have done vertuously but thou Pro. 31. 29. surmountest them all As Christ commended Iohn Baptist above all Nazarites saying There is no greater Prophet than Iohn among them Luk. 7. 28. that are begotten of women And the Lord Moses above all Prophets So Iude commendeth Faith above al vertues All precious stones Deut. 34. are good yet none like the Topaze all flowres are faire yet none Iob 28. like the Lily most trees bring fruit but none like the Apple-tree Faith purifies our hearts and makes our actions and persons holy of Persia or the Tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and gave fruit every moneth Many vertues are excellent and further our salvation yet none like faith Iustice giveth every man his owne temperancy restraineth lusts fortitude beareth Apoc. 22. 2. 1 Iohn 5. 4. all labour and toile prudence guideth our actions but faith overcommeth the world so doe not other vertues faith is like the three 2 Sam. 23. worthies of David who brake thorow the whole host and drew water of the Well of Bethlem Ionathan and his armour-bearer 1 Sam. 19. slew twenty men Shamgar with an Oxe goade slew six hundred Iudg. 3. 31. Iudg. 15. Philistines Samson with the jaw-bone of an Asse slew a thousand men thus these men brake thorow an whole host and faith overcommeth the whole world In this faith Paul insulted over heaven and earth men and Angels I am perswaded saith Paul that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor Rom. 8. 38. things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And againe he saith I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keep that which I have committed unto him meaning himselfe against that day It is called Holy yea most Holy for all our works are polluted and receive their holinesse from faith and faith from Christ who is the object of it As the Sunne giveth light to all Planets as salt seasoneth all meates so Faith seasoneth all works for in themselves they are polluted For who can say I have made my heart cleane I am cleane from sinne For as the holy man of god saith Hee found no stedfastnesse Pro. 20. 9. Iob 4. 18 19. in his servants and laid folly upon his Angels how much more in them that dwell in houses of Clay whose foundation is the dust which shall bee destroyed before the moth And againe he maketh this demand and saith What is man that he should be cleane And hee that is borne of a Woman that hee should be just Wee are all as a menstruous cloth Cap. 15. 14. as an uncleane thing we all doe fade like a leafe and our iniquities like the wind haue taken us away only Faith purifieth our hearts To come neerer fidem sanctissimam vocat ratione objecti hee Act. 15. 9. calleth it most holy Faith by reason of the object Deum enim trinum unum respicit it respecteth three and one three in Persons one in Essence Morall vertues they are occupied about humane objects and things created as liberality about giving of good things temperance about meate drinke fleshly lusts leachery c. Fortitude in suffring adversity therefore they cannot be called most holy vertues Againe it is called most holy Faith in respect of the efficient cause thereof that is to say the Holy Ghost For the Holy Ghost bestoweth upon us all good things love joy peace long 1 Cor. 12 Gal. 5. 22. suffering gentlenesse goodnesse Faith meeknesse temperance all these and all the rest are the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Now because the Authour is holy his Works his gifts and graces bee holy Nil nisi sanctum à sancto spiritu prodire potest If no holines no Faith Nothing can come from the holy Spirit but that which is holy Aug. Learne here to judge of the works of the elder World their almes their prayer their love what love could there be without faith and what faith could there bee among them without the doctrine of God Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God But did they fast often Wee seldome or never Did they Rom. 10. 14. give almes and doe we live unto our selves are our right hands dryed up with Ieroboams Did they pray in the night wee scarce in the day Did they love one another agree together and doe wee sue and sting one another like the Serpents of Sinai O brethren they shall rise in judgement against us as Christ said of the Ninivites Except our righteousnesse our prayers our love exceed theirs wee shall not enter into Heaven our faith is Mat. 11. not most holy no nor holy nay no faith at all And by the way note that hee calleth faith holy not unholy unjust unchaste drunken faith such as the world braggeth of in these dayes the dead faith that Saint Iames inveigheth against so earnestly All lewd men boast of faith but I will say to them as Iames said O stende mihi fidem per opera Shew me thy faith by thy workes shew mee it by thy zeale thy piety thy truth thy chastity thy mercy with our faith let us joyne vertue The Israelites cryed Templum Domini templum Domini the Temple of 2 Pet. 1. 5. the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Pharisees cryed The Baptisme of Iohn the Baptisme of Iohn the Iewes cried We have Abraham to our Father the Scribes cried We have Moses to our Doctor the Ephesians cryed Great is Diana of the Ephesians but Ieremy bade the Israelites amend their wayes and their works Ier. 7. 4. Iohn bade the Pharisees bring forth fruits of Repentance Christ bade the Iewes doe the Workes of Abraham He told the Scribes Luk. 3. 8. Iohn 8. Iohn 5. Ephes 4. 20. that Moses would condemne them and Paul told the Ephesians that they had not so learned Christ and so say we to these men that boast of faith I will reason with them as Ieremy did with the people Will yee steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsly Ier. 7. 9 10. and burne incense unto Baal and walke after other gods whom yee know not and come and stand before mee in this house whereupon my Name is called even so will we sweare lye raile slander and say that we beleeve Was Gods house a denne for theeves is faith become a cloake for theeves whoremongers lyers swearers usurers Idolaters blasphemers drunkards pot-companions c I say of this faith as Saint Iames said of Wisedome This wisedome descendeth not from above but is earthly sensuall and divelish so Iam. 3. 5. this faith is not from above but is earthly sensuall and divelish For faith sheweth it selfe in good workes and can no more be separated from it
divine power have yee not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning have yee not understood it by the foundation of the Earth Hee sitteth upon the circle of the Earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grasse-hoppers he stretcheth out the Heavens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in And Salomon reasoneth thus Who hath ascended up to Heaven and descended who hath gathered the Wind in his Prov. 30. 4. fist who hath bound the Waters in a garment who hath established all the ends of the World what is his name or his Sonnes name if thou canst tell And God reasoning with Iob saith Where wast thou when Job 38. 4 5 6. 8. I layd the foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding who hath layd the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line over it whereupon are the foundations thereof set or who hath layd the corner-stone thereof or who hath shut up the Sea with doores When it issued and come forth out of the Wombe c. The world is Schola Dei the Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke And the Apostle affirmeth Psal 19. 1. that God left not himselfe without witnesse in that hee did good and gave us raine from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse O every showre of raine is a Preacher and tels us there is a God Note this that nothing was made of it selfe nor for it selfe but for another The Heavens we see doe serve the Ayre the Ayre serveth the Earth the Earth the Beasts the Beasts serve Man Man therefore not made of himselfe was made to serve another which can bee no other but God The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake If all things therefore Man which Pro. 16. 4. confuteth Atheisme Againe it is an arrow yea a hammer against Atheisme that all men have a conscience of sinne and are affraid of it Conscience is a witnesse either with us or against us either to excuse us or accuse us It beareth witnesse of what of secret particular actions Against whom against thy selfe To whom to God seeing neither men nor Angels know the secrets of thy heart Let all Atheists barke against the God-head as long as they will Intùs est vermis qui illos mordet within there is a worme that gnaweth them In that men are afraid and ashamed of sinne it argueth that there is a God we see that all creatures purge themselves of their corruption The Sea her froth the water her skumme the earth her vapours the birds their feathers the wine his lees the fire his smoke the oile his some Man therfore that would avoid his sinne and be rid of it hath a conscience of God and proveth there is a God But alas Religion beggeth in these dayes Probitas laudatur alget our religion is in imagination not in faith in opinion not in judgement in the braine not in the heart in word not in deed and effect They professe they know God but inwardly in their works they doe denie him being abominable disobedient and unto every Few truly religious but many Epicures and Atheists good worke reprobate they have a shew of godlinesse but have denyed the power thereof O vile times the worst that have beene ever since the creation of the world and if these dayes should not be shortned no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake God hath shortned them We Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Mat. 24. 22. Esa 58. 1. 1 Reg. 19. Mar. 3. had need crie aloud and not spare lift up our voices like trumpets For ordinary speaking hath no proportion with extraordinary sinning We cannot come to you as God came to Elias in a still wind in a soft voice we must have Stentors voice be like Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder The Heathen said of their infidels Plus amant bovem quā Iovem they love the oxe more than Iupiter we may say of many Christians Plus amant coenam quam coelum cibum quam Christum they love more their supper than heaven more their meat than Christ they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like lapwings that delight in dung like Vespatian who took a tribute of urine Many nations have lived without cloaths without King without armour but never any without God as Tullie said Nulla gens tamfera tamimmanis c. never nation was so wilde so cruell so barbarous but have acknowledged and confessed that there was a God Neere the river Ganges in India be men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without mouthes that live by the sent of flowers among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without hearts that beleeve nothing Socrates said Hoc scio quod nihil scio I know this that I know nothing and they hoc credo quod nihil credo I beleeve this that I beleeve nothing they have set downe their rest Non esse Deum non esse daemonem non esse coelum non esse infernum there is no God there is no divell there is no heaven there is no hell and therefore they say Our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no recovery neither was any knowne that have returned Wisd 2. 1 2 3. 4 5. from the grave wee are borne at all adventure and wee shall be hereafter as though we had never beene for the breath is as smoake in our nosthrills and the words as a sparke raised out of the heart which being extinguished the body is turned to ashes and the spirit vanisheth as in the soft ayre c. Come therefore let us enjoy the pleasures that are present c. These wilde Bores roote up the Lords vineyard these Foxes destroy the grapes these Ionas's trouble the ship of England For Christs Psal 80. 13 14. Church is Christs ship tossed with waves but let us runne with the Apostles and awake our Saviour that hee may hurle out Mat. 14. these Ionas's Thirdly the wicked are here described by their carnalitie and libertie they turne grace into wantonnesse for ungodlinesse hath two branches iniquitie in life and manners and impuritie in religion of the first he saith They turne grace into wantonnesse of the second it is said that they denied God and Christ Iesus Of the Act. 6. Rom. 8. first sort were the Libertines that disputed with Steven Paul had to doe with such hereticks vile men that said faciamus mala ut inde veniat bonum Let us doe evill that good may good come thereof Gods grace ought to lead to repentance Or let us be evill that God may be good let us commit iniquitie that Gods glorie may bee revealed let sinne abound that grace may superabound But their judgement is just and their damnation sleepeth not such are all presumptuous sinners Rom. 6. 1. that will sinne of purpose
25. In the glory of his Father with all his holy Angels Thirdly great in respect of the prisoners that shall be arraigned For when he shall come in the clouds of heaven every eye shall see him even those that peirced him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wayle Apoc. 1. 7. before him Nay then The Kings of the earth and great men and rich Apoc. 6. 15. men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men and every bond man and every free man shall be arraigned And therefore it may well be called a great day for if the particular day of the destruction of Ierusalem was so grievous that the Prophet cryed out The great Zeph. 1. 14 15 16 day of the Lord is neer it is neer hasteth greatly even the voice of the day of the Lord the strong man shall cry there bitterly That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and heavinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darkenesse a day of clouds and blacknesse a day of Iâ—â—l 2. 10. 11. the trumpet and alarum against the strong Cities c. And againe the earth shall tremble before him the heavens shall shake the Sunne and Moone shall be darke and the starres shall withdraw their shining and the Lord shall utter his voyce before his host for his host is very great For he is strong that doth his work For the day of the Lord is great very terrible and who can abide it What shall be the generall day of the destruction of the whole world when the Elements shall melt with 2 Pet. 3. heat the heavens shall passe away with a noyse the earth shall reele and stagger like a drunken man and the world shall burne Good Lord what a great day will this be when all the Saints out of heaven all the damned out of hell all the dead bodies out of the earth must appeare Not an Angell spared not a divell respited not a Saint or sinner rescued but all must be summoned to give their attendance and to make their appearances Once the world was destroyed with water but now it shal be consumed with fire For the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels 1 Thes 1. 7 8. in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them which know not God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Let thy heart dwell seriously in this meditation but a little imagine that thou sawest the world on fire the Iudge sitting the dead standing before him the sinnes of all men revealed the divels accusing Eccles 7 38. them it would beat downe many sinnes in thee Remember the end and thou shalt never doe amisse Christ speaking of that day saith That there shall be signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and Luke 21. 25 26 upon the earth trouble among Nations with perplexity the Sea and the waters shall rore and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things that shall come on the world for the powers of heaven Iudgement terrible to all but especially to the wicked shall be shaken Others Sessions and assizes be fearefull to malefactors what shall Gods assizes bee when the Ancient of dayes shall sit whose garments are white as snow and the haire of his head is like pure wooll and his throne like a firy flame Then Dan. 7. 9. fulminabit dominus e Caelo the Lord shall thunder from heaven and the highest will give his voyce And if the thunder and ratling of a cloud be so terrible what terrour shall there bee when he shall thunder that sits above the clouds For then Terra tremet Mare mugiet the earth shall quake the Sea rore the ayre ring the World burne and if Tota terra the whole pillars of the earth must move how should this move man who is but a cold of earth If virtutes Coeli the powers of heaven must tremble what will befall those mindes of mudde and earth that have never a thought of heaven If the Angels of God shall stand then at a gaze how agast will the wicked be whose portion is with the Divell and his Angels If the Heavens must cleave and the Elements bee rent asunder how will earthly hearts faile and breake If the righteous shall scarce be saved Vbi impius Where shall the wicked and the sinner appeare If S. Ciprian is said so Ciprian much to feare diem Iudicii the day of Iudgement that he cleane forgot diem martyrii the day of Martyrdome and earthly torment and no marvell Nam timor mortis nihil ad timorem Iudicis the feare of temporall death is nothing to the feare of him that hath power of eternall life and death And if they be in such amaze Ad quos judex For whose glorie and good the Iudge shall come how shall they stand amazed Contra quos Index against Apoc. 20. whom and for whose eternall shame and paine the Iudge shall 1 Coâ— 1. 25. come If Heaven and earth shall flie before him Quomodo stabimus ante potentissimum quem nemo potest vincere how shall we be 1 Tim 1. 17. able to stand before the most mightie whom none can vanquish For the weakenes of God is stronger than men Ante prudentissimum quem nemo potest fallere before the most wise whom no man can deceive For he is God only Wise and in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge and understanding Ante piissimum quem nemo potest corrumpere before the most just whom no man can corrupt His judgement will be Rectum judicium a right and a true judgement he cannot faile either Ignorantia legis as not knowing the Law For he gave the Law and he will judge according to the Law nor yet ignorantia facti As not seeing the fact For his eyes goe thorow the World Ye may interprete them if ye will 7. thousand thousand eyes For he is Totus oculus All eye Aug. The consideration of this should stirre us up to be carefull and circumspect in all our wayes that we never treade our shooe awry nor offend this Iudge in any thing that at this great day we may find him a gentle and a loving Lambe and not a Lion of Iuda For as to the wicked the Iudge is terrible so to the godly friendly and as to the wicked this great day is a day How can the wicked stand before the uncorrupt Iudge of redemption But to proceed a little further this day is called a day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellencie For never day was like unto it In the day of Israel when he went out of Aegypt The Sea fledde Iordan was driven backe the mountaines skipped like Rammes and the little hills like yong Sheepe In the day of Iosua the Sunne stood still in Psal 114. Heaven from morning to noone
of the riches and wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearcheable are his judgements and his wayes past finding â—ut Yea so wise a God is hee that deprehendit astutos in astutia that hee taketh the wilie and subtill in their craft and subtiltie nay there is no Wisedome there is no understanding there is no Counsell against the Lord. Let us Prov. 21. alwayes then submit our selves to this onely wise God who knoweth how to deliver us out of temptation and trouble and to 2 Pet. 2. punish the wicked for with him is wisedome and strength hee hath counsell and understanding Iob 21. 22. I am come unto the second title and that title is that hee calleth him a Saviour yea our Saviour a title of great comfort hee is able to save us hee is willing to save us what now is wanting to our full consolation There is power there is will in him to save us upon these two pillars resteth our faith So Saint Peter comforted the dispersed Church for having shewed how that through the aboundant mercy of our God wee are elect and regenerate to a lively hope and how faith must bee tried hee commeth at last to this salvation here spoken of and telleth them that they shall one day receive the end of their faith even the salvation of their soules The which salvation in Christ is no new thing but a thing prophesied of old salvation is the thing that wee all long for for there is none so wicked but he would bee saved and no salvation but in Christ There is no other name given unto men by which they shall bee saved save onely by the name of Act. 4. 12. Iesus hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saviour so called at his birth This day is Luke 2. 11. borne a Saviour which is Christ the Lord so named before his birth Thou shalt call his name Iesus for bee shall save his people from their Mat. 1. 21. sinnes And thus called after his birth and Ioseph called his name Iesus a title knowne in Heaven honoured in Earth and feared in Hell He is a Saviour a powerfull Saviour when he Mat. 1. 25. was weakest then did he the greatest works that ever were done hee was powerfull in his life in doing miracles in giving sight Christ is properly called the Saviour to the blind eares to the deafe tongues to the dumbe legges to the ame life to the dead O but more powerfull at his death in saving the world For then the Sunne was darkened the earth trembled the stones clave in pieces the graves opened the dead raised his death reached to Heaven to earth to Hell the Angels rejoyced the Divels trembled and all men were comforted Let Satan boast like Rabsache that God cannot deliver Ierusalem out of his hands that God cannot deliver the elect from his power he is a lier the God of peace shall tread him under our feete shortly our Michael hath cast downe the Dragon we may sing the â—o Paean the joyfull triumph with the Saints Now is salvation in Heaven and strength and the Kingdome of God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is throwne downe which accused them day and night before God and they overcame him with the blood of the Lambe For indeed Christs death was our life his sacrifice our satisfaction Lact. his labour hath eased our burthens his wounds our curing his stripes our healing his curse our blessing his damnation our absolution Finely saith one Thou art sicke hee is the Physician of thy soule yea dead in sinne hee is thy Saviour and reviver thou art starved through sinne hee is the bread of life thou art thirsty hee is the water nay dead with thirst hee is the ever-springing well the River of Paradise one drop whereof is more than all the Ocean The Graecians for an earthly deliverance by Flaminius cried so loud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the earth gave an Eccho and a rebound that their cry made the Fowles of the ayre to fall downe dead their voice and shoute was as the sound of a thunder how much more cause have wee to reioice in the Lord Iesus who saveth both body and soule and delivereth from dangers of this life and the life to come The Angels sung at his birth Glory be to God on bigh Luk. 2. in earth peace good will towards men No tongues of men or Angels are able to expresse this benefit it is a greater my stery than so for so the Apostle confesseth saying Without controversy great is the mystery of godlines which is God is manifested in the flesh justified 1 Tim. 3. 16. in the spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentils beleeved on in the world and received up in glory Moses saved Israel from Pharao Christ saveth us from the Divell hee from Aegypt Christ from hell hee brought them into the land of Chanaan Christ will bring us Exod. 12. Col. 1. into heaven hee sprinkled the dore posts with the blood of the Lambe Christ our hearts with his owne blood The Papists are injurious to Christ and breake in upon his titles and offices making him either no Saviour or else but a little Saviour in ascribing salvation to Agnus Dei to the blood of Martyrs to Crosses Masses Papists doe as much incroch upon Christ as the Turkes doe they will not acknowledge election justification to come from grace as a right Popish doctrine tends to the disgracing of Grace Father but from workes a stepmother all their doctrine savours of pride blaspheming grace and the worke of grace Note their doctrines de igniculis virtutum insitis à natura of sparkes of vertue grafted in us by nature de gratia operante cooÌ„perante of operating and cooÌ„perating grace de puris naturalibus of pure naturals they will not suffer any body to call God Father and yet is hee the Father of Mercies and God of all 2 Cor. 1. 3. comfort The Church of Rome saith That all the actions of men unregenerate bee not sinne that originall sinne needeth no repentance that a man by meere naturals may love God feare God and beleeve in Christ that a regenerate man may fulfill the whole Law as said the Trident Councell that wee may doe works of supererogation Et quid nunc relinquitar Christe Iesu And what is now left for Christ Iesus The Iesuites aske Why is it not as honorable for God as great glory to powre in an inherent righteousnesse into us as to give us a reputed or imputed righteousnesse But so they may aske Why God kept not Adam from falling Had it not bene as honorable to have kept him from falling No no for then wee had not knowne the sweetnesse of the Messiah So it may seeme as honorable Gen. 3. 15. for God to have kept us from sicknesse but then we had not knowne the goodnesse of the Physician
the highest degree as God complaineth I have nourished and brought up Children but they have rebelled against mee The Oxe doth know his owner the Asse his masters crib but Israel Esa 1. 2 3 4. hath not knowne my people hath not understood We are a sinfull nation a people loden with iniquity a seed of the wicked corrupt children We have forsaken the Lord and provoked the Holy one of Israel to anger We professe to serve God but in works wee deny God we have a shew of godlines but inwardly wee deny the power of it our profession Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. is like the apples and grapes of Sodom faire to the sight but if you touch them they vanish to smoke so all our profession standeth in words not in works as Iames said Ostende mihi fidem per opera Shew mee thy faith by thy works so Ostende Iam. 2. mihi regnum Dei per subjectionem tuam Shew mee the Kingdome of God by thy subjection by thy obedience which is due to his Word apply thy heart to keepe his statutes alwayes unto the end Bee not deceived God will not thus bee mocked in fine wee shall receive the reward of Rebels Quid dicta audiam cùm facta videam What should I heare words when I should see deeds as Moses said to Israeel laying out their severall rebellions So might I lay out the rebellions of England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 egge and bird all naught our Fathers naught and wee also our Fathers have forsaken God and kept not his Law and we have Notorious sinners Satans subjects done worse than our Fathers and walke every one after the stubbornesse of his heart As well may wee spit on Christ Iesus buffet and beate him with a reed and cry with the mockers Haile King of the Iewes as kneele in the Church and say Thy Kingdome come Lord and yet in our deeds promote the kingdome of Satan disobey and not receive the Word which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16. to salvation to every one that beleeveth Therefore hee so highly extolleth it saying The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holdes casting downe the imaginations 2 Cor. 10. 5. and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Wee pray to be like the Angels we must strive then to come neere Mat. 6. them in obedience Three properties are noted in the Angels Obediunt Libentissimè Citissimè Fidelissimè most Willingly Speedily Faithfully They are willing to obey and so wee read that one Angell with speed killed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the Assyrians in one night We must be like Angels if we looke Esa 37. to live with Angels they praise God day and night so must we Esa 6. But it may bee said of most of us that which Vivaldus said of Corasius Erat foris Cato intus Noro he was a Cato without a Nero within foris Angelus intus Diabolus an Angell without a Divell within foris Agnus intus Lupus a Lambe without a Wolfe within Deum ore laudabat corde factis negabat hee praised God with his mouth but denied him in heart in deeds tales sunt mancipia Diaboli such are the slaves of Satan God doth not raigne as a King in them his grace hath no dominion over them they are in the snare of the Divell and are taken of him at his will In this sence Christ called the Iewes the sonnes of the Divell Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your father will yee doe so 2 Tim. 2. 26. Iohn 8. 44. 1 Iohn 2. 14. Iohn saith in the contrary I write unto you babes because yee have knowne the father Impij servi sunt tot daemoniorum quot vitiorum the wicked are the servants of so many divels as they have sinnes and transgressions it is the divell that hath dominion over them not God by his grace As there is in the body a palsy that striketh the one halfe and an Apoplexy that striketh the whole body so there is in our soules a spirituall palsy if not an Apoplexy our understanding is not lightned with the doctrine of God and our will is not enflamed with the Love of God to doe his will as it becommeth us Hereupon Saint Augustine crieth out Augusta foeda est domus Aug. animae meae Straight and filthy is the house of my soule but when thou commest vnto it ô Lord it shall bee enlarged and mundified of thee it is ruinous Lord repaire and amend it it is filthy Lord clense it and wash it there be many things in this Christ will dwell and raigne in a pure soule house of my soule which may offend thy sacred eyes but who shall purge it and purify it or unto whom shall I cry but unto thee Ab ocultis meis purga me Clense mee from my secret sinnes Let this bee our prayer and pray with that spirit wherewith Augustine prayed it and no doubt God will heare thee and have a Kingdom in thy soule This testimony is true the Heavens have sealed unto it and the living God hath spoken it of the children of men and blessed are wee if wee beleeve it there is more happinesse in one day of Gods service and under his Dominion then in ten thousand dayes of vanity in which Satan hath dominion and wee fall from the Lord of life The sixth and last attribute is Power wherein the excellent praise of God consisteth which is the ability in God to do what hee listeth like unto the former attributes but not all one with them haec enim magis conjungi quà m confundi velim I had rather conjoine these things than confound them as Calvin said in another case Of this power speaketh David O Lord my God thou art Psal 104. 1. exceeding great thou art clothed with glory and Majesty And of this power speaketh Esay Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted Heaven with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in Esa 40. 12. a measure and weighted the mountaines in a weight and the hilles in a balance And of this power of God speaketh Salomon Who hath Prov. 30. 4. ascended up to Heaven or descended Who hath gathered the Wind in his fist Who hath bound the Waters in a garment Who hath established all the ends of the world What is his Name or his Sonnes Name if thou canst tell And in respect of this power Christ said Ecce vobiscum sum Behold I am with you to the end of the world whereupon Mat. 28. 20. Aug. Augustine finely Iturus erat Christus ad dextram Patris per mortem praesentia Corporali In regard of his Corporall presence he was by death to goe to the right hand of his Father and in regard of his
Spirituall presence hee is with his Church unto the end of the world secundum ineffabilem invisibilem gratiam impletur illud Ecce vobiscum sum according to his unspeakable and invisible grace that is fulfilled I am with you alwayes to the end of the world but according to the flesh which the Word did take and as hee was borne of a Virgin and apprehended of the Iewes and fastned to the Crosse and as he was taken from the Crosse and wrapped in linnen clothes and laid in the grave that is fulfilled which is said Mee yee shall not have alwayes for forty dayes after Iohn 20. his resurrection hee ascended Et non est hîc and hee is not here for hee sitteth at the right hand of his Father in Heaven est hîc and yet he is here for he departed not from them in regard of his Majesty and power but is still with them Magna quidem sententia tali viro digna A worthy saying fitting so worthy a Father As the soule is whole in the whole body and whole in every part of the body so Christ secundum potentiam by his power and might is all whole in Heaven all whole in earth and all The Christian is strong in Christ who is all sufficient whole in every part of the earth and this is our comfort for in his passion love is kindled in his resurrection faith is confirmed in his resurrection hope is strengthned for while our Head by his power ascended into Heaven wee also with him shall together ascend For all power is given unto him If Iacob understanding that Mat. 28. Ioseph was alive could say Sufficit mihi quòd filius meus vivit It suffiseth me that my sonne liveth much more ought every faithfull Gen. 45. soule to say It sufficeth mee that Christ liveth and sitteth at the right hand of his Father who is unto me in mourning mirth in hunger meate in sicknes health in poverty wealth in darkenes light in weakenes power in death life and this is to give power to God alwayes to depend and hang on his power not to say as the Aramites to make him weake in one place and at one time and strong in another place and at another time but strong 1 Reg. 20. 28. for ever in his strength wee are strong in his victory wee overcome In all things wee are more than conquerors through him that loved Rom. 8. 37. us Conquerers and more than conquerers What is this more than Conquerors O noble Apostle thou wantest words to expresse thy meaning what men or Angels can expresse it fitly what wee shall call this more Rest in him trust in him though your bodies bee weake your beauty fraile your health uncerten your life short your honours vaine your pleasures brittle your troubles great your wisdome little your vertues few your affections many and turbulent and one day yee shall bee conquerours and more then conquerours for his power is made perfect through weakenes he can bring strength out of weakenes light 1 Cor. 12. 9. out of darkenesse life out of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and make the weake things of the world to confound the mighty 1 Cor. 1. 27. Thomas Aquinas doth set out unto us the power of God by the Aquin. order of naturall things Nam majora sunt quae semper nobiliora for they be the greater which are alway the most noble saith hee As in the Elements the Water is ten times more then the earth in greatnes the ayre is greater than the water the fire which wee call the ayre is greater than the ayre and the Heavens are greater than the fire and the highest Heaven greater than the rest because it containeth and is not contayned God therefore which made all is more noble more great than all and is infinite in his essence and power Sum qui sum I am that I am is his name he is of himselfe as Kings are of themselves in their owne Kingdomes we of him as the authority of Magistrates dependeth on the King I am that I am is his name As the eye Exod. 3. which is ordayned to see all colours wanteth all colour otherwise all things should seeme to bee of the same colour so the first Mover is subject to no body and yet can rule all bodies by his power and to bee ruled of none his power is incomprehensible The meditation of Christs power is sweet and comfortable who can despaire knowing that in him is fulnes of power Thus the Christ is all in all unto us Apostles solaced themselves among the middest of their persecutions thus let us solace our selves for who can doe as Christ Act. 4. hath done Aesculapius among the Heathen is adored as God in physicke but Christ hath cured all diseases he hath given sight to the blind and tongues to the dumbe and legges to the lame Mat. 9. Luk. 7. and life to the dead Aesculapius did it by hearbes but Christ by his Word Hercules is adored for his strength for killing men beasts and monsters but Christ hath overcome Divels and death it selfe Bacchus is worshipped for wine and Ceres for bread but Christ Hebr. 2. turned water into wine and fedde five thousand men with five 1 Cor. 15. Iohn 2. cap. 6. loaves and two fishes Minerva is famous for learning but Christ by twelve unlearned men subdued the world Alexander with the sword and the Apostles with the Word one of the greatest miracles in the world Athanasius libro de incarnatione Christi layeth out the power of Christ foure wayes that at his first comming the miralces of Boetia Licia Lybia Aegypt Cabirus ceased and secondly all the oracles of the Divels in Delphos Dido Delos and all Greece thirdly their magicke of Chaldaea and India vanished then away and lastly that the wisdome and eloquence of Philosophers was silenced and suppressed by the doctrine of the Apostles Whereupon libro de Passione Dei he thus crieth out O Christe tu lumen nobis in tenebris illuminasti thou ô Christ our light didst Iohn 3. 19. lighten us in darkenes thou at the right hand of thy Father hast Act. 2. loosed our sorrowes thou being life hast quickened us being dead Col. 2. thou being poore hast inriched us with thy poverty thou being 2 Cor. 8. Rom. 8. 38. our Mediatour hast reconciled us to thy Father thou art to us all in all If any object that hee cannot doe some things for hee cannot lie I answere that Gods power doth not fight with Gods truth Dicitur omnipotens faciendo quod vult non patiendo quod non vult he is called Omnipotent in doing what hee will not in suffering what Aug. lib. 5. de Civitate Dei hee will not Nil Deo difficile There is nothing hard for God Potest Deus omnia sed non vult God can doe all things but hee will not
