their ghostly enemies and by constancy hold out to the end For as Hannibal spake sometime to his souldiers Qui hostem vicerit mihi erit Carthaginensis hee that conquereth his enemy what countrey man soever hee bee hee shall bee unto mee a Carthaginian that is I will hold him for such and give him the priviledge of such an one so Christ speaketh here to all that serve in his warres Hee that overcommeth his enemie of what countrey or nation soever hee bee I will make him free of the celestiall Jerusalem I will naturalize him in my kingdome in heaven In other kingdomes there are severall orders of a Discourse l. origin des ordores milit p. 49. Knights as of Malta of the Garter of the Golden Fleece of Saint John of Jerusalem of Saint Saviour of Saint James of the holy Ghost and divers others but in the kingdome of Christ wee finde but one onely sort viz. the order of Saint Vincents In all other orders some have beene found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 white-livered souldiers or carpet-Knights that either never drew sword nor saw battell or basely fled from their colours but of this order never any either fled from his colours or returned from battell without the spoiles of his ghostly enemies Hee therefore that will bee of this order must bee of good strength and courage well armed continually exercised in Martiall discipline vigilant to take all advantages inured to endure all hardnesse to strength hee must adde skill to skill valour to valour industry to industry patience to patience constancy and to all humility not to challenge the rewards here proposed as due to his service
some of the reformed Churches with eyes sparkling like fire and stamping with his brazen feet to see these abominations of Jezebel winked at as they are in so many places I meddle not here with any deliberation of State fitter for the Councell Table than the Pulpit but discover to every private Christian what his duty is to refrain from the society of Idolaters I beseech them for the love of him who hath espoused their soules to himselfe and hath decked them with the richest jewels of his grace and made them a joynter of his Kingdome to beware that they be not enticed to spirituall fornication to forbeare the company of all those who solicite them in this kind nay farther to detect such persons to authority that they may learne not to blaspheme the truth of our Religion nor seduce his Majesties subjects from their allegiance to the Prince and conformity to his Lawes Pliny writeth of certaine m Plin. nat hist l. 8 c. 15. Indiginis innoxii peregrinos interimunt Efts in Tyrinth and Snakes in Syria that doe no hurt to the natives but sting strangers to death it may bee some have the like conceit of our English Seminary Priests and Jesuites who have done so great mischiefe beyond the Sea that they have no power or will to hurt any here at home and therefore dare more boldly converse with them because their outward carriage is faire But I beseech them to consider that the Panther hideth her ougly visage which shee knoweth will terrifie the beasts from comming neere her alluring them with the sweet smell of her body but as soone as they come within her reach shee maketh a prey of them Therefore as you tender the salvation of your body and soule your estate in this life and the life to come take heed how you play at the hole of the Cockatrice and familiarly converse with the great Whore or any of her Minions lest they draw you to naughtinesse and spirituall lewdnesse Have no part with them that have no part in God or have part with abominable Idols If the good Bishop Saint Ambrose being commanded by Valentinian the Emperour to deliver up a Church in his Diocesse to the Arrians gave this answer That hee would first yeeld up his life Prius est ut vitam mihi Imperator quà m fidem adimat shall wee give up our soules which are the Temples of the living God to Idolatrous worship If Saint John the Evangelist would not stay in the bath with Cerinthus the Hereticke shall we dare freely to partake with worser Heretickes in the pledges of salvation and wash our soules with them in the royall bath of Christs bloud o Ambros ep 37. Pollui se putabat si Aram vidisset ferendâ—mve est ut Gentilis sacrificet Christianus intersit Constantius the Emperour thought himselfe polluted if he had but seen an Heathenish Altar and Saint Ambrose proposeth it as a thing most absurd and intolerable that a Christian should be present at the sacrifices of the Heathen Our Saviour in this place and Saint p 1 Cor. 10. Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians would not have Christians to eate any of those things that were sacrificed unto Idols Nay the Prophet q Psal 16.4 David professeth that he will not so much as name an Idol Their offerings of bloud will I not offer nor make mention of their names in my lips I end and seale up my meditations upon these words spoken to an Angel with the words spoken by an r Apoc. 14.9 Angel If any worship the Beast and his Image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels the Lamb and the smoake of their torments shall ascend for ever ever And they shall have no rest neither day nor night which worship the Beast and his Image whosoever receiveth the print of his name Gracious Lord who gracest the Ministers of the Gospel with the title of Angels make them in their knowledge and life angelicall keep them not only from sinnes of omission and commission but also from sinnes of permission that all may see their works and their love and their service and their faith and their patience their love of thee and their service to thee and their faith in thee and their patience for thee and their growth in all these graces and that thou maist have nothing against them And sith thou hast displayed the Romish Jezebel unto us by her three markes of imposture impurity and idolatry breed in us all a greater loathing and detestation of her abominations preserve us by the sincere preaching of the Word and powerfull operation of thy Spirit that wee bee neither deceived by her imposture to beleeve her false prophesies neither defiled in our body by her impurity to commit fornication nor in soule by her idolatry to eate things sacrificed unto Idols SERMONS PREACHED AT OXFORD FOURE ROWES OF PRECIOUS STONES A Rehearsall Sermon preached in Saint Maries Church at Oxford Anno 1610. THE XXXV SERMON EXOD. 28.15 16 17 18 19 20 21. 15. And thou shalt make the breast-plate of judgement with cunning worke 16. Foure square shall it be being doubled 17. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones even foure rowes of stones the order shall be this a Rubie a Topaze and an Emrald in the first rowe 18. And in the second row thou shalt set a Carbuncle a Saphir and a Diamond 19. And in the third row a Turkeise and an Agate and an Amethist 20. And in the fourth row a Beril and an Onyx and a Jasper and they shall be set in gold in their inclosings or imbosments Hebrew fillings 21. And the stones shall bee with the names of the children of Israel twelve according to their names like the engravings of a signet every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve Tribes Right Worshipfull c. QUintilian a Institut orat lib. 1. cap. 1. instructing parents how to lay the ground-colours of vertues in the soft mindes of tender infants and acquaint them with the rudiments of learning adviseth Eburneas literarum formas iis in lusum offerre To give them the letters of the Alphabet fairely drawne painted or carved in ivory gold or the like solid and delectable matter to play withall that by their sports as it were unawares those simple formes might be imprinted in their memories whereby we expresse all the notions of our mind in writing even so it pleased our heavenly Father in the infancy and nonage of his Church to winne her love with many glorious shewes of rites and ceremonies as it were costly babies representing the body of her husband Christ Jesus and to the end she might with greater delight quasi per lusum get by heart the principles of saving knowledge
