the Papists commendations of Infidels workes Surely the worke is good according to the judgment of man and so hath the rewards that are so deemed of naturall men So was Nebuchadnezzar Iehu and others rewarded But out of this Observation that the mind and not the action is rewarded here arise two excellent points The one is that we must take the definition of a good worke from the Scripture The end of the Commandement is Charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned For God respecteth not so much opus operatum as opus operantis and when it is said secundum opus it is taken with all his circumstances for ordinata and subordinata though they be not expressed they are understood otherwise we shall commit many absurdities in expounding the Scriptures When the effects of Faith are given to Charity to the feare of the Lord to Repentance c. Faith must worke by Charity and a worke tantum habet virtutis quantum fidei charitatis It is Saint Augustines rule Bonum opus intentionem fides distinguit Aug. praefat sp 31. And this overthroweth all the workes that are about merit for the foundation of the reward is faith which beares out all the defects of our conscience and of Charity The second thing that this doth yeeld is that all men herein are equalled because a man is accepted according to that which he hath not according to that which hee hath not According to workes We must looke immediately to our selves and foresee our conditions of reward or punishment But we must not lay our foundation there but goe higher remembring that of God in Moses Secreta mea mihi my lawes are for you And seeing the other vertues are in the sight only of God and the works before the world God that will judge in the sight of the world will judge according to works Reward Hoc ipsum laborare mercedis loco habendum it is an honour to doe so here by grace for it is the uttermost we shall attaine unto in the state of glory For what is the greatest reward of glory but to stand by the throne and praise God and it is our duty yet no man shutts the doors of God in vaine The servant must come with his talent and enter into his masters joy or into utter darknes Behold I come and my reward is with me Reward Isay 40.10 62 11. Esa 40.10 62 11. But where doth God reward in this life or in the next Ordinarily God doth it in both he suffereth not the sinnes of his owne children unpunished nor the rightnesse of the heathen temporally unrewarded hee keepeth eternall rewards of mercy for his children and of plagues for his enemies That God punisheth his children read the stories of Moses David Aaron that he rewardeth see supra But he punisheth his children not taking his mercie from them but virga viri which at the most can but kill the body but not Dei that casts both body and soule into hell fire Yea it is Enos of a weake feeble man They drinke of the Red Wine but the wicked have the dregs The strokes of God upon his enemies are described Esay 30 32.27 7. Esa 30 32.27.1 7 12. He will not strike twice It is good wee consider every man his wayes and turne his feete unto GODS Commandements for GOD will enter into judgement even with those that strive to bee most in favour The summe of all is this What we have done and how we have lived towards God yea and towards men O Lord God of Truth that in witnesse of thy constancy and for reliefe of our infirmity hast many times and wayes informed us of thy power and mercy grant that what thou speakest we may heare attentively and obediently and thereby bee so qualified through thy grace to use those holy meanes which lead to a happie end That when thou takest account of our lives and tryest our works what we have bin towards thee towards our neighbour that we may be such as may partake thy glory and bee crowned of thy mercy per Dominum nostrum Iesum * ⎠* A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSSE WINCHESTER PSALM 82. ver 5. They understand not they consider not they walke on in darknesse All the foundations of the land are moved THe Originall of Magistrates the duty answerable thereto required in Magistrates the danger of the defects and who must remedy what is amisse by the default there are foure points contained in this Psalme Magistrates are from God and hee resides among them Magistrates must proceede like God partiality must be farre from them Magistrates defects are dangerous both to the state and to themselves finally God can and will redresse the evils that spring from them because hee is Soveraigne in and over those places and persons which are misgoverned by them Of those foure points I have chosen the third and thereof but one part even so much as is contained in this fifth verse whereon for my better direction and your fuller satisfaction it may please you to observe with me these three points First The defects in the Magistrates They understand not they consider not they walke on in darknesse Secondly The danger of the state All the foundations of the land are moved 3. The Collection of both which may be framed two wayes either thus They understand not and therefore all the foundations are moved or thus They understand not and yet behold all the foundations c. Of these two senses the first makes the danger of a state the fruit of a bad Magistrate the second taxeth in Magistrates stupidity if they be not moved with the Common-wealths calamities To these three points by Gods assistance and your Christian patience I will speake briefly and in their order They understand not The mother of imperfections and root of all defects markable in Magistrates may be reduced to three all mentioned in the first part of the verse for either they understand not and that is Ignorance or they consider not and that is Negligence or they walke on in darkenesse and that is want of conscience Touching ignorance the Sonne of Syrach reckoning diverse trades some manuary some imployed in husbandry concludeth in effect thus Although without these a City cannot be maintained yet by these a City must not be governed these sit not upon the seat of Iudgment these cannot declare the forme of the Law they are not meet to discerne hard matters such things must be left unto the learned Pro. 8.15 which must with much paine attaine great wisdome Prov. 8. By me Kings Reigne and Princes decree Iustice by me Nobles beare rule and all the Iudges of the earth And the Author of the booke of Wisdome If your delight bee in Thrones and Scepters then honour Wisedome When Moses tyred with the government of all Israel would unburthen part of his charge upon other mens shoulders bring saith he unto me