AN EXPLANATION OF THE GENERALL Epistle of Saint Iude. Delivered in one and forty SERMONS by that Learned Reverend and faithfull Servant of Christ Master SAMVEL OTES Parson of Sowthreps in Norfolke Preached in the Parish Church of Northwalsham in the same County in a publike Lecture And now published for the benefit of Gods Church by SAMVEL OTES his sonne Minister of the Word of God at MARSHAM 2 PET. 1. 15. I will endevour alwayes that ye also may be able to have remembrance of these things after my departing PROV 13. 9. The light of righteousnesse shineth more and more but the candle of the wicked shall bee put out PROV 13. 13. He that despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but hee that feareth the commandement shall be rewarded LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Purslow for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at his Shop at the South Entrance of the ROYALL EXCHANGE 1633. TO THE RELIGIOVS AND RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Knight and Baronet Sir IOHN HOBERT of Blickling Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriffe of the Country of Norfolke SAMVEL OTES wisheth all felicity here and eternall salvation hereafter Right VVorshipfull THese Sermons of my Fathers upon Saint Iude Right worshipfull Sir after that once I was perswaded for Sions sake to have them printed I thought good to dedicate them to your worthy selfe as Saint Luke dedicated his Gospell to Theophilus so I to you another Theophilus a true lover of God and of his Word so right honestly affected to Doctrine and Religion that your Comportment in Gods Church and in all your courses and in all good causes perswades the Countrey your Pietie and Devotion to bee unfained The causes why I present them unto you are these First the true respect you merit from all them who professe Learning Secondly the many excellent gifts worthy of much commendations in your selfe Thirdly that my Father whom God hath taken to his Mercy was sometime Chaplaine to my late Honourable good Lord your Father who now resteth with God his body being layd up in peace and his memory with good men precious and one of the first Chaplaines that ever he entertained Lastly to testifie my owne engagement you being my worthy Patron humbly desiring that as you succeeded your Honourable Father in his Vertues so I may succeed my Father in your favours Touching these Sermons upon Iude the naturall sense thereof is so clearely opened and the Doctrines arising so powerfully applied and enforced and all manner of sinne so reproved that I doubt not but Gods Church and People shall hence reape much benefit which was the Authors onely intent in the exercise of his Ministery But it becommeth not mee to say much they are exposed to publique viewe and as mens eyes shall bee upon them so my prayer to God shall bee that their hearts may be informed and reformed by them For my part I intend especially though I bee of all men most unworthy to bee an instrument herein to further Christs Kingdom which if it may I have my desire howsoever I shall leave it to the blessing of God and your worthy Patronage Now the God of all consolation according to the riches of his Mercy blesse you with the Honorable good Lady your Wife your hopefull Children and whole Familie with all externall internall and eternall blessings of his Spirit that all your actions may bee prosperous your troubles few your comforts many your life long your death blessed your election sure and your salvation certaine Amen Your Worships in all Christian offices to command Samuel Otes Minister of the Word of God at Marsham in Norfolke TO THE GODLY AND Well-affected Reader whosoever COurteous Reader I am bold at the length to present to thy view these Sermons of my Fathers upon the Epistle of Saint Iude which though in this Learned age among so many excellent and accurate Sermons and Treatises it may seeme presumption to publish yet in this sinfull age I thought they might proove most usefull for the beating downe of sinne and convincing the consciences and converting the soules of sinners there being not many of this kinde for though knowledge abound and learning florish and most desire to have their understanding informed and affections pleased yet true godlines and righteousnes is dayly decaying and few desire to have their lives reformed though they have the forme of godlines yet they have denied the power thereof and though they professe they know God yet in their works they deny him Which this man of God considering did bend all his labour and learning to the beating downe of sinne and building up in vertue and saving knowledge wherein how powerfull and prevalent hee was thou mayst ghesse by these Sermons tanquam ex ungue leonem Concerning himselfe his learning life c. It is not meete I should say much seeing I may seeme to speake partially out of affection yet I hope I may without blame give testimony to that truth which all that knew him will acknowledge namely that hee was a faithfull labourer in the worke of the Lord a workeman that needed not to bee ashamed a burning and a shining light burning with zeale shining both by divine Doctrine and godly conversation Burning so as he consumed himselfe to give light to others and shining not onely before his Parochiall charge where hee lived and exercised his Ministery being as an Augustine Sowthreps in Norfolke to that Hyppo a Polycarpe to that Smyrna but the whole Country so as they all knew him a faithfull Samuel a learned laborious and godly Preacher who did empty himselfe to fill others and did waste and consume his strength to instruct the flocke committed to his charge Neither was the lustre of his light confined in that Parish or Country wherein hee lived but shined further into other parts of this Kingdome so as three very Godly and Eminent Persons in this State worthy instruments of Gods glory florishing in their time with many excellent graces and vertues on earth and now all shining glorious Saints in Heaven did take notice of him and did successively entertaine him Chaplaine namely Sir Francis Walshingham Secretary to the State Sir Iohn Popham Lord-Chiefe-Iustice of England and Sir Henry Hobart Knight and Baronet Lord Chiefe-Iustice of the Common Pleas all which notwithstanding hee continued so lowly in his owne eyes and so zealous in his Function as hee neither carelesly nor ambitiously left his Cure to seeke other preferment But having at any time performed his due observance to those Honorable Persons according as hee was engaged hee presently returned to his accustomed weekely and almost daily taske of preaching for his heart was so inflamed with the zeale of Gods glory and yet so ballanced with the feare of God and true humility that neither the learning nor graces that were in his owne heart nor the lustre and grace he had with other did puffe him up with price and this humility and lowlines in his owne eyes Magna
this Apostle Nay better for Iudas Iscariot was Christs steward his pursebearer disburser of all things for Christ and his company and yet a theefe a traytor a devill Non omnes filii Sanctorum qui loca sancta tenent They are not all the sonnes of Saints nor Saints themselves which hold the places of Saints God oftentimes bestoweth upon wicked men lofty titles and high places partly to their greater condemnation the mighty shall be mightily tormented and partly for the punishment of ungratefull people as Saul over the Israelites Againe in that Iude was not ashamed of his name but in the very first inscription of this Epistle setteth downe his name wee which are the Ministers of God are taught not to be ashamed of our calling though scornefully by scorners of Religion wee are termed Priests The Iewes though they mocked Christ when bowing their knees they cryed Haile King of the Iewes against their wils they honoured him for indeed he was King of the Iewes and of the Gentiles So these gracelesse contemners of our glorious calling when they thinke to vilifie us by calling us Priests against their wils they magnifie us their reproachfull scoffes should not daunt us nor discourage us in our calling for he that hath called us and sent us will bee with us as hee was with Moses and as he was with Ieremie Be not affraid Exod. 3. 12. Ier. 1. 8. of their faces I will be with thee Secondly the person writing is described by his calling for he calleth himselfe Servum Dei The servant of God Of servants there bee three sorts Some are servants by slavish and voluntary subjection these the Apostle calls The servants of sinne Qui facit peccatum servus est peccati He which Iohn 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16. committeth sinne is the servant of sinne and they which serve sinne Duram serviunt servitutem serve an hard service for the wages of sinne is Death Secondly There be servants by condition which are either born such by nature or taken captives in Warre or bought with money To these servants Saint Paul speaketh thus Servants obey those which are your Masters according to the flesh with feare and Ephes 6. 5 6. August de Civu Dei lib. 19. Cap. 15. trembling and with simplicitie of heart not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ Nomen istud culpâ mervit non natura This name of servant not nature but sinne deserved For the name of servant was never heard of till Noah cursed Canaan the sonne of Cham Who discovered his fathers nakednesse Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he bee Gen. 9. 25. Thirdly Servants by Office Calling and Profession and these are of two sorts for men are either the servants of God generally or particularly Generally they are Gods servants which acknowledge Servants of God divors kinds of them To be Gods servant the greatest honour him for their Lord and doe that service which is due to him Hi veri servi Dei These are the true servants of the true God and such servants must wee bee if wee will be saved Particularly they are the servants of God who in some severall calling doe service to God as Magistrates and Ministers these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a speciall service be the servants of God Now Iude professeth himselfe a servant of Iesus Christ First by condition because by Christ hee was redeemed and delivered from the slavery of Sinne and tyranny of Satan Secondly by Office and calling also hee was the servant of Iesus Christ not onely in his generall calling as hee was a Christian but also in his particular as he was an Apostle And note that Saint Iude doth not call himselfe a governor a or teacher or an Apostle but the servant of Iesus Christ as Paul doth and as Iames and Peter did For this is the best title above the title of Lords Dukes Phil. 1. 1. Iam. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Esa 40. 23. Kings Emperours who perish For God bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Iudges of the Earth as Vanitie It is more to bee the servant of Iesus Christ than to be the greatest Prince Potentate or Personage in the World for if the servants of Iesus Christ though never so poore base and beggerly yet happy and blessed if not the servants of Iesus Christ though never so rich noble and great yet miserable and wretched This knew Paul and therefore trode all his titles under his feet as Phil. 3. 5 6. dung so that he might know Christ and serve him This service lasteth for ever as a colour set on with oyle And the Lord Iesus as Man is called a servant as God he was Lord of men and Angels for he was the man Iesus and the Lord Iesus Gods service is perfect 1 Cor. 8. freedome Gods servants on Earth are freemen in Heaven Citizen with the Saints Free Denizens of the celestiall Ierusalem their Ephes 2. 19. Rom. 6. 22. fruit is in holinesse and their end everlasting life What honour should wee desire but this to bee the servants of God Godlinesse 1 Tim. 1 6. is great gaine and to serve God hath promise both of this life and the life to come If the service of Salomon was so good a service That they were counted happy that stood before him 1. Chro. 12. What is the service of God and how happy are his servants Many thinke themselves much graced and honoured if they can get into some Noblemans service and weare his Livery as did Doeg and the servants of Saul how much more honour is it to 1 Sam. 22. bee Gods servant Who will make us of servants Sonnes heires Ephes 5 6. and coheires with Christ The Israelites found Gods service to be the best service 2 Chron. 12. 8. Cyrus at the conquest of Babylon offered largely to them that would serve him but God offereth more largely Theodosius held it more noble to be membrum Ecclesiae quam caput imperii a member of the Church than the head of the Empire So we may resolve that it is better to be a servant of God than Lord of all the World For while wee serve him all other creatures in earth and in heaven serve God needs not our service wee need his Lordship us But if we will be Gods servants we must addict our selves wholy to his service and to serve God in earth as the Angels doe in heaven for so wee pray Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven And for this end were wee created therefore saith the Mat. 6. 10. Apostle Wee are the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesus unto good workes And what better worke than to serve the Lord Iesus Nay the service of God is the end of our Redemption For he Luke 1. 74. hath delivered us from the hands of our enemies that wee should serve him without feare in holinesse
and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Nay the service of God is the end of our glorification Therefore the Apostle would have us to walke worthy our God who hath 1 Thess 2. 12. called us unto his Kingdome of glory And therefore unlesse wee esteeme vilely of our Creation Redemption and Glorification wee must become Gods servants and serve him in feare and rejoyce Psal 2. 11. before him with trembling Austine Observeth God was never called Lord until he had placed Adam in Paradise before he was called God simply but now the Lord God because hee was not so much a Lord to Angels and other creatures as unto man to teach him that hee must live under Gods lordship and serve him For though Adam was lord of the creatures and the creatures must serve him yet Adam had a Lord whom he must serve And yet God needeth not our service and therefore saith David O my soule thou hast said unto Psal 16. 2. Psal 50. 10 11. the Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee all the beasts of the Forrests are his and the beasts on a thousand Mountaines hee knowes all the fowles on the Mountaines and wilde beasts of the Fields are his Who saith the Apostle hath knowne the minde of the Lord or Who was his Counsellor or Who hath given unto him first and hee shall bee recompenced Rom. 11. 35 36. But howsoever hee standeth not in need of our service wee stand in need of his Lordship and protection that wee may bee safe under his Wings that wee feare not the feare of the Psal 91. night nor the arrow that flyeth by day nor the pestilence that walketh in the darke nor the plague that destroyeth at noone-day And doe wee stand in need of his Lordship Let us understand our wants and performe our service and duty to the Lord For thus hee reasoneth by the Prophet The Sonne honoureth his Father the Servant Mal. 1. 5. his Master If I bee your Father where is my honour If your Master where is my feare Let not God say of us as of the Israelites I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against mee Ravenna saith thus A move radium a Sole non lucet rivulum Esa 1. 2 3. a fonte arescit a radice ramum exiccatur a corpore membrum putrescit obedientiam a Christiano perit Take away the beame from the Sunne and it shineth not the river from the Fountaine and it dryeth up the bough from the Roote and it withereth the member from the Body and it rotteth and obedience from a Christian and hee perisheth Consider what Adam lost by his evill service he fell from purity Adams losse for his evill service If we wil serve God the creatures shall serve us to corruption from eternitie to mortalitie from Angels to men from heaven to hell had not the promised seed come in Hee was expelled out of Paradise as a Rebell an Outlaw and a shaking Sword hanging to keepe him out Hee came out of Eden a pleasant garden to toyle among Nettles Bryers brambles like the men of Penuel Hee became a slave to the creatures Gen. 3. 15. Iudg. 9. the creatures rebels against him to this day Homo nascitur cum dolore man is borne with griefe Vivit cum labore he lives by labour Moritur cum moerore hee dyes with sorrow Quis mihi dabit fontem lachrymarum ut defleam hominis miserabilem ingressum culpabilem Innocentius progressum desolatum egressum Who shall give mee a fountaine of teares that I may bewaile mans miserable ingresse his culpable progresse and desolate egresse I know that God hath turned this curse into a blessing for Plus in Christo lacrati sumus quam perdidimus in Adamo wee have gained more in Christ than ever wee lost in Adam For if by the offence of one saith Saint Paul Death raigned through one much more shall they which Rom. 5. 17. 18. receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one that is Iesus Christ Likewise then as by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation So by the justifying of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the justification of life Thus wee have gained more in Christ than wee lost by Adam Yet this is of mercy not of merit of favour not of duty Witnesse the Apostle saying But when the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by the workes of Tit. 3. 4 5. righteousnesse which wee had done but according to his mercie hee saved us by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Which he shined on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour But Augustine answereth this more fully and saith That Adams disobeying God lost his honour hee serving God all creatures served him hee disobeying God all disobeyed him The earth bringeth forth Weedes Thornes Venimous things The sea swallowes us up with flowes and stormes the ayre fighteth against us with Thunders Lightenings Tempests the heavens conspire against us with mortality of Pestilence the wilde beasts devoure us But to them that serve God God maketh his creatures serve them the earth to bring forth corne grasse fruits the ayre to be sweet the sea to bee calme the beasts to be helpefull Even so the Lions hurted not Daniel the Viper stung not Paul the Whale crushed not Ionas the Crowes Dan. 6. Act. 28. Iob. 2. 1. Reg. 19. Luke 16. Num. 21. fedde Elias the dogges licked Lazarus the Serpents of Sinai poisoned not Israel The Ecclesiasticall and tripartite historie tels us how the Crowes nourished Anthony an Hermit and Paulus Thaebeus how a Lionesse fedde Marcarius how an Hart brought Egidius meat into the Wildernesse how Helenus commanded a wilde Asse to carry his burthen I passe over that of Linus Romulus and Rhemus nourished of a shee-Woolfe and God must bee served sinne brought in the first service that of Plutarch of the Elephant that loved a Maid of Etholia and that of Plinie of a Panther that ledde a man out of the desart into a plaine way and that of Lucian of a Dolphin that carried Arion If wee serve God The stones in the streete shall bee in league with us and the beasts of the field shall bee at peace with us Ieb 5. 23. that is all creatures shall serve us Let us then addict our selves wholy unto his service not serving any other Master but him not the World not the Flesh not the Divell not Antichrist Not the World Ne illecti lest wee are allured with vaine pleasures and the lying vanities thereof not of the Flesh Ne infecti lest stayned polluted defiled therewith not the Divell Ne interfecti lest devoured and destroyed by him not Antichrist Ne decepti lest seduced and misled by him It is a base service to serve the
call whoredome and adultery Peccadilia little sinnes who cry Si non castè tamen cautè if not chastly yet charily who maintaine open Stewes with Pius Quintus who dispence with all sinnes Allen the arch Papist said Commit our men what sinne they list omit what goodnesse they list yet we teach them that bare faith iustifieth them No no we say with Zachary God hath delivered us out of the Luke 1. 74 75. hands of our enemies that we should serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life We say with Paul that The Tit. 2. 11 12. grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared and teacheth us to forsake all impiety and wicked worldly desires and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world We say with Saint Peter If ye call him Father which without respect of persons iudgeth according 1 Pet. 1. 17. to every mans worke passe the time of your dwelling here in feare We say with Saint Iohn and all other holy men Let us love one another for love commeth of God and every one that loveth is borne of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love We say with Christ Blessed are they that heare the Word of God and Iustification and Sanctification though joyned yet distinguished keepe it Wee urge men more to holinesse than they doe wee use more sharpe and effectuall reasons not like the leaden blunt Doctors in Popery but arrowes drawne out of a better Quiver Paul thought this a principall reason above others to move them by the wounds and blood and merits of the Lord Iesu For having spent eleven Chapters in the Treatise of Iustification at last he breaketh out as the Sunne out of a cloud and moveth them to holinesse by the name the death and merits of Christ Iesu saying I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of GOD that yee give up your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God Rom. 12. 1 2. which is your reasonable serving of God and fashion not your selves like unto this world A more effectuall reason than to argue from our workes our merits our deserts which is death For the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. Iustification and Sanctification goe together yet wee enter not into heaven chiefely as wee are sanctified and regenerated For that is but in part but as wee are iustified by the death and righteousnesse of Christ which is perfect compleat and absolute Yea say the Romanists faith and workes cannot be sundred Ergo we are iustified by workes aswell as by faith But I deny the Argument they reason like blind men the light of righteousnesse hath not shined on them they feed on ashes For many things are conioyned which yet have diverse operations as the light and heat of the Sunne where the one is there is the other yet are we not warmed by the light but by the heat nor yet directed by the heat but by the light of it Fides est sola at non solitaria sola in actu justificationis at non solitaria in usu operatione quotidiana nam operatur per dilectionem Faith is alone but not solitary alone in the act of iustification but not alone in the use and daily operation for it worketh by love or as Chemnitius reasoneth against Andradius and the Councell of Trent We have eyes and eares at once and they are ioynt members of the body yet we heare not with our eyes and see not with our eares Manus non est sola sed coniuncta cum reliquiis membris at manus sola scribit the hand is not alone but ioyned with the other members but the hand alone writeth the tongue is not alone nor severed from the rest of the members yet the tongue alone speaketh the Prince goeth not without the Court yet the Prince ruleth alone and not the Court Fidem opera coniungi magis quam confundi vellem I had rather conioine faith and works than confound them Finely therefore saith a Schoole-man Deus justificat effectivè fides iustificat apprehensivè opera iustificant declarativè God iustifieth effectually Faith iustifieth apprehensively Tho. Aquin. Workes iustifie declaratively that is they shew and declare unto the world that we are iustified Iustificatio est verbum forense nec qualitatem aliquam denotat sed absolutionem a reatu non Rom. 4. 26. consistit in qualitatum infursione sed peccatorum remissione Iustification Iustification how wrought is a Law word neither doth it note any quality but absolution from guilt neither consisteth it in the infusion of qualities but in the remission of sinnes Our invisible faith iustifieth us before our invisible God for he seeth into the heart and our visible workes doe iustifie us before men that be visible and which behold our lives and conversations And Paul placeth our Iustification Non in qualitatum infusione sed peccatorum remissione not in the infusion of qualities but in the remission of sinnes Deus dat beatitudinem Christus redimit Spiritus obsignat Fides apprehendit Opera testificantur God giveth happinesse Christ purchaseth it the Spirit sealeth it Faith apprehendeth it and Workes testifie it THE THIRD SERMON VERS I. Reconciliation part of Redemption AS I have begun to speake of this Heavenly Doctrine of Sanctification so will I proceed therein And to speake in order wee must know that of Christs Priesthood there bee two parts Redemption and Intercession Redemption is the first part whereby hee hath wrought for us the matter of our Deliverance from all evils as Hell Death Damnation Heb. 7. 24. Now of this Redemption there be two members The Luke 1. 74. merit or matter of Reconciliation and Sanctification According to that of the Apostle But yee are sanctified but yee are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. 1. Reconciliation is the first part of our Redemption whereby we are restored from the Curse into the love and favour of God For when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne c. for hee is our peace And it pleased the Father that in him Rom. 5. 10. Ephes 2. 14. Col. 1. 20. 22. all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his Crosse both the things in Earth and the things in Heaven Now againe of Reconciliation there bee two parts Remission of sins and Imputation of righteousnesse For saith the Apostle He was delivered to Death for our sins and is risen againe for our justification And againe God was in Christ and reconciled the Rom. 6. 25. World to himselfe not imputing their sinnes unto them and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation Now then are wee Embassadors 2 Cor. 5. 19 20 21. for
with the milke of wilde beasts If Iacob sorrowed so for Ioseph if David would have dyed for Absalom if Rachel wept for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Let the death of Christ Gen. 37. 35. 2 Sam. 17. Mat. 2. Luke 1. 75. Luke 7. Mat. 26. Psal 51. pierce our hearts and move us to holinesse and let us serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life The Lord sustaine our hearts that with Mary we may wash his feet with our teares and with Peter wee may weepe bitterly Create in us Lord a cleane heart and renue in us a right spirit Another reason is taken from our Salvation for without holinesse we cannot be saved For though wee be not saved for it yet we are not saved without it Hereupon saith the Apostle Follow peace with holinesse without the which yee cannot bee saved A Heb. 12. 14. sore a fearefull speech like the thunder in Mount Horeb which I adde the rather because men mocke at holinesse Oh say they you are holy men you are men of the Spirit you are Saints you are Sermon-men The Bastard Ismael flowted at Isaac Gal. 5. 29. 2 Sam. 6. Ier. 18. Michol skorneth at Davids dancing before the Arke the men of Anathoth did smite Ieremy with their tongue the Adversaries of Iuda jested at the people But if thou beest not holy if thou beest not a Saint thou art a divell and know that if ye Esra 4. Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 6. 8. live after the flesh ye shall dye for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption As Naomi said Call me not Naomi but Mara So call not these men Christians Gospellers but call them swine dogges that tread pearles under their feet call them Adders that will not be charmed call them Wolves that heare Mat. 7. Psal 58. Iohn 10. Hebr. 12. Iohn 6. not their shepheard call them Bastards and not sonnes yea call them divels as Christ called Iudas and say unto them as Christ said to Peter Come behind me Satan thou understandest not the things that bee of God but of man I marvell that the Sunne that is witnesse of these villanies standeth in the heavens that the heavens raine not downe fire and Brimstone as Gen. 19. 23. that the earth swallow them not up as Numb 16. that the creatures put not on their harnesse as Ioel 1. Lastly wee are sanctified wee must therefore be holy that our names and our natures our calling and conversation may be correspondent if then we will have part with Christ we must live after the example of Christ if wee will have Communion Causes of Sanctification The whole Trinity sanctifie with the Saints on Earth wee must bee Saints on Earth if wee will have the company of Saints in Heaven our conversation on Earth must bee heavenly Partly Wee are chosen in Christ that wee should bee holy and without blame before him and partly because the heavenly Court receiveth none but such as are pure Ephes 7. 4. Apoc. 21. 27. holy innocent David saith holinesse becommeth thy house for ever If holinesse become Gods house much more us which are the servants of his house Wel the God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your Spirits Soules and Bodies may bee holy and harmelesse untill the comming of the Lord Iesus For all our sanctification and holinesse is from the Lord as it appeareth plainely by the words of my Text Sanctified of God the Father Causa efficiens sanctitatis the efficient cause of holinesse is God the Father Instrumentalis causa fides the instrumentall cause is Faith for Fides cor purificat Faith purifieth the heart Materialis causa the materiall cause est energia sanctitatis quae est in Act. 15. 9. Iohn 1. 16. Christo for of his fulnes we have all received even grace for grace Formalis causa the formall cause est nostra renovatio ab impuris qualitatibus ad puras integras is our renewing from impure qualities to pure and sound Finalis Dei cultus the final Gods worship to the honour of God and the edifying of our neighbour But yet observe with mee that though sanctification bee attributed to the Father yet the Sonne and the holy Ghost are not excluded for wee hold the principle of the Schoolemen Opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt indivisa the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinity and so are we sanctified by Father Sonne and holy Ghost yet sanctification is here ascribed to the Father as being the ground and first author thereof For the Son ne sanctifieth by meriting sanctification the holy Ghost sanctifieth by working it but the Father sanctifieth both by sending his Sonne to merit it and also by giving the holy Spirit to worke Thus Opera Trinitatis the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinitie Sed opera Trinitatis quoad intus esse singularia the inward workes of God are singular and proper to some persons of the Trinitie Vt patri potentia filio redemptio spiritu sanctificatio tribuitur as power is ascribed to the Father redemption to the Sonne sanctification to the holy Ghost and yet these three now and then bee attributed to all the three persons Quod Vrsinus servato ordine agendi for as the Father and the holy Ghost doe redeeme and yet mediately by the Sonne so the Father and the Sonne doe sanctifie yet mediately by the Holy Ghost The proper or incommunicable workes of the Trinity are the inward eternall and hypostaticall properties as thus Pater generat the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten and the holy Ghost proceedeth Distinction of persons in the Trinitie and yet the Father is not the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the holy Ghost either Father or Sonne The other workes of the Trinity are indivisible how soever sometimes distinct as Creation to the Father Redemption to the Sonne Sanctification to the holy Ghost Peter Martyr sayth thus Pater ut fons filius ut flumen spiritus ut rivus ab utroque procedens The Father as the Fountaine the Sonne as the flood the Spirit as the River proceeding from them both The fountaine is not the flood nor the flood the fountaine nor the river either fountaine or flood and yet all these bee one water So the Father is not the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the Spirit either Father or Sonne and yet but one God Et hi tres sanctificant and all these three sanctifie quoth Lactantius Ab uno omnia per unum omnia in uno omnia a quo per quem in quo omnia unus a se unus ab uno unus ab ambobus una tamen eadem operatio All things from one all things by one all things in one from whom by whom and in whom are all things one of himselfe one from one one from both and yet one
No peace to the wicked in which we fall from the Lord of life One day in thy Courts saith David is better than a thousand other where I had rather be a doore keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse Sed impiis non est pax there is no peace unto the wicked their hearts never rest they are never quiet their sinne lyeth at the doores Esa 57. 20. Gen. 4. 7. alwayes dogging them and ever ready to pull out the very throat of their soules As good men have the first fruits of the Spirit and certaine tastes of heavenly joyes in this life So on the contrarie the wicked have certaine flashings of hell-flames on earth and are as the sea which alwayes rageth and never resteth And as the good man when he dyeth bequeatheth his body which is earthly to the earth and sinnes which are divellish unto the Divell and his goods that are worldly to the world and his soule that is heavenly to heaven So the wicked when he dyeth bequeatheth his goods to the world his body to the earth his soule to the Divell But some will say The wicked are merry and quiet none so merrry as they they sing like birds in May like Nightingales in a cleare night I must distinguish and say that some wicked are blockish and senselesse like swine their consciences are seared like dead flesh Mat. 7. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 2. others are desperate having an hell in their conscience trembling like Agag but yet both states damnable For is the fish that skippeth in the net or the bird that singeth in the snare or the prisoner that is merry in the iayle in any good case No 1 Sam. 13. 1 Thes 5. 3. Esa 9. 6. Ephes 2. 17. no Even so is it with the wicked when They crie peace peace sudden destruction shall come upon them as upon a Woman in travell But there is peace to the godly Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds c. Christ is their peace Pacem Evangelizavit iis qui prope iis qui procul he preached peace unto them that are neare and unto them that are afarre off To this end he died rose againe ascended into heaven the first was the lowest step of his humiliation in earth the second the highest steppe of his exaltation in earth the third the highest steppe of his glorification in heaven In the first he suffered in the second he conquered in the third he triumphed the first tooke away sinne and destroyed death and him that had the Lordship of Death The second brought Righteousnesse for he rose againe for our justification The third Heb. 2. 14. Rom. 4. 25. bringeth glory and all to this end to make peace between God and man Thirdly peace is taken for prosperitie and happy successe of all things as in the Psalme O pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall Psal 122. 6. prosper that love thee peace be within thy walls and plenteousnesse be within thy palaces Peace and plentie are here Synonymies the one openeth the other he prayeth for plentifull peace or peaceable plentie God hath promised his Church this peace saying The Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods in the fruit of thy body in the Prosperitie is termed peace fruit of thy cattell in the fruite of thy ground the Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure even the Heaven to give raine unto thy land in due season and to blesse all the workes of thy hands thou shalt lend to many Deuter. 28. 11 12 13. nations and not borrow thy selfe The Lord shall make thee the head and not the taile thou shalt be above only not beneath c. Iacob blessing Iudas saith That he shall bind his Asse fole to the Vine his Asses colt to the best Vine he shall wash his garments in wine his Cloake with the Gen. 49. 11 12. blood of the grape that is he shall have all prosperitie and this prosperitie Iude wisheth unto them saying peace be multiplied upon you Esay prophecied of the wealth and abundance of the Church saying Thou shalt sucke the milke of the Gentiles and shalt Esa 60. 16 17. sucke the brests of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy redeemer the mightie one of Iacob For brasse I will bring gold and for Iron I will bring thee silver and for stones Iron I will also make thy government peace and thine exactors righteousnesse violence shall no more be heard in thee neither desolation nor destruction c. And God wisheth that his Church had hearkened to his commandements Then had thy prosperitie beene as the Flood and thy righteousnesse as the Waves of the Sea In six evils God would have delivered Esa 48. 18. Iob. 5. Psal 65. 11. Mal. 3. Iob. 1. Gen. 26. 1 Reg. 10. 27. it the clouds shall droppe fatnesse upon it God would open the windowes of heauen and powre downe a blessing with plenteousnesse God hath inriched the members of his Church in all ages as Iob in Huz Isaac in Gerar Salomon in Israel who had silver as stones Yea this peace and plentie is proper and peculiar to the Church onely to the godly the wicked have no right nor interest in the blessings of the earth For the elects sake God made Gen. 1. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Iohn 3. Mar. 13. Apo. 6. Rom. 8. the world For them he enriched it for them he redeemed it for their sakes he preserveth it for their sakes hee deferreth his comming to judge this world That the wicked enjoy ayre fire water let them thanke the godly who are coheires with Christ in all things the wicked are usurpers intruders into all Gods blessings they have no right to any furrow or foot of land The faithfull only are coheires with Christ in whose right they are invested into all the benefits of this life Thou art no more a servant but a Sonne saith Paul now if thou be a Sonne those art also the heyre of Gal. 4. 7. God through Christ As a bastard hath no inheritance among the legitimate Children So the wicked as bastards have no inheritance among the faithfull They may say of God and heaven as the tenne Tribes said of David and his Kingdome What portion have we in David we have no inheritance in the Sonne of Ishai So they have no portion in heaven no inheritance in the Sonne of God Christ Iesus they are Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant and promise But the godly have right and interest in earth and heaven also In their elder brother Christ Iesus heaven is theirs heaven and earth is theirs land and sea are theirs yea all theirs men and Angels are subject unto them Prosperitie oft hurt to the Church All things are ours saith the Apostle whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World
say that bare reading is bare feeding and a thing unable to worke faith in us is to avouch a great untruth But the especiall ordinary meanes and the most powerfull usuall meanes is the word preached This is that which the scripture laieth downe How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard how shall they heare without a preacher And againe It pleaseth Rom. 10. 14. Gal. 3. 1 God by preaching to save Reading is profitable but preaching doth profit more than reading doeth Spice when it is whole smelleth sweetly but when it is broken and bruised by the hand of the Apothecarie it smelleth a great deale more So is the word read of The ministery of the word motion of the spirit meanes of faith us or to us sweet as they hony and bringeth the light of life to many but if the spirituall Apothecarie breake it and bruise it cut it and divide it as the Lord hath appointed by preaching then reacheth the savor of such heavenly sweet to many moe in a fuller measure by reason of the blessing that God giveth unto it The Eunuth read but he understood not but when Philip preached unto him the sweet brake out to his lasting good Act. 8. The inward meanes wherby faith is wrought in us is the blessed Spirit of God which softeneth and openeth our hearts and maketh them as good ground that when the seed of the Word is cast into them it taketh deep rooting and bringeth forth the blessed fruit of faith The Apostle saith that His preaching was 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. in demonstration of the spirit that their faith might be in the power of God And the preaching of the Gospell is tearmed A ministration of the Spirit yea he useth this phrase The Spirit of faith because 2 Cor. 3. 8. cap. 4. 15. that faith is wrought inwardly by the Spirit Thus yee see faith is wrought in us outwardly by the word of God and inwardly by the Spirit of God he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where are confuted Andradius Latomus Hosius who say that Philosophie iustified the Gentiles that Socrates Plato beleeved aswell as Abraham Isaak and Iacob Yet Howlet a Papist saith that faith is both begunne and increased by the word preached 1 Pet. 1. 23. and that therefore it is called Incorruptible seed Here are confuted also the Atheists that thinke that faith is common For all of them say that they beleeve but faith is a gift yea a most rare gift of God God sent his Patriarchs in the ancientest age of the world and could find no faith Hee sent his Prophets in a latter generation and could find no faith Last of all he sent his owne Sonne a man approved of God and approved his doctrine with miracles and signes following and could find no faith And when the Sonne of man shall come shall he find faith on the earth We read but of two beleevers in all the host of Luk. 18. 8. Num. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 20. 2 Tim. 1. 26. Act. 1. 15. Apoc. 3. 4. Mat. 16. Iam. 2. 19. Israel but of eight in all the old world but of one family that beleeved in all Asia but of a hundred and twentie in all Christs time but of a few in all Sardis Caro sanguis non dant fidem sed pater in coelis Flesh and blood give not faith but the Father in heaven Many boast of faith but if they have any it is the Divels faith Nay many beleeve not so much as the Divell doth but say with the foole Non est Deus non est daemon non est infernus non Psal 14. 1. est coelum There is no God no divell no hell no heaven All by nature are Infidells we draw it from Adams loynes and sucked Gen. 3. it from the breasts of Heva who beleeved the divell before God And in that some few beleeve it is by grace not by nature Now grace is rare therefore saith the Apostle unto you it is given for Christ that not onely yee should beleeve in him but also c. If any aske me when God gave this faith I answere that he did it in the beginning and it hath doth and shall continue for ever This As God is immutable so true faith and Religion commendeth the Faith the Religion of God that it is before all religions the ancientest Philosophers and Poets as Orpheus Homer Hesiod exceeded not the dayes of Salomon who yet lived five hundred yeeres after Moses the writer of the Law Againe all the wonderfull things recounted in the Scripture are recorded by the Heathen as Noahs flood by Berosus the tower of Babel by the Sibyls the storie of Abraham by Dupolimus the acts of Salomon recorded by Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus But to proceed to the next point This faith was once given once for all once for ever which commendeth unto us the constancie of God With whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of change Hee Iam. 1. 17. Psal 33. 9. speaketh and it is done he commandeth and it is made he giveth and granteth without revocation Therefore it was well said Balaam God is not as man that he should lye nor the Sonne of man that he Num. 23. 19. should repent Shall God say and not doe shall he speake and not performe With men there is unconstancy as in Iael who offered Sisera rest and milke but there withall a nayle and a hammer Saul granted peace to David with a breath and with a breath revoked Iudg. 4. 1 Sam. 26. 2 Sam. 13. Iohn 6. it Ammon loved Thamar once but hated her by and by more than hee loved her The Iewes gave Christ the title of a King anon after the title of a Rebell The Antiocheans honored Paul as a God but after changed their mind There is such mutabilitie in men that they change like the Moone they alter like the Cameleon but God alters not but giveth his gifts to his Church once for ever The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. Note this word Once so often repeated once God gave the Law once he gave the Gospell Once more will I shake not the earth only but also Heaven And againe After he had offered one sacrifice Hebr. 12. 26 27. for sinnes sitteth for ever at the right hand of God And againe with one offering he hath consecrated for ever them that are sanctified And againe Heb. 10. 12. 14. Hebr. 9. 27 28. Rom. 6. 10. It is appointed for men once to dye c. so Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many And againe In that he died he died once to sinne Note all these Texts one Gospell one Sacrifice one death one appearing of Christ one death of Christ one for all and one for ever If any object and prove a change in God because God gave Circumcision the Passeover the
