absolute freedome of God is one of his incommunicable properties his stroakes layd on his children being ad correctionem but not ad destructionem may be stayed when and where it pleaseth him David no sooner confesseth c 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned but Nathan is furnished with his Message and God hath removed the punishment of thy sinne So soone as d 2 King 19. Ezechias is humbled God is entreated If the e Luk. 15. Prodigall Sonne doe but penitently looke toward his Father he shall be lovingly received and cherished f Ezek. 18.21 22. At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. But wee must note that if God be entreated and not pacified it is because some sinne is smothered because men are not unfainedly mortified If wee sorrow for sinne feelingly if wee crucifie the Iusts of the flesh unpartially if wee purpose to cleave unto God stedfastly God will release our Debt remove our Plague and establish our Prosperitie mercifully speedily and irrepentantly Let us use this method in our returne to God and wee shall find this measure at the hand of God The summe of all which hath been said is this God breakes not with man except man breake first with God and if God be rightly pacified he will easily be reconciled O Lord infuse goodnesse into our Nature that we may enjoy the graciousnesse of thy Nature Bridle us so with thy Spirit that we passe not those bounds which thou hast set us lest thy wrath breake out upon us Or if we sinne as Lord who sinneth not let us sorrow for our sinne let us not both displease and despise thee Rayse many Phinehasses in the dayes of so many Zimries Yea Lord let every man be a Phinehas unto himselfe Finally in our true humilitie and unfained zeale for thy glory good Lord accept us good Lord blesse us and our seed for ever Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT PAVLS CROSSE on TRINITIE SUNDAY IUDE 5.20 21. But ye beloved edifie your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost And keepe your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life BY the Ordinance of the Church we solemnize this day to one God in three Persons whom we cannot behold clearely till wee enjoy him fully In both stands our perfect blessednesse in heaven Seeing then we are now not in Patria but in viâ in the state not of glory but of grace we must not passe our bounds nor passe neerer then we are called Many that have been over-bold have lost themselves many that have waded too farre have beene swallowed up in this deepe Pro. 25.27 and the rule continues still Qui scrutator est majestatis opprimetur à gloriâ hee that pries too neare into this glorious Majesty shall find to his ruine that it is an incomprehensible mystery I have therefore chosen this Scripture which respecteth the season and yet exceeds not our strength in the meditation whereof we need not hazard our weak sight to behold the body of the Sun shining in his strength above in the firmament but may refresh it in the beames thereof sweetly tempered to our use on the face of this earth Here we may see that there are three persons in God and also that which we should most desire to see how all three concurre to doe us good The Holy Spirit teacheth us to pray to God the Father who embraceth us with love manifested in that eternall life which we shall enjoy at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Now although we must stay by the possession of this eternall life till the day of Christ yet must we secure our title thereunto in the dayes of our flesh And how must wee secure that Surely by those vertues wherewith God doth fence his Church against the deluge of those vices that overflow the world The Church and the world are distinct societies and therefore should be of different qualities Vpon this ground the maine drift of this Epistle is to teach us that wee may not conforme our selves to them from whom we are severed by Christ Yea in particular my text perswades that considering the continuall and woefull revolting of counterfeit beleevers and corrupt livers as many as are true members of Christ and ordained to continue the succession of the Church ought the more to proceed in grace and more and more apply themselves to the fountaine of grace 1. They must proceed in grace Edifie saith Saint Jude your selves in your most holy saith 2. They must daily reside by the fountaine of grace Keepe your selves in the love of God But because it is a hard matter to goe on and he that is constant must endure many a conflict wee are advised to seeke helpe and to be of good hope to find helpe 1. To seeke helpe praying in the Holy Ghost 2. To be of good hope to finde it looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life You see then that the argument of this Scripture is a Christian care whereof there are two indeavours to profit and persevere in grace and in the love of God and in these we are sustained by two blessed meanes helpe and hope Helpe from the holy spirit and hope in Jesus Christ Let us resume these points and consider them briefly in order Edifie The whole Church and every member thereof is compared to an house but such a house as is a Temple destined to be a place where God will put his name and vouchsafe his presence where we must present our sacrifices and do him reverence To note this the measure of the Arke of Noah and of the Temple of Solomon were proportioned to the body of a man in the old Testament and in the new the resemblance is unfolded by Christ Thou art Peter and upon this rocke will J build my Church Mat. 16.18 Which words Saint Peter hath so expounded to this purpose that he checks his glosse which pretends to bee successor to Saint Peter 1 Pet 2. v. 3 4 5. You have tasted saith he that the Lord is bountifull to whom comming as to a living stone disallowed of men but chosen of God and precious yee also as living stones are made a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ We are called then to be Gods house GODS Temple not made with hands or materiall but framed by grace and spirituall in respect whereof we are exhorted to build But Saint Paul giveth us a good caution 1 Cor. 3.10 Let every man take heed what hee builds and by his distinguishing gold silver precious stones from timber hay and stubble things combustible from incombustible we learne that all materials are not fit for this building And indeed speciall choice was made towards