witnesse how highly she conceived of him A good patterne for us to lay such good ground of our faith in our prayer as this poore woman doth and what our hearts believe never to bee afraid to suffer our tongues to utter But as this is imitable of us so would a man thinke it should have beene availeable with Christ but it workes never a whit hee answers never a word Of God Saint Paul saith Hee cannot deny himselfe but Christ seemeth here by his silence not to acknowledge that he is the man that such a worke can be done by him he takes no notice of her speech hee seemeth nothing moved with her words Flesh and bloud would not have rejected so honourable a title and set light by such a testimony as was given unto Christ by this woman But Christ was not so ambitious Nay rather flesh and bloud would have pitied and relieved being sought unto and sought unto in such sort as Christ was by the woman But Christ seemes not so courteous he answers not a word though her petition were never so powerfull yet it sinkes not into him not into Christ but into the Disciples of Christ it doth But better never a whit then never a whit the better for the woman They are moved and speake to Christ but it is to rid away the woman but not to rid away the Devill out of her child they will not be troubled with her cry but they have no pitty on her case Christs silence was uncomfortable but the Apostles speech much more for better they had held their peace then shewed themselves such Churles They should have made the womans case their owne and mediated for her unto Christ but it is worth the marking that before they were throughly schooled by the example of Christ and new formed by the Spirit of Christ they are proposed as patterns of naturall men and expresse the infirmities of weak men seldome shall yee find that they entreated Christ to doe good unto any but they oftentimes move him for to hold his hands from doing good Iames and Iohn are hasty to have fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans but they could not endure that one that was not of their ranke should cast out devils in the name of Christ The Disciples forbad them that would bring children unto Christ they will not have CHRIST to feed them that followed him Saint Peter dislwadeth Christ from his Passion they were but little better than ordinary men in the graces of Sanctification though they had received many other excellent gifts at the hand of Christ But our Instruction is that we must observe their infirmity that wee doe not imitate it and rather joyne our prayers with them that in their distresse seeke unto God then to bee any hinderance unto them of speeding with God Yea and Christ Himselfe though he doe little comfort the woman yet doth he give a secret check unto his Disciples for giving them an answer he shewes that he was not weary of the womans cryes But there was a better reason why he did not satisfie her request I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel So that had shee beene a sheep though a lost sheep of Israel Christ would have endured her cry and done as much as she desired But you must marke that whereas Christs silence might seeme to have imported that hee did not acknowledg those titles that office which the woman ascribed unto him in his answer hee confesseth that hee is such a one and sent for such worke as the womans prayer doth expresse but for all that she cannot speed because shee hath no part in him So that Christs silence was more hopefull then is his answer In his silence there was neither word nor deed for her here are words though no deeds but words that make against her so that better no answer then such an answer so uncomfortable an answer Which imports though Christ can yet he may not relieve her To bee neere a helper and to be denied helpe hope of helpe deteined maketh misery to be a double misery for we are the better resolved unto patience when we see there is nothing that can succour us Here then is the womans blow given to her faith able to quell it The first seemed to be only contempt but this goes farther it cuts off all hope and why because the woman is not a lost sheepe of Israel Christ is sent only unto them So that whereas she might have beene bold upon the matter and the manner of her prayer this shuttes her out for her particular though it grant the truth of the matter and the zeale of the woman in generall But let us looke to the particulars of CHRISTS answer The Iewes are compared unto Sheepe and sheep were cleane beasts such as might be offered in Sacrifice and be presented in the Temple of God and did yeeld a smell of sweet favour and of rest as the Scripture speakes This is the prerogative of the Church and this is the hope of them that are within the Church that they are called into the fold of God that they may come so neere him that they may speed in their prayers to him This is not a favour vouchsafed unto all no more then all beasts be sheep the more should the prerogative be esteemed and Gods mercy tendred But we see sheep will leese themselves The Israelites were sheep but lost sheep two waies lost sheep first by nature in Adam so all men were lost secondly by breach of Covenant whereinto God entred with the Israelites and so they were in an especiall sort lost for whereas God was to be their God no otherwise then if they had continued his people when they transgressed his law either by seeking to other Gods or using the ceremoniall Law amisse they brake their covenant and so lost themselves notwithstanding as God promiseth Jeremy 31. God was contented to seeke them again to enter into a new covenant with them and to returne to the great shepherd of their soules In this sense doth Christ say that he was sent only to Israel and Saint Paul that he was a Minister of the Circumcision so that pressing this second Covenant which respects lost sheep of the better sort he seemes to exclude the first sort those that were lost in Adam So that he concludes mainly against the woman that although she were a sheep a lost sheep of Adam yet if she be not a lost sheep of Israel he can do nothing for her You would think the woman would be answered and give over upon this speech of Christ but the more she is repulsed the more she presseth on him and whereas her first prayer was repelled with Christs silent contempt and hopelesse answer she presseth on him upon her knees and with her words opposing gesture to gesture the gesture of humility to the gesture of contempt words to words words of earnest importunity to Christs words