Sabboth the Sacrifice and after tooke them away againe yee shall understand that hee gave them as figures and shadowes and therefore no mutability in the Lord The shadow must give place to the body the figure to the truth the greene blossome to the ripe fruit the seed time to the harvest So reasoneth Paul Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an Holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabboths which are but a shadow of things to come but the bodie is in Christ The day-starre must give place to the Sunne-rising and that to the Sunne at Noone-day Chrysostome compareth Though types cease yet truth and substance remain ever the same the Iewes to a candle the Christians to the brightnesse of the Sunne The Iewes to the first draught of an Image in bare lines the Christians to the same Image filled up with all due proportion and furniture of colours the one to the seed-time Hom. 10. in Mat. Gal. 4. the other to the harvest and reaping of the Corne So Paul compareth the Iewes to a Child the Christians to a perfect man the same light though not in the same quantitie the same Image though not with like furniture the same corne though not growne to the like ripenesse the same person though not in the like perfection of age The Iewes note five things wanting in the Gospell and in the latter Temple that were in the first to disprove this that I have said First the fire that came downe from heaven to burne the Holocausts Secondly the glory of the Angells appearing among the Cherubins Thirdly the inspiration of Gods spirit speaking in the Prophets Fourthly the prefence of the Arke Lastly Vrim and Thummim But all this is nothing for there is now a fuller knowledge of God and greater liberty to the conscience yet the same faith still For the Fathers and we have all Col. 2. Ier. 23. 5. but one faith they beleeved that Christ should come according to Ieremies prophecie Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execute iudgement and iustice in the earth We beleeve that he is come and that Christ our Passeover is sacrified for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. Esa 7. They said Virgo concipiet a maid shall conceive and bring forth a Sonne we say Virgo concepit a maide hath brought forth her Sâ—â—ne For when the dayes were accomplished that she should be delivered Luk. 2. 7. she brought forth her first begotten Sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a Cratch They had sacrifices that prefigured his comming we have Sacraments that represent his comming Heb. 9. and being with us they and wee had but one light they had Lucem matutinam the moning light wee Lucem meridianam the light at noone-day Wee differ but In plus minus therefore saith Christ Blessed are the eyes that see the things that yee see Mat. 10. 24. For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see the things that yee see and have not seene them and to heare those things that yee heare and have not heard them If any object that God giveth us daily new Paith new graces I answere that God giveth not a new a strange faith but addeth to our old faith to our old graces God increaseth faith and his graces in us but not a new a diverse faith like the Arrians that had Fidem annuam menstruam a yeerely and a monthly The Gospell immutable Traditions uncertain Faith For whom God loves hee loves to the end This also commendeth unto us the Gospell that whereas other Lawes and Doctrines are changed altered augmented and diminished Gods Law is not The Law of the Lord is perfect Iohn 13. 1. Psal 19. The Lawes of the Romanes written by Numa Pompilius in Gold The Lawes of the Athenians written by Draco in Bloud the Lawes of the Persians written in Brasse The Lawes of the Lacedemonians written in Milke were altered but Gods Lawes are not Quoad substantiam as concerning their substance Sed quoad maledictionem as concerning the curse 2 Cor. 3. All traditions therefore all Gospels of Thomas Nicodemus Thaddeus and the eternall Gospell invented in Saint Cyrils time by abusing the place in the Revelation which runneth thus I saw another Angel flying in the middest of Heaven having an Apoc. 14. 6. everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth c. must fall to the ground like the house built upon the sand as also all those Revelations of the Paraclete devised by Montanus together with all those that came after the giving of the Gospell which is perfect for ever and so perfect that If any man shall adde unto it God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in Apoc. 22. 18 19. the Booke and if any man shall diminish from the words of the Prophecie of Gods Booke God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life and out of the holy Citie c. Let us not then adde nor diminish from the Gospell being so perfect for there is but one God one Faith one Baptisme one Christian Hope once revealed Ephes 4. for all But of the late Romish traditions which have entred long since the Gospell entred one may say to Rome as Esay said to Ierusalem Thy Gold is turned into Drosse thy Wine is mixed with Water thy Seede with Cockle thou wert sometime a faithfull Esay 1. City but now become an Harlot thou wert once the house of God but now turned into a cave of theeves Thou sayest that thou art rich and increased in wealth and standest in neede of nothing Apoc. 3. 17. but thou art poore and blind and naked as God said to the Church of Laodice poore and blind and naked indeed God give them hearts to understand and eyes to see their poverty and nakednesse But to passe with this heavenly Scripture as Moses did with the people to the land of Canaan Thirdly this Faith is given to the Saints By Saints hee meaneth the children of God truely converted not because they are perfectly holy and without sinne but in these foure respects First in respect of Separation for they they are elected and gathered out of this world and joyned to Gods people and dedicated to holy services and uses Secondly In respect of Vocation and therefore the Apostle The Saints the subiects of Faith and all Graces when hee said they were sanctified he said by explication that they were Saints by calling Thirdly In respect of Regeneration because they are now new creatures 1 Cor. 1. 2. And lastly In respect of Iustification or imputation because the holinesse and sanctity of Christ is imputed unto them For men may be Saints in this life For there are Saints in Earth as well as in Heaven
incideret in mortis malum sempiternum portum potius nobis paratum putemus We are not borne or created rashly or by chance but verily there was a certaine divine power which did provide for mankind neither would it suffer them so to be borne as that when they had undergone all manner labour they should be utterly lost in the everlasting evill of Death but rather let us thinke some haven of rest is prepared for us A divine speech of a prophane man The Epicures said that God was idle in heaven quodque Deus ambulat circa cardines Coeli and that he was walking about Gods power providence governe◠all things the poles of heaven that nature ruleth all by chance and at adventure On the contrary the Stoickes held that God is nothing but nature and that all things are wrought by necessity and destinie that God can worke no miracle nor contrarie to the course of nature But the Platonists held that nature is Quicquid Deus vult that it is subject to God that there is neither chance nor destinie but all things are done by God Some therefore compare Nature to an horse and God to the rider that bridleth her and ruleth her as he list Anima mundi est virtus Dei the power of God is the soule of the world Mundus est schola animarum the Origen Basil world is the schoole of soules to lead us to the knowledge of God God therfore quoth he was able by his power to change the course of nature as thus To divide the Sea in two parts Exod. 14. Ios 10. Num. 16. Ios 3. Psal 114. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Luk. 7. To stay the Sunne To open the Earth To drie up the Waters of Iordan To make the Mountaines skippe like Rammes To quench the Flame To mussell the Lions To raise the Dead In this sense Simonides the philosopher said that Solus Deus est metaphysicus that God alone was supernaturall Pindarus called God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best artificer Diogenes seeing Harpalus that great theefe to be fortunate a long time said that he gave a lively testimony against the Gods So Dionysius said that God favoured pirats for that he had a good winde after the robbing of the Temple So Hermogenes reasoned seeing so much evill in the world Aut voluit Deus tollere mala non potest tunc infirmus est aut potuit noluit tunc invidus est God either would take away evill and cannot and then he is impotent or could and would not and then he is envious But Tertullian retorted it thus on him Deum velle posse omnia mala tollere quatenus expedit God is Rom. 8. 28. both willing and able to take away all evill so farre as it is expedient For all things worke for the best unto them that love God Quaedam tollit in hac vita alia reservat in extremum judicium some hee takes away in this life some hee reserves to the last iudgement Facessant ergo illi monoculi Cyclopes qui Deum negant istud quatenus expedit relinquamus Deo herewith therefore let those one-eyed Cyclopes which deny God be content let us leave to God that same so far forth as it is expedient So reasoneth the Manichaeans against Moses when he said In the beginning God made heaven Gen. 1. 1. Aug. lib. 1. de Genes Iohn 1. 2. earth quaerentes in quo principio Deus fecit Coelum Quibus respondit Augustinus Deum non fecisse in principio temporis sed in Christo per quem omnia facta sunt nam antequà m fecit Deus tempora non erant tempora nam tempus est creatura dicit Paulus veritatem fuisse ante tempora aeterna Asking in what beginning God made heaven All men by the light of nature have acknowledged a divine power To whom Augustine makes answer God made it not in the beginning of time but in Christ by whom all things were made for before God made time time was not for time was a creature S. Paul saith The truth was before time eternall These men say much but to little purpose Loquacior est enim vanitas quà m veritas altiùs clamat for vanity prattles more than verity and Ephes 3. 9. makes a greater noise I alleage not all these prophane writers for need I know that the darts that are taken out of the Lords armorie pierce deepest that the arrowes that are drawne out of the Lords quiver are the sharpest that the sword of the spirit cutteth deepest that proofes taken from the Scripture are strongest But it is not amisse to confute a naturall man by naturall men as here by Philosophers But to follow this point a little further Naturally a kind of religion is found in all men in genere though they erre in specie Caine and Abel did first sacrifice to God Enoch was the first that Gen. 4. instituted prayer After Noahs flood were many Lawes of religion given to many nations Mercurie and Mena gave lawes to the Aegyptians Melissus to them of Candie Faunus and Ianus to the Latines Orpheus to the Greekes Numa pompilius to the Romanes Draco to the Athenians Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians Deuter. 4. but Moses and Aaron gave lawes to the Hebrewes that passed them all Naturally we know that there is a God For the invisible Rom. 1. 20. things of God that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world The very Poets spake of Iupiter Castor and Pollux Venus Saturne Vulcan Mars Mercurie yet Iupiter was an adulterer Gastor and Pollux two incestuous twinnes Venus an harlot in Cyprus Saturne a Runnagate in Italie Vulcan a theese Mars a bastard yet this sheweth that there is Divinum numen a divine power that the Heathen thinke so therefore they adore something as God they invented Gods in hell as Pluto Proserpina the Aegyptians worshipped Calves the Ophytes serpents the Persians fire they of Canopus water the Coloridians Heva the Philistines Dagon halfe-fish and halfe-flesh the Turkes at this day worship Mahomet the Tartarians grand Cam the Calecuts the Divell But there be many reasons to prove that there is a God all the creatures of God doe it from the Eágle to the Flie from the Elephant to the Pismire from the great Whale to the little Lamprey from the Camell to the Gnat from the Cedar to the Brake-bush from the Starres of Heaven to the Dust of the Earth from Angels to Wormes And therefore men that deny God may be sent to the creatures to learne that there is a God Esay reasoneth thus Who hath measured the waters Esa 40. 17. 21 22. in his fist and counted Heaven with the spanne and comprehended the Dust of the Earth in a measure and weigheth the Mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance And againe Know yee nothing Conscience in man a testimonie of the
in dishes after the manner of an Alphabet like Bonosus who as one saith was borne not to live but to drinke like Tiberius Nero called Biberius Mero like Iezabel that painted her face wee powre out our selves in all excesse of riot and so turne all grace to wantonnesse But let us thinke it sufficient for us that we have spent the time past of this life after the lusts of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lusts drunkennesse in gluttonie 1 Pet. 4. 3. 4. drinkings and in abominable Idolatrie Wherein it seemeth to them strange that yee runne not with them unto the same excesse of riot c. They be vile creatures that are unkinde to their Sires as the Hippotamos of Nilus that eateth his damme as the Pelicane that sucketh the heart-blood of the old one as the wilde Asse that kicketh her damme as the Viper that eateth out the belly of the old one and such be we God may say of us as Ieremie of the Ier. 5. 7. Iewes I have fed them to the full yet they committed adulterie and assembled themselves by companies in harlots houses They rose up in the morning like fed horses every man neyed after his neighbours wife Here I have to deale with two sortes of men the first are they that refuse the grace gifts goodnes of the Lord in the land of the living Such were the Stoickes that would enjoy no more than they could carry with them they said with Bias Omnia mea mecum porto All that is mine I carry with me that with Crates hurled their silver into the Sea Such were the Essenes in Christs time that had a bed but a span-broad that strawed thornes under them lest they should sleep too long Such were the Hermites in the primitive Church as Antonie Macarius Paulus Thebaeus Hilarion Such were the Monks in Ieromes dayes of whom he maketh three kindes Anchorites Caenobites and the Enobites which fled all company Oppidum illis erat carcer the towne was their prison solitudo autem erat Paradisus the wildernesse was their paradise their bread was acornes their drinke water their meate rootes their bed cold ground Biberunt non è calice sed è concha they dranke not out of a cup but out of a shell Amicti erant non pannis sed pellibus they were clad not with cloth but with skinnes such were our Fryers that professed wilfull poverty such were women the Anchoresses that had no more ground than they scraped with their nayles but God hath given the earth and the fruits thereof to the Sonnes of men So saith the Psalmist The Heavens even the Heavens are the Lords but he hath given the earth to Psal 115. 16. the Sonnes of men It is as lawfull to enjoy the creatures of God as to live The wicked eate the bread of wickednesse and drinke the Pleasure oft ends with sudden destructiō drinke of violence which is unlawfull but to eate the bread of righteousnesse and to drinke the wine well got is lawfull Many are theeves both to their backs and bellies and unthankfull Prou. 4. 17. unto God but so must not wee Christ was present at the Iewes feasts he came Edens bibens eating and drinking therefore they said that he was Edax bibax 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if Luk. 7. 34. he had surfeited wee are the heires of heaven and coheires with Christ and have right in all the creatures of God all is ours heaven is ours heaven and earth is ours if thy garments be silke 1 Cor. 3. thou maiest put them on if thy table be furnished with meate thou maiest eate what thy stomacke craveth if thy Hounds will take the beasts of the land or thy Hawk the fowles of the aire thou maiest doe it I speake not to justifie the abuse of the world that have turned all into riot and usurped upon al the creatures of God with such men or monsters rather I meddle not but in the sinne wherein I found them in that I leave them I speake only of the recreation that God hath given unto his Saints in this wearie life From the heavens in the Sunne Moone and Starres from the ayre in fowles and birds some made for meate some for mirth from the earth in trees fruits and flowers and hearbs some made for necessitie some for pleasure as seeing and smelling from the Sea in variety of fishes Whereupon the Prophet exclaimeth saying O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches so is the great and Psal 104. 24. wide Sea also wherein are things creeping innumerable both small beasts and great If by faith thou art made a member of Christ his right is thine in all the creatures of the world and in his name and to his glory thou maiest use them But we are not troubled with Stoikes Essenes Hermites Monkes Fryers Anchoresses c. but with Epicures qui ducunt dies in bonis subitò descendunt ad infernum which a learned man englisheth thus They sleepe soundly and drinke profoundly and goe to the Divell roundly and that is no lye For they live waxe fat and grow in wealth their seede is established in their sight Iob 21. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. with them and their generation before their eyes their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not upon them their bullcoke gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her calfe They send forth their children like sheep and their sonnes dance they take the tabret and the harpe and rejoyce in the sound of the organes they spend their dayes in wealth and sodenly they goe downe to the grave Their throates are sepulchers their stomacks sponges their bellies graves their hands talons their fingers loadstones they eate with Ceres and drinke with Bacchus and sport with Venus Apollo must tickle their eares with the Lute the Muses must sound in that service the Graces must waite on their trencher Ganimede must fill them the cup they are sorry that their patrimonies are Voluptuous mens practises described no larger their bellies no wider their throats no deeper their lives no longer that they might live still in all pleasure So that the saying of S. Iames may be verified in them Yee have lived in Iam. 5. 5. pleasure on the earth and in wantonnesse yee have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter They wish with Philopenus a necke as long as a Cranes necke that they may feele the sweetnesse of their meate a long time in their companie is the tabret harpe lute and a paire of cards sooner than the New Testament and as the Prophet speaketh The harpe the viall the timbrell and pipe and wine Esa 5. 12. are in their feasts they regard not the workes of the Lord neither consider the worke of his hands God calleth them to prayer fasting mourning
three not by composition of parts but by coexistence of persons The Iewes also note in the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bara the mysterie of the Trinity by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth the Sonne by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resh Ruah the Spirit by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aleph Ab the Father Christ is many wayes divided But this holy mystery is more clearely taught by Moses Gen. 3. 22. Againe They deny Christ of which sort there bee many The Iewes deny that he is come the Pagans deny that ever he will come the Turkes confesse that hee is come but yet as a man not as a God inferiour to their Mahomet the Papists confesse in words that hee is come but in truth denying the person of Christ making his body every where that is no where yea many have denyed Christ and robbed the Creator to give to the Creature the Italians ascribe all to the Pope the Irish to Saint Patrick the Scots to Palladius the Russians to Saint Nicholas Munster in Cosmog and the Calicutes to the Divell But to speake orderly men deny Christ many wayes Some deny his Divinity as the Arrians some his Humanitie as the Vbiquetaries some his Natures by renting them a sunder as the Nestorians who make two Christs one the sonne of God another the sonne of Mary some deny them by confounding them as Eutiches Qui dixit humanitatem a divinitate absorptam esse which said that his Humanity was swallowed up of his Divinity some deny him by concealing him in time of persecution as the Nichodemites doe A Sect against which we are to lift up our voyces like Trumpets for He that denyeth Christ in Earth Mat. 10. 33. before men shall be denyed in Heaven before Angels For this cause they of Ephesus are said not to have denyed Christ but to have suffered for his sake and to have laboured without fainting And Apoc. 2. 3. they of Pergamos are said not to have denyed Christ For though their habitation was where Sathans throne is yet they professed his name and not denyed the faith Remember that the fearefull are placed with Vriah in the forefront in the vauntguard Apoc. 2. 13. of the damned so saith Saint Iohn The fearefull and unbeleeving and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part Apoc. 21. 8. in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second Death On the contrary Righteous men are compared to Lions which feare no colours so saith Salomon The wicked flee when Prov. 28. 1. Luke 8. 1 Pet. 1. none pursueth him but the Righteous are as bold as a Lion on the other side its naughty ground that will be scorched with heat it is drosse not gold that will bee melted in the fire it is counterfeit not right Balme that will not abide the water it is a bastard Eagle that soareth not to the Sunne Hee is a Coward Exod. 19. not a Souldier that shrinketh in the battell Hee is an Infidell and not a Christian that denyeth Christ in persecution For one Faith is named one Profession Hold fast saith the Apostle the Profession of your hope without wavering And againe Heb. 10. 23. Heb. 3. 1. Consider the Apostle and high Priest of your Profession Christ Iesus Much Profession much Faith no profession no Faith Christ is denied when the efficacie of his death is denied But chiefely we deny the Lord Iesus two wayes First by denying the sufficiencie of his death as the Galathians did and as the Iews did and as our Papists now who will not let Christ be a Saviour alone but they joyne workes with him but all workes are accursed so saith the Apostle As many as are of the workes Gal. 2. Rom. 10. Gal. 3. 10. of the Law that is thinke to bee justified by them are under the Curse Secondly wee deny the Lord Iesus by denying the efficacie or vertue of his Death not dying unto sinne Therefore Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from Death that Christ may give thee Ephes 5. 14. Light For as the Sunne doth not warme all whom it lighteneth as the people under the North Pole who have the Sun sixe moneths together and yet freeze so the Spirit of God doth not cause all to feele the vertue of his Death whom hee illuminateth with the knowledge of his death Such are our Atheists the former are Papists the later are Atheists and both deny Christ The profession of Christ standeth not in words but in deeds not in tongue but in heart not in opinion but in life The Apostle nameth a true Knowledge for many know not God truely Saint Peter calleth it an Idle knowledge distinguishing of knowledge that it is Operans otiosa a working and an idle 2 Pet. 2. 8. knowledge for some carrie Christ in their mouth and braine as perfume in a Pomander without smell as a sword in a scabbard without cutting as fire in a flint without heat But this I will say to thee in the sight of God and his Angels that if thou doest not dye to sinne and rise againe by a new life if thou doest not kill sinne in thee as Murder Whoredome Malice covetousnesse Vsury Pride Drunkennesse c. thou doest neither beleeve the Death nor the Resurrection of Iesus Christ So saith Paul Know yee not that all wee which have beene baptized into Iesus Christ have beene baptized into his Death And againe If wee Rom. 6. 3 5 6. be grafted with him to the similitude of his Death even so shall wee be to the similitude of his Resurrection Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne And Saint Iohn the disciple whom Iesus loved and which leaned on his breast at supper saith Hereby are wee sure that wee know him if wee keepe his Commandements hee that saith hee knoweth him and keepeth not his Commandements is a 1 Iohn 2. 4 5. Lyar and the Truth is not in him This Death unto sinne and Resurrection to newnesse of life Paul calleth it the vertue of his Death The vertue of his Resurrection The stone Dioscorides is nothing Phil. 3. 10. in the mouth of a dead man And all knowledge of Christ is nothing in a carnall man The death of Christ truely beleeved will cause thee to dye unto sinne and the Resurrection of Christ will cause the dead body to rise unto eternall life and the dead minde to an holy life So saith the Apostle If yee The Papists deny the offices of Christ by consequence bee risen with Christ seeke the things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affections upon Heavenly things and not upon Earthly for yee are dead and your life is hid in God c. The Iewes know Christ but not truly
us unto an holy calling Not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us through Christ Iesus before the World was It is true of all men that Christ said of his disciples non vos me elegistis yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you yea God so preventeth us with his grace that hee findeth nothing past or to come whereby God chose us and bee reconciled unto us For who hath given unto him first that is provoked him by his good workes A lively example wee have in these two brethren Esau and Iacob both twinnes both inclosed in one wombe yet hee rejected the one and chose the other Non ex operibus not by workes but by him that calleth Deus coronat opera Rom. 9. 11. sua non merita nostra God crowneth his gifts not our merits Cui daret justus judex coronâ—â—â— nisi cui dedisset pater misericors indebitam gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the crowne but unto whom the Father of Mercy giveth undeserved Grace And he addeth Ne dicas ideo electus sum quia credebam Aug. tract 86. in Iob. si enim credebas jam cum elegeras non ipse te sic judicium esset penos lutum non penes figulum Doe not say I am elected because I did beleeve for if thou diddest beleeve thou haddest now chosen him and not hee thee and so the Iudgement had beene in the power of the clay and not of the potter But heare what Christ saith Yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you I say therefore with Saint Ambrose Iustitia nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quam perfectione virtutum our righteousnesse consisteth more in the remission of our sinnes than in the perfection of our vertues Even as David declareth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose Psal 32. 1 2. sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne One Father saith thus when wee were not God made us when wee were sinners hee Iustified us when we were in prison hee freed us when wee were mortall hee glorified us Another Rom. 5. 1. Luke 4. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Father saith God by his Wisedome hath foreknowne us by his Gospell hee calleth us by his Faith hee justifieth us by his Iustice hee damneth us by his Grace he saveth us So that all is of his meere goodnesse and no cause to expostulate with God His Iudgements are just but yet secret Secret things saith Deut. 29. 29. Moses belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong unto Five signes of Election two internall us But if the Heavens declare the glory of God let us speake to his glory Secreta Dei sunt adoranda non scrutanda Secret things are to bee adored not searched It is not good to eate too Prov. 25. 27. much Hony so to search their owne glory is not glory It is reported of Augustine that being about to write his bookes of the Trinity hee was taught by a childe who laded the Sea into a little spoone to whom Augustine said that hee laboured in vaine for his little spoone could not containe the Sea To whom the child replied that his little Wisedome his shallow braine could not containe the depth of the Trinity But you will say how shall wee know our election that wee may bee comforted against all the assaults of Satan that wee may say with the sweet singer of Israel Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art Psal 23. with mee thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee And with Paul I 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. 8 have fought a good fight I have kept the Faith I have finished my course from hence forward there is laid up for mee a crowne of glory which the Lord will give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto all them also that love his appearing I answere that no man can bee deceived in the state of his election but hee that deceiveth himselfe for wee may know whether wee stand in the state of Grace or no. Danaeus maketh Danaeus in Isagog five signes of election As the comming of the Swallow is a signe of the Spring as the putting forth of the figge-tree is a signe of Summer as the whitenesse of the region is a signe of Harvest So there bee many undoubted signes of our election 1 The first is the inward testimony of Gods Spirit the seale and earnest-penny of our Salvation For it is God that hath Sealed us and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our 2 Cor. 1. 22. hearts The Apostle compareth the Word to a writing the Spirit to a seale that ratifieth all Clamat in nobis Abba the same Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Luke 11. 11. Spirit beareth witnesse to our Spirit that wee are the children of God And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father And if God be our Father how can wee doubt of our inheritance If wee aske Fish he will not give us a Serpent If Heaven he will not give us Hell 2 The second signe is our faith which is knowne by the effects as the Eagle by her feathers as the tree of Life by the fruits of it Thus Paul bade the Corinths try their faith Prove your selves whether yee are in the Faith examine your selves c. Qui 2 Cor. 13. 5. credit salvabitur he that beleeveth shall bee saved and this faith may be knowne to us if wee will search our selves Christ asked Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 8. the woman taken in Adultery where her accusers were So aske thy heart where thy sinnes are and if thou doest beleeve it will say with the woman that they are all gone Qui enim credit transit Three externall signes of Election a morte ad vitam Hee that beleeveth in him is passed from death to life for all that are borne of God overcommeth the World And this is the victory that overcommeth the World even our Faith Iohn 3. 1 Iohn 5. 4. Hereupon Paul triumpheth over Death Hell Hunger Cold Nakednesse Perill Sword and concludeth That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Power nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature Rom. 8. 38 39. shall bee able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 3 The third signe is the conformity of our will to Gods will to love that which God loveth and to hate that which God hateth therefore wee pray that Gods will may bee done on Earth as it is in Heaven He that doth the will of God shall abide Mat. 6. for ever
alike in all fulnesse of light and glory immortall spirits glorious creatures The Angels being chiefe of all creatures as the Sunne among Planets as the Eagle among Fowles and the Lion among Beasts the Whale among Fishes Angels are the first and Men Psal 8. 5. Mat. 22. 30. are next in glory Hee made Man a little lower than the Angels and Christ saith that wee shall bee like them in the last day like them being exempted from the infirmities of this present life The second time is the constancy of the good and the fall of the bad Angels from this time there hath beene diversitie among them The good abide in their first estate of Innocency serving God day and night according to that of Daniel A thousand Dan. 7. 10. Heb. 1. 14. Mat. 18. Psa 34. 1 Pet. 1. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 4. thousand minister unto him And the Apostle calleth them ministring spirits They see the face of their heavenly Father They keepe good men as David saith The Angels of the Lord pitch their tents round about them that feare him they rejoyce in the Church meetings On the contrary the evill Angels suffer paines they are cast downe from their state and are thrust downe into Hell and are tyed in chaines of darkenesse to be kept unto damnation they are deprived of the sight of God and of Christ and if at any time they Iob 1. 2 Cor. 18. stand appeare before God they stand appeare before an angry Iudge not a milde merciful Father And thirdly they are sent about sordid foule workes as to hurt destroy the Vessels of wrath Whereupon saith David He cast upon them the furiousnesse Psal 78. 49. of his wrath and vexation by sending out of evill Angels and his captives hee detaineth in their malice so that they cannot come out of the snare of the Devil but are holden of him at his wil Divers appellations of Angels they hinder the good what they can as they hindred Pauls journy to Rome Fourthly they are obdurate so hardned as they have no hope of instauration or repairing those gifts which they had 2 Tim. 2. 26. Rom. 1. 13. by nature they doe abuse to the dishonour of God and hurt of man seeking continually to devour him The third time is of the last Iudgement For then the joy of 1 Pet. 3. 8. the good shall bee more full for the glorie of Christ unto whom all things shall be subject and the judgement of the evill Hos 13. Luke 4. 34. more grievous and therefore the devils cried out in the Gospel Art thou come to torment us before our time These times doe agree and accord to us The first time of the Angels agreeth to Mans nativity the second time to Mans Iustification the third to his Glorification And note here that Angels were not evill by creation but by transgression therefore there are many names given them in the Scripture to shew and declare their depravation their corruption they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accusers for their calumnies and Ephes 6. Mat. 6. 1 Thes 3. 1 Pet. 5. Apoc. 12. slanders and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill ones for their malice Tempters for their suggestion Lions for their ferity in devouring Dragons for their cruelty Some say they were called Devils A scientia from their knowledge and understanding Others say they were so called ob naturae excellentiam for the excellency of their nature The Maniches and Priscillianists An. Dom. 200. and Anno 209. did very strongly maintaine that the Devils were created of an evill God but Christ confuteth them when hee said unto the Iewes You are of your father the Devill and the Iohn 8. 44. Workes of your father will ye doe he hath been a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him Fuit in veritate sed non fletit in ea hee was in the truth but hee abode not in it As for their names Iude calleth them Angels The countrey men call them Satyres The women call them fairies The Poets call them Dryades and Hamadryades The nobles call them familiars The Phylosophers call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all these names note but one thing By their fall they are Devils full of malice This state that Iude here nameth is the state of Grace by grace they stood from grace they fell They kept not their first estate By the way observe with mee that the good Angels are not said to bee justified or reconciled unto God because they sinne not but they are called Elect Angels I charge thee before God 1 Tim. 5. 21. and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels saith Paul to Timothy Now election is by grace because that by the grace of God they are which they are The place therefore in the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians where hee saith For it pleased the father that in him that is Christ all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile Col. 1. 19 20. all things unto himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his Crosse both the things on earth and the things in heaven Bona cum Christ is not the Redeemer of Angels but their head Calvini pace by master Calvins good leave is not referred to the Angels but to the soules of the Saints which then were in heaven Christ is said to be the head of the Angels but not the Redeemer of them nor the husband of them To speake properly The marriage in the Revelation is betwixt Christ and man not Apoc. 19. betweene CHRIST and Angels for hee tooke not their nature neither can it be said of Christ and Angels that they are two in one flesh Yet are they one with Christ in another respect for hee is the head of Angels and Christ giveth unto them life Heb. 2. 16. Ephes 1. 22. grace and wisdome as to all the faithful and so are Membra Christi ecclesiae nobiscum Yet Calvin thinketh otherwise of the aforenamed place to the Colossians using these two reasons Angeli inquit non erant extra periculum lapsus The Angels saith he Col. 1. 20. were not without danger of falling And furthermore he saith that the justice of Angels was not answerable to the justice of God to satisfie it fully Behold saith Iob he found no stedfastnesse in Iob 4. 18. his servants and laid folly upon his angels But to expound this place of the divell saith he frigidum est it hath so cold a sent that it cannot be perceived As for the time of the fall of these Angels as I will not bee curious so it is like that they fell betwixt the creation of the second day and the seventh day quoth Fenner their fall could not be long after the creation because Heva espied not the serpents Fenner method in methodum Theolog. lib. 3. cap.