heaven but to them it is not given But I deâ—and have we not heard Yes verily for the sound of GODS Word is gone throughout all the earth and their words to the end of the world All the day long saith God have I stretched out mine hand unto a disobedient and â—ainsaying Nation We have two eares an outward and â—n inward We must bring the first with reverence to God and by that eare God will open the other The apâ—arent reason why we heare so little inwardly is because we heare so little outwardly Yea men are like deafe Adders that stop their eares charme the Charmer never so â—isely Hereby the peoples hearts waxe fatt and their â—ares are dull of hearing and with their eyes they wink east they should see with their eyes and heare with their â—ares and understand with their hearts and should reâ—urne that God might heale them Finally They become â—ike Idols that have eares and heare not eyes and see not as â—eremy speaketh And to conclude with our selves I night exclame with the ancient Prophets and Apostles Quis credidit Who hath beleeved our report or as the â—onne of Syrach The Pastors of our land are like as men â—hat speak to them that are in a sound sleep when he hath â—ld his tale they say what is the matter Read Zach. 7.11 Zach. 7. â—any Epicures what would this babler many proud Pharaohs who is the Lord that we should obey him but I will not complaine of them I will rather admonish with Saint Paul Wee ought diligently to take heed to the â—hings which we have heard lest at any time we run out for â—f the word spoken c. That we may then be in the number of those of whom Christ saith Blessed are your eyes â—r they see and your eares for they heare let us now and â—ver imitate Samuel and say Speake Lord for thy servant â—eareth But what shall he heare that which Moses â—id Exod. 33. Gods glory goodnesse and face Exo. 33.11 14 18 19. for that â—lace is a Commentary upon this And so from the perâ—ns let us come to the lesson The Lesson consists of two parts 1. What God is Secondly How hee dealeth with us GOD is both powerfull and also mercifull To thee ô LORD power and mercy The words are to be understood exclusively for what King David denyed to all creatures he ascribes to the Creator and so are the attributes often limitted to God only as none good but God Noah will easily acknowledge this truth If we distinctly consider of these attributes first the power and then the mercy all that I will observe concerning the power may be reduced to these two branches God is mighty of himselfe and Almighty Mighty of himselfe for power is essentiall unto God it is but by gift in the creatures therefore Gods power is absolute and independant the power of all creatures is limitted and dependant I will make it plaine by resemblances The sunne is the fountaine of light the Moone hath light but it is borrowed of the Sunne there is water in the spring and in the streame but the spring hath it of himselfe the streame borrowes it of the spring so is the juice in the branches and in the root but for this juice the branches are beholden to the root not the root to the branches Hereupon it commeth to passe that the Moone doth wexe and wane as it hath more or lesse influence from the Sunne so is the streame greater or lesser as it draweth more or lesse water from the spring and the branches fade or bud as they are moistened from the root But this difference we must take that these resemblances fit our purpose but in part for God is Agens liberrimum God can at his pleasure increase or diminish and withhold all power from his creatures but so cannot the Sunne his light the spring his water the root his juice therefore that power the creature hath yet is not the creatures but it is Gods in him all things live and move and have their being Gen. 3.6 and they are but his army Our soules are not masters of our own power when God will our eyes faile us as they did the Syrian Army 1 Kin. 13.4 our eares will faile us as they did the Aramites our hands will faile us as they did Ieroboam 1 King 13. Our feet will faile us as they did those bands that came to Christ Our tongue will faile us as Balaam blessed when he should have cursed our hearts will faile us * Deu. 28.28 Our wisdom will faile us for God taketh the wise in their own craftinesse even the Devill himselfe as in the death of Christ. Finally our consciences through feare will betray all the powers of our soule every thing militat Deo that is the ground of the speech of Ioshua The Canaanites though Giants and Inhabitants of high walled Cities they are but bread for we shall conquer them as easily as wee digest our meats hee addes the reason their shield is departed from them the Lord is with us You see then how true it is that God is mighty of himselfe and every creature of it selfe hath no might but a Tenant at will unto God for so much and so long as it pleaseth him But God as he is mighty he is of himselfe and he is Almighty nothing is impossible to God hee doth whatsoever he will both in heaven and earth who hath resisted his will But here we must note that power noteth perfection and imperfection no power but want of power and therefore wee must exclude imperfections otherwise there be many things impossible for God Imperfections are of two sorts onely miserable or blameable and blameable are the ignorance and sinfulnesse of men God cannot be deceaved nor can God sinne both are imperfect Miserable are all the punishments of sinne as sicknesse and death these are as farre from God as sin But whatsoever things are of perfection those can be done of God only in the perfections that are common to God with us we must observe a great difference between God and us for besides that hee is Almighty hee hath all his perfections of himselfe and we ours from him he hath them immutably he hath them eminently he that planted our eare can heare and he that made our eye can see But he seeth and heareth without an eye and eare of flesh he is all eye all eare he sees all heares all Enter praesenter Deus est ubique potenter His Majesty fils Heaven and Earth All things are naked before him yea there is nothing that is not sustained by him Though all imperfections be far from God yet are they not without the compasse of the providence of God he permitteth them hee ordereth them yea hee draweth his glory and his Churches good out of them The same God that could command light to shine out of darknesse can out of evill bring forth good Yea
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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