considering that spirituall plagues are much more heauie than corporall and we should in our humiliation ioyne our cryes with those soules vnder the Altar that were slaine for the Word of God and the Testimony which they held saying How long O Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell in the earth Reuel 6.10 The Vse of all this first part of my Text that is the case of Sufferers is this That we know not God to halues God describeth himselfe to be Iust as well as Mercifull Exod. 34. and the sonne of Syrach tells vs Ecclus 5. that God is as mighty to punish as to saue therefore we must not look vpon onely Gods Mercy but vpon his Iustice also which is so palpable in the plagues And yet must wee not so plod vpon Gods Iustice as not to carry our eye from thence to his Mercy for as in the first case exprest in my Text we haue seene the Church suffering from Gods wrath so now in her second case we must behold her as a Suppliant hauing recourse vnto the Throne of grace And here first wee must obserue That though God for sinne be pleased to humble his Church yet doth hee afford her a meanes of reliefe whereby shee may come out of her greatest distresse And why God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a Destroyer but a Sauiour of his Church he doth not punish her but to recouer her as anon you shall heare more at large But though the Church be subiect to no more calamities than she hath remedy for yet of her manifold distresses the remedy is but one Penitent Deuotion is the onely remedy of all distresses And this Deuotion is here called by two names Prayer and Supplication The words in the Originall are fitted to the argument the first is Tephillah which is such a prayer as a prisoner maketh to him before whom hee is arraigned you may interpret it by those words in Iob cap. 9. I will make supplication to my Iudge And indeed a Penitent must so come to God as if he came to the Barre hee must suppose himselfe to bee an indited person And being such the second word will teach him what his plea must be euen a Psalme of Mercy for so Techinnah signifieth hee must come vnto God with Haue mercy vpon mee O God after thy great mercy Psal 51. and hee must pray with Daniel cap. 9. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs confusion of faces In the Primitiue Church they had stationary dayes Tertullian saith their name is borrowed from warfare and Christians vpon that day putting on the whole armour of God did stand vpon their guardes against powers and principalities Serm. 36. and spirituall wickednesses in heauenly places St. Ambrose more plainly saith stationes vocantur Ieiunia quòd flentes ieiunantes in ijs inimicos repellamus These were the weekly fasting dayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes whereon Christians repaired to the Church and therein quasifactâmanu like an Armie with spirituall weapons of fasting and praying weeping and lamenting of their sinnes they put to flight all their ghostly enemies and remoued all the heauie pressures of the Church We keepe the dayes but haue lost the truevse of them It is much to bee wisht that they were restored againe and that thereon we did as our Fore-fathers were wont plye God in these sinnefull and wofull times especially with Tephillah and Techinnah the Prayers of guilty ones and Supplications for the mercy of God But more fully to rip vp this Deuotion so farre as wee are led by my Text obserue that it consisteth of two acts one inward and another outward The inward is a liuely sense of the Penitents euill case and an expression of his deuotion out of that sense Euery one of them must know the plagues of his owne heart Where first obserue that the plagues inflicted are corporall but the sense required is spirituall And why the originall of sinne is in the soule whereunto the body concurres but as a pliable instrument therefore God would haue the body serue by his smart to awaken the soule make it apprehensiue of Gods displeasure and tremble at his iudgements The word which we doe render plague doth signifie a wound now in the heart there may be a wound of sinne or a wound for sinne The wound of sinne 1. Pet. 2. is that which sinne giueth to the soule St. Peter tels vs that our sinfull lusts fight against the soule and in fighting giue the soule many a stabbe the sonne of Syrach expresseth this excellently All iniquity is as a two-edged sword the wounds whereof cannot bee healed Ecclus 21. And what meane we else when we say that sinne is mortall but that it giueth mortall wounds Besides this wound of sinne there is a wound for sinne you know that when a man in fight hath receiued a wound the Chirurgion must come with his instrument and search that wound scoure it and put the wounded man to a second paine euen so when wee haue wounded our soules with sinne wee must wound them a second time for finne if wee meane to be deuoutly penitent wee must be prickt at the heart we must rent our hearts we must breake our stonie hearts wee must melt our hearts we must poure forth our soules our spirit must be wounded within vs and our heart must be desolate This is that which God commanded the Iewes Leuit. 