tie them together that these all agree in one to worke mischiefe They have Seven heads and tenne hornes Here in the wicked his members are Apoc. 12. like to their Head for howsoever they hate one another in private quarrels yet agree they in the maine point against God and good men Ephraim against Manasses Manasses against Ephraim Esa 9. yet both against Iuda The Pharises against the Saduces the Saduces against the Pharises yet both against Christ The Iewes Mat. 22. against the Gentiles the Gentiles against the Iews and yet both against Paul The Canonists against the Schoolemen and the Acts 19 9. Schoolemen against the Canonists for auricular Confession yet both against the Gospell Parish against Parish one against another yet all against the Minister This may be a good lesson to us that wee may learne all to joyne together against the common enemy If wee will not learne of God and good men to love one another and to cling and cleave together as one man for shame let us learne of Divels for they cleave together like burres Howsoever wee differ in private matters yet let us all agree together against the adversarie Division the cause of Confusion the Papists and other Hell-hounds of division that remaine within and without the Land Division in Christendome opened a way to the Turke to get Constantinople Buda Belgrade Strigonium and all Hungaria almost The division in Italy Inter Guelfos Gibelinos brought all into the hands of that man of Rome The division in England brought in the Spanish Navy hither Anno 1588. Sub spe vincendi In hope to have conquered us and that the Papists would have revolted to them But let not the Papists thinke that the Spaniards would have spared them all had beene fish that had come to net All had bin Huguenotes So was it in the massacre of Paris by the Guise So was it in the conquest of Antwerpe by Parma Therefore that Papist that hath an English heart left in his breast to knocke upon let him pray for our Soveraigne and State now and God blesse both the one and the other and make Gods and our foes his and our foot-stoole THE THIRTEENTH SERMON VERS 6. Hee hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse The Angels that fell are reserved in eternall slaverie HAving already spoken of the sinne of the Angels wee are now come to handle their punishment their fall was great so was their punishment Quanto gradus altior tanto casus gravior the higher their state and condition the grievouser their fall Sin and punishment goe together like Ionathan and his harnesse-bearer Sin goeth before and punishment follows after If it was much for Caine Gen. 4. Gen. 3. to be a vagabond and Adam to be driven out of Paradise and Ismael out of his Father Abraham his house how much more for the Angels to bee driven out of heaven and not to returne like Noahs Dove to the Arke but to live in darkenesse for ever Let the earth tremble let the Sea make a noyse let the Ayre bee darke let all hearts melt and all faces gather blackenesse at the hearing of this Iudgement The Lords face is burning his lips are full of indignation Esa 30. 27 28. and his tongue is as a devouring fire his spirit is as a river that over-floweth up to the necke c. And when hee is kindled The rivers shall bee turned to pitch and the dust thereof into brimstone and the Cap. 34. 9 19. 11. land thereof shall be burning pitch it shall not be quenched night nor day the smoke thereof shall goe up ever it shall be desolate from generation to generation none shall passe through it for ever but the Pelicane and the Hedgehog shall possesse it the great Owle and the Raven shall dwell in it and hee shall stretch out upon it the line of vanity and the stones of emptinesse The Angels now are Divels reserved in chaines If The Divels malice infinite but his power iimited you aske mee where I say in the earth as it appeareth by the words of our Saviour When the uncleane spirit is driven out of a man hee walketh through drie places seeking rest and findeth none c. And not in the earth onely but in the ayre For hee is a Prince that ruleth Mat. 12. 43. Apoc. 20. 1 2 3. in the ayre and not in the earth and ayre onely but in the deepe also For saith Saint Iohn I saw an Angel come downe from Heaven having the key of the bottomelesse pit and a great chaine in his hand and hee tooke the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Divel and Satan and hee bound him a thousand yeeres and cast him into the bottomelesse pit and shut him up and sealed the doore upon him that hee should deceive the people no more But in that God hath reserved them in chaines it is a thing of singular comfort as was Davids harpe to Saul in his melancholly and the Dove to Noah in the deluge Like the news brought unto the shepheards whiles they were watching their flockes in the Gen. 8. Luk. 2. night Here therefore wee learne that they cannot passe their linckes and bounds they are under God Pendent exillius nutu they depend on his becke For God useth Satan to serve his justice yet Satan knoweth it not hee is Gods ban-dogge let slip at wandering sheepe and lawlesse swine he is Gods hangman or executioner to punish the reprobate yet can he goe no further than God will For he hath him in chaines as Clemens had Dandalus the Duke of Venice as Sapor had Valerian the Emperour Heereupon saith Gregory Diaboli semper iniqua voluntas nunquā injusta est potestas the Greg. will of the Divell is alwayes wicked but his power never unjust and he giveth the reason Voluntatem habet a se potestatem verò à domino he hath his will of himselfe but his power from God The spirit therefore that vexed Saul is called the evill spirit of the 1 Sam. 18. Lord evill in regard of his will the spirit of God in regard of the power given him of God Isodore saith Adversaria potestas non habet Isodore vim cogendi sed perswadendi the Divell hath no power to compell but to perswade For then he would not leave one man alive He is like the Libberd who is so hatefull to man that if he see but his Luk. 8. picture he will teare it in peeces The Divell could not enter into the swine but by licence An euill spirit vexed Saul but it is added That God sent him An evill spirit deceived Ahab but it is added that God put him into the mouths of the Prophets Satan 1 Sam. 16. 1 Reg. 22. Iob. 1. Exod. 11. could not touch Iob but as God permitted him Moses was a figure of Christ Pharaoh of the Divell now as Pharoah could not hold Israel in
and from noone unto night In the day Ios 10. of Ezechia the Sunne went tenne degrees backward In the day of Christs passion the Sunne waxed darke and the Moone lost her light the 1 Reg. 20. earth quaked the graves opened the stones brake the dead rose but in the day of Christ there shal be no Sunne no Moone no Heaven no earth For the Heavens shall passe away in manner of a tempest the Element shall melt for fervent heat the 2 Pet. 3. earth and all that is therupon shall burne and yet this burning shall not be a consuming of the substance but only a purging of the creatures from the drosse of those alterable qualities wherunto they are now subject And therfore finely to this purpose saith venerable Bede Per imaginem transeunt per essentiam subsistunt praeterit figura hujus mundi non substantia their image Beda faileth their essence remaineth the figure of this world passeth away not the substance For if the day of Christs humiliation was so glorious what shal be the day of his glorification Where then will appeare those that make the world and the things of the world their stay when the world and all the wealth and substance of the world must passe away And wher ewill the penny-father and covetous person appeare who like the serpent is ever licking up the dust of the earth and scraping up gold and silver that red and white earth when silver and gold and earth shal be no more Where will the proud ones appeare that fold themselves in silkes and loade themselves with pearles and Iewels when Iewels and pearles shal be no more Where then shall appeare the greedie oppressour whose throate hath beene an open sepulcher When he shal not find a man to oppresse any more Where shall the whoremonger appeare whose body hath beene as the Oven of a Baker when he shall find none to defile any more Where shall the slanderer appeare whose tongue hath cut like a sharpe rasor when he shall not finde any to slander any more where will the drunkard appeare that hath washed his soule with wine and strong drinke when there shal be no liquor any more Where will these magnificent and stately builders appeare when building and state shall fall all to the ground Where shall the usurer appeare who is worse than Hell for Hell torments only the bad but the usurer crusheth and oppresseth both good and bad I say where shall he appeare seeing his house here is the banke of the Divell and his purse Os diaboli the mouth of the Divell Surely he with the Divell must abide in Hell and torments surely all these and The fearfull estate of all sinners at the last judgment all other that have sowen in sinne shall reape miserie for these that have plowed wickednesse shall reape iniquitie Vanitie was their traffique and griefe will be their gaine Detestable was their life and damnable shall be their death For as they have sowen Hos 10. 13. so shall they reape they have sowen in the flesh and of the flesh they Gal. 6. 8. shall reape corruption Tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every one of them when this great day shall be Let us pray therfore that in this great day Christ his wisdome may answere for ourfollie his humilitie for our pride his meekenesse for our crueltie his righteousnesse for our sinnes that this Lambe that was without spot may answere for us who like Iacobs Lambes are full of spots Ostende patri latus vulnera Shew the father thy side and wounds that thy side and wounds may heale us from these sinnes that like the blood of Abel crie against us Amen THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON VERS VII As Sodom and Gomorah and the Cities about them which in like manner as they did c. Sodomesfinne all kind of uncleanesse WEE are come to the third example of Sodome and Gomorah Wherin also he noteth their Sinne. punishment Their sinne was uncleanesse Fornication whordome Incest Buggerie their punishment hell fire the second death the burning lake fletus stridor dentium the horrour of conscience torments unspeakeable Now for their sinne it appeareth how filthy it is seeing that Paul would not have vs eate with whoremongers If any 1. Cor. 5. 11. saith he that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a rayler or a drunkard or an extortioner With such see yee eate not And in another place he would have us to be so far from this sinne that he would not have it to be once named amongst us much lesse committed For so runne his words But fornication and all uncleannesse or covetousnesse let it not be once named amongst you Ephes 5. 3. The name as it were darkeneth the Ayre and polluteth the earth the Lord Iesus condemneth the very intent of the heart even lusting after a woman though the act be not done you have heard Mat. 5. 27. 28. saith he that it was said unto them of the old time thou shalt not commit adulterie but I say unto you whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie with her alreadie in his heart Whordome is one of the manifest workes of the flesh For the Apostle reckoning up the workes of the flesh nameth adulterie Sodoms sinne all kind of uncleanesse first and placeth is as Vrias in the forefront of the battell The workes of the flesh saith he are manifest adultery fornication uncleanesse wantonnesse c. Yea this sinne brings with it horrible dishonour If a theefe saith Salomon steale to satisfy his soule because Gal. 5. 9. he is hungry men doe not so despise him but he that committeth adultery with a woman is destitute of understanding he shall find a wound Pro. 23. 27. and a dishonour that shall never be put away for a whore is a deepe ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit Yea this sinne will make a man make shipwracke of innocency and honesty A man may aswell Pro. 6. 27. take fire in his bosome and not be burnt or goe upon coales and his feet not be burnt as goe into his neighbours wife and be innocent Pro. 23. 28. The strange woman increaseth the transgressors among men so that it is impossible to be incontinent and honest It is a sinne Hos 4. 11. Pro. 9. 18. Pro. 18. Pro. 6. 26. of which a man or a woman can hardly repent For whordome and wine as the Prophet notes take away the heart The Guests of a strange woman art most of them in Hell For the wiseman further avoucheth Surely her house tendeth to death and her pathes unto the dead This sinne will bring Gods curse upon a mans estate many a man by it is brought to a morsell of bread For fornication is a fire that will devour to destruction and roote out all a mans increase
earth Ezech. 22. 14. shall tremble before him All faces shall gather blackenesse the earth shall tremble before him the heavens shall shake the Sun and the Moone Ioel 2. 6. 10. shall be darkned and the starres shall withdraw their shining If a Barne were full of Corne having tenne thousand quarters of wheate in it and a bird should every yeere carry away one kirnel in her neb it would have an end at last If a Mountaine were twenty miles high and but one shovell full of earth in a yeere taken from it in time it would deminish and come to nothing but hell deminisheth not there is no end of it When the wicked have beene frying in hell so many hundred yeeres as there be piles of grasse growing upon the face of the earth nay so many thousand yeeres as there be sands or drops of water in God usually proportions punishment to sinne the Sea nay so many million of yeeres as there be creatures in heaven and in earth yet are they as farre from being delivered out of the captivity of hell as they were the first day of their entrance I say therefore of Gods judgements as Paul said of Gods wisedome O alitudo O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! O the depth of the justice and judgements of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Now the very Papists make foure places of torment 1. Infernum Hell 2. Purgatorium Purgatory 3. Limbum puerorum non baptizatorum A place where were children that dye without baptisme and 4. Limbum patrum A place where the Fathers were Now saw they Christ never descended into Hell to deliver any from thence but he brought the Fathers E limbo patrum in his passion for in hell there is no redemption Sermones discipuli Ser. 156. By the way note that as the Sodomites burned in the fire of uncleane lust so God burned them with the fire of his vengeance Poena saepe peccato respondet the punishment is oftentrmes answerable to the sinne committed and done God punisheth men Aug. according to the quality of their sinnes The Philistines adored 1 Sam. 5. Mice and rattes so they were plagued with mice and rattes And as they drew the arke out of his boundes so God drew their intrales out of their course And as Ieroboam overthrew Gods worship in one Altar erected at Ierusalem So God overthrew his 1 Reg. 13. Altar at Bethel And as he restrayned the hands of Israel to offer to the true God but to his golden Calves so his hand dried up God punisheth drunkards with dropsies and then Woe to the Crowne of pride the drunkards of Ephraim And he punisheth the Esa 28. 1. covetous men with theeves who spoise them as they have spoiled Cap. 30. And he punisheth the adulterers with pox and such like evills For the Adulterer many tymes carieth a body to the grave full of maladies and a soule to hell to eternall fire full of iniquities and he punisheth Tyrants by men as bloody as themselves and thus he punished Adonizedeck For he had cut off the fingers and toes of many kings at last his owne fingers and toes were Iudg. 1. cut off For With what measure we mete to others the same shall be measured to us againe The howse of valois having druncke blood voided blood and of English persecuters died many strangely oh then let us take heed how we offend For God will come in judgement he will be a swift witnesse and a sharpe Iudge against vs as here against the Sodomites who were not only destroied with fire and brimstone from Heaven temporally but also suffer the vengeance of eternall fire And this example of Gods vengeance is so famous that it is recorded by most writers both prophane and divine Among prophane Solinus Cornelius Tacitus Strabo Stephanus Pliny Aristotle have written of it Among divine Moses Deut 29. and Esay cap 1. Sodome not punished alone but those that partooke with her and 13. Ieremy also cap. 23. and 44. Ezekiel in like manner writeth of it as it appeareth cap. 16. Amos in his fourth chapter Sophany in his second chapter and the Lord Iesus in the 16. of Mathew mentioneth it and so also doth S. Paul Rom. 9. and S. Peter in his second Epistle and second chapter and S. Iohn in the 11. of the Apocalips Let us therfore make profit and Clense our selves 2 Cor. 7. 1. of all filthynes of the flesh and spirit lest we also suffer The vengeance of eternall fire And further observe with me that not only Sodome was destroied and suffered the vengeance of eternall fire but many Cities besides Moses Deut. 29. and the Prophet Hosea cap 11. besides Sodome nameth 3. Citties more Gomorra Zeboim Admah and unto these some other writers ad Phagor so that five Cities suffred the vengeance of eternall fire Egesippus and Stephanus say that 10. Cities were destroied and some say 13. Iosephus Tertullian Augustine and others write that the aire there is so infectious that if a bird flieth over it it dieth presently and that no creature can live there and the apples and other fruite that grow there howsoever they seeme pleasant unto the eye yet if you do but touch them they fall to Cinder and ashes The summe of all is to admonish us not to follow strang flesh as they did But to keep our vessels in holynesse and not in the lust of concupiscence As Sodome and Gomor 1 Thess 4. And the Cities about them did lest God destroy vs with fire as hee did them and lest we suffer The vengeance of eternall fire as they doe And now brethren you looke that I should say some thing as touching the fearefull accident of fire that since my last being in this chaire of Moses have happened among you and hath burnt up and consumed not an house or two but almost your whole towne and that no small towne but the chiefest and the greatest in these parts being the chiefest mart towne in all the hundred as the Lord hath come to Dereham and Aylisham Beckles and other neighbour townes so now at the last hee is come to you your sinnes have brought downe this judgement of God upon you therefore Washe you make you Esa 1. 16. 17. cleane put away your evill intents from before God cease from doing evill learne to doe well otherwise the Lords hand wil be Amoâ— 3. stretched out still against you and doe not thincke that this fire came by chance For There is no evill done in the City but the Lord doth it himselfe And note the providence of God that the Psal 118. Lament 2. 1. doctrine of burning of Sodome should be now handled when this fearefull judgement of fire fell upon you This is the Lord doing and it is marveilous in our eyes As David speaketh in another case As The Lord
darkened the daughter of Sion in his Wrath that is brought her from prosperity to adversity so hath he darkened Northwalsham And as The Lord cast downe from Heaven Outward afflictions make way to repentance and mercy unto the earth the beauty of Israel that is hath given her a most sore fall so hath hee cast from Heaven to earth the beauty of Northewalsham And as the Lord destroyed the habitations of Iacob so hath hee your habitations and laid wast your dwelling places In the Lowe-Countryes when we see Cities burnt men slaine Churches ruinated Corne-fields Gardens and Orchards destroyed we say then the Spanyards have beene here So whosoever shall see Northwalsham burnt and consumed with fire as it is hee will say The Lord hath beene here The Lord hath done Lament 2. 17. that which he purposed hee hath throwne downe and not spared But Brethren comfort your selves God will receive you if yee will turne For hee is gracious and mercifull long-suffering Psal 103. and of great goodnesse hee will not alway bee chiding neither keepeth hee his wrath for ever Pray therefore with the Prophes Comfort us againe after the time that thou hast plagued Psal 90. 15. us and for the yeares wherein we have suffered aduersity and GOD will restore your losses It is as easye a matter for him to restore them as at the first to give them Thus Iob bare his losses patiently The Lord saith hee gave Iob. 1. 21. and the Lord hath taken away as it pleased the Lord so it is come to passe blessed bee the name of the Lord. Cyrill said of the Cyril Eunomians that they had taken away his goods from him but not Christ from him Augustine said that if GOD should give him all things that were not enough except GOD gave himselfe also to him and then hee had enough Weepe not Agar a well shall spring up in the wildernesse Feare not Sampson a jawe-bone shall slay a Aug. Gen. 21. 15. Iudg. 15. 1 Reg. 12. 1 Reg. 17. whose army of Philistines Die not Elias The Ravens shall bring thee flesh and bread Bee not discomforted widowe of Sarepta the meale in the barrell and the oyle in the cruse shall not waste Faynt not Iewes Five loaves shall Iohn 6. feede five thousand Feare not Daniel Abacucke shall bring thee meate from Iewry Feare not yee men of wallsham Dan. Exod. Ezra 4. God can encline the hearts of all the Countrey to doe you good as hee did the hearts of the Aegyptians to lende to Israell hee can reedifye your Towne as hee did Ierusalem by Nehemiahs Hee can restore your losses as hee did the losses of Iob that you shall be richer at the last than at the first Hee that commanded the whale to cast Ionas on the dry land after three daies hee that turned the rocke into a river and the Flint stone into a springing well Mat. 12. Nomb. 20. he that saved Paul in the depth of the Sea can save you and your goods and will if you rest upon him only rely on Act. 27. the Lord. My brethren know that his eye is not dimme his Esa 39. eare is not heavy his arme is not shortened his heart is not diminished God preserves them that rely on him if we turne to him Hee is rich to all that call upon him be not wanting to thy selfe in faith and God will not be wanting unto thee in help beleeve and throwe not your selves downe so Rom. 10. much The earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compasse of the world and they that dwell therein He made you rich when yee were Psal 24. poore and being poore he can make you rich againe Seeke his kingdome and the righteousnes thereof and all these earthly things shall be Mat. 6. 33. cast unto you THE SIXTEENTH SERMON VERS VIII Likewise notwithstanding these sleepers also defile the flesh and despise goverment Where reprehension doth not amend execration follows SAint Iude in these 8 9 10. and 11. Verses noteth three things First A description of the wicked Secondly A confutation Thirdly An execration For hee ariseth by degrees as the Eagle mounteth in her flight higher and higher So Inde from Description to Confutation from Confutation to Execration Hee proceedeth in the zeale of God as Iehu marched in his chariot valiantly like the fire that first smoaketh and then flameth like the Sunne that warmeth in the morning and burneth at noone tide so at last hee accurseth them woe to them quoth Iude Let them be written among the fooles let them be put out of the Booke of life neither let them be written with the righteous Let their table bee made a snare before them And their prosperitie their ruine let their eyes bee blinded that they see not and make their Psal 69. 22 23 24 25 27. Ioynes alwayes tremble powre out thy anger upon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take them Let their habitation be voyd and none dwell in their tents lay iniquity upon their iniquity and let them not Three kindes of sleepers mentioned in Scripture come in thy righteousnesse Hee prayeth God with Ieremy to powre out his wrath upon them he desireth God with David to arise and scatter them to drive them away as smoke and as waxe melteth before the fire so they might perish and that God would Ier. 10. 25. Psal 69. 1 2. Psal 74. 11. withdraw his hand even his right hand out of his bosome and consume them Now for the description he painteth them out as Zeuxis did the Grapes that deceived the birds as Parrhasius did the sheete that deceived Zeuxis And first he calleth them sleepers Secondly defilers of the flesh Thirdly despisers of Government Fourthly Raylers speaking evill of them that are in authority Fifthly he noteth them to be envious like Caine. Gen. 4. Sixthly Rebellious like Corah Seventhly Covetous like Balaam Numh. 16. Cap. 16. 9. Thus as the Leopard hath many spots so had they many sins as Iosephs coat had many colours so had they many wickednesses Ier. 5. A vertice ad calcem non erat sanitas from toppe to toe there was no soundnesse but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruptions Esa 1. 4. they were a monstrous people A man may say of them as Virgil spake of Polipheme that one-eyed Gyant Monstrum horendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum An huge shapelesse horrid monster without an eye For they had a monstrous body having a drowsie head a lecherous flesh a railing tongue a blasphemous ignorant mouth an envious eye a rebellious hand a covetous heart like Virgils Alecto â—ui nomina mille mille noâ—â—â—di artes that a thousand names a thousand wayes to doe mischiefe a strange body compact of vile members the head of an Asse the flesh of a Goat the tongue of a Serpent the eye of a Basiliske the hand of a Monkey
the heart of a Dragon that is never satisfied So that Iude might say as Ieremy said My heretage Ier. 12. 8 9. is unto me as a Lion in the forrest it cryeth out against me therefore have I hated it Shall my heretage be unto me as a bird of divers colours c. Thus much generally for the Text. And now to the particular handling of the things therein contained and first he calleth them sleepers He speaketh not of any naturall sleepe but the sleepe that he meaneth is security negligence and in affirming them to be sleepers he meaneth that they were drowsie blockish negligent As Paul said to Titus of the Cretians That they were lyers evill beasts slow bellies so Tit. 1. 12. these were secure and sleepy Sleepe in the Scripture hath three significations sometime it signifieth naturall rest so the Apostles slept So the Evangelist witnesseth that Christ Came unto his disciples and found them asleepe Secondly it signifieth death and so Lazarus slept and Mat. 26. 40. Stephen slept and the Corinthians slept Brethren we shall not all sleep The living in sinne and security like lying asleepe that is we shall not all dye Thirdly it signifieth dulnesse of spirit and the Romanes slept but Paul telleth them that Considering the season it is high time for them to awake from sleepe he meaneth sinne security carelesnesse continuance in sinne For there is a lethergie Iohn 11. Acts 7. Rom. 13. 11. of the minde as there is of the body that men dye sleeping and many are overtaken with it they are as men asleepe like the mice of the Alpes that sleep all winter like Endimion that could not be awaked like Saul and Abner that could not be stirred with Davids shouting Many labour of the lethergy of 1 Sam. 26. 14. the mind they see not the glory of God they heare not his voice they smell not the sweet promises of God in Christ Iesus they taste not how good God is unto them they handle not the Book 1 Pet. 2. 3. of life As a man asleep seeth not heareth not walketh not but is without sense or motion of life for the time for sleepe is a band and an imprisonment of all the senses so is a sinner without remorse he perceiveth not he regardeth not the things that are of God As Christ said to Peter Come behind me Satan thou Mat. 16. 23. savourest not the things that are of God Many wake to the world They rise early they goe late to bed they eate the bread of carefullnesse Psal 127. they are asleepe in all the matters of God A man may say to them as the Prophet Esay said unto the Iewes Know ye nothing Esa 40. 21. have ye not heard it hath it not been told you from the beginning have ye not understood it by the foundations of the earth he sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabiters thereof are as Grashoppers he stretcheth out the Heavens as a Curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in Their soule it asleepe if not dead for the trumpet of Gods Word hath not awaked them this forty fifty yeeres Sed tempus est surgeudi it is high time for us to awake out of sleepe I will therefore say unto you as Christ said to the Church of Sardis Awake and strengthen the things that remaine Gods Minsters Rom. 13. 11. Apoc. 3. 2. they are as Trumpets to awake the drowsie Souldier and to prepare him to the battell and therefore they are willed to Crie aloud Esa 58. 1. and not to spare to lift up their voyces like trumpets that so they may awake men out of their sleepe of sinne Gods Ministers they are as Cockes to crow and to awaken all to receive the Word for as the body hath Foure powers Appetitive the First Retentive the Second Digestive the Third Expulsive the Fourth So hath the soule it must desire the word and as the Hart brayeth Psal 42. 1. for the rivers of waters so must our soules pant after God and his Word and not onely desire it but keepe it for Blessed are they Luke 11. 28. that heare the Word and keepe it and not onely desire and keepe it but also digest it into good manners that so our conversation may be such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ and not only Phil. 1. 27. desire it keepe it and disgest it but also expell whatsoever is contrary The sleepe of sinne most dangerous unto it Laying aside all maliciousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and envy and all evill speaking but this cannot bee without crying for all men bee in a slumber The Apostle saith awake thou 1 Pet. 2. 1. Ephes 5. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 14. that sleepest stand up from death And he explaineth the phrase in his Epistle to the Corinthians saying Awake to live righteously and sinne not so that to sleepe is to live sinnefully and securely to awake is to live carefully righteously Esay calleth it a Spirit of slumber The Lord saith hee hath covered you with a spirit of slumber Esai 29. 10. and shut up your eyes Salomon saith to the drunkard that hee sleepeth upon the top of a mast and this is true of all sinnes Christ Pro. 23. 34. at his farewell and Vltimum vale cried Vigilate orate watch and Mat. 26. pray he said not Iejunate virginitatem servate Fast and keepe virginity but vigilate watch Christ said to his Apostles Vigilate Mar. 13. watch Paul bad the Thessalonians watch Let us not sleepe as doe 1 Thess 5 6. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Apoc. 3. 2. other but let us watch and bee sober Saint Peter bad the Iewes watch Be sober and watch Iohn bad the Church watch be awake and strengthen the things that remaine Esay bad Ierusalem watch Awake O Esa 40. 1. Ierusalem bee bright for thy light is come As the Turtle hath but one note so the Godly have but one song Vigilate surgite à somno watch and arise from sleepe It is said of Martinus that hee never passed houre of the day without prayer or reading or meditation Semper aliquid boni agebat hee did alwayes some good and it is true that Nostra bona opera sunt flagella diaboli that our good works are whips for the Divell Daimonomastyx if wee be vigilant and diligent in them Wherefore Saint Peters exhortation Give all diligence to joyne vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse love Mariners saith Tertullian are neuer devoured of the Syrenes but when they are asleepe The Leopard is never taken Tertull. in Apologetico Cant. 5. of the Dragon but then When lost the Church her husband but when she slept when lost Saul his pot his
Sea and to cast in an angle and take the first fish that commeth up and in his mouth he should finde a piece of twenty pence that take and give unto them for thee and me And Paul willeth the Ephesians to pray for them even Mat. 17. 27. then when like Manasses they powred out blood like water and 1 Tim. 2. 1. made Townes and Cities swimme with blood as he did Ierusalem when like the Chaldees they gave the dead bodies of Gods 2 Reg. 21. servants unto the fowles of the ayre and the flesh of his Saints unto the beasts of the field When like Antiochus they burnt all Psal 79. 2. Libraries and consumed the dayes of the Christians like smoke Psal 102. 3. 6. 9. and their bones burnt like an hearth when they were like Pelicans in the wildernesse and like Owles in the desarts when they did eate ashes like bread and mingled their drinke with weeping And to shew the constant practise of this not to goe backe like the shadow of Ezechias his dyall to the time of the Law that the Iewes are commanded to pray for Nabuchadnezzar and the peace of Babylon yet Babylon was as the destruction of God in Sodome and Gomorah the Arabian did not pitch his tent there Ier. 29. but Ziim lodged there their houses were full of O him Ostritches dwelt there and Iim did cry in their palaces and Dragons in their pleasant palaces Esa 13. 20 21 22. As for Nabuchadnezzar as he was a man he deserved not the name of a man but of a beast yet as hee was a King hee is Dan. 4. called Theservant of the highest God and in his peace they have Rebellion is against nature peace Tertullian sheweth what affection and love the former Christians carryed to the Magistrate they were so farre from despising In Apologetico governement that they said Oramus pro Imperatoribus ut det Deus illis vitam prolixam imperium tutum aulam securam exercitus fortes orbem pacatum Senatum sidelem c. we pray for the Emperours that God would give them a long life a safe government a sure dwelling valiant Souldiers a peaceable world a faithfull councell c. And yet the Christians then were as sheepe appointed unto the slaughter the rivers were dyde red with blood the Rom. 2. hangman weary with killing their swords were blunt caedebantur ligabantur torquebantur they were beaten bound tormented alii Aug. de Civitat dei 22. cap. 6. ferro perempti alii flammis exusti alii flagris verberati alii vectibus perforati alii cruciati patibulo alii vivi decoriati alii vinculis mancipati Rubanus alii linguis privati alii lapidibus obruti alii frigore afflicti alii fame cruciati alii truncatis manibus aliisue caesis membris spectaculum contumeliae nudi propter nomen Domini pottantes c. that is some were slaine with the sword some burnt with fire some with whips scourged some stabbed with forkes of iron some fastned to the crosse or gibbet some drowned in the Sea some their skinnes pluckt off some their tongues cut out some stoned to death some killed with cold some starved with hunger some their hands cut off or otherwise dismembred have been so left naked to the open shame of the world c. yet still they were obedient to government So Ambrose and the Catholikes of Millane resisted not Valentinian and Iustinian in the rage of the Arrians but cryed Rogamus Auguste non pugnamus hic hic occidito si placet arma nostra sunt preces lachrymae we pray Augustus we fight not here here kill us if thou please our weapons are prayers and teares So said Hermogenes when the Emperour would have had him to worship an image Da mihi veniam Imperator minaris tucarcerem Deus Gehennam c. Pardon me ô Emperour thou threatnest prison but GOD hell thou the confiscation of my goods but God the damnation of my soule Obedirem tibi nisi quod obediam Domino I would obey thee but I must first obey GOD our lives our liberty our goods are subject to the Magistrate wee must not then Despise Governement but obey Rebellion of all sinnes sheweth the corruptions of our nature yea rebellion and contempt of governement is unnaturall for God hath madea chiefty in all things and every thing keepeth his place Among the Angels there be Cherubins and Seraphins Esa 6. among the Planets the Sunne is the chiefe and the rest borrow their light from him among the fowles the Eagle a-among the beasts the Lion among the Serpents the Basiliske among the Fishes the Whale among the VVethers there is Iob 38. a leader a Bell-wether among the Cranes there is one as a Rebellion is a resisting of Gods ordinance Captaine that goeth before the rest In a flocke there is dux gregis a leader in an hive of Bees there is a master-Bee the very Pismyres have their Governour and the Grashopers goe forth by bands And hath not God made a chiefe a Ruler among men Absit God forbid therefore that we should despise govenment Prov. 30. 27. Therefore to three things that order well their going Salomon addeth a fourth that is to a Lion which is strong among beasts and turneth not at the sight of any to a lusty Grey-hound and a Goat he addeth a King against whom there is no rising up Per deum Reges regnant By God Kings reigne Princes decree justice by him Princes rule and the Nobles and all the Iudges of the earth Promotion and honour commeth neither from the East nor from the VVest nor from the North nor from the South but it is God that lifteth up one and pulleth downe another There is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth Rom. 13. 1. 2. the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves judgement Not onely the punishment of the Governours but also the vengeance of God And God hath Numb 16. famously revenged this sinne as ever any As upon Corah Dathan and Abiram they lifted not up their hands but their mouths against Moses and the earth opened and swallowed them quicke to Hell Absalom rebelled against his father but Gods vengeance followed him and overtooke him for he was hanged betwixt heaven and earâ—h the earth vomited him out and the heavens would not receive him And it was finely said of Iezabel 2 Sam. 18. 9. though otherwise a vile creature Had Zimri peace that slew his master Of late time Ralph Duke of Suevia confessed that he had lost that 2. Reg. 9. 31. hand in battell that had sworne obedience to Henry the fourth his master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anarchy and Disorder have ever beene the bane of all Kingdomes and Common-wealths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confusion bringeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