to the cast of a Die for a matter of naught a toy a trifle a jussle a taking of the wall an affront a word Doe wee make so small reckoning of that which cost our Saviour his dearest hearts bloud 2. If Judges all those who sit upon life and death did enter into a serious consideration thereof they would not so easily as sometimes they doe cast away a thing that is so precious much lesse receive the price of bloud For if it be accounted and that deservedly a sinne of a deep die to buy and sell things dedicated to the service of God what punishment doe they deserve who buy and sell the living image of God It is reported of Augustus that he never pronounced a capitall sentence without fetching a deep sigh and of Titus the Emperour that hee willingly accepted of the Priests office that hee might never have his hand dipped in bloud and of Nero that when he was to set his hand to a capitall sentence he wished that he could not write Utinam literas nescirem therefore let those Judges think what answer they will make at Christs Tribunall who are so farre from Christian compassion and hearts griefe and sorrow when they are forced to cut off a member of Christ by the sword of justice that they sport themselves and breake jests and most inhumanely insult upon the poore prisoner whose necke lyeth at the stake If any sinne against our neighbour leave a deep staine in our conscience it is the bloudy sinne of cruelty Other sinnes may be hushed in the conscience and rocked asleep with a song of Gods mercy but this is reckoned in holy Scripture among those ſ Gen. 4.10 crying sins that never will be quiet till they have awaked Gods revenging justice This is a crimson sinne and I pray God it cleave not to their consciences who wear the scarlet robe If there be any such Judges I leave them to their Judge and briefly come to you Right Honourable c. with the short exhortation of the Apostle Put you on the t Colos 3.12 bowells of mercy and compassion and if ever the life of your brethren be in your hands make speciall reckoning of it in no wise rashly cast it away let it not goe out of your hands unlesse the law and justice violently wrest and extort it from you Assure your selves that it is a farre more honourable thing and will gaine you greater love and favour with God and reputation with men to u Cicer. pro Quint. de Aquil Mavult commemorare se cùm perdere potuerat pepercisse quà m cùm parcere potuerat perdidisse save a man whom yee might have cast away than to cast him away under any pretence whom yee might have saved 4. If a malefactour arraigned at the barre of justice should perceive by any speech gesture signe or token an inclination in the Judge to mercy how would he worke upon this advantage what suit what meanes would he make for his life how would he importune all his friends to intreat for him how would he fall down upon his knees beseech the Judge for the mercies of God to be good unto him Hoe all ye that have guilty consciences and are privie to your selves of many capitall crimes though peradventure no other can appeach you behold the Judge of all flesh makes an overture of mercy he bewrayeth more than a propension or inclination he discovereth a desire to save you why doe ye not make meanes unto him why do ye not appeale from the barre of his justice to his throne of grace why doe ye not flye from him as he is a terrible Judge to him as he is a mercifull Father Though by nature ye are the sonnes of wrath yet by grace ye are the adopted sonnes of the Father of mercy and God of all consolation who stretcheth out his armes all the day long unto us Let us turne to him yea though it be at the last houre of our death and he will turne to us let us repent us of our sinnes and he will repent him of his judgements let us retract our errours and he will reverse his sentence let us wash away our sinnes with our teares and he will blot out our sentence with his Sonnes bloud When * Dan. 5.5 Belshazzar saw the hand-writing against him on the wall his heart mis-gave him all his joynts trembled and his knees smote one against the other Beloved Christians there is a x Colos 2.14 hand-writing of ordinances against us all and if we see or minde it not it writeth more terrible things against us What shall wee doe to be rid of this feare Is there any means under heaven to take out the writing of God against us Yes beloved teares of repentance with faith in Christs blood maketh that aqua fortis that will fetch out even the hand-writing of God against us The Prophet recordeth it for a miraculous accident that the sun went back many degrees in the Dyall of y Esa 38.8 Ahaz Beloved our fervent prayers and penitent tears will work a greater miracle than this they will bring back again the z Mal. 4.2 Sun of righteousnesse after he is set in our soules God cannot sin Angels cannot repent onely man that sinneth is capable of repentance and shall wee not embrace that vertue which is onely ours Other vertues are remedies against speciall maladies of the soule as humility against pride hope against despaire courage against feare chastity against lust meeknesse against wrath faith against diffidence charity against covetousnesse but repentance is a soveraigne remedy against all the maladies of the minde Other vertues have their seasons as patience in adversity temperance in prosperity almes-deeds when our brothers necessity calleth upon our charity fasting when wee afflict our soules in time of plague or any other judgement of God but repentance is alwayes in season either for our grosser sinnes or for failing in our best actions if for no other cause yet wee are to repent for the insincerity and imperfection of our repentance I will end this my exhortation as the Prophet doth this chapter * Ezek. 18.30.31 Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not bee your ruine Cast away all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you new hearts and new spirits for why will yee die O ye house of Israel saith the Lord God wherefore turne your selves and live yee O Lord who desirest not that wee should die in our sinnes but our sinnes in us mortifie our fleshly members by the power of thy Sonnes death and renew us in the spirit of our mindes by the vertue of his resurrection that wee may die daily to the world but live to heaven die to sinne but live to righteousnesse die to our selves but live to thee Thou by the Prophet professest thy desire of our conversion say but the word and wee shall bee converted
