and to hate that which he hateth is not a woorke of an hour not of a day not of a month not of a year but a continuall combat so long as life lasteth betweene the spirit of the regenerate man and the fleshe of him which remaineth still in his old skin And therefore this which the spouse here speaketh and shall tell vs heareafter of the affection which she beareth vnto her Bridegroome in whom shee seeketh her whole rest and contentment is not fainedly spoken or in hypocrisie for the Church is not the schoole of fainednesse hypocrisie but of truth and syncerity But this ought to bee vnderstood as of her in whom sinne raighneth no more Rom. 6.14 and yet leaueth not to be in her notwithstanding Rom. 7.17.18 to fight as much as it is able against the spirite Gal. 5.17 the Apostle himself one of the most perfectest mēbers of this faithful chast spouse may be more than a sufficient witnes hereof vnto vs crying out that hee doth yet the euil which hee would not doe and doth not that good which he would doe and againe crying forth miserable man that I am who shal deliuer me from this mortall body Rom. 7.19.24 Let vs therefore confesse that through the grace of God this spouse which is the company of the true faithful is reformed both in her vnderstanding to discerne betweene that which is good and that which is euill and in her affections to loue folow after that which is good to hate and fly that which is euil but yet notwithstanding shee must stil growe both in this knowledge from faith to faith Coloss 1.10 2. Pet. 3.18 and in the practise not onely of louing and of hating rightlie and soundlie but also so far and in such measure as she ought the which thing is especially hard to obserue 14 Yet is it an easie matter to know it to wit that seeing a man must loue God with al his hart he may not diuide part this dilection to other things and touching the loue due vnto a mans neighbour being loued next after God and for the obedience we owe vnto God this dilection is nothing else but a streame flowing from the fountaine of that loue due entirely vnto God alone and not to speak properly another dilection for which our heart is parted and diuided into two For God which is iealous of his spouse and of his glory wil haue either all or none That which I speake of our neighbour yea of all men ought to be practised towards all the creatures made for our vse vnto the which we must take heede we transferre not our loue as the couetous doe which make an idol of their substance Ephes 5.5 The riotous and gluttons which haue no other God but their belly Philip. 3.19 and in generall all those which make their soule their body to serue any other creature according vnto their passions and lusts in steede of vsing them with giuing of thanks praising and blessing the Lord in them 1. Tim. 4.4 and keeping our selues from all disorder and vnmeasurablenes be it in quantity or in quality or principally in the end scope of the right vsage of them which is the glory of god 1. Cor. 10.31 as wee are warned by diuerse aduertisements sowed here and there touching this point throughout the Scriptures Thus you see what this dilection is of the true spouse addressing and turning her hart thither where her treasure is according to that measure of grace which is bestowed vpon her 15 But what shal we say of the hatred which is ioyntly opposed to loue dilection It is easy to vnderstand that we must asmuch hate that which is euil as loue that which is good But whereas euil is not a creature of God but a vitious quality fallen on that which was created good we must put a great difference betweene the Creature and the vice as much I say as may and can bee put This I adde because of one creature the which is so corrupted and so far cursed of God because it hath beene the original and spring of al vice and of al euil as wel in it selfe as in man and consequently of sinne and of death that it is and shal euer be worthy of all hatred and execration I meane the Diuel and his Angels And behold my brethren behold him which being perpetual enemy of this Bridegrome who hath brused his head Gen. 13.15 and troden it vnder his owne feete and vnder the feete of his spouse Rom. 16.20 and seeking nothing else but as a greedy Lion to deuour vs 1. Pet. 5.8 this old red Dragon I say pursuing this spouse with al manner of rage Apoc. 12.3 this is he whom we must hate with an irreconciliable hatred this is hee against whom wee must armour our selues with al the pieces of our armour Ephes 6.13 and 1. Thess 5.8 in a word this is he whom wee must perpetually detest and abhor 16 As for the other creatures there is choyce to be made For first because man alone amongest all the creatures is infected with the poyson and venom of this serpent yea and that wholy and entirely both within and without we must consider of him also distinctly and behold how wee must gouerne our selues herein It is true that mankind is altogither corrupted and consequently euerie man beeing such euen from his conception Psal 51.7 is culpable of the wrath of God Eph. 2.3 It is also true that the Law of frindship requireth that a man be a frind of his frinds frinds and an enemy of his frindes enemies But because