chiefe commander one chiefe Iudge of a Province one governour of all in the Ship one master in an house in an army be it never so great the Ensigne of one is specially regarded and attended on In the body of Man though the Lims and parts thereof be many yet they all obey one head Secondly most fit for cutting off seditions and rebellions and therefore the Romanes in all their greatest dangers had recourse unto this Tanquam ad anchoram sacram as to their shot-anchor as to their best and last refuge as Livie witnesseth for when Hannibal pressed the Romanes Ad Dictatorem dicendum Remedium jam diu desideratum Civitas confugit The City went to the pronouncing of a Dictator which was the remedy they long expected because as in another place he writeth Dictatoris edictum pro numine semper observatum est the proclamation of the Dictator was esteemed to be the voyce of God Thirdly The government of one doth seeme to resemble most lively the image of Gods Power and Majestie For as in the Firmament the Sunne Moone and Starres doe as it were represent some image of the glory of the eternall Majestie So the rule of Monarchs in their severall Kingdomes upon the earth doe call to our considerations the government and rule of the Almighty But whether the government of one or many be best I dare not define but this I say that it is a most singular token of the mighty Power and Providence of God that so many severall Nations over the face of the World are upholden and maintained by so many severall sorts of government that Quemadmodum non nisi in aequali temperatura elementa inter se cohaerent Ita hae Regiones sua quadam in aequalitate optimè continentur As in bodily essences the foure Elements doe cleaue together by unequall temperatures as it were by a certaine inequality all the several Countries are holden together Nay which of all these governments is the best Otiosum est disputare it is a very idle thing to dispute but most yeeld to this that a Monarchy is the most perfect and the blessing of God seene in that chiefly Perme Reges regnant By me Kings raigne Noble men beare rule saith Wisedome He therefore that resisteth Resisteth not man but God also True it is that man was made to rule not to serve he was Rebellion brings destructiō to Rebels themselves made to rule over fowles fishes cattell but not men At the first men were pecorum pastores potius quà m Reges hominum feeders of cattell than rulers over men that we might discerne the order of creation from the merit of sinne So we reade not of any servant Gen. 1. 20. Gen. 9. Gen. 3. before Cham saith Augustine For as sinne brought in the first death the first sorow the first nakednesse the first flood So it brought in the first service If man had not sinned Moses had not needed in the kingdome nor Aaron in the Church the one to rule the bodies the other the soules of men Rebellion of all sins is unnaturall for what can be more unnaturall then the child to rebell against the father the wife against the husband the servant against the Master and no lesse unnaturall is it for the subject to rebell against his Soveraigne Rebellion God never prospered hereupon saith Salomon My sonne feare God and the King and keepe no companie with the seditious for their destruction shall Pro. 24. 21 22. arise suddenly c. The seditious Israelites were destroyed somtime with fire from Heaven sometime with fiery serpents somtime by Numb 21. the earth For the earth hath opened and swallowed them quicke to Hell Seditious Miriam was strooken with leprosy seditious Absalon Numb 12. was hanged by the haire of the head on an oke as one spewed out of heaven and vomited out of the earth seditious Achitophel for want of an hangman a convenient servitour for such a Rebell went and hanged himselfe seditious Sheba was arrested by a woman Sam. 20. 22. who cut off his head and sent it to Ioab seditious Zimri burnt himselfe in the kings house which he had set on fire Hereupon 1. Reg. 16. 9. said Iezabel Had Zimri peace that slew his Master seditious Shallum 2 Reg. 15. 16. perished in Samaria being slaine by Menahem the sonne of Gadi Never Rebell went unpunished For though God oftentimes doth prosper just and lawfull enemies which be no subjects against forraine enemies yet did he never prosper Rebels who have taken armes against their Prince were they never so great in authority or many in number In Genesis we reade that five kings with their armies could not prevaile against Chodorlaomer unto whom they Gen. 14. promised loyalty and obedience but they were all overthrown and taken prisoners by him but Abraham with his family kinsfolkes an handfull of men in respect owing no subjection to Chedorlaomer overthrew him and his hoast in battell Thus God prospereth in battell some few against many thousands but he never prospered Rebels against their owne Prince were they never so great or noble so stout so politick but alwayes they were overthrowne and came to most shamefull ends And to instance but upon a few One Brennus captaine of the Gaules besieging Ephesus had the City betraied into his hands by a treacherous woman for the greedy desire of a Iewell that a Captaine wore but when she had plaied this tteasonable part he overwhelmed her with gold A certaine traytour offred Fabritius the Romane to poison his enemy Pyrrhus but worthy Fabritius sent God hath confounded Rebels in all ages the traytour bound to Pyrrhus who was enemy to the Romane Empire In Anno 1381. in Rich the 2. his tyme sixty thousand rebelled whose Captaines were Wat Tiler Iack Strawe but they were overthrowne and brought to nought In Anno 1275. Lewellin prince of Wales rebelled against Edward the first but he prospered not but was overthrowne and his head strooken off and set on London bridge In the raigne of Henry the 4. divers noble men and kings rebelled and came every one of them to a miserable end The persidious and treacherous part of Bannister servant to the Duke of Buckingham is most odious the Duke had brought him up of nought but fleeing from the face of usurping Richard to Bannister for succour this wicked man for hope of one thousand pounds betrayed his Master the Duke but never had one penny For said usurping Richard he that will betray so good a Master will betray any other and in his old age the wretch was accused of Murther In the raigne of Queene Elizabeth were many treasons conspired but God ever delivered his worthy Servant but executed his just judgements upon those trayterous conspirators All men know the miserable ends of the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the one beheaded at Yorke the other fled the land and left his house to destruction Many of
noble Courtier and had a courtly stile Ministers may use all helpes of humane learning but Amos had but an homely stile for he was but an heard-man Paul used a plaine kinde of teaching and as he himselfe confessed he was Rude in speaking Apollos was eloquent Qui dedit Petrum piscatorem dedit Cyprianum Rhetorem he that made Peter a Fisher-man made Cyprian a Rhetorician yet plaine teaching if it edifie is not to be rejected Quid prodest clavis aurea si non aperiat ostium quid obest ferrea si modo aperiat What good doth a golden key if it open not the doore and what hurt doth a key of iron if it open the same and so Quid prodest eloquentia non aedificans what doth eloquence profit if it edifie not and what doth simple and plaine teaching hinder if it edifie Let all things saith the Apostle be done to edifying 1 Cor. 14. 26. Againe in that Iude here teacheth us by spots clouds trees c. we have to observe the liberty of the Ministers of the Gospell not onely nakedly to deliver unto the people the whole Councell of God but also to use helpes of wit invention and art as similitudes allusions applications comparisons proverbs and parables to illustrate the Doctrine delivered Thus did Christ even by similitudes drawne from this and that thing instruct the people So hee taught the Astronomers of the East by a starre and Fishermen by a draught of fish The Woman of Samaria Mat. 2. 10. Luke 5. 6. Iohn 4. 14. that came to draw water at Iacobs Well hee taught her by that corruptible water the water of Life To Mary in the Garden he appeared as a Gardiner to his travelling Disciples he appeared as a traveller so also frequently in the Gospell he teacheth by many exemplary similitudes the rich man by the rich mans Luke 24. care and greedy gathering the Vine-dresser by the Vine-dressers digging and hedging and dressing the Labourer by the Labourers hire and working the Builder by the Builders laying a good foundation the Husband-man by the Husbandmans sowing the Fisher-man by the Fisher-mans casting nets and drawing as here Saint Iude by spots clouds trees waves starres c. And as Christ himselfe so all his Prophets and Apostles have used parables similitudes and other helpes whereby their Doctrine might have a deeper impression in the hearts of their hearers Thus did profound Austen in his questions learned Ierome in his expositions patheticall Chrysostome in his amplifications mellifluent Bernard in his meditations pithy Cyprian in his perswasions sweet Ambrose in his allusions eloquent Nazianzen in moving affections doe make great use of these similitudes and so may Ministers doe Lastly in that Iude teacheth us by spots clouds trees starres c. this teacheth us that of all the creatures of God there is a double use one naturall the other spirituall As a spot naturally defileth the garment of the body so besides this naturall signification it serves to put us in mind that sinne spiritually defileth the soule And as a tree in nature signifieth such plants Every creature afford some profitable meditation of the earth as bring forth fruit so besides this naturall signification it serves to put us in mind that wee ought to bee fruitfull Trees in the Lords Orchard lest that wee prove fuell for the fire for Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall bee hewne Mat. 3. downe and cast into the fire and as cloudes naturally powre downe raine so spiritually it teacheth us to raine downe righteousnesse and to water and refresh the thirstie as the cloudes doe the earth and as starres naturally yeeld light so spiritually should wee Our light must so shine before men that others may see our good workes and glorifie our Father in Heaven So by sowing of corne into the ground to maintaine mans life our Saviour leads us to consider of another thing that as the Sower Mat. 15. casteth his seed abroad into sundry sorts of ground and they according to their nature bring forth fruit accordingly Even so the Minister of the Word scatters and sowes the Seed of Gods Word into the ground of mens hearts and as they bee prepared so they bring forth fruit So by a Weavers shuttle wee see the shortnesse of mans life gone in a moment Doest thou see how Iob 7. the Wind drives the chaffe and dust of the Earth about giving it no rest till it bee dispersed Oh consider how the curse of Psal 1. God shall dogge the wicked and never let their soules bee at rest till it consume them Doest thou lye downe in thy bed every night O remember that ere it be long thou must lye down in thy grave and bee covered in dust and therefore prepare to dye in the Lord. Doest thou see the beautifull grasse and herbes of the earth cut downe and wither away O remember that All Esa 40. flesh is grasse and that it must fade and perish Doest thou put on thy clothes to cover thy nakednesse Labour to put on the Lord Iesus and the robes of his righteousnesse that thy filthy nakednesse Rom. 13. Apoc. 3. 18. doe not appeare Doest thou take a Booke into thy hand and open it leafe by leafe O consider that the time will come when the bookes of thy Conscience shall bee opened wherein all thy sinnes are recorded and thou must receive according Apoc. 20. to thy workes And thus wee see of all the creatures of God there is a double use to bee made of them the one naturall the other spirituall So much for the manner Now for the matter Their first sinne is their Epicurisme in eating drinking c. That which Salomon saith of Princes may bee verified of all private men Woe to thee O thou Land when thy Eccles 10. 16. King is a child and thy Princes eate in the morning Blessed art thou O land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles and thy Princes eate in time for strength and not for drunkennesse So blessed is that place that towne where sober-men are as was Selge in Pisidia voyd of drunkennesse This sinne never goeth alone it hath many other sinnes to wait and attend upon it it is as the nave of the wheele which turning about all the spoakes turne with it there goe with it idlenesse fighting quarrelling whoring stealing it is Drunkards incorrigible gluttons insatiable the anvile whereupon the other sinnes are wrought Hereupon saith Salomon To whom is woe to whom is sorrow to whom is strife to whom is murmuring to whom are wounds without cause and to whom is the rednesse of the eyes Even to him that tarrieth long at the wine Pro. 23. 29 30 31 32 33. to them that goe and seeke mixt wine Looke not thou on the wine when it is red and when it sheweth his colour in the cup or goeth downe pleasantly in the end thereof it will bite
of the law as judgement and mercie that they make cleane the out-side of the cup and platter but inwardly are full of briberie and excesse One saith that hypocrisie is the Greg. l. 8. moral cloaking of a secret vice under the shew of vertue and that the life of an hypocrite is nothing else but Quaedam visiâ— phantasmatis the shew of an imaginary matter which appeares some thing and is nothing and compares the hypocrite to Simon of Cyrene that bare Christs Crosse but dyed not with Christ so every hypocrite professeth to live to Christ but will not dye to sinne and the world and Saint Chrysostome likens the hypocrite to Herod Super Mat. 12. that promised devotion and performed persecution he saith that a sincere man is like to a faire woman that needs no external ornaments but hath naturall beauty but the hypocrite is like Hom. 57. a filthy deformed harlot which useth many meretricious colourings that cannot cover her filthinesse but the neerer any drawes vnto her the more hee mislikes her And againe hee saith that an hypocrite is like a Woolfe clothed in a sheeps skin Super Mat. 7. but that he is found out by his voyce and by his doing for the sheepe bleats and lookes toward the earth and eateth grasse which is a signe of humility but the Woolfe howles and looks towards heaven which is a signe of pride and cruelty the hypocrite hath Iacobs voyce but the hands of Esau that is hee talketh religiously and zealously but hee walkes impiously and prophanely the hypocrite is like the statues of Mercury that were wont to be set in high wayes to direct travellers to some Citie or Towne but did not travell nor move themselves the Hypocrisie hath many woes denounced against it hypocrite is like the Stage-player that when he cried O heaven he pointed with his finger to the earth when he cryed O earth hee pointed with his finger to Heaven and therefore the wise Polemon gave him no reward being Iudge of the Actors saying Hic manu Solaecismum fecit he hath spoken false Language and committed an errour with his hand And to conclude the hypocrite is like a deafe and hollow Nut which hath no kernell within but is wasted with the worme and fit for nothing but the fire Heereupon it came to passe that Christ dealt not so hardly with any sinners no not with Atheists that denied the Resurrection and Gods power nor with Temporizers that are alwayes of the same Religion that the company is that can blow hot and cold with one breath as with hypocrites for having to deale with Sadduces he shaketh them off as damned creatures as vessels of destruction children of wrath whose judgement was just and their damnation slept not hee telleth them that they erred Ye erre saith hee not knowing the Scriptures neither Mat. 22. 29. the power of God but when hee hath to doe with Pharisees with Hypocrites he doubleth and redoubleth and tripleth and multiplieth woes and curses hee thundereth like Iames and Iohn his zeale stayeth not with a little O woe to you Scribes and Pharisees yee Hypocrites and so the second the third the fourth the fift the sixt time Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees yee Hypocrites as though all the woes and curses in this life and in the life to come were not ynough for them And it is not to bee forgotten that God calleth it blasphemie to speake one thing and to doe another with man it is hypocrisie but to doe so with God it is blasphemy the sinne increaseth as the dignity of the person increaseth as for example speake a word against a common person and hee hath but his action of the Case against thee speake against a noble man it is Scandalum Magnatum against the Prince it is death against God it is damnation of body and soule double and dissemble with men it is hypocrisie halt with God counterfeit with him it is blasphemy Therefore saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Apoc. 2. 19. Iewes and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan And it is further to be observed that Christ speaketh of hypocrites as if Hell were onely prepared for them for intreating of the evill servant that said in his heart My master will defer his Mat. 24. 51. comming he saith that he will cut that servant in pieces and give him his portion with hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth And Christ our Saviour asketh them how they shall escape Hell O yee Serpents and generation of Vipers how shall yee escape Mat. 23. 33. the damnation to come And to shew the certainty of their damnation besides this interrogation how shall yee escape the damnation to come As if he should say It cannot bee but yee must Hypocrites make a shew of Religion being irreligious be damned For the interrogation implieth an affirmation He saith of the wicked that They shall have their portion with Hypocrites to shew that the condemnation of hypocrites is most surely sealed And this aggravated the sinne of Corazin and Bethsaida and Mat. 24. 51. Capernaum that they pretended Religion but in painted boxes they did hide deadly poysons in beautifull sepulchers rotten bones and under Iezabels painted face a whores behaviour Woe therfore to thee Corazin woe to thee Bethsaida for if so be the miracles Mat. 11. 21 23. that had beene done in thee had beene done in Tyre and Sidon they bad repented long agoe in sackloth and ashes And thou Capernaum which art lifted up on high shalt be brought dowue to hell And verily of all sinners the hypocrite is the worst he is ovis habitis vulpis actu crudelitatelupus Eern. a sheep in shew a fox in deed and a wolfe in cruelty for an hypocrite hath vulpem in cerebro a Fox in his braine milvum in manu a kyte in his hand lupum in corde and a woolfe in his heart a fox in his braine subtill and crafty to insnare hee hath a kyte in his fist to hold fast and when hee hath caught hold he hath a wolfe in his heart to devoure and therefore saith our Saviour Christ Beware of false prophets which come to Mat. 7. 16. you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening woolves beware of them they are like Swannes that have white feathers black flesh and one thinkes the Swanne was forbidden to be eaten of the Iewes to shew that God abhorres all hypocrisie But in that he compareth hypocrites to clouds that have no raine in them to trees that have no fruite to starres that have no light and some others doe compare them to the raine-bow that hath many colours and yet never a colour to broken glasses that have many faces and yet never a face to Copper that resembleth gold and is nothing lesse We have to note that none make greater shewes of
this my text Blacknesse of darknesse for evermore yet all these doe but shadow out the matter they cannot paint it lively Tophte and Gehinnon shadowed out hell there they sacrificed their children to Moloch in hot brasse had a noise of instruments to darken the cry of their children Christ alludeth unto it in the word Gehenna Ier. 19. 4 5. Mat. 5. 2. But as all the ioyes of the elect heere are but earnest pennies and first-fruits of heaven for here is but the seed-time there is the harvest There is fulnesse of ioy and pleasure for evermore so all Psal 16. 11. the paines and torments that the wicked suffer here they are but moll-hilles to mountaines as a sparke to the fire as a drop of water to the maine Ocean nothing in respect of that which they shall feele there all the paines of Achitophel Saul Iudas Francis Spira are nothing to their paines now Christ having reckoned up many plagues as how that nation shall rise up against nation and Kingdome against Kingdome Luke 21. 10 11 25 26. and great earth quaks shall be in divers places and hunger and pestilence and fearefull things and great signes shall there bee from heaven in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and upon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexity For mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things that shall come on the world at last he addeth Initium dolorum haec these are but the beginnings of sorrow as if he should have said All these things are but smoake in respect of the terrible fire ensuing as a muster of souldiers before the terrible bloody battel What will the end be if the beginning be so grievous If his little finger be so heavy what will be the weight of his loines He beateth us on earth with whips but he will beate us in hell with Scorpions as Rehoboam said of the ten tribes The torments invented by tyrants and inflicted upon the Saints and servants of God have beene most hideous and fearfull as the teeth of wild beasts hot glowing Ovens and Furnaces caldrons of boyling oyle fiery brazen bulles powning to death in morters rowling in barrelles of nayles rosting upon spits boaring with angers parting the nayles and fingers ends with Needles nipping the flesh with pinsers racking and rending asunder the joynts with wilde horses no pitty no remorse taken whilest there was either flesh or blood or synew or bone but the torments of Hell are greater the mourning of Hannah the griefe of Iob the sorrow of David the lamentations of Ieremie the bitter smart of Ierusalem were great as much as mortality could beare yet all nothing to the mournings grief The torments of Hell opposed to the ioyes of Heaven sorrowes and lamentations of the wicked in Hell If all griefes and woes and as many besides as ever wrung and wrested the spirit and heart of man since the breath of life was breathed into him were put together to part the torments of Hell among them part after part as if they would empty the store-houses and breake the streame of it yet hath the hand of Hell an unmeasurable portion behinde to distribute to her children an endlesse patrimony of how ling and wringing and gnashing which all the foreprized griefes and torments of this life have scarce beene shadowes and counterfeits of all the paines in the World are nothing to the paines of Hell therefore saith our Saviour If thy hand and thy foot offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt and maimed than having two hands and two feete to bee cast into everlasting fire Mat. 18. 8. Againe as two contraries set together the one doth set out the other as blacke being set by white seemeth the blacker and gall set by honey seemeth the bitterer for contrariorum contraria est ratio therefore whatsoever can bee said of the joyes of Heaven may bee said of the paines of Hell Well of the one Paul saith The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard the heart of man cannot comprehend nor containe the great joyes of Heaven 1. Cor. 2. 9. then of the other side it may be said of the paines of Hell that the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor the heart cannot conceive the paines of Hell O brethren if all the trees and plants in the World were pennes all the Earth paper all the water of the Sea Inke and all creatures in Heaven and Earth Pen-men yet are they not able to set out the paines of Hell No if a man had the learning of Moses the understanding of Esay the zeale of Elias the thundering tongue of Iames and Iohn the eloquence of Apollo yet they cannot give thee a shadow of the torments of Hell Againe as touching Heaven it is said of the faithfull But ye Heb. 12. 22. 23. are come to Mount Sion to the City of the living God to the colestiall Ierusalem to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first borne which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just and perfect men but the wicked come to mount Ebal where the sixe Tribes cursed to the valley of Achor they come not to the celestiall but the infernall Ierusalem c. not to the company of innumerable Angels but to a company of innumerable Divels not to the spirits of perfect and just men but to the damned spirits of wicked and vile men not to Iesus the Mediator of the New testament but unto Belzebub the Prince of darkenesse Againe as touching the elect Augustine saith they shall have joy every way joy within joy without joy beneath and joy above and joy round about them Ioy within for they shall have The damned tormented in all parts in hell peace of conscience joy without for they shall have the fellowship of God and Angels joy above from the sight of God joy beneath from the beautie of the World For there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein shall dwell righteousnesse and joy round about them for they shall see all the delights that may be God shall be a glasse to their eyes musicke to their eares a Iubilee to their hearts yea God shall bee unto them all in all as 1. Cor. 15. Is it thus with Gods elect then the damned shall have sorrow within and sorrow without sorrow above and sorrow benath and sorrow round about them sorrow within from the worme of their conscience sorrow without by meanes of the accusation of the Divels sorrow above for the angry Iudge sorrow beneath for the gaping gulfe of hell fire ready to swallow them up and sorrow round about them for the world burning For à dextris erunt peccata accusantia à sinistris infinita daemonia subtùs horrendum Chaos inferni desuper Iudex
At the first he came as a Lambe now shall he come as a Lion Venit tunc salvare nunc iudicare he came then to save us now he shall come to judge us And yet to speake fully his first comming was not without glory two contraries were conjoyned Summa humilitas summa sublimitas the deepest humility and the highest sublimity Aug. he lay among the beasts yet praised of Angels which sung Gloria in excelsis Glory bee to God on high What is hee Luk 2. that is so base and so glorious so little and so great so poore and so rich poore in the flesh poore in the manger poore in the stable but great and rich and glorious in heaven whom the starres obey great and glorious in the aire Mat. 2. where the Angels sing great and glorious in earth for Herod and all Ierusalem were moved at the tidings of him It is the greatest basenesse Luk 2. for God to bee conceived and the greatest glory to bee conceived by the Holy Ghost the greatest basenesse to be borne Esay 7. of a Woman and the greatest glory to be borne of a Virgin the greatest basenesse to be borne in a stable and the greatest glory to shine in the Heavens the greatest basenesse to deplore among beasts and the greatest glory to be sung of Angels the greatest basenesse to be baptized among sinners and the greatest glory to have the heavens open the spirit to descend and to heare the Father of heaven speaking from heaven This is my beloved Sonne Mat. 3. 16. in whom I am well pleased It is the greatest basenesse to suffer death upon the Crosse and the greatest glory to rise againe from the dead formosus erat in Coelis formosus erat in terra he was faire and beautifull in heaven faire and beautifull in earth faire and beautifull in his throne of glory faire and beautifull in the manger faire and beautifull among the Angels faire and beautifull among the beasts Quid facitis ô Magi puerum ne adoratis What doe yee ô yee Wise-men doe yee worship the child Is he not therefore a King I but where is the Kings Court Where is his Throne Where the continuall resort and haunt of this Court Is not his Court the stable his Throne the Manger They that resort and haunt this Court the Oxe and the Asse Yet vndique formosus est on every side he was faire and glorious The Lords two Courts one of Mercy the other of Iustice For when he spake the sea was calme when he commanded the windes were whist when he called the dead did rise and when he died the Sunne was eclipsed when he rose the earth trembled when he ascended the heavens opened so farre Augustine Thus his first comming was not without glory but his second shall be glorious indeed He shall come in the glory of his Father with Mat. 24. all the holy Angels One speaking of this comming of Christ to iudgement saith Posterior Christi adventus non erit mitis sed terribilis Christs latter comming shall not bee gentle but terrible and fearefull For measure me the greatnesse of one arme by the quantity of another the Iustice of God by the mercy of God If he was so mercifull in his first comming as to take our flesh and to suffer death upon the Crosse for us and how iust how severe will hee bee in his second comming to all those that have either contemned or abused his mercy Quam facilis fuit in primo adventu Looke how facile gentle and propice he was in his first comming tam difficilis erit in secundo adventu so hard so uneasy to bee intreated will he be in his second comming infinit in mercy infinit in Iustice ready to pardon and ready to punish God shall arise and his enemies shall be scattered they also that hate him shall fly before him As Psal 88. 1 2. the smoke vanisheth so shalt thou drive them away and as Wax melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God And as the Prophet saith God is jealous and the Lord revengeth even the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth Nahum 1. 1 2. wrath for his enemies the Lord is slow to anger but great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked As we treasure up our sinnes so hee treasureth up his wrath Indies crescunt peccata indies crescit ira our sinnes increase daily and his wrath daily Bernard saith that the Lord hath two Courts the one of mercy the other of iustice the one in this life the other in the life to come when he shall come with thousands of his Saints to judgement Here is forum miscricordiae the Court of mercy there shall be forum Iustitiae the Court of Iustice for there he will reward every man according to his Works Augustine bringeth in Christ thus Rom. 2. 6. speaking at the last day Ecce fabri Filium quem irrisistis Behold the Carpenters Sonne whom yee have derided Ecce eum in quem non credidistis Behold him in whom yee have not beleeved behold the wounds which yee have made in my hands and feet behold the side which yee have pierced behold the face which you have beraide with your spittle Behold the glory that shall presse and overwhelme you and the Majesty that shall breake and bruise you For our Iudge will iudge righteously and iustly Hee will reward every man according to his worke that is to them which by continuance Rom. 2. 6 7. in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey Wee must meditate as well on the Iustice of God as on his mercy unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every man that doth evill And here note the blindnesse of the World All men prate of mercy but few talke of Iustice like the Benjamites we cast stones with one hand like Iudg. 19. Mat. 26. Polipheme we see but with one eye with Malchus wee heare but with one eare like the Vnicorne we defend our selves with one horne from God like the Amazones many brethren give sucke to the Church with one pap delivering but one doctrine namely that of mercy But let me speake familiarly If a fellon will not trust only on the mercy of the Iudge at the Assise Let us not deceive our selves against that great Assise day Whatsoever Gal. 6 7 8. a man soweth that shall he reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting In quo statu novissimus vitae dies relinquet in eo resurrectionis primus dies inveniet qualis in isto die quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur In
of the Ayre He counteth all the haires of our head Hee putteth all the teares of the afflicted into his bottle Hee knoweth the cattell upon a thousand mountaines All our members were written in his booke before we were borne Now if hee call the starres by their names if hee number our steps if hee tell the sparrowes if hee count the haires of our head if hee register the teares of the afflicted if hee know all the cattell on the mountaines if he wrote our members in his booke long before wee were borne then surely hee hath written all our sinnes in his booke as is said by Ieremy The sinne of Ier. 17. 1. Iudah is written with a penne of â—ron and with a point of a Diamond graven upon the table of his heart Infinite are the sinnes of one yeere of one moneth of one weeke yea of one day how many vaine thoughts idle words ungodly workes passe from us in one day David said they passed the haires of his head hee said that hee could not number them Job said that wee drinke iniquity like water Esay said Wee draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne like cart ropes Salomon saith that the mouth of the wicked swalloweth iniquity A thousand idle words yea oaths wee utter in one day Septi es in die cadit justus the righteous sinneth seven times a day that is many times in a day what by committing of evill what by omitting of good how often then in our whole life and yet not one sin doth escape God What is done in earth is registred in heaven in one moment it is in Gods debt-booke And herein is Gods omniscience herein differeth the knowledge of God from that of Thoughts and words shall be iudged as well as workes men and divels Deus scit praesentia praeterita futura God knoweth things past present and future they know not things future God onely knoweth the thoughts of our hearts they onely our words and workes not our thoughts Yea every thought also shall bee judged We say Thought is free but God shall arrest it indite it arraigne it it shall hold up the hand at the barre of God for the Law is spirituall and bindeth as well the spirit as the body so saith the Apostle We know that the Law is spirituall so that it can judge the affections of Rom. 7. 14. Psal 44. 21. the heart God knoweth the secrets of the heart A true hand and a true heart a chast body and a chast minde must goe together else all is lost O Ierusalem wash thy heart from thy wickednesse Ier. 4. 14. that thou maiest be saved how long shall thy wicked thoughts remaine within thee Not deedes but thoughts must bee washed and cleansed As our deeds and thoughts so our words shall be judged All the cruell speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against God shall come to iudgement It will bee said here that none are so mad as to speake against God Yes and men speake against God two wayes First when they speake against any ordinance of God 1 Secondly when we speake against the servants of God 2 Against the ordinance of God as thus Stephen charged the Iewes that they resisted the holy Ghost yet resisted they but his Act. 7. 51. 1 Cor. 10. 21. word The Corinthians were said to provoke God for being present at Idols feasts The Apostle charged the Iewes to rise up against the Lord Iesus for that they resisted the preaching the doctrine of Act. 4. 27. Iesus Againe men speake against God when they speake against the servants of God as thus Christ codemneth Paul for persecuting Act. 9. 4. him yet persecuted he but the Saints of Ierusalem The people in contemning Samuel cast God away So God told Samuel 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not cast thee away but mee away And well said said Gamaleel that to strive against the Apostles had beene to strive Act. 5. 39. against God So Moses told Israel Your murmurings are not against Exod. 16. 7 8. us but against the Lord. But among all that speake against God our swearers are the chiefe The Prophet said Hee was a man of polluted lips but no Esay 6. lip more polluted than the swearers they spue out their venim against God spit him in the teeth justle with him for his chaire throw him into the channel trample upon him with their filthy feet making his name a tennise ball a page and waiting-man to their choller Because of oaths the land shall mourne and mens mouthes now are dyed red with oaths they make no conscience to speake against God many mens hearts be all earth their stomakes all water their braines all ayre and their tongues all fire being set on fire of hell Saint Ambrose telleth us of a dogge that pulled Swearing and falshood came into the world together out the throate of him that murdered his master Shall a dogge doe this for him that giveth him a crust of bread and shall not our wrath kindle against them that have killed the Iam. 3. 6. Ambr. libr. 6. Hexam Lord Iesus Mens sinnes mens oathes mens blasphemies and perjuries have pierced him and nailed him and let out his heart blood These were the nailes and speare that lanced him Iudas Pilate Herod could have done nothing unto him if these our sinnes had not given them strength One saith that three members of the body are hardly governed the heart the reines the Vinaldus libr. de cont tongue In the heart is vanity in the reines is pleasure in the tongue is falshood perjury blasphemy He that can rule these three is a persect man So saith the Apostle If a man sinne not in Iam. 3. 2 3 4. word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the body behold wee put bittes into the horses monthes that they should obey us and wee turne about all their body behold also the ships that though they be great and are driven of sierce winds yet are they turned about with avery small rudeer wheresoever the governour listeth Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth of great things Behold how great a thing a little fire kindleth and the tongue is a fire yea a World of wickednesse c. Better it is that men should never speake then to sweare and blaspheme and so speake against God Vita mors est in potestate linguae life and death is in the power of the tongue Metalls are iudged by the sound whether they be gold or brasse A man is iudged by his speech whether he be good or evill if his words be brazen his heart cannot be golden Chrysostome noteth that swearing came into the world when all untrueth entred into the World and all villany In the first age men were beleeved on their word but in the ages following they were scarce beleeved on their oath lying brought swearing swearing brought per
