God it is a phrase of Equipollencie Exod. 23. it is all one with God which is fairely insinuated vnto Moses wheÌ„ he desireth to see Gods face you shal find in the pursuit of that story that Gods glory Gods goodnes are aequipollent tearmes and it must be our endeauour as far as humaine frailtie will permit herein to resemble God to be nothing to doe nothing but that which may deserue praise And let this suffice concerning the first point the praise of God Let vs now see what King Dauid intends to doe about this praise his intent is to shew it forth I told you the word doth signifie Narrare and Enarrare to deliuer Gods praises by way of Historie and then vpon that he studieth to make a feeling Commentarie In King Dauids Psalmes you may find all kind of Histories you may well call them an abridgement of the Historicall Bookes yea and of the Propheticall too which are a kind of Historie there are few Narrations that tend to the praise of God whereat he hath not touched But his speciall commendations stands in the Enarration in the Commentarie that hee maketh vpon Diuine History he maketh vs see herein that which otherwise we would not heede he maketh vs sensible of that which otherwise wee would not regard Take a touch of it in some particulars Hee hath made many Psalmes of the Creation reade the 8. reade the 19. reade the 104. see how powerfully hee doth worke the obseruation thereof into the hearts of men in the 8. Psalme marke those words O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth and againe What is man that thou art mindfull of him Or the sonne of man that thou visitest him And how powerfull are those words Psalme the 19. The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth speech c. but beyond all goeth 104. Psalme Blesse the Lord O my soule O Lord my God thou art verie great thou art clothed with honour and maiestie c. the 107. Psalme is about Gods Prouidence but marke the Burden that is added to euerie branch Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wondrous workes that he doth for the children of men The same method doth he vse in opening the Redemption Psalme 103. the Law Psalme 19. and 119. the Deliuerance out of Aegypt in many Psalmes it were endlesse to goe ouer all particulars take it for a generall rule you shall find in him neuer a Historie whereupon he doth not make such a Commentarie wherein hee doth not point out some thing that is obseruable and endeauour to make vs sensible thereof and to entertaine it as matter of Gods Praise and this is that which he meaneth by shewing forth Wherby with all hee teacheth vs that the occurrents of Gods Prouidence which befall our persons fall out in our times or any way offer themselues vnto vs must be looked into with such a reflecting such an adoring eye that we must take notice of and giue honour vnto God for his power his wisedome his goodnesse his iustice his mercie that shineth herein and sheweth it selfe vnto the world Thus wee must learne to shew forth the praise of God Dauid addes moreouer wherwith he will shew it forth with his mouth with the Mouth that others might heare the Praises And indeede ore fit Confessio as fraudis so Laudis Luke 12.9 men therewith as they must confesse their sinnes so must they set forth Gods praises shew them forth vnto the world for he that will not confesse God before men God will not confesse him before his blessed Angels The Church is a Body and what befals any member may befall euerie one be it matter of hope or feare sorrow or ioy therefore ought euerie man to communicate to the other his case and his knowledge to worke in them by the same meanes the like affection which hee feeleth in himselfe yea though we doe not feele it yet should we haue a fellow-feeling each of the others affections wherof wee cannot ordinarily take notice except each be informed by the others Mouth The Mouth being the ordinarie meanes of communication the trumpe whereby wee doe mutually stirre vp our selues vnto the Prayses of God But when mention is made of the Mouth wee must not exclude the Heart for though the instrument be the Mouth yet the Musitian is the Heart he causeth the tune of the voice to sound and addeth the Dittie to the Tune and certainely the Musicke will neuer be wel-come to God should any part of man be wanting thereunto Psal 103. therefore Dauid thus cals vpon himselfe Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his Holy name Gregorie the Great worketh this obseruation out of the word Meum my mouth there be many saith he that praise God but not with their owne mouth such as are the couetous the wantons c. They personate some other they seeme to take vnto themselues another mans tongue when they vtter that which they conceiue not in their own hearts But let such men know that their Praiers shall neuer haue accesse vnto Gods eares whose hearts are estrainged from Righteousnesse Wherefore let vs imitate Dauid in another place 〈…〉 who said that his Soule should be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when hee praiseth God with ioyfull Lippes Where withall we learne a good propertie of him that praiseth and that is hee performeth it with pleasure and indeede no man can sincerely praise 〈…〉 but he must delight in that which hee doth praise for praysing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nyssen speaketh a louing disposition And Saint Austin â—auâ—at Deum veraciter qui eum amat he praiseth God sincerely that loueth he loueth him vnfainedly and if our delight be not in him we must not thinke that we doe as we ought praise him In a word you heard before that Deus was totus Laudabilis wholy to be praised and we must be toti Laudantes haue no part of body or soule that must not be an instrument to sound forth Gods praise our whole life should be a Psalme thereof And let this suffice touching King Dauids Intent The Intent is good but men may intend more then they can doe good men haue beene ouer consident in their good meanings Saint Peter thought he would neuer forsake Christ and hee would die in his desence yet when he was put to it hee not onely cowardly shrunke from him but also fearefully denied him wherefore Dauid is well aduised hee presumeth not of his owne strength but hath recourse vnto Gods helpe O Lord open thou my lippes The Lippes are the doore of the mouth a doore that is shut vp therefore neede to be opened and it is worth the marking that the word which we translate open is not onely of the same originall with a doore in the Hebrew tongue
possest with a spirit that is deafe and dumbe they had neede that Christ should say vnto them Ephata be thou opened they will not bee able so much as to say 1 Cor. 12.3 Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost But if God once open our lippes then we shall be able for to speake Neither to speake onely for there is more included in the phrase then so Psal 45. Colos 2. but Grace shall be powred into our lippes our words shall be poudred with Salt as Saint Paul speaketh God that openeth the lippes will also Suggerere materiam supplie the matter of our speech for that is it Dauid aymeth at that he may againe be the Pen-man of God and that his tongue may be the Pen of a ready writer that hee may speake nothing but that which is indited by the Holy Ghost that his words may flow alwayes from the grace of Sanctification and that he may as he was before be a Prophet also and be inspired to speake by the grace of edification Neither doth he ayme in this Prayer onely at the matter of his speech but at the manner also that he may speake with freedome and with wisedome with freedome that he be no more check't with his consciousnesse of sinne And indeede ingenuous freedome in praysing of God is a good argument that our soules are possest with the peace which passeth all vnderstanding Philip. 4 7 and ioy of the Holy Ghost As in the Prayer hee desireth freedome so doth he desire wisedome of speech also it is Gregorie the Greats note Illius os aperit Deus c. God openeth his mouth who doth attend not onely what he saith but also when where and to whom Our tongue though it be a little member Cap. 3. Tâ—eâ— 28. Chap 22. yet it is an vnruly one saith Saint Iames Life and death is in the power of the tongue which made the sonne of Syracke to moue this question Who shall set a watch vpon my mouth and a seale of wisedome vpon my Lippes that I fall not suddainely by them and that my tongue destroy me not Whereunto you may shape an answere out of Dautâ—s Prayer Set a watch O Lord before my mouth Psal 141. and keepe thou the doore of my Lippes so that without this Prayer he could neuer haue made good that promise which elswhere hee maketh Psal 39. I said I will take heede to my wares that I offend not with my tongue One Pamâ—o in the Ecclesiasticall storie is reported to haue studied that short lesson many yeeres and yet in the end he profest that he could not attaine to the exact practise thereof And which of vs is here that offendeth not in his tongue And therefore good reason haue the best euen the verie best to Pray with Dauid Lord open thou my mouth and humbly to surrender the gouernement of his tongue vnto God Finally by this which you haue heard you may easily gather that lippes are to be vnderstood as mouth before this is no more exclusiue then that the heart the whole man must follow the Lippes as before they did the tongue for looke with what we will praise God for that must wee craue Gods guiding and assistance And let this suffice for the particular points which are contained in this Text. I come now to the generall which arise out of the parts laide together Whereof the first is this that seeing Dauid prayeth Open my lippes and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise wee must not begge ought of God which wee meane not to imploy to his glorie that which commeth from him must returne vnto him againe he that is the first cause must bee the last end of all his creatures and of their gifts Therefore when God first opened Zacharies mouth then presently he fell to Luke 1. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. When God first endowed vs hee did it that we might the better serue him by our owne default we are disenabled and out of the sense thereof we must confesse that without a second gift of grace we can doe nothing not so much as thinke a good thought nor open our lippes vnto his praise he must worke in vs both to will and doe it Philip. 2.13 Farre be it then from vs that we should with those prophane persons Psal 12. say Our tongues are our owne we will speake who is Lord ouer vs And let ouâ— tongues runne wild Certainely God neuer openeth our lips for such endâ— hee doth not furnish vs with any gifts whereby we should oppose his glorie But all that commeth from him doth shew forth his vertues vnto the world In Exod. c. 3. and therefore if our tongues produce worse effectâ— there is some other then God that openeth our lippes Vereor saith Origen no sint aliqui quorum diabolus aperiat ora many so speake that a man may well feare that the Diuell hath charge of their lippes for their words honour him he is a Lyar and deceipt is vnder their lippes hee is a murderer and their throates are open sepulchers he an impure spirit and some mens talke is nothing but ribaldrie and doth not the Diuell open their mouthes In some places the Scripture speaketh it expresly Matth. 26. the Diuell entered into Iudas presently his tongue fell to conference with the High Priest what hee might haue for betraying of Christ Satan filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira Acts â— and they fell to lying against the Holy Ghost a lying spirit entred into Michaia the false Prophet and he presently seduced Ahab to goe and bee slaine at Ramoth Gilead 〈…〉 and what else meane those three vncleane spirits like Frogges that came out of the mouth of the Dragon 〈…〉 of the beast and of the false Prophet to gather the Kings of the earth to the Battell of the great day of God Almightie Certainely they are those impostors by whose tongues the Diuell doth abuse the world There are some that haue mungrell tongues out of whose mouth commeth blessing and cursing that can blesse God within the Church and curse their Brethren when they are without it whom I must remember of Saint Iames his censure 〈…〉 3 1. My brethren these things ought not so to be can the Fig tree beare Oliue berries or a Vine Figges No fountaine can send forth at the same hole sweete water and bitter fresh and salt What nature abhorreth in vnreasonable creatures sinne produceth commonly in creatures that are reasonable are not we then worse then they Yea verily much worse in that they are but naturall monsters and wee are morall It were much better for vs to be plaine dumbe then to be of gracelesse speech 〈◊〉 12. for we shall giue an accompt for euerie idle much more for euerie euill word I had rather then neuer speake then not speake to Gods glorie And yet mistake not God needeth not our praysing of him
liue amongst Beasts and vpon his acknowledgement of the Lord of Heauen and Earth was restored againe maketh this cleare Canutus a King of this Land when flatterers magnified his power and did almost deifie him to confute them caused his chaire to bee set by the Sea shore at the time of the floud and sitting in his Maiestie commanded the waues that they should not approach his Throne but when the tyde kept his course and wet his garments Lo saith hee what a mighty King I am by Sea and Land whose command euery waue dareth resist Though then they are mighty yet there is much weakenesse ioyned with their might Not so Christ It appeares in the Epithite that is added vnto El which is Gibbor importing that he is a God of preuailing might In Daniel he is called El Elim The Mighty of mighties whereupon Moses magnifying his might saith Who is like vnto thee Exod. 15. O Lord amongst the gods Which words abbreuiated the Maccabees in their wars against their enemies did bear in their standard and therehence as the learned obserue did take their name of Maccabees Certainely this Epithite is a lust ground of that which King Dauid perswades Psalme 29. Ascribe vnto the Lord O yee mighty ascribe vnto the Lord glory and strength But there are two Eminences in Christs might by which hee is aduanced aboue all Creatures The first is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty of himselfe The second is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Creatures haue their power from him and therefore their power depends vpon him so that he can at his pleasure intend or remit theirs but his owne continueth euer the same Secondly they can doe but euery one so much as is permitted him and neuer was there any creature to whom God imparted all his power I speake not of the degree but the parts thereof some things he committeth to Angels which Men cannot doe and some things to Men which Angels cannot doe the earth hath not the power of the heauens nor the heauens of the earth but God is the fountaine of all power there is nothing done by any of these which without these he cannot doe Ier. 23. Nothing is hard vnto him and the Angel Luke 1. Nothing is impossible vnto God therefore hee hath wrought the same effects without these creatures What he doth by his Angels ordinarily he extraordinarily hath done by himselfe and what doth hee by Man which without Man hee hath not done And as for the Sunne and the Starres he hath illightned the ayre without them and without the earth hath he prouided both bread and flesh yea at his pleasure he hath stript all those of their power in an instant in a word He doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and earth he cannot will that which he cannot doe nothing resisteth his will but all things readily do serue him If this title be carried through the Gospell euery point of the Gospel will witnesse the truth thereof in Christ it will witnesse that hee hath a preuailing power and that he is therefore worthily called a mighty God When God promised him hee promised him in these words I haue layd helpe vpon one that is mighty Psalme 89. When God exhibits him Luke 1. Zacharie proclaimes him thus God hath raised vp a mighty saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Christ himselfe Mat. 28. All power is giuen to mee both in heauen earth to say nothing of like titles that are remembred in the Reuelation But I chuse rather to obserue vnto you out of both Christs Regall titles how well they fit vs what comfort they doe yeeld vnto vs. Our enemie the Diuell is compared to a Serpent to a roaring Lion hee is full of craft and of great strength and so are his instruments the wicked subtill and violent but wee are silly and we are feeble If we compare our selues to them how can we but feare to be deceiued to bee opprest See how God hath prouided for vs see how hee hath furnished Christ whom hee sendeth vnto vs Hee is a Counsellour and it was a Counsellour that wee needed that â—ight discouer vnto vs the Serpents policie in his end and Sophistrie in his meanes wherewith he setteth vpon vs He pretends that we shall be like vnto Gods when he meaneth to make vs Diuels and by setting an edge on our desire of the Tree of the knowledge of good and euill he would depriue vs of the Tree of life but Christ is at hand to discouer his purposes and to giue vs timely caueats that we bee not abused by them Secondly he still compasseth the world seeking Whom he may deuour and is mighty to destroy And certainely none should escape him were it not that we haue on our side a mighty God the seed of the Woman that shewed himselfe so much mightier than the seed of the Serpent by how much breaking of the head is more than bruising of the heele Wee haue a Dauid for that Goliah and a stronger man that hath entred that strong mans house bound him rifled him and diuided his spoyle So that if now it be doubtingly asked Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawfull captiue bee deliuered we may answer with the Prophet Esay 49. Thus saith the Lord Euen the Captiues of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall bee deliuered for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and will faue thy children and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour and thy Redeemer the mighty One of Iacob Wherefore seeing Christ is become our Counsellour let vs not leane vnto our owne wisedome but be counselled by him It is the second degree of wisedome when wee cannot aduise our selues to bee aduised by others if we faile herein the Philosopher himselfe will censure vs for fooles And remember withall that of the Sonne of Syracke Bee in peace with many neuerthelesse haue but one Counsellour of a thousand cap. 6. hee giues the reason at large cap. 37. And well may we rely vpon the iudgement of this Counsellour who much better than Elizeus can detect vnto vs the plots of the King of Aram of all our Enemies that we may prouide against them yea he can take them all in their owne wilinesse and infatuate their Counsels as he did Achitophels Reade Esay 19. 8. So did Christ deale with the old Serpent and with the broode of the Serpent in all ages our age our country hath had proofe thereof As this must encourage vs to rely vpon his Counsell so must the other title encourage vs to rely vpon his power his preuailing power We walk in the middest of our enemies and they vse the vttermost of their strength to ruine vs yet though we are in the middest of the valley of the shadow of death let vs feare none euill
for they that trust in the Lord are like vnto mount Sion which shall neuer be remoued LOrd guide vs by thy Counsell support vs by thy Power that wee be neyther circumuented nor quelled but by thy direction and protection we may escape both the craft and the force of all our Enemies So shall we euer glorifie thee as our admirable Counsellour and our most mighty God THE FIFTH SERMON The euerlasting Father the Prince of Peace THe Excellencie of Christs Person consists in the indowments thereof which are Regall but Spirituall That they are Regall appeares in his two first titles whereof I haue already spoken and that they are Spirituall it will appeare by the other two whereof I am now to speake Whereof the first sheweth that Christs Kingdome is not of this world He is the Father of eternity the second sheweth that the condition of his people is not worldly Christ is Prince of Peace To begin with the first In the Originall the first of these two titles is so exprest as I haue read it The Father of eternity And the words beare a double sense for either Aeternity is made the Attribute of the Father and so by an Hebraisme The Father of eternity is no more than the eternall or euerlasting Father so some Translations reade it or Aeternity may note that which is subiect to the Father and so the title imports that he is a Father of eternall things and so some Translations reade The Father of the world to come We need not to bee troubled with this variety for the words will beare eyther Translation and both these things concurre in the same person He that is the euerlasting Father is a Father of euerlasting things We will therefore handle both and first shew you that Christ is an euerlasting Father The phrase doth distinguish betweene our Father and our Father the Father of our flesh and the Father of our spirits of whom St. Paul speaketh Heb. 12. Of these two the first is Temporall the other is Aeternall that the first is but temporall wee may gather out of the fift of Genesis where are reckoned vp the longest liued Fathers that euer were in the world but of them all it is said that they begat children and then they dyed they left their children to the world And as they so their posterity come within the compasse of that of Iob Man that is borne of a Woman is but of a short time or as Dauid speakes His dayes are but a spanne long When he hath serued his course he goeth the way of all flesh and sleepes in his graue Neyther is he temporall only in regard that he must dye but also in regard that his affection is mutable Some parents destitute their children inforced by death but not a few put off the affection of Fathers euen in their life and they in that respect also may be termed but temporall Fathers Our Sauiour Christ speaking of the later times telleth vs that the Father shall rise against the Sonne as the Sonne against the Father Saint Paul speaking of former times Rom. 1. amongst other wicked ones reckoneth vp persons that were without naturall affection and it were an easie matter out of Histories to report that many haue dis-inherited many haue murdered many haue deuoured their own children so farre vnnaturall haue they beene In opposition vnto these two cases which apparantly conclude that the Parents of our flesh are temporall temporall in regard that they are mortall in their nature and temporall in that they are mutable in their affections our Sauiour Christ is termed an euerlasting Father death cannot take him from vs for euen in his death wherein notwithstanding his abode was so little that hee saw no corruption the hypostaticall Vnion which made him a father did not cease And as for his affection it is immutable Whom he loueth hee loueth vnto the end of the perpetuitie of his being excellent is that place Esay 63. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel acknowledge vs not Thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is from euerlasting And touching the perpetuity of his louing the Church there speaketh also Looke downe from heauen and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercy towards me 〈◊〉 9. â—â—al 27. are they restrained No they cannot bee restrained For as God in this Prophet speaketh elsewhere Can a Mother forget her child If she can yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord And King Dauid When my father and my mother forsooke me the Lord tooke me vp This is the reason why our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell biddeth vs Call none father vpon earth for that we haue but one father which is in heauen hee liueth when the other dye and when the other hateth he continueth his loue and therefore is deseruedly called the euerlasting Father Two good Lessons are implyed herein the one teaching Piety the other Charity We are taught Piety when we are taught that he whom we obey is our Father for if I be a Father saith the Lord where is mine honour Mal. 1. and Moses to Israel Deut. 32. Doest thou so reward the Lord O thou foolish people and vnwise is not he thy Father that made thee c. And as the very name of Father teacheth Piety so doth the name of Euerlasting teach it much more St. Paul argueth so Heb. 12. If so bee wee honoured the fathers of our flesh which are mortall as is our flesh how much more should we honour the father of our spirits which is immortall as is our spirits Great reason haue we to reuerence this Father that neuer ceaseth to be our Father that hath prouided that euen when we lose our fathers we should yet stil haue our Father haue him for our Father which is the Father of Orphanes It is no small comfort nor weake pillar of our faith that we neuer want a Father yea our double birth readeth vs this Lecture For as we come out of our mothers wombe by the help of our mortall Parents so to signifie that we haue immortall parents we are then borne againe in the Churches wombe Neither doth this title teach vs only Piety but Charity also charity one towards another For whereas our mortall parents extend their consanguinity and affinity but to a few this euerlasing father extends his vnto all Malachy worketh vpon this Haue we not all one Father Cap. 2. wherefore then do you iniury one to another The blood should neuer be cold seeing wee are all kinne in the first degree all brethren sonnes of one father euen of him that is here called the euerlasting father But how commeth Christ to be called father who otherwise is called our brother he being the sonne of God and God being his father as hee is ours If you respect the Communion of
will I seeke thee early O yee heauens aboue drop downe the dew and yee clouds raine righteousnesse let the earth open let instice and saluation grow forth let them both grow forth together But the longer we liue commonly the worse we are aetas parentum peior auis and our children will be worse than wee are as wee are worse than were our fathers The Scripture witnesseth that Christs desire is vnto vs his delight is to bee with the sonnes of men yea he spreads his loue as a banner ouer his Church to make himselfe more desirable to her And how kinde hearted was he who being to eate the Paschall Lambe a type of his bitter passion and that immediately before his death could say Desiderio desideraui I haue earnestly desired to eate this passcouer with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this indeed argued vnspeakeable loue of Christ to man And should it not bee answered with the like affection of man towards Christ it should yea and indeed it would be if we did know what want we haue of him if we did feele the burden of our sinne if wee did see how little wee haue of heauenly grace This sense this sight would set an edge vpon our dull appetite and Christ which is here stiled the desire of all Nations would be to euery one of vs our desire But let vs take heede who when we may haue him doe not desire him lest the time come when wee shall desire him but may not haue him Christ may remoue our Candlesticke and his Kingdome and then the Iewes doome may be ours and wee may desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and shall not see it This God forbid and that he may forbid it HEe poure the grace of his holy Spirit into our soules that may so illighten our mindes and warme our hearts that discerning clearly and ardently affecting that soueraigne good which God is pleased should be common to vs all we may not only during this feast but euer congratulating our happinesse sing Hosanna blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest THE THIRD SERMON And I will fill this house with glory THE description of Christs presence in that temple which was built by Zorobabel Iosua and others doth set before vs first his Person then his Workes Of his Person I spake last it followeth that I now come on to his Workes They are two Bounty and Security The Bounty is set forth first absolutely then comparatiuely Of the comparison hereafter if God will my purpose is now God assisting me to open so much of the Text as sets forth Christs Bounty absolutely it is comprehended in these words I will fill this house with glory Wherein obserue what is conferred and on whom The gift is glory the receiuer the house both are amplified the house by the meannesse this house the gift by the greatnesse I will fill it with glory Out of both is made manifest the exceeding grace of Christ who honoured that so much that had so little to make it honourable That God who is pleased that we all should bee his houses may so honour vs let vs listen attentiuely that wee may entertaine affectionately the honour which he vouchsafeth to vs. Come wee then to the particulars the first is the thing conferred Glorie Glorie if it be true glory is a resplendencie of some Good solid and eminent The foundation of glory must bee that which is good for where there is no true good there can be no glory shame there may bee according to that of the Apostle Rom. 6. What fruit had yee then in those things whereof yee are now ashamed and St. Iude The wicked fome out their owne shame But of good things some are transitorie and vaine some heauenly and eternall not the former but the later kinde is the foundation of Glory Caboth Calal The Hebrew mother of tongues which speaketh of things most properly by one word noteth waightinesse and glory as likewise with them one word signifieth things vile and light The Apostle seemes to allude hereunto 2 Cor. 5. Our momentanie affliction doth worke vnto vs an exceeding eternall waight of glory Waight of glory that is waighty glory glory that hath some substance or solidnesse in it whereunto he opposeth light afflictions though they seeme grieuous yet doe they consist of no enduring substance nubecula sunt they quickely passe and vanish away Esay 40. And indeed of such shadowes or dreames rather are all worldly things made All flesh is grasse withering grasse the glory thereof is as a flower Psal 93. a fading flower The sonnes of men are vanity the sons of noble men are but a lye if they were put in the scales together they would weigh lighter than vanitie it selfe But of faith hope and charitie the Apostle speaketh better Heb. 3. Heb. 11. 2 Cor. 8. 1 Cor. 13. he giues them the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of substance and he telleth vs that wee are made partakers of Christ if wee hold fast the substance finally the Wise man tels vs that righteousnesse is full of immortality So that in those lasting not these fleeting things must we seek the foundation of true glorie The Apostles rule is we may not glory in the flesh not in the flesh as it is the good creature of God Ier. 9. I meane in the mortall state thereof the strong man may not glory in his strength the wise man in his wisedome the rich man in his riches how much lesse may we glory in the lusts of the flesh sinfull lusts which are the workmanship of the diuell No such boasting can be good 1 Cor. 5. as St. Paul tels the Corinthians in his censure of the incestuous person Psal 53. and Dauid checketh Doeg in those words why boastest thou thy selfe thou Tyrant that thou canst doe mischiefe But yet if we looke vpon the face of the world we shall finde that not onely transitory things but also wicked lusts are the foundation of most mens glory and wee may renew the Apostles words mourning words There bee many which walke Phil. 3. of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame which minde earthly things But our glory must haue a better foundation it must be a solid good Neyther is it enough vnto glory that the Good be solid it must be also eminent An ordinary good may bee laudible it cannot bee honourable it may make a man accepted but not admired no man is thought worthy of glory that is not more than an ordinary man For glory is an attendant vpon heroicall vertue and that is vertue in the highest degree such as was the chastitie of Ioseph the patience of Iob the fortitude of Iosua the pictie of Dauid and the wisedome of Salomon A man must partake of the diuine nature and draw as neare as
be otherwise minded will they nil they they shall one day finde that they haue no exemption from them Thus saith the Lord is our warrant regard not our persons regard that Lord whose Embassadors wee are receiue the words wee speake so long as we speake his Words not as the words of men but as the Word of God Finally couple Thus saith with the Lord of Hosts The Lord of Hosts noteth Gods Power Thus he saith noteth his Will Our soules shall finde little rest on Gods Power if it be not sure of his Will for God can doe many things which he will not doe though he cannot will any thing which he cannot doe Luke 3.8 God could raise vp Children vnto Abraham of stones but hee would not but the many miracles which he hath wrought shew that hee can doe what he will The coupling then of these words Thus saith the Lord of Hosts imports Gods willing power and powerfull will which amount vnto an authority fit to build our Faith vpon and to giue law vnto our Conuersation I haue sufficiently shewed you What the warrant is wee must now in few words see Why it is repeated so often For I dare say you shall not finde any passage in the Scripture where Thus saith the Lord is so often read in so few lines The reason is the weightinesse of the matter whereunto it is annext Mortall Princes vse not to signe Bils the contents whereof are triuiall matters many things are done by vertue of their Authority whereunto their signature is not vsed Euen so ordinary matters passe in the Word of God without nay speciall vrging of his Authority when that is prefixt the point is of great regard and if it be often ingeminated it giueth vs to vnderstand that we must take speciall notice of euery clause of it What must wee gather here then but the weightinesse of euery branch of this Text And indeede if you haue not forgotten what hath been obserued on euery part thereof you will easily confesse that there is not one of them which is not so weighty as to deserue Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Was not the shaking of Heauen and Earth the shaking of all Nations a weighty point and therefore deserued it not to be signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hosts If the shaking did deserue this signature much more did the Comming of the desire of all Nations especially seeing he came to fill the Temple with glory and as it deserued so it was signed with Thus saith the Lord of Hosts If the giuing of Glory were a matter of great moment what shall wee say of the degree of Glory Surely it required a great ability so great as we would hardly haue beleeued had we not bin heartened by Thus saith the Lord of Hosts and it must proceed from so great bounty as may be testified by the same Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Finally the peace wherein we possesse whatsoeuer good is contained in Christs presence doth so passe mans vnderstanding that to establish his heart in the beliefe thereof he needes this signature Thus saith the Lord of Hosts At length to conclude You haue heard in the former Sermons What in this Whom you must beleeue you must not separate Whom from What that which we must beleeue doth no doubt most pleasantly affect vs because it is our good but he whom we must beleeue doth most firmely secure vs because he is the Author of that good As then when wee gather fruit from a tree we doe not fixe our eyes onely vpon the boughes from whence we immediately gather it but also thinke vpon the roote which feeds those boughes and maketh them to bee fruitfull so in our religious meditations we must couple the Author with the Matter of blessings that God may be glorified as well as our soules are benefited If we say with Saint Paul I know whom I haue beleeued then we shall be secure that he will safe-keepe whatsoeuer any of vs committeth vnto him hee will keepe our soules keep our bodies and all that which himselfe hath bestowed vpon them Grace and Peace Christ will keepe them vntill his day his second day the day wherein the great and the little world shall receiue their last shaking Then shall the desire of all Nations which at first came in Humility returne againe in Glory hee shall returne to fill his House his Church with glory conformable to his owne Glory Then hee will open vnto vs all his treasures of siluer and gold and therewith adorne his Spouse which being Triumphant shall infinitely exceed her selfe as she was Militant Then shall our Peace come to the full and none shall be able to take our blessednesse from vs because none shall be able to separate betweene vs and Christ They shall not if we build our Faith vpon Gods reuealed Will vpon his Almighty Power vpon my Text Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Now let vs that are a handfull of his Host while we are militant so giue glory vnto the Lord of Hosts that we may hereafter bee triumphant and hauing palmes in our hands and crownes on our heads with harpes and tongues wee may sound and sing ioyntly and cheerfully Halleluiah Praise ye the Lord and with the whole Host of the Kingdome of Heauen saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heauen and Earth are full of thy Glory Amen יהוה A SERMON PREACHED Vpon the ANNVNTIATION day LVKE 2.28 Haile thou that art highly fauoured the Lord is with thee Blessed art thou among women THis is a part of the Gospell appointed for this day and this day goeth commonly for the Annuntiation day whether the day haue his right place in the Calender I leaue to be disputed by Chronologers what is meant by the Annuntiation is an argument fitter for Diuines certainly for the Pulpit the third part of this Chapter treats thereof and it is conceiued in forme of a Dialogue In the Dialogue there are two speakers the Angell Gabriel the Virgin Mary and each of them maketh two speeches the Angell to the Virgin and the Virgin to the Angell The Angell in his first congratulates the Virgin whom hee informeth from God that she shall bee the mother of Iesus Christ Good newes but strange strange that a Virgin should be a mother this Virgin the mother of that Childe The Virgin thought so nay she said so whereupon the Angell addeth his second speech importing that though the thing be wonderfull yet the meanes are powerfull these must be thought vpon as well as that and she must resolue that nothing shall hinder it because it is the Holy Spirit that will doe it So spake the Angell The Virgin replies vnto him to his first speech shewing her willingnesse to vnderstand the message which hee brought that is gathered out of her question Quomâ—do c. to his second shewing her readinesse to obey so soone as shee vnderstood it that appeares in her submission Ecce c.