that God of his infinit goodnesse would not adiudge euerie man particularly vnto euerlasting destruction as he hath done Satan the Angels his cōplices but contrariwise would draw his spouse his Church out of this corrupt masse in such maner as I haue before spoken thereupon we cannot therefore consequently we ought not but by very vncertain presumptiōs discern those which he hath destinated or not destinated vnto this fauour therefore leauing vnto God his secret iudgemēts we must indeed be frinds vnto the frinds consequently enimies vnto the enimies of our beloued but indefinitely that is to say without giuing of sentence of this man or that man to set sort him among the nomber of the reprobat On the contrary side knowing by experience of our selues that of being his enimies by nature Ephes 2.3 he hath made vs his friends Rom. 5.8 Ephes 2.11 we must irreconciliably hate the euil that is to say the corruption al the fruits thereof first in our selues then in euery one besides yet not hate the persons but contrarywise seek by al meanes to make them partakers of the same grace which is shewed on vs by our cōtinual praiers vnto god beseeching him That his kingdom come which cōsisteth in the accomplishment of the number of his elect in the last day 1. Cor. 15.24 and by all
nearer vnto vs now then hee was in Salomons time and that he is as it were painted out before our eies 4 And wee must note here that this prayer pertaineth not onely to euerie member of the Church in the feeblenesse of his spirit and wil but to the whole body of euerie Church yea of the whole Church Catholickly that is vniuersally considered so vexed and troubled as al auncient histories do witnesse both by heretiques in matter of doctrine and so defaced and disfigured with infinite scandales and offences in the discipline and gouernment thereof which thing should bee well considered both of them which seeke here belowe a perfection in euerie member of the Church as the Catharistes of old and in our time the Anabaptists and of them which forge vnto themselues an Idea of a Catholique Church which should be without spotte or wrinkle which they afterwarde apply to their phantasme of the Sea of Rome without any either scripture or reason And yet for all this the true Church leaueth not to be the receptacle gardien of the truth of God who neuer suffereth that this foundation should not remaine and abide firme and sure 5 But in saying Draw me we must withal take the cord in our hand by which we are craned vp and drawn vnto him for to speak thus in the meane time to refuse the meane which is presented vs to draw vs were but to mock God That which I call the corde is the preaching of the Gospell the ordinary instrument of the spirit of God to open our heart to the end to make it heedful and attentiue and to pearce our eares to hear to giue vs eies to see in a word to lead vs into al truth and to confirme and comfort vs vnto the ende and this is it in which the ordinarie exercise of all Christians consisteth It is but in vaine therefore for such as are ordinarie and common contemners of Gods word to say Draw mee For it is no more then if they should saie vnto God make me to liue without a soule make me to see without light 6 But to go on a man maie demaund why the spouse saith in the singular number Draw me and not Draw vs seeing that anon after she speaketh also of her companions And wee will run after thee Let vs therefore vnderstand that this spouse here representeth not one onlie person but the whole company assembly of the true faithful already instructed and bringing forth euerie day as a fruitful mother children vnto God which are here vnderstoode by the companions of this spouse Shee ment not therefore to forget her companie in speaking particularlie of her selfe but to shew by her owne example the rest of her traine what they ought to doe And thus must they doe which haue profited more then others in the Church of God they must bee instruments of grace towardes others and so take one another by the hand and ascend vp togither to this holy house of God whereunto we aspire Esay 2.3 which thing is principally required in the pastors and teachers which are sent to this effect and purpose The spouse therefore addeth ioyning her selfe with her companie And we wil runne after thee By which words is shewen vs the effect of that which she required when she desired to be drawne to wit to the end that she might not only march forward and go on with more courage but rather runne And this is opposed to that negligence and slownes which is in the greatest part of them which are of others most enabled and al for want of taking courage to themselues and making the graces of God to bee powerfull in them profiting from faith to faith from good to better as it is said Psal 84.7 without fainting and being weary in running well Heb. 12.12 Wherefore the Apostle exhorting vs and proposing himselfe for an example saith That we must forget those things which are behinde and follow hard after those things which are before and draw to the marke that is to the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Philip. 