3. For Instruction But first it serveth for terrour it is a wonderfull terrible doctrine to the wicked for how can it be but terrible when the Lord shall come with thousand of his Saints to give iudgement against all men and to rebuke c their hearts shall faile them for feare Luk 21. Apoc. 9. 6 They shall seeke death in those dayes and shall not find it This hath been their day wherein so farre as they could they have done their will The next is the Lords day wherein they must suffer his will how can it be but terrible when they shall see the Sonne of man in the clouds above to condemne them beneath hell mouth open ready to devoure them before the Divels haling No way for the wicked to escape Iudgement them behind them the Saints and all their dearest friends forsaking them on their left hand their sinnes accusing them on the right Iustice threatning them on all sides the world made a bone-fire terrifying them how can it be but terrible when the hilles cannot hide them nor the Mountaines cover them from the presence of the Iudge For hee is here and there and every where If they mount and soare up to heaven he is there if they goe into hell he is there too So that pati intolerabile latere impossibile it is not possible to indure nor possible to avoid the iudgement How can it be but terrible when God shall raine upon them fire and brimstone storme and tempest This shall be their portion to drinke when God shall powre even the vials of his wrath upon them and they shall feele the masse of his displeasure Here the wicked are iudged that they may bee amended but there their iudgement shall be that they may be confounded For there will be no place for repentance If Foelix trembled to heare tell of iudgement What will poore Foelix doe when he must feele Iudgement both in the sentence and execution If Iohn and Daniel at the sight of a mild Angell fell upon the earth as dead Dan. 4. 8. Apoc. 1. 17. How shalt thou miserable sinner indure the presence of the terrible Iudge If Haman could not abide the angry countenance of Assuerus Hest 7. 9. how shalt thou ô wicked man iudure the angry countenance of this frowning Iudge If Adam for the commission of one sinne ranne from God in great feare and hidde himselfe among the trees that were in the garden Gen. 3. 8. whither shalt thou runne ô sinnefull Adamite that hast committed as many sinnes as starres in the sky or sands by the sea Imo horum numerus numero non clauditur ullo Yea the number of them is not to be numbred Whither I say wilt thou run or where shalt thou hide thy selfe from this terrible Iudge If the drowning of the old World the burning of Sodom the opening of the earth to swallow up Corah c. and such like the Iudgements have such horrour in them who can expresse the horrour of this day when many millions of wicked shall be turned into hell with all the people that forget God If it be such a shame to doe penance for one fault in one congregation where men will pray for the offendour what a shame will it be when all our faults shall bee discovered before all the whole world without all hope of pitty and help and all workers of iniquity shall be cast alive into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Looke therefore to your selves yee generation of Vipers and wash your hands and clense your hearts For certainly the Iudge of all the world will doe right 2. This doctrine of Iudgement serveth for comfort to all penitent Christians they may lift up their heads rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious For the Lord shall then come be glorified 2 Thess 1. 10. in his Saints and made marvailous on them that beleeve Hereupon The consideration of the general iudgement should instruct us saith Augustine Quare non gaudes cum venerit iudicare te qui venit iudicari propter te Why dost thou not rejoyce when he shall come to judge thee that came to be judged for thee hee hath beene thy advocate to pleade thy suites to God his Father and certenly when hee comes to judgement hee will not goe against his owne pleading He is thy brother and carries a most brotherly affection unto thee and will he condemne his owne brother He is thy head and hath performed all the offices of an head unto thee and can he then faile thee when thou hast most need of him hee died for us to redeeme us a people peculiar unto himselfe and will he faile us in the last act of our redemption Oh no no lift up your heads then and in patience possesse your soules What though hee bee terrible to the wicked to thee hee will bee kind and mercifull thou shalt not bee wronged by false witnesses neither shalt thou bee iudged by common fame or outward appearance The Iudge will not be transported either by passion or spleene nor will condemne thee to satisfy the people as Pilate did Iesus and besides nothing shall be remembred but what good thou hast wrought and done thy sinnes shall be cleane blotted out of remembrance they shall bee buried in the heart of the earth and drowned in the bottome of the sea they shall never rise up to Iudgement against thee Rejoice therefore poore penitent thou shalt find Christ a friend no foe a Iesus no Iudge a Saviour no confounder thou shalt find Heaven and not Hell Angels not Divels Gods right hand not his left hand everlasting life and not everlasting death 3. This doctrine of judgement serveth for instruction First it should restraine uncharitable censuring and judging one another Who art thou that judgest another mans servant hee standeth or falleth to his master Christ is the Lord of quicke and dead Iudge therefore nothing before the time If wee could consider that we should every one give accompt to God himselfe as Rom. 14. 12. wee should find worke enough to looke to our owne score and little leasure to forestall God in this matter of judging 2. Are there matters of difference among us Let the Saints judge them and end them God will bee contented to put his cause to them at the last day For we know that the Saints shall judge 1 Cor. 6. 2. the World and therefore why should we refuse their arbitrement 3. It should order and moderate our sorrowes for our dead friends We should not sorrow as people without hope seeing we beleeve that all that sleepe in Iesus God will bring with him 1. Thess 4. 13 14 17 18. we shall meet together againe in that day and ever live together with the Lord and therefore wee should comfort one another with these words 4. This summons to judgement gives a dreadfull warning admonition to the world even to all men every where to repent
dung and drinke their owne pisse and thus boasted the Kings and 2 Reg. 18. 27. Rulers of the Earth against the Lord and against his Anoynted Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Happy is hee that can see his owne vilenesse but it followeth well there Hee that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall have them in derision Let not the wiseman glory in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength Psal 2. 3. but he that will glory let him glory in the Lord and make his boast of his praise The Pharises boasted much of their doings they delivered their almes with the sound of trumpets but they muttered their sinnes in the eares of their fellowes they spake softly quoth Epiphanius like the peacocke that croweth when he looketh at his wings but is mute when hee looketh at his feet which are foule and ugly This sinne of pride is naturall or universall and therefore the more to be eschewed of the children of God Habet quisque naevos superbiae not droppes but rivers blottes staines of Ierome pride spotted like a Leopard wee drew it from the loines of Adam and sucked it out of the brests of Heva for they were proud and would be like unto God Sed dum rapere voluerunt divinitatem August amiserunt foelicitatem whiles they would have caught the divinity they lost their felicity yea the Angels that sinned before man fell through pride though not only pride Paul 1 Tim. 3. calleth it The condemnation of the Divell Not long after the destruction of the old world and the reparation of the new the builders of Babel fell this way saying proudly Faciamus turrim extensam in coelos Let us build a City a tower whose top may reach Gen. 11. unto the heaven But God plagued their pride with the confusion of tongues and divided them into seventy three tongues which before spake all but one tongue It is naturall to us to thinke proudly of our selves to speake proud things to deale arrogantly and to boast outragiously We are like the Ciclopians and like Poliphemus see but with one eye we see our vertues not our vices which are tenne to one as the Leopard hath tenne blacke spots to one white but he is an happy man that can see his vilenesse his sinne and can accuse himselfe not praise himselfe as Paul did when he said God forbid that I should rejoice in anything but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus whereby the world is crucified Gal. 6. 14. unto me and I unto the world Paul was a great Apostle circumcised the eighth day of the kindred of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Phil. 3 4 6 8. Hebrew of the Hebrewes by the Law a Pharisee concerning zeale wonderfull touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law unrebukeable Yet hee was not proud of any of these things but counted all things losse and did iudge them to bee dung that he might winne Christ and writing to the Corinthians he saith thus Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not If I must needs reioice I will 2 Cor. 11. 30 31. reioice in mine infirmities as imprisonments beating hunger thirst and such like which things the adversaries did condemne as infirme in him And againe he said I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified he knew no oathes no lies no rancour no whoredome by himselfe no Capitall sinne for the Child of Iesting base fruit of wit God may say with Christ in some respect Which of you can reprove me of sinne yet would not he boast for he had peccata occulta secret Iohn 10. sinnes There be some that apply their wit and understanding to nothing else but to frumpes and jests to disgrace others to move laughter if they can nippe or by a girding scoffe disgrace another honester then themselves we call them merry Greeks pleasant companions good fellowes but this is the least harvest the least fruit of their wit Iocis utuntur qui currum poties quà m Curiam decent as one saith they use jests and sportes which become rather the Cart then the Court Quique vomitum citius quà m risum moveant and which will sooner move vomit than sport and then they triumph but in truth without victory These are dogs not men For of evill men there be two kindes alij sunt Canes alij porci some are dogges some are hogges Fooles are hogs which neglect the truth secure and refuse the Word but some are dogges which slander and deride the professors of the truth beware of these dogges these dogges shall not goe to Phil. 3. 2. Apoc. 22. 14. Heaven as Seneca said of Sylla that he left killing when none were left to be killed so these proud tongues will leave scoffing when there are no honest men to be plaied upon Good men strive to debase themselves they stop their eares at their praises as Mariners doe at the song of the Meremaid As Adders doe at the voice of the Charmer they say with David Peccatum meum semper coram me My sinne is ever before me they Psal 51. are vile and will be more vile as David said to Michol who taunted him nay despised him in her heart when shee saw him dancing before the Arke O how glorious quoth she was the King 2 Sam. 6. 20 21 22. of Israel this day which was uncovered to dâ—y in the eyes of the maidens of his servants as a foole uncovereth himself But he answered her That which he did was for noworldly affection but only for the zeale he bare to God and to his glory and I will quoth hee bee yet more vile then thus and I will bee low in mine owne sight c. So Gods Children they are vile and low in their owne sight they can say with David Lord I am not high-minded I have no proud lookes I Psal 131. 1 2. doe not exercise my selfe in matters that are too high for me c. But many are proud hauty boasting bragging of their works as of their prayers almes readings fastings c. But doest thou glory in thy prayers O foole where thou praiest one prayer others pray a thousand The Eutiches prayed continually Iames had his knees horne-hoofed with prayer Christ prayed a whole night which thou never diddest Doest thou glory of thy Almes O foole where thou givest a penny thou receivest a pound at the hands of God and in all that thou art but a steward and thou must reddere rationem give an accompt of thy stewardship Zachee would give halfe his good to the poore thou not the hundred not the thousand part yet hee boasted not Doest thou glory in thy reading Where thou readest a line others read a We must so live that our conscience may comfort us volume Alphonsus King of Naples read over
to content their owne sinnefull humour But so to reprehend is no way lawfull wee must deale with sinners as Samuel did with Saul chide them for their sinne yet pray for their soule as Moses did with the Israelites who corrected their iniquities yet would be blotted out of Gods Booke for their safeties as David did with Absalom who detested his fault and yet would have died for his sake then shall wee shew our selves true physicians that seare the sore to preserve the person and hate the sinne to preserve the soule THE NINE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XVIII How that they told you that there shall bee mockers in the last time c. Scorning and mocking the highest degree of sin NOw he commeth to the words that he will have them to remember they be these That there shall come in the last dayes mockers hee calleth the wicked mockers for in mustering up their sinnes hee beginneth with their flouting as an arch sinne a capitall sinne hee placeth it in the forefront as Ioab did Vrias it is a Metropolitan sinne as Salomons harlot 1 Reg. 3. was among women the worst of all as the beast in the Apocalyps Apoc. 13. which inspired the other with blasphemy like Antiochus who did more hurt then all the Tyrants before him Of these mockers speaketh Peter as though he had followed Iude verbatim word for word but he hath answered them so fully that we need not go any further for their confutation There shall saith he come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lusts and say Where 1 Pet. 3 3 4 5 6 7. 8 9. is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this they willingly know not that the Heavens were of old and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the Word of God wherefore the world that then was perished overflowed with the water but the Heavens and earth which There have beene scorners in all ages are now are kept by the same Word in store and reserved unto fire against the day of Iudgement and of the destruction of ungodly men Dearely beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeeres as one day The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is patient toward us c. Salomon had to doe with such All things come alike to all Eccles 9. 2. and the same condition is to the just and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth and he that feareth an oath so they said in Chrysostomes time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give me something here let hereafter go to others Mat. 22. such were in Christs dayes the Sadduces they denied the Resurrection Paul had to doe with these beasts which said Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye But if Peter reasoned well 1 Cor. 15. 32. 1 Pet. 47. saying Now is the end of all things at hand be yee therefore sober and watching in prayer The Epicures in Pauls time reasoned vilely and beastly nam contrariorum contraria est ratio for of contraries there is a contrary reason Such skummes have beene in all ages when Esay spake of sackloth they spake of slaying of oxen and Esa 22. drinking wine when the Apostles spake with new tongues they spake with their old tongues and said that they were drunken with new wine when Paul spake of the true God the Athenians Act. 2. 13. called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a babbler a rascall a trifler when Christ wrought miracles they said that he did them by the Divell and Mat. 12. now that we speake of God and the Kingdome of God they say that we are idle and must say something and that our doctrine is good for those that have little to doe they deride us as simple men that know nothing with the Corinthians they call our preaching foolishnes with the Aegyptians they call our resort unto the Church idlenesse with the Captaines they call our Exod. 8. 2 Reg. 9. Act. 26. 1 Cor. 1. 21. Act. 26. 25. preachers madde men with Festus they call our zeale plaine dotage and madnesse and with Pliny they call our meetings conventicles but wee will answere them as Paul did the Corinths It pleaseth God through the foolishnes of preaching to save them that beleeve As the Apostle did Festus Wee are not mad but wee speake the Words of truth and sobernes As the Christians did Plinie Trajane and others for their night meetings our witnesse is above our praise is not with men but with God The Latines for mocking use a triple Synonyme Irrisio subsannatio Rom. 2. illusio à risu â—â—gatu ludo a laughing to skorne a mocking by snuffing up the nose and a scorning by way of jesting the first two are open the third more secret when we breake a jest upon our neighbour that tends to his disgrace Of these mockers there be sundry kindes Some that mocke God Some that mocke Gods man They that mocke God are of two sorts the open that deny Divers sorts of mockers both of God and men God in word and in deed as Pharaoh And the secret that professe in shew but deny in truth like the Sonne in the Gospell who in word said I go father but in truth went not at all Multi adorantes Crucem exteriùs Crucem spiritualem per contemptum conculcant Many will beare the Crosse in their bosomes that never imprint it in their hearts and many fall before it in their closet that never follow it in their lives Irrisor non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod penitet He is a 〈◊〉 Iside no repenter whose works are not answerable to their words These mocke-Gods shall one day feele the hand of God Glaucus that scoffed at Venus was torne in pieces with his mares Lycurgus despising Bacchus chopt his owne legs asunder as hee lopt his vines Holofernes acknowledging no God but Nabuchodonozer Iudith 13. was murthered by a woman the people that will sacrifice to the Queene of heaven were consumed with the sword of famine Nicanor that derided the Lord of the Sabbath lost his head hand shoulder Phericides in derision of the God-head bragged Ier. 44. 17. abroad that himselfe had as much prosperity that never did sacrifice as they that offred an hundred Hecatombs to the gods but was as Herod coÌ„sumed with lice Daphida a scoffer in derision Act. 12. 23. of Apollos Oracle at Delphos enquired of it whether he should find his horse that he lost when indeed hee had none the Oracle made this answere Inventurum quidem sed ut co turbatus periret that
the beginning and abode not in the truth but now they abound like Bees in Hibla like Serpents in Iohn 8. 44. Sinai like lice in Aegypt Cornelius Agrippa derided Moses calling him a coozener and said that the sea dried not up but that hee marked the tides and course of the Moone that hee drew no water out of the rocke but marked the haunts of the wild beasts The Philosophers called Christ a Magician that hee did all by Necromancie The Libertines contemne all the Apostles they call Mathew an usurer Peter an Apostata Luke a pelting physician Paul vas confractum a broken vessell Iohn adolescentem stolidum a foolish yong man The Novatians called Cyprianus Caprianus the Arrians called Athanasius Sathanasius but all this is nothing to the contempt of these dogs We may say now as the Prophet said The children shall presume against the ancient and the vile against Esay 3. 3. 2 Reg. 2. the honorable The boyes of Bethel scorned Elisha and the sawcy boyes of England scorne at all doctrine Veni Domine Iesu Come Lord Iesus come quickly O beloved our time is now to bee wise To kisse the Sonne if we do not Mercy passeth and Iudgement Psal 2. commeth and warned men must die in their sinnes and their bloud be upon them Lastly he noteth in these mockers that they live at randon They walke after their lusts like beasts they fulfill their sensuall appetites they doe what seemeth good in their owne eyes They make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it All their care is for Rom. 13. 14. the flesh none for the spirit all for the body little or none for 2 Cor. 10. 3. the soule all for earth little for heaven they walke after the flesh and they warre after the flesh For so doth Paul distinguish Rom. 16. 18. them these men are the slaves of the flesh they serve not the Lord but their belly they thinke themselves the only men of the world and count their life the happiest promise to themselves liberty yet are they worse then gally-slaves the vilest prisoners in the world other prisoners have mē to be their Iaylers these have 2 Tim. 2. 26. Mat. 22. 13. divels For they are in the snare of the Divell and are taken of him at his will Others have chaines of iron these have chaines of darkenes others are for a time these for ever Thou shalt not come out thence Mat. 5. 26. till thou hast paid the utmost farthing but that will never be now that 2 Pet. 2. 19. they are prisoners Note Peters reason Of whomsoever a man is overcome even unto the same is he in bondage but their malice their envy their pride overcommeth them therfore be they in bondage to them Pius etsi serviat liber est a godly man though he serveth yet is he a free man I will walke at libertie saith David for I seeke thy precepts Malus etiamsi regnat seruus est a bad man although he ruleth yet is he a servant et tot dominorum quot vitiorum and that of so many masters as he hath vices Hereupō saith our Saviour Iohn 8. 34 35. Whosoever committeth sinne is the servant of sinne and the servant abideth not in the house for ever His leachery envy malice covetousnesse The Vnderstanding and Will the subiects of Wisedome mastereth him Be not therefore overcome of evill but overcome evill with goodnesse Vincimur non vincimus wee are not overcome wee not overcome Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodies that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof And againe Rom. 6. 12. 21. Rom. 12. 14. Let not sinne have dominion over you In these men all the members of their body are defiled they bee arma injustiviae weapons of unrighteousnesse and all the powers of their soule are corrupted peccati enim sedes est anima the soule is the seate of sinne the two powers of the soule are Vnderstanding and Will either wee know not that which is good or wee cannot performe it for the weakenesse of our understanding The naturall wise man 1 Cor. 2. 14. whose knowledge is not cleered by Gods Spirit perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned And further the Apostle saith that the wisedome of the Flesh is death and the reason hee rendreth after in the next verse saying Because Rom. ◠6 7. the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject unto the Law of God neither can be Naturally our cogitations are darkened and wee strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in Ephes 4. 18. us Thus wee either know not that which is good or wee doe it not by reason of the weakenesse of our understanding Or otherwise wee know Gods Commandements and doe them not ob voluntatis defectum because our wils are defective our wils are readily carried unto lusts to fulfill them not to the commandements of God to obey them Video meliora proboque I see better Ovid. things ct I allow them quoth Medea We fulfill the lusts of the flesh and of the minde serving lusts and divers pleasures Vnderstanding Ephes 2. Tit. 33. and Will are the two subjects of true Wisedome in the one Knowledge in the other Affection cleaveth and sticketh and both are to be holpen by Grace the Vnderstanding without the Will is weake and profiteth not and the Will without it is blinde To know God and not to love him is very little and who can love him except hee know him Knowledge and Vnderstanding is the gate by which things at pleasure enter but wee must not stand in the gate wee must goe further for God respecteth not how much a man understandeth but how much hee loveth affectus subiugat and how much he subdueth his affections The Vnderstanding is to be enlightned the Will to be moved the Vnderstanding to be instructed the Will to be defended the Vnderstanding to be lightned by Faith the Will to be inflamed with love to trample tread all lust under the feete Hee that can overcome his lusts as Samson the Philistines with the jaw-bone of an Asse as David did Goliah Iudg. 13. 1 Sam. 18. with a sling he that can overcome this tower of Babylon pull downe these walles of Iericho hee shall see the goodnesse of the Lord Psal 27. in the land of the Living We talke of Christianity but it is true in the Land of the living wee talke of Christianity but it is true Mortification a signe of Iustification Christianity true manhood to master thy lusts For they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts This is Christianity indeed this is to professe to know God both in Gad. 5. 24. Tit. 1. 15. 2
that their truth in their dealings their religion in swearing their zeale in serving their false gods far exceeds ours But let us shake off every thing that presseth downe and the sin that hangeth on so fast and strive to exceed them I must confesse that the best men have their faults they have their lusts the best oke hath sap the best gold hath his drosse the best oyle his some and the best tree his barke but yet there is a difference betweene an Oake that hath some sap and some heart withall and that which is all sap betwixt smoking flaxe that never flameth and Iuniper coales which smoke and yet burne also betwixt men that are sicke and men that are dead betwixt them that have some faults and them that yeeld to all faults The wicked man mocketh at judgement the mouth of the wicked swalloweth up iniquity There is difference betweene eating and swallowing Prov. 19. 28. such a distinction the Apostle maketh Neverthelesse though we walke in the flesh yet we warre not after the flesh though we 2 Cor. 10. 3. fall we doe not lye by it like the Elephant habitat peccatum sed non regnat sinne dwelleth in us but it raigneth not bellat sed non Rom. 6. 12. debellat it warres but it winnes not all are sicke in sinne but all are not dead in sinne all live in the flesh but sowe not to the Ephes 2. 1. Gal. 6. 8. flesh we all hold out our profession in many infirmities Who can say My heart is cleane There is a difference between blasted trees Prov. 20. and barren trees And yet S. Iude condemneth not nature utterly as though there were no goodnesse in it for many excellent things are done by the light and instinct of nature though not availeable to salvation For as the heate of the Sunne is not ever there where the light is as under the North pole so the sanctification Naturall men were generally illuminated though not sanctified of the Spirit is not ever where the illumination is Naturall men are illuminated but not sanctified by the Spirit Hence it commeth that they have found out many arts and sciences and have spoken rarely yea above Christians Emere vendere instituit Bacchus Bacchus taught men to buy and sell Ceres to sow Corne when as before men were fed with acornes the Assyrians found out letters for before that time men could neither write nor read Eurialus and Hiperbius taught men to build houses whereas before they lodged in the dennes caves of the earth Socrates called philosophy from heaven and placed it in Cities for before that time men wandred up and downe in the wildernesse after the manner of beasts Cecrops taught men to build townes for before men lived disjoined and severed one from another the Aegyptians found out weaving for before men went naked Ericthonius of Athens found out silver for before there was nothing but chopping and changing Aesculapius invented physicke for before men died suddenly of many diseases yea the very beasts by nature excell many men the Elephant seemeth to understand the mother tongue and to have a kind of religion to adore the Sunne-rising a kind of humanity as to reduce the wanderer a kind of obedience as to know the Prince the very Lion is gentle to that beast that humbleth himselfe he is gentler to women then men and praieth not on an infant except in great extremity of hunger he killeth the Lionesse having had copulation with the Leopard Sabinus his dog held up the dead corps of his Master in Tyber and Bucephalus ate no meate after the death of Alexander These things are not found in al men Oh brethren we walke as naturall men as carnall worldly fleshly men voide of Gods Spirit therefore the Scripture compareth good men spirituall men to pearles and precious stones to signify tantam esse horum raritatem quanta est gemmarum that there is as great a rarity and scarcenesse of them as of precious stones and that as common stones exceed in number precious stones so naturall men exceed spirituall men Salomon saith Stultorum numerum Eccles 1. 4. esse infinitum The number of fooles to bee numberlesse and Paul faith All seeke their owne and not that which appertaines to the Lord Iesus none understandeth from the least of them to the Phil. 3. 11. greatest of them every one is given to covetousnesse and from the Prophet even unto the Priest all deale falsely and as the Prophet speaketh Mens hands are defiled with bloud and their fingers Ier. 6. 12. Esay 59. 3 4 5. with iniquity their lippes speake lies and their tongues murmure forth iniquity no man calleth for Iustice no man contendeth for truth they trust in vanity and speake vaine things they conceive mischiefe and bring forth iniquity they hatch Cockatrice egges and weave the spiders webbe hee that eateth of their egges dieth and that which is troden upon breaketh out into a Serpent The Law of God is called Deut. 5. 33. the way of our life men are willed to walke in all the wayes that Love makes al things easy God hath commanded them that they may live habet haec via duo in sese difficultatem suavitatē saith one in this way there be two things hardnesse and sweetnesse hardnesse by reason of our nature and sweetnesse by reason of grace that which is hard by nature is sweetned by grace hereupon Christ saith that his yoke Mat. 11. is sweet eò quòd jugum est grave est in that it is a yoke it is grievous but sweet by reason of grace for as the bush burned with fire and was not consumed with fire because God was in the bush so our heavy yoke is made light because the Lord is in it who helpeth Exod. 30. us with his grace to beare it For grace stirreth up the love of God in our hearts which maketh the yoke of his commandements easy For nothing is grievous unto love love swalloweth all difficulties Why doe hunters fowlers fishers take such intolerable paines It is because they love the sport pernoctant venatores in nive hunters doe watch all the night in the snow such is their love to their game What maketh the mother to watch many nights to give the child sucke with great paine to take such toile in the washing keeping attending and in the education of it but love Can a mother forget her child She cannot The Esay 49. 15. interrogation implieth a negation What meane the beasts and fowles to spare meate from their owne mouthes and to put it into the mouth of their young What maketh the Pelicane to feed her yong birds with her blood but love So the love of God maketh the precepts of God seeme easy to us Non est arduum orare legere meditare jejunare It is no hard matter for us to pray to read to meditate to fast because the
we shall never be better then when by prayer we creep as it were into our Heavenly Fathers bosome And thus wee see the profit power and pleasure of prayer the experience of this hath made good men to spend their dayes in prayer David rose at midnight to pray Daniel prayed three Psal 119. Dan. 6. Hist tripart times a day It is reported of Saint Iames that his knees were horne-hoofed with prayer and Nazianzene writeth of his sister Gorgonia that shee was so given to prayer that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth by reason of her continuall kneeling at prayer and Gregory in his dialogues writeth of his Aunt Trasilla being dead that shee was found to have her elbowes as hard as hornes which hardnesse she got by leaning to a deske at which shee used to pray and Saint Ierome writing of Paul the Hermite affirmeth that hee was found dead kneeling upon his knees holding up his hands and lifting up his eyes so that the very dead corps seemed yet to live and by a kind of religious gesture to pray still to God The Iewes beganne the day and ended it with Levit. 1. prayer It is said of Anthony the Hermite that having spent the whole night in prayer hee chid the Sunne at the rising of it saying O Sol mimis properè nobis redijsti O Sunne thou hast returned to us over-soone I am troubled with thy light the greatnesse of Divers kinds of prayer in respect of matter thy light hindreth mee from contemplation and the light of my God and of Bessarion that hee passed twelve dayes and nights in contemplation pavimentum erat lectus the pavement was his bed water his drinke barly his bread and rootes his dainties If we compare with these men we shall be found like the Pigmaei in respect of the great Giants Wee be not men of prayer wee rise in the morning as the wild Asse to his prey and we lie downe at night as dogges do in their kennell The Euchites pray too much wee too little or not at all the Papists prayed in the night but wee neither day nor night But of prayer in respect of the matter there bee divers kindes Petition Deprecation Intercession Expostulation Petition is for good things Deprecation to remove evill things Intercession for others Expostulation against others The Apostle Paul devideth prayer into Supplications Prayers Intercessions 1 Tim. 2. 2. Thankesgiving Supplications are for the removing of evill whether it bee malum culpae or Malum poenae the evill of sinne or the evill of punishment Prayers are for the obtayning of good for God will give good Mat. 7. 11. things to them that aske of him Intercessions are in the behalfe of others so Moses made intercession for the people saying Forgive them or els race mee out of Exod. 32. the booke of life which thou hast written So Christ made intercession for his crucifiers Father forgive them they know not what they doe Thankesgivings are for benefits received Mat. 27. And these foure the Apostle referreth in another place to two heads 1. Requests 2. Thankesgiving Phil. 4. 6. Vnder request hee comprehendeth supplication prayer and intercession But the most usuall distinction is grounded on 1 Thess 5. 17 18. which is Petition and Thankesgiving And in all these kindes of prayer a Christian must be conversant and use them as occasion serves and thus yee see the distinct kindes of prayer in respect of the matter There are other distinctions in regard of the manner the first Mentall and Vocall Mentall is an inward lifting up of the heart to God without any outward manifestation of the same by word such as Moses was when God said unto him Why cryest thou to me yet hee spake Prayer divers in respect of the manner never a word with his tongue onely he sighed and groned Vocall is that which is uttered with words as was the Publicans Exod 14. 15. Luk. 18. when hee cried God be mercifull unto me a sinner Secondly A prayer in regard of the manner of it is Sudden or Composed Sudden when as upon some occasion the heart is lifted up to God either by sighing or speaking such as was Nehemiahs prayer Nehe. 2. 4. and these are called the ejaculations of the heart which as one saith are to bee used as salt with meate with every bit of meate wee commonly take a little salt to season it so when wee doe any thing we must lift up our hearts to God and season our busines by prayer Composed prayer is the powring forth of some solemne prayer to God privately by our selves and such were the prayers that Daniel used to make three times a day Dan. 6. 10. Thirdly prayer is either Conceived or Prescribed Conceived prayer is that which hee who uttereth the prayer inventeth and conceiveth of himselfe and such are most of the prayers recorded in the Scripture Prescribed is when a set constant forme of prayer is layed downe before-hand a thing very frequent in the Scriptures in Numbers God prescribed a set forme of blessing for the Priests continually Numb 6. 23 24. to use and the 92. Psalme was prescribed A song for the Sabbath Mat. 6. day and Christ himselfe prescribed an excellent forme of prayer and S. Paul observes a set forme of blessing in the beginning and end of his Epistles Fourthly prayer is either Publike or Private Publike when a whole Congregation with one joint consent call upon God Private is that which is made by some few together as Elisha 2 Reg. 4. 33. and his servant were alone in a chamber praying for the Shunamites child or when a man prayeth by himselfe alone as did Cornelius and of this kinde of prayer Christ speaketh thus When thou Act. 10. 30. prayest enter into thy chamber and shut the dore and pray to thy Father in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly All these prayers must wee send up to God in the mediation of Christ Nam quid dulcius quà m Genitorem in nomine Vnigeniti invocare Aug. What is sweeter then to call upon the Father in the name of his onely begotten Sonne And they must bee powred out with feare and reverence Our hearts must bee raised from the dunghill of the earth to the glorious Throne of Heaven as the Prophet saith Let our hearts be lifted up Our gestures must be reverent and humble and kneeling is the fittest gesture in prayer Lament 3. 41. and they must bee delivered with fervency For the prayer of Iam. 5. the righteous avayleth much if it bee fervent Prayer is for all times and all things Yea in prayer wee must bee diligent Paul would have the Thessalonians to pray alwayes nay indesinenter orare to pray without ceasing but if any man say they cannot spend so much time 1 Thess 5. 17. in prayer they have other things to attend I