the Lord and wee must with him answer for our selues I will take the cup of saluation and praise the name of the Lord vnto this end is this Sacrament called the Eucharist Thus Christ conscerateth the Elements But why what good came to the elements by consecration surely much good for they are made the body and the bloud of Christ so saith Iesus This is my body this is my blood The interpretation of these words is much controuerted and it is much disputed What change of the Elements the wordes of Christ did make for that Christ changed the bread when he consecrated it wee make no doubt Whereas then there are three things in bread and wine 1. the name 2. the vse and 3. the substance wee confesse a change in the two first but deny it in the third First wee confesse a change in the name directed by St. Austines rule Ad Bonisaâ— ep 23. Because of a similitude Sacraments commonly beare the names of the things themselues the Sacrament of Christs body is after a sort the body of Christ and the Sacrament of Christ blood is after a sort the blood of Christ Of St. Aducrsus Iudaeos Austins opinion in our case was Tertullian Christ saith hee calleth bread his body And Cyprian the signifying elements and the thing signified De â—nctione Chrismatis are caded by the same name Our Sauiour saith Theodoret changed the names and called the signe by the name of his body Ambrose Chrysostome Ambros de Sacraments l. 5. c. 4. Chrysost ad 〈◊〉 sarios â—â—â—nachos and others might bee alledged to this purpose Secondly wee acknowledge a change in the vse of the Elements for there must be some ground for which the signes may beare the names of the things themselues and that is The vertue the power the operation of the flesh and bloud of Christ beeing mystically vnited to the signes doe in a wonderfull sort manifest these things by the signes through the operation of the Holy Ghost This we learne of St. Cyprian De â—nctione Chrismatis to the Element once sanctified not now their own nature giueth the effect but the diuine vertue worketh in them more mightily the truth is present with the signe and the spirit with the Sacrament De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 4. so that the worthinesse of the grace appeareth by the efficiency of the thing Ambrose also If there be so great strength in the word of the Lord Iesus that all things beganne to be when they were not how much more shall it bee of force that the mysticall Elements should bee the same they were before and yet be changed into another thing Theodoret. The signes which are seene Christ hath honoured with the names of his body and blood not changing the nature but adding grace vnto nature Thus farre wee goe in acknowledging a change of the Elements by consecration farther we goe not wee acknowledge no change in the substance of the nature of the Elements De Sacramentis l. 4. c. 3. and herein we are guided by the Fathers also Ambrose Thou camst to the Altar and sawest the Sacraments thereon and wondredst at the very ereature De Coena Domini and yet it is a solemne and a knowne creature Cyprian After consecration the Element is deliuered from the name of bread and reputed worthy to bee called the body of the Lord notwithstanding the nature of the bread still remaines Ad Coesarios Monacbos Chrysostome The substantiall bread and cup sanctified with a solemne blessing is profitable for the life and safegard of the whole man To proue this the Fathers vse to parallel the Sacrament and the Person of Christ De ieiunio 7. mensis in their disputes against Eutyches Gelasius As the bread and wine after consecration are changed and altered into the body and blood of Christ Dialogo secundo so is the humane nature of Christ changed into his diuine Theodoret hath the same parallel and so hath St. Austine as hee is cited de Consecratione distinctione secunda Hoc est quod dico Now a generall Councell not onely particular Fathers haue resolued that both natures continue in Christs person vnaltered so doe their properties so doe their actions only this honour the diuine doth to the humane nature that as it hath associated it into one person so doth it manifest her properties by it and performe her actions Euen so is it in the Sacrament the heauenly the earthly thing are both vnited to make one Sacrament but each keepeth vnaltered its owne nature properties and actions onely the heauenly doth worke by the earthly and doth not ordinarily without it manifest its operation If in the person of Christ there was no alteration of the diuine nature though the Scripture say the word was made flesh much lesse may we dreame of any alteration in the earthly part of the Sacrament though it be said the bread is the body and the wine is the blood of Christ Out of this distinction of changing of the Elements you may perceiue that Christs consecration was effectuall though not effectuall to Transubstantiation For in a sacramentall argument both substances must remaine and by reason of the mysticall vnion Disparats may be affirmed the one of the other without absurditie Whether the sacramentall vnion doe require moreouer a Consubstantiation may also here be disputed for some vrge it out of these words But their answer is briefly this The earthly and the heauenly thing may bee conioyned really though not locally And as they may be conioyned so they may bee receiued seeing the proper Exhibiter of the heauenly is the Holy Spirit and the Receiuer is our faith Our faith may ascend to Christ in heauen and the Spirit beeing infinite may vnite vs vnto Christ though we be as low as the earth Whereas then the words may haue their truth without any recourse to a miracle or contradicting any other Article of faith or forcing strange senses vpon other passages of Scripture we content our selues with this mysticall relatiue vnion and forbeare all other vnnecessary speculations Although we must needs confesse that the words make more for Consubstantiation than they make for Transubstantiation We confesse then that in the Sacrament there is the body and blood of Christ and that three manner of waies though we admit neyther of the two false waies Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation First in regard of the signe for it was not chosen for it selfe but with reference to Christ Secondly in regard of the resemblance it doth most fitly set forth the efficacy that is in Christ the strengthning the cheering efficacie you heard before out of the 104th Psalme that those properties are in bread and wine Strength is eyther increased or recouered and cheerefulnesse followeth eyther vpon the recouered or increased strength wee are Babes and must grow in Christ we are Souldiers and lose blood in his quarrell we must finde that which
Austine telleth vs called Sacramentum fidei the Sacrament of Faith A little more distinctly now to open this Forme you must take notice of these vsefull Obseruations First to baptize in the Name of the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost doth signifie to doe it by their warrant and commission for as God only is the fountaine of grace so none can appoint the meanes of conueying grace but only God This checketh the presumption of the Bishop of Rome in multiplying Sacraments and we must be warned to do nothing in Gods seruice without his warrant Secondly to baptize in Nomine is to baptize in the person of the Trinitie a Minister is a publicke person whatsoeuer he doth in the Church he doth it in anothers Name the parts of his Ministrie being two to administer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to present the peoples deuotion to God or to minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bring Gods message to the People hee should offer no other Prayers to God but such as the Church appointeth because he speaketh in her Name and so when he bringeth any thing from God he must remember that he doth represent his person to the Church This must warne vs to come with holinesse to performe sacred Acts because we sustaine the person of God the Leuites washt their hands and their feete and we must wash our selues in the blood of Christ Thirdly to baptize in nomine is to ascribe the efficacie of Baptisme to the Trinitie the Minister must remember himselfe to be onely an instrument as St. Peter confesseth when hee wrought the Miracle vpon the lame man Acts 3. Wee baptize with water but the gifts of the holy Ghost come from God Wherefore let vs giue the glory of whatsoeuer successe we haue in our Ministrie to the principall agent that is God Fourthly in Nomine Trinitatis is to baptize vnto their seruice and to dedicate vnto them the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes as much And therfore the Ministration of Baptisme is accompanied with an Abrenunciation those that are baptised by themselues if they be of age or if children by their sureties renounce the Diuill and all his workes the pompes and vanities of the wicked world and all the sinfull lustes of the flesh then they deuote themselues vnto God to beleeue the Articles of the Creede and to liue according to the tenne Commandements To this end wee should baptize and we must put the people in minde of this morality and let not their thoughts dwell vpon the ceremonie as if when that were past all were done Finally inuocatur nomen Trinitatis super nos from the time that wee are baptized wee must acknowledge that the Lord is our God Hee hath made vs not wee our selues wee are his people and the sheepe of his Pasture or as the Apostle speaketh Wee are not our owne because wee are bought with a price wherefore we must glorifie God with our bodies and with our soules for they are his We that are Ministers then as we doe not baptize in our own name so must wee not denominate Disciples from our selues as the Corinthians some held of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas we must teach them all to hold of the same Lord of him into whose Name they are baptized As the Baptizer so the Baptized should make vse of euery of these obseruations they must 1. beediscreet in not admitting more Sacraments than God sendeth 2. reuerence the Minister in regard of his person whom hee sustaines 3. giue the glory of the grace which they receiue vnto God 4. appropriate their seruice vnto him and 5. let him be their only Lord. One scruple there is about this Forme for in the Acts cap. 8. v. 16. it should seeme that some were baptized onely into Christ and some haue thought that the Apostles at pleasure did vary the Forme But the constant practice of the Church in all parts of the world retaining this Form permits vs not so to construe the words in the Acts The meaning seemeth rather to be this That those persons confessing their Faith in the Redemption wrought by Christ were baptised after the vsuall Forme Some difference there is also betweene the East and West Church for in the West Church the Minister speaketh thus to him that is baptized Ego baptizo te in the East Church thus Baptizetur iste but the difference is confest on both sides not to be materiall therefore I passe it ouer You see here none of those many Ceremonies which the Church hath multiplied whereof many are very ancient and might be continued if they had not beene corrupted by the Church of Rome especially Themselues hold them not to be of the essence but of the solemnitie of Baptisme they cannot they doe not deny but that wee keepe the essence intire of those things which belong to the solemnitie our Church hath retained so much as is thought fit for edification the rest it hath cut off not without cause and out of that libertie which euery Church hath in such things One thing I may not omit to remember you of that are to be ordered That these solemne words In the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost are vsed in your Ordination and therefore what instructions I haue giuen vnto you vpon the Forme of Baptisme you may make vse of euery one of them when you meditate vpon your Ordination And I wish you so to doe Now lay together teach and baptize and then you see the Method of your Ministrie you must first catechise and bring your hearers to beleeue and then dedicate them vnto God because without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. so St. Iohn baptized so baptized the Apostles and the rule is Non potest corpus Baptisma recipere sacramentale nisi Anima accipiat fidei veritatem Hieron and Baptisme saueth no man but Faith is that which maketh a man partaker of grace and this Faith doth not rest vpon the Water but vpon the Word Accedat Verbum ad Elementum fit Sacramentum non quia dicitur sed quia creditur But as Faith hath Necessitatem medij so Baptisme hath Necessitatem praecepti we may by no meanes neglect Baptisme if it may bee had and the contempt hazardeth saluation Except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost bee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Iohn 3. But Faith in no case may be wanting Mistake not Tertullian and Nicetus vpon Nazianzen orat de Baptismo mis-construed these words and thought that Children except it were in extreame danger of death should not be baptized because they could not bee taught The Anabaptists out of this place and Marke 16. proue that no childe must bee baptized vntill he commeth to the yeares of discretion But they grosly mistake for Christ is here and in St. Marke to be vnderstood de adultis none without the Church were to be receiued in except they were first catechised and
a commendable highth than by profitably reading of those places You shall learne thus much also that factus Christianus is much more pious than is natus he that out of a forlorne state is by the mercie of God brought to the state of grace when he is come to the yeares of discretion doth abound much more in the fruits of righteousnesse than he that is borne in the state of grace and so will euerie true conuerted sinner abound more than he that neuer tooke a grieuous fall But I must hasten to the preheminencie of Grace a preheminencie beyond St. Pauls preheminency euen by the testimonie of St. Paul himselfe Not I but the grace of God that is with me he correcteth himselfe as if he had presumed too farre Where marke that though a man worke with grace not only per effectum but also per consensum not only to the producing of the effect but also vnderstanding and willing it for hee is instrumentum rationale and God doth not deale with men as with blockes and bruit beasts yet is a man but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Instrument the principall Agent is the grace of God And although there be two workers yet must they not be reputed coordinate but subordinate neither doth man worke otherwise than as hee is moued by grace and the children of God are led by his spirit Whereby you may gather how wicked a doubt that is which now doth perplexe the Church Whether forsooth our will determines Gods grace or Gods grace determines our will in the point of iustification Certainly St. Paul thought the point out of question when he vsed this correctiue Not I but the grace of God that is with me mecum or quae in me The grace of God doth not cooperate with our free will except it bee first regenerated by grace Therefore the defence of free will is idly gathered hence seeing Papists meane it in actu primo and St. Paul speakes here de actusecundo He is most vnthankefull then and so vnworthy of grace that doth not giue the preheminence to the grace of Adoption cooperant in all his workes of pietie And so to the cooperant grace of Edification must we giue the glorie of all the workes of our Ministrie Paul planteth and Apollo watereth it is God that giueth the increase wee haue heauenly treasures but we conuey them in earthen vessels the foolishnesse of preaching is ours the demonstration of the Spirit is from Heauen Non vos estis qu◠loquimini sed Spiritus Patris Matth. 10. wee speake the words God openeth the heart wee wash with water Christ with the Holy Ghost we giue the bread and wine Christ his body and blood Ros coelestis sacit messem terrestrem wee may not thinke better of our selues than of Ministers the power of whose worke dependeth on the Spirit of our Master wee are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Christi a second grace is the cause why our first is not frustrate so was it before the fall much more is it so now I haue done with the particulars of my text two things I gathered out or the whole bodie of it which I will note in a word The first is St. Pauls sinceritie who giueth the glorie vnto God of the originall of the gifts and of the vse of the gifts wherewith he was endowed condemning all sacriledge of this kinde What God told Zorobabel re-edifying the Temple of the earthly Hierusalem the same is fulfilled in the restauration of our heauenly neyther by armie nor strength but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts men shall bring forth all the stones thereof with shouting crying grace grace Zach. 4. Therefore let vs say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the praise for of thee and through thee and for thee are all things all things that belong to the being of thy Church the being both of Pastor and People Let him that glories glorie in the Lord. As St. Paul dealeth sincerely in regard of Gods glorie so doth he also modestly in regard of himselfe as he extolleth God so doth he abase himselfe witnesse the extenuation of his endowment of his employment and the correction of that speech wherein hee might seeme to value himselfe at too high a rate I cannot stand to amplifie this vertue of his though the pride of our nature deserues to haue it amplified that it may be admonished thereby I will onely commend vnto your meditation King Dauids Psalme Lord I am not high minded I haue no proud looks c. and Christs exhortation to vs to become as little children hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee humbled and that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted Let vs not therefore bee ashamed to cast downe our selues that the Lord may lift vs vp and seeing our helpe standeth in the Name of the Lord and without Christ we can doe nothing for quis te discreuit and what hast thou that thou hast not receiued because it is hee that worketh in vs both to will and to doe let vs continually pray Lord make speed to saue vs Lord make haste to helpe vs saue and helpe both Pastor and People that both may truly say with St. Paul By the grace of God I am that I am and euery one may haue this sweet repose of conscience Gods grace was not bestowed on me in vaine Finally the Apostle ascribing before his sinnes to himselfe and his vertue to God doth teach that we are sufficient to our owne ruine not so to our rising according to that of Hosea Destructio tua ex te c. Therefore the Minister must with meeknesse teach the contrary minded 2 Timothie 2. I haue set before you an exact patterne of a good Pastor and Christian wee should all endeauour to conforme thereto but this is rather to bee wished than hoped because of the frailtie of our nature Wherefore a timely suruey of the Church is requisite to make such a suruey is the reason of this meeting The world hath many Saules blasphemers oppressors wicked liuers but you vse to present All as Pauls you say All is well when euery man may see that much is amisse Remember that this is Iudicium ante iudicium a medicinall Iudgement before a mortall the iudgement of man to preuent the iudgement of God Doe not by cruell indulgence exempt any from the iust censure of the Church to expose your selues and them to the intolerable vengeance of God Rather let vs all ioyne of Saules to make Paules that so wee may repaire the decayes of the Church and heare a comfortable doome when we all come before the Tribunall seat of Christ THe Lord giue vs all this effectuall grace the vndoubted pledge of eternall glorie Hee that hath begunne in you a good worke perfect it till the day of the Lord. Amen IHS A SERMON PREACHED IN TRINITY CHVRCH IN WINCHESTER AT An ASSIZES 1610. EZRA 7. vers 26. And whosoeuer will not doe
make vs see how much better he is then we dreame of him Looke vpon the fore-cited places the wicked thinke that God is like vnto them Mal. 3. What saith GOD there I will reproue thee and set thy sinne before thee So likewise in Malachy they thought that GOD fauoured men the more the worse they liued but GOD tels them that in the day when he made vp his Iewels they should returne and see the difference betweene them that feare God Math. 25. and them that feared him not And the vnthriftie seruant was refuted before his face for his Master gaue to the thriftie seruants each what he had gayned vpon his Masters goods But as GOD doth thus refute affirmatiue blasphemies so may you perceiue in the verie same places that the Blasphemer doth defraud himselfe of that which GOD proues to be his perfection and leaues him to be more vile then he thinketh GOD to be So likewise what gayneth the negatiue Blasphemer but this that he putteth himselfe out of the protection of those Attributes whereof he would but cannot rob GOD. GOD will euer haue an vnderstanding eye though not to watch ouer him but to enquire into him he will haue a hand of power not to relieue but to plague him and he will neuer cease to be prouident but the Blasphemer shall neuer be the better for it What shall we say then to these things Surely considering our duty considering our danger we must thinke better vpon and take more care to fulfill that Petition of the Lords Prayer Hallowed be thy Name That we may performe our dutie that we may auoid the danger let vs all and you especially that are the Penitent daily ioyne with the Angels 〈…〉 and beare a part in their Hymne singing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heauen and Earth are full of thy glorie For shall not mortall man adore that Name which is so reuerenced by Cherubins and Seraphins It is his honor to be admitted to it and a horrible contempt if he doe it not yea doe the contrarie The kind of blasphemie is not here exprest neither doe I thinke it sit to enquire into it seeing the Holy Ghost is silent such sinnes are better concealed then reuealed therefore doe not I publish this Blasphemers sinne And I wish you not to be inquisitiue after it Our concupiscence is like tinder it will quickly take fire especially the catching fire of Hell St Paul hath a good rule Such things should not so much as be named amongst Christians Yea blasphemie was so detested of old that whereas it had a name yet they did expresse it by an Antiphrasis and vsed the word blessing in stead of cursing I would our tast of words were as good as theirs was I haue done with the proper blasphemie Tract 27. in Ioh. I come now to speake a word of the occasionall Here take St Austins rule Rarò inueniuntur qui blasphemant lingua multi qui vita few haue gone so farre as this Penitent who hath properly and directly blasphemed GOD. But there are more then a good many that haue obliquely and occasionally blasphemed yea and doe daily euen all those whose conuersation is not answerable to their profession For they without the CHVRCH who heare vs professe that we are the children of GOD and haue for our guid the Word of GOD when then they see vs doe that which common reason doth condemne as wicked they conclude Like children like â—ather like liues like Lawes they open their mouthes against GOD and against his holy Word Wherefore we must by well-doing stop the mouthes of gaine-sayers and let our light so shine besore men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Pather which is in Heauen or else we shall goe for occasionall Blasphemers as did Dauid and also did the Iewes 2 Sam. 12. Rom. 2. And let this suffice for the sinne I come now to the punishment And here we must see first What it is and then On whom it is inflicted The punishment is set downe here first in generall he shall beare his sinne By sinne is meant punishment the Holy Ghost by so speaking intimates the knot that in Iustice should be betweene them none should be punished but for sinne and no sinne should be vnpunished Which is also true when this word signisieth a Sacrifice for the originall of a Sacrifice was sinne and sinne in the Old Testament was not expiated but by a Sacrifice As you must obserue these two things in the word sinne so are there two like things a ceremoniall and a morall in those words he shall beare his sinne for thereby in this place the Holy Ghost signifieth that a Blasphemer may not redeeme himselfe from punishment by any ceremoniall Sacrifice the Law hath prouided no Sacrifice for so crying a sinne whereas pettie sinners might be ransomed by Sacrifice a Blasphemer may not so vnburden himselfe he must beare his owne sinne Num. 15. for Blasphemie is one of those sinnes which are committed with a high hand As the phrase doth debarre the Blasphemer of this ceremoniall reliefe so doth it put him ouer to the Ciuill Magistrate and yeelds a good morall Note which is that we must vnburden the State vpon the malefactor for sinne committed by one that is a member of the Common-weale by reason of the Communion that is betweene the parts of the politique Body maketh all the Body guiltie Nouel Constiâ— 77. if it be haynous which Iustinian the Emperour obserued well in his Preface to the Law which he made against this sinne for this sinne saith he doth God send Famine Pestilence the Sword vpon a Common-weale neither can it put off the guilt and preuent the punishment but by laying them vpon the malefactor making him to beare his owne sinne lest they also beare a part of it A good remembrance for Magistrates to quicken their iustice in such cases and teach them that they cannot be mercifull to a Blasphemer except they will be cruell to their Countrey But I shall touch at this point againe before I end and therefore I will goe on The Punishment is not onely set downe in generall but in speciall also the speciall punishment is two-fold First It is Ecclesiasticall for the malefactor must be carried out of the Tents so GOD commanded a little before my Text and in the end of this Chapter it was so practised And when in the Holy Land they dwelt in Cities in stead of Tents which they vsed in the Wildernesse they obserued the same course for they cast Blasphemers out of the Citie as appeares in the storie of Naboth 1 King 21. and of St Stephen Act. 7. who were calumniated for Blasphemers 1 Tim 1.20 Now this was a kind of Excommunication and so vile persons were cast out De Malâ—die c. Statuimus to note that they were vnworthy not onely to liue but euen to dye also amongst the people of GOD
heart but the feare of the world onely stayeth vs from confessing it with our mouthes so that the loue maketh vs sinne willingly but feare vnwillingly yea loue maketh vs inwardly to prize the world aboue CHRIST but feare maketh vs onely to deny CHRIST that we may escape the malice of the world Whereupon it commeth to passe that of the three kinds of denyers of CHRIST which I described before though all may recouer yet they that fall through the loue of the world recouer more hardly and they recouer more easily that fall onely out of the feare thereof And such was S. Peters casu I pray GOD that ours neuer be worse it will be likely that as he so we also will not so fall but that we will rise againe But let vs behold his Rising behold the meanes and behold their effects The meanes were two whereof the first was outward a timely signe The signe was the crowing of a cocke an ordinarie thing but by our Sauiour vsed to an extraordinarie end It is familiar with GOD so to deale I will instance onely in the Sacraments Water a common Element yet designed to be a Bath of Regeneration Bread and wine our daily food yet consecrated to make vs partakers of the Body and Blood of CHRIST to shew his power GOD doth so honour the meanest of his Creatures and for their vse teacheth vs to giue them their due regards But I must not forget that there is some Analogie to be obserued in the Creature when it is called to serue the power of the Creator CHRIST here maketh vse of the crowing of a cocke but see how fitly it serueth his turne The cocke crowing is as it were the harbinger of the Sunne it giueth warning vnto men that the Sunne is repairing vnto their Horizon and ready to dispell the darkenesse of the night by shedding forth his beames vpon the face of the Earth Now CHRIST is the Sunne of Righteousnesse and whither he commeth thither commeth light spirituall light he was comming to S. Peter after the mid-night as it were of his fall and of this he gaue notice to S. Peter by the crowing of a cocke But what is this to vs I will not insist vpon signes in generall by which GOD is pleased familiarly to put vs in mind of our dutie or let vs see the state wherein we stand I will keepe my selfe to the AlI gorie which the Fathers make of this signe They tell vs that GOD hath granted to enerie member of his Church two crowing cockes by which he doth awaken him when he falleth into a spirituall sleepe and they are Concionator and Conscientia the Preacher outwardly and the Conscience inwardly doe or should serue for morall crowing cockes Nathan was such a cocke vnto Dauid Ionah vnto Nineueh S. Peter to the Iewes that crucified CHRIST when they called them to repent and returne vnto GOD. And Christian people ought also to esteem their Preachers such they must esteem them as crowing cocks whose vovce soundeth nothing but this Eph. 4. Surge qui dormis Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and IESVS CHRIST shall giue thee light Rom. 13 they tell vs that our night is past and our day is come therefore we must cast away all workes of darkenesse and put vpon vs the Armour of light Besides this outward crowing cocke euerie man hath another that croweth within him that is his Conscience it is said to be a thousand witnesses and the Sonne of Syrach doth tell vs that from it we shall learne more then from seuen watchmen that are set on a Tower And verily many a man would sleepe vnto death were he not often rowsed by this Cocke Wherefore though CHRIST tooke extraordinarie care of St Peter we may not thinke that he doth neglect vs that hath prouided that which outwardly and inwardly doth awaken and rouse vs he hath not left vs destitute of crowing cockes But I told you the Cocke did not onely crow but crowed timely it was a timely signe that CHRIST gaue to St Peter immediately euen while he was speaking did the cocke crow Peter was denying him forswearing him cursing and in the verie heat of his sinning the Cocke crew We can haue no greater proofe that the mercie of GOD is free then when we see a man reclaymed euen then when he is most transported with his vnruly affection And GOD hath magnified his mercie thus more then once it was St Pauls case also he was breathing out threats and enraged to make hauocke of the Church when a light from Heauen shone about him and by a mercifull violence brought him to bethink himselfe And haply if euerie one of vs obserue the course of his life he may remember that some good Sermon working some religious inward motiues hath made him step backe while he was stepping rashly into the pitfall of the Diuel Assuredly when we are once going there would be no staying if we were not by so prouident a hand and by so gratious violence seasonably held backe Wherefore we must acknowledge it as a speciall benefit of GODS mercie that he then commeth in with his helpe when we are past hope Theophylact goeth one step farther O bonitatem Etiam cum ligaretur etiam cum negaretur non neglexit discipuli salutem How wonderfull is the goodnesse of CHRIST When his enemies were binding him he tooke care to loose St Peter out of the snare of the Diuel yea while S. Peter was denying him ashamed of his bands CHRIST was not ashamed of S. Peter but recouered him out of the iawes of the Lyon as one of his deare Sheepe A great improuement of CHRISTS compassionate bowels and incouragement vnto all that haue they been neuer so enormous sinners CHRIST will be to them as he shewed himselfe to S. Peter a most mercifull Sauiour You haue heard the outward Meanes I hasten now vnto the inward The inward Meanes are CHRISTS helpe he turned and looked that which he prayed for in this Chapter that Peters faith should not faile he performed now It is disputed whether these Acts were corporall and the iudgement of Diuines are different but all agree that they were spirituall also if it be granted that they were corporall S. Austin argueth it from the Title that is here giuen vnto CHRIST which is The Lord CHRIST was now at the Barre in the eye of flesh and blood a poore prisoner yet doth the Holy Ghost honour him with the name Lord and else-where calleth him that was crucified The Lord of Glorie The Lord of Life that present condition of his manhood did not derogate ought from the glorie of his Godhead that wrought answerable to its power when CHRIST seemed to be altogether in the power of others it wrought vpon the soule and conscience of S. Peter and did there presse him being so farre gon with Petre vbi es bethinke thy selfe O Peter what is become of thee and what is done by thee
not haue Gods paines so wasted vpon him hee would haue it sort a good effect and make him to bee as without blame in regard of Innocency so without spot in regard of Sanctitie we must desire that wee may bee renewed aswell as discharged as thoroughly renewed as fully discharged that we may be acceptable in Gods eyes and comfortable in our owne Put now these two together the description of Miserie and the Petition for Mercy and you shall finde diuerse remâ—akable things therein First that Miserie presenting it selfe vnto Mercy doth take a right course Nathan did charge Dauid with sinne and threatned him many plagues you finde not heere that he doth mention Gods plagues but his owne sinnes he spends his desire not in deprecating the Plagues but in ridding himselfe of his Sinnes And this is good spirituall wisedome for seeing plagues come for sinnes wee are sure that we shall neuer eate of that Fruit if we plucke this Tree vp by the roots if sinne cleaue not to vs we need not feare Gods wrath either we shall not feele it or we shall bee the better for it Pharoah and Pharoah-like Men haue an eye to their plagues not to their sinnes and therefore as he so they are eased of one plague to fall vnder another if Gods Mercy heare our Prayers and ease vs of any Affliction and doe not rid vs of our sinne let vs assure our selues that we are but like a Prisoner reprieued that may bee hanged when he least feares death Secondly Miserie must learne of King Dauid to lay it selfe fully open that it may be fully cured Ambros Quis nostrum qui peccatum confitetur non perstringendum potius quam repetendum putet When we repent happily we can be contented to glance at our sinnes but we will bee loath to looke farre into them and search our wounds to the quicke But King Dauid doth not so hee doth aswell amplifie Sinne the Cause of his Misery as he doth distinctly sue for the branches of Gods Mercy Gods Mercy And indeed God is the Person to whom he sueth for Mercy he directeth his Prayer vnto him from him he doth expect this Mercy But here is a Paradox for he that is ougly in his owne eyes how can he but be odious in Gods and how dares a guilty Prisoner offer himselfe at the Bar of his Iudge Gods face is against those that do euill Psal 34.15 to root out their remembrance from the earth This is true and yet Dauid goeth to him and no maruaile there is no flying from him but to him hee only can restore a sinner restore him to his owne fauour and rid him of that that intercepteth the influence of the coÌ„fortable beames of grace the Church confesseth it in the Collect it is Gods property to haue mercy and it sayth it according to the Scripture Daniel confesseth it 2. Cor. 1.3 To thee O Lord God belongeth Mercy and forgiuenesse Saint Paul maketh God the Father of Mercies Moses or God rather speaking to Moses sheweeh vs that it is an especiall branch of Gods glory in that Proclamation which hee maketh Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffering c. But as Mercy is Naturall vnto God so it is not comfortable vnto vs but as it is deriued through Christ therefore we must marke the Words Chesed and Racham words wherein King Dauid doth expresse Gods Mercy for they note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Affection the bowells of a Father towards his Children Now God is not a Father vnto vs but by Adoption and we are not adopted but in Christ which is the onely Sonne God doth except vs in his Beloued in him it is that he hath Mercie vpon vs Therefore these very Words louing kindnesse are in the New Testament applyed to Christ comming in the flesh Christ also in the Old Testament is noted by the Propitiatory or Mercy-seate and in the New Testament he is called our Propitiation 1. Iohn 2.2 Heb. 2.17 and Mercifull high Priest The nature of sinfull men without Christ and God that is iudge of all the World are Infestissimi inimici they will neuer agree together our infirmitie will be ouerwhelmed by the diuine Maiestie but it is Christ that turneth the dreadfull Tribunall into a Throne of Grace Neither must we seeke onely for Gods kind affection in Christ but his gracious Actions also no hope of Dele nor Laua but in him and by him It is true that God by the Prophet tells vs that it is he that blots out our sinnes for his owne sake Esay 43 44.59 27. and bloâ—teth them out like a cloud and casts our sinnes into the Sea But hee doth not this immediately hee doth it by Christ Daniel teacheth Chap. 9. Coloss 2.14 that Hee was to finish wickednesse seale vp sinnes and reconcile iniquitie Saint Paul teacheth it saying that Christ fastened and cancelled the Obligation that was against vs on his Crosse Finally the Father sent him and he sent his Apostles with power to remit and to retayne sins which must needs implie that Dele blot out belongeth to Him And as Dele so Laua Zacharie foretold it In that day meaning the dayes of the Gospell there shall be a fountaine opened to the House of Dauid Zâ—ch 13. and to the Inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleanesse Saint Paul sheweth the accomplishment of it Ephe. 5 Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and clense it by the washing of water through the Word that hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Neither must we be beholding to Christ only for these gracious Actions רב but for their measure also The Text tells vs that there is not onely Mercy in God but that Mercy is of a large size it is called here Rob we translate it Multitude it signifieth also Magnitude The Conscience of a Sinner is afflicted some times with the Number sometimes with the excesse of sinne least we should sinke vnder either burden this word must specially be heeded which doth assure a distressed Conscience that there commeth not only Mercy from God but Great Mercy also so Great as that his Mercy reioyceth ouer his Iudgement there lieth an Appeale from God vnto God from God the Righteous to God the Gracious and God in regard of his Mercy is in a manner Greater then himselfe with this Moses presseth God significantly Num. 14. Now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be Great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is slow to anger and of Great Mercy c. in the whole period hee importuneth him to shew that his Mercy exceeds his Iustice. The Scripture doth amplifie this point by setting downe the dimensions of his Mercy telling vs sometimes 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 11 33.