3.13.14 the life of man being elsewhere compared vnto a race in the which saith he many do runne but one only receiueth the price namely he which runneth to the listes end seaseth vpō the price 1. Cor. 9.24 And if they be to be reprehēded which runne not swift enough they are much lesse to be excused which go not but pace by pace But what shal become of them who recoile and go backward in steede of going forward what shall become of them which not only draw back but flatly turne the back returning as swine vnto their mire and as dogges vnto their vomit 2. Pet. 2.22 7 And what may I say hereupon euen thus much in fewe words that albeit the Lord by a more then admirable continuing of his graces and singuler patience to inuite to drawe to summon vs vs I say of this Citty yea crying so loude and so shril that this voice of his hath beene hard in al corners and quarters of the world yet notwithstanding I dare not say that there are found any rūners amongst vs but too many idle too many deaffe too many lame too many cold yea too many which draw back I speake it to my great regret griefe cōparing the time which I haue seen in the which there was so great zeale to the word of God that the pastors and teachers were not sufficient to furnish men therewith that not without goodly and great fruits both in respect of the good order obserued in the state publick in priuate families which did ring of Psalmes and praises of God one neighbour warned instructed another open scandals and offences were not hidden and dissembled the straungers forgate their othes and other their euil maners assoone as they entered but the gates of Geneua to be short in cōparison of the time wherein we now are men did not go but did run vnto God and God did blesse them withholding staying the furie rage of their greatest enemies during their greatest fiery zeal courage And now what Hardly doe we retaine the name of that of which before wee had the true substance and our fire is a fire of chaffe And therefore it is vnto vs that that reprehension made by the Apostle to the Galathians pertaineth that hauing begun in the spirit we end in the flesh Galat. 3.3 Euerie one is giuen vnto himselfe couetousnes and distrust haue possessed euerie mans hart there are no lawes which can bridle our pompes and superfluities in such a time when wee should bee rather clad in sackcloth and ashes as neither the gammings fornications and adulteries of some amongst vs. In a word in steed of going forward wee goe backeward euerie man doing so as if a man to runne would charge himselfe with a furred and heauie coate insteed of putting himselfe into his dublet yea into his shirt
vnto vs by the Apostle in his Epistles and namely Rom. 6. and 7. and 8. Ephes 5.30 Col. 3. and elsewhere 8 Euery faithful soule therefore in the person of the spouse by whom is vnderstood al the company of the faithfull beeing yet here belowe hauing receiued the power to will to do is heere inuited to shew himselfe to speake vnto his Bridegroome that is to say to make the effects of his grace which hee hath receiued of his regenerator to appear both within without This is that which was figured vnder the Lawe by that commaundement of God that euery male childe should present himselfe before the Lord thrise a year at the least in the tabernacle and afterwarde in the temple as if God who is euerie where and seeth all had said vnto them you are dispersed here and there throughout the country and in your synagogues therefore are as it were absent from me who haue chosen this place as it were for mine house and habitation Now I would see you and heare you and therefore you shall come and visit me and doe me homage thrise a year to the end that you may reioice in my presence and I with you And whom would not the consideration of such kindnesse and bounty rauish astonish cause him to say O Lord thou art not contēted to haue shewen me so great fauor vnto me I say altogether vnworthy thereof nay worthy of thy curse and malediction but which more is knowing my heauinesse and lazinesse and that if by adding grace vpon grace thou shouldest not forme in mee a desire and power to be thankfull vnto thee therefore and to honour thee I would continue groueling stil on the ground burie the memorie of thy benefits thou prickest mee forward and inuitest mee to present my selfe before thee and to cause thee to see by effect what thou hast wrought in me voutsafeing of a third grace of thine to like and accept of my woorkes considering them not as they come from me who am yet soiled with sinne but in asmuch as thou acknowledgest in me thy worke and new creation That then which the Bridegroome saith in this place is the same which is said Psal 50.23 And in deede as Dauid saith Psal 116.12 What can we render vnto the Lord for so great benefits of his but this reknowledgemēt presenting our selues before his face with the confession of the mouth speaking of the abundance of the heart Neither are we now to trot vp and downe hither thither as these holy pilgrimes of Ierusalem who go yet at this day to seeke after Iesus Christ in his sepulcher For euery land and country is now sanctified vnto him 1. Cor. 10.26 and he is neere vnto vs in euery place and we must cause our selues to be seene