Father and the Sonne so that prayer is a worke of the Trinity as are all good works O noble worke ad quod tanti artifices concurrunt to Visinu◠the performing whereof so many Artisans doe concurre and meet the Omnipotency of the Father the wisdome of the Son and goodnesse of the Holy Ghost where goodnesse willeth wisdom disposeth Omnipotency performeth potens est sapiens est bonus est tamen unus Deus est qui omnia in omnibus operatur hee is mighty hee is wise hee is good and yet but one God that worketh all in all Or these words Orate in spiritu Pray in the spirit may bee meant of the quality of prayer that it must be spirituall not carnall proceed from the heart not from the lippes from the soule 1 Sam. 1. 15. not the mouth only Hence is it that they which pray in the Spirit are said to powre out their soules and their heart unto God The Virgin Mary who without all question praised God in the Spirit saith My soule magnifieth the Lord my Spirit rejoiceth in God Luk. 1. 46. Rom. 8. 26. And Paul telleth us that the Spirit maketh intercession with groanes Now groanes proceed from the heart and Spirit not from the tongue and lippes And the Apostle telleth us that the Spirit which crieth Abba Father is sent into our hearts The Iewes prayed with their lippes but not with their hearts therefore God complaineth of them saying This people draw neere unto mee Esay 29. 13. with their lippes but their hearts are farre from me Our prayers must be fervent like the spirit Be fervent in spirit saith the Apostle our hearts in prayer must be lifted up to God the heart of man is as it were Gods chaire of estate whereunto no creature can come it is proper to God alone it is his Palace wherein hee most delighteth wherfore Gods Spirit maketh his abode there and stirreth it up to pray The prayer that commeth not from the heart and spirit it is a key cold prayer it is frozen before it commeth half-way to heaven David to note his earnestnes in prayer said that he rored he spake not but rored cried out and indeed Psal 38. the Spirit of God is a crying Spirit not a cold spirit Hereby then may wee judge whether the Spirit of God bee Rom. 8. 15. in us and move us to pray or no If thy prayer come but from Fervent prayer prevailes with God the teeth though it be never so well framed in regard of words and though thy gestures bee never so reverent and humble yet all is nothing the Spirit of God hath no part in this worke if thy spirit pray not thou doest but babble a kind of praying condemned by our Saviour Paul would have us to pray in the Spirit Mat. 6. 7. 1 Cor. 14. and to pray with the understanding that is earnestly from the heart and yet intelligibly of the Church and congregation he had reference to this when writing to the Saints of Ephesus he biddeth them to be filled with the Spirit speaking unto your selves saith hee in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs singing and making melody Ephes 5. 18 19. to God in your hearts Hearty singing hearty praying hearty speaking unto God is the thing that God accepteth My Sonne saith Prov. 23. hee give mee thy heart It is of the essence of prayer to be hearty spirituall and servent As a painted fire is no fire a dead man no man so a cold lip-labour prayer no prayer in a painted fire there is no heate in a dead man no life in a cold prayer no devotion no blessing The prayer of the righteous availeth much if it bee Iam. 5. 16 17 18. fervent it is that that makes and marres all And he exemplifieth this by the prayer of Elias hee prayed that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres and six moneths and he prayed againe Heaven gave rayne the earth brought forth her fruit A cold prayer could not have locked up heaven three yeeres nor opened heaven such a prayer made Hanna 1. Sam. 2. her lippes went yet spake nothing Loquebatur non voce sed corde prece occulta sed manifesta fide She spake not with the mouth but with the heart Aug. her prayer was hid her faith made manifest such a prayer made Moses yet spake not a word with his mouth his heart spake but his tongue was silent such must our prayers bee or els they rebound Exod. 14. backe againe as a tennis ball yea they turne to bee sinne Psal 109. 7. unto us What Is hony turned into gall And balme into wormewood Is treakle become poyson is prayer become sin Yea a plaine sinne a notable sinne if wee doe it not rightly quot preces tot peccata As physicke killeth the body if it worke not in the body so prayer killeth the soule if it proceed not aright from the soule For we have two Axiomes in Divinity 1. That God regardeth not only the matter but the manner 2. Quod non actibus sed finibus pensantur officia That duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends The manner must be good and the end good The Church of Rome saith that virtualis intentio nonex necessitate requiritur in precibus sed actualis intentio a vertuous intent is not of necessity required in prayer but an actuall But better said the Papist Criton who said that God loved better Adverbes then Nownes not to pray only but to praywell Non bonum sed bene agere Not to doe good but to doe it well for wee may doe bona good things and yet goe to hell as did the Pharises Oratio nec timida nec temeraria Mat. 23. nec tepida sit Prayer must be neither false-hearted nor They that call upon God must depart from iniquity foole-hardy nor luke-warme Oratio timida coelos non penetrat A false-hearted prayer cannot pierce the Heavens temeraria resilet ut pila palmaria a foole-hardy a rash prayer reboundeth backe againe like an hand-ball tepida frigescit conglaciatur priusquam coelos ascendit the luke-warme prayer is cooled and frozen up before it can get heaven In prayer two things are required Tempus cor time and the heart much businesse steales away the time and a multitude of cogitations the heart so that we cannot conferre quietly with God Here therefore the prayers of the wicked are rejected I will saith Paul that men pray every where lifting up pure hands to God 1 Tim. 2. 8. without wrath or doubting but the hands which they lift up in prayer are impure hands and so are the hearts also Pretily said Bias to the Grecians in a naufrage in a ship-wracke when they prayed and cried out to their gods Silete ne orate ne dij vos nebulones hîc navigantes sentiant Be silent pray not that the
the heart of man conceive Even for thousands and thousand yeeres What Arts and Sciences have beene found out by man yet cannot the eye see nor the eare heare nor the tongue utter nor the heart conceive of Life eternall The Apostle maketh a glorious comparison and yet speaketh but of an earthly building and of earthly and corruptible things So the Prophet Esay describeth the Church militant and triumphant but yet by earthly things For it passeth his skill and cunning to set out the perfect beauty and glorie of it God is infinite so the reward layd up for the just is infinite like unto himselfe the infinite God giveth infinite paines to sinners and infinite joyes unto the just Peter having but a glimmering of Heaven was ravished and cryed out Master here is good being let us build Tabernacles one for thee another for Moses and another for Elias How great then is Mat. 17. 4. the full sight of Heaven There bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such joyes as are not possible for a man to utter Mount Thabor was a goodly 2 Cor. 12. 4. Mount but in the celestiall Mount in Heaven you shall see that that eye never saw riches without measure glorie without comparison life without death day without night solace without ceasing joy without ending a land that floweth with milke and hony there wee shall see the City of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem a company of innumerable Angels the congregation of the Hebr. 12. 22. first borne which are written in Heaven the Spirits of just and perfect men Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament and the bloud of sprinkling speaking better things than the bloud of Abel But to reason from the lesse to the greater If here in an Inne bee so many pleasures what are in our owne home For whiles wee are strangers in the body wee are absent from the Lord but when wee 2 Cor. 5. 6. shall remove out of the body wee shall ever dwell with the Lord and abide in Heaven which is our home If in a prison our senses are filled with so many delights what shall bee in a Palace There shall bee fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore If here in a Iayle there bee so many pleasures to entertaine us such variety Psal 16. 11. of colours for the eye such melody and sweete sounds for the eare such fragrant odors for the nose such multitude of dishes for the taste if in Mount Horeb are so many things What are in Mount Sion in our owne Countrey For here wee are but strangers and pilgrimes but wee seeke another Countrey and wee desire a Hebr. 11 13 16. better that is to say an Heavenly If a corruptible body feele Our glorified boâ—y shall have Spirituall and Heavenly qualities such great sweetnesse what shall a glorified body feele For our bodies shall one day bee glorified Though they be sowne in dishonour they shall bee raised in glory though sowne in weakenesse they shall be raised in power though sowne a naturall body it shall be raised a spirituall body There is no comparison betweene Light and Hebr. 11. 13 16. 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. Darkenesse Gold and Lead Glasse and Pearle Men and Angels Heaven and Earth Corruption and Glory Weakenesse and Power Honour and Dishonour Our life is hid with Christ in Col. 3. 3. God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall wee also appeare with him in Glory For life is threefold Of Nature Grace and Glory The life of Nature is sweete the life of Grace sweeter and the life of Glory sweetest of all and this life of Glory is hid with Christ in God and in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies first Claritas beauty and cleerenesse in so much that as Saint Chrysostome saith that the bodies of the Saints shall bee septies clariora Sole seven times brighter than the Sunne Secondly in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies spirituall agility and hence is it that some ascribe the activity and quicknesse of our soule spirit to a glorified body saying that such bodies are not spirits but spiritualized bodies Thirdly in this life of Glory there shall be in our bodies Impassibility For though here we suffer of every thing yet there wee shall bee subject to no corruptible passion or suffering Lastly in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies Immortality here indeed orimur morimur at our byrth wee beginne to dye accedimus wee enter into the world succedimus wee succeede one another in the world and last of all decedimus wee depart all out of the world but in this life of Glory wee shall have immortall bodies And as the body so the soule in this life of Glory shall bee glorified and this her glory consisteth of two things in her union with God and in our vision of God both of these may be gathered out of that of Saint Iohn When hee shall appeare we shall bee like him and see him as hee is wee shall be like unto him there 1 Iohn 3. is our union we shall see him as hee is there is our vision Others adde to the beatitude of the soule two other actions one the fruition the other the eternall retention of God and it is a question among the Learned in which of these foure the felicity of the soule doth consist some in her vision of God some in her fruition of God some in her retention of God I will not determine onely I say that in this life of Glory both soules and bodies shall have triumphum gaudium triumph and joy they shall triumph over Death for Death shall bee no more over him that hath the Lordship of Death the Divell for hee shall never bee able to hurt him Againe they shall have joy God all in all to the glorified Saints first in the Majestie of God secondly in the humanity of Christ thirdly in the society of Angels and Saints Vide intùs extrà suprà infrà circumcircà ubique gaudium Looke Aug. within thee and without thee above thee and beneath thee about thee and every-where there is joy Nay Gaudium super gaudium joy above joy joy surmounting all joy and without the which there can be no joy within thee shall bee joy in the glorification of body and soule without thee in the company of the blessed Saints and Angels above thee in the sight of God beneath thee in the beauty of the Heaven and Earth For there shall bee a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth 2 Pet. 3. righteousnesse round about us in the delight of all our senses for God himselfe shall bee the object of all our senses Erit enim speculum visui Hee shall bee a glasse to our eyes musicke to our eares hony to our mouthes a flowre to our hands balme to our nose Ibi erit candor Aestatis
tendeth the exhortation of Saint Iames See that yee bee doors of the Word not hearers only deceiuing your owne selves So did the Thessalonians Iam. 1. 22. they received the Word not as the word of man but as it is 1 Thess 2. 1. indeed the Word of God 4. It must expell dishonest things as namely all maliciousnes and all guile all dissimulation and envy and all evill speaking So did 1 Pet. 2. 1. the Antiochians for the hand of the Lord was with them so that a great Act. 11. 21. number beleeved and turned unto the Lord. All these benefits come by the teacher under God For as the nurse hath two brests to give milke to the Infant so the Minister hath two also doctrine and life the one for example the other for instruction touching both wee will say as Paul said Yee are witnesses and God also how 1 Thess 2. 10. holily and justly and unblameably wee behaved our selves among them that beleeve Wee appeale not to the Infidels but to the beleevers For if an inquest of Infidels bee impannelled on us certenly wee goe downe Elias shall be said to trouble Israel the Apostles shall bee seditious Iohn Baptist shall have the Divell 1 Reg. 18. Christ is an enemy to Caesar wee appeale therefore from Infidels to beleevers and wee hope they will acquite us for wee may labi in domo fall in the house but not à domo from the house they shall find us sine crimine without offensive fault though not sine peccato without fault Ministery the meanes of salvation Well said the women of Rome to Constantius the Emperour when hee would have deposed Foelix the Bishop or have joyned with him Liberius the hereticke Vâ—us Deus unus Christus una fides unus Episcopus One God one Christ one faith one Bishop quoth he Pretty is the fable of Demostenes how the woolves made league of peace with the sheepe so that the dogges might bee removed but when the dogges were removed the sheep were woorried so the Divell maketh league with worldlings so that they will put away their Ministers but when they are removed bee sure the Diuell will woorry and devoure the soules of the people as the woolves did the sheepe For the great redde Dragon that hath seven heads and ten hornes and seven crownes upon his heads and who with his taile drawes down the third part of the starres of Heaven and casts them to the earth stands before the woman travelling with Child to devoure the Child as soone as it is brought forth For when the shepheard is smitten the flocke will be scattered and your adversary Mat. 26. 1 Pet. 5. 8. the Divell as a roaring Lion goeth about seeking to devoure Well of all the indignities offered to us we will say as Mauritus said to Phocas murdering his children Videat Dominus judicet So let God judge betwixt you and us wee labour to save you and you are like the dogge in the water who biteth him by the hands who would save him from drowning When Fulvius cóquered over the French Scipio over Numantia the people cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Saviour A Saviour the earth rebounded and the birds of the ayre fell down dead with the resound of the earth yet these saved but mens bodies Ministers save mens soules As wee cannot have trees without planting 1 Tim. 4. 13. nor corne without sowing nor houses without building so wee cannot come to heaven without teaching the clowds powre downe rayne and make the earth fruitfull Ministers are the Ephes 4. 20. Deuter. 32. clowds and their doctrines as the dew to make our hearts fruitfull Can a bird live without aire or a fish without water or a body without a soule No more can the soule without the Word It is Verbum vitae the Word of life Triplex est vita there is a threefold life Vitanaturae brutis peculiaris a life of nature peculiar Iobn 6. Eccles 2. Col 3. 3. Ephes 4. 18. to beasts Vita gloriae Angelis A life of glory proper to the Angels Vita gratia elect is and life of grace to the elect and this life is had by the Word of God Pregnant are the similitudes that the Holy Ghost useth in the Scriptures where hee compareth Ministers to Fathers to mothers nurses watchmen 1 Cor. 4. 15. Gal. 4. Ezeeb 3. 1 Reg. 13. Hebr. 13. 7. Apoc. 12. 2. and souldiers overseers starres Children cannot bee without fathers nor brought up without mothers nor tended without nurses Cities in warre cannot bee kept without watchmen nor kingdomes without souldiers nor men walk in the dark without sta-light Solem mundo tollunt qui Verbum Dei tollunt They take the Sunne out of world that take away the Word they are the Without the light of the Ministery all in darkenesse light of the world the salt of the earth all would wander and ranckle in their affections if they were not they should bee as the men of Cimmeria who never saw the Sunne men should sit in the Church as the Aegyptians did in their houses not able to Exod. 10. Wisd 5. 6. arise in three dayes Men might say We have erred from the light of trueth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us and the Sunne of Vnderstanding rose not up uponus Philip rejoiced that Alexander was borne in the dayes of Arislotle Socrates rejoiced that he was borne an Atheuian and rejoice thou that thou art a Christian that thou livest in the dayes of a learned Ministery The Queene of Sheba pronounced Salomons servants happy for hearing him 1 Reg. 10. how happy then shall wee thinke our selves that heare God speake to us by a Minister O blessed men that may heare God speake to us every Sunday and every Thursday for the increase of faith and repentance in every one of us Blessed bee that day and happy bee that houre wherein God speaketh unto thee by a man How happy was Galatia then How did all the Churches count that a blessed Church Philip thought Alexander happy that hee was borne in the dayes of Aristotle and wee thinke our selves unhappy that wee are borne in the time of Light and doctrine We wish a change we wish Mariana tempora we say that it was a good world then men loved one another yet then they knew no love no faith no hope no God no Christ they beleeved as the Church beleeved and the Church beleeved as they beleeve and neither could tell what they beleeved O blind times ô vile dayes If a Prince should send an Ambassadour to Rebels to proclaime pardon and they should take and abuse him would it not kindle the ire of the Prince So standeth the case betwixt God and his people Ministers being Gods Legats Gods Harolds men having runne all the dayes of their life the broad way when death commeth then they call for a Guide but then
serpent must pull out his sting Now death is a serpent and his sting is sinne one may put a serpent in his bosome when his sting is out and wee may Earth-quakes upon extraordinary occasions let death into our bosome when sinne is gone the venim and poison gone But to draw us to a greater hatred of sinne let me apply this late judgement of the earth-quake unto you These judgements Anno Domini 1601. Decembr 24. have never beene but upon great and rare occasions and for horrible and notorious sinnes to note the wonderfull power of God and to presage some rare events some strange plagues to fall upon the world When God gave the Law the earth shooke God did it in fearefull manner to teach Israel that if the earth shooke when God spake much more should their hearts shake The like earth quake was at the restoring of the Law in the dayes of Elias And indeed to whom is the Word of God powerfull 1 Reg. 19. Esay 66. 25. profitable but to him that trēbleth at it Of these former judgements David speaketh O God when thou wentest forth before the Psal 68 7. 8. people when thou wentest thorow the wildernesse the earth shooke and the Heavens dropped at the presence of God even Sinai was moved at the presence of God even the God of Israel Againe in the horrible rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. the one in the Church the other in the Commonwealth the one against the Lords Priest the other against the Lords Magistrate there was an earthquake to teach that hell shall swallow us as it did them if we rebell so Of all judgements these most manifest the power of God and foreshew his great anger so David spake The earth trembled and quaked the foundations also of the mountaines moved and shooke because hee was angry smoke went out of Psal 28. 7 8 9. his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth coales were kindled thereat he bowed the Heavens and came downe and darkenes was under his feete c. When Vzziah would usurpe the Priests office and Zach. 14. ◠confound Church and Commonwealth and make a Chaos of all religion and goodnesse God shooke the earth and when Iericho fell it is thought by the learned to have bene by an earth quake Iosh 6. And when the wicked Iewes crucified the Lord of glory all creatures Mat. 27. shewed their disliking the Sunne was eclypsed the Heavens lost their light the starres were moved the vaile of the Temple rent asunder the graves opened the dead rose the earth quaked O dura obdurata indurata corda hominum quae non contremiscunt O durate and obdurate and indurate hearts of men that cannot tremble David speaketh of the rare Iudgement of God in this case and thereby stirreth up all men to feare God Shall the wildernes quake and shall not our hearts quake Absit The voice of the Lord maketh the wildernes to tremble and shall not Psal 26. 5. wee tremble In the great persecution of the Church S. Iohn speaketh of an earthquake Let us not thinke that these judgements Apoc. 6. 12. bee ordinary and rise altogether of naturall causes for great hurt hath ensued The three famous Cities of Asia Laodicea for wealth Hierapolis for learning and Colossos for strength were all overthrowne with earth-quakes Constantinople was tormented with shaking a whole yeere together In the dayes of Boniface Earth-quakes fore-runners of fearefull Iudgements there happened an Earth-quake and after followed such a plague of scabbes and botches as a man could hardly tell his owne dead from other mens Burdeam was mightily shaken with Anno. 741. an earth-quake And in the yeere of our Lord 1171. the City Tripolis a great part of Damascus in Antiochia and Halapre the chiefe City of Loradin and other Cities of the Saracens either perished utterly or were wonderfully defaced And An. 1539. in divers places as at Venice Florēce there were great earth-quakes which did much hurt In Anno 1579. April the 6. an earth-quake tolled the great bell at Westminster and threw downe a piece of Dover Castle and part of Sutten Church in Kent to note unto us that our sinnes overburden the earth the earth grones and would be eased God shakes his hand the earth trembles man is carelesse beware it gapes not and swallow thee up quicke When Arrius heresy was entertained in Antioch God punished it with earth-quakes to give a Caveat how wee admit of heresy and six great Cities in Greece in the dayes of Tiberius and twelve Cities of Campania in the dayes of Constantine And wee all now might have beene swallowed up if Gods mercy had not bene the Anno. 1601. greater Blessed bee God who kept us and hee keepe us evermore But surely this earth-quake prognosticateth that God is comming to Iudgement As the City of Rome was never shaken but it presaged some strange event The yeere before the Carthaginian warre there were 57. earthquakes at Rome but there presently followed a lamentable warre After an earth-quake in Venice there followed a famine and upon the necke of that a plague which beginning farre North spred over the whole earth but so raged at Venice as scarcely one lived of an hundred but as a wonder lasteth but nine dayes so this earth-quake will be forgotten of many When Ananias fell downe dead suddenly Act. 5. at the feete of Peter all the Church trembled and this should make us all tremble For in my judgement it is a forerunner of Christs comming or else of some fearefull judgement of warre Mat. 26. 7. Pliny or famine or of pestilence For an heathen man could say that earth-quakes portend and foretell fearefull matters ensuing And note that God sent it at this time to begin our Christmas with it so mis-spent of all men The Heathen had their Floralia Bacchanalia Cerealia they went naked surfeted and were drunken and they light torches to Proserpina going naked and what else doe wee Wee eate and drinke and rise up to play and goe up and down showting and revelling Hath the grace of God appeared to Tit. 2. 11. this end Brethren hath the Lord Iesus gotten twelve dayes of his Father for prophanenesse swearing revelling c I am ashamed that the Turke the Iew the Persian should know this Propter nos male audit nomen Christi The name of God is blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. among the Gentiles through us The heathen had their Cerealia Fearefull earth-quakes and comets warne to repent as I said before wherein they surfeted to Ceres and their Bacchanalia wherein they were drunken to the honour of Bacchus they had their Floralia wherein they were idle and gave themselves to lust and Venerie Wherein differ our Christmas feasts from theirs it being spent only in eating drinking nay gluttony and drunkennes riot cards dice swearing swaggering toying fooling and what not
servant Nam naturae gratia se apponit daemoni Deus malae consâ—â—tudini bonus usus multitudini malorum spirituum exercitus Angelorum Grace opposeth it selfe to nature God opposeth himselfe against the Divell good custome against evill an hoste of heavenly Angels against a multitude of evill spirits For the Angels of the Lord doe pitch their tents about them Psal 34. that feare him God telleth us that his grace is sufficient for us and that his power is made perfect is knowne and evidently seene through our 2 Cor. 12. 9. weakenesse A question here may bee asked If God bee able to keepe us from falling why then doth hee suffer us to fall Why did hee let Adam fall by the subtilty of the serpent why did he let Lot Gen. 3. Gen. 19. Numb 21. 1 Reg. 11. fall in Zoar by wine and strong drinke Why did hee suffer Moses in the desart by infidelity Why did he let Salomon King Salomon wise King Salomon fall by women Why did hee let Peter fall through feare into lying perjurie banning and cursing Mat. 26. Why doth hee suffer most of his Saints to fall some into one sinne some into another and all into some sinne So that it may bee said of the best of them Septies in die cadit justus the Prov. 24. Iam. 3. 2. righteous man sinneth seven times a day Et in multis peccavimus omnes in many things wee offend all Hereto I answere Adams fall was permitted of God to bring to passe this eternall counsell decreed before the foundation of the world concerning the incarnation of his Sonne and the redemption of mankind through him Nam tu quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God Secondly concerning Rom. 9. the fall of other Saints God permitteth them for two causes either that his mercy might bee made manifest in their God permitted Adam and the Saints to fall for divers reasons pardon and reclaiming or else that they may see the frailty of their nature that they stand not by themselves but by God For the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to direct his pathes that thus God may humble us and that hee that standeth may take heed hee fall not Saint Iude saith not that God ever keepeth us Ier. 10. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 12. from falling but that hee is able to keepe us and will so farre forth doe it as shall stand with his glory and our consolation And this withall I note that God never suffereth his to fall for ever Qui ex Deo est non peccat Hee that is of God sinneth not that is non peccat in aeternum hee sinneth not for ever their 1 Iohn 3. light is eclypsed sometime like the Sunne but never quenched like the fire on the Altar in the Babylonicall captivity they sleepe but they wake againe to righteousnesse they bee not in a lethargie in a dead sleepe like Coranus and Plato who slept and never waked againe â—hey fall sometime but they rise againe like the Dromedary they lye not by it like the Elephant that wanteth jointes they have weeds and faults but they have corne and vertues also like the fields of Sharon whereas the wicked are as Sichem sowne with salt where never fruit grew they have leaves Cant. 4. but they have fruit also like the vine of Megeddo but the wicked Iudg. 9. Mar. 11. are like the figge-tree that Christ cursed they are all leaves all sinne being full of unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse Rom. 1. 29. full of envy of murder of debate taking all things in evill part they lie downe in sinne they sleepe in sinne they rise up in sinne in the morning they live in it they dye in it it is Alpha Omega Aleph and Tau first and last for the wicked are strangers from the Psal 58. 3. wombe even from the belly thy have erred and spake lies They fall and never rise againe they sinne and repent not of the uncleannesse and fornication and wantonnesse which they have committed 2 Cor. 12. 21. In one word God is able to keepe us and doth keepe us else should wee fall as often as wee are tempted For wee are as dry stubble apt to receive fire but there is a plurality of mercies with God Hee is rich in mercy hee hath mercy for thousands he hath Ephes 2. Exod. 20. Psal 51. Psal 126. â— Ephes 1. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 8. a multitude of mercies he hath lesser mercies and greater mercies Hee filleth our mouthes with laughter and our tongues with joy hee hath corporall blessings and spirituall blessings temporall joyes in earth and everlasting joyes in heaven hee hath a preventing grace in delivering from sinne and a following grace in pardoning sinne he hath an infusing grace and a restraining grace and Iohn 17. 2 Cor. 12. 7. his grace is sufficient for us But here a question may be moved whether the Church may fall from God in doctrine in manners num errare potest tam fide quà m vita whether it may erre as well in faith as in life To this some answer Ecclesia non cadit non errat universaliter totaliter fundamentaliter finaliter that the Church doth not fall doth not erre universally totally fundamentally finally non universaliter The best have erred in omnibus membris not universally in all the members non totaliter in singulis fidei capitibus not totally in every article of faith non fundamentaliter in praecipuis capitibus not fundamentally in the chiefe heads non finaliter in aeternum not finally for euer unto perdition But admit this yet it may fall it may erre The question is not what it doth but what it may doe Ecclesia potest errare the Church may erre whether yee respect it as universall in Councels or the singular members thereof severally quoth Danaeus for it is manifest that I may erre and you may Danaeus erre and hee may erre sic de singulis and so of every one For wee set but in part the which words are meant of every one wee 1 Cor. 13. 9. proceed and goe forward daily wee are not yet come unto perfection wee see the most excellent men have erred as Thomas in Phil. 3. Iohn 20. Act. 10. Num 9. Exod. 32. Act. 1. the resurrection Peter in circumcision Moses in the Passeover Aaron in the golden Calfe in Idolatry All the Apostles in the Kingdome of Christ Lactantius Eusebius Apollinaris Arnobius were tainted errore Chiliastarum with the error of the Chiliasts which held that Christ should come personally and raigne as a King in this world a thousand yeeres yea all men are lyers and all pray Forgive us our trespasses yea looke into the Apocalyps and Mat. 5. Apos 12. 2 Reg. 11. yee shall find that the woman fledde into the wildernesse the whole visible Church under
sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere For the uncertainty of our owne righteousnes and danger of vaine glory it is the safest way to repose all our confidence in Gods only mercy and bounty Then is it not as hee disputes Lib. 1. de justificatione cap. 4. wrought by charity but contrariwise charity doth arise from faith I will conclude with Bernard Omnia merita Dei dona sunt ita homo magis propter ipsa Deo debitor est quà m Deus homini all our merits are the gifts of God so man is rather a debtour to God for them then God to man So much as touching this life Touching the other life hee commends them to God that they may behold the presence of his glory with joy for in the life to come wee shall have plenitudinem gaudy fulnes of joy Here all Psal 16. joy is at an ebbe it is mixed with some sorrow light with darkenesse heate with cold health with sicknes life with death glory with ignominy but there is joy and nothing but ioy no change no alteration day without night light without darkenesse summer without winter youth without age life without death there we shall have all teares wiped away from our eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall Apoc. 21. 4. there bee any more paine but they shall have perpetuall ioy death The ioyes of Heaven fill all powers of soule body and Hell shall bee cast into the lake of fire and shall bee destroyed for ever The second death shall have no power upon them that be in heaven but they shall bee the Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeeres That is for ever We looke too much to Apoc. 20. 6 5 14. Hebr. 6. the pleasures of this world which maketh us care lesse for Heaven but looke into the powers of the world to come vide intùs extra supra infra circumcirca ubique erit gaudium Looke within and without above and beneath and round about and yee shall find ioy every where within shall be ioy for the glorification of the body and soule for our Saviour even The Lord Iesus shall change our vile body and make it like his glorious body according Phil. 3. 21. to the working whereby he is able to sub due all things unto himselfe It is much to have our bodies changed more to have our vile bodies changed but to have our vile bodies so changed that they shall be facioned like the glorious body of the Lord Iesus is most of all and must needs fill us with ioy Wee shall have ioy without by reason of the company of the blessed Angels for wee shall inioy not onely the celestiall Ierusalem but also the company of innumerable Angels which shall glad us and reioice us exceedingly Wee shall have ioy above in the sight of God for wee shall bee like God and see him as hee is Wee shall have ioy beneath of the beauty of Heaven and of the world for 1 Iohn 3. 2. Wee looke for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. Wee shall have ioy round about of the delight of all our senses when God shall bee the obiect of them all for he shall be a glasse unto our eyes musicke unto our eare hony to our taste a flowre to our hands and sweet Balsamum to our smell there shall be the fairenes of the Summer the sweetnes of the Spring the plenty of the Autumne the rest of the Winter yea God shall 1 Cor. 13. bee all in all unto us This life is as a seed-time in teares as the travell of a woman as a weary prentice-hood as a tedious iourney but the harvest is in the life to come there shall we reape joy there Psal 126. 5. are wee delivered of our child birth and forget our sorrow for ioy that salvation is come our sorrow shall be turned into ioy A Iohn 16. 21 22. woman when shee travaileth hath sorrow because her houre is come but as soone as shee is delivered of her Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the world In this world wee have sorrow but in Heaven joy there wee shall rejoice and our joy shall no man take from us Looke to Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith and let the same animate us that did him hee for the joy that was set before Hebr. 12. 2. him endured the Crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the Throne of God Let us so doe and wee shall follow the Lambe and be partakers of the price of our high calling which is in Christ Iesus tantum gaudebunt quantum amabunt tantum amabunt quantum cognoscunt Deum sic cognoscunt ut cogniti Rom. 8. sunt so much shall they reioice by how much they love and so The land of the living cōpared with the land of the dead much shall they love by how much they know God and they so know as they are knowne The situation and height of Heaven may teach us the quantity and quality of the glory of heaven Coelum Empyraeum is 1 Cor. 13. higher greater and more excellent than all Heavens the Scripture calleth it The land of the living as if the earth which we inhabit were the land of dead men and indeed Wee are dead and Psal 116. 9. our life is hidde with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life Col. 3. 3. shall appeare then shall wee also appeare in glory Now if in this land of dead men the creatures bee so precious what shall they bee hereafter in the land of the living In this dead land see the greatnesse of the heavens the brightnesse of the Sunne and Moone and starres the beauty of the earth how pleasant is it to see the height of the mountaines the plaines of the fields the greenenesse of the vallies the fountains of waters the current of the streames and rivers which like veines runne thorow the earth the mines of gold and silver pearle the mines of metals If all these bee in the land of the dead what is in the land of the living There shall bee a new Heaven and a new earth and new creatures 2 Pet. 3. 15. Againe there be three places in this life The first is in the wombe from our corruption The second is in the world from our birth The third is in Heaven after death Betwixt these three there is a proportion looke how much the world is bigger and pleasanter than the wombe so much is Heaven bigger and fairer than the world as well in length of time as in beauty Touching durance the first life in the 2 Mathab 7. wombe is not above nine moneths the second life is foure score yeeres at the most the third is infinite and