is longed for also when it is wanting in our nature By the Fall amongst other endowments this was lost Psal 62. â— The Sonnes of men are become vanity the sonnes of noble men are but a lie God then beholding them must needs finde wanting what in the Creation hee bestowed vpon them and what hee findeth wanting that he desireth may be recouered Behold how hee sheweth himselfe as a Father that might deale with vs as a Iudge what hee might exact hee desireth and desireth as a Father the supply of that the want whereof hee might punish as a Iudge hee taketh more delight to see vs recouered mercifully then iustly to perish in our sinnes The words must not be vnderstood exclusiuely Hee desireth Truth in the inward parts as if he desired it not also in the outward The inward is his Peculiar a closet whereinto none can enter but himselfe and as his residence is specially there so doth his eye principally looke into that wee may not thinke that the Holinesse that will content the Creature will content the Creator also when we go about to reforme wee must goe as deepe as Gods eye goeth and not thinke that all is well vntill all is well there But when we are prouided for that Mat. 5.29 wee must Let our light shine also before men the outward parts must haue Truth in them also God that is the Author of societies loues the bands of them also and by commanding the obseruation and commending the obseruers testifieth his good will towards them to the confusion of all Equiuocaters that diuorce the Inwards from the Outwards and care not how much fraud they vse outwardly while they please themselues with a counterfeit truth inwardly Wee must entertaine both such a truth in the Inward parts as manifesteth it selfe in the Outward and giueth good content both to God and Man But marke God that desireth Truth in the inward parts commendeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not bid vs root out our Affections but order them aright he calls not for stupidity but simplicitie he wills vs to flie all serpentine wiles but to entertaine a singlenesse of mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril vnleauened affections are much set by of God and sincerity is a vertue that yeelds sweet sauour vnto him Finally our Repentance our Confidence must specially be seasoned with this vertue for vnto them is the Text specially applyed And let this suffice for the regard that is yeelded to Sincerity I come now to the meanes by which it may be had and that is by diuine instruction of our Heart The Heart is here meant by the hidden part which elsewhere is called the Hidden man of the Heart why it is called Hidden in some sort I told you before as also why it is called a Part and not Parts the entrall is single and it hath a couering as it appeareth in the anatomizing of our bodies But by the entrall is meant the Vnderstanding the thoughts whereof are knowne onely vnto God They that write of the Temple of Salomon doe many of them parallel it with our persons which are temples of the Holy Ghost as that was partly vncouered and partly couered so haue wee an Outward and an Inward man and as that part of the Temple which was couered was partly Sanctum and partly Sanctum Sanctorum so haue we in our Inward man a couert seate of our desires which must be holy as you haue hitherto heard and a couert seate of the rule of our desires which must be more holy and that is our Heart there doth God reside as in his most Holy place and from thence by our conscience giueth order to the whole course of our life This place or power must be furnished with Wisedome The Apostle doth teach vs to distinguish betweene the Wisedome of this world and the Wisedome of God whereof the former is seeming the latter is Wisedome indeed This Wisedome is nothing but that guiding knowledge wherewith the Conscience must be furnished our desires haue no reason of themselues that which they haue they haue by participation of the higher power which is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is the guide of the inferiour powers now you know the vertue of a guide is Wisedome take away Wisedome hee will bee but a bad guide a bad did I say nay a blinde guide for Wisedome is his Eye and you know what our Sauiour Christ saith Mat. 6.22 The light of the body is the Eye if therefore thine Eye be single the whole body shall be full of Light if thine Eye bee euill the whole body shall be full of darknesse This Wisedome is nothing else but those good and sound Principles of Direction which should giue order to our affections which of them should stirre when and how farre did not Wisedome giue this order out of a true iudgement past vpon the Obiect Feare would stirre where Hope is called for and we would Ioy where wee should Grieue but that each affection taketh his proper turne and obserueth its iust measure wee are beholding vnto Wisedome But whence is this Wisedome Iob 38.36 Iob moued the question who hath put Wisedome in the inward parts or who hath giuen vnderstanding to the heart hee answereth himselfe fully in the 28. Chapter and the summe of his Answere is that God is the giuer thereof The reason may be taken from the nature of Wisedome which is answerable to the name thereof C. 6. â— 23 so saith the Sonne of Syrach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisedome is as the name thereof importeth and it is not reuealed vnto many Fuâ—lâ— Misâ— l. 1. c. 5. Now it hath its name from Tzaphah which signifieth to couer And indeed true Wisedome had a double Couering in the dayes of King Dauid a Couering of Ceremonies that darkened the things and a Couering of Infidelity that made most men incapable of them only God could remoue these Couerings cleare the Mysteries of Religion and giue men eyes for to discerne them not that God vseth not the ministery of men and by men informeth vs of our duties but they can goe no farther then the Outward man Ambros Cathedram habet in Coelo qui docet corda none but our Master which is in Heauen can open our hearts and worke these good instructions into our consciences This is the tenour of the Couenant of Grace Behold Ier. 31.32 the Day is come saith the Lord that I shall make a new Couenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Iuda I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and so saith Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3.17 Ibid. v. 18 where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie libertie from both the Couerings so that Men with open face behold the glory of the Lord. And indeed who should repaire these guifts when they
it so was it no small punishment to bee depriued of it King Dauid confesseth as much Psal 84. when hee breaketh out into those passionate speeches How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule longeth euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liuing God and againe As the hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth after God euen the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God I amplifie this ancient respect vnto the Place that therehence you may gather the greatnes of the losse thereof But what is this to vs those types be long since past but they had a truth which shall remaine vntill the worlds end and that is Gods gracious presence in the Gospel learne it of S. Paul who describing the dignity of the Gospel setteth it forth in these words God which cōmanded light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts 2. Cor. 4.6 to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ and againe wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord 2. Cor. 3.18 are changed into the same image from glory vnto glory so that our Churches haue a residence of God a residence much more glorious then that of the Iewes and the losse thereof if by any meanes it bee brought vpon vs wee are not to esteeme it vnworthy a deepe sorrow But as the presence noteth a place so doth it note a state also that doth accompany the place I will reduce it to two heads Gods speciall prouidence and his gracious acceptance Where God is pleased to reside he taketh a speciall care of the persons his care may be reduced vnto two heads mentioned in the 80. Psalme God is a Sun and a Shield that is he blesseth and defendeth them that are his people It is a pleasant thing saith the Preacher to see the Sun the corporall Sun how much more the spirituall the Sun of Righteousnes King Dauid will tell you how much more there bee many saith hee that aske Psal 4. Who will shew vs any good but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs and thou shalt put more ioy into our hearts then they whose Corne and wine and oyle is encreased and no maruell for in thy presence is fulnesse of ioy Psal 16. and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore Is God a Sun vnto his Church then euery good and perfect guift will come downe vpon it from the father of Lights They are happy that dwell with the Sun but hee that is happie would be safe also and he that is the Sun is also a Shield hee hideth his seruants in his Pauilion Psal 27. in the secret of his Tabernacle he doth hide them hee that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty Psal 90. hee shall not be afraid of terror by night nor of the arrow that flyeth by day Read the whole Psalme it is nothing but a description of the Shield In the entrance to the 18. Psalme Dauid compareth God to all kind of Munition and Saint Paul Ephes cap. 6. teacheth that God doth furnish vs with compleat Armour Who can doubt then that God is a Shield vnto his You see what is Gods speciall prouidence ouer his Church beside that the state doth containe a gracious acceptance also Psal 34.14 They that are neare are deare the Eyes of the Lord are vpon them and his eares are open vnto their prayers they find grace in his eyes with Noah and hee smels their sacrifice he pittieth their defects ouer-valueth their good endeauors punisheth them lesse but rewardeth them more then they deserue Finally as hee appropriateth as it were himselfe to them so doth he them vnto himselfe I cannot stand to amplifie these things onely marke this if the losse of the place bee a punishment there is a great accesse made to it by the losse of the state if it be a punishment not to come neere God what a punishment is it to bee out of such a Sun-shine to be without such a Shield what a punishment is it that neither wee nor our workes should find any grace in the eyes of God wee must put these things into the scales when wee weigh our Iudgement But not these things onely the manner of the Reiection doth aggrauate it not a little that is intimated in the word Cast out it is actio indignantis wee must set before vs a person highly displeased and behold with what countenance hee throweth from him that which he detests Dauid was a King and he knew well the mood of an angry King what wofull effects it produceth against those with whom they are angry I reduced them to two heads disgrace and danger take for example Ahasuerus wroth against Haman vpon Queene Hesters petition first hee was disgraced his eyes were couered that hee might not see the Kings face and danger came not far behind disgrace for he was presently hanged on a gallowes If the casting out of a Subiect by the command of a mortall King draw with it this double euill how is it improued when it is acted by the King of Heauen But I will open it vnto you in a Resemblance or two This casting out is called a diuorce now you know that if a husband for adultery put away his wife shee forfeits her honour and her dower she is branded for an infamous person and destituted of her maintenance Ose 2. Christ as the Prophet speaketh doth marry vs vnto himselfe and thereupon communicateth vnto vs his honourable name wee are called Christians and endoweth vs with his whole estate maketh vs heyres of the kingdome of heauen how great is the disgrace then how great is the danger that doth accompany the diuorce the disgrace that declareth vs vnworthy of our name and danger that cutteth off our title to so glorious an inheritance A second similitude is the discommuning of vs we were Gods peculiar treasure a kingdome of Priests so is our Prerogatiue expressed Exod. 19. yea we are made as the Gospell speaketh a Kingdome of Heauen what greater worth what greater wealth can bee conceiued then is in such a state but if God be prouoked to pronounce Lo-ammi against them Osea ◠you are not my people I will not be your God our worth our wealth vanish both they melt with the heat of that fierie doome I might amplifie it by other Similitudes the cutting off the oline the Vine branch mentioned Rom. 11. and Ioh. 15. by the histories of Cain and of Saul by the censures of cutting off from Gods people remembred in Moses and Christs let him be vnto thee as a publican and a heathen but I will not tire out your patience Onely this I would haue you obserue that
but it is also a word which the Prophets doe vse in foretelling the miracles of Christ for he was amongst other things to open the mouthes of the Dumbe and in the Gospell working such a cure hee vseth the word Ephata 〈…〉 be thou opened loosing the tongue by the eare But we must vnderstand that in the corporall cure there was an intimation of the spirituall and indeede Christ had neuer come into the world to cure the corporall had it not beene thereby to bring vs to an higher conceite of him that he was the Physitian of our soules and came to enable them to speake the language of Canaan And this is the opening of the lippes which King Dauid here desires This is a great worke great in regard of the difficultie that is in the thing 〈◊〉 6 or the inabilitie that is in vs. There is a difficultie in the thing for we cannot praise God farther then we know him but how little a portion is heard of him 〈…〉 We may speake much saith the sonne of Syracke yet come short when we glorifie the Lord exalt him as much as wee can for euen yet will he sarre exceede and when you exalt him put forth all your strength and be not wearie for you can neuer goe farre enough There are yet hid greater things then these be Psal 14â— 13 for we haue seene but a few of his workes Dauid in few words tels vs that his praise is aboue Heauen and earth that is the conclusion which he sets downe after he had summoned all creatures to praise the Lord. Seeing God then is aboue all praise it is certaine that he cannot bee worthily praised of vs by reason of the difficultie of the worke But were there lesse difficultie in that yet is there great inabilitie in vs inabilitie from our Affections inabilitie from our Conscience From our Affections there are two preualent ones that hinder vs in this worke first Spes Lucri secondly Metus periculi the wages of iniquitie will hire a Balaam a Iudas ro curse Gods people the subiect of Gods praise and though he be the top of Gods praise to betray the Sauiour of the world how many in all Ages haue beene so farre bewitch with worldly honour and profit Haue fallen downe and worshipped the Idoll of mens fancies and blasphemed God and his truth The hopc of gaine is a great tongue tie The feare of danger is a greater the verie Apostles themselues fot a time felt the strength thereof and after their time it made many Renegadoes and Apostata's Iob 2.4 Skin for skinne and all that a man hath will he giue for his life he will redeeme that though it be with cursing of God himselfe the world hath had had too many spectacles of such feare of danger But if we can master both these vnruly Affections yet will the conscience of sinne be a bridle to our tongues it will make vs silent In Leuit. c 13. or put vs to silence Cyril of Alexandria moralizing those words of Moses that he that is a Leaper shall haue his mouth couered saith that he which is in the leaprosie of sinne hath lost all authoritie of speaking for how should he teach another that hath not taught himselfe Comment in Nazian Psal 137.3 And Nicètas to this purpose wittily allegorizeth those words of the Psalme How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land A sinner is truely a stranger and hee that is in the state of sinne is farther from God then Babylon from Hierusalem therefore doth his conscience tell him that he is in no case to make melodie to the Lord. Certainely Chap. 6. Esay when in a vision he heard the Seraphins sing the Lords song Holy Holy Lord God of Hoasts heauen and earth are full of thy glorie was thereby put in mind of the fault of his owne lippes and the lippes of the Iewes which made him crie out Woe is me that am a man of polluted lippes and dwell in the middest of a people of polluted lippes neither was he quiet vntill a Seraphin touched his lippes with a coale from the Altar But put the case some man may be so foole-hardie that though he be a sinner yet will he not be silent he shall bee put to silence the vncleane spirit gaue glorie vnro Christ when he said I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God But Iesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace Marke 2. and Saint Paul refused the testimonie of a spirit of diuination Acts 16. though hee spake honourably of him and of his followers these men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of saluation yet did hee command him out of the Damsell and suffered him to speake no more Neither is this checke giuen onely to wicked spirits but euen vnto euerie wicked man saith God What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes Psal 50. or that thou shouldest take my Couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction Eccles 15.9 and hast cast my words behind thee Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner for he that is vnholy doth defile that which is holy Hagga 2.82 therefore no man may presume to touch sacred things with prophane hands nor with a prophane tongue to speake sacred words By this time you perceiue that the shewing forth of the praises of God is a great worke and whether wee looke vpon the difficultie that is in the thing or the inabilitie that is in man Dauid had reason to pray Aperilabia open my lippe But to whom doth he pray To the Lord Lord open thou my Lippes And he hath a good ground to pray so Proueth 16 1. Solomon teacheth that the preparation of the heart is from man but the answere of the tongue is from the Lord he is the key-keeper of our mouth if he shut no body can open and if he open no body can shut â—â—â—d 4. God tels Moses that this is his power Who maketh mans mouth or who maketh the dumbe haue not I the Lord And verily were it no more but our naturall speech that we desire wee must seeke it of him Acts 17 2â— in whom onely we liue moue and haue our being and who in the person of Zacharie sheweth Luke 1 that hee giueth and taketh away euen that speech at his pleasure How much more must we accompt him to be the fountaine of our supernaturall speech Certainely Christ giueth the glorie thereof vnto him 〈◊〉 50. Actâ— 2 the Lord saith he hath giuen me the tongue of the learned and it was from God that the fierie tongues descended vpon the Apostles Psal 8.2 and inabled them to speake it is God that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hath perfected praise Men may be otherwise satis loquaces of eloquent of free speech who when they come to the seruice of God seeme to be
deum est ipse Deus Bernard Basilâ—n Psal 46. there is enough in God to make him louely and why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and louely are reciprocall that which is louely is good and that which is good is louely whereupon is grounded that Maxime in Philosophie Bonum est quod omnia appetunt Reason hath no better marke to guesse at that which is good then the propension of all men for to attaine it Now looke vpon the Name the Lord God and see whether you doe not find that good in it which doth challenge Loue. Begin with Dominus ou heard that he was goodnesse it selfe if a man doe loue that which is good how can he but loue goodnesse Nay if wee loue the streames with what loue must we embrace the Fountaine If we Loue that good which is dependent how much more that which is independent Seeing there is a possibilitie for vs to bee defrauded of that which is dependent but of that which is independent we cannot be defrauded Yet see the common folly of men Iere. 2.13 they forsake the fountaine of liuing waters and digge vnto them Cisterns that can hold no water If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deserue Loue how much more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You heard before that what God is he is it to the full Creatures haue but drops or beames and who would leaue the Fountaine to rest contented with a drop And when he might enioy the whole body of the Sunne to solace himselfe in a single beame And yet such folly there is in the world and he that thinketh Gods gifts louely though they are but single in a Creature how little is hee affected with the louelinesse of his Creator Wee cannot denie that good is the obiect of our Loue therefore where there is the greatest good thither wee should bend the greatest of our Loue dost thou loue Wisedome Colos 2.3 All the treasures of wisdedome are hid in him dost thou loue Holinesse It is to him that the Angels sing Holy holy holy Esay 6.3 Psal 24.1 Psal 16.11 doest thou loue Wealth The earth is the Lords and all that therein is doest thou loue Pleasure In his presence is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore Finally doest thou loue Power and Honour He is the Lord of hosts he is the King of glorie euen a King of Kings and Lord of Lords Adde hereunto that what he is whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is it Onely he is it Eternally both which are strong Motiues vnto Loue for we vse to loue that which is not common as that which is common by reason of the familiarnesse of it groweth vile in our eyes now such good as is in God is no where else to be found As we loue those good things which are not common so we loue them the more the more they are lasting because our desire would neuer bee defrauded of that wherein it taketh content this good is more lasting then our desire the good of euerie Creature is as mutable as the Creature is yea more because it differeth from the nature of the Creature but this good being all one with the nature of God it is as lasting as is his nature It is no maruell then that euerie Creature eluding our desire which is carried vnto good doth as it were with a reall voice put vs off when we dote vpon it and by experience say to vs Non ego sum bonum tuum it is not I that am thy good which is to be sought after and after all our painefull enquirie wee are driuen to Saint Austins resolution Fecisti nos Domine propter te irrequietum est cor nostrum dones requiescat in te so great is the capacitie of mans desire that nothing can fill it but onely the Lord and his soule must needs remaine empire that doth not make the Lord the obiect of his Loue. You see that there is much worth in the Lord and great cause why hee should be beloued there wanteth not worth also in God in euery of the three persons in Trinity Had we eyes to looke vpon them ad intra as they are in the blessed Trinitie we might easily perceiue it but there is no proportion betweene our eyes and that light therefore we will forbeare to behold the dazeling brightnes Only of this we may be sure that euery person is most louely because euery of them loueth the other the Scripture speaketh it plainly the Father loueth the Sonne the Sonne loueth the Father and the holy Ghost is the loue of them both Now what they loue is lonely indeed because their iudgement is most vpright and their desire most Holy But wee will not sound that bottomlesse depth let vs looke vpon these persons as they manifest themselues ad extra and see how louely they are Hee that is a Father in the Trinitie doth manifest himselfe as a Father to the Sonnes of men the Scripture doth often remember his tender bowels he shutteth them not vp no not against them that are Prodigals a Father and a Mother on earth may forsake may forget their Children but our Father in Heauen cannot forget hee will not forsake his And is not such a Father louely God the Sonne doth manifest himselfe to the world as a Sonne hee vseth all his credit with his Father to worke not onely the remission of mans sins which he expiated with his bloud but also the aduancement of their Persons whom hee vouchsafeth to bee his Spouse by taking man so neere vnto himselfe hee bringeth him neere to God also and maketh them Children that were Seruants intitles them to Heauen that deserue to burne as firebrands in hell And is not such a Sonne louely The holy Ghost doth manifest himselfe as the holy Ghost quickning man and sanctifying him testifying by these effects that hee is a Spirit of life to him euen of such a life as maketh him a sacred Person hee maketh him a liuing Temple a fit habitation for himselfe that he may bee an Oracle of God within him and kindle the fire vpon the Altar of his Heart wherewith onely hee can offer acceptable Sacrifices vnto God And is not this holy Spirit louely All three Persons are most louely if the consideration goe no farther then that which I haue exprest But how great an accesse will bee made vnto their louelines if you draw through euery one of them that ground of louelines which before wee found in the name Lord for the Father is Lord the Sonne Lord and the holy Ghost Lord as we are truely taught in Athanasius his Creed euery one of them is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good of himselfe and all-good and by this accesse we must in our meditations improue their louelines But I haue dwelt long enough vpon meritum dignitatis the desert of loue that is included in their owne worth I told you that in
perfection of that Loue wherewith wee must loue the Lord our God secondly the degree of that perfection wherhence will arise a third point and that is the iust reason why this first Commandement is called great I begin with the perfection In the question of vertue Diuines require a double perfection one partium the other graduum there is a perfection of the parts in man which must bee seasoned with the virtue and the vertue in those parts must arise vnto it's full pitch This Text requireth both these perfections in Charitie the perfection of the parts of man are intimated in the enumeration of the heart minde soule strength vnto these all our inward and outward abilities may bee reduced so that there is no power nor part of man that must not bee qualified with the loue of God But of this perfection I haue spoken when I shewed you the Seat of Loue I made it plaine vnto you that there was to be in our Charitie a perfection of parts That with which wee haue now to doe is the perfection of degrees the Text will tell vs that it is not enough for euery of those parts to haue the loue of God in them they must also be wholy taken vp therewith and this perfection is noted by the word All which is added to Heart Minde Soule Strength Let vs come then to it A Commandement is the sooner admitted if the reasonablenesse of the ground thereof be first discouered I will therefore first discouer the ground vpon the reasonablesse whereof this great Measure is required The ground is twofold there is one in God and another in Vs. The ground that is found in God is taken from the preface of this Text as Moses hath deliuered it and Saint Marke hath repeated it the preface is Hearken O Israel the Lord thy God is but One but One therefore the intire Obiect of our Loue he will not giue this his glorie vnto any other neither will he indure any Corriuall herein the beginning the middle and the end of this Obiect is only He that is Alpha and Omega first and last Had we many Lord-Gods then might wee haue many obiects of our Loue the Obiect can no more bee multipliced then he can Take all the parts of his Title asunder and you shall sind Onenes and Intirenes therein He is first called Lord which importeth the fountaine of Being and Goodnesse which doth accompanie the same Now there is no other fountaine but He for as he is that which he is so are are all things of him yea and in him also no one shareth with him herein As he is the only fountaine of Being of all being so is he of Goodnesse Math. 1◠17. of whatsoeuer thing is good Our Sauiour telleth vs there is none good but he and Moses that all which he made and he made all was exceeding good Gen. 1. Euery good and perfect gift commeth from him and if from him then it is in him be it honestum iucundum or vtile so that we can seeke nothing without him Iames 1.17 which wee may not find in him and find it much more eminently Neither can we forsake any thing for him but in hauing him wee shall haue more then an abundant amends for as he is One so he is All Aug. Manual cap. 33. all good is contained in this One Lord bonorum totum totaliter diligendum wee can doe no lesse then bee wholy his that doth vouchsafe to be wholy ours As for the name God which I told you importeth the three Persons what euery one is called that he is Only and Graciously Call no man Father on earth saith Christ for you haue but one Father euen your Father which is in Heauen Math. 23 9. and he is a most louing Father no such tender bowels to bee found no not in most naturall and indulgent Parents As for the second person which is God the Sonne he is Vnicus Vnicè dilectus an only Sonne only begotten most dearely Beloued we can find no meanes of our being adopted being accepted but in him and by him Iesus is not diuided how often doth hee proclaime it in Isay Beside mee there is no Sauiour Isey 43. neither is Christ diuided he is the only Prophet that can acquaint vs with the counsels of God the only Priest whose sacrifice can pacifie God finally the only King that can subdue all the enemies of the Church and make it partaker of his Kingdome Neither is the third person lesse Vnus Omnia the Apostle telleth vs that there is but one Spirit and he deriueth all graces from him 1. Cor 11. be they graces of Adoption or graces of edification hee worketh all and hee workes in all he is our Leader our Comforter our Sanctifier our Supporter Ours I say for which is the last note in the name whether it bee Lord or God that is One they are that which they are vnto vs vnto vs haue they appropriated their Onenesse for they are to no other what they are to the Church and the Church as heretofore I haue told you is meant by Thou and to the Church they communicate their All all the treasures of their common and seuerall Good so farre as the Church is capable thereof I suppose that if you haue well heeded what I haue said you will acknowledge that there is a faire ground in the Lord our God why hee should challenge all our loue Let vs come now and looke vpon our selues and see what ground thereof we can find there When the question was moued vnto Christ whether the Iewes ought to pay tribute vnto Caesar or not hee called for the Coine and asked whose image and superscription it bare and when they answered him Caesars he replyed Giue vnto Caesar those things which are Caesars but he addeth to our purpose that vpon the same ground they must giue vnto God those things which are Gods If the image and superscription were a iust ground why Coine should be paid vnto Caesar where Gods Image is found there is as good a reason that that should be rendred vnto him Now Gods Image is found in vs by Nature for we were made according to his Image so that all which we receiue from him we owe vnto him by the Law of Creation A second way is Gods Image in vs by Grace for our Regeneration is but a second Creation wherein we are reformed vnto that Image according to which God at first created vs. All then is due vnto God a second time by the Law of our Redemption so that whether we looke vpon our heart our minde our soule or strength it may well be demanded of vs Quid habes quod non accepisti What hast thou which thou hast not receiued and if we haue receiued it all the exaction is but reasonable Si totum exigit à te qui totum fecit refecit te surely Saint Paul thought so when he willeth
can that haue then to entertaine God Iohn 14. If any Man loue me saith Christ my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and make our abode with him and where Gods and Christs abode is there is the Kingdome of Heauen euen righteousnesse peace and ioy of the Holy Ghost The third is the Soule and whether doth the desire thereof runne but vnto God Psal 84. and where will it rest but only in him My soule longeth euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the liuing God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house The sensitiue Soule that is on attendant vpon the Will what greater happinesse can it haue then to feed vpon the crummes that fall from that Table where God suppeth in the reasonable soule of man whereat nothing is serued but the bread the water the fruit the foode of life The last abilitie is our Strength Psal 84. and Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee O Lord they goe from strength to strength but whither Ibid. That euery one may appeare before God in Sion Dauid therefore had rather be a doore keeper in Gods House then to dwell in the tents of vngodlinesse and he giueth the reason for God giueth good wages to his seruants Ibid. The Lord is a Sunne and a shield hee will giue grace and glorie and no good thing will he withhold from them that walke vprightly Yea whereas in the seruice of others we cannot vse our strength but we weare it out It is not so in the seruice of God hee satisfieth thy mouth with good things Psal 103. so that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles Euen the youthes shall faint and be wearie and the young men shall vtterly fall But they that wait vpon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount vp their wings as Eagles they shall runne and not be wearie and they shall walke and not faint Isay 40. The longer a man serueth God the more able he will be to serue him So then that a man may loue himselfe he must loue God and hee that doth not loue God cannot Loue himselfe because by Loue he hath communion with God wherein standeth his happinesse and of this happinesse he doth defraud himselfe so farre as he commeth short in his Loue of God And indeed this is no small difference betweene God and the diuell The diuell in shew biddeth vs Loue our selues doe all for our selues and wee are so simple as to beleeue him and thinke that we doe so whereas the euent proues we doe all for him and to our owne ruine for he is the plaine Image of Vsurers who liue by the sweate of other mens browes and cunningly grow rich by vndoing others with a seeming reliefe But as for God his precepts bid vs renounce our selues giue our selues wholly vnto him but in the conclusion hee hath nothing we haue all According to the answere which the Father of the prodigall made to his murmuring eldest sonne who expostulated thus with him Loc these many yeeres doe I serue thee neither transgressed I at any time thy Commandements and yet thou neuer gauest me a Kid that I might make merrie with my friends Sonne said the Father thou art euer with me and all that I haue is thine Much more is this true of our heauenly Father who doth not desire to keepe vs busily and well employed for his owne thrift but for ours it is for our comfort and not for his owne Be not sad therefore O Christian Soule if he that made thee wholy will so wholy be beloued of thee as if he had left thee nothing wherewith to sollace by selfe for thou dost neuer loue thy selfe better neither euer shalt thou take greater content in thy selfe then when thou louest God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy mind and with all thy strength Thus at length we haue found out the second measure the measure of that Loue of our neighbour which is prescribed by Grace a man is here bid by louing God to loue himselfe that so louing himselfe he may know how to Loue his neighbour Because he that doth not Loue God cannot loue himselfe and so by consequent cannot Loue his neighbour Loue being so sanctified it is true which the Schooles haue Regula est prius regulato se prius quis diligere debet quam proximum Seeing then such is the Measure wherewith wee must Loue our selues we must keepe the Loue of our neighbour within the bounds of the Loue of God We must loue in him the loue of God if he haue it Psal 16. Mine eyes saith Dauid are vpon such as are faithfull in the land my delight is in thy Saints and such as excell in vertue and else-where describing a man that shall dwell in Gods Tabernacle and ascend into his holy Hill he saith Psal 15. that it is he in whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them that feare the Lord. When one told Christ that his mother and brethren stood without desiring to speake with him he answered and said to him that told it who is my mother And who are my brethren And stretch out his hand towards his Disciples saying Behold my mother and my brethren for whosoeuer shall doe the will of my father which is in Heauen he is my brother my sister and my mother If wee cannot loue our neighbour for that he is not yet seasoned with the Loue of God wee must loue him that hee may be so seasoned for so did Christ loue man not for that hee was but for that hee might bee the son of God Acts 28. and heyre of Heauen as himselfe was And Saint Paul when vpon a Sermon Agrippa told him thou hast almost perswaded me to bee a Christian I would saith hee that not onely thou but also all that heare me this day 1. Epistle 1. were both almost and altogether such as I am excepting these bonds And Saint Iohn That which wee haue seene and heard declare wee vnto you that ye also may haue fellowship with vs and our fellowship may be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ For this cause would not Saint Paul haue the beleiuing wife forsake the belieuing husband 1. Cor. 7. and Christ so loues his Spouse because all faire c. in the Canticles You see then that if we loue our neighbour wee must loue him propter Deum in regard of the loue of God And why because you must not loue your selues otherwise De Doct Christ lib. 1. cap. 22. Whereupon Saint Austin giueth this good note Siteipsum non propter teipsum diligere debes sed propter Deum non succenseat homo sieum diligas propter Deum If I make the loue of God the onely reason why I loue my neighbour my neighbour hath no cause to bee offended with me because I must make it