16.31 when hee bid them afflict their soules in the day of their solemne Fast This is that godly sorrow which St. Paul 2. Cor. 7.10 speaketh of sorrow not to be repented of Animae amaritudo est anima poenitentiae this vexing of our soules is the very soule of repentance As a penitent man hath these two wounds so he must know them but wee come very short of this all this mortall life of ours is nothing else but a masse of plagues full of temptations Iohn 7. and trauelleth with vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit Psal 38. all the sonnes of Adam doe daily suffer from the wrath of God in some thing or other and euerie one of vs may say as Augustus the Emperour sometimes said that he sitteth inter lachrymas suspiria betweene sighings and teares Certainly as the Christian world now standeth wee are encompast with lamentable spectacles both abroad and at home But many men are so hardened that they feele not their owne disease much lesse others yea so farre they are from feeling the ordinary plagues of man that they doe not feele the extraordinary ones wherewith God doth rowze sinnefull men Wherefore we must hold it for one of the gifts of grace wherewith God doth endue his children that they recouer againe the sense of godly sorrow And wee may well conclude that hee that is senslesse is gracelesse and they which haue no sense beare the heauiest plague The word doth carry with it not
are forfeited but he to whom they are forfeited the Author of Nature must bee the Author of Grace And hee is so abundantly in our Sauiour Christ for in Him are all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge hid Colloss 2.3 in making him knowne hee maketh true Wisedome to bee knowne vnto vs. It is not in vaine that Dauid saith Thou Shalt make me know wisedome for though in Gods acts the Holy Ghost doth indifferently vse all times past present and to come because they are continuall yet it is not amisse to obserue that in this life we cannot haue so much grace but wee still want more therefore wee should not rest in the first fruits of the Spirit but bee still hungring and thirsting after righteousnes Mat. 5. and forgetting those things which are behinde bee still pressing forward in wisedome that we may be forward in Sincerity Marke that if you lay both these parts together the meanes of getting Sincerity to the regard that God yeelds to it it followeth fairely that whatsoeuer in vs pleaseth God is a guift that God bestoweth vpon vs neither indeed can any thing that commeth not from him bee acceptable vnto him so that wee may well pray with Saint Austin Da Domiue quodiubes iube quod vis Let it bee thy good pleasure O Lord by grace to enable me and then bee thy Commandement what it will it shall most readily be obserued by me Secondly Sincerity is not immediately from God hee worketh it by heauenly Wisedome neither may wee euer hope to be Sincere except wee first be wise if the Heart be nor first qualified the Reines will not be reformed The world hath yeelded too many smatterers in either of these but because they put asunder what God conioyned they haue beene good in neither Our Ancestours that liued vnder Poperie were good meaning men as they say of them and the Church of Rome did cherish in them good intentions but good indeed they could not be because they were misguided Wee are very inquisitiue after our Guide and God be thanked wee haue a good one and happily wee conferre often with him about a good course but here is our fault wee doe but conferre with him commit our selues to his guidance wee doe not wee entertaine not wisedome into the inward part therefore haue our inward parts little truth we are as foolishly wise as our Ancestours were falsly sincere It were to bee wished that we would ioyne both as King Dauid doth to be wise in the Hidden part that so our inward parts may be true especially when wee make our Atonement with God and humble our selues before him if euer then beg wisedome the wisedome of the heart which may wholy order our affections that our Repentance and our Confidence may both testifie that there is Truth in the inward parts The last thing that I obserued is that this Sincerity is remarkable wee are taught it in the first word Behold which word noteth both Veritatem Diuinam and Vtilitatem nostram the vndoubtednesse of these rules and the vse which we must make of them Ecce hoc patens est saith Ruffinus this is as cleare as the noone none but those that are blind can denie that God loueth Sincerity and that he giueth that wisedome from whence sincerity streams And as no man can doubt it so euery man must make vse of it euery man must desire this sincerity that so he may be acceptable to God euery man must desire to be furnished with