eternall the Psal 90. 1 Cor. 13. wombe of the mother is nothing to the world and the world is nothing to heaven seeing one starre is bigger than the earth Iob 38. Againe the difference of the inhabitants maketh a difference betwixt Heaven and earth that is full of living men this of dead Luk. 9. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rom. 3. men that of iust men this of sinners this of men Rom. 3. 24. that of Angels Dan. 7. here dwell the penitent there the perfect here dwell the militant there the triumphant here dwell friends and enemies there friends onely and the elect there Hebr. 12. 23. Iob 7. Apoc. 14. God shall be plenitudo lucis nostro intellectui fulnesse of light to our understanding Multitudo pacis voluntati multitude of peace to our will Et continuatio aeternitatis memoriae and continuance of eternity to our memory It is said of the Swannes that they sing dying Cantator Cignus funeris ipse sui And we like Swans in the assurance of the glory that shall bee revealed to us should live and die reioycing For we shall be made an eternall joy and glory from generation to generation salvation shall The happines of Heaven set out by comparison bee our walles and praise our gate we shall have no more Sunne to shine by day neither shall the brightnes of the Moone shine unto us for the Lord shall bee our everlasting light and our God our glory our Sunne shall never goe downe neither shall our Moone be hidde for the Lord shall be our Esay 60. 15 18 19 20 21. everlasting light and the dayes of our sorrow shall bee ended wee shall bee all righteous and possesse the land for ever Wee shall come with Israel from Mount Horeb where was nothing but thunder lightning and clowdes to mount Thabor where wee shall injoy the glory of Christ Iesus and say with Peter Bonum est hîc esse It is Mat. 17. good for us to bee here Let them make account of this life who make the world their friend and are not onely in it but of it whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that they looke 2 Cor. 4. 3. not for future things wee are here pilgrimes our Countrey is Heaven our friends the Angels our companions Apoc. 21. the Saints our City the new Ierusalem how can wee sit among the rivers of Babylon and not weepe to remember the heavenly Sion O curvae in terris animae coelestium inanes O crooked soules on earth and devoid of heavenly things Wee marvell at the Pigmaeans that are but a cub it high and live but seven yeeres and yet our life to eternity is not seven yeeres nor seven dayes nor seven houres nor one houre it is but a moment 2 Cor. 4. 17. so S. Paul calleth it Saturne one star is thirty yeeres in motion in circuit and we may goe round about the world in three yeeres and odde dayes so little a space is it What is a drop of water to the whole Sea An acre of land to the mappe of the world the light of a candle to the brightnes of the Sunne the life of a child to the yeeres of Methusalah the conceite of a foole to the experience of Noah who saw two Worlds or one drop of raine to all the waters in the Clowds which drowned a whole world Such is our life to eternity and the glory of this world to the glory of Heaven a thousand yeeres are but a day nay S. Iohn calleth 2 Pet. 3. all the time since Christs comming but an houre he maketh sixteene hundred yeeres but an houre to eternity to the dayes 1 Iohn 3. everlasting Oh thinke oftner of heaven and the glory of it Oh seeke the things that bee above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of Col. 3. 1. God set your affections upon Heavenly things and not upon earthly Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they might see the hope of their calling Ephes 1 17. the riches of the glorious inheritance And pray you for it for as yet these things are hid from our eyes videmus tantum terrena we behold onely earthly things If in a golden game some should step aside and runne after flies and feathers would wee not count them mad so is it in Christianity our life is a race wee all are runners heaven is the goale eternall life the prize but many step aside after flies and 1 Cor. 9. vanity We tire our selves in the way of wickednes and destruction and Wisd 5. 7 8 9. wee have gone thorow dangerous wayes but we have not knowne the way of the Lord what hath pride profited us Or what profit hath the pompe One day in Heaven more ioyous than many in the greatest honour of riches brought us All these things are passed away as a shadow and as a poast that passeth by If a man knew the thoughts of Alexander Magnus when hee died of the poison of Styx after all his victories or the thoughts of Iulius Caesar receiving in the Senate 52. wounds and all deadly after that hee had conquered the world hee shall see that they tooke little pleasure in their former honors and victories Philip Mornay saith of Carolus quintus whom of all men the world judged most happy that hee cursed all his honors in his old age his victories trophees riches saying Abite hinc abite longè Get yee hence get yee away a sarre off hee found more joy in one dayes contemplation of Heaven than in all his Imperiall life Then then was his mourning turned into joy and his sacke loosed and hee girded with gladnesse Hee that knew the Psa 30 11. thoughts of the soule of the rich man in hell hee shall see that hee crieth Woe woe to all the wealth honour pompe and glory of the world and had rather bee one day in Paradise than tenne thousand yeeres in this world hee curseth gold house land credit and saith Vae domni lutâ—ae ob quam perdidi auream in coelis Wo to this house of clay that hath made me lose an house 2 Cor. 5. 1. of gold in Heaven In Saint Lukes Gospell wee doe reade that when some spake of the temple how it was garnished with goodly stones and consecrate things O saith our Saviour are these the things that yee looke upon The dayes will come when a stone shall not bee left upon a Luk. 21. 6. stone So say I O then looke up higher Againe in Heaven is the presence of glory As there is no light but that which is derived from the Sunne so there is no glory but that which is derived from the glory of God that is true everlasting glory As there is no right Balme but in Gilead no right incense but in Sheba so there is no true glory but the Heavenly glory Gloria mundi ut fumus The glory of the world is but
condemnation in the second Councell of Ephesus his members consumed and his tongue rotted in his mouth The like the tripartite History reporteth of Nicasius the Donatist and the Eumenians who eate up Cyrillus liver or heart with salt The toungs of the wicked shall rot in this life or burne in hell fire that give God no glory T is not enough to meditate of Gods goodnesse in thy heart but thou must also proclaime it with thy tongue Noli nimis vultum seu oculos meditationis intueri nam meliora sunt ubera gratiarum actionis Doe not behold the countenance or eyes of meditation too much better are the brests of prayses and thankesgivings David said I will alwaies give thankes unto the Lord Psal 34. 1 2. his praise shall bee in my mouth continually my soule shall glory in the Lord c. So let us alwayes praise our God and never rob him of his glory There bee two sorts of theeves that robbe God the proud man and the envious the proud man robbes him of his glory the envious of his Iustice these bee greater robbers than the Sabeans Iob 1. 14 17. who carried away Iobs Oxen and Asses then the Caldeans who carried away his Camels then Achan who stole the wedge Wee should exercise our selves to this duty of thankfulnes of gold then Barrabas for all these robbed but from men but these from God and that not the least thing but the greatest his glory When we should sound our praises and glory to God we are silent like Pythagoras Schollers who spake not in five yeeres like the dumbe man in the Gospell who spake not at all Ios 7. Mat. 27. I appeale to your consciences whether for fourty requests made to God we have given him one thanks No no shame may cover our faces wee may hang downe our heads with the Publican and say Lord be mercifull unto us ingratefull unkind forgetfull Luk. 38. and vile men The Father of all mercies and the God of all consolation give us eyes to see and hearts to feele so great unkindnes Let us awake our tongues our hearts as David did and let us say My heart is fixed ô God my heart is fixed I will sing Psal 57. 7 8 9. and give praise awake my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake earely I will praise thee ô Lord among the people and I will sing unto thee among the nations There is a spirituall palsy in our tongue that wee cannot praise God a vaile is over our eyes that wee see not Gods glory an impostumation is in our eares that wee heare not his Word a Cardiaca passio hath covered over our hearts that wee thinke not of his blessings a lethargy in the whole man that we give him not glory say therefore with David Awake ô my tongue awake viole and harpe I will awake earely Psal 103. 1 2. I will praise thee ô Lord among the people and I will sing unto thee among the nations Speake unto thy soule chide it and say My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name My soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits Vow to God as the Prophet did that thou wilt praise the Lord during thy life Yea as long as thou hast any being to sing unto God and fulfill his desire I meane Davids ô sing praises sing praises unto Psal 146. 1. our God sing praises sing praises unto our King for God is the King of the whole earth sing yee praises with understanding Marke how hee doubleth redoubleth his words as Roscius did his gestures as the Nightingale doth her notes as the Camelion doth her colors When the people would not praise and glorify God hee spake to the Heavens Heare ô Heavens and harken ô earth And Esa 1. 3. Ier. 9. 22. hee spake unto the earth O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord. And hee spake unto the mountaines Heare ô mountaines the Mich. 6. Lord his quarrell and yee mighty foundations of the earth He may do so now this English people will give him no glory yet all that we have our wit our wisdome our riches our honour our authority we should use these to his glory this is the right end why God hath given them wee must not seeke our owne glory in them but Gods when Herod was magnified of the people for his eloquence and honored as a God Immediatly the Angell of Act. 12. 23. the Lord smote him because he gave not the glory to God and so hee was eaten of wormes and gave up the Ghost O brethren it is wonderfull that the Heavens raine not downe fire and brimstone upon us Our unthankfulnes deserveth Gods vengeance as upon Sodom that the ayre infect us not as it did Iuda that the earth openeth not and swallow us quicke to hell as it did Corah and his company that the fire burne us not as it did Sodom For that which Christ objecteth to the Iewes may be verified of Gen. 19. 2 Sam. 24. Numb 6. 16. us How can yee beleeve which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God alone In all things that wee doe wee must seeke to set forth the glory of God If any man Minister saith Saint Peter let him doe it as of the ability which God ministreth that God in all things may bee glorified Iohn 5. 44. 1 Pet. 4. 11. through Iesus Christ Say to God as Aeschines said to Socrates when others gave him gold silver Iewels Aeschines gave himselfe like the poore widow who cast into the treasury two mites even all her substance So give God all thine eyes to see his glory thine eares to heare his Word thine heart to beleeve in him thy tongue to praise him thy foote to follow him and thy hand to serve him and let the saying of the Apostle bee never forgotten Yee are bought with a price therefore glorify God in 1 Cor. 6. 20. your bodies and in your spirits which are Gods stirre up thy tongue therefore to speake of God and his works plentifully shall thy bow and thine arrowes thy hawke and thy hound thy cart and thy plough have thy tongue tied to them to delite in their talke And shall not the Minister in Christ Iesus Hath thy tongue no portion in such heavenly things Or if it it bee in thy heart will it not fill thy mouth with praise Sermo index animi thy speech is a messenger of thy minde an Heavenly heart will use Heavenly talke and an earthly heart sendeth out vaine and earthly words deceive not thy selfe such as thy speeches are such is thy heart if thou canst eate drinke ride play journey with men and seldome or never talke of God it argueth a barren heart If there bee no meate in the dresser there is little in the kitchin the mouth is as the dresser the
Non tamen pugnat ejus potentia cum voluntate his power fighteth Tart. adversus Prax. not with his will Lay thy hand on thy mouth with Iob reason not against God Quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God so much for the attributes Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Dominion and Power But it is further to bee noted that in naming God To God only wise c. Hee comprehendeth the three persons for these attributes are due to all the whole Trinity Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Power and Dominion The Scripture speaketh diversly of the Trinity sometime ascribing things to one person sometime to another sometimes to all joyntly as power to the Father wisdome to the Sonne goodnesse to the Holy Ghost Psal 104. 1. Prov. 14. Greeve not the good Spirit of God saith the Apostle Yet power wisdome goodnes are due to all the persons of the whole Trinity in a Gods glory dominion power is eternall more strict sence signification Againe yee shall see the creation of all things ascribed to the omnipotency of the Father the administration of all ascribed to the Sonne the sanctification Ephes 4. 30. Gen. 1. Prov. 9. 1. 1 Cor. 6. â—1 of all ascribed to the Holy Ghost yet all three create preserve and sanctify the Church Pater à se Filius per se Sanctus Spiritus à Patre Filio The Father of himselfe the Sonne by him and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Augustine speaketh Aug. thus Sicut ex intellectu generatur voluntas ex his ambobus procedit memoria in anima ipsa As the will springing from the understanding and from them both the memory in the soule it selfe so the Sonne is begotten of the Father and from both these proceedeth the Holy Ghost This causeth the Scriptures to speake so diversly of the Trinity Power is attributed to the Father but not exclusivè exclusively quoth Vrsinus in his Catechisme sed inclusivè but inclusively for all three are of equall power sed Patri potentia tribuitur Vrsinus quia est fons origo but power is given to the Father because hee is the fountaine the originall the rest of the persons are from him but not as touching their essence but person and manner of existing To conclude the works of the Trinity quoad extra are indivisible but quoad intus they bee singuler as the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both hold this Axiome in divinity and learne to speake wisely and soberly of the Trinity Well this glory Majesty dominion and power must be yeelded now and ever for the glory of God endeth not with the end of the world it is for ever here and in heaven the continuance of this world before God is but as a day the Morning of this day was the creation of the Heaven and of Adam untill the flood the Noone of this day was the comming of Christ the Evening is the end of the world a thousand and six hundred yeeres S. Iohn cals but one yeere A thousand and six hundred yeeres are past as 1 Iohn 2. an houre but the glory of the Lord is from eternity to eternity from everlasting to everlasting from eternity as touching election quae est sine principio to eternity quoad reprobationem as touching reprobation for it shall abide without end but in that hee saith both now and for ever this teacheth us that there must be no end of praising God his praises must bee ever in our mouth First for spirituall blessings bestowed here in earth in Heaven as Election Redemption Adoption Vocation Iustification Sanctification Psal 86. Glorification for every one of these commeth from God therefore hee is to be praised both now and for ever Now in this life wee must sing Hosanna to the Sonne of David and hereafter we shall sing Allelujah in Heaven with all the Saints For all spirituall blessings wee must say with the Apostle Blessed be God which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings For temporall blessings Ephes 1. 3. glory and praise is to bee given to God Christ gave thanks for God is to bee prayed to and praysed for all things food Anna for a child Iacob for riches Abrahams servant for prospering his journey and in a word for all other temporall blessings as health wealth peace prosperity God is to be praised now and ever As there is no end of his benefits towards us Iohn 6. 12. 2 Sam. 2. 1. Gen. 32. 10. Gen. 24. 48. so there should bee no end of our praises towards him but wee must praise him both now and ever To conclude this point here is a secret comparison betweene the glory of man and the glory dominion and power of God mans glory is as a flowre All flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof as the flowre of grasse for so Esay was willed to cry but though hee Esa 40. 6. cry it few will beleeve it wee trust not the Lord one speaketh of an Epitaph graven in the tombe of a great man Hic fuit hic fecit pugnavit vicit amauit Composuis libros gentes populósque subegit Quid mihi cum fuit aut erit est valet vnum He was he did he fought he conquer'd lov'd Wrote books nations and people hee subdu'd But what have I to do with was or Shall With me the Present only is worth all Things past bee gone things to come are uncerten that which is and is for ever goeth for all glory present will bee past and glory future will bee for ever haec vita haec gloria non est vita non est gloria this life this glory is neither life nor glory for wee are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory AMEN This word is an Hebrew word and it is taken in the Scriptures three manner of wayes sometime as a Nowne signifying Christ himselfe sometime as an Adverbe so Christ useth the word saying Amen Amen that is Verily Verily I say unto you and sometime as a Verbe as in this place signifying So be it or be it so So that this word Amen contayneth more than the prayer it Apoc. 1. Iohn 3. selfe For in the prayer wee testify our desire how that wee desire Glory Majesty Dominion and Power to bee given unto God but in this word Amen wee witnes our faith that wee believe Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power to bee his So that from hence wee have to observe to pray with faith to beleeve we shall receive those things wee have prayed for This appeareth in the Prophet Praised bee the Lord for evermore so bee it even so be it And Christ hath taught us thus to shut up our prayers Psal 89. 52. Mat. 6. 13. and the Apostle closeth
Gods Word the chiefe meanes to restraine lust 339 Lust tempteth to all sinne 340 The best assaulted by lusts but not led by them ibid. All the works of the flesh are from the lusts of the flesh 341 Lusts bring damnation ibid. Lust insatiable 342 Lust defiles body and soule and gives Satan interest in the whole man 343 Lust defaces Gods Image ibid. Lust is in the godly but gaines not in them 344 Sermon 27. THe corruption of the heart is shewed by corrupt speaking 345 The wicked have beene alwayes great boasters with their tongues but performe little with their hands 346 Pride is naturall to us we have it from our first parents 347 Pride the ruine of angels and men ibid. The godly humble in regard of their sinnes not proud of their vertues ibid. Scoffers and slanderers like dogges 348 Good men despise the applause of flatterers and debase themselves ibid. Though we must not endure vaine applause yet wee must free our selves from slanders 349 The most vile usually the most proud and greatest boasters 350 Pride endeth with vanity ibid. Flatterers applaud others for their owne gaine 351 The Popes great boasters 352 Flattery described with the properties and punishment thereof 353 VVe must not listen to flatterers but give God the glory 354 Flattery servile and base 355 Flattering preachers most pernicious ibid. Ministers must reprove the greatest 356 Such as desire to be flattered are occasion of flattery ibid. He that reprooveth doth profit more than he that applauds 357 Flattery to be rejected and despised ibid. Flattery flatterers compared to divers things 358 Flattery gives to vices the names of vertues 359 Sermon 28. CHristians must not live like Heathen infidels 360 The godly and wicked opposite in divers respects 361 Wee must not bee led by the multitude for the greater part are the worser 362 The more glorified the greater joy the more damned the greater torment ibid. Not sufficient to have the VVord unlesse we remember it 363 How wee may heare the VVord profitably that we may find it the savour of life unto life 365 The memory the soules treasury ibid. VVhatsoever doctrine is not remembred is lost 366 Our forgetfulnes and negligence in divine doctrine most grosse ibid. The VVord of God the most sure foundation to build upon 367 The Saints modest in their owne prayse but zealous for Gods glory 369 Circumstances to bee observed in reproving 370 Three sorts of malicious reprehenders condemned 371 Sermon 29. THere have beene scoffers and mockers in all ages 372 Mocking what in Latin whence derived 373 Divers sorts of mockers 374 Mockers of God and religion most odious ibid. Mocking scoffing and jesting the basest fruit of wit 375 Some sinners like Dogges some Hogges ibid. Scoffers punished 376 Mocking a kinde of persecution 378 The tongues of scoffers instruments of persecution 379 Many scoffing Atheists at Christ and Religion 380 Scoffers as the Divels band-dogges so bond-slaves ibid. He is strongest that overcomes his lusts 381 Mortification a signe of justification 383 If no sanctification no glorification 384 Sermon 30. SEctaries cause division in the Church 385 The Church and members thereof love Vnity 386 Dissention the cause of all mischiefe in the Church ibid. Three causes of division in the Church Heresy Schisme Apostacy 387 The difference of these ibid. Pride the cause of Schisme 388 No salvation out of the Church ibid. Heresies though hurtfull in themselves yet God maks them profitable to the Church 389 Heretikes pervert Scriptures to maintaine their errours ibid. The Papists charging us with Sects have more among themselves 390 Satans chiefest engine to hurt the Church is dissention 391 Schisme a grievous sinne ibid. Naturall men perceive not the things of God nor any good 392 By regeneration we are adopted the Sonnes of God 393 Many naturall men exceed Christians in bridling their affections and in some mortall actions 394 Naturall men inventers of Arts and trades 395 Beasts exceed many naturall men ibid. Love makes all things easy 396 A sinner hardly drawne from sinne ibid. Gods grace is to our hearts as the Sunne-beames to the earth ibid. None boast more of the spirit then they that are led by the spirit of error 397 The Popes pride reproved that call onely their Clergy spirituall all other temporall ibid. Naturall men though they have not the spirit of sanctification yet illuminated 398 All grace and true goodnes flowes from Gods Spirit 400 Sermon 31. THe godly and the wicked every way opposite 403 Edification being a building the Saints be the houses 404 VVe must build in our selves temples for the Holy Ghost ibid. Gods VVord the rule and square whereby we must build 405 VVe must endeavour to edify others especially our children 406 VVee must dayly encrease in knowledge grace and goodnes 407 Good men grow dayly in grace and goodnes ibid. The wicked grow dayly worse and worse 408 VVee are none proficients in plenty of meanes ibid. Pride and negligence cause of none proficiciency ibid. VVe bee diligent in seaking knowledge wee shall attaine to it 409 VVe should not build our hope on earth but in Heaven 410 Faith is the originall of all good works 411 No life of grace here or glory hereafter without faith 412 Faith the most excellent of all vertues ibid. Faith is called holy in respect of the effect in the subject secondly of the object thirdly the efficient cause thereof 413 All good works without faith vaine 414 If no holines in life no true faith in heart ibid. Faith is begotten by hearing and encreased also 415 God works not by miracles when hee affords meanes 416 Sermon 32. FAith and prayer may not bee disjoyned 417 Faith the mother of prayer and prayer the meanes to confirme faith ibid. Prayer the meanes whereby wee receive all good things 418 Prayer prevalent over all creatures 419 Prayer pleasant to God and man 420 The Saints have delighted to spend much time in prayer ibid. Divers divisions of prayer into divers kinds in divers respects 421 All prayer must be offered in the mediation of Christ 422 Prayer necessary for all estates for all times 423 Gods wrath powred out upon them that doe not pray ibid. Gods house a house of prayer 424 Prayer comforteth in all estates ibid. ☞ Prayer the food and nourishmert of the soule 405 Prayer sanctifyeth all our actions ibid. Prayer admirable in the effects if in due manner 406 We must pray continually ibid. VVee must pray in the spirit and how 407 The Holy Ghost the Author of prayer yet so as the whole Trinity hath a hand ibid. Prayers must bee spirituall and fervent 409 God regards both the manner and end in all holy duties 410 Our prayers must bee neither tepidae timidae nec temerariae ibid. God heareth not the prayers of sinners except for vengeance 411 God hath promised all good things to prayer ibid. Sermon 33. FAith Prayer and Love have mutuall relation 412 Love the most
excellent of all vertues 413 All vertues vaine without love ibid. Many excellent properties of Love 414 Little love in this age ibid. Love makes men of one heart 415 Many men implacable cruell like Wolues or Divels ibid. An exhortation to love 416 Foure properties of love that it be holy just true constant ibid. The love amongst Atheists and impious condemned 417 The excellency of Love ibid. Atheists agree like a kennell of dogs 418 Most love for lucre ibid. Gods love to us infinite 419 Gods love to us diversly distinguished ibid. Gods loue set out by all the dimensions yet transcendent and unmeasurable ibid. No love comparable to Gods Love 420 Gods love to us the cause of our love to him and the godly ibid. Foure reasons or motives to incite us to love God 1. à mandato 2. ab aequo justo 3. à commodo 4. ab officio 421 The manner how God is to bee loved 422 Love a debt that all owe to God and man but few poy it ibid VVe must shew our love to God by keeping his commandements and serving him 423 An honorable and happy thing to love God ibid. Sermon 34. THe hope of eternal life allays the hardnesse of Gods Commandements 425 Hope of reward makes men endure labours and dangers 426 The blessed estate of the Saints in Heaven 427 Christ and the Saints in their sufferings had an eye to the reward ibid. The joyes of Heaven unspeakable incomprehensible 428 The glorified bodyes shall have spirituall and heavenly qualities namely clarity agility subtility unpassibility and immortality 429 The principall points wherein the glory and joy of the glorified soule and whole Saint consist 430 Earthly mindes regard not Heavenly joyes 431 Divers errours concerning eternall life 432 The joyes of Heaven eternall and infinite ibid. Heaven compared with the wombe of the world 433 An exhortation to seeke after eternall joyes ibid. Eternall life onely the free gift of God 434 Merit end mercy gift and desert opposite ibid. Papists works many of them merit death 435 Merit three-fold Congrui Digni Condigni ibid. None can merit ex condigno but Christ 436 Our works cannot merit because finite and unperfect ibid. Christs righteousnes ours 437 Our works merit not jointly with Christs ibid. Grace threefold Praeveniens Subsequens Consummans ibid. Many Papists renounce their merits and fly to Gods mercy 438 Our election vocation justification sanctification all from grace 439 We must not trust in our works but confesse our sinnes ibid. Sermon 35. DIscretion necessary for distinguishing sinnes and sinners 441 Ministers must use discretion not deale alike with all sinnes and sinners ibid. How to restore with mâ—ekenes them that are fallen 442 VVee should pitty and pray for sinners and not despise them ibid. Many men more compassionate toward their beasts nhan brethren 444 Wee must tak away sinnes with mildenesse and mercy if possible ibid. Reproofe though not pleasing yet profitable 446 Compassion must be shewed especially to the soule 447 The Saints bewaile the estate of the wicked ibid. Threats of judgement belong to the wicked 448 The obstinate must be terrified not soothed ibid. Iudgements denounced against soothing false prophets 449 Reproofes more profitable than soothing flattery 450 Excommunication a grievous censure ibid. Excommunication three-fold 451 Two uses of Excommunication ibid. Sermon 36. THe sinner alwayes in danger 452 The fickle estate of the wicked set out by divers resemblances 453 No estate permanent 454 Sudden destruction waite on the wicked ibid. Death comes not sudden to the Godly 455 The Godly prepare by repentance and godly life for death while they have time 456 Repentance must not be deferred ibid. The saving of soules a most blessed worke 457 Though God save yet both Grace and Faith and Ministery concurre 458 Tho Ministrie being Gods ordinance to save soules is not to be slighted though the World despise them ibid. Foure faculties in the soule whereby it converts the food of the Word and Sacraments to nourishment of the spirituall life 459 The necessitie and excellent fruits of the Ministery set out by divers resemblances 460 The happy estate of them that have means of knowledge 461 Salvation and the misery of them that want it ibid. Sermon 37. NOt onely evill but all appearance of evill is to bee avoided 462 Sinne must bee hated not sported at if if wee love our owne soules ibid. No communion to be holden or society with the wicked 463 Wicked men must be avoided in respect of God and ourselves ibid. Sinne as contagious as the plague and more dangerous 464 Wee must hate sinne because the whole Trinity detest it 465 Wee must hate sinne because Satan is the author being enemie to God and our soules ibid. Sinne must bee hated because it dishonours God not our selves 466 Wee may not hold amity with the wicked boing Gods enemies 467 The amity of the wicked treachery ibid. Sinne onely is hated of God and man and not the person except reprobate 468 Two judgments the one of Faith the other of Charity 469 Wee must leave sinne of conscience not for other respects 470 The punishment of sinne ought to deterre from sinne ibid. Earthquakes an evident signe of Gods anger and a forerunner of judgement 471 Many earth-quakes in many places and much hurt 472 Christians not to be prophaned 473 Sermon 38 VVE are not sufficient to doe any good of our selves without grace 476 Exhortations do not shew what we can but what we should doe 477 Grace both preserves from falling and raiseth us being fallen 478 Our enemies many and powerfull 479 Prayer the best meanes to repell Satan and his temptations 480 All sorts of men have fallen even the Saints ibid. All have the Seminarie of all sinnes in them 481 Grace worketh all in all ibid. Wee walke in the middest of snares 482 God suffered Adam and doth still suffer the Saints to fall for divers reasons 483 Difference betweene the sinnes of Saints and Reprobates ibid. Whether and how the Church may erre 484 The best have erred ibid. The Pope may erre and many of them have erred 485 The distinctions about the erring of the Pope nice and frivolous 486 Sermon 39. HOw wee are said to bee blamelesse notwithstanding we are full of sin 487 Two kindes of righteousnesse 488 Our righteousnesse consists rather in the remission of sinne than perfection of vertue ibid. How we are said to be perfect and yet imperfect 489 The Iesuits and latter Popish writers the worst 490 The Church and members of it impure in it selfe but perfect and pure in Christ 491 Our service may be sincere not perfect 492 Iustification by workes confuted how justified by faith explained 493 Papists flye to the mercy of God and merit of Christ 494 No true joyes and pleasures in this world but all in Heaven ibid. The Saints in Heaven shall have fulnesse of joy undique 495 Heaven the land of the living and Earth land of dead men 496 God shall be all in all to the Saints in Heaven ibid. Worldly minded men desire not Heaven 497 Our life nothing to eternall life ibid. All honours and pleasures on earth nothing to them in Heaven 498 The World fraudulent turbulent momentary 499 Christ the onely comfort to the elect both in this life and that to come ibid. Many hindred from Heaven by pleasure Sermon 40. PRayer and praise the two chiefest parts of Gods worship must follow one another 501 The glory of God hath beene celebrated by all Saints 502 Wee slauld not thinke of the mercies of God in Christ without praising him 503 God described by many attributes yet none can sufficiently set him out ibid. God onely wise all men ignorant and foolish 504 Wee have no true wisedome till infused by God ibid. All wisedome and Knowledge hid in Christ 505 Destinction betweene Science and Sapience ibid. Worldly wisedome folly ibid. Gods Wisedome seene in creation and disposing of all creatures and governing the Church 506 Christ a mercifull and powerfull Saviour in life and death ibid. No Saviours comparable to Christ 507 The Papists derogate from the power and merit of Christ ibid. The imputative righteousnes of the Saints more set out Gods glory than the inherent 508 Mans worke cannot merit ibid. What it is to glorifie God 509 Thankefulnesse the onely sacrifice that God requires ibid. We pray in our wants and doe not praise God when we are releeved 510 Thankesgiving and the praise of God the end of our creation ibid. They thrt doe not glorifie God here shall not be glorified of him hereafter ibid. Two theeves that rob God of his glory and justice 511 A powerfull exhortation to praise God and give up our selves in thankefulnesse ibid. If no praise of God in the mouth no thankfulnesse or grace in the heart 512. Sermon 29. VVHat it is to ascribe majestie to God 514 Miracles are admired for the rarenesse 515 All Gods ordinary workes wonderfull 516 Our dulnesse in ascribing to God majestie in regard of his workes ibid. God reâ—eales himselfe sixe wayes ibid. Gods judgement do not worke Repentance ibid. Wherein Gods dominion standeth 517 Gods three-fold kingdome of power grace glorie ibid. Wee ackowledge our selves subjects of Christs kingdome of grace and yet are rebellious 518 Three properties in the Angels Obedience Libentissime Citissime Fidelissime Obediunt 519 Notorious sinners Satans bond-slaves ibid. Wee must be pure in soule and body that Christ may dwell and rule in us 520 Gods power omnipotent ibid. Christ every where present by his power though not corporally ibid. Christs omnipotenty gives comfort to the Christian 521 Gods incomprehensiblenesse set out by comparison ibid. Christ all in all to us 522 God cannot doe those things that imply contradiction or defect ibid. How attributes are ascribed some time to the whole Trinitie sometime to particular persons 523 All Gods attributes are eternall ibid. God must bee praied and praised for all things temporall and eternall 524 Amen the diverse significations thereof and the efficacie thereof in the conclusion of our praiers ibid. Note that the folio's are mistaken at fol. 425. where you shall finde this marke 〈◊〉 FINIS