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to things hoped for but the words rather respect the severall faculties of our soule then the quality of those things that are the object of these faculties and so you may learne by the words of Gods covenant â—â—r 31.33 This shall bee the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts So he saith in generall and then descends to particulars I will write it in their hearts and will bee their God and they shall be my people this respects the will and the affection embracing it as good and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest this agrees to the understanding resting on it as true And agreeable hereunto is that of Saint Paul Eph. 3.14 For this cause J bow my knees unto the Father of our LORD Iesus Christ that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory Rom. 1.17 to be strengthened with his might that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith c. He saith in the heart and will not in the understanding only For indeed this is the faith whereby the just man doth live therefore the seat of it must be in the heart And this faith is distinguished from the faith of those impure persons of whom Saint Iude speaketh in this Epistle that they turne the grace of God into wantonnesse verse 4. Rom. 1. â—8 1 Pet. 2.16 and Saint Paul that they detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse and Saint Peter that they abuse their Christian libertie as a cloake of maliciousnesse But our Faith lodgeth Christ in the Sanctum Sanctorum the most holy Person in the most holy place yea and there doth Faith conceive and bring forth Charitie which sanctifieth every Morall Vertue unto an heavenly end And finally by Faith it comes to passe that Gods Commandements are not grievous unto us We are not like that man that went away heavie Matth. 19.21 when he was willed to forsake all and follow Christ but like Abraham Genes 4. readie at the call of God to forsake our Countrey and our Fathers House though we know not whither we shall goe Matth. 26.39 Heb. 10.7 and with our Saviour Christ we say Not my will but thy will be done I am readie to doe thy will O Lord. By this qualifying of our Vnderstanding and Will we perceive the reason why Atheists and Epicures beleeve and regard so little Heaven and heavenly things Their Vnderstanding and Will are earthly they make Reason the Iudge of the Articles of their Faith and Concupiscence makes the choise of their happinesse But I hope none of us have I could wish none of us had so learned Christ though it is true that the life of very many of us savoureth little of a most holy Faith Most holy Faith There are three degrees of Faith Holy more holy most holy First That Faith that can remove Mountaines cast out Devils fore-tell Secrets c. is an holy Faith for it is inspired by the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 13.2 but it is onely in regard of the Graces of Edification notwithstanding which Christ will say to such Matth. 7.23 I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Secondly There is a second Faith more holy Heb. 6.4 5. by which men being inlightened and partakers of the heavenly gift are made partakers of the Holy-Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the World to come and yet fall away againe Their Graces indeed are in nature the same with the Graces of Adoption but they never entertained them absolutely but conditionally so farre as they might enjoy them with the profits and pleasures of this life being readie to forgoe them rather then to hazard Earth to gaine Heaven 2 Pet. 2.21 It had beene better for them never to have knowne the way of Righteousnesse then after they know it to turne from the holy Commandement given unto them and like a Dogge to returne to their owne Vomit or like a Swine to their wallowing in the Mire Thirdly finally the last degree of Faith is that which is the most holy Faith which is not onely a Grace of Adoption but also free from all condition we captivate thereby our wit simply to Gods Word and yeeld our will without exception to Gods pleasure This is a saving Faith and of this that of the Prophet is true Aâ—ak 2.4 The just shall live by his Faith His Faith So it must be saith Saint Iude Ed fie your selves in your most holy Faith I need not say much of this having alreadie proved unto you that Faith belongs as well to the Will as the Vnderstanding for nothing is more ours then that which hath gotten possession of our Will the Will being that which commands all that is within us and seasoneth whatsoever proceeds from us The generall Promises of God worke not that Peace which passeth all understanding which must keepe our hearts and minds in Christ Iesus Phil 4.7 but it is the appropriating of them to our selves when the faculties of our soule can say Christ died for our sinne Gal 3.13 1 Joh. 1 7. Christ was made a Curse for us The bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all our sinnes Let the Church of Rome rest in her Catholike Faith and proceed no further our comfort and confidence is the same that was Saint Pauls Gal. 2.19 20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live to God I am crucified with Christ but I live yet not I but Christ that liveth in me and in that I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith in the Sonne of God who hath loved me and given himselfe for me And indeed if we should onely assent unto Gods Truth wherein should our Faith differ from the Faith of the Devils in Hell who doe also beleeve and assent unto the object ratione essentiae benevolentiae divine but without any application and so the more knowledge the more paine But we must observe that it is one thing to hold that â—here is such a speciall Faith another thing that every â—an which conceits it hath such a speciall Faith We doe â—ot patronize the erroneous conceits of men but mainâ—aine the Truth of God in whom we find that Maxime â—ncontrollable That because we are Sonnes Gal. 4.6 God hath sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Sonne that cryes Abba Father They that are Sonnes have the Spirit but we presume not to determine who are Sonnes Let every man examine himselfe as Saint Pauls directs 2 Cor. 13. and so let him judge whether his be a most holy Faith for by this we know saith Saint John that Christ abideth in us 1 Joh. 3.24 even by the holy Spirit which