wisedome from Heauen that he may be furnished with Sincerity We are by nature full of vanity and hypocrisie our corruption was displayed in the verse that goeth before but Contraria contrarijs illustrantur we cannot so well conceiue how bad we are as if we clearely see how good we should be when we obserue that God requireth Truth in our inward parts then may we perceiue how miserable wee are in being conceiued and borne in Sinne so the Ecce here giueth light to the Ecce that goeth before As this giueth light to that so that must be a whetstone to make vs to affect this And seeing God taketh all excuse from vs by making vs to know wisedome we must receiue wisedome into its proper seate that from thence it may produce this acceptable worke We must with Dauid be able to say Ecce Behold thou hast made mee to know wisedome in my hidden part that wee may also say Ecce Behold O Lord that Truth which thou desirest in my inward parts I conclude all Behold here the Doue and the Serpent which Christ commends for patterns to his Disciples wee must haue the simplicitie of the Doue and the wisedome of the Serpent Hee that can mixe the wisedome of the Serpent with the simplicitie of the Doue shall neither be sottishly sincere nor deceitfulluy wise GOD that searcheth the Hearts and Reines so qualifie both by his grace that being guided by him wee may be accepted of him accepted for wise sincerity and sincere Wisedome in the whole course of our life but specially when we turne to Him and turne from sinne with vnfained Repentance and assured Confidence AMEN PSAL. 51. VERS 7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall bee cleane Washmee and I shall bee whiter then snow KIng Dauid desirous to be restored vnto the state of Grace doth first lay open his owne wickednesse sincerely and then doth he sincerely lay hold vpon Gods goodnes Of the former you haue hitherto heard and are to heare of the latter hereafter In opening whereof you are to obserue how aptly the Remedy doth answer the Disease In the Disease wee found a double wickednesse one which King Dauid committed himselfe another which hee inherited from his Parents The Remedy cures both it cureth the wickednesse which King Dauid committed the Malignity the Impiety thereof the Impiety by Expiation in this seuenth Verse the Malignity by Consolation in the eight As it cureth the wickednesse which himselfe committed so doth it that which he inherited from his Parents that was a natiue Euill and the Remedie doth cure it as it is an euill in the ninth verse by forgiuing and as that euill commeth by nature the Remedie cureth it by Regeneration as we shall learne verse the tenth At this time I shall handle onely the first branch of the Cure the cure of the Impiety of that sinne which King Dauid himselfe contracted This I told you was done by Expiation or Purification for the better vnderstanding wherof we must guide our selues by a good rule of Saint Ambrose Benè Veteris Testamenti Sacramenta non euacuat et Mysteria Euangelica praeferenda docet These words are typicall therefore they haue a compound sense a Ceremoniall and a Morall Dauid acknowledgeth both true but withall teacheth in which standeth the greatest comfort The Ceremonial was not to be omitted because of Gods Ordinance but the Morall was principally to bee intended because that contained the Body whereof the
God alloweth for good The lawfulnesse of the Desire is the first Righteousnesse required in our offering But it is not enough that the Desire be lawfull it must haue no inherent nor adherent vnrighteousnesse 1 〈◊〉 14. Inherent our Deuotion must not bee blind we must pray with our vnderstanding it must not be lame we must pray with ardent affection Finally it must not be diseased it must not be tainted with any corruption of hypocrisie vaine glorie c. no vnrighteousnesse must adhere to it if any doe our Deuotion will not deserue to be called a Sacrifice of Righteousnesse When we examine Deuotion by these strict conditions wee shall find that there is no such Sacrifice to be found but that onely one which was offered by our Sauiour Iesus Christ in him was most absolute the Righteousnesse both of the offerer and of the offering and therefore of the offering because of the offerer for one person was both and the stile of the person in the Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3.14 〈◊〉 110 4. the iust one and He is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec which is by interpretation King of Righteousnesse therefore doe the Fathers vnderstand Christ in this phrase But by participation of Christs grace our deuotion may also passe for a Sacrifice of Righteousnesse In the last vision of Ezekiel the Priesthood is entailed vpon the posterity of Zadok wherein there is a Mysterie Ezek 44. for Zadok signifieth Righteous and he was a type of Christ so that not Christ onely but his Ofspring which we are may offer a Sacrifice of Righteousnesse Esay 8. And