the more choice God had the more grace hee vouchsafed to them whom hee chose so that wee must resolue the words thus Although all the world be mine yet thou shalt be to me and so the Offer will appeare absolutely free What shall we say then vnto these things Surely as God hath little cause by reason of our vilenesse to ioy that wee are His so wee haue great cause by reason of our happinesse to ioy that God is ours who would be ambitious after any woddly thing that may be partaker of this gracious prerogatiue And all Nations may partake of it It is true that these words were spoken to Israel and therefore the Iewes at this day count all Nations slaues beside themselues appropriating vnto themselues this Prerogatiue but their pride should blush when it considers that God hath so many hundred yeares stript them of their spirituall ornaments and made them corporall slaues to all the World 1 Epist 2. Saint Peter applies this very text vnto Christians and the foure and twentie Elders confesse thus vnto Christ Reuel 5. Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud out of enerie kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and Priests These words then belong to Vs Rom. 11.20 yet must wee not bee high-minded but feare Gen 49. if Israel lost his primogeniture so may we God may say to vs as Iacob said to Reuben for his sinne Non excelles thou shalt bee disinherited Hos 1.9 Gnammi may become Lo-Gnammi they are Gods people may cease to bee his people What is the way to preuent it Surely dutie to consider of this gracious Prerogatiue and indeuour carefully to partake thereof If we esteeme it as it deserues and desire it as we ought we shall not faile to haue it and by it be entred into the houshold of Saints those Saints whose memory wee solemnize this day for they became such by this Prerogatiue and this Prerogatiue will make vs such if wee bee Gods peculiar treasure here on earth wee shall be it much more in the kingdome of heauen by how much our gold shall be freer from drosse and no cloud shall dimme our precious jewels If we be Kings here in the state of grace our kingdome is but like that of Dauid full of warre but when wee come to heauen our kingdome shall be like that of Salomon it shall bee a kingdome of peace And our Priest-hood which is now often interrupted and neglected often shall neuer depart from before God and wee shall sacrifice to him day and night Finally holy wee are now rather in the good purpose of our minde then in the performance of our life but then we shall bee Trees of life euer laden with kindly fruit fit to honour to cheare both God and men LEt vs all pray for and God grant vnto vs all such a beginning of this gracious Prerogatiue in this life that we may haue the full consummation thereof with all the Saints departed in the life to come Amen Remember me O Lord with the fauour of thy people visit me with thy saluation That I may see the felicitie of thy chosen and reioyce in the ioy of thy people and glorie with thine inheritance Psal 116. The fifth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 5. Now therefore if yee will obey my voice c. Then shall yee be c. IN the first message which from mount Sinai God sent by Moses vnto Israel I haue told you heretofore that there are contained two remarkable points the first sheweth what God requires the second what God offers I told you then also that the Text leadeth me to consider these two points first seuerally then ioyntly I haue already considered them seuerally I haue shewed you what they meane it remaineth that I now consider them ioyntly that I shew you how they depend one vpon the other And this Obseruation I draw from the reference of these two particles If and Then If yee shall obey my voice c. Then yee shall be vnto me c. But to deale more distinctly Out of this reference we may draw too good Obseruations The first Wee must not exspect what God doth offer except we performe what God doth require for thus speaketh the Text If yee shall heare my voice and keepe my Couenant Then shall yee bee vnto me c. The second We may not slicke at that which God requires because that which God offers doth infinitely exceed it that will be euident if wee compare them as they are laid downe in the Text Yee shall be vnto me a peculiar treasure aboue all people a Kingdome of Priests an holy Nation If you heare my voice and If you keepe my Couenant Now there is no comparison betweene these Out of these two Obseruations doe arise two other for this reference will teach vs that Our faith and our Charitie must goe before our Hope for wee must heare Gods voice which is the worke of faith and keepe Gods Conenant which is the worke of Charitie before we can exspect to be Gods peculiar treasure a Kingdome of Priests an Holy Nation which blessings are the matter of our Hope And backe againe Our Hope must keepe in heart both our Faith and Charitie for he that is thus resolued that he shall bee Gods peculiar treasure a King to him and his Priest finally Holy to the Lord no doubt no danger will stay him will quell him from hearing Gods voice and keeping Gods Couenants he that so hopeth will beleeue and loue God These are the particulars wherewith I will endeauour God willing to order and quicken yours and mine owne faith hope and charitie I pray God wee may all so listen to them as those that meane to liue by them But before I open them vnto you I must acquaint you with a difference of Gods spirituall promises of them some are Absolute some are Conditionals wee may not confound them Absolute are all those prophecies of the Messias to come and the worke of Redemption foretold and presigured in the Old Testament whereof in the New we read the full accomplishment they take vp the first part of our Creed and of all these absolute promises Gods saying in Esay is true My counsell shall stand and I will accomplish all my will Cap 46. mauger all the infidelitie of man and the machinations of Satan without great absurditie yea impietie cannot these promises bee conceiued to depend on the will of any ereature Angell or man Conditionall promises are those which concerne particular persons or states participation of Christ incorporation into the Church fruition of crernall life of all these the rule of Saint Austin is true Quifecit te sine te non saluabit te sine te euerie person euerie state must put their hands to this worke or else it would neuer goe forward My Text doth containe a Promise of this later sort a Conditionall not an Absolute
the Chaldie Paraphrase insteed of the Hebrew I come saith fitly to this purpose I will appeare and because God doth not alwayes appeare to men alike therefore when hee doth more notably appeare vnto them hee is said to come Touching the varietie of Gods appearing or manifesting himselfe to the world take a similitude from the Sunne The Sunne doth manifest it selfe first by daylight and that is common to all that dwell in the same Horizon vnto which the Sunne is risen some haue more then the daylight they haue also the Sunshining light which shining light of the Sunne is not in all places where the day light of it is finally the Sunne is manifest in the heauens in his full strength for the very body is present there which none can endure but the Starres which become glorious bodies by that speciall presence of the Sunne amongst them In like manner God in whom all things liue moue and haue their being doth manifest himselfe vnto some by the workes of his generall prouidence of which manifestation Saint Paul speaketh when he saith Acts 14. God left not himselfe without witnesse to all nations in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse This manifestation of God is like the daylight Psal 145 v. 15. it is common to all it is an vniuersall grace The eies of all things looke vp vnto thee O Lord and thou giuest them their meate in due season There is a second manifestation and that is peculiar but to some it is like the Sunne-shine it is that manifestation which God vouchsafeth his Church of which Esay speaketh Arise shine Chap 60. for thy light is come and the glorie of the Lord is risen vpon thee but darknesse shall couer the earth and grosse darknesse the people for in comparison of the Church the rest of the world sitteth in darknesse and in the shadow of death The third and last manifestation is that which God maketh of himselfe in heauen to the Angels and Saints the cleerest and fullest whereof a creature is capable and those which partake this presence of God become thereby glorious Saints more glorious then the starres which receiue their resplendent lustre from the aspect which they haue to the Sunnes bodie The manifestation that we haue to doe withall is of the second sort it is not so cleare as that which the Saints enioy in heauen it is not so darke as that which is common to the world but it is of a middle temper proper to the Church militant to whom God is said to come when hee doth so manifest himselfe vnto her From hence we must take notice that as there are those who are in better case then we are so there are who are in worse case and therefore we must thanke God for our present aduancement and remember that wee make forward to that neerenesse vnto God which is reserued for vs in heauen This may suffice for our vnderstanding of this phrase I come The next point is the manner of his comming In the thick cloud Before I speake distinctly hereof I will giue you a note vpon the Cloud Some make a question whether it be the same Cloud which guided the children of Israel through the wildernesse or some other they thinke some other greater and thicker but they thinke so without great reason for after that the guiding Cloud once rested on the Tabernade we heare no more of any Cloud vpon Mount Sinai neither did Moses after that ascend vnto Mount Sinai but God deliuered his minde vnto him in the Tabernacle where the Cloud then rested and God promised to dwell amongst the people after the Tabernacle should be built by bringing the Cloud and his glorie thither which was accordingly performed Exod. 40.34 Exod. 19.43 â—â— before that the people remooued from Mount Sinai yet after that time wee reade of no other Cloud vpon Mount Sinai Insteed then of coyning a new Cloud obserue rather how by degrees God approched to his people at their first comming out of Egypt he kept aloft in the aire the people had not yet shaken off their Egyptian disposition neither were they sitted for any nearenesse to God When they rose higher in their thoughts and had contracted with him God descended lower and came neerer vnto them he descended to the top of Mount Sinai Afterward when they had yet better exprest their affection to entertaine God by building the Tabernacle God vouchsafed to come lower to them he chose to reside in the midst of their Campe. And let vs take this for an vndoubted lesson the better wee preuented by grace prepare our selues for God the nearer will God approach to vs. I now come to speake distinctly of the manner I told you that the manner of Gods appearance was first maiesticall because in the thicke Cloud in this Cloud that you may see the maiestie of God obserue first that God was in it for there was the Angell of God that Angell in whom is Gods Name so we reade Exod. 23. verse 21. and who is called Gods presence Exod. 33. verse 14 15. so that the Cloud was Gods chaire of State or his Chariot or Pauillion as the Scripture doth call the Clouds when God putteth them to this vse And as God was in the Cloud so was the Cloud enuironed with an host of heauenly Courtiers becomming the maiestie of such a King learne it out of the sixtie eight Psalme The Chariots of God are twentie thousand euen thousands of Angels the Lord is amongst them as in Sinai in his holy place And besides these attendants we find obserued two other Ceremonies of State As Kings giue notice of their comming by the sound of Trumpets so this Cloud was attended by the voice of a Trumpet exceeding lowd And as before Kings there is wont to bee carried the instrument of Iustice and Vengeance the Sword so was Gods appearance in this Cloud attended with those dreadfull Meteors Lightning and Thunder Lay together those particulars and you will confesse that God appeared in awefull maiestie when he came in the thicke Cloud The Israelites confessed as much Deut. 5.24 Behold the Lord hath shewed vnto vs his glorie and his greatnesse we haue heard his voice out of the midst of the fire Mortall Kings neuer put on greater state then when they goe to their Parliaments the reason that moueth them is the same that moued God that men should feare to offend them whom they see armed with so great power and the greater regard be had vnto their Lawes As the thicke Cloud doth set forth Gods maiestie so is it also full of mysterie The first mysterie to be gathered out of it is obserued by God himselfe he clothed himselfe with a thicke Cloud to put the people in mind that hauing seene no shape of him they should not presume to make any image Let our lesson be Voluntas Dei non essentia
grant that we may so profit thereby that whensoeuer God giueth any signification of his accesse to vs we may bee affected with a religious feare toward him that so keeping this manner by the helpe of our Mediatour wee may giue him a blessed meeting Come we then to the first particular the circumstance of time It was the third day the third after their comming vnto mount Sinai but the fiftieth after their comming out of Aegypt Which you may gather if you adde hereunto the time specified in the first Verse of this Chapter there you read that they came to the Hill the first day of the third moneth Now the moneths of the Iewes being Lunarie and reckoned from one coniunction to another in vulgar computations are reckoned to consist of thirtie dayes one with another though in the exactnesse of Astronomie it bee somewhat otherwise this being knowne we must calculate thus The children of Israel came out of Aegypt the fourteenth Moone as they call it that is the fourteenth day of the Lunarie moneth so that of the first moneth they spent seuen teene dayes on their way for so many there are from foureteene to thirtie inclusiuely Adde hereunto the whole second moneth which consisteth of thirtie dayes and seuenteene and thirtie maketh fortie seuen whereunto if you adde the three dayes which they had beene now at the Mount your number will be iust fiftie So that the Law was deliuered the fiftieth day after the celebration of the Passeouer You may not thinke this note ouer-curious it is of speciall vse in comparing the new Testament with the old The truth did exactly answere vnto this Tipe and Whitsuntide keepeth the same distance from our Easter Christ the true Passeouer was offered for Vs to deliuer vs from the slauerie of sinne death and Hell at the season of the yeare wherein the Passeouer was offered for the Redemption of the Israelites out of the Aegyptian thraldome And at that time in which God deliuered the Law vnto the redeemed Israelites hee gaue the spirit which is the life of the Law vnto the redeemed Christians That spirit which is the finger of God to write the Law in the fleshly Tables of our hearts which the I sraclites long before receiued written indeede with the finger of God but in no better then the two Tables of stone So that that we enioy the truth whereof they had the Type Vnderstand me de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the formall administration of this first Couenant Colos 2. v. 14. which did containe onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle calleth it mans Obligation what dutie hee owed what punishment he deserued These be the things that are principally represented in the forme of this first couenant And therefore doth the Apostle call it the ministrie of the letter and of death 2 Cor. 3.6 in opposition to the second Couenant which hee calleth the ministrie of the spirit and of life Otherwise wee may not denie that the Patriarches had the spirit of Grace also though not dispenced by the forme of the old Couenant yet whereunto the old Couenant led them as a Schoolemaster making them sensible of their miserie it made them seeke vnto Christ for remedie But I haue touched at this point once before therefore I will dwell no longer on it Onely take this note that as Whitsontide followeth Easter so doth Sanctification follow after Iustification whom God redeemeth to them hee giueth his Law and he doth sanctifie all those whom he instifieth He that keepeth one feast must keepe both because he that hath one hath both these gifts I need not speake of the Morning which shewed Gods exemplarie forwardnesse for this blessed meeting which we shall doe well to follow as Dauid did Psal 130 Enough of the time I come now to the signification of Gods readinesse to come I told you it was full of state the harbingers come before to prepare Gods place Mortall Princes come not to great assemblies to Parliament to the throne of Iudgement to the ratifying of Leagues Act. 25. ver 2â— but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a great deale of pompe If euer they then shew their royaltie they make it appeare that they are neither beggerly nor contemptible nor vnable to reuenge themselues they make shew of their glorie and their power There is reason for it for the vulgar that haue no iudgement of true Moralitie are held in from disrespects to their Gouernours by these ceremonies and the attention of their eares is kept waking by such amazing of their eyes and discreete Policie doth this way make them obedient beyond their vnderstanding God taketh the same course and sheweth not himselfe vnto his people but with much ceremonious Maiestie at this meeting which did partake of these three kinds of assemblies For it was a Parliament it had the Image of an Assises and therein was the coniugall league confirmed betweene God and Israel I shall touch at all three I might lead you to behold this in his appearing to Abraham Gene. 25. when he entred into Couenant with him where the thicke darknesse the smoaking furnace the fire goe before him 1. King c. 19. his apparition to Elids which was attended with an Earthquake a whirlewind and a fire too None so stately Cap. 4. so ample as that which is described by Ezechiel and Daniel except happily that in the Reuelation I omit many others it is enough in these to let you see that it was vsuall with God to shew himselfe in state to send his harbingers before him The reason whereof is to worke a due respect towards his sacred Maiestie you are taught it plainely in the Psalmes Giue vnto the Lord O yee mightie giue vnto the Lord glorie and strength giue vnto the Lord the glorie due vnto his name worship the Lord in the beautie of holinesse The reason followeth in the Psalme and it is taken from these harbingers of God the Thunder and the Lightning you may read it at your leasure I call these the harbingers of God because we may not grossely conceiue 〈…〉 lib 2. 〈◊〉 â—â— that God is like vnto any of these Saint Austin hath refuted that dreame and indeed it is the seed of Idolatrie They are but the attendants vpon God his guard you may call them or you may call them his hoast they are the instruments of his Power he was pleased to vse them to set forth his state both in Mount Sinai as we read here and in Mount Sion as wee read Act. 2. the place paralell to this But I will keepe my selfe to mount Sinai I told you then that the harbingers here specified were dreadfull dreadfull some to the eare some to the eye The eye and the eare are the best Intelligencers of the reasonable Soule the quickest of apprehension and truest in their information And therefore when God will worke our heart he worketh it by these and in these you shall first
that this Text may be applyed vnto Christians for euen of them also more then a good many arâ—â— â—nted with this Ignorance with this Arrogance they maime the truth in contenting themselues with outward Characters little caring for the inward which principally make a Christian and how many doe enter their names into Gods Book in Heauen before euer they looke whether they haue a counterpart thereof written by the finger of the Holy Ghost in their soules And what wonder if this Ignorance breed Arrogancie and they that think better of themselues then they should think worse then they should of others But let vs take care to be sure of our Resemblance before wee crake of our alliance let vs find in our selues Faith and Charitie Abrahams vertues and then hope well that wee are Abrahams children let vs so hope well of our selues that we despaire not of others Gods hands are not tyed his power hath no bounds they that seeme to be of least hope may proue more worthy then our selues But whether we looke vpon our selues or others if we find that of stones we are become the children of Abraham let vs magnisie God according to his mercie which we shall the better doe if wee call to mind what we were and what we are how senslesse we were how litle feeling we had of Gods either words or workes how brutishly wee adored the basest of the creatures Neither were wee only so senslesse but we were most worthlesse also poore soules indeed spirituall Lazars not worth the looking after but with contempt And as we had litle so it was litle wee could doe wee could doe no good either in glorifying God or edifying the Church or increasing our owne comfort wee were as barren to these things as very stones But see now these stones doe liue our hearts are sensible of the influence of Heauen and wee adore only him that liueth for euer hee with a liberall hand hath inriched vs and wee with a cheerefull heart fructifie vnto him wee cannot turne our eyes vpon our selues but wee behold his mercies and wee present before his sacred eyes our most humble duties Thus should we magnifie our God that hath done so great things for vs for vs I say that are the Ofspring of them that were sometimes very stones I end with Saint Bernards Caution Bernard de Scâ—la claust pag. 1253. God indeed can raise of stones children vnto Abraham as sometimes he did Saint Paul yet must we not tempt God and neglecting what is to be done on our part presume that Gods hand will worke all wee must reade the Scripture meditate therein Seeke knocke pray and then we shall find grace the windowes of Heauen will bee opened vnto vs and the hand of God will new mould vs he will mollifie whatsoeuer is stonie in vs and supply whatsoeuer worth we lacke what God can doe that he will doe if we be in any part stones hee will make vs euen in that part also Children of Abraham and if Children then Heires Heires annexed with Iesus Christ. GOd by his grace make vs all Abrahams Sonnes and giue vs all grace to walks Abrahams steps that wee may all finally meete in Abrahams besome Amen The fifth Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 9. And now also is the Axe laide vnto the roote of the trees euerie tree therefore which bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire SAint Iohn Baptist preaching to the vnbeleeuing Iewes shewed them that they were sicke both at head and heart and therefore applied fit remedies to either part Hauing before in your hearing ended the first remedy that is applied to the Heart I began the last time I spake out of this place to intreat of the second remedy which is applied vnto their head Their head was sicke of Ignorance and Arrogancie both double I haue spoken of their Ignorance and the first branch of their Arrogancie their appropriating Abrahams family vnto themselues there remaineth yet one branch of the Text that which checketh their second pride their conumpt of God They did contemne God in that they set light by the Iudgements that were denounced from him marke their ground they thought they had such interest in Abraham that for his sake God would spare them and his wrath should neuer seize on them But they heare from the Baptist that they are not so in the Couenant but they may be blotted out and if they haue not some worth of their owne besides that of their Parent they must looke for an imminent totall finall eradication for Now is the Axe laide to the roote of the trees c. These words are a Parable and therefore they haue a Morall For a Parable is a Comparison of things spirituall vnto corporall wherein the things corporall and spirituall doe mutually giue light each vnto other the spirituall doe guide vs in the setting bounds vnto the corporall and the corporall doe helpe vs to vnderstand the secrets of the spirituall seeing then the spirituall is the key that must vnlocke the corporall sense we can say little to the corporall vntill we haue found out the spirituall But where shall we find it It is not here wee must looke it else where We haue it for a good part in Saint Iohn cap. 15. where Christ speaketh thus I am a Vine you are branches my father is an Husbandman Cap. â— euerie branch in me that beareth not fruit is taken away and cast into the fire Esay is more full and expresse to my Text The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel and Iuda is his pleasant plant hee looked for iudgement and behold oppression for righteousnesse and behold a crie therefore hath the Lord of Hâ—sts reuealed this in mine eare many houses shall be desolate faire â—nd goodly houses left without inhabitants yea hell hath enlarged it selfe the mouth thereof is opened without measure their glorie their multitude their pompe euerie one that reioyceth shall descend into it According to this MoÌ„rall if we breake vp the Parable wee must obserue the Persons therein contained and the Iudgement that is denounced the persons are two God compared to a husbandman surueying his Orchard the Iewes compared vnto Trees of the Orchard Trees planted therein to beare good fruites Of the Iudgement we haue here the Cause and the Parts The cause is the Iewes not liuing sutably to their incorporation which is represented by a Tree not bearing good fruites The parts are two first the Iewes are depriued of that blessed estate wherein they stood the Axe is put to the roote and by the roote they are cut vp so the Parable doth resemble it Secondly they are exposed to the miserie which they deserued they are cast into the fire A fruitlesse tree burning in the fire is the Embleme of a sinner tormented in hell If you lay these two parts together they are a totall a finall desolation for kill the roote kill the whole
Deus fit Cuâ— etâ—iraâ—catur thâ—wineâ—ur adhuc relinquit locum aueriendi vltionem Hence learne how gracious God is that euen when he threatens irefully yet leaues place for mercie It is not with God as it is with men men cannot checke their passions nor hold their stroakes God can and he leaueth it to our choice whether he shall strike or no for to that end doth he forewarne and his messengers so temper their speech as if they would haue vs feare they would not haue vs despaire The Axe saith Iohn is layed to he doth not say it is entred into the roots The second is noted by Saint Chrysostome A man would thinke that the Iudgement being so neare the time were too short to beare any fruit Non est taâ—â—â—â— fâ—uctus 〈…〉 rationalium quaâ—s 〈…〉 liuu◠〈◊〉 uimiram tâ—mpus expectaâ—s sed viâ—e suntaxat 〈◊〉 statim 〈◊〉 eâ—uâ—pit in gerâ—ina Eccles 5. Vrou 1. But the fruit of Rationall trees is not such as that of Irrationall it needs not so long time to ripen be willing and by and by thou maist be said to fructifie Wherefore we must not put off from day to day when will we repent if not when the stroke is at hand Punishments worke the more the more they are imminent on them-on whom they will worke at all let vs bee sure that if wee will not turne God hath whet his sword bent his bow prepared the Instruments of death When the Axe is cutting thou shalt call and I will not heare saith Wisdome Therefore wee must take aduantage of our Iam our Now euery man must for the Iudgement is denounced vniuersally Euery tree that beareth not good fruit though he be a child of Abraham Esay doth excellently amplifie this figuratiuely Saint Paul to the Corinthians and Saint Iohn in the Reuelation expresseth it plainly There is no Prerogatiue no respect of persons Euery barren tree shall beare his punishment Although there be difference betweene fruit trees in regard of quantitie yet fruit of the same qualitie will bee expected of all Neither may we thinke that the Eradication did seize vpon euery particular Saint Paul hath taught the contrarie there were amongst them remainders of grace but their state perished irrecouerably and I thinke they are much deceiued that thinke they shall euer become a Nation againe From the beginning of the Gospel God hath euermore as they became Christians mingled them with the Gentiles and so I thinke will doe vnto the worlds end But to leaue them and come to ourselues This Sermon was preached vnto the Iewes this Iudgement was denounced against them But our Sauiour Christ hath giuen vs a good obseruation when they told him of certaine persons Luke 13. â— Thinke you saith hee that these were the only sinners Nay I tell you that except you repent you shall likewise perish Repentance then concerneth Vs no lesse then them and here is a good motiue vnto repentance to thinke on these things how great an euill it is to bee excluded Heauen what a miserable thing it is to burne in Hell It is a sure way saith Prosper to make a man renounce all vice to refraine all allurements of the flesh specially if we adde hereunto this Humilitie not to presume of any good fruit excepting that of Iesus Christ that will profit vs if we want our owne or rather that also prositeth no man in whom it doth not worke some of his owne When Saint Iohn had ended this Sermon the Chapter goeth on and telleth vs that many came to him saying Master what shall we doe Quomuis malus nec timore corrigatur tamen bonus nisi timuerit perihit Ergo denunciatio irae etsi in malis nihil agat tamen à malis bonos segregat Although saith Chrysostome a wicked man will not be reclaimed no not with plagues yet a good man except hee feare shall perish therefore denunciations that profit not the wicked doe notwithstanding discouer the difference that is betweene the good and bad Saint Iohn had diuers kinds of Auditors his Sermon did good to some though to othersome it did no good the Scribes and Pharisees were none of them that asked What shall wee doe the Publicans and Souldiers the common people were euery one of them had his question and receiued his answere You perceiue whom I wish you like in these dayes so like those of Noah and Lot O that we knew those things that belong vnto our peace the Axe hath beene often put to our branches if we profit it shall not come to our root but it will not faile to strike as deepe as the root if wee proue not more fruitfull for the pruning of the branches Let vs inquire into our selues before God make his inquirie and prouide that we be not found fruitlesse lest Fructus in Iudaeis â—â—uenire non potuit vtinam in nobis inueniat we that haue the honour to be grafted in their steed that are broken off for like sinne be subiect to the like doome both of Losse and Paine I end with Saint Ambrose words Christ came and could find no fruit in the Iewes I would hee might find some in vs. Let vs pray the good Husbandman that he would mediate for vs that space and grace may be bestowed vpon vs that the sentence may be respired and we againe manured lest we also proue fruitlesse and be vsed as vnfruitfull trees O Lord who only canst correct our nature and dispose our hearts let the diew of thy grace so inable vs and thy assistance so stili guide vs that we may so fructifie in this Paradise of Grace that we may be transplanted into the Paradise of Glorie there to beare the fruit of Holinesse and reape the fruit of Happinesse for euer AMEN A SERMON PREACHED at Pauls Crosse Anno 1623. Vpon Luke 18. Verse 7 8. BY The Right Reuerend Father in God ARTHVRE LAKE the late L. Bishop of Bath and Wells LONDON Printed by W. STANSBY for Nathaniel Butter 1629. A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS CROSSE ANNO 1623. LVKE 18. VERSE 7 8. 7. And shall not God auenge his owne elect which crie day and night vnto him though he beare long with them 8. I tell you that he will auenge them speedily Neuerthelesse when the Sonne of man commeth shall he find faith on earth THis Scripture doth apply a storie which is reported immediatly before The storie setteth before vs the proceeding of an vniust Iudge as a glasse wherein wee are to behold the dealing of our most righteous God The Iudge though hee had no conscience was ouercome by importunitie and at length relieued a poore widdow against her oppressor only that he might rid himselfe of a suitor which would not be said nay So God though he forbeare long will in due time repay the persecutors of his suppliant Church if her deuotion neuer giue him ouer This wee are taught in the words that now I haue read vnto you
they may be saued But if looking into our heart wee find sauing grace there for Gods Spirit doth witnesse vnto our spirit that wee are the children of God when we contemplate in our selues this second Act of Election we haue reason to thinke our Prerogatiue much more improued by how much an inward is better then an outward Iew the Circumcision of the spirit better then the Circumcision of the flesh to be baptized with the Spirit better then to be baptized with water to eate Panem Dominum eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ better then to eate only and drinke only Sacramentall Bread and Wine finally to be a doer is better then to be a hearer of Gods Word The farther Christians goe beyond Christians in these gifts the better must they thinke their state and these spirituall differences betweene man and man better then whatsoeuer other differences there may be found betweene them Although the world vseth to bee little sensible of this greater good but most sensible of the lesser wealth honour c. wherein euerie man thinketh it a great matter to bee aduanced aboue his Neighbours When wee looke vpon the second word in the definition of the Church that is God wee see to whom wee are beholding for our aduancement and to whom wee must giue the glorie of it the glory of the first Act of Election Dauid concludes the remembrance thereof with Prayse yee the Lord Psal 147. And of the second Act also the glorie must be giuen vnto Him for so doe the Angels the Beasts the Elders c. after they haue mentioned it Reuel 5. Reuel 5. If the question be moued Quit te discreuit Who hath differenced thee our best answere will bee I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord and let him that glorieth glorie in the Lord. I told you I haue not to doe with the whole Church but with that part which is militant for such are the Elect which are on the Earth Heauen is the place for our Crowne Earth for our Crosse where Michael and the Dragon stroue there must their Angels striue also and the heele of the womans seed must bee bruised in the same place where it must breake the Serpents head The Fathers doe wittily obserue that the Church came out of Christs side when he died as Eue out of Adam when he slept Now out of Christs side when it was pierced issued Water and Bloud Monuments of our two Sacraments which remember vs that we must drinke of the same Cup whereof Christ dranke and be partakers of the same Baptisme wherewith he was baptized euery one must take vp his owne Crosse and follow his crucified Sauiour Saint Austine is resolute Ad Bonifacium Comitem Si Ecclesia vera est ipsa est quae persecutionem patitur we are bastards and no sonnes if wee suffer not for Christ and suffer we cannot but on earth for when wee part from the earth wee part from our enemies the Flesh the World and the Deuill flesh and bloud cannot enter into Heauen Satan is cast out thence and the world shall then bee vnto vs as if it were not therefore the Church Peregrinam agit in terris she is here a Pilgrim here she is like the desolate widdow here shee grieueth for the wickednesse of the world and because she is not alike wicked with them therefore doth the world implacably worke her woe Read this dayes Epistle Wisdome â— In this militancie of the Church the Elect of God become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they find that they need and they seeke for helpe the word implieth asmuch The Church is compared vnto a Doue for her simplicitie and for her meeknesse shee is compared vnto a Lambe As a Doue she is nothing suspicious for Vt quisque est vir optimus ita difficillimè credit alios esse improbos Good men looke to find plaine dealing as themselues deale plainly As a Lambe the Church is as apt to be a prey as shee is not apt to prey vpon any shee is a fit subiect for the Shearer and the Slaughterer though it selfe be harmelesse and vsefull Looke vpon the enemies of the Church they are the Serpent and the Lion The Serpent is full of fraud fraud which circumuenteth our wits with sophistrie and transporteth our affections with vanitie coloured and blanched with a shew of Truth and Good The Lion is full of Crueltie and delighteth in bloud watchfull vpon all opportunities and neuer giuing ouer the least aduantage And the instruments of the Serpent and the Lion I meane wicked men are Serpentine and Lion-like deceitfully compassing their owne end and spending their power only in crueltie This hath beene the cariage of the enemies of the Church euer since God put enmitie betweene the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent But it was neuer more remarkable then in Popish Equiuocation and that which they call their Holy Inquisition the very markes of the Beast and by them they make their nearest approaches to that Father of Lâ—â—s and that ancient Murderer sure I am they haue cut the heart strings of all both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall true Policie The Church being thus besteed when from her enemies she reflects her eyes vpon her selfe findeth her owne inabilite her need of succour and as the Apostles in their perill so she in hers cals for helpe Helpe Lord or else we perish so said they so saith shee And my text telleth vs that she hath recourse vnto God Psal 121. I lift mine eyes vnto the Hils saith Dauid from whence commeth my helpe Our helpe standeth in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heauen and Earth Psal 46. and God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble And see how full the helpe is He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High Psal 9â— shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie the whole Psalme is an excellent commendation of the Churches choice but specially that Verse Verse 13. Thou shalt tread vpon the Lion and the Adder the yong Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample vnder feet though we be as simple as Doues yet God is able to make vs as wise as Serpents and hee will make vs confident as Lions though of our selues wee be as meeke as Lambes And why we haue a Serpent to oppose vnto a Serpent euen him that was figured by the Serpent whom Moses lifted vp Christ the wisdome of God him we haue to oppose to the groueling Serpent that feedeth vpon earth and earthly men If you be stung by this latter Serpent doe but looke to the former and you shall presently bee healed for hee is able to take that craftie one in his owne wilinesse Wee haue a Lion to oppose vnto a Lion the Lion of the Tribe of Iuda to the roaring Lion and out of the eater he can draw meate by death he ouercame him that had the power
