I doe give Almes ' 2. Quam facis Eleemosynam else I should put lesse into the pot and more into my purse but what good will the saving of the one or the filling of the other doe me if I lose my owne soule My soule is lost if I doe it not though I doe not doe it thereby to save my soule My salvation is thy gift and I begge it but I shall not obtaine it though I begge it unlesse I worke it out to obtaine it The Almes of my meat Ver. 16. WheÌ„ thou dost fast Ver. 33. Seeke first the Kingdome c. of my mony of my cloathes cannot purchase it for Christ purchas'd it by his blood yet for mee that purchase is not effectuall without these workes These workes will move thee to such a mercy as to turne away this Plague or some such temporall judgement These workes will make mee like thee for thou art the Father of Mercy and these are workes of Mercy These workes shall follow me to the grave hereafter are to me now an evidence and sure foundation of eternall life And yet none of these ends doe I looke upon in mine Almes all that I aime at in them is to glorifie thee to glorifie thee in my obedience to glorifie thee in my example to glorifie thee in my Faith and if thou pleasest to accept this Charity so well â—s to make it a light to shine so far as that others may thereby be stirred up to doe likewise Ver. 2. WheÌ„ thou dost thine Almes Ver. 5. WheÌ„ thou dost pray as to take it done by me because thou hast charged it upon me as by it to make my calling and election sure I blesse thee with my soule and shall evermore acknowledge my selfe created to good workes in Christ Jesus and walke in them and so carefully that my left hand of vanity and vaine glory shall not know what my right hand of sincerity and obedience doth for I doe give this Almes because thou hast commanded me so to doe and beseech thee to accept them as that they may abound to my account through Iesus Christ Amen And as I give Almes so I pray I pray Deaetically 5. Quam or as and I pray proseucetically and I pray Eucharistically and all these Exteuxetically I Deprecate and pray against evill Leade us not into Tentation Ver. 16. WheÌ„ thou dost Fast Ver. 33. Seeke first the Kingdome c. but deliver us from evill I supplicate and pray for good Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven give us this day our dayly bread and forgine us our trespasses as wee forgive them that trespasse against us And I gratulate and pray thee in praise and thank sgiving Thine is the Kingdome power and glory and in all these I intercede and pray for all men as for my selfe saying Our Father which art in Heaven In Faith I pray and dare say My Father as Thomas said and praid to Christ My God and my Lord but in Charity I dare not but pray and say as Christ taught St. Thomas to pray Our Father Father of us all all Creatures and things by Creation of all men by Redemption of all Christians by Regeneration of all Saints by Adoption and Obsignation still Verse 2. WheÌ„ thou dost thine Almes Verse 5. WheÌ„ thou dost pray Our Father and that so I may finde thee I pray that prayer in the same words Our Father which art in Heaven not that my thoughts limit thy Vbiquity in this place of residence or confine thee to Heaven but that this place may limit the Vbiquity of my thoughts and give them no other residence but in and confine them onely to Heaven to restraine my thoughts from roaving and ranging and to fixe them onely on heavenly things to levell them especially for heavenly blessings while I pray to a heavenly Father and principally for that which is the principallest of all things and all blessings the Hallowing of thy Name not onely for the knowing of thy Name to bee great not onely for the acknowledging of thy Name to be good not onely for the allowing thy Name to be good and great but for the hallowing of thy Name Ver. 16. WheÌ„ thou dost Fast Ver. 33. Seeke first the kingdome c. to thinke of it reverently to speake of it fearefully to sweare by it truely to call upon it confidently to use it in thought word and deed holily A good Name is preferred by men above all things and Thy Name is preferred by Christians above all Names and the Hallowing of thy Name is the chiefest of all Christian desires This I desire and desire that thy Name may be esteemed beleeved honoured obeyed and reverenced by all men as Holy And to effect this I desire againe Thy Kingdome come Thy Kingdome come into us powerfully to rule us justly to bridle us mercifully to pardon us graciously to sanctifie us and gloriously to change our vile bodies and make them like unto Thy glorious Body or rather like His glorious Body who hath taught us to pray Our Father which art in heaven Ver. 2. WheÌ„ thou dost thine Almes Ver. 5. WheÌ„ thou dost pray Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come and that we may obey thee in the kingdome of Thy Grace and reigne with thee in the kingdome of Thy Glory I desire Thy Will bee done in Earth in the kingdome of thy grace as it is in Heaven in the kingdome of thy glory Thy Will that was delivered by thy Mouth written by thy Finger preached by