indeed our persons and our gifts are both righteous if wee be truely incorporated into Christ But wee must obserue a great difference for Christs Sacrifice differeth from ours euen as it is onely iust for his Righteousnes is perfect ours is but imperfect wee cannot exceed the measure of our Regeneration and therefore wee may not ascribe vnto it more worth then it hath in it Notwithstanding wee must endeauour to haue it such as it is wee must endeauour that our deuotion may be a Sacrifice of Righteousnes that our deuotion may be solid That is not enough although the Sonne of Syrac doth comfort vs euen in that respect when he telleth vs Chap. 3◠that the Sacrifice of the Righteous maketh the Altar fat But here is besides the solidnes a fulnes also required in the Deuotion I gather it out of the varietie here specified Burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings The Arabicke conioyneth these two words as if they noted but one thing but they are distinguished in the Originall and in other translations and there is a good reason they should bee distinguished For they note all kind of Sacrifices for all are reduced to two heads they were either Animata or Inanimata they consisted of liuing creatures such as were birds and beasts and they come vnder the name of Gnolah or else they consisted of things without life such as were floure oyle c. they come vnder the name of Kalil here rendred whole burnt offerings these being the heads of either kind may well comprehend all the rest Secondly not onely all kinds of Sacrifices are noted by these words but by consequence all sorts of persons for Gnolah the burnt offering was offered for the whole Body of the people whereunto Kalil that is the whole burnt offering was to be added for the Priest so that whereas the whole Kingdome did consist but of Priests and people all persons are comprehended vnder these words Thirdly these Sacrifices were offered euery day early and late In the morning there was a Gnolah a burnt offering and a Kalil a whole burnt offering ioyned with it and as much at the Euening no day was excused from either of them Fourthly both of these were wholly consumed no part reserued from God contrary to the condition of other Sacrifices whereof alwayes the Priests sometimes the people also had a share as in the Votiue and Eucharisticall Sacrifice These thing were ceremonially to bee obserued But in these there is a Morality enwrapt and the Morality is as manifold as was the Ceremonie that fourefold and so is this First of all things that we haue liuing or dead wee must make a present vnto God Secondly in so doing the Priest must not post ouer Deuotion to the people nor the people to the the Priest both must make their presents Thirdly euerie day must be a day of Deuotion if not publikely in the communion of Saints although that it might be publike was the true intent of the first founding of Cathedrall and Collegiat Churches yea and of Monasteries also yet priuately Priests and people should day by day offer spirituall Sacrifices vnto God Fourthly when we performe our Deuotion we must take heede of Sacriledge As we must offer of all kinds so all parts of them to God Acts 5. we must not bee vnwilling to forgoe any thing if it may aduance the glorie of God Ananias and Saphira their example most terrifie vs and it must make both Priest and people willing to keep◠themselues close to the tenor of the Law and to Loue the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soule and with all their strength c. You haue heard that the Deuotion must be solta and full if it be such then it will find Acceptance with God Acceptance for it will please the Legall phrase is it will yeeld a sauour of sweete smell or a sauour of rest whereof the Mortll is pleasing or delight and delight is the highestimprouement of Loue. For Loue doth first draw the eye to behold a thing Secondly it draweth on the Will to approue it Thirdly it may open the hand to doe good vnto it but farther it cannot goe then to take content in it So that this delight or pleasing she weth more then an ordinarie Affection But Affections are as is the person in whom they arise No person greater then God therefore no delight can be like vnto his But this is a Paradox God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-sufficient hee needeth nothing and what then can worke his delight yea it is a wonder that he should stoope to so base a solace that hath so incomprehensible pleasures in his owne nature Wonder not at it for it is Condescensio paterna as Parents vse to grace the small endeauours of their Children so doth God the Deuotion of his seruants Non ex d gnitate rei sed ex dignatione sua not that the seruice descrueth it but he vouchsafeth to respect it so that we may defraud our seruice of the honour but wee cannot defraud God of the comfort for Gods comfort doth not depend on our seruice it is inseperable from his Essence but the honour of our seruice depends of Gods fauourable aspect which I called Gods Acceptance But how doth this Acceptance appeare If you looke