the justification of King Davids lesson read in my text to Princes and Judges a quo tandem aequius est doceri Reges quam a Rege erudiri Judices quam a Judice Who so proper to tutour Kings as a King who might better give Judges their charge than the chiefe Judge and Soveraigne Justice in his Kingdome Not onely nature and bloud but arts also and professions make a kinde of brotherhood and an admonition that commeth from a man in place to another in like place and office that is spoken by authority to authority carrieth a double authority and cannot but be entertained with due respect and carefull regard Therefore God in his wisedome instructed the Prophet David by b 2. Sam. 7.3.5 Nathan a Prophet reproved the Apostle Saint c Gal. 2.14 Peter by Paul an Apostle informed John the d Apoc. 7.14 Elder by an Elder and here adviseth Kings by a King Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be learned yee Judges of the earth In this verse we have 1. A lesson applied Of wisedome to Kings Of instruction to Judges 2. A reason implied in the words of the earth that is Either Kings and Judges made of earth Or made Kings and Judges of earth Kings and Judges are but men of earth earthly and therefore in subjection to the God of heaven and they are made Kings and Judges onely of the earth that is earthly and humane affaires and therefore in subordination to divine and heavenly Lawes For the order first King David commendeth wisedome to Kings and then instruction or learning viz. in the Lawes to Judges Kings are above Judges and wisedome the glorie of a Prince above learning the honour of a Judge Kings make Judges and wisdome makes learned as the power of Kings is the source of the authoritie of Judges so wisedome is the fountaine of all lawes and consequently of all instruction and learning in them First therefore be wise O ye Kings to make good Lawes and then be learned O ye Judges in these Lawes and found Yee your wisedome Yee your learning in humility for it is earth not onely upon which your consistory stands but also of which you your selves consist As the tongue is moved partly by a muscle in it selfe partly by an artery from the heart so besides the motive to these vertues in this verse it selfe there is a reason drawne by the spirit to enforce these duties from the heart of this Psalme ver 6. which is like an artery conveying spirit and life to this admonition here Yet have I set my King c. as if the Prophet had said Behold O Kings a throne above yours set in the starres behold O Judges of the earth a tribunall or judgement seat above yours established in the clouds There is a King of heaven by whom all earthly Kings reigne and a Judge of quicke and dead to whom all Judges of the earth are accountable e Horat. od car l. 3. od 1. Regum timendorum in proprios greges Reges in ipsos imperium est Jovis Kings are dreadfull to their subjects God to Kings Judges call other men to the barre but Christ Jesus shall summon all Judges one day to his tribunall f Cyp. de mortal justissimè judicaturus a quibus est injustissimè judicatus most justly to judge Judges by whom both in himselfe and in his members he hath beene most unjustly judged O Kings The more excellent the office the more eminent the qualitie ought to be no vertue so befits a Prince as religious wisedome the Queen of all vertues be wise therefore O yee Kings excell in the grace which excelleth all others crowne your royall dignitie with all Princely vertues and chaine them all together in prudence with the linkes following Serve the Lord with feare feare him with joy rejoyce in him with love and love him with confidence First serve him not carelesly but sollicitously fearing to displease him Secondly feare him not servilely but filially with joy Thirdly rejoyce in him not presumptuously but awfully with trembling Fourthly Tremble before him not desperately but hopefully so feare him in his judgements that ye embrace him in his mercies and kisse him in the face of Jesus Christ Though he frowne on you in his anger yet still seeke to please him yea though he smite you in his wrath and kill you all the day long yet put your trust in him and you shall be happie Be wise Wisedome is the mindes g Arist Eth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye by which she pryeth into all the secrets of nature and mysteries of State and discerneth betweene good and evill and prudently guideth all the affaires of life as the helme doth a ship No good can be done without her direction nor evill bee avoyded but by her forecast She is the chiefe of the foure cardinall vertues and may rightly be stiled Cardinalium cardo the hinge that turnes them all about They advance not till she strikes an alarum nor retire till she sound a retreat What the Apostle speakes of the three heavenly graces now there h 1 Cor. 13.13 remaine these three faith hope and charity but the greatest of these is charitie may be in like manner affirmed concerning the preheminence of wisedome in respect of the other cardinall vertues now there remaine these foure 1. Wisedome to direct 2. Justice to correct 3. Temperance to abstaine 4. Fortitude to sustaine but the greatest of these is wisedome For wisedome informeth justice moderateth temperance and leadeth fortitude Wisedome giveth rules to justice setteth bounds to temperance putteth reines on fortitude Without wisedome justice hurteth others temperance our selves i Horat. od car l. fortitude both our selves and others k Isoc ad Demon. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vis consili expers mole ruit sua Saint l Bernard ser 85. in cant Sapientia a sapore dicta est quia virtuti velut condimentum accedens sapidam reddit Bernard deriveth sapientia a sapore sapience from sapour because wisedome giveth a good rellish to vertue Discretion is the salt of all our actions without which nothing that is done or spoken is savourie What doth pregnancie of wit or maturitie of judgement or felicitie of memorie or varietie of reading or multiplicitie of observation or gracefulnesse of deliverie steed a man that wanteth wisedome and discretion to use them In these respects and many more Solomon the wisest King that ever wore corruptible Crowne in his prayer to God preferreth wisedome to all other gifts whatsoever And indeed so admirable a vertue so rare a perfection so inestimable a treasure it is that the heathen who had but a glimpse of it discover it to be a beame of that light which no man can approach unto m Cic. Tus quaest haec est una hominis sapientia non arbitrarite scire quod nescias this is the chiefest point of mans wisedome saith Tully out of Socrates his mouth to
stopped in time will drowne the greatest vessell fraught with the richest merchandise Your experience sheweth you that Bristow and Cornish stones and many other false gems have such a lustre in them and so sparkle like true jewels that a cunning Lapidarie if he be not carefull may be cheated with them such are the enlightning graces which shine in hypocrites they so neerly resemble the true sanctifying and saving graces of the Elect that the eye of spirituall wisedome it selfe may mistake them if it be not single and looke narrowly into them Are not repentance from dead workes faith in Christ peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost the proper characters of a regenerate Christian and an elect childe of God Yet Esau counterfeited the first the d Heb 12.17 Apostle saith that after he had sold his birth-right he sought it with teares Simon Magus the second St. Luke saith he e Acts 8.13 beleeved The man possessed in the Gospell the third our Saviour saith all things were in f Luke 11.21 peace in his house The Jewes the fourth the text saith they g Joh. 5 35. rejoyced at St. Johns preaching Here then is worke for spirituall wisedome to discerne h Gib in Cant. Qualis unguentorum artifex est satanas qui de mortis olla vitae vapores exire simulat venenum quasi balsamum facit spâ—are a sented poyson from Balsamum to distinguish tears of repentance such as Peters were from teares of discontent and revenge such as * Heb. 12.17 Esau's were a