thy Sonne revealed by thy Spirit expounded by thy Prophets and applied by thy Pastors This thy wil I wil desire be done as knowingly without errour as faithfully without hazard as fearfully without pride in earth by earthly men as it is in heaven by heavenly Angels iâ— carth by sinners as in heaven by Saints in the earth of the common-wealth as in the heaven of the Church in the earth of the outward man as in the Heaven of the inward man Vers 16. WheÌ„ thou doest ast Vers 33. Seek first the kingdome c. in the earth of the flesh as in the heaven of the Spirit in the earth of passion as in the heaven of action that wee may not blaspheme thee in suffering by too much adversitie and not doe thy will passively nor forget thee in action by too much abundance and not doe thy will actively I desire and pray unto thee Give us this day our daily bread give freely for we deserve it not give liberally for we stand in need of it Give perpetually for else our sinnes will abridge it give Vs thy unworthy servants Vs thy adopted sonnes Vs thy divorced Spouse Vs thy defaced Image Vs thy wandring sheepe Give us this day of the Sunne and delay it not this day of our life else wee enjoy it not this day
Sermons Meditations and Prayers upon the Plague 1636. BY T. S. Oh prayse the God of Heaven for his Mercy endureth for ever Ps 136. LONDON Printed by N. and Io. Okes for Iohn Benson and are to be sold at his shop in S. Dunstans Church-yard in Fleet-streete 1637. TO THE RIGHT Honourable EDWARD Bromfield Lord Maior and to the right Worshipfull Aldermen Governors of this Honorable City of London My Lord and Gentlemen THE lines following begin mournfully and end thankfully the mourning was if not altogether yet almost only the Cities the Thankfulnesse is most of all if not onely by yet for the City of these the beginning expresse the one the ending the other nor one nor other comming abroad could finde shelter more safely or more iustly then under the umbracula of your Honors and Worships protection Into which custody if it shal please you to take them the Author will as he is bound pray that Gods iudgments may ever reape your Repentance your Repentance receiue his deliverance his deliverance accept your thankfulnesse through Iesus Christ in whom is ever ready to serve you Your Honor and Worships devoted T. S. The Disease 1636. 2. Chron. 7.13.14 If I send a Pestilence amongst my people If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and turne from their wicked wayes and seeke my face I will heare in Heaven and forgive their sinne and heale their Land THE Text is a peice of a Promise to a peice of a Prayer the Prayer was made in the day by Solomon to God the Promise was made at night by God to Solomon Solomons whole prayer was That what prayer soever should bee made of any man or of all the people of Israel stretching their hands towards the Temple that he built that then God would be pleased to heare in Heaven and bee mercifull Chap. 6. 29. 30. and give to every man according to his wayes and Gods whole promise was Chap. 7. 12. That he had heard his prayer and chosen that place to himselfe for an house of Sacrifice Solomon distinguishes this whole tree of his Devotion into particular branches viz. If thy people bee put to the worse before their enemies chap. 6. 24. 25 because they have sinned against thee and shall returne and confesse thy name and pray and make supplication before thee in this house Then heare Thou from Heaven and forgive the sinnes of thy people Israel and bring them againe to the Land that 's for Warre and therefore not for us for blessed be the name of God we have peace Hee goes on When the Heaven is shut up and there is no raine c. 6. 26. 27 because they have sinned against thee yet if they pray towards this place and confesse thy name and turne from their sinne when thou doest afflict them then heare thou from Heaven and forgive their sinnes and send raine upon the Land That 's for Dearth and therefore not for us for yet blessed be the name of God wee have plenty Hee proceeds If there bee Pestilence c. 6. 28. 29 or any other sore or sicknesse whatsoever then heare thou the prayer and supplication of thy people That 's for the plague and that 's for us For it is a time of plague a fearfull time it is yet as fearefull as it is it is not desperate for wee have Gods particular promise for this as well as for the rest If I send a Pestilence amongst my people If my c. Nay wee have not onely Gods Promise but our owne experience also for the truth of that Promise For in Anno 1625. when in one Weeke there died 3344. the next week fell to 2550. the next to 1612. the next to 1551. the next to 852. the next to 558. the next to fewer and the next to none I pray God wee may see none of those great Weekes But if we do what then shall we despaire no we need not he that performed his promise then will performe his promise now so that wee will performe our conditions and humble our selves and pray c. And so I have brought you by a circular motion to my Text again and my Text is for all the world like a paire of