and heard lifting vp of pure hands 1. Tim. 3.8 in al places wheresoeuer it pleaseth him to lift vp his banner For the question is heere of a publike appearance inuocation in respect whereof the Bridegrome leadeth his spouse down from the rock out of the desert into the plain whē he wil haue the faire weather return againe as hee hath specially doone since about these threescore years ago But what doe we all this while The Lord hath proclaimed by so many trompets the yeare of acceptation and our true Iubile renewing and as it were sending againe into the worlde that which is said Esaie 61.2 and Luk. 4.18 euerie day he still calleth vnto vs in this place My doue come out of the desert shew me thy face and let me heare thy voice and I will take pleasure in it 9 But what There was indeed at the beginning some zeale shewed and many came running from farre to do their duty as it is said of those which entered into Canaan with Iosua the gouernours of that time Ios 24.3 But these are nowe departed in peace and seem to haue caried away all the zeale whatsoeuer good thing els was among vs. The Bridegrome crieth by his seruants Come see me and let me heare your voice Yet for al this some haue no cares others heare but they hearken not vnto it Others especially on those daies which are specially ordained for this appearance and inuocation of the name of God had rather be a walking playing tipling gathering in their debtes toying and sporting in the streetes and before their doores Others there are who will appeare in the place where the Lorde is but is it to cause their voice to bee heard that is hauing diligently hearkened vnto the voice of the Bridegroom the praier of their pastour to answere with heart with mouth the Amē of Christians 1. Cor. 14.16 that is to say to make a true and perpetuall acknowledgement towards God by true amendment of life Alas no. For were it so the effects thereof would appeare whereas nowe you shall haue some sing the Psalmes in deed but their heart shall be far from that which they sing Esay 29.13 Others come to the Church to sleep others wil not voutsafe to open their mouth or eares If any mā demaund how we know this I answer that wee see part of it with our owne eies the rest is made knowen and discouered by all the fruites of the flesh which are quoted numbred vp Gal. 5.19 And thither it is I must send you you hypocrites contēners adding for the reward which is reserued for you if you change not your selues become new mē that which the eternal saith Esa 57.12 I wil declare thy goodly righteousnes thy deeds which shal not help thee Ps 50.21 these things thou hast don because I made as if I heard not thou thoughtst that I was like vnto thee But I will reproue thee will set all these things before thine eies ô what a terrible thing it is to fal into the hands of the liuing god whē he is angry And therfore for the honor of god let euery one amend himselfe while it is time let vs consider of this great and endlesse bountie of our God who hath retired and gathered together his poore doues out of the holes of the desert out of the powers of those cruell beasts out of the iawes of the rauening Lion inuiting vs still at this day to present our selues before him with a true repentance that pleasant acceptable sacrifice vnto him of a contrite hart and of thankesgiuing Psal 51.19 and 19.32 to the end that receiuing vs to mercy and finding vs fruitefull trees indeed in his house he may heape on vs his blessings according vnto his holy promises THE XXII SERMON Our help be in the name of God c. It is written as followeth in the second Chapter of the Canticle of Canticles the 15.16 and 17. verses 15 Take vs these foxes these yong cubs which destroie the vines while our vines bud forth 16 My beloued is mine and I am his hee feedeth among
the law into a christian church which succeeded it according vnto this maner of speaking the church of our time hath for her Mother the church which we cal Primitiue What is it then which this spouse considered as it were in the time of Dauid meant to say and to teach vs in this place Namely this that after those troubles disorders which happened so many times in the time of the Iudges of Saul shee hath as it were found her bridegroome is most happily retired with him vnto her mothers house that is to say hath now the full knowledge and enioying of her Bridegroome by conforming herselfe vnto the true auncient Church of the Patriarcks ruled ordered afterward by the Lawe and which engendered her vnto the Lord. For it is in the church of God that this Bridegroome doth raigne that we enioy his graces and blessings the greatest part of the worlde remaining vnder the tyranny of him who is called the Prince of darcknes cursednes 8 Let our aduersaries thē gainsaiers reproch vs no longer that we attribute nothing vnto the church For cōtrariwise we auow protest that the Apostolick church is our mother in the which the holy ghost hath in his time begottē vs nursed vs as he yet nourisheth vs. The controuersie then between them and vs lieth not in this point whether there be any saluation without the Church and whether the Church bee our mother in whose chamber we must liue and abide