temporarie faith such as i Act. 8.13 Simon Magus his was from a justifying such as k Luke 9.9 Zacheus his was a feared conscience such as the l Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace his goods are in peace possessed man had from a secured conscience such as St. m Acts 24.16 Pauls was lastly a sudden exultation of the spirit such as the n John 5 â—5 Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light Jewes was from true joy in the holy Ghost such as o Psal 4.7 Davids was 3. The third point of spirituall wisedome is to consider what infirmities and maladies of minde our naturall constitution state place or profession or course of life maketh us most subject unto and to furnish our selves with store of remedies against them to mark where we lie most open to temptation and there to have our ward readie For Satan playeth alwayes upon advantage and for the most part boweth us that way to which we incline of our selves through the weakenesse of our nature he sailes ever with the wind Is our knowledge in matter of faith deficient he tempts us to error Is our conscience tender he tempteth us to scrupulositie and too much precisenesse Hath our conscience like the eclipticke line some latitude he tempteth us to carnall libertie Are we bold spirited he tempteth us to presumption Are we timorous and distrustfull he tempteth us to desperation Are we of a flexible disposition he tempteth us to inconstancie Are we stiffe he labours to make obstinate Heretikes Scismatikes or Rebels of us Are we of an austere temper he tempteth us to crueltie Are we soft and milde he tempteth us to indulgence and foolish pitie Are we hot in matter of Religion he tempteth us to blind zeale and superstition Are we cold he tempteth us to Atheisme and flat irreligion Are we moderate he tempteth us to Laodicean lukewarmednesse The Camelion when he lieth on the grasse to catch flies and grashoppers taketh upon him the colour of the grasse as the Polypus doth the colour of the rock under which he lurketh that the fish may boldly come neere him without any suspition of danger in like maner Sathan turnes himselfe into that shape which we least feare and sets before us such objects of temptation as are most agreeable to our humours naturall desires and inclinations that so he may the sooner draw us into his net St. p Greg. l. 29. mor. in Job c. 38. Prius conspersionem uniuscujusque antiquus adversarius perspicit tunc tentationis laqueos apponit alius namque laetiâ— alius tristibus alius timidis alius claris moribus existit Quâ— ergo occultus adversarius facile capiat vicinas conspersionibus deceptiones parat Quia enim laetitiae voluptas juxta est laetis moribus luxuriem proponit quia tristitia in iâ—am facile labitur tristibus poculum discordiae porrâ—git paventibus terrores intâ—ntat quia ela os extolli laudibus conspicit eos blandis favoribus trahit singulis igitur hominibus vitiis convenientibus insidiatur Gregorie long agoe noted this subtle device of the wily serpent he hath saith he fit allurements for all sorts of men as fishermen have baits for fishes for the luxurious he baiteth his hooke with pleasure for the ambitious with honor for the covetous with gain for the licentious with libertie for the factious with schisme for the studious with curiosity for the vaine-glorious with popularity Here then is our spirituall wisedome seene to be strong alwayes there where our enemie is like to lie in ambush and where he goeth about to undermine us to meet him with a countermine To unfold this precept of wisdome even to the meanest capacity Art thou by nature a lover of pleasure bend thy whole strength against the sin of luxurie Art thou of a fiery disposition lay all upon it to bridle thy passion of anger and desire of revenge Hast thou too much earth in thy complexion and art given to the world furnish thy selfe continually with spirituall levers to lift up thy heart and raise thy thoughts and affections to heaven and heavenly objects Doth the eminencie of thy place bring thee in danger of high mindednesse let thy whole study bee humility Doth thy profession incline thee to contention study peace to dissembling and cousening study honesty to extortion and exaction study charity and practise restitution to corruption and receiving the wages of iniquity let all thy prayers and endeavours be for integrity Socrates was wont say facile est Athenienses Athenis laudare that it was no unpleasing argument to commend the vertues of the Athenians at Athens neither will it seeme burthensome I hope to recommend yet more instructions of wisedome to you that are wise God hath spread abroad the heaven and the earth as large samplars before our eyes wherein every act of his speciall providence in governing the affaires of the world is as a flower or curious piece of drawne-worke which a wise man ought to take out by observation and worke it in his owne life by imitation 4. The fourth lesson therefore which wisedome readeth to all those that have eares to heare is to observe the carriage of all affaires in this great City of the world and to set a marke upon Gods wonderfull protection and care over the godly and his fearefull judgements
scorching heat would consume them in such sort that they could never come to maturity This Apologue shall serve for my Apologie if I presse you at this time with all the interest I have in your love nay with all the power that I have as a Minister of Christ Jesus to contribute something to the necessity of your brethren You know well the grapes I told you of which send to you as the grapes in Babel did to the vines in Judea to impart unto them some of your sap and to shade them under your well spread boughes or else they will undoubtedly wither and perish I beseech you in the bowells of Christ Jesus come not behind but rather goe before others in pious bounty and Christian charity So the good will of him that dwelt in the bush make you all like the tree in the first Psalme planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth his fruit in due season and his leafe shall not wither and whatsoever he doth it shall prosper THE STEWARDS ACCOUNT A Sermon preached in the Abbey Church at WESTMINSTER THE XXI SERMON LUKE 16.2 Give an account of thy stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward Right Reverend right Honourable right Worshipfull c. THat I may give a better account of the mysteries of saving truth and you of the blessings of this life whereof God hath made us Stewards in different kindes I have chosen for the subject of my serious meditations and the object of your religious consideration this parcell of sacred Scripture which admonisheth us all to looke to our severall accounts to examine and cleare them that wee may have them ready and perfect when our Lord and Master shall call for them from every of us by name and in particular saying Give an account of thy stewardship The words are part of a Parable which resembleth the tents of Solomon vile and blacke without but full of precious things within For on the out-side we reade nothing but a narration of an unjust Steward or crafty Merchant who being called to an account and justly fearing to bee turned out of his place upon it in time provideth against the worst and taketh a course to make himselfe whole by cheating his Master but in the in-side there are many beautifull Images of divine doctrines drawne by the pensill of the holy Ghost which I purpose to set before you after I have opened the vaile of the letter by shewing you 1. What are the goods for which the Steward