GOD is grounded vpon it and affinitie doth in some sort equall consanguinitie as grafted branches doe those that are naturall But because where consanguinitie is a good ground of charitie there needeth no repaire neither will GOD haue any therefore hath he forbidden mariage within certaine degrees some collaterall more in the right line and they that match within these degrees are said to commit Incest Adde hereunto that GOD would haue a distinction kept between persons he would not haue the same person a Father and a Sonne an Husband and a Brother c. in regard of the same persons such peruersenesse in matches can neuer be approued of reason much lesse of GOD. See then your fault you that are the incestuous persons you haue first gone against GODS Ordinance which prouided for the propagating of charity and your sinne is iniurious to the societie of mankind and if it might preuaile Families must needs continue strangers each to the other and they must confine their wealth and their loue euerie one to their owne Howse Secondly In confounding Consanguinitie and Affinitie you haue made a peruerse confusion of a Father and an Husband and of a Daughter you haue made a Wife at least a Strumpet And this is your second sinne and of this and the former consisteth your sinfull fact and haynous sinne It is wickednesse Wickednesse is a word common to all sinnes but it must be here vnderstood in a speciall sense as the word sinner is often in the Scripture in the Old Testament the Amalekites those sinners 1 Sam. 15.18 in the New Testament the Gentiles are also called sinners as also Publicans Harlots not so much because they had sinne in them as for that their sinnes were enormous All Incontinencie is wicked but Incest is wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the highest degree But to open the word here vsed by the Holy Ghost a little more fully The word is Zimmah which signifieth any act of our mind or thought of our heart but because the thoughts of the imaginations of our hearts are commonly euill therefore an euill thought or purpose is often intimated vnto vs thereby Thirdly Because he that is a slaue to his affections can hardly be master of his actions for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake therefore it signifieth a reuealed thought a thought reuealed in our actions Finally the word being put without any limitation doth signifie an execrable an intollerable wicked both thought and act and so it is here to be vnderstood But marke that though the sinne be an act yet it is denominated from the thought And why The principall part thereof lyeth in the purpose of the heart not in the outward performance by our body which may also be obserued in the storie of the Deluge all flesh had then corrupted his way but GOD pointeth at the fountaine of this corruption in these words Gou. 6. euerie imagination of the thoughts of mans heart were euill Act. 8. and that continually SIMON MAGVS offered money to the Apostles that he might by them be inabled to giue the Holy Ghost to whom soeuer he layd his hands vpon but marke what St PETER saith to him Pray that the thought of thy heart may be forgiuen thee for I perceiue thou art in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquitie Men that doe that which is right in their owne eyes are commonly drawne thereunto by following the counsell of their owne heart we must therefore listen to the aduise of SOLOMON Prâ—u 4.23 Keepe thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and death A second note that this word doth yeeld is that we must be so farre from acting that we must not so much as purpose sinne not suffer our selues so farre to be baited by our owne lusts Athanas as to conceiue sinne in the inward man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne in the priuie closet of our soule Excellently NAZIANZENE to this purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let no man set vp Idols of wickednesse in his soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor carrie about him pictures of wickednesse in his heart for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward lust is the greatest part of fornication and incest and therefore doth the Holy Ghost so often forbid the lust of concupiscence In a word laudantur homines vituperantur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as men are inwardly disposed so are they morally reputed good or bad and herein doth morallitie differ from policie But I haue not yet touched at the haynousnesse of this sinne Incest then must be reputed in the number of the most enormous sinnes a sinne that hath his originall from the impure Spirit which is antiquus adulter the ancientest Adulterer not onely spirituall but corporall also and taketh delight no lesse in the corruption of our bodyes then of our soules you