coniugall Couenant that is betweene God and man God hath promised to be our God and we haue promised to be his People but eyther side promiseth to the other exclusiuely God promiseth to be our God and the God of none as he is ours and wee promise to be his People and to be the People of no other God as we are his This appropriation of our selnes vnto God is that which the Apostle speakes of 1 Cor. 8. Though there be that are called Gods whether in heauen or in earth as there be Gods many and Lords many yet vnto vs there is but one God God the Father and one Lord Iesus Christ This made Dauid to say Psal 73. Whom haue lin heauen but thee Psal 139. and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee Yea doe I not hate them that hate thee I hate them with a perfect hatred as if they were mine enemies Psal 16. but all my delight is in thy Saints which are on the earth As man in his zeale doth so proceede exclusiuely towards God so doth God towards man for God taketh the Church for his peculiar Exod. 19. therupon promiseth Abraham I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them thâ—t curse thee This is true coniugall Loue of each side and vpon this knot commeth in zeale which is otherwise called iealousie and is nothing but the affection of eyther part whereby it so desires to enioy the other as that none other either haue it or wrong it for if eyther the wife communicate her selfe to any other or be by any other wronged the iealousie of the husband is stirred vp against his wiues enemies or against his wife Against his wife so speakes God Ezekiel 16. And I will iudge thee as women that breake wedlocke and shed blood are iudged and I will giue thee bloud in sury and iealousie And as hee proceedeth in iealousie against his adulterous wife so doth he against enemies that wrong her thereupon the Prophets expresse his anger against them by iealousie and the Church Esay 62. desiring reuenge saith Lord where is thy zeale In this place the zeale respects reuenge vpon the enemies not vpon the Spouse you may perceiue it by the coherence of this Text with that which goeth before where mention is made of a deliuerance and Christ is here brought in as the Deliuerer the ground of the worke is zeale Finally marke that whereas Gods glory doth as well appeare in our deliuerance as our owne good yet in working thereof God seemeth to be moued rather with his loue to vs than care for his owne glory and giueth a good patterne vnto vs that we likewise in seruing of God must respect not so much our owne saluation as his glory And so haue you heard the Warrant of this Doctrine what remaines but that I vse vnto you the words of the Psalmist Be yee lifted vp O yee gates be yee lifted vp O euerlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in Who is the King of glory euen the Lord of Hosts hee is the King of glory You haue heard him described and haue heard the substance and excellencie of his Person and State Behold God is our saluation let vs trust and not bee affraid the Lord Iohouah is our strength and song he also is become our saluation therefore with ioy let vs draw waters out of this Well of Saluation O Lord that art able and willing let me feele the efficacie both of thy power and will in making me partaker both of the Person and State of Christ and the excellencie of both So shall all my power be set on worke by all my will to make me wholly thine as thou art pleased to be mine Grant this mutuall knot may bee so knit that I neuer breake it so shall I be sure that thou wilt euer hold it IHS SIXE SERMONS VPON The Second of HAGGAI HAG. 2. Vers 6 7 8 9. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heauens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of Hosts The siluer is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts The glory of this latter house shall bee greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hosts and in this place will I giue peace saith the Lord of Hosts ALthough the fruits of seruing God be not his The first Sermon but our owne welfare yet if it were not more furthered by him than it is endeauoured by vs wee should neuer fare well because wee should neuer serue him Our impediments are two and they are two extreames Carelessenesse and Curiositie Carelessenesse keepes vs backe when we should beginne and when we should goe forward Curiosity slakes our zeale Sometimes we doe not serue God because we doe not care for him and sometimes we grow cold in pietie because we thinke our best endeauours are not worthy of Gods maiestie Thus the euill Angell whether hee appeare in his darkenesse or in his counterfeit light both waies gaines vpon vs. This Prophecie of Haggai doth little else but propose an example of eyther impediment and the remedie that is applied thereunto the Iewes yeelde the example but the remedy is from God The Iewes in acknowledgement of Gods great goodnesse should vpon their returne out of the Babylonian captiuity haue made their first work the re-edifying of Gods house but they were otherwise minded and busied themselues about their owne houses That memorable speech King Dauids religious meditation neuer came into their hearts which is recorded 2 Sam. 7. Lo saith hee I dwell in a house of Cedar but the Arke of God lodgeth vnder Curtaines therefore I will build him an house But these Iewes could finde in their hearts to dwell in sieled houses and let the Temple lye in its â—uines Wherefore God corrects and reformes this their carelessenesse corrects it with rebukes and stripes reformes it by his word and spirit By these meanes were they brought at length to begin the worke They beganne but were quickely wearied and it was curiosity that wearied them They were contented indeede to build a Temple vnto God but not except it might be so goodly a one as was that of Salomâ—n and because their ability would not reach so farre many of them gaue ouer working and fell to weeping Behold a wicked curiosity which vnder colour of Gods honour would not honour him at all Well God must remedie this impediment also and he doth it by teaching the Iewes two excellent rules in Religion The first is wee must not iudge of Gods workes as wee doe of mens In mens workes by the beginning wee make coniecture of the ending and a iudicious man when hee seeth a foundation will easily ghesse what pile of building will be raised
may be to Gods image before he can deserue to be glorious The last thing required vnto glory is that the solid and eminent Good be also resplendent A worthy man must be as a well-drawn Picture set in bono lâ—mine neyther will bee regarded except they bee placed there where their worth may be discerned For in regard of glorie Idem est non esse non apparere A hidden treasure and wisedoine concealed are both alike saith Salomon Ecclus 41.14 they lose their praise and glory the Kinsmen of Christ out of this principle set vpon him There is no man that doth any thing in secret and himselfe seeketh to be knowne openly The Greekes call honestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it calleth all men to it The Hebrewes call it tab because it is beautifull and pleasant and maketh all in loue with it most languages call worthy personages Lights because the lustre of their vertue is the pleasing obiect of euery mans eye Wherefore our Sauiour biddeth vs Matth. 5. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heauen I haue hitherto opened vnto you the nature of Glorie I haue shewed you what and how many things are requisite thereunto But where shall we finde it what is the first or rather proper subiect of it Surely God cap. 33. wee learne it in Exodus Moses desired to see Gods glory God made his goodnesse to passe before him as if his goodnesse and glory were synonyma's certainely they are inseparable His goodnesse is solid it is his very nature who is called Iohoua and is that which he is Secondly his goodnesse is eminent for whatsoeuer is good is predicated of him in abstracto wisedome truth righteousnesse holinesse Iames 1 Psal 8.19.104.45 c. and abstract names note absolute perfections Finally his goodnesse is most resplendent therefore St. Iames calleth him the father of lights Dauid hath made many Psalmes in acknowledgement hereof For this cause doth the Scripture often times vse the name of Glory when it meaneth God The Iewes in the Old Testament are blamed by the Prophets for neglecting for forsaking their glory that is God And St. Peter in the New Testament 2 Pet. 1.17 speaking of the testimonie which God the Father gaue vnto our Sauiour Christ in the Mount saith Hee heard a voyce from the magnificent Glory Glory then is originally in God but by deriuation it is communicated from him vnto others Angels Princes Luke 2. 2 Pet. 2. both are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture But to none doth this title so truely belong as vnto Christ St. Paul Heb. 1. cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The brightnesse of his fathers glory When he was to come into the world Esay saith cap. 40. The glory of the Lord should be reuealed and biddeth Ierusalem bee bright because her glory is risen and in the person of Eliakim speaking of Christ cap. 60. he shall bee a glorious Throne saith he vnto them and they shall hang vpon him all the glory of his fathers house Cap. 6. Behold saith Zacharie the man whose name is the Branch 1 Tim. 3.16 he shall come out of his place he shall build a temple and he shall beare the glory Finally seeing our Sauiour is God manifest in the flesh hee deserues well that praise which is giuen him in the Churches hymne Thou art the King of glory O Christ But whereas Gods glory doth shine vnto vs in the face of Christ we must enquire what manner of glory it is for in God there is a two-fold glory as you may gather out of the fore-cited place of Exod. cap. 33. compared with cap. 34. a glory of his iustice and a glory of his mercy the solemne and publicke manifesting of eyther of them I meane his iustice or his mercie is manifesting of his glory Touching his iustice we haue an excellent place in Esay in a vision God shewed himselfe in the Temple Esay 6.3 enuironed with the Saraphims who cryed Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts heauen and earth are full of thy glory this was the glory of his iustice for verse 9. he denounceth the sentence of induration against the Iewes the like manifestation wee finde in Moses Numb 14. As I liue saith the Lord all the earth shall bee filled with the glory of the Lord but it is the glory of his iustice for immediately hee doth doome all those Israelites that had not hearkned to his voyce saying Surely they shall not see that Land which I sware vnto their fathers to giue them There is another branch of Gods glory I called it the glory of his mercie it was figured partly by the Cloud and partly by the Arke The Cloud was a type of Gods milde appearance for it was seated not betweene Seraphims fiery Angels messengers and instruments of wrath but betweene the Cherubims which had the shape of men louely and meeke men Adde hereunto that it rested vpon the Arke the couering whereof was called the mercie seate Eyther of these was called the glory of the Lord The Cloud often in Moses the Arke in that known storie of the destruction of Elie's sonnes at what time the Arke being taken by the Philistines 1 Sam. 3. Heb. 9. Psal 27. Ier. 14. 17. Elie's daughter called her childe Ichabod the glory is gone For attending vpon these two were the Cherubims called Cherubims of glorie and for containing them the Temple was called the habitation and throne of Gods glory But all these were types the truth of them was Christ Hee was the truth of the Cloud in his flesh did God so appeare that he might be endured by the sight of men and he appeared for those vses whereunto the Cloud was designed for direction and protection you may gather it out of Esay cap. 4. and St. Paul speaketh plainely 1 Cer. 1.24 that Christ came into the world as the wisedome and the power of God As Christ was the truth of the Cloud so was hee of the Mercie-seate St. Paul Rom. 3.25 cals him by the very name of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God accepteth vs in him By him we come with boldnesse to the throne of grace and finde mercy in the time of neede Heb. 4.16 The Angels that attended him were not Seraphims but Cherubims they appeared in the shape of men and whensoeuer they appeared they came to bring comfort Christ then did in his person manifest Gods mercifull glory which is the glorie meant in this Text. Wherefore I will conclude this point with the words of the Euangelist Iohn 1. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst vs and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and â—â—ll of truth I haue sufficiently opened vnto you that which is conferred wee must now see whereon The text saith it was the house the Prophet meaneth the
Temple then building by Zorobabel Some haue thought that the Temple which was standing when Christ was incarnate was not the Temple built by Zorobabel but another which Herod built But we must take heede of that opinion for it hath two euils in it 1. Flauius Iosephus it giueth the holy Ghost the lye in this place 2. and it cherisheth the Iewes vaine expâ—ctation of their Messias It is true that Herod enlarged that Temple and added many buildings to it but he did not demolish the old neither indeed could he and this prophecie continue true for God promised that Christ should come euen into this Temple that now was building And seeing that Temple with all the additions of Herod hath many hundied yeares since according to Christs prophecie beene so destroyed that there remaineth not one stone vpon another the Iewes doe more than vainely yet looke for a Messias especially seeing God hath manifested to the world that it was not only totally but sinally also destroyed The Iewes had good proofe hereof in the daies of Iulian the Apostata when Euseb hist l. 4. Chrys orat 2. in Iudaeos notwithstanding that wicked Emperour encouraged and furthered them to re-edifie it fearefull tempests from heauen destroyed in the night what they did in the day God then making good against Iacob what in Malachie hee spake against Esau Thus saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 1. they shall build but I will cast downe they shall call them the border of wickednesse the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for euer But I will leaue them to God whom God hath left to the world as a spectacle of stupiditie and a bridle to hold vs in from like contempt It is plaine the place here meant was Zorobabels Temple vpon that place was the glory conferred Malachie cap. 3. said it should bee so hee said that the Lord should come into his Temple and he should sit downe there and refine the sonnes of Leui and rectifie the diuine worship The Gospel teacheth vs that it was so for hee was not onely presented in that Temple when he was a babe and when hee was twelue yeares old a disputant there with the doctors but also when he was solemnely inaugurated he first purged the Temple of buyers and sellers then he reformed the doctrine and the discipline at seuerall times when he resorted thither at solemne feasts there he made his sermons and wrought his miracles so that he might truly say to the high Priests when he was arraigned before them I sate daily with you teaching in the Temple Mat. 26. I will adde one text more which may serue in stead of all when his parents that had lost 〈◊〉 found him in the Temple they expostulated with him in these words Sonne why hast thou serued vs thus Luke 2. thy father and I haue sought wee sorrowing Christ replyes vnto them Why sought yee me did you not know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee render it Wist yee not that I must goe about my fathers businesse but the words may well beare another sense also Wist yee not that it was sit for mee to bee in my fathers house for so he calleth the Temple elsewhere and so speaketh St. Paul Heb. 13. Iohn 2. Christ as a sonne was ouer his owne house Some referre hither that speech of Christ touching the paying of tribute Mat. 17.26 The sonnes are free because that money is thought to haue beene originally a taxation for the Temple and by the Romanes conuerted to other vses when they collected it But enough of the place only take this note out of the coniunction of the place and the gift That Christs comming to be the glorie of the Temple giueth vs to vnderstand that his Kingdome was not temporall but spirituall he came not to raise an earthly Monarchie but to gather a people vnto God The next point that I obserued is the amplification both of the place and the gift of the place in regard of the meannes which is noted in the word this house The Iewes had two Temples one built by Salomon a glorious one this built by Zorobabel a poore one The Iewes wept when they saw the foundations of it and God testifieth that it was as nothing in their eyes and this nothing as it were moued Herod to make those additions before specified that it might become like something Marke Christ came not vnto Salomons Temple but vnto Zorobabels so that the Temple which had most of earthly cost had nothing in it but the type of Christ and that Temple that had least of earthly glory had most of heauenly it had the truth Christ came thither in person God regardeth not outward pompe neyther doth he tye his presence thereunto as if he would not be where there is no worldly state nay commonly where there is least of the world Heb. 11. God is there most and they haue greatest familiarity with him who haue worst entertainement in the world Did not our Sauiour Christ giue vs an excellent representation hereof in his own person Col. 2.9 Phil. 2.7 2 Cor 4.7 the Godhead dwelt bodily in him but that body bare the shape of a seruant the Apostles carried about the world heauenly treasures but they carried them in earthen vessels An ancient Father obserues wittily that when the Church was so poore that it had but wooden chalices it had golden Priests wee may adde People too and when the ornaments of the Church became golden then the Priests and People became wooden Gods Word was heard more reuerently hee was serued more deuoutly when the Church met in caues in woods in deserts than euer he was in townes and cities and these most stately fabricks This must be obserued in the question of the visibility of the Church or rather conspicuity The Aduocates of Rome seeme to triumph much against the reformed Churches as if the obscurity wherein sometimes they lay hidden Cont. Auxent did preiudice the truth which they profest they forget St. Hilaries admonition Male nos cepit parietum amor c. We are ill aduised to measure faith by multitude of professors Epist 48. or by goodly temples where the profession is made St. Austine will tell vs Ecclesia aliquando obscuratur aliquando obnubilatur multitudine scandalorum The glory of the Church is subiect to Eclypses it was so in the Old Testament as appeares by Elia's complaint 1 Reg. 19. They haue slaine all thy Prophets and throwne downe thine altars Cont. Lucifer and I am left alone It hath beene no better vnder the New Testament witnesse St. Hierome Ingemuit totus mundus se Arianum factum miratus est Arianisme so got the vpper hand that the Orthodoxe faith scarce durst be known in the whole Catholick Church In the Old Testament God promised by Zephanie cap. 3. I will leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in
me Christ in the Gospell Feare not little flocke it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Luke 12.32 As the Text doth amplifie the place from the meanenesse 1 Reg. 8. so doth it the gift from the greatnesse thereof I will fill fill this house with that glory The phrase is allusiue to Gods typicall presence in the former Temple for therein rested the Cloud and it filled all the house all that part of the house which was called the holy place When the second Temple was built there was no such thing God was pleased to reserue it for the truth that he that is the fulnesse of all should fill that Temple And indeede God was neuer more there than when hee was there in Christ if euer hee was then an Oracle to his Church I adde out of Ezechiel cap. 43.12 that by his presence omnis circuitus Templi was made sanctum sanctorum For ought we reade Christ neuer came into that place of the Temple which was called sanctum or sanctum sanctorum the holy place or holiest of holies but this he did being borne that holy thing Luke 1. Dan. 9. and anointed the most holy he made all places of the Temple where he came holy yea and most holy he filled them with the glory of his person and the glory of his function The truth I say filled euen the worst part of the Temple which the type did not But I shall meete with this point in the next Sermon wherefore I will dwell no longer now vpon it This historicall sense which I haue hitherto opened doth present vnto vs a mysticall which I may not neglect God doth not delight in materiall houses built with timber and stone the Temple was but a type of the Church Christs house are you saith St. Paul to the Hebrewes cap. 3. and to the Ephesians cap. 2. he tels vs of the foundation the corner stone Saint Peter 1 Epist 2. sheweth vs that we as liuing stones comming vnto the precious stone Christ make vp a house vnto God So that whatsoeuer blessing is contained in this text belongeth vnto vs and vnto the Temple but in reference vnto vs. A thing to be obserued because the world hath alwaies beene shallow-witted in looking into these intentions of God they haue rested on the types without due reflection vpon themselues whereas God therein would only helpe our memorie and condescend to our infirmitie and that vpon a Principle which preuaileth much with vs which is this Sense is the best informer of our reason and solliciter of our will And did wee make as good vse of it in things belonging to God and our soule as wee doe in things pertaining to the world and concerning our naturall life Christ should not haue beene occasioned to vtter that sentence The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light Well then let vs gather some few such morals as this text will yeelde The first is That where Christ commeth hee bringeth a blessing Iacob did so to Laban Ioseph to Pharaoh Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar There is not a good man that maketh not the place whither he commeth the better for him How much more the chiefe of Saints our Sauiour Christ the very type of him 1 Chro. 13. I meane the Arke made Obed Edoms house to prosper If the shadow wrought so much what good may we expect from the substance it selfe The second morall is That God in Christ taketh vpon him to bee the glorie of the house so that where Christ is there the glorie is The Church of Rome is plentifull in earthly ornaments of their Church and wee are carefull that the Word of God should dwell richly in ours it were well if both were ioyned together I wish we had more of their ornaments and they had more of Christs truth But if they must bee kept asunder through the malice of the Diuell our case is better that haue fewer ornaments and more truth than theirs that haue lesse truth and more ornament For CHRIST is properly the glory of a Church where hee is though it bee in the wildernesse there is glory and there is no glory where he is not though the temple be as goodly as Salomons The third is the particle this this house containes the comfort of poor soules For though in the sense of our meanenesse we haue all reason to say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder the roofe of my house yet saith the Lord Esay 66. Heauen is my throne and the Earth is my footestoole where is the house that yee build vnto me and where is the place of my rest hath not my hand made all these things saith the Lord But to this man will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word And it was the very life of Kings Dauids penitentiall prayer Psal 51. A broken and contrite heart O Lord wilt not thou despise Wherefore I conclude this point with the exhortation of St. Iames Let the brother of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted bee hee neuer so meane a house Christ will not disdaine euen in his glory to come vnto him he will come and bring his glory with him The fourth is That hee will not only bring his glory but fill that house But it is as the soule filleth the body euery part according to his proportion some part is filled as the head some as the hand some as the feete so that euery house may bee full and yet one house containe more than another As it is most behoofefull for vs so doth Christ dispence his grace vnto vs. But this filling may be vnderstood eyther inhaerenter or immanenter in Christ or transeunter and redundanter to vs that is eyther that he which commeth into the house is full of glory or else that the house whereinto hee commeth is by him transformed into glory Take a simile from the Sunne the beames of the Sunne doe fill the ayre and the firmament but you easily perceiue that they doe it in a different fashion they fill the ayre but so that the ayre altereth not in nature but continueth the same onely it is the place wherein the beames of the Sun do appeare But as for the firmament the Sunne sendeth his beames into that so that it maketh many a light body of it many a starre and St. Paul telleth vs 1 Cor. 15.41 that they differ each from the other in glory Christ doth fill our house both waies if you looke to our Iustification he brings glory to vs as the Sunne doth the light vnto the aire the brightnesse whereof doth grace the ayre yet it remaines inherently still in the beames and is not transfused into the substance of the ayre Euen so Christs righteousnesse passeth not out of his person and yet it is the ornament of our person it is inherent in him it is imputed to vs
and in the eyes of God doth grace and commend vs as if it were ours But if you looke to sanctification that redounds from Christ vnto vs it maketh vs starres in the spirituall firmament though of vnequall magnitude and vnequall glory St. Paul is cleare for it 1 Cor. 3. Wee with open face behold the glorie of God and are transformed into the same image from glorie vnto glory euen by the powerfull spirit of Christ. When the Apostles did but see Christs transformation in the Mount though themselues were not transfigured yet they thought it so happy a sight that they cryed out Bonum est esse hìc Let vs pitch our Tabernacles here And what would they haue thought if themselues also might haue been partakers of the same glorie if themselues might haue appeared like vnto him if they might haue beene as he was yet such is our condition in Christ The last morall shall be that whereas other things that fill vs proportion themselues vnto and take vp whatsoeuer capacity they finde it is not so with Christ whatsoeuer he filleth that he enlargeth Aug. Confes and the more we haue of him the more capacity we haue the more capacity of glory for that is that wherewith he filleth all other things deale worse with vs they straighten our capacitie or fill vs with vanitie Wherefore were we as wise as we should be wee would suffer no bodie to take vp any roome in vs but only Christ wee would leaue no corner for the diuell or the world or our corrupt lusts And indeede who would with-hold any part from him to continue a straight a darke a filthy dungeon that by his presence may bee made a large a light a glorious habitation And yet so it is some of vs steale our heads from him and entertaine errour some steale their hearts from him and therein lodge sinnefull lusts there is no man that doth not with-hold some part and keep that part the worse for it But this should bee to euery one of vs his votiue prayer To thee O Christ I consecrate totum me and totum mei my whole selfe and all that is in me humbly desiring that nothing may inhabit me but thy selfe and that which commeth from thee This is that whereunto I aduise my selfe as I aduise you And that I aduise not in vaine let vs lay this text to the former there we heard of a desire here of a filling Salomon hath a good rule A desire accomplished delighteth the soule So that if we profited so much by the last sermon as to make Christ our desire we may be comforted by this which assures vs that our desire shall be filled Yea whereas desire is sinus cordis the bosome or lappe as it were of the heart if we doe enlarge it God will replenish it But let vs bee sure that this sermon doth little concerne vs if the former tooke no place in vs. Dauid no sooner heard that Obed Edoms house prospered by hauing the Arke but hee was stirred vp with a godly zeale to bring it vnto Sion to bring it to his owne Citie What shall I wish vnto you but that hauing heard the blessing that Christs presence brought to Zorobabels Temple euery one of you would striue to lodge him in your Temples the temples of your bodies the temples of your soules So may he fill these mysticall as he did that typicall Temple so fill them here with the glory of his grace that they may bee hereafter filled with the grace of his glorie Psal 24. Wherefore lift vp your heads O yee gates and bee yee lift vp yee euerlasting doores and the King of glorie shall come in 85. Saluation is near them that feare him that glory may dwell in their Land LEt thy worke O Lord be seene towards thy seruants and thy glorie vpon their children that in the sensible sweet comfort thereof wee may all now and euer sing Glory bee to thee O Lord most high Blessing honour glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euer and euer Amen THE FOVRTH SERMON The siluer is mine and the gold is mine The glorie of this later house shall bee greater than the glory of the former THe bountie which Christ vouchsafed that Temple which was built by Zorobabel is by this our Porphet set forth absolutely and comparatiuely Of the absolute consideration thereof I spake last I will passe now on to the comparatiue exprest in those words which now I haue read vnto you Of this comparison we must obserue 1 the preface and 2 the contents The preface will teach vs what Christ can the contents what hee will doe Christ can in point of bountie doe as much as he will so much the words of the preface import The siluer is mine the gold is mine And he will doe more than the Iewes doe desire for they would haue beene contented if they might haue had a Temple but as goodly as that of Salomon Christ will doe more for them The glory of the later house shall be greater than the glorie of the former But more distinctly These points of Christs power and his will must be opened first seuerally then ioyntly If wee looke into them seuerally then wee shall finde that the preface which sets forth Christs power doth in the outside of the words entitle him to these earthly mettals gold and siluer but the inside will informe vs that he is owner of much more precious mettals of gold and siluer that are heauenly As for the contents the comparison therein presented vnto vs may be conceiued eyther of fabricke to fabricke or furniture to furniture I will touch at both that so you may the better see of whether and how far my text may be iustified Hauing thus opened the points seuerally I will ioyne them together and shew you that first Christs power is set downe before his will that the Iewes should not thinke he doth promise more than hee can performe secondly that his will beareth correspondencie to his power and he giueth gifts not sutable to the narrownesse of our desire but to the widenesse of his owne store Of these particulars I shall now God willing speake briefly and in their order God grant we may so listen to and profit by that which shall be said concerning Christs power and will that it may bee his gracious will alwaies to sustaine and blesse vs according to his all sufficient power Come we then to the preface and first to the outside of the words The siluer is mine the gold is mine If so we reade the preface it doth entitle Christ to these earthly mettals gold siluer and his title is iust and clear he that made all is owner of all now all things were made by Christ and without him nothing was made that was made Iohn 1. therefore wee may conclude with the Psalmist Psal 24. The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the
and the gold is his The second remembrance is grounded vpon Christs will and in sense hereof wee may learne of King Dauid thankefull deuotion When Nathan brought him a message of more good than euer hee expected hee went vnto the Tabernacle and first villifieth himselfe Who am I 2 Sam. 7. O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto then he magnifieth Gods mercie This was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy seruants house for a great while to come then he doth as we must all doe turne Gods promise into a prayer And now O Lord God the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy seruant and concerning his house establish it for euer and do as thou hast said God did it for Dauid he will do it for vs whereas they that are temples of grace haue a farther hope to be temples of glorie if we beleeue his power and desire the accomplishment of his will wee shall in due time experience a comparison which is beyond all comparison we shall be cloathed with a later house in heauen the glory whereof shall infinitely exceede the glorie of the former house of God which we are vouchsafed to be while we liue here on earth WHich God grant vs for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the holy Ghost be rendred all honour and glorie Amen THE FIFT SERMON And in this place will I giue peace THe exceeding grace that Christ would vouchsafe to Zorebabels Temple I reduced to his bountie in giuing and the securitie of his gift Of the bounty I haue spoken it followeth that I now come to the security that is exprest in those words that now I haue read vnto you Wherein we will see first seuerally by what name the securitie is called it is peace secondly where is the resting place thereof in this place then ioyntly how the place commeth to bee possest of that peace wherein wee shall consider that this worke is a free-gift whereof the only giuer is our Sauiour Christ I will giue saith he peace in this place These be the particulars whereof God willing I shall now speake briefly and in their order First then of the peace Peace is nothing else but a free enioying of whatsoeuer good we haue But the good which we haue may be eyther ordinate or inordinate full or scant and so the enioying thereof may bring vnto vs a peace true or false perfect or imperfect If the good be ordinate the peace is true and if full then it is perfect but the peace is false if the good be inordinate and the peace cannot be perfect if the good be scant I will speake somewhat of the false and imperfect peace that thereby you may the better conceiue the true and perfect Wee must know that vnto flesh and bloud many things doe rellish as good which indeed are nothing so for the true character of good is a conformitie to Gods will the warrant whereof is his word from which all sinfull lusts doe swarue and yet in them doe carnall mindes place their good and the enioying of them is the worlds peace For what is carnall securitie but a plunging of a mans selfe into all kinde of wickednesse without remorse of conscience or feare of iudgement Amos cap. 6. doth describe such persons as stretcht themselues vpon iuorie beds dranke wine in bowles eate calues from the stall cheared vp their spirits with musicke This was their good a sensuall good yea and a senslesse too for they tooke not to heart the affliction of Ioseph but approaching to the seate of iniquitie put farre from them the euill day This is a false peace grounded vpon an inordinate good Our Sauiour Christ maketh the like description of the old world Matth. 24. they were eating drinking marrying and giuing in marriage when the floud came and tooke away those vngodly ones Hee speaketh not of ordinary marriage Gen. 6. which is Gods institution but alludes to the storie of the sonnes of God marrying with the daughters of men And as their marriage was irregular so was their eating and drinking too for they were feasts congratulating their irregular wedlocke much like the feasting of the children of Israel when they worshipped the golden calfe Exodus 32. The Wise man speaking of Idolaters passeth this censure vpon them cap. 14. liuing in the great warre of ignorance those so great plagues they called peace But this is not Gods it is the diuels peace qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dum vult cudere cudit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh men like bedlems who gashing themselues with kniues laugh in the beholders face risu sardonio they laugh and dye By this security doth the diuell lull men asleepe in their sinnes that they may the better bee ouertaken with an vnexpected ruine for when they â—ry peace peace then as the Apostle foretold 1 Thes 5. commeth sadden destruction In the middest of their pleasure they goe in a moment downe into hell Iob. I would wee had not too many spectacles of this peace that of the Poet may be truly verified of vs I am patimur longae pacis mala saeuior armis Luxuria incubuit the peace which God hath granted vs from forraigne enemies what hath it wrought but this sinfull peace peace in sinne neuer did this land by prophanenesse by iniustice by riot more offend God and neuer was it more senslesse thereof And the Church may well complaine in the words of the Prophet Esay 38. in pace meâ amaritudo amarissima this calme of ours is a very storme a storme of sinne that will bring a storme of woe The Prophet Ieremie cap. 48. hath an excellent resemblance of a vessell of wine which while it is settled vpon the lees hath a good taste and smell but stirre the lees you marre the wine it will then become muddy and vnsauourie The wicked thinke they haue no lees nothing that can interrupt or alter their state but when God commeth to poure them from vessell to vessell they will finde the contrary they will finde that Christs saying in the Gospell is true Matth. 13. Voluptuousnesse and couetousnesse are nothing but bryars and thornes and they will iustifie that saying of the Preacher Eccles 1. All is vanitie and vexation of spirit Gods heauie hand hath beene long off from vs but it vseth to come vpon irrepentant persons with redoubled strokes Esay 57.21 Seeing then non est pax improbo it is no peace which the wicked haue in their prosperitie and that which they haue they cannot long enioy I will conclude with the admonition of Moses Deut. 29. Take heede lest there bee amongst you a roote that beareth gall and wormewood and it come to passe that when any man heareth the words of the curse denounced against the breakers of the Law he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the