is to reckon 2. Who is the Steward charged with these goods 3. What manner of account he is to give Touching the first the learned Interpreters of this mysterious Parable are at strife and if I may so speake in law about the goods left in the hands of this unfaithfull Steward Some put temporall blessings only and worldly wealth in his account Others by goods understand the Word and Sacraments principally wherewith the Ministers of the Gospel are trusted But Bonaventure lighting one candle by another expoundeth this Parable by the other Parable of the five talents and taketh the goods here committed to the Steward to bee those five talents delivered to every man to trade and negotiate withall for God his Master and thus hee telleth them 1. Naturae 2. fortunae 3. potentiae 4. scientiae 5. gratiae the first of nature the second of wealth the third of power the fourth of knowledge the fifth of grace By nature hee understandeth all the naturall faculties of the minde and organs and instruments of the body By wealth riches and possessions By power offices and authority By knowledge all arts and sciences By grace all the gifts of the spirit and supernaturall infused habits such as are faith hope and charity c. whereunto if hee had added a most precious Jewell which if it be once lost can never be recovered viz. our time hee had given a true and perfect Inventary of all the goods for which the unfaithfull Steward in my Text is called to an account Touching the second about whom there is as great contestation and variety of opinions as about the goods themselves Gaudentius maketh a Steward of the Divell who justly deserveth the name of an unjust servant for wasting his lords substance that is spoyling his creatures and robbing him of his chiefest treasure the soules of men But if the Divell bee the Steward who is the accuser of this Steward doubtlesse he can be no other than the Divell whose stile is the a Revel 12.10 The accuser of the brethren is cast down which accuseth them before the Lord day and night Accuser of the brethren The Divell therefore is not the Steward here meant whom God never set over his family nor trusted him with any of his goods since he became a Divell Tertullian conceiveth the people of the Jewes to whom the Tables and Pots of Manna and Oracles of God were committed to be the Steward 's called to an account in my Text for the abuse of these holy things If wee follow this Interpretation neither the Parable nor the Text any way concerneth us Christians therefore Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome Saint Augustine Beda Euthymius and Theophylact enlarge the Stewards Patent and put all rich men in the world in it who are advised to make friends with the unrighteous Mammon they have in their hands that when they faile their friends may receive them into everlasting habitations Lastly Saint Jerome and others put in hard for the Ministers of the Gospel to whom they assigne the first place in the Patent as being Stewards in the most eminent kinde and so stiled both by our b Luke 12.42 Who then is the faithfull wise Steward whom his lord shall make ruler over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season Saviour and his c Tit. 1.7 A Bishop must be blamelesse as the Steward of God 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as Stewards of the mysteries of God Apostle To reconcile these opinions and make a perfect concord of seeming discords I understand by the great husband or rich man in the Parable Almighty God whose house is the whole world all things in it his wealth Men indued with reason and understanding are his Stewards whom he hath set over this great houshold to governe the rest of his creatures and employ the riches of his goodnesse to the advancement of his glory These are all accountable unto him the Jewes peculiarly for such things as hee bequeathed to his children by the Old Testament the Christians for such things as he hath bequeathed to them by the New the unregenerate are to reckon with him for the gifts of nature the regenerate for the graces of the spirit the rich for his wealth the noble for his honour the mighty for his power the learned for his knowledge every man for that hee receiveth of the riches of his mercy in spirituall temporall or corporall
mistaking of any other man should not take off the edge of our desires to gaine an invaluable jewell but whet our diligence the more to observe more accurately the notes of difference betweene the true and counterfeit stone upon which I shall touch anon after I have convinced our Romish sceptickes by evidence from the nature of faith the profession of Gods Saints the testimony of the Spirit and undeniable signes and effects that all that are called by the word effectually have this white stone in my text given unto them whereby they are assured of their present estate of grace and future of glory Doct. 1 The faith of Gods e Tit. 1.1 Elect is not a bare assent to supernaturall verities revealed in Scripture which may bee in a Reprobate and is in the f Jam. 2.19 Devils themselves Thou beleevest there is one God thou doest well the Devils also beleeve and tremble but a divine grace whereby being fully assured of Gods favour to us wee trust him with our soules and wholly rely on him for salvation through the merits of his sonne The sure promises of the Gospell are like a strong cable let downe to a man in a deepe pit or dungeon on which hee doth not onely lay hand by faith but hangeth and resteth himselfe upon it and thereby is drawne out of darkenesse to see and possesse the inheritance of the Saints in light To beleeve the communion of Saints is not onely to bee perswaded that there is a communion of Saints in the world remission of sinnes in the Church resurrection of the flesh at the last day and life everlasting in heaven but to bee assured by faith that wee have an interest in this communion benefit by this remission and shall partake the glory of this resurrection and the happinesse of life everlasting They who had beene stung by fiery serpents and were healed by looking upon the brazen serpent did not onely beleeve that it had cured many but that it would cure them Here the Logicians rule holdeth Medicina curat Socratem non hominem physicke is not given to mans nature to cure the species but to every man in individuo to heale his person and to every sicke soule that applieth unto it selfe the promises of the Gospell Christ saith g Mat. 9.22.29 Bee it unto thee as thou beleevest thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace Hereupon Saint h Fides dicit aeternabona reposita sunt spes dicit mihi teposita sunt charitas dicit ego curro post ea Bernard bringeth in the three divine graces Faith Hope and Charity singing as it were a catch and taking the word one from another Faith beginneth saying everlasting treasures are layd up in heaven Hope followeth saying they are layd up for mee Charity concludeth I will seeke after them And verily no man by a generall Romish credulity but by a speciall faith in Christ can say with Job My redeemer with David My salvation with the Spouse My beloved with the blessed Virgin My Saviour with Thomas My Lord and my God much lesse can hee warrant these possessives with a scio i Job 19.25.26.27 I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall see him stand up at the last day upon the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for my selfe And k Psal 45.11.12 I know that thou favourest me thou upholdest mee in my integrity and fettest me before thy face