as her true children for hereof wee make no doubt But this is the whole controuersie namelie whether they be the true Church or rather the clean contrary a false strumpet which hath driuen the true mother out of dores into the deserts and bereaued her of her children which shee demaundeth of her againe and which this true spouses Bridegroome maketh her to restore and deliuer euery day 9 But yet there ariseth one naie two difficulties more vpon this matter For first if this Bridegrome be found no where but in his Church and this Church is our mother how can it be that this spouse found him without For how may it bee saide that she brought him in into this house if he were ther already and that she found him there The answere is that it is true indeed that this Bridegroome dwelleth that is to say declareth his vertue and healthful power in this house But it followeth not thereupon that he goeth not foorth as I may say vntil hee find his children euen in the bosom of this back-sliding whore as in our time he hath fetched them and yet fetcheth them euery day out of these sinckes of monasteries to bring them into his house So hee went out of Ierusalem and sent into the East and West to cal vs to make vs to draw near vnto him vs I saie which were poore Gentiles and nothing lesse then his people to bring vs into his admirable light Ephes 12.12 And thus you see how this spouse found her Bridegroome abroad from whom she was as we haue most amply declared before straied aside and wandered 10 The other difficulty ariseth vpon this manner of speach that the spouse caused her Bridgroom to enter into her mothers house seeing on the contrarie side it is the Bridegrome who seeketh after vs and findeth vs and bringeth vs in into his house This is most true and we must doe God this honor to confesse that it is he who according vnto his infinite goodnesse as he hath destinated vs vnto saluation in his sonne before the foundation of the woorlde so doth he in his time preuent vs seeking after vs al when we are straied finding vs when wee are fled from him and bringing vs into his house which is also the dwelling place and habitation of our good and holy Mother But this is after such a manner notwithstanding that wee are not all this while like blockes and tronckes which a man findeth carrieth whither he wil without anie feeling or motion in themselues God then seeketh after vs forming in vs the desire to seeke after him he findeth vs giuing vs the meanes the power to find him we take hold of him and embrace him meeting with him bicause he createth in vs the faith which taketh hold of him he bringeth vs into the house of our mother bestowing on vs the grace of desiring to ioine our selues vnto the company of the true church neuer to stir or depart from it These two things then agree very wel together prouided that we adde this that as God produceth in vs natural effectes by natural causes which he hath created in vs so if the question bee of these graces which are meerely supernaturall seeing fleshe and bloode reueale not these thinges vnto vs Matth. 16.17 naie our naturall wisedome is enmitte vnto God Rom. 8 wee must voutch and confesse that the puritie of vnderstanding and vprightnesse of will are the meere free giftes and graces of him who enlighteneth the eyes of our vnderstanding Ephesi 1.8 and createth in vs both to will and to doe Philip. 2.13 So that if this proposition and sentence bee true when wee speake of the creation of the woorlde that it made not it selfe and that a dead bodie raiseth not himselfe so is it as true the question being of the light of the soule be it in the vnderstanding or vprightnes of wil that we are truely the woorkmanship of God by his meere and only grace Ephes 2.1.5.10 11 There remaineth yet one point more to be handled touching this place namely concerning that which is here saide both of the house as also of the chamber of this mother a thing which ought to bee well and throughly weighed of them who despise the holy publicke assemblie established from al time by the Lorde in his Church and without the which as I maie so saie the Church which is as much to say as an assembly called together out of the woorld is no Church as a flocke hath no apparant forme of a flock if the sheep remaine scattered one from another I speak here of the contemners of congregations and assemblies as we haue among vs Sundaie and Thursday Christians naie some from Communion to Communion others which make no reckoning at al of them wicked wretches and vtterly inexcuseable before God and before men There are others and too too manie some of them making no conscience to betake themselues into the midst of Idolaters following herein Lots fault others who neuer come forth being reprehēded accused for not giuing testimonie of their Christianity insteed of confessing their weaknes and infirmity or their distrust and couetousnes beare themselues in hand they doe wel enough in reading at home in their house praying a part by thēselues But the Apostle exhorteth them in another lāguage forsake not saith he our assembly as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 And indeed if this pretence might take place must we not