came the Nations should beat their swords into plough-shares Esay 21 and their speares into pruning hookes Nation shall not lift vp sword against Nation neyther shall they learne warre any more cap. 11. the same Prophet by an allegorie doth elsewhere teach that where Christ commeth and is entertained he doth ciuilize the most barbarous Nations The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe the Leopard lye downe with the Kid the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice denne they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters couer the sea Worthily therfore doth the Apostle call Christ our peace whose kingdome is righteousnes Ephes 2.14 Rom. 14.17 peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Moreouer obserue that to whom we owe our glorie to him wee owe our peace the blessings of God doe much affect vs as being good but except we haue securitie in the possession of them wee lose most of our content for it is a great accession to miserie once to haue been happy and plus refert vndè quà m quò cadas he that taketh a downe-fall from an high place is more sensible of that which he hath lost than of that which he suffers Therefore the addition of peace vnto glory doth import no small comfort which Esay also foretold cap. 4. Vpon all the glory shall be a defence The Apostle speaketh significantly Phil. 4.7 The peace of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bee as a Court of guard to keep our hearts and mindes in the state of grace whereunto we are brought by Christ They that are rich and are to conuey their goods by sea or land haunted with theeues pyrants doe thinke themselues to be so much more or lesse bound to those that will secure their passage as their goods are more or lesse precious Goods of greater price than is the glorie of the house before specified there cannot be how great then is our debt vnto Christ who safe conducts vs with our glorie through the wildernesse of this world maugre the might and malice of the Serpent and the Lion of all our deadly foes You haue heard who settleth the peace in the place you must now heare how Hee giueth it And it is truly tearmed a gift for whereas there are two kindes of peace one made betweene parties whereof each is able to make good his quarrell against the other yet they are contented to auoyde trouble to agree vpon reasonable conditions the other kinde of peace is that which a conqueror out of his goodnesse vouchsafeth to persons subdued which are at his mercie and whom by the law of armes he might make slaues Our peace is of this later sort we all deserued to bee captiues to the diuell for wee were all become children of wrath by Adams sinne Ephes 2.3 When we lay thus weltring in our bloud no other eye pitying vs then God said vnto man Thou shalt liue Ezech. 16. Hee gaue him this peace therefore is peace a free gift Neyther a free gift onely but a stable also they are not induciae but pax not a cessation from armes for a time that admitteth a returne to warre againe but a reconciliation for euer a couenant of salt Gods mercie shall not depart and this couenant shall not be remoued Esay 54.10 Ezech. 37. Prou. 1. v. vlt. You haue heard what the peace is the place where it resteth by whom and how they are ioyned together what remaineth but that euery man enquire whether he haue this peace or not in this enquirie we must proceede ascendendo not descendendo the lower must assure vs of the vpper degree The abolishing of the guilt of our sinne is the darkest branch of our peace which wee know onely by faith But for the triall of this point of faith we must haue recourse to our conscience and inquire what peace we find there For the peace of our conscience is the looking glasse of that peace which we haue with God if we finde none there we haue none with God and we may be sure we haue it with God if we finde it truly there Truely I say for a man may be deceiued in the triall of his conscience many haue quiet consciences but it is because they are seared Wherefore we must looke one steppe lower and iudge of the second degree of our peace by that which we finde in the third we must see it in our mortification and subiection of the flesh to the spirit for iustification which doth quiet the conscience is inseparable from sanctification which doth reforme our nature Finally to remoue all doubt concerning sanctification we must looke to the effects thereof for a good tree bringeth forth good fruit and our conuersation will testifie our sanctification if our deeds be seasoned with charitie the spirit of God doth rest in our soules This inquirie is most behoofe full in these daies wherein more talke of peace than doe partake thereof partake I say of that true and full peace which here is meant by Haggai Yet lest men stumble by ouer great curiosity and dis-hearten themselues for the diuell is apt to make men as well despaire that they haue not peace when they haue it as to presume that they haue it when they haue it not wee must distinguish inter pacem viatoris and comprehensoris the peace of the Church militant and that of the Church triumphant Touching the Church militant it hath outward crosses and inward conflicts We doe not alwaies apprehend the light of Gods countenance it is often ouercast and hee is despleased with vs but it is as a father with his childe of whom the Poet Sit licet in natos facies austera parentum Aequa tamen semper mens est amica voluntas Therefore the cloud will dissolue and the light will cheere vs againe The worme is not so dead but if we sinne it will giue vs a remembrance a happy remembrance for it awakeneth vs to repent and beleeue which so soone as we doe the smart is at an end The law of our members will often times rebell against the law of our mindes and carrying vs captiue vnto sin will make vs cry out with St. Paul Rom. 7. O wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee front this body of death but the conclusion is comfortable Thanks be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Finally very often when we speak vnto men of peace they will prepare themselues to war for except we will riot communicate with them in their sin they will hate vs so that we must redeeme our inward peace with an outward war In this case let it be our comfort that much happier is the war that keeps vs close to God than that peace which will separate vs from him Psal 23. Though I walke in the middest of the valley of
the fall feare is inseparable from sinne and the very best abhorre Gods presence being priuie to their losse of his resemblance Adam is the first patterne and after Adam we reade of manie others So that Highly fauoured or freely beloued must stand between Haile and The Lord is with thee otherwise they will neuer come together Esay could not giue his Woe is mee for I am a man of polluted lips Esay 6. and dwell in the middest of a people of polluted lips mine eyes haue seene the Lord of glory till that the Seraphin was sent with a coale from the Altar and touched his lips in token that his sinne was remoued and hee become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 10. neither could Daniel indure the presence of the Angell till he was heartened by this message that hee was Vir desideriorum one in whom God did take delight and the best of vs will say as St. Peter Goe from mee Lord for I am a sinfull man Luke 5.8 except the Lord himselfe be pleased to hearten vs and say to vs as Christ to St. Peter Feare not or as God to Moses and Noah Thou hast found grace in mine eyes As we must obserue the Order of the words so must wee also the Distance of these persons the distance betweene the Lord and his Handmaiden and then the combination will seeme strange Strange it is that persons so distant should come together but most happy it is that they doe because the perfection of the one can yeeld so good supply to the imperfection of the other Gods Maiesty honoureth the basenesse of his Handmaiden his might strengtheneth her weaknesse Non sumita vel diuinae ignarus magnitudinis vel humanae fragilitatis vt non magnum putem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Nazianzene and the Psalmist Blessed is hee whom thou choosest to come neare thee he shall dwell in thy courts and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house euen of thy holy Temple Psal 65. But the Angell saith not Thou art with the Lord but The Lord is with thee it were much better you would thinke for vs to be with him than for him to bee with vs for man to ascend to heauen than for God to come downe to the earth True it is that it maketh more for our happinesse to ascend to God but it doth more argue Gods loue that he descendeth to vs to ascend is our aduancement but to descend is a debasement of God yea the Psalmist saith That God doth humble himselfe whensoeuer being so high hee vouchsafeth from heauen but to behold the things on earth Adde hereunto that the Lord must needes come to vs before wee can come to him because his comming to vs is the giuing of that ability by which wee doe afterward ascend to him so that the Angell being to giue the Virgin a proofe of Gods loue towards her could giue her no better than these words containe Hom. 3. super missus est Angelus The Lord is with thee But Deus vbi◠aqualiter totus est per suam simplicem essentiam as St. Bernard speaketh and speaketh fully and truly of the presence of God Were there no other text of Scripture that did testifie the immensity of Gods essence as there are many Iob 11. Esay 66. Psal 139. Dominus tecum is strong enough to refute Vorstius his erroneous conceit mistaking certaine passages of Scripture and thereupon limiting Gods essentiall presence within the circle of heauen and admitting onely an efficiency to proceed from him so low as the earth But this Dominus tecum will not indure that for you must vnderstand that whereas the name Lord is common to all three persons in the Trinity as we learne in Athanasius Creed the Fathers vsually vnderstand here the second person which was to be incarnate in the Virgins wombe her wombe was to bee the Temple of the liuing God Quem totus mundus capere non poterat acceptura erat quasi in angustum cubiculum vterisui so that the Lord was necessarily to be euen in his Essence with her that was in his essence to come from her otherwise she could not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of our Lord as Elizabeth doth call her Luke 1. The Lord is with thee they are words mysticall and import a maine Article of Faith euen the conception of our Sauiour Christ which could not be without the presence of his Essence And yet the presence of the Essence alone sufficeth not to the conception because the Essence is euery where that presence is necessary there must be acknowledged also an Efficiency proceeding therefrom euen such an efficiency as is arbitrary for God worketh according as it pleaseth him In the case of the conception the efficiency is singular and the Virgins wombe is the only place where God did euer manifest it and so wee must acknowledge it But the Virgin did conceiue Christ not onely Corpore but etiam Corde the first was Singular but the second is Common for St. Paul telleth vs that we may also conceiue Christ though not in our wombe yet in our soule My little children of whom I trauell againe till Iesus Christ be formed in you Gal. 4.19 and St. Peter telleth vs of the seed of this conception The immortall seed of the Word of God 1. Pet. 1.23 And indeed we could not be called Christians were it not that we partake of Christ 2. Cor. 13.5 Know you not saith St. Paul that Iesus Christ is in you except you bee reprobates So that The Lord is with thee may be spoken to euery one of vs though not in regard of Christs Incarnation in our bodies yet of his Vnion vnto our soules Yea therefore was hee conceiued by the Virgin corporally that spiritually he might be conceiued of euery one of vs and so become indeed Immanuel The Lord with vs. And what shall we say to these things surely with an ancient Father Gratia Dei non potuit gratiùs cōmendari quà m vt ipse vnicùs Dei Filius in se incommunicabiliter manens indueret hominem spem dilectionis suae daret hominibus homine medi◠this is the most sweete comfort wherewith God anciently vsed to sustaine his children each in particular Gen. 26. Iosh cap. 1. cap. 3. and the whole Church in generall Esay 41. Reuel 1. yea Christ left this comfort for his farewell to his Disciples Lo I am with you to the worlds end Matth. 28. And no maruell for as when God is angry he departs from vs so when out of fauour he commeth to vs it is the prognostication of some good that is then towards vs so followeth it in my Text next to Dominus tecum commeth Benedicta The presence of the Arke brought a blessing vpon Obed-Edoms house how much more must a blessing follow wheresoeuer the truth of the type commeth I meane the Lord himselfe the Spouse in the Canticles confesseth that when her beloued
more tentations no more foyles no more reproches euea when we shall fall asleepe we may lay our selues downe in peace and take our rest for Christ which only can will make vs dwell in safety As securely as himselfe rested in the graue so shall our flesh rest in hope there is the first taste of our victorie But when wee awake wee shall drinke our fill of it and shall with the Saints in the Reuelation yea in this Chapter insult and say O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie Thankes bee vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. But he is Typus not only victoriae but vitae also and that of grace and glorie Fulgent p. 714. Of grace in Baptisme and of glorie at the last day so the Fathers distinguish Resurrectio carnis Christi gratiam nobis corporalis spiritualis resurrectionis attribuit it raiseth out of both sleepes the spirituall and corporall and they doe it by the direction of St. Paul for he makes him a Type of both but in a different fashion Of the first he is Typus analogicus of the second exemplaris Wee are buried with Christ in Baptisme that as Christ dyed and rose againe from the dead so should we walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.3 Christ then in his Resurrection doth first preach vnto vs rising from sinne And indeed if the name Christus did imply the cause of his Resurrection the name of Christians must imply the cause of ours no hope of an answerable resurrection if we haue not a part in the vnction for the first resurrection doth fit vs for the second If we haue saith St. Paul Phil. 3 our conuersation in heauen we may looke for our Sauiour which shall change our vile bodies and make them like vnto his glorious body This all should thinke vpon that little intend the first and yet looke for the second Resurrection whereas a spirituall body can be the Tabernacle of none but a spirituall soule and wee must feele the answer of a good conscience to Godward before we can bee begotten to a liuely hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Nyssen de opif. hom c. 22. yea wee must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foretaste glorie by the vse of grace And if a man haue the Spirit of grace Theophylact comforts him well Ne angaris animo quod mort ali corpore cinctus sis c. bee not disheartned when thou lookest vpon thy house of clay the Spirit of life that is in Iesus freeth vs from the Law as of sinne so of death for if the spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in thy mortall body he that raised Iesus from the dead will also quicken thy mortall body by the spirit that dwelleth in thee Rom 8. There is one thing more noted by the first fruits Leuit. 1. they were put on the Altar but not burnt to note that they were ready for God without fire The Crosse of Christ hath made an end of all affliction there remaines nothing for vs but acceptation that wee bee presented vnto God in his Temple and receiued into those heauenly Tabernacles These be the things that the First fruits doe teach and whereof we may not doubt for therefore the Fathers tell vs that Christs resurrection is not only Auspex and Examplar but also fidei iussor Theodoret. yea chirographum nostrae resurrectionis they make a faire demonstration of it Primitiae habent cognationem cum vniuerso eo cuius sunt Primitiae the first fruits and that whose first fruits they are must needes be of the same kinde The cognation then is betweene Christs manhood and ours in that he opened vnto vs the new and liuing way Heb. 9. Non est dubit andum de consortio gloriae sicut non est dubit andum de consortio naturae And therefore the Fathers in the Primitiue Church testified their faith by standing vpright this day and many following daies while they prayed not onely to remember themselues whither their desires should tend but also to testifie that this day is quodammodo imagoventuri saeculi a representation of our blessed rising from the dead It is true that as the Easter first fruits were presented before those at Whitsontide so God hath put a distance between Christs resurrection ours we must stay our time yet the first fruits wils vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee as sure as if wee were already risen The last note that I will giue vpon Primitiae is that they are Primitia dormientium the first fruits of them that slept the same flesh awakes which slept that first slept in sinne and then for sinne And is not this a wonderfull mercie This flesh if you looke to the basenesse of it how much more if to the sinnefulnesse may seeme vnworthy of so great glorie but God doth vouchsafe it and leaues vs to stand and wonder at it He that could haue created new bodies chooseth rather to repaire our old that this our vnworthinesse might the more commend his goodnesse hee will make these quondam Iustfull eyes itching eares bloudy hands c. fit to doe him seruice in the kingdome of Heauen But it is time to conclude I will shut vp all with a few admonitions that spring from the Text. There is in euery man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a naturall querulousnesse against death This Text will silence it for the remembrance of the Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athanasius speakes furnisheth vs with a shield to quench that fiery dart it will make vs resolue that death is better than life because the passage to a better life For the Resurrection is Pascha Transitus death is not meta but via not our iournies end but the passage thereunto but it is to them that are Christians that are according to the inner man Temples of the holy Ghost for where grace is Leo de Pasch Serm. 13. there is the passage vnto glorie Quare appareant nun◠quoque in Ciuitate sancta i.e. in Ecclesia Dei futurae Resurrectionis indicia quod gerendum est in corporibus fiat in cordibus Let our renued hearts bee vnto vs a pledge that our bodies shall be renued But grace must be Paschall transitus sine reditu wee must so rise from sinne that we returne not like dogges to our vomit 1 Pet. 2. and like swine to our wallowing in the myre Serm 10. de Pasch St. Bernard complained of many in his dayes Qui sacram Domini Resurrectionem Paschae priuabant nomine to whom it was not Transitus but Reditus that though they kept the Feast for a day and did partake the Sacrament also yet after all this turned as good fellowes as euer they were before I would it were not so with vs also That it is so with the vulgar people the Tauernes can witnesse that are neuer better furnisht
than about this time I would they did not witnesse the like again â—vs also whose breeding should remember vs of a better course and teach vs that Easter must be transitus sine reditu as in Christ so in Christians Whereupon it followeth that this meditation must make euery day to bee vnto vs an Easter day and if it bee to our soules it will hearten vs to hope well of our bodies also so that euery one of vs may boldly say with St. Bernard Declam de bonis deser Requiesee in spe caro misera My flesh fraile flesh bee still and rest in hope he that came for thy soule will come also for thee and he that reformed that will not forget thee for euer O Lord that art the life and resurrection illighten all our darkenesse that we sleep not in death of sin or for sin let vs all awake vnto righteousnesse and sin no more so shall wee in thy light see light and by the life of grace be brought vnto the life of glorie Which God grant for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Holy Ghost all honour glory might and maiesty be ascribed both now and euer Amen Awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Iesus Christ shall giue thee light A SERMON PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRALL Church of Wells on EASTER DAY MATTH 26. Vers 26 27 28. And as they were eating Iesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to the Disciples and said Take eate this is my Bodie And he tooke the Cup and gaue it to them saying Drinke ye all of it For this is my bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Supply out of LVKE 22.19 This doe in remembrance of mee And out of St. Paul 1. COR. 11.25 As often as you doe it you shew forth the Lords death till his comming againe OVR Sauiour Christ being ready to dye and by his death to redeeme his Church the whole Church that began in Adam and was to continue vntill the end of the World immediately before honoured a Sacrament of either Testament the Passeouer that was an annexe of the Old and the Eucharist that was to be the annexe of the New Testament Of the Passeouer St. Matthew speaketh in the words that goe before of the Eucharist in these that I haue read vnto you The Argument then of my Text is the Eucharist the originall thereof And of that fitting the present * The receiuing of the Communion occasion my purpose is to giue you a very plaine and a very short Exposition Wee may resolue then the Originall of the Eucharist into the Author and the Institution The Author is here called Iesus Touching the Institution we are to see 1. When and 2. How he did institute it When while they were eating How partly by practice and partly by precept In the practice wee are taught What Elements were chosen and What was done with them The Elements were two Bread and Wine Christ chose these He tooke Bread he tooke the Cup. In opening what was done with them the Euangelist informes vs of two workes first Iesus his worke and secondly the worke of his Disciples And eyther of their workes is double Iesus worke is first to consecrate and then to distribute the Elements In the Consecration we must see first How Christ did it and secondly Why. How he did it by blessing and thanksgiuing blessing of the Creature thanksgiuing to the Creatour Why that the Elements might be the bread the Body and the wine the Bloud of Christ so saith Iesus after Consecration of the bread this is my Body and of the wine this is my Bloud My is a markable word for it improues the Body and the Bloud in that they are his which is Iesus Secondly about this Body the Text instructeth vs in two other things first How it must be considered then Whereunto it was ordained Though they bee the body and bloud of Iesus Christ that is glorified in Heauen yet must they be considered as he was crucified on earth the body as it was broken vpon the Crosse and there giuen for the Church the bloud as it was shed and let out of his body on the Crosse The body and bloud so considered were ordained to establish a New Couenant therefore are they in the Text called the bloud of the New Testament this was the first end A second is to assure the Church of remission of sinnes the whole Church for the bloud is shed for many and the good that the many were to haue thereby is the remission of their sinnes Besides this first Act of thus consecrating the Elements Christ performes another Act he distributeth that which he consecrateth In the distribution wee haue two things first hee diuideth the Elements he brake the bread and the like is to bee conceiued by Analogie touching the wine for though not actually yet vertually he did diuide that in that he would haue euery one drinke but a part of the whole Hauing thus diuided he deliuereth the parcels of the bread and the wine to bee drunke by parts In this sense saith the Text he gaue the bread he gaue the cup he gaue both and both consecrated Besides this worke of Iesus we haue here a worke of his Disciples of the Disciples for none might doe the worke but they and all of them must doe it That which they must doe is they must take that which Christ giues and what they take they must eate and drink as it was consecrated Eate this which is my body drink this which is my bloud c. And they must eate and drinke it to the same end for which it was consecrated the doing of this is not arbitrary it is enioyned by the commandement of Christ Take Eate I haue shewed you Iesus his Practice which was the first mannerof instituting the Eucharist There is a second and that is by Precept that precept is here but implyed for the act being Sacramentall must continue so long as the Doctrine doth whereunto the Sacrament is annext the Sacrament of the New Testament vntill Christs comming againe for so long must the Gospell continue But the precept that is here onely implyed is in Saint Luke exprest and repeated by St. Paul with some exposition added to it The precept is Doe this in remembrance of mee which words require the Churches imitation and commemoration Imitation Doe this the Pastors the People both must performe their worke they must doe Secondly that which they must doe is this they must strictly obserue the patterne that is giuen in this place Besides their imitation here is enioyned them a commemoration what they doe they must doe in remembrance of Christ St. Paul openeth the phrase They must set forth the Lords death Finally whereas Christ did it now once and hee would haue them doe it againe wee may see a difference between Baptisme and the Eucharist this
into the lowest part of the earth not onely to the earth the lowest part of the world but euen to the lowest part of the earth for wee say in our Creed He descended into Hell he tooke his rising from the lowest place to ascend into the highest And herein doth Christ reade a good Lecture to vs hee teacheth vs that Humility is the way to glory and the more we are humbled the more wee shall be exalted Adam and Angels were both ambitious both did desire to climbe but they mistooke their rising and so in climbing tooke grieuous falls If wee would climbe without a fall wee must learne to climbe of Christ so shall wee bee sure to tread the steppes of Iacobs Ladder which from earth will reach as high as heauen I may not omit to obserue that the Apostle speakes significantly when hee saith that He that ascended is the same also that descended Non ascendit alius licet aliter Nestorius was condemned for an Hereticke who distracted Christs two natures and made of them two persons but as it is Gods truth so it is our great comfort that the person is but one and these are the workes of one and the selfe same person they both concerne the same person in the nature which hee tooke from vs Hee that was humbled is the same person that was exalted And so will God deale with vs crowne no other person than him that doth conflict and in the depth of our Humiliation euery one of vs may say with Iob Chapt. 19. Though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God Non alius Sed aliter though the same person of Christ ascended which descended yet hee ascended otherwise than hee descended for hee descended Metaphysically ascended Physically hee descended not by changing of place but of state the Godhead that is infinite could change no place but it could exinnanite it selfe and become of a worse condition than it was But in the Ascension the person changed place the manhood remoued from earth to heauen hee that in his Incarnation being onely God became man in his Ascension went into heauen God and man hee that to make way to his passion suspended the influence of his Godhead into his Manhood did in his Ascension permit the one to indowe the other so far as a Creature was capable of the influence of his Creatour And wee shall ascend though not other men yet otherwise than wee descend wee descended morally but wee shall ascend physically in our descending wee put on other affections than before wee had wee exchange our naturall pride for Christian humility but in our Ascension wee shall change our place remoue out of this wildernesse into Canaan from earth to Heauen and the same God that is pleased here for a time to make vs sowe in teares will then yeeld vs a plentifull haruest which wee shall reape in ioy wee shall then see the fulnesse of his loue towards vs which too vsually wee misdeeme by reason of the Crosse which hardly can wee conceiue that it can stand with his good will towards vs Castigo te non quod odio habeam sed quod amem is a proposition more true than euident the combination is so strange that it is no wonder if we be hard of beleefe but God will then cleare it and we shall confesse we had no reason to discredit it One Note more and so an end Before you heard of Grace now you see that grace is a spoile a spoile taken from that enemy that tyrannized ouer vs and this is no small improuement of grace Before you heard that grace did fill vs but now you see that wee were captiues and the condition of captiues is to endure hunger nakednesse all kinde of miserie and how welcome is that grace that fils such empty persons Before you heard that this grace was a gift but here you finde that Christ payed dearely for it the more it cost him the more precious should it bee in our eyes What shall I say then to you but wish you to couple this third Sermon with the first that you may bee more feeling of the loue of God in Christ O Lord that wouldest descend before thou diddest ascend grant that wee may make our way through Humility to Glory giue vs grace to consummate thy Triumph by manfully resisting and conquering of Sathan Let vs not feare to tread on him whom thou hast disarmed yea enrich vs wee beseech thee with the spoyles which thou hast taken from him and make vs euer willing and deuout captiues of thine Let it neuer grieue vs to serue thee who hast so mercifully saued vs Let vs now ascend in heart whither we hope to ascend in place and so prepare vs on earth by a holy conuersation that wee may partake with Christ of a happy condition in the kingdome of Heauen Amen IHS A SERMON PREACHED IN WESTMINSTER BEfore his Matie the Lords and others of the vpper House of Parliament at the opening of the Fast Iulie 2. 1625. 1 KINGS cap. 8. vers 37 38 39 40. If there bee in the Land famine if there bee pestilence blasting mildew locust if there bee Caterpillers if the enemie besiege them in the Lund of their Cities Whatsoeuer plague whatsoeuer sickenesse there be What prayer and supplication soeuer bee made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know euery man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this House Then heare thou in Heauen thy dwelling place and forgiue and doe and giue to euery man according to his wayes whose heart thou knowest For thou euen thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men That they may feare thee all the daies that they liue in the Land which thou gauest to our Fathers THese words are a Clause of that Prayer wherewith King Salomon did dedicate the Temple and expresse that vse thereof which commeth very neare our present case Our case is twofold we suffer from Gods wrath wee are suppliants to Gods mercy And lo two like cases are presented in these words the case of Sufferers verse 37. and in the three next verses the case of Suppliants But more distinctly to rip vp the Text We will consider therein first the manner of the deliuerie and secondly the matter that is deliuered The Manner it is a Prayer the words are conceiued in that forme In the Matter we shall see 1. Whom these words concerne and 2. Wherein they doe concerne them Those whom they concerne are the inhabitants of Canaan the children of Israel the People of God this you may gather out of the 37. and 38. Verses And they concerne them in two maine Points for they shew first that they may vnderlye the heauie hand of God secondly that they must then haue recourse vnto the Throne of Grace The heauie hand of God is here set downe first definitely it may afflict Israel eyther only in