for ever And l Rom. 8.28 Wee know that all things worke for the best to them that love God We know that when m 2 Cor. 5.1 our earthly tabernacle is dissolved wee shall have an eternall in the heavens n 1 Joh. 2.5 Wee know that wee are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Opinion and science a conjecturall hope and an assured beliefe as much differ as a shaken reed and a well growne oake which no winde can stirre To know any thing saith o L. 1 posterior c. 2. Scire est causam rei cognoscere quod illius causa sit quod res illa aliter se habere non posset Aristotle is to know the cause and that this cause is the cause of such an effect and that the thing it selfe cannot bee otherwise than wee conceive of it in which regard the Greeke Etymologist deriveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because opinion waggeth and inclineth the mind by probabilities on both sides but science fasteneth it and maketh it stand unmoveable With these texts of scripture attributing knowledge of salvation to all beleevers our Trent Merchants are manifestly gravelled and sticke in the mud yet they endevour to boye up their sunke vessell by a distinction of a double knowledge 1 By common faith 2 By speciall revelation They yeeld that some who have been admitted to Gods privie Councell by speciall revelation have been assured of their crowne of glory but they will by no meanes grant that beleevers can attain to this certainty by their common faith yet such is the clearnesse of the texts above alledged for the point in question that they easily like the beames of the sunne breake through this popish mist For Job speaketh not of any speciall secret revealed unto him but of the common article of all our faith concerning the resurrection of the flesh I know that my Redeemer liveth and hee shall stand up and I shall see him with these eyes And what David speaketh of his knowledge of Gods favour and stedfast beliefe of his future happinesse p Ad Monim l. 1. â—ustus ex fide vivens fiducialiter dicit credo videre bona domini in terra viventium Fulgentius applyeth to every beleever The just man living by faith speaketh confidently I beleeve that I shall see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living And S. John ascribeth this knowledge not to any singular revelation but to charity the common effect of faith We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren whereupon S. q Tract 5. in ep Joh. Nemo interroget hominem redeat ad cor suum si ibi invenerit charitatem securus sit quia transiit à morte ad vitam Austin giveth this sage advice Let no man enquire of man let him have recourse to his owne heart if he find there charity let him rest assured that he is passed from death to life And S. Paul joyneth all the faithfull with him saying We know that all things worke for the best to them that love God and There is layd up a crown of righteousnesse which the righteous Judge shall give mee at that day and not to mee onely but to all them also that love his appearing In like manner Saint r Ep. ex regist l. 6. Hac fulti certitudine de ejusdem redemptoris nostri misericordiá nihil ambigere
stone I will give him a white stone and in it a new name written or engraven When the Pharisees appeached the woman taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the foule act of adultery it is there said that our Saviour stooping downe wrote on the ground but what he wrote the Evangelist writeth not Saint n In Evang. Terram terra accusat Ambrose ghesseth that he wrote Earth accuseth earth St. Austine these words He that among you is free from sinne let him cast the first stone Others are of opinion that he wrote in the dust some private sinnes of the accusers whose opinion hath thus farre footing in Scripture that God whose mercy is over all his workes writeth the sinnes of men in dust but his gifts and favours with a Diamond in precious gemmes as we may see on o Exod. 28.20 Aarons breastplate and here in a solid white stone White stones such as this in my text were in great use among the Romans and served 1 To declare the victour or conquerour in proving masteries 2 To acquit the accused in courts of justice 3 To deliver suffrages in the election of Magistrates Upon all these uses the allegory in my text toucheth For this white stone is given in token of victory Vincenti dabo and before I demonstrated it to bee an evidence of our justification and now I shall shew it to bee an assurance of our election to a kingdome in heaven As in the civill so much more in the divine use the act signified or done by it is altogether irrevocable Hee to whom the white stone was given in the theater or wheresoever the silver games were kept or prizes plaid was ever held Victor and carried that title to his grave Hee upon whom the Judges passed their sentence by casting white stones into an urne or pitcher was for ever acquitted of the crime laid to his charge Hee who gave his voice to any man by writing his name in a white stone neither did nor could after varie and shall wee thinke that hee to whom Christ giveth his white stone shall ever lose the benefit thereof The names of the twelve tribes engraven upon the twelve pretious stones on Aarons breast-plate continued for many hundreds of yeers as you may read in Josephus and may be in them still for ought we know yet if they could be razed out certainly their names cannot be blotted out o Luk. 10 20. which are written in heaven The calling and gifts of God are without p Rom. 11.29 repentance especially this of adoption in Saint q Aâ—â—h de Isac vit beat Num Deus pater ipsequi contulit potest sua dona rescindereâ— quâ—s adoptione suscepit eos à paterni affectus gratiâ relegare Ambrose his judgement What saith hee can God the Father reverse his owne grants can hee cast him out of his fatherly grace whom hee hath once adopted by no meanes For though a servant may cease to bee a servant if his Master cashiere him and a tenant to bee a tenant if hee have forfeited his estate yet a sonne cannot cease to bee a sonne hee that is borne cannot but bee borne and if hee bee borne of God hee cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though hee may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he cannot doe though he may suffer sin that is he cannot practise it as a man doth his trade or profession in a settled course without checke of conscience or reluctancy because the seed of God remaineth in him which fighteth against the poyson instilled by Satan and will in the end conquer it because it is r 1 Pet. 1.23 incorruptible seed When a childe of God is at the worst and hath received the greatest foyle in temptation hee remaineth still the child of God Å¿ Abbat praelect de verit grat Diatrib cont Tompson quoad sigillum though not quoad signum according to the seale though not according to the signe lose he may the signe in himselfe but God cannot lose his seale You will say peradventure this assertion openeth a window to presumption and carnall liberty nay rather it shutteth the leaves against it and fasteneth them with surest bolts and barres For lay this for a ground that he that hath received the Spirit of regeneration and grace of adoption cannot sinne desperately nor give absolute way to any corruption the conclusion to bee built upon it will bee this which necessarily checketh and choaketh all presumptuous thoughts That whosoever defileth his mouth with oathes or lies his hand with bribes his body with uncleannesse his conscience with any knowne sinne finding in himselfe no checke with it