may see it in the confessions of sundry Witches who report the manner of their festiuitie at their impious meetings and read it in the description of their Mysteries wherein they doe initiate their followers TERTVLLIAN in his Apologie and other Fathers make mention of it And how many impure Hereticks did he rayse in the Primitiue CHVRCH This and the 18 Chapter doth tell vs that the Aegyptians from whom the Israelites came and the Canaanites into whose Countrey they were to goe were Nations ouergrowne with this haynous sinne but marke what it addeth God did detest them for it and the Land did spue them out And no maruell â—ozomene for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that is giuen ouer to this degree of lust hath lost all soueraigntie of reason and is become a verie beast yea worse then a beast for beasts abhorre this coniunction as heretofore vpon a like occasion I shewed you out of ARISTOTLE And therefore although these extrauagant lusts did raigne in the Heathen who learned them of their impure gods yet was not the light of reason so farre exstinguished in all of them Ouid. but that many acknowledged the haynousnesse of them the Poet did Dira canam procul hinc natae procul este parentes said one of them Lab 8. De Legibus when he was to speake of a Daughters lying with her owne Father The Philosophers did PLATO saith that by an inward vnwritten Law the sacred Law of Conscience men doe abhorre these vnnaturall mixtures of mankind The Ciuill Law calleth it a funestation of a mans selfe and indeed the persons are dead in sinnes and trespasses that make such a coniunction And how can that be but abominable in GODS iudgement which the blind reason of vnregenerate man hath acknowledged to be so abominable I will conclude this point with two aggrauations of the sinne which arise from the persons of these offendors The man is a Father and a father should be a good example to his children and by
vs in his beloued SONNE but who heareth him No bee we neuer so often summoned our eyes our eares are slumbring are wandring and I presume not though I wish I might that what I haue spoken will awaken and fixe them Wherefore let vs turne both vnto him that opened the eyes of the blind and eares of the deafe that he would vnuaile both our eyes and our eares that these Mysteries be not presented to vs in vaine but that the Heauens bee now so open to our Faith that hereafter they may bee opened to our persons that the Doue would make vs such Doues that we may flie with peace into the Arke of God that he which is the Sonne and Beloued would make vs beloued sonnes of God that hauing our sinnes purged our persons accepted we may haue an endlesse Communion in Glory with the Holy Spirit that affoordeth vs this Communion in Grace A SERMON PREACHED AT WHITE-HALL 1 IOHN 3. VERS 20 21. 20 For if our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things 21 Beloued if our heart condemne vs not then haue we confidence to wards God AND verily this Scripture deserues well to be looked into at this time For we are at length awakened out of our dead sleepe in carnall securitie GODS Iudgements haue rowsed vs and we purpose GOD willing publickely and penitently to deprecate GODS fierce wrath prouoked by our crying innes GOD grant we may do it acceptably â—nd effectually But that cannot be except we first keepe a Scrutinie we throughly suruay euerie man his owne selfe this is the truest Preface vnto and best preparation for a Penitentiall Fast He that can vnflatteringly present himselfe before the vnpartiall eyes of his owne soule and the most holy eyes of GOD he whose heart is of that temper that it can receiue those religious impressions which such a sight will worke he and he onely hath made the first and the hardest step that must be troden by a penitent man My purpose is and it is the scope of my Text to guid our feet into that step and aduise vs to grow more familiarly acquainted with that whereunto the most of men desire to be verie strangers I meane our Consciences Conscience in my Text is called by the name of heart and our heart importeth as much as the Conscience of a Christian Touching this my Text doth teach vs what is her worke it is to censure or to sentence vs this you may gather out of the whole body of my Text. But in so dealing she proceeds not alike with all And why She findeth not all alike Some are and they are censured as guilâ—ie persons they haue a Conscience that condemneth them Other-some are not guiltie and they haue a Conscience which condemneth not The difference of the persons maketh a difference of her Worke. Vpon this Difference St Iohn groundeth an Inference He argueth from our Heart vnto GOD and giueth vs to vnderstand That as we deale when we reckon with our selues so will GOD deale when he calleth vs to an Account The worke of GOD and our Heart are in this case alike Alike they are but yet they are vnequall and that in two respects First of Power