haue seene how Christ did furnish himselfe sutably to his calling it remaines that I shew you now in few wordes how hee did employ his furniture to the good of his charge His Charge is called by the name of a flocke which I told you is though a figuratiue yet an implicit definition of a Church For a flocke is a congregation of sheepe and euery member of the Church is a sheepe so they are often called and all true members are so indeed But wee must remember a distinction of St. Austins Lib. 4. de Baptism 9. cap. 5. multae oues foris multi lupi intus there bee many wolues in sheepes cloathing and many sheepe in wolues skinnes both in time will appeare in their proper hue and a sheepe shall be only he that is a true member I will not enter vpon the manifold analogie that is betweene a member of the Church and a sheepe I will keepe my selfe to the words that go immediately before my Text wherein they are called grex occisionis pauperes terrae they are appointed to beare the crosse that is their portion in this world and the world thinkes it cannot be better occupied than in slaughtering of them Neyther are they thus vsed only by their enemies but by their own shepheards also God complaineth hereof in this chapter as also in Ieremie 23. Ezekiel 34. the stories of the Maccabees and Iosephus confirme this truth to say nothing of the Ecclesiasticall storie of the New Testament As they are appointed to the crosse because sheepe so are they pauperes terrae poore not so much corporally though that ofâ—en followes the crosse but poore in spirit lowly in their owne eyes humble out of the conscience of their owne vnworthinesse tractable vnder â—he hand of their shepheard and pliable to his staffe such are sheep that pelong to the fold Of such sheep the Church is a flocke Solitarinesse is a note of saluageâ—esse in beasts for those that are tamed heard and flocke together It is no lesse true of rationall than irrationall sheep true sheep doe fold together and if any stray his complaint will shew his propension to the fold and if any doe stray and not complaine it is to bee doubted whether hee haue the true nature of a sheep Which they should obserue that can bee contented to liue and dye either excommunicating themselues or beeing excommunicated by the Church a shrewd argument that they are no sheepe But I must goe on As this was his Charge so Christ bestowes his furniture vpon it He fed he flocke I cannot better expound the phrase than to say he wrought the properties of the staues into the sheepe Of Iacob a good shepheard it is obserued that when hee would haue speckled sheepe hee pild certaine wannes and layd them in the watering troughes and when the sheepe â—ame to drink and were in heat before the rods they brought forth young â—f partie colours And no doubt but Christs sheepe if they be spiritually warine when they come to drinke of the water of life in Gods Church they would be altered by the Shepheards staues Certainly St. Paul saith as much of the efficacie of the Gospel We all with open face behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same image from glorie vnto glorie euen by the spirit of the Lord. There is a speciall reason why Christ is said to feed the flocke because he made himselfe food for it His flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeed Iohn 6. and with what he fed with the same must we feed we must desire to know nothing amongst our people but Christ and him crucified But as we must so feede so must wee doe it discreetly and constantly the sheep are not all of one growth some must haue milke and some stronge meat Secondly we must remember that grace is like meat it must be supplyed otherwise the sheepe will starue certainly neuer come to their full growth Last of all neither must the Pastor administer nor the people expect any better patterne than that of this great Shepheard wee can haue no better furniture than the staffe of beauty and bands and the people can learne no better Lessons than Truth and Peace WHerefore let vs all pray God that we that are Pastors in our seuerall places may execute the iudgement of Truth and Peace in the gates of our Hierusalem and the People that heare vs may profit in the knowledge and in the loue of God So shall not these Staues bee wanting to vs and wee shall bee conformed vnto them and both Pastours and people shall truely and comfortably sing the three and twentieth Psalme The Lord is my Shepheard therefore doe I want nothing hee maketh vs to rest in greene Pastures and leades vs by the still Waters he restores our soules and leades vs in the path of Righteousnesse for his Names sake To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee rendred 〈◊〉 honour and glory c. Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT A VISITATION At BATHE 1 COR. 15. vers 10. By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed vpon me was not in vaine But I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with mee SAint Paul testifying to the Corinthians the Resurrection of Christ and ranging himselfe amongst the select witnesses thereof doth at verse the ninth meet with an exception that might bee taken to his former life and remoue all preiudice to his testimonie that might grow herehence For as hee doth ingenuously confesse that he was most vnworthy of his sacred calling so doth hee also thankefully acknowledge a wonderfull alteration that God had made of him And this alteration is the argument of those wordes that now I haue read vnto you Touching this Alteration the text will teach vs whence it sprang and wherein it stood It sprang from a Cause powerfull and mercifull powerfull from God mercifull for the preuailing Attribute was Grace from this gracious power or powerfull grace the Alteration sprang But wherein stood it in St. Paules Indowment and in his Employment in both we shall find somthing common to the whole Church and something proper to the Clergie The Clause that expresseth the Endowment is short and dark I am that I am you must resolue and cleare it thus I am a member of Christ that is an endowment common to the whole Church I am also a Minister of the Church that is proper to the Clergie But what I am I am by grace by the grace of Adoption I am a member of Christ and I am a Minister of the Church by the grace of edification Such was St. Paules Endowment Touching his employment the text teacheth vs two things first that he did not neglect Gods gifts as he was not emptie so hee was not idle Gods grace bestowed on him was not in vaine not the grace of
one hath occasioned many a wholsome Law to hold in others that would sall into the like sinne And GOD by MOSES giues an excellent patterne to all good Gouernours of making such occasionall Lawes in cases Ecclesiasticall Ciuill and Criminall Ecclesiasticall Numb 9. Ciuill Numb 27.36 Criminall Numb 15. and in this Chapter We haue now to doe with a criminall case the case of Blasphemie concerning which we find reported in this Chapter an haynous fact seuerely punished by GODS Commandement and an excellent prouisionall Law grounded thereupon to preuent the like sinne The fact with the punishment thereof you may read in the verses that goe immediately before the Law is set downe in these that now I haue read vnto you Wherein we will consider two things first what this Law contayneth secondly to whom it was giuen It contaynes the two maine parts of a Law for it opens the sinne and prouides a punishment In opening the sinne it sheweth vs against whom and how it is committed The person against whom is GOD. But the name of GOD is taken either for one that though he be not yet is reputed to be such or for him which is GOD indeed which is the true GOD. Both are here mentioned the reputed GOD in these words his God the true in those other the Name of the Lord. The sinne against either of these persons is committed by mentioning and vilifying them those two things must be vnderstood in either of these words curse and blaspheme If this sinne be committed here is a punishment prouided for it the Text will teach vs what it is and vpon whom it must be inflicted What it is we learne here first in generall he must beare his sinne by sinne is meant punishment the offender must beare it the Gouernour must put it vpon him least the State suffer for him In speciall the punishment is here set downe that it must be Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill Ecclesiasticall for he must be cast out of the Tents which was a kind of Excommunication Ciuill it must be vltimum and ignominiosissimum it must be no lesse then death he shall dye and that death must be most ignominious two wayes ignominious first for that he was stoned to death which is mors eminùs illata they that executed him stood a sarre off as if they did abhorre him Secondly he was to haue no eye to pittie him for euery one was to be his Executioner All the Congregation shall stone him This is the punishment And this punishment must be inflicted vpon all without any indulgence no person must be excepted quicunque whosoeuer doth blaspheme must suffer And because amongst the Israelites there were natiues and aliens both are giuen to vnderstand as well he that is borne in the Land as the stranger that the Law concernes them if they presume to blaspheme they must suffer yea and suffer so they must surely dye certainly be stoned they must looke for no commutation no mitigation of their punishment This is the Law And this Law was giuen to the children of Israel so saith the entrance into my Text Thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel Israel was GODS peculiar people and it beseemed them to be the more zealous for his glorie I haue broken vp the Text that this Penitent may be made sensible of his grieuous sinne and we may be warned to take heed of the like man reaped where he did not sowe gathered where he did not scatter These are affirmatiue blasphemies And vnto these you may referre false Prophets false Apostles Hereticks yea and Schismaticks too which come vnsent speake vnwarranted make GOD the Author of their owne deuices these are all more or lesse affirmatiue blasphemers yea and they also that without warrant curse in the Name of GOD or by GOD any other person or thing Besides these there are negatiue and they are those which either wholy deny or much lessen the perfections of GOD. Ps 94. Some put out the eye of his Wisedome they say Tush the Lord doth not see and is there any vnderstanding in the Highest Some bridle his Power 2 Kings â—â— What God is he that can deliuer out of my hand saith the proud Sennacherib God is the God onely of the Hils say the King of Syria's Captaines Epicures strip him of his Prouidence Scilicet is superis labor est ca cura quietos Sollicitat God will doe neither good nor euill These and such like Chryfoct we may call negatiue Blasphemers and the rule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that would be bad would haue nothing good in GOD. Vnto these you may referre them that giue to the creature that which is proper to the Creator that implyes a denyall for if they be common to others they are not onely his it is blasphemie to auer it And such Blasphemers are all that make and worship false Gods yea and Christs also Finally by reason of Reference vnto GOD sacred Persons and Things are exposed to both kinds of blasphemie the affirmatiue and the negatiue Wherefore the Dragon is said to blaspheme not onely the Name of GOD but also his Tabernacle that is his CHVRCH and the Inhabitants of Heauen Well whether the blasphemie be affirmatiue or negatiue by this time I thinke you conceiue that it is a fearfull thing and if you doe not certainly you will if you take notice of these three points which issue all of them out of that which you haue heard First Whereas sinne may be committed either onely against the Law or also against the Law-giuer this is committed immediately against the Law-giuer and you know that though he make bold which breaketh the Law of the Prince yet his presumption is most intolerable that layeth hands vpon his Person And what thinke you then of him that dares set himselfe against him that is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Secondly A mans tongue was made to glorifie GOD therefore DAVID cals it his glorie and the best member that he hath And how intolerable is it for a man to abuse that to GODS dishonor which was giuen him to set forth his prayse Not his tongue onely but any part of his body for a man may blaspheme by writing by painting by caruing sundry other wayes whereas man whole man and onely man of all creatures in this visible world was made to vnderstand GODS Word and his Workes that as he had the benefit of them so he might giue him the glorie of them both Thirdly the mischiefe that man doth himselfe by this spirituall folly Cap. 27. He that casts a stone vp saith the sonne of Sirach it will fall downe vpon his owne head Cap 35 Our sinnes our righteousnesse neither helpe nor hurt GOD as speaketh Elihu in Iob if we reuerence GOD the comfort is not his but ours as the discomfort is not his but ours if we dishonour him Doe we blaspheme affirmatiuely GOD will vindicate his owne glorie Ps 50. and
vpon whom this Law was made blasphemed but in his rage as appeares yet he dyed for it Wonder not at GODS seueritie he measureth no more to himselfe then he doth to Parents Exod. 21 to Magistrates He that curseth his father and his mother the parents of his flesh must be vsed so and shall not he be vsed so much more that curseth the Father of his Spirit He that speaketh euill of the Ruler of the people must be vsed so and shall not he that speaketh euill of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The comparison maketh Quicunque in GODS case to be most iust To which root we shall refer your Blasphemie that are the penitent I know not in charitie we hope the best we hope that it commeth from a mixture of grosse ignorance and vnruly passions for these doe rayse euill thoughts and murmurings That it doth so let it appeare in your repentance St Paul in conscience of his Fall by ignorance gaue himselfe no better a title when he had occasion to mention it then Maximus peccatorum the most grieuous of sinners euen when he lead a most holy life he could not forget his fall in the hight of GODS grace And of St Peter the Ecclesiasticall Storie reports that at the crowing of the Cocke the Remembrancer of his Fall euerie night during his life he did wash his bed and water his couch with his penitent teares GOD make you so mindfull and so sorrowfull otherwise you will betray that your Blasphemie sprang from malice and then be sure that the same GOD that commanded such seueritie to be executed here on earth will himselfe execute much greater vpon all those which through irrepentance goe to Hell Yea haply he may euen in this world make you a Spectacle of a forlorne wretch to the terrour of others as he did Sennacherib Hercdot â—â—b 8. vpon whose Statua there is this Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let euerie one that looketh vpon me learne to be godly Such a Spectacle I say may he make you if by often recounting and bewayling of this crying sin you doe not quench the fire of his wrath and preuent his iudgements For God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine The last point is that it must be done without all indulgence Moriendo morietur he shall surely dye surely be stoned We may not with Eue turne surely into ne fortè lest the Diuel worke vpon vs and we prouoke GOD as Saul did in Agags case and Ahab in Benadads You haue heard the Law A word of those to whom it was giuen and so I end In the entrance of my Text you find that it was giuen to the Israelites the Israelites were the people of GOD and surely it concernes them if any to be most zealous of his glorie who is their Glorie But did it concerne them onely Then it is dissolued because their Common-weale is at an end Take therefore a Rule That if a Law which in the institution thereof was Nationall to the Iewes in the equitie of it be Oecumenicall euerie Christian nation is bound to giue it a Reuiuor though they may varie the punishment as they find it expedient for their State And indeed this hath receiued such a reuiuor in most Christian States Iustinian the Emperour of Constantinopâ—e made it capitall The wise Gothes inflicted an hundred stripes for it and in disgrace shaued the delinquents head and beard and imprisoned him during life Fredericke the Emperour cut out the tongue of all that offended in this kind St Lewis of France caused their tongue to be bored with a hot Iron wishing that his owne tongue might be so vsed if euer he did blaspheme Philip of Vuloys caused their lips to be slit And touching our owne State I haue nothing to say in excuse thereof for that it hath all this while left this sinne onely to Ecclesiasticall censure and hath not prouided some corporall punishment for it but that of Solon who being demanded why he made no Law against Parricide answered that he thought none in his Common-weale would euer be so impious to commit it So I thinke our State thought there would neuer rise such lewd persons amongst vs But seeing there doe it is high time we had some sharpe occasionall Statute to represse them If holy Iob were so carefull to sacrifice for and sanctifie his sonnes ne fortè lest peraduenture they had sinned with what zeale should we be stirred vp when we see the fact is most apparent I conclude Let all Blasphemie be put out of all our mouthes yea and hearts also and let vs pray GOD to set a watch before our lips and keepe the doore of our mouthes that his grace may rule in our hearts that he may be our feare and his prayse may be our talke that praysing him here on Earth we may be admitted into the number of his Saints which with heart and voyce prayse him for euermore in Heauen A penitent Prayer for a Blasphemer MOST Sacred and most dread Almightie Euerlasting God to whom the Angels continually doe cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Hoasts the glorie of whose admirable and comfortable wisedome reacheth from one end of the world to another mightily and sweetly ordereth all things J the vnworthiest of men the most grieuous of sinners humbly sorrowfully prostrating my deiected disconsolate both soule and body before thy holy eyes pray that the sighes and groanes of a broken and contrite heart may not be excluded from thine offended eares Lord J haue beene deepe in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Sathan hath filled my heart therewith and out of the aboundance thereof my tongue hath sent forth many flashes euen of the fire of Hell as a brood of the Serpent J haue set my mouth against Heauen J haue blasphemed the holy the reuerend Name of my God and vilified his vnchangeable vnchallengable Prouidence Haddest thou dealt with me as I deserued fire and brimstone from Heauen should haue consumed me or the Earth should haue gaped and swallowed me downe quicke into the pit of Hell J deserued to be made a spectacle of thy iust vengeance that gracelesse wretches seeing my iudgement might feare my offence J confesse this ô Lord J confesse it vnfainedly penitently but woe is me if J haue no more to confesse but these my euill deserts Thy long-suffering towards me putteth me in better hope yea this medicinall confusion whereunto thou now puttest me puts me in good hope that thou hast not forgotten to be mercifull vnto me neither hast thou shut vp thy tender mercie in displeasure Lord J doe not despise this goodnesse of thine that leads me to repentance that workes in me remorce of conscience And from that penitent Blasphemer that proued a most worthy Apostle from his mouth doe J take vnto my selfe that saying worthy of all men to be receiued That Iesus Christ came into the world to saue
sinners euen such sinners of whom I am chiefe Now then J beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is slow to anger and of great mercie and forgiueth iniquitie and sinne Be mercifull J beseech thee to the impietie of thy seruant according to thy great mercie let the vngodlinesse of my heart of my mouth be blotted out of thy remembrance let it not bring vpon me the vengeance J deserue but create in me a new heart and touch my tongue with a cole from thine Altar that J which am vnworthy by reason of my scandalous crying sinne to meditate on or make mention of thy glorious Maiestie thy diuine Wisedome may haue a heart alwayes enditing good things and my blasphemous tongue may be turned into an instrument of thy glorie So shall my soule be filled as it were with marrow and fatnesse when J shall prayse thee with ioyfull lips and J shall sing forth thy wonderous mercie all the dayes of my life Heare me ô Father of mercie for giue me amend me and establish in me this holy purpose of my repentant heart to thy glorie and the comfort of enormous sinners for Jesus Christs sake by the powerfull operation of thy Holy Spirit Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT St ANDREWS IN WELLES A SCHISMATIQVE DOING PENANCE WHO HAD FOR MANY YEERES ESTRANGED HIMSELFE FROM THE COMMVNION OF OVR CHVRCH 1 CORINT 3.18 18 Let no man deceiue himselfe if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise A Particular visible Church is built vpon two foundations Vnion and Communion a louing vnion of the faithfull and an holy communion in sacred things Both these must be preserued or else that Church will come to naught Now there were amongst the Corinthians that did vndermine these foundations some rent the vnion and the communion was corrupted by other-some St Paul wrot this Epistle to amend them both And marke what a distinct course he taketh He first setleth the vnion before he offereth to purge the communion And there is good reason why for though the louing vnion of the faithfull be vnprofitable if it be without a holy communion in sacred things yet is a holy communion in sacred things impossible if you take away the louing vnion of the faithfull Therefore lest St Paul should lose his labour in redressing of the communion he first taketh care of repayring the vnion The first thing then that in the Church of Corinth he reformes is Schisme and he spends well-nigh foure Chapters in reforming thereof in throughly searching into the disease and applying thereto a soueraigne remedy The words that now I haue read vnto you belong to the remedy and you shall find them to be a principall branch thereof Let vs come more closely to them Of medicinall remedies some are preseruatiue some are restoratiue The preseruatiue are for the sound the restoratiue are for the sicke You shall find them both in my Text and you shall find that they are Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue remedy is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prouidence or the preuention of Schisme you haue it in these words Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance or the recouering of a Schismatique it followeth in these words If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise But more distinctly In the preseruatiue we are to behold our naturall weakenesse and therefore to learne spirituall carefulnesse St Paul supposeth that we are prone to deceiue our selues and therefore aduiseth that no man should doe himselfe that wrong Let no man deceiue himselfe In the restoratiue we must behold first the distemper of a Schismatique and then the cure fitting to such a distemper The distemper is a carnall selfe-conceit a selfe-conceit for the man thinkes himselfe wise but the selfe-conceipt is but carnall as appeares by the limitation or extenuation rather that is added to his wisedome he is onely wise in this world Such is his distemper Whereof the first cure is an exalting humilitie The first branch is humilitie He must become a foole but he need not be disheartened there followeth an exaltation thereupon He becomes a foole that he may be wise These are the remedies And they are as I told you Catholica remedia such remedies as doe or may concerne vs all The preseruatiue doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man deceiue himselfe The restoratiue may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any That which hath befalne this man may be the case of the best of vs all These are the particulars which GOD-willing I shall now enlarge and apply vnto this present occasion I pray GOD we may so doe it as that we all not this Penitent onely may be the better for it The first remedy is the preseruatiue and therein the first thing that I pointed out is our naturall weaknesse This St Paul supposeth we may gather it out of that which he aduiseth for in vaine were his aduise if there were not a truth in that which he supposeth but farre be it from vs to thinke that the Holy Ghost doth require any thing in vaine let it stand then for an vndoubted truth that we are prone by nature to deceiue our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Verbe is deriued which is vsed by the Apostle signifieth a leauing of the right way which putteth vs in mind that in this world we are but way-faring men When we are admitted into the Church we are set in the path which will lead vs to our euerlasting home but when we are in it we may goe out of it It appeares too plainly in Adam and Eue and it is not to be expected that the children should be better then the parents especially seeing our restitution commeth short of that measure of grace which they had in their Creation It being true that we may the question is How it comes to passe that we doe goe out of the way and leaue the straight path wherein we are set the Scripture obserues two meanes the one without vs the other within vs that is the world this is concupiscence the world allures concupiscence inclines Adde hereunto a third that is the diuel he blancheth the world that it may allure more strongly and worketh concupiscence by perswasion that it may yeeld more readily and these betweene them consummate the deceipt whereby we are led out of the way But betweene these we must obserue a great difference that which worketh the deceipt from without is but an occasion that which worketh it from within is the true cause thereof the world the diuel Suadere possunt cogere non possunt they may sollicit powerfully but they cannot inforce vs vnwillingly to goe out of the way Physicall actions may be constrayned morall cannot I may haue
by many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen we must be baptised with CHRISTS baptisme and drinke of his cup And if you marke the eight beatitudes in the first Sermon of CHRIST you see that they run almost all of them vpon a passiue obedience and place blessednesse in the Crosse A blessednesse then there is in suffering but few would affect it did they not hope for a better after it therefore St Iames addeth what hereafter they are to expect and that is the crowne of life This I told you is a full definition of blessednesse a definition that better resolueth then those many but different that are found in Philosophy Blessednesse presupposeth life and the life is not blessed without a Crowne But the life and the crowne may either be considered in diuers times or knit together in one time If they be considered at diuers times then life belongs to this world and the crowne to that which is to come so that the Apostle saith that the crowne to come is for the life that is past and a man that lookes for the crowne must haue a care of this life Cap. 8.10 Cap. 3.11 For he shall be crowned that striueth lawfully therefore CHRIST in the Reuelations saith Esto fidelis tibi dabo coronam and againe hold fast that none take thy crowne 2 Tim. 4. and St Paul I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the faith from hence forth there is layd vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse c. Haec vita est negotiatio they that here exercise their faith and hope by charitie shall find a reward in Heauen But if we ioyne life and the crowne and referre them both to the time that is to come then doth the crowne expresse the condition of the life in Heauen For though the word life of it selfe vsed absolutely doe signifie a blessed life as appeares in many passages of Scripture yet the crowne doth more distinctly represent vnto vs the manner of that life and it represents three things the perpetuitie the plentie the dignitie thereof The perpetuitie for as a Crowne hath neither beginning nor ending so is it the liuely Image of Eternitie and in this respect it is called an immarcescible and immortall crowne and a Kingdome that cannot be shaken En Ps 6. Talia sunt Dei dona saith Chrysostome valida decore plena at in hominibu◠non ita est sed qui est in gloria non est securus qui autem securus non est in gloria in Deo vtraque concurrunt Secondly the crowne notes the plentie because as the Crowne compasseth on euerie side so doth that which is plentifull satisfie on euery part and nothing is wanting in this life therefore the Scripture in seuerall places runneth ouer euerie part of our body and power of our soule and sheweth how euerie one shall haue his content the eye in beholding GOD the eare in hearing the musicke of Heauen the tongue in praysing c. The last is the dignitie and that is principally noted by a crowne as it appeares by the vse that is made thereof on Kings heads And indeed what is eternall life but a Coronation day the Scripture indescribing it remembreth all parts of a Coronation the robes long white robes of righteousnesse which we shall put on then the oyle of gladnesse wherewith we shall be annointed then the Scepter which CHRIST shall put into our hands to bruise therewith all Nations the Throne whereupon we shall sit with CHRIST the Feast whereat we shall eat and drinke with him finally in steed of a Bishop or Archbishop to performe these ceremonies we shall haue the great Bishop of our soules IESVS CHRIST and he shall doe it in the presence not of earthly Peeres but of the heauenly both Saints and Angels Ad hereunto that this Crowne is significantly called a crowne of life to distinguish it from the Crowne of mortall Princes which is but a dead crowne whereas this is a liuing In a mortall Kings Crowne there is gold and flowers and pretious stones but all are dead the gold and flowers and pretious stones whereof our Crowne consists are all liuing for the Lord himselfe is the Crowne In that day shall the Lord of Hosts be for a Crowne of glorie Esay 28. and a Diadem of beautie to the residue of his people and the people shall be a Crowne of glorie in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diademe in the hand of GOD. And no maruell for the life to come is the marriage day wherein the Spouse shall receiue her Crowne vpon her resurrection as CHRIST receiued his Crowne at his resurrection St Paul is plaine for it Hebr. 2. This phrase then of the Crowne of life is more then a militarie phrase the Souldiers in triumph wore Insigne sine regno but here Insigne ceniungitur cum regno and the name of Crowne is vsed rather then any other ornament because ornamenta caetera membrorum sunt singulorum capitis ornatus totius corporis est dignitas You haue heard what is Patience and what is the Recompence thereof one thing remaineth that the patient man may know vpon what ground he may expect this recompence That is set downe here by the Apostle in two Verbes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof each hath his Nowne annext vnto it to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is annexed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresly and betweene this nowne and that verbe there is a strong coniunction for the Lord is so great a person as by the Law may command our patience and yet so good a person is he that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath promised a recompence See then our title it is from GOD but grounded not vpon the Law but the Gospel And indeed if you looke into St Paul we shall find that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word proper to the Gospel especially in the Epistle to the Galathians so that we must not stand vpon desert but acknowledge GODS mercie for as it is Psal 103. Coronat te miserationthus 2 Tim 4.8 It is true that St Paul calleth it Coronam iustitiae but there is Iustitia fidelitatis as well as aqualitatis The ground of merit euen in the Creation was GODS Contract which he vouchsafed to make with his Vassall notwithstanding the Obligation of his naturall alleageance This Contract consisted of mutuall Couenants which Couenants were proportionable to the Contractors Mans Conenant was of workes but workes proportionable to the abilities of man that is meane and finite GODS Couenant was of life proportionable to the magnificencie of GOD so that there was apparantly a proportion betweene the workes and the Worker the Rewarder and the reward but betweene the worke and the reward none at all Hence it is that betweene Adams obedience and GODS recompence thereof there could be no merit of condignitie which properly vnderstood compares and equalleth the
worke and the reward without any other respect but merit of congruitie there might haue beene seeing GOD was pleased freely and graciously to propose to the worke so great a reward and to bind himselfe by promise to performe his Couenant of life if man did performe his couenant of obedience And this congruitie carrieth with it a Iustice for GOD is no lesse iust when he keepes his word then when he equalleth a reward to a worke But his first word was Legall the word wherewith we haue to doe is Euangelicall a word published by the Prophets and Apostles wherein there is mercie not onely in that GOD proposeth a reward to the worke but also for CHRISTS sake bestoweth the reward notwithstanding our defects in the worke for touching the worke of our passiue obedience St Pauls rule is true Non sunt condignae passiones c. Saint St Bernard openeth St Pauls meaning fairely and fully lest any man should restraine it out of a vaine conceit of any worth of his owne Non sunt condignae saith he vel ad praeteritam culpam quae remittitur vel ad presentis consolationis gratiam quae immitticur vel ad futuram gloriam quae promittitur our momentaine afflictions which are but for a little time doe worke an exceeding eternall weight of glorie Vsura sortem excedit Away then with all pride and let no Romanists presume of more then GODS free mercie for all our title is concluded in The Lord hath promised And what he promiseth shall be performed that appeares in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be no distrust no distrust if the person be not mistaken to whom the promise is made that is to the patient man he shall be sure of it There is a question An iustus possit excidere a gratia but of this which is in my Text there is no question Papists Lutherans Protestants all are agreed that he that perseuereth to the end shall be saued shall be glorified And I would to GOD the world did take more care to perseuere then to dispute of the certaintie of perseuering Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the future tense intimates that Beatitudo hic parari potest possideri non potest we must stay our time and in due time we shall not faile Nazianz. trat 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let vs not be wearie of well-doing for in due time we shall reape if we faint not The last point that I note is that whereunto St Iames applyes both the nature of patience and also the description of the end thereof it is to resolue rich-men humbled that they must reioyce and I doubt not but by this time you will say they must reioyce Let affliction be vnsauourie yet temptation rellisheth well for what generous nature doth not affect to haue his vertue most conspicuous especially that vertue which is the life of all vertue I meane the loue of God There is then matter of Ioy included in the nature of the Crosse If in the Nature much more in the End for this end is blessednesse and this blessednesse is the Crowne of life looke how many words so many seeds shall I say nay clusters of ioy The Moralist teacheth that pleasure is inseparable from blessednesse and how sweet life is aske but the Naturalist whose axiome that is Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will giue for his life And as for a Crowne all Histories will teach vs that there hath beene no kind of Festiuitie amongst the Ancients whereof one token was not the wearing of a Crowne But if we consider moreouer that the blessednesse here mentioned is entire the life heauenly the Crowne eternall then I am sure there will be no question made of the ioy the ioy that attends the end of patience Let Iulian seeke to disgrace the Crosse and not endure it vpon his Standard he shall find it in the verie entrals of beasts crowned to his confusion Let all the enemies of the Church crowne vs here with thornes as they did our Sauiour CHRIST yet let vs be of good courage as his so ours shall be changed into a Crowne of glorie Affliction is not destructiue nay that which is the path of death in the eyes of men is vnto the godly the path of life The wicked thinke to doe vs hurt as Iosephs brethren did when they sold him but as Ioseph answered GOD meant it vnto good and so doth he worke our good out of the malice of all our Foes Sicut non minuitur patris dilectio quod Christus passus sit ita neque nos minus diligimur quod tentamur If we suâ—â—er with CHRIST we shall raigne with him GOD will bring vpon Dauid a blessing for Shimei his curse and all that suffer for CHRIST shall one day haue occasion to sing that part of the eighth Psalme which belongs to you no lesse then to CHRIST Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him Thou hast made him a little lower then the Angels by affliction but hast crowned him with glorie and honour The conclusion of all is Kings are not free from nay they are most subiect vnto the Crosse they must not be the worse for it nay their vertue must become the more resplendent by it so shall they be twice happy happy here on earth in that they beare the Crosse vpon their Crownes and happy in Heauen where GOD shall set the Crowne vpon all their Crosses GOD grant all states according to their degrees this Patience that they may euerie one in Heauen receiue his measure of the Recompence Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITE-HALL IOHN 2.16 16 Make not my Fathers House an house of merchandize THE whole Chapter is a portion of this dayes Liturgie and the latter part thereof containeth a preparation against Easter for that Feast drew neere as we read at the 13 verse and we read there also that CHRIST then went vp to Hierusalem First He went vp to be a good example vnto others of obeying the Law Secondly to giue a solemne beginning to that Function whereunto he was not long before inaugurated at his Baptisme When for these ends he came into the Temple at the verie entrance he perceiued the prophanation thereof and therefore the first worke that he vndertooke was to reforme that place In this Reformation he manifested potentiam potestatem power and authoritie power in his deed and in his word authoritie but a Miracle in both His deed was a miracle St Hierome commenting vpon the like reported Math. 21. affirmeth that it was the greatest Miracle that euer CHRIST wrought If that much more this for CHRIST was now lesse knowne and worse attended therefore it was the more strange that being but one man in shew a meane man he should not onely set vpon but expell also out of the Temple so great a multitude and that of no meane ones yet such was