no struggling against it no smiting of the heart after it no earnest desire and in the end effectuall working out of it was never a true convert the sunne of righteousnesse never rose on him because hee yet lyeth frozen in the dregs of his naturall corruption t Cant. 2 5. Stay me with flaggons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of love the doctrine of the perpetuity of the regenerates estate is a cup of the strongest wine in those flaggons which must bee given to none but such as amore languent such as have beene contracted to Christ and have received from him many jewels of grace and infallible tokens of speciall affection though at the present by some fearefull provocation they have so farre incurred his displeasure that hee will not looke upon their teares nor hearken to their sighes or groanes nor once turne his countenance towards them which they infinitely value above their life To these we are to minister this cordiall That Christ his contract with the soul is indissoluble that the Covenant of his peace is immovable that the seed of regeneration is immortall that whom God loveth he loveth to the end that they may have lost the sense but they cannot the essence of true faith that their new name is still written upon the white stone though such a mist be cast before their eyes that they cannot reade it now but after a great defluxe of penitent teares Christ will annoint them with the eye-salve of his Spirit and then they shall clearely see and reade it for hee that receiveth it knoweth it And so I fall into the third point the knowledge of this perpetuity Hee knoweth it who receiveth it As the eye seeth either 1. Per radium rectum a streight line drawne from the eye to the object Or 2. Per radium reflexum a beame reflected from the object to the eye so the soul hath a double knowledge direct of the object and reflexe of her owne acts As when I looke in a glasse I looke upon my selfe looking in it when I touch my pulse I feele my feeling of it in like manner the soule by reflexive knowledge apprehendeth her owne apprehension judgeth of her owne judgement and beleeveth her owne faith and beliefe How can there be any assurance by faith if
there be no assurance of faith it selfe Saint u Ep. 112 c 3. Fides ipsa mente uâ—que videtur quamvis hoc fide credatur quod non videtur Austine is most expresse for this reflexive act of faith Faith it selfe saith hee is seene in the minde though wee believe those things by faith which wee cannot see and again * De trin l. 13. c. 2. Fides est in intimis nostris mentibus nec eam quisquam hominum videt in alio sed in semet-ipso Faith is in the inward parts of the soule neither can any man see it in another but in himselfe hee may Could there bee any doubt of this I would evict it out of the expresse words of our Saviour Joh. 14.20 In that day you shall know that I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you And of Saint Paul x 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith or no. Know yee not your selves that Christ is in you except you bee reprobates And y 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed And z 1 Cor. 2.12 Wee have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit of God that wee might know the things that are freely given us of God Hang up a taper or a carbuncle in a darke roome and you shall perceive that first it discovereth it selfe by its owne light and then all things in the roome This taper or carbuncle is faith in the soule which as it manifesteth all other graces so most clearly also it selfe The heat by the incident beame of the sunne is but weake the greatest is by the reflected so is it in the act of faith there is but small warmth of comfort from the direct act whereby wee beleeve the singular priviledges of all true beleevers the greatest comfort is by the reflexive viz. that wee are true beleevers and share in those comforts Without this reflexive knowledge there can bee a Rom. 14.5 no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full perswasion in our mindes much lesse b Eph. 3.12 In whom wee have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by the faith of him accesse with confidence Which yet the auncient Fathers not onely teach plainly out of the Apostle but also shew manifestly how it may be obtained S. c Moral q. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil putteth this case of conscience How may the soule assuredly bee perswaded that God hath forgiven unto her her sinnes And hee resolveth it thus When shee findeth in her selfe the like disposition and affection to his that said I hate iniquity and all false wayes I utterly abhorre Saint d Amb. Serm. 2. de serm Ambrose thus He that cleaveth to that leaven is made himselfe leaven and thereby sure of his owne salvation and secure of gaining others to the faith Saint e Leo Serm. 2. de pasch Leo thus If they finde any of the fruits of charity in their conscience let them not doubt but that God is in them But wee need not borrow torch light where the sunne shineth so bright in holy scriptures f 1 Joh. 5.10 Hee that beleeveth in the sonne of God hath the testimony in himselfe And the g Rom. 8.16 Spirit testifieth to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God the Spirit of God warranteth the major In whomsoever the markes of Gods children set downe in scripture are conspicuous they are the sonnes of God our Spirit testifieth the minor that these marks are in us Now because this assumption can be proved no otherwise than by experience and our owne inward sense my fourth observation hence directly ensueth That no man knoweth the new name save he that receiveth it which is the last point now to be touched and note to be quavered on in my close viz. the propriety of this knowledge None knoweth save he that receiveth it For no man knoweth the things of a man save the h 1 Cor. 2.11 spirit of man that is in him If this white stone were visible to the eye of the body and it were given to us in presence of others it could not be but that some should see and know it besides him that receiveth it But this white stone is conspicuous only to the eye of faith which is the i Heb. 11.1 evidence of things not seene and it is given by the Spirit which is invisible and received also by the inward faculties of our soule which are likewise invisible Were this knowledge onely conjecturall and gathered from outward signes and tokens others might have notice thereof as well as our selves but the Spirit saith here No man knoweth save he that receiveth it It must be therefore a speciall act of speciall faith whereby we are assured of our adoption by faith and of faith by the Spirit k In Apoc. Sint duo quorum uterque laudat mel sed alterus lingua loquitur quod fauces ignorant alterius quod delectatio gustus cum docuerit Ansbertus giveth good aime to the meaning of this text Suppose two saith he commending hony of whom the first discourseth out of his reading the tongue of the second hath tasted that he speaketh of such saith he is the knowledge of him who hath received the white stone Others may know it in specie but he in individuo others contemplatively but he experimentally l in Apoc. Tantae excellentiae est nomen istud ut nemo sciat quid valeat quantum boni comprehendat nisi qui adoptatus est Sardus commeth nearer the marke This name saith he is of such excellency that no man knoweth it that is the value and worth of it but he who is adopted by God m Rupert in Apoc. Cui nemo scit nisi qui accipit quia nominis ejus scientiam non alterius extrinsecus documentum sed proprium interius efficit experimentum ideo nemo scit nisi quem spiritus regenerando filium Dei effecerit ipsâ regeneratione scientem ejus rei doctumque suo tactu effecerit Rupertus hitteth it Why saith he doth no man know this name saving he that receiveth it Because this name cannot be knowne by any outward document but by an inward experiment not by externall evidence but by inward sense therefore no man knoweth it saving he whom the Spirit by regeneration maketh the sonne of God and by the same act maketh him know it There is a great difference betweene a contemplative and an experimentall knowledge of the priviledges of Gods children A blind man from his birth may heare the theory of the Sun read unto him but he can never conceive rightly of the beauty of that glorious lamp of heaven or take the hundreth part of that delight which we doe who see it The discourse of the Jewish Rabbins concerning the delicacy of this Manna in my text is sweet but nothing to the taste of it The meditations of Divines upon the joyes of