secondly of Knowledge I will a little supply the words so you will perceiue that St Iohn speaketh as much in two comparatiue Maximes Our heart is great and indeed it can doe much in this Little world of ours and yet it is no match for GOD God is greater then our Heart he can doe whatsoeuer he will both in Heauen and earth This is the first Maxime Our Heart knoweth much of that which is in vs it is euer of our Priuie Councell but yet that much commeth short of all it is God onely that knoweth all things euen those things that are hid in the obscurest darkenesse This is the second Maxime See now what S. Iohn worketh out of these two Maximes First concerning persons that are guiltie If our euill Conscience that is lesse in power and more shallow in knowledge doe notwithstanding condemne vs How shall not God condemne vs who is both Omnipotent and Omniscient Secondly concerning those that are guiltlesse If a man vpon due scrutinie can giue himselfe a Quietus est certainely that man may come with boldnesse vnto the Throne of Grace S. Iohn expresseth the Inference in these words If our Heart condemne vs not then haue wee confidence towards God But whom doeth all this concerne which we haue spoken of Conscience Surely the members of the Church they are meant by this name Beloued they must know that the workes and fruites which proceed from these workes doe concerne them neither haue they any priuiledge By this short modell you may conceiue the substance of my Text and apprehend vpon what I meane to insist GOD so blesse mee in speaking and you in hearing that whensoeuer wee are put vpon the triall God and our Heart may bee comfortable to vs seeing we are assured by my Text that they will deale very plainely with vs. The first particular was the name whereby Conscience is here called and that is Heart Vnder this name Heart the Scripture comprehendeth three things the Will the Conscience and the Affections sometimes the Holy Ghost intendeth all three by the word at other times some one in this place it vnderstandeth that one of them which is called Conscience And there is reason why that is called by the name of Heart The heart of man is his Morall Treasurie CHRIST teacheth it in St. Cap. 1â— Matthew A good man out of the good treasurie of his heart bringeth foorth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasurie of his heart bringeth foorth euill things whatsoeuer our conuersation is be it good or bad the roote of it is there and from thence as Salomon speaketh proceede life and death Prow 4. Now where the fountaine is of our morall Actions there GOD is pleased should bee the seate of morall Directions and Corrections too that no motion of the heart should farther be yeelded vnto then might stand with the fore-hand Counsell or after-hand content of the Conscience GOD would not haue vs seeke farre for these things either vp to Heauen or downe to hell or passe the Sea's they are neere vs in vs yea a very part a principall part of vs. And by whom will a man bee ordered in these things if not by himselfe and to whom could GOD more mercifully commend him then to himselfe This mercifull care cutteth off those poore excuses and vaine Apologies which men might make if GOD had not chosen so sit a Seate for Conscience But wee must farther obserue that the Conscience is furnished with two Powers a Directorie and a Iudicatorie it hath in it morall Principles whereby to guide men which is the Law written in our Heart whereby wee discerne good and euill the learned call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is nothing else but practique
hoped for all are not so prouident as to let their Conscience preuent sinne Well howsoeuer wee neglect the first worke of Conscience wee cannot auoid the second if wee will not take notice of it it will take notice of Vs it taketh notice of all our doings whether they be good or bad proueth a comfortable or vncomfortable Iury vnto vs. Neither is this all Our selues are trusted not onely to giue in the verdict but also to take it whether it bee against vs or for vs. And as our Conscience will not spare to doome vs according to the Law if wee bee guiltie our selues shall pronounce what our sinnes deserue So will it not faile to assure vs of all the Blessings of the Gospel if it finde vs innocent and we shall rest assured of the trueth of our owne Iudgement And why GOD will second our Heart his worke will keepe correspondencie with ours whether it condemne or absolue Onely for the greater terrour of the wicked and comfort of the godly let vs not forget the inequalitie if wee sincke vnder our owne Iudgement we shall sincke more vnder GODS and if our owne doe yeeld boldnesse GODS will yeeld much more Wherefore redde te tibi forget not the preuenting worke of thy Conscience to bee ruled by it Bernard Meditat. neglect not the enquiring worke of thy Conscience to prognosticate of thy future state according to it Let euery one of vs endeauour with