And is our case lesse fearefull if we sell our selues Our persons are mysticall they are Temples of the Holy Ghost and are not we verie profane if we merchandize them doe we not run a desperate course and prostitute our sacred selues for things of nought A Heathen-man could say Senâ—â—â— Nihil cuiquam vilius serpso a man setteth lesse by nothing then by himselfe Nostri essemus si haec nostra non essent we would owne our selues if we did not desire to be owners of the world How many sinfull things be there in exchange for which if we should be demanded our Farme or our House we would haply answer Non tanti emam poenitere I will not buy repentance at so deare a rate yet for those verie things we can be contented to giue our selues and thinke silly ones that we are that we haue that verie cheap which costs vs too too deare too too deare I say if we know the price of a Temple of GOD and set our selues at so high a rate as the honour GOD hath done vs requireth at our hands were we but reasonable men we might not so vnder-value our selues as to thinke any worldly thing worth our either ciuill libertie or our naturall life how much lesse then may we equall any of these yea all these things vnto that Adoption of Sonnes and consecration into Temples which are vouchsafed vs of GOD Well if we doe not as we ought prize GODS fauour GOD will as we deserue punish our contempt he that destroyes GODS Temple him will GOD destroy Prosaners of the naturall Temple haue had ill ends and the profaners of the spirituall may not looke for good What CHRIST in regard of the naturall Temple did visibly In Math. c. 21. that saith Origen doth he euerie day inuisibly concerning the Spirituall and beleeue that if he shewed such zeale for the materiall he will shew much more for the Spirituall and if we regard not the Iudgement which he executed with a whip he will one day set vpon vs with his two-edged Sword and if he strooke such terror into the wicked in the dayes of his Humilitie iudge you what terror he will strike into them in the dayes of his Glorie and if we are ashamed of the disgrace of being cast out of the Temple let vs feare the vengeance of being cast into Hell But I told you that this was a preparation for Easter and it is for Easter that you are now to be prepared and you see what your preparation must be The materiall Temple must be rid of all profanesse and so must the Spirituall too purifie the place purifie your selues so may you with comfort eat of CHRIST our Passeouer which is sacrificed for vs and if all the doore-posts of either House be sprinkled with the blood of that Lambe the punishing Angel will passe by vs and the Plagues of Aegypt shall neuer seaze vpon vs. Away then with these things away with Sheepe and Oxen the rich-mans worldly thought away with Turtles and with Doues let not the world here possesse the poore-mans heart let both remember and shew that Holinesse beseeming GODS House for euer When CHRIST spake these words they were so powerfull that all that heard them did readily obey them I cannot hope for such a Miracle Leu. 19. but I will pray That we may all haue grace so to keepe Gods Sabbaoths Ps 5. and reuerence his Sanctuarie that comming into his House in the multitude of his mercies and in his feare worshipping towards his holy Temple we our selues may more and more become Temples of Grace haue GOD dwell in vs vntill we are translated vnto him haue the Oracle of Faith vntill we are admitted vnto his blessed sight and the Altar of Deuotion vntill we attaine our euerlasting vnion This the Owner of the House grant vs through CHRIST in whom we haue this honour to be Houses by the operation of the Holy Ghost the Architect of these Houses To which one GOD in three Persons we render all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen Blessed are they that dwell in thy House O Lord they shall euer be praysing thee A SERMON PREACHED AT GREENWICH PSALME 32. VERSE 5. 5 J said J will confesse my transgressions against my selfe and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne Selah THIS is one of the Psalmes appointed for this dayes Euening-prayer and it fits well the season For it is the second of those that are called Penitentials and Repentance is or ought to be the most of our exercise this time of Lent But when we goe thereabout it is our best way considering our ignorance and negligence to endeauour the exemplification of some worthy Patternes and a more worthy then king Dauid we cannot haue For Regis admirabilem virtutem poenitentia fecit splendidiorem as Theodoret obserues that King was a manifold Worthy but his worth did shine in nothing more conspicuously then in the feeling acknowledgment of his owne vnworthinesse and his Doctrinall practise of that kind is the argument that is handled in this Psalme Let vs looke then into it The Title is a briefe of the whole for Maschil being interpreted is a lesson of happy wisedome and no wisedome so happy as that which makes or keepes our peace with GOD. But these things are done the one by Repentance the other by Obâ—dience these causes with those effects are the foure parts whereinto we may fairely breake this Psalme My Text is found in that part which teacheth Repentance for thereof Confession is a principall branch and the doctrine of Confession is redoubled in this verse whereof I haue chosen the latter clause So then we haue now to doe with Penitentiall Confession and are out of this Scripture to learne what it is and how it speeds What it is we shall see in King Dauids Practise and in his Successe how it speeds But more distinctly In the Practise we are to consider the matter confessed and the manner of confessing The matter is Sinne his owne sinne Of this he had a sense manifested by an euidence The euidence is a Confession a penitentiall confession for it layeth the blame where it is deserued he confesseth against himselfe and seekes reliefe where it may be found he confesseth vnto the Lord. He confesseth doe I say I say too much for he was come no farther then Dixi confitebor he did but professe his resolution the action was to come Thus farre the Text doth open his Practise In that which remaines it reports his Successe He sped remarkably well Well He in humilitie gaue glorie vnto GOD and GOD did gratiously relieue him But marke here also the matter wherein and the manner how He relieued him in that which he confessed in Sinne the iniquitie of his sinne and this reliefe was a Release it was the Forgiuenesse of that sinne But here obserue and wonder at the goodnesse of GOD King Dauids Practise was but a purpose but
LVKE 22. VERSE 60 61 62. 60 And immediately while he yet spake the cocke crew 61 And the Lord turned and looked vpon Peter and Peter remembred the word of the Lord how he said vnto him Before 〈◊〉 cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice 62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly THESE words were read this day in the Church â—ent and they are verie agreeable to the Season an Argument of Repentance to the dayes of Humiliation Now Repentance is here deliuered not in a Rule but in an Example but such an example as deserues our best regard because the person is of principall note no meaner a man then St Peter is here presented vnto vs in the forme of a Penitent Let vs then looke vpon him And if we doe we shall see him here downe and vp taking a fall and â—ysing againe And indeed Repentance is nothing but a rysing from a â—all Therefore we may well resolue St Peters Case and my Text into his Fall and into his Rising His fall Peter denyed Christ a sore fall because from a high Rocke and that Rocke was CHRIST That Fall was sore but it is made sorer in that it was taken so soone and so often Soone before the cocke crew not many houres after he was fore-warned and fore-armed Often before the cocke crew Peter denied CHRIST thrice being ouer shooes he would ouer eares and the â—arther he went the worse he was So Peter came downe But he got vp againe and the Text will teach vs of his Rising first What were the Meanes and secondly What were their Effects The meanes were two one outward another inward The outward was a timely signe The signe was the crowing of a cocke an ordinarie thing but here seruing to an extraordinarie vse And that signe was timely immediately euen while he was speaking did the cocke crowe no sooner was Peter downe but he was put in mind of his Fall Neither was he onely put in mind by the outward meanes but he was also by an inward made sensible thereof euen by the helpe of CHRIST CHRIST turned and looked the Workes seeme corporall but indeed they are spirituall for he that turned he that looked was the Lord and he turned and looked as a Lord both Workes were spiritually operatiue Witnesse the Effects The Effects are as the Meanes were in number two each Meanes produced his Effect The Cocke did crowe and what came of it presently Peter remembred the words that the Lord saio vnto him he acknowledged CHRIST to be a true Prophet and gaue glorie to his truth This is the Effect of the outward meanes The inward meanes wanted not his Effect also CHRIST turned he looked and loe Peter is presently changed He was ouer-bold he now findeth his weaknesse for he went out he durst no longer abide by the Temptation Peter was senslesse he now groweth tender hearted for he wept bitterly the floods of sorrow that ouer-whelmed his soule gusht out in streames of teares that trickled downe his eyes There is one thing more in the Text which I may not omit and that is the correspondencie of the rising to the fall Peter was quickly downe before the crowing of the cocke and he was as quickly vp euen as soone as the cocke did crowe Secondly Peter had meanes to rise the cocke did crowe CHRIST turned CHRIST looked and Peter did vse the meanes which he had for he remembred he went out he wept Finally Peter endeauoured to make his Repentance as afflictiue as his Sinne had been offensiue for as he denied shamefully so did he weepe bitterly You haue seene our Penitent but not so throughly but we may all desire to see him againe And verily if with a reflecting eye we doe deliberately reuiew him in him we may profitably behold our selues behold what we are behold what we should be are in his fall should be in his rising GOD giue vs all such single eyes I resume the Fall Peter denied CHRIST Rom. 10 It is a rule of the Apostles That with the heart a man belieueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth he confesseth to saluation whereby we learne that it is not enough for vs to stand in good tearmes with GOD except we also let the world know what good he hath done for our soules we may forfeit the former if we be not resolute in performing the latter CHRIST doth assure it in the Gospel saying that if any deny him before men he will deny them before his Father which is in Heauen This ground must guid vs in iudging aright of St Peters fall by it you shall find that it was a sinfull fact which that you may the better see I will distinctly obserue the Fact and the Sinne. The Fact was a deniall but it was negatio duplex a double deniall First Negatio notitiae and secondly Negatio consortij by former verses we are directed so to vnderstand it First he denyed that he had any acquaintance with CHRIST and secondly he denyed also that he had any dependencie on him This was his Fact And this Fact was sinfull for it contained a plaine contradiction to his Calling and his Conscience To his Calling Peter was CHRISTS Apostle could he be one of CHRISTS Apostles and not know him A chiefe Apostle and haue nothing to doe with him A flat contradiction to his Calling Neither to his Calling onely but to his Conscience also For was not Peter the man that Matthew Cap. 16 confessed Thou art CHRIST the Sonne of the liuing God and was well rewarded for that confession And had he not acquaintance with him A flat contradiction to his Conscience Was not Peter the man that Matthew cap. 19. said Behold we haue forsaken all and followed thee and was warranted an exceeding gaine for a trifling losse and had he no dependencie on him So that the denyall containeth two notable vntruths wherewith St Peter is iustly charged and charging him therewith we keepe our selues within the reasonable bounds which St Bernard hath set Peccauit Petrus De Gratia libero Arbit it is out of question that St Peter did sinne in denying but yet he did sinne Non odiendo Christum sed se nimis amando he bare no malitious mind against CHRIST but was willing to sleepe in a whole skin And that he might so doe he suppressed the truth in his heart and his tongue vttered these vntruths Wherefore his faith was still vnfained and his loue vndoubted but Constantia turbata est his constancie was shaken Loue of CHRIST and feare of danger had so shrewd a conflict that the feare of danger got the vpper-hand of the loue of CHRIST So that though he continued inwardly a good man yet durst he not out of the good treasurie of his heart bring forth his good things These are reasonable bounds but they are diuersly transgrest for some doe racke and some doe shrinke the sinne They racke it that in their Tracts De Apostasia Sanctorum put
so it behoued him to fulfill all righteousnesse whereof this was a Branch to shew that he was the Truth of former Types Cap. 8. We read in Leuiticus how solemnely Aaron was consecrated and seeing CHRIST came to bee what Aaron onely did signifie the high Priest of God it behoued that he also should haue an Inauguration but so much more excellent by how much the Truth exceedes the Type Luke 3. and the Lora the Seruant This correspondency is made the more probable because St. Luke tels vs that when this was done CHRIST was about thirtie yeeres old and of that age was the Priest to be when he entred vpon his charge the Holy Ghost by that Law Numb 4.8 and by this example of CHRIST giuing vs to vnderstand That maturitie of age is a necessary requisite in all that will vndertake a sacred function Marke withall the regular humilitie of our Sauiour though he were the Lord of Glory Hâ—b â— No man saith St Paul taketh the honour of Priesthoed vpon him but he that is called of God as was Aaron therefore Iesus glorified not himselfe but was glorified by him that said vnto him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck hee tooke not vpon him the office of a Mediatour vntill he was thereto ordained checking the sacrilegious pride of those which presume of their abilitie and intrude themselues without Imposition of hands into sacred Functions they cannot be so able they should not be lesse humble then was our Sauiour CHRIST St. Luke addeth that CHRIST was praying when the Holy Ghost descended As GOD doth promise so we must desire his guifts the greatest guifts with the most earnest desire CHRIST would herein bee exemplary vnto vs to testifie the humilitie that beseemes our nature and goe before vs in that which he commandeth he prayeth for that which he looked for from GOD. After this holy patterne haue all Christian Inaugurations and Ordinations beene accompanied with publicke and deuout Prayers And if CHRIST did not receiue the Holy Ghost from his Father but by praying how can they but blush at their vnmannerlinesse that refuse vpon their knees to receiue the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of CHRIST Finally we learne of CHRIST praying that after Baptisme we must not be secure for though all sinnes be forgiuen vs yet is not concupiscence wholy extinguisht neither haue we our full measure of grace we ought therefore to fall to our prayers and so prepare our selues to receiue the Holy Ghost which is our needfull guide and strength in our spirituall warfare But because I shall resume this second Person againe in the end of the Text we will passe on and see in the next place how he was consecrated He was consecrated first in signo visibili with a visible signe which was the likenesse of a Doue De Agone Christiano The word likenesse is not vsed saith St. Augustine ad excludenaam veritatem Columbae to denie that that which appeared was a true Doue but ad Ostendendum quod spiritus nâ—n apparuit in specie substantiae to shew that the Essence of the Spirit is a sarre different thing from that wherein he did vouchsafe to manifest himselfe It was then a true Doue and the end for which it was vsed sheweth there is reason we should thinke it to be so It was to be signum analegicum an apt signe to represent what was signified and the shape without the substance of a Doue could not so well signifie the properties of the Holy Ghost their correspondency is to the qualities that are obserued in a liuing Doue I am not ignorant that many thinke otherwise and that the shape onely was sufficient Some aduocates of Rome make vse of this shape without substance to confirme their Transubstantiation and the subsistence of accidents without the subiect Bread and Wine But I leaue them to feed vpon their fancies and will not contend about that which is no Article of Faith onely this I would haue obserued Iohn 1. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text doth not alwayes note a resemblance but some times a truth and seeing the phrase will beare both opinions as well that which holds that it was onely the shape of a Doue as that which defineth it was a true Doue I chuse rather the latter as most agreeable to the intent of the Holy Ghost and the difference that I put betweene the workes of GOD and the workes of the Diuell As GOD is an Omnipotent Creatour so those things which he exhibits are reall but the Diuell affecting to be thought what he is not maketh shew of that which he doth not his workes are spectra meere illusions Though this were a true Doue yet was it not assumed into one Person with the Holy Ghost as the nature of man was at the Incarnation of CHRIST St. Austin giueth the reason Non venit spiritus sanctus liberare Columbas he came not to redeeme Doues Ergo non est natus dé Columba therefore was not incarnate by a Doue but he came to signifie the properties of CHRIST therefore it was sufficient that by his Almighty power hee created a Doue of nothing and thereby gaue notice of his presence and residence in our Sauiour CHRIST which Doue as it was made of nothing so after the seruice was done was dissolued into nothing againe Wherein amongst other things appeares a difference betweene this Doue and the imposture of Mahomet and superstition of Rome both practised by a Doue whereof the later in a Romane Councill proou'd but an Owle S. Chrysostome giueth another note vpon this Doue In principijs spiritualium rerum c. when GOD first foundeth Religion he vseth sensible visions in commiseration of them which are not capable of incorporall natures but his purpose is that when once such things haue made faith vnto his truth we should continue our faith in his truth though he doe not dayly confirme it vnto vs by such things Which the Romanists should obserue who after so many hundred yeeres plantation of the Christian saith will still haue Miracles a marke of the true Church Finally we must obserue that signes come not Propter se but Propter aliud there is some other thing intended besides that which is presented so was it here the Doue appeared but the Spirit of God was meant thereby the Spirit was the Sacred Oyle wherewith our Sauiour was annointed The holy Spirit though in Person but one yet is hee infinite in the varietie of operations and so may haue answerable vaâ—ietie of resemblances out of which the Scripture maketh choice vpon seuerall occasions of such as come neerest vnto the Argument in hand And to this purpose must we referre signes they serue not onely for illustration but for limitation also they confine our thoughts which otherwise would bee confused and fixe them vpon that which is presently intended The grace then of the Holy Ghost here meant
Therein what dost thou shew Lord but how powerfull thy grace is and what an alteration it can worke in me I acknowledge this and Lord let me feele that truth which I acknowledge make hast to moisten him that early seeketh to thee I should haue sought vnto thee in the morning of my age and happie had I beene if I had so timely sought vnto thee I had not so long continued in the wildernesse Yea the trees which now scarce blossome would then haue beene loaden with ripe fruit the seed which is now scarce in the blade would haue shot an eare and beene white for haruest But Lord I that neglected that morning to testifie my griefe therefore take holdfast of another morning as much as I can I redeeme the time the day hath dawned I suffer not the Sunne to shine in vaine so soone as I can see my way I take my way to thee I come earely I would speed betimes See Lord my desire in my haste and Lord let thy grace hasten like my desire yea preuent my desire who cannot desire so timely as I would Onely O Lord I take notice of my Day and would not haue it spent in vaine Turne my morning into high-noone let the Sunne of righteousnesse ascend vnto his greatest highth but proportion my desire to thy light and let mee so beginne betimes as that I perseuere vnto the ende let my later workes bee better then my first let my motions bee not violent which slacken as they goe on and are weakest in in the end but let them be naturall yea supernaturall motions let them increase as they goe on and the neerer my race draweth to an end the hotter let my zeale bee towards God Let me thirst the more let me the more desire those waters that moysten my drougth and refresh my wearinesse so let me appeare before thee But where art thou In thy Sanctuarie thy holy place How reuerent is that place And how vnfit am I to bee seene there Is that a place for a wildernesse Paradise is a better obiect of the eyes of God where God may see all that he hath made and see it good and blesse it being so but sinne hath no place in Paradise Gods eyes cannot endure it yea therefore were the Cherubins set with the flaming sword that sinners might not approach the place of God How senslesse then am I that being such as I am dare approach the place of God being such as it is True Lord I am senslesse indeed if I come onely as a drie as a thirstie land such an obiect is not for the holy eyes of God it is not to approach his presence But if the drie land bee also thirstie then thou callest Ho all yee that thirst come yee to the waters and he that hath no money buy and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price If the barren land be wearie thou callest O Lord Come vnto mee all that labour and are heauie loaden I will ease you I will giue you rest Seeing this thirst this desire is acceptable vnto God euen where there wanteth the fatnesse and fruitfulnesse of good workes and God whose Throne is heauen and whose footestoole is the earth will looke to that man euen to him that is poore and of a contrite heart though I want righteousnesse yet because I hunger and thirst after it I am not afraid to be seene in the Sanctuarie of God yea in the Sanctuarie to looke vpon God For I know what he will shew vnto me euen his Power and Glorie hee will shew them both to me nay he will shew them both on me His power that shall worke on me and his glorie that shall crowne me He will make me as a water garden and plant me with most generous plants by his power that so I may flourish and bee comly in the eyes both of Angels and men Yea God will shew his power and God will giue me glorie that my eyes beholding them my mouth may speake of them speake of the workes of God and tell what he hath done for my bodie and for my soule O Lord other creatures partake thy Power partake thy Glorie but all doe not see it wee that are indued with reason not onely haue them but perceiue them and it is our happinesse that we know what blessings wee haue Lord let me neuer be so stupid as not to behold thy Mercies and when I doe behold them let mee also feele how blessed I am whom thou vouchsafest to possesse them so shall I more and more confesse that thou O Lord art my God and being my God I shall make haste to thee my Soule shall make haste and so shall my bodie also my drie and wearie bodie and soule shall goe out of this world wherein there are no springs of life and thirstie and longing as they are they shall approach thy Sanctuarie and there Lord let them see not onely feele thy Power thy Glorie quenching my thirst and satisfying my Desire Amen A Meditation vpon Psalme 90. VERSES 11 12. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger euen according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12. So teach vs to number our dayes that wee may applie our hearts vnto wisedome THE FIRST PART SInne and wrath by nature should go hand in hand and as deepe as we plunge our selues in to sin so deepe should we sinke in wrath Wee should if Iustice measured vnto vs as we deserue but mercie hath prouided better for vs and God is pleased to proportion the smart of stripes to the feare which we haue of them the lesse feare the more smart and the lesse smart the more we feare Thou hast left it O Lord in the power of a sinner how farre thou shalt take vengeance of his sinne Let the Law speake neuer so terribly let sinne offend neuer so grieuously let the curses be neuer so many let the plagues be neuer so manifold yea let thy countenance be ouer-cast with neuer so thicke a cloud let the burning coales that are kindled by thy wrath be neuer so scorching rore the waues of thy ouer-flowing indignation neuer so hideously and bee the whirle-wind of thy wrath neuer so tempestuous feare onely feare the feare of a penitent Soule that trembles at the voice of thy Law that melteth at the sight of thy Iudgements that accuseth it selfe that condemeth it selfe that is readie to ioyne with God to doe Iustice vpon its sinfull selfe this feare I say that least armeth it selfe against God is best armed and preuailes best by stooping most And this is powerfull weakenesse a conquering captiuitie a match ouer-matching that for which we can otherwise find no match This power O Lord hast thou giuen to repentant feare a blessed power and yet there are few that vse it though all doe stand in neede of it And why Who armes himselfe against that whereof he hath no regard Men sinne but little doe they thinke that
madest me something vouchsafe to make me somthing that haue brought my selfe to nothing Yea worse then nothing for sinne is so it doth not onely abolish that good which thou hast giuen me but it filleth me with euill that is opposite to good yea to God And how much better is it at all not to be then to be a sinner To bee nothing then to be a feind of hell Neuer to haue seene the Sunne then to bee at enmitie with God This is the state where into I haue cast my selfe and thus farre haue I estranged my selfe from thee And how restlesse am I vntill I returne to thee O Lord Sinne forfeits many things besides God but let a man recouer all all besides will yeeld no content except a man recouer God And why Lord Thou art the soueraigne good and without thee nothing is good If I doe not partake the creature in reference to my Creator well may I haue it I shall haue no true comfort in it Take then all from me and leaue me God though I haue nothing yet shall I enioy all things for God is all in all Wherefore though I am sicke I doe not desire health I desire God and it is God that I desire when I am poore I doe not desire wealth I am senslesse of all other wants I hunger and thirst onely after God Seeing then thou Lord onely canst quiet canst satisfie my Soule if thou vouchsafe to turne me turne me vnto thee let me not make a stand before I come so far neither let me thinke my selfe recouered vntill I haue recouered thee Let others rest contented with the drosse of the earth or with the pompe of this world my originall is from heauen and I can find no rest vntill my affections rest there Therefore returne me vnto him from whom sinne hath estranged mee euen to thy selfe O God I beg this of thee because I can expect it from none but thee and from thee I am sure I shal not expect it in vaine For be I neuer so farre gone I cannot goe out of thy reach I can bee no more out of the reach of thy Grace then of thy Power as thou canst smite me so canst thou heale me and thou canst bring mee home as well as thou canst cast me out Lord I make no doubt of the successe if thou vouchsafe thy will for Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole onely thy power is equall to thy will and thou canst doe whatsoeuer pleaseth thee Be pleased then good Lord to put to thy helping hand that thy prodigall Child that by the first step of thy grace is come home to himselfe by a second step may come home to thee I desire no new blessing no such blessing as thou hast not vouchsafed to the sonnes of Adam yea to mee Thou madest Adam after thine owne Image and me in him holy and happie diddest thou make vs such sun-shine dayes were our former dayes cleare and warme without corruption without mortalitie though now we are both sinfull and wofull all our dayes are such euill dayes But thou O Lord that commandest at first light to shine out of darkenesse and dost continually exchange the night for day shine vpon mee let the Sunne of righteousnesse arise vnto me become my father make mee thy child giue me grace to serue thee and vouchsafe thou to blesse me create a new heauen and a new earth in this little world of mine wherein let righteousnesse dwell Yea and happinesse also let them rest on my bodie let them rest on my soule let them rest on both all the daies of this life vntill thou bee pleased to remoue both hence and consummate this thy fauour in the life to come Wherein my daies shall be though like yet much better then my dayes of old by so much better as glorification shall exceed the creation Thou seest O Lord the vpshot of my desire Now let my desire be a comfortable Prophesie of thy fauour disappoint me not of that for which thou hast made mee long so change me by grace here on earth that I may be what I hope to be by glorie in heauen where all things are made so new that they neuer can waxe oâ—d AMEN Meditation vpon Ecclesiast 41. VERSE 1. O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in all things and is yet able to receiue meate WEe haue no abiding place on earth none haue but of those that would haue there are many Many there are O Lord that though they must die cannot indure to mind death nothing more vnsauorie to some then that their memorie should be exercised with the memorie thereof And who are they Surely they whom the earth most fauoreth are they that are best affected thereto where their goods are there they thinke it is good being And how should any bee willing to part from that wherein he findeth content and whereupon hee hath set his rest He it is that is not onely in but of the world not onely vseth but enioyeth the same and from that which is our ioy if we be seuered we cannot be seuered without paine Heauen is a blessed place and blessed is the state which all are promised that shall come thither But this truth we belieue we doe not see it surely the worldly happie man doth hardly credit it because he hath no sense thereof Sense that hath immediately to doe with the world as it is pleasured so doth it iudge thereof it iudgeth it the onely place of happinesse If it may be so happie as to be fed to the full with that which it desires if we haue goods and haue the vse of them what saith flesh and bloud should I wish for more And indeed what fuller definition can an earthly mind make of a blessed life then secure store and a comfortable vse of such goods which are the goods of this naturall life Although in themselues they are fleeting vanities yet sensuall reason honoureth them with the glorious title of substance it thinketh they are and are what they seeme because it iudgeth according as it wisheth and what it would haue them to be it holds them to be such And if man bee so vnhappily happie as to hold them without the opposition of enuie or malice and their wings are clipt from flying away the more proprietie we thinke we haue in them the more are we confirmed in our erroneous iudgement of them Nothing doth more roote a mans heart in the world then an ouer great calme wherin he sayles and rides at Anchor in the world worldly peace doth much helpe forward a worldly mind Especially if we bee lulled a sleepe by both charmes of this peace Securitie and Plentie if no bodie disturbe vs no bodie impaire what we haue gathered no casualtie no calamitie cloud the Sun shine of our day or sowre the
we loue-sicke or sorrow-sicke Cant. 2. Prou. 31 Salomon will tell vs that wine is the remedy As bread and wine are the choisest of foods so doe they comprehend entire food for humidum and siccum are all that are required vnto food the bread which is dry as the foundation of nourishment and the wine which is moyst as a necessary requisite vnto the concoction of the bread that it may be chylus for except moisture incorporate it selfe into it and helpe the stomach to digest it it will hardly be prepared for the Liuer and being prepared for want of liquidnesse it can hardly bee disperst through the body So that neither of these parts can bee wanting in our sustenance corporall if eyther be the sustenance will be imperfect Finally the Elements of bread and wine serue to set bounds vnto our meditations vpon sacred things For though the heauenly part bee the life of the earthly yet would wee lose our selues in sounding that great depth if our thoughts were not guided and stinted by the earthly Therefore hath God vouchsafed this gracious helpe both in the Sacrifices and the Sacraments by the Elements he hath confined our meditations that being more distinct they might be more profitable This being obserued concerning the Elements what they are we must next obserue that they are chosen Christ tooke the bread and he tooke the cup the taking of them into his sacred hands was a reall choice of them And indeed he onely that can institute Sacraments can appoint the Elements and he doth both vpon the same grounds which I touched before Only here I note that we must keep our selues to his choice and we may not presume to alter the Elements Some are bold and thinke that as in the Apothecaries shop they haue Succedanea one Simple to supply the want of another so in case of necessity in stead of the Elements taken by Christ the Church may vse Analoga such things as are to the people in stead of bread wine But that may well be doubted except it be better warranted than by humane coniecture It is true that God made Manna Sacramentall and so did he the water of the Rocke but man may not presume to doe what God did And seeing Sacraments haue necessitatem not Medij but Praecepti as it is a very foule fault to contemne the Elements chosen when they may be had so when they may not be had it were better to want the Sacrament than to vse Elements of our owne choice God can supply to our faith rem Sacramenti sine Sacramento in a case of necessity who happely will not be so gracious if we be so presumptuous to prescribe If in case of necessity we may not be so bold much lesse may we be as the old Heretickes were that corrupted the elements substituting water when they might haue wine which therefore were called Aquarij against whom Saint Cyprian writeth I meane not those that put water into the wine which in the East Countries was vsed first to allay the heate of the wine afterwards the Fathers conceited a mysterie therein of ioyning the people vnto Christ which Ceremony the Church of Rome doth pertinaciously defend and of a thing indifferent which may be vsed as it is found expedient for euery Church they make it necessary vpon their command to be vsed by all Churches but I meane those that vsed onely water As some corrupted the element of wine so some that of the bread and that with so much lewdnesse as is fit neither for Christian eyes nor eares to reade or heare Whether the bread should be leauened or vnleauened is a dispute The Aduocates of the Church of Rome hold it a thing indifferent though them selues vse vnleauened yet do they not condemn the Churches that vse leauened and of the Reformed Churches some vse one some the other Though I may not omit to tell you that the bread vsed by Christ in the Sacrament though it were occasionally vnleauened because of the Law which commanded such bread to be eaten with the Passeouer yet was it made of dough and not of batter and so was that which properly is called bread and is vsed with our meate and not Wafers which haue not that vse 1. Cor. 10.16 Therefore the Apostles giue it the name of bread yea of a Loafe and from the Apostles dayes during the Primitiue Church the Fathers obserued that course of vsing Loaues of bread One thing more I must obserue concerning the elements and that is that neither of them must be embeazeled from the people that neither of them must bee wanting for Christ tooke both Neither may they bee confounded the one with the other as some put the bread into the wine Christ tooke them both apart Hauing sufficiently shewed you what elements were chosen I now come to shew you what was done with them And here wee finde two works first Iesus his work and secondly the work of his Disciples both double I begin with Iesus workes whereof the former is He consecrateth the Elements And his consecration was performed by two acts first Blessing then Thanksgiuing blessing of the Creatures and thanksgiuing to the Creatour Blessing is threefold as the persons that blesse may be of three sorts first onely God then the blessing is reall so he blest his creatures Gen. 1. and promised to blesse Israel Deut. 28. Secondly only man so the blessing is but verball thus Isaac blessed Iacob and Iacob the twelue Patriarchs Gen. 27.49 so Kings Pastors Fathers blesse their subiects their people their children speaking the words but reseruing the deedes for God Thirdly ioyntly God and Man so the blessing is both verball and reall such was the blessing of Christ hee spake the words as man and made his words effectuall as God when hee multiplied the Loaues and the Fishes and when hee instituted the Sacraments Christ not onely blessed the creature but hee gaue thankes also to the Creatour Christ had power enough of himselfe beeing God but hee did ordinarily ascribe the power vnto his Father while hee did worke the Redemption of man so was he pleased by his humilitie to make amends for our pride and to supply our forgetfulnesse by his thankefulnesse he acknowledgeth him the fountaine of all good and giueth him the glory of all his wonderfull workes teaching vs that the children of God only by adoption should be humble as hee is our patterne which is the sonne of God by generation The Psalmist goeth farther and concludeth vs if we be vnthankefull to bee worse than beasts seeing the eyes of all things looke vnto him which giueth them their meate in due season Psal 145.15 Wherefore whether wee eate or drinke corporally 1 Cor. 10.31 how much more if we eate or drinke spiritually we must follow the Apostles rule and doe all to the glory of God wee must question with our selues as did King Dauid Psal 116.12 What shall I render vnto