the bloud of your Redeemer from all spots of impurity will yee againe pollute and soile them It is folly eagerly to pursue that which will bring you no profit at all and greater to follow afresh those things whereof ye were not only ashamed in the enjoying them but also are now confounded at the very mention of them yet this is not the worst shame is but the beginning of your woe For the end is death yea death without end Will yee then forsake the waies of Gods Commandements leading to endlesse felicity and weary your selves in the by-pathes of wickednesse in the pursuit of worldly vanities without hope of gaine with certaine losse of your good name nay of your life will yee sell heaven for the mucke of the earth set yee so much by the transitory pleasures of sinne mixed with much anguish and bitternesse attended on with shame that for them yee will be content to be deprived of celestiall joyes the society of Archangels and Angels and the fruition of God himselfe for ever nay to be cast into the darke and hideous dungeon of hell to frie in eternall flames to be companions of ghastly fiends and damned ghosts howling and shreeking without ceasing complaining without hope lamenting without end living yet without life dying yet without death because living in the torments of everlasting death Divis explicat verb. Having taken a generall survey of the whole let us come to a more particular handling of the parts which are three forcible arguments to deterre all men from all vicious and sinfull courses 1. The first ab inutili What fruit had yee 2. The second ab infami Whereof yee are now ashamed 3. The third à pernicioso or mortifero The end of these things is death 1. Fruit. What fruit This word fruit is fruitfull in significations it is taken 1 Properly for the last issue of trees and so it is opposed to leaves or blossomes for nature adorneth trees with three sorts of hangings as it were the first leaves the second blossomes the third fruits in this sense the word is taken in the first of Genesis and in the parable of the figge-tree cursed by our Saviour because hee found no fruit thereon 2 Improperly either for inward habits which are the fruits either of the spirit whereof the Apostle speaketh The g Gal. 5.22 fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance or of the flesh reckoned up by the same h Ver. 19 20. Apostle or for outward workes which are the fruits of the former habits whereof we reade Being i Phil. 1.11 filled with the fruits of righteousnesse and in the Epistle of S. k Jam. 3.15 James Full of mercy and good fruits Or for the reward of these works either inward as peace joy and contentment whereof those words of S. l Ver. 18. James are to be meant The fruit of righteousnes is sowne in peace of them that make peace and those of S. Paul No m Heb. 12.11 affliction for the time is joyous but grievous but in the end it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to those that are exercised thereby Or lastly for outward blessings wherewith God even in this life recompenseth those who are fruitfull in good workes as the Prophet Esay and David assure them Surely it shall be n Esay 3.10 Psal 58.11 well with the just for they shall eate the fruits of their workes Utique est fructus justo Verily there is fruit for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth the earth 2. Had. Had. It is written of the Lynx that he never looketh backe but Homer contrarily describeth a wise man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking both forward and backward forward to things to come and backward to things past for by remembring what is past and fore-casting things future he ordereth things present and in speciall what advantage a Christian maketh of the memory of his former sinnes and the sad farewell they have left in the conscience I shall speake more largely hereafter for the present in this cursory interpretation of the words it shall suffice to observe from the pretertense habuistis had ye not habetis have ye that sin like the trees of Sodome if it beare any fruit at all yet that it abideth not but assoone as it is touched falls to ashes Musonius the Philosopher out of his owne experience teacheth us and that truely that if we doe any good thing with paine the paine is soone over but the pleasure remaineth but on the contrarie if we doe any evill thing with pleasure the pleasure is soone over but the paine remaineth In those things whereof yee are now ashamed 3. Those things As after the wound is healed there remaines a scar in the flesh so after sinne is healed in the conscience there remaines as it were a scarre of infamie in our good name and of shame also in the inward man The act of sinne is transcunt yet shame the effect or rather proper passion of it is permanent sinne is more ancient than shame but shame out liveth sinne It is as impossible that fire should be without scorching heat or a blow without paine or a feaver without shaking as sinne especially heinous and grievous without a trembling in the minde and shame and confusion in the soule For as o In Saturnal Macrobius well observeth when the soule hath defiled her selfe with the turpitude of sinne pudore suffunditur sanguinem obtendit pro velamento she is ashamed of her selfe and sends forth bloud into the outward parts and spreadeth â—t like a vaile before her just as the Sepia or Cuttle fish when she is afraid to be taken p Plin. nat hist l. 9. c. 29. Sepiae ubi sensere se apprehendi offuso atramento quod illis pro sanguine est absconduntur sends from her bloud like inke whereby she so obscureth the water that the angler cannot see her If it be objected that some men as they are past grace so past shame also and some foreheads of that metall that will receive no tincture of modestie such as Zeno was in q L. 16. Si clam scelera perpetrasser obscurum minus gloriosum putabat sin publicitùs apertè in conspectu omnium absque pudore flegitiosus esset id dâ—mùm Principe Imperatore dignum putabat Nicephorus his story who held it a disparagement to himselfe to commit wickednesse in secret and cover his filthinesse with the darke shadow of the night for that it became not soveraigne majestie to feare any thing he thought he could not shew himselfe a Prince unlesse without feare or shame he committed outrages in the face of the sunne Such were those Jewes whom the Prophet Jeremie brands in the forehead with the marke of a Strumpet that cannot blush r Jer 8.12 Were they ashamed when they committed abominations nay Å¿ Jer.