St. Paul to haue an vnoffensiue Conscience toward God and men that he may solace himselfe in that true peace thereof in this world and haue the consummation thereof with Aeternall Blisse in the world to come Amen Πάντοτε δόξα Θηῶ. FINIS A Meditation vpon Psalme 19. VERSE 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer FAst and Pray Lord I doe fast and I would pray for to what end doe I with-hold sustenance from my body if it be not the more to cheere vp my Soule my hungrie my thirstie Soule But the Bread the Water of life both which I find no where but in thy word I partake not but by exercising my selfe therein This I begin to doe and faine would I doe it well but in vaine shall I attempt except thou doe blesse blesse me then O Lord blesse either part of me both are thine and I would withhold neither part from thee Not my body I would set my tongue on worke to speake of thee not my Soule I would exercise my heart in thinking on thee I would ioyne them in Deuotion whom thou hast ioyned in Creation Yea Lord as they haue conspired to sinne against thee so doe they now consort to doe their duetie to thee my tongue is ready my heart is ready I would thinke I would speake thinke vpon thee speake to thee But Lord what are my words What are my thoughts Thou knowest the thoughts of men that they are altogether vanitie and our words are but the blast of such thoughts both are vile It were well it were no worse both are wicked my heart a corrupt fountaine and my tongue an vncleane streame and shall I bring such a sacrifice to God The halt the lame the blind the sicke though otherwise the beasts be cleane yet are they sacrifices abominable to God how much more if we offer those beasts which are vncleane And yet Lord my sacrifice is no better faultring words wandring thoughts are neither of them presentable to thee how much lesse euill thoughts and idle words Yet such are mine the best of mine they are such I cannot denie it but grieue at it I should I doe that hauing nothing else to offer God hauing nothing that is required of him this that I haue should be such as he cannot like What remedie None for me if any it is in thee O Lord that I must find it and for it now doe I seeke vnto thee Thou onely O Lord canst hallow my tongue and hallow my heart that my tongue may speake and my heart thinke that which may be acceptable vnto thee yea that which may bee thy delight Doe not I lauish Were it not enough that God should beare with that hee should not punish the defects of my words of my thoughts May I presume that God shall accept of me Nay delight in me Forget I who the Lord is Of what Maiestie Of what felicitie Can it stand with his Maiestie to vouchsafe acceptance VVith his felicitie to take content in the words of a worme in the thoughts of a wretch And Lord I am too proud that vilifie my selfe so little and magnifie thee no more But see whether the desire of thy seruant doth carrie him how wishing to please I consider not how hard it is for dust and ashes to please God to doe that wherein God should take content But Lord here is my comfort that I may set God to giue content vnto God God is mine and I cannot want accesse vnto God if God may approach himselfe Let me be weake yet God is strong O Lord thou art my strength Let me bee a slaue to sinne God is a Sauâ—our O Lord thou art my Sauiour thou hast redeemed me from all that wofull state whereunto Adam cast me yea thou hast built me vpon a Rocke strong and sure that the gates of Hell might neuer preuaile against me These two things hast thou done for me O Lord and what may not hee presume of for whom thou hast done these things I feare not to come before thee I presume my Deuotion shall content thee bee thy eyes neuer such all-seeing eyes I will bee bold to present my inward my outward man before thee be thy eyes neuer so holy eyes I will not flie with Adam to hide my nakednesse from thee for I am able to keepe my ground seeing I am supported by my Lord I doubt not but to prooue a true Israelite and to preuaile with God For all my Woe for all my sinne I will not shrinke nay I will approach approach to thee for thou art my Redeemer The neerer I come to thee the freer shall I bee both from sinne and woe O blessed state of man who is so weake so strong so wretched and so happie weake in himselfe strong in God most happie in God though in himselfe a sinfull wretch And now my Soule thou wouldest be deuout thou mayst be what thou wouldest sacrifice to God thy words sacrifice to God thy thoughts make thy selfe an Holocaust doubt not but thou shalt be accepted thou shalt content euen the most glorious the most holy eyes of God Onely presume not of thy selfe presume on him build thy words build thy thoughts vpon thy Rocke they shall not be shaken free thy words free thy thoughts thoughts and words enthrauled to sinne by thy Sauiour and thy sacrifice shall be accepted So let me build on thee so let me be enlarged by thee in soule in