Indētures the one on Gods part the other on mans part God the Maister Man the apprentice and both their conditions runne on former conditions Mans sinne and Gods iudgements chap. 6. ver 22. When a man shall sinne against his neighbour ver 24. When there shall bee no raine because they have sinned When there shall be sicknesse and Famine and Plague if they sinne against thee ver 36. So Gods conditions of Destruction runne upon mans condition of Transgression and againe Gods condition of Deliverance runnes uppon mans condition of Repentance And they are foure on either side first on Mans 1. Humility 2. Prayer 3. Seeking 4. Turning Division If my people c. These are the conditions of our Indentures And Gods are answerable 1. Hee will Exalt 2. Hee will Heare heare in Heaven 3. Hee will forgive And 4. Hee will heale the Land Or you may consider this Text as a Malady and a Medicine as a Disease and a Cure the Disease the Disease of the time Pestilence the Cure the Cure of that and all Diseases Repentance In the Disease I aske first Propter quod the provoking cause Secondly Quid the matter what it is thirdly Vnde the Authour Fourthly Inquos who and what they are that are sicke of the Plague Fifthly Ad quod the end and finall cause These five are in those five first words of my Text. If beeing a supposing Word implies the first and last If God does it somthing must provoke him to it And if he be provoked to do it hee hath some end in the doing of it And then I the second word describes the Author and Pestilence the third word the matter and amongst my people the last word tels you who and what they be In the Cure I looke upon the severall simples they are made by Man as the Apothecary And made effectuall by God as the Doctor The first is the gesture of Repentance Humble The second is the voice of Repentance Devout The third is the care of Repentance Diligent The fourth is the Digesture of Repentance Wholesome If my c. And thus you see the coherence of the Text and Context and the concordance of the Time with the Text For it is a penitential Season and this is a penitentiall Sermon it is a sorrowfull Time and this is a sorrowfull Theame it is a fearefull Time and this is a fearefull Text And yet it is a Hopefull time and this is a hopefull Text too for even in this Feare we hope We sinne Heaven frownes God strikes that 's fearefull wee repent Heaven laughes God stroakes that 's Hopefull Now if I draw not these conditions like a perfect Scribe if I compound not this Recipe like a
then if God looke upon you any way though with frownes in his brow rod in his hand menaces in his mouth plague-sores upon your bodies submit unto him and repent and turne from your evill wayes and God shall not onely turne from the evill which hee hath brought upon you but your trembling soule also shall no sooner cry out Why am I thus visited with the plagueÌ„ but your faith shall make a sweet reply from this Text Therefore hath God sent a pestilence to assure us wee are his people if wee will humble our selves That 's the ad quod 5ª 1 ae Ad quod The end the end why we are plagued To put an end to our sinnes But this end of the sicknesse is the beginning of the cure and therefore I say no more of it but Blessed be the name of God for calamitous dayes praised be the Name of God even for the plague since by this bee calles us to repentance and writes upon our doores Lord have mercie upon us And do thou O God in mercie looke upon us and send such a blessing with this punishmeÌ„t of plague as that we may humble our selves and pray and seeke thy face and turne from our wicked wayes that thou also mayest heare us and forgive us and heale our land through Iesus Christ Amen The Cure 1636. The second Sermon 2. Chron. 7.14 If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and turne from their wicked wayes and seeke my face I will heare in Heaven and forgive their sinne and heale their Land THE words are as I told you Pars. 2 a. the Cure of the Disease In the composition there are foure simples and seuerall ingredients and they are foure dosses of Pills The first is a preparing Pill It preprepares us to receive of God and prepares God to giue us Exaltation If we humble our selves hee will heare in Heauen and it is a great Exaltation that God in heaven should heare us vpon earth The second is an opening Pill it opens our lippes to pray and opens Gods eares to heare our prayers If my people pray I will heare The third is a purging Pill it purges us of sinne and God of wrath If my people turne from their wicked wayes I will forgive their sinne The fourth is an healing Pill 1 a 2 ae if my people seeke my face I will heale their Land I begin first with the 1. the preparing Pill Humility and in this I shall with Gods leave shâ—w you first Quid est and secondly Quid efficit First what Humility is and secondly what Humility does And first Quid est What is it Humility is the first Ingredienâ— that cures the plague for pr de is the first sinne that brought the plague and all other Judgements into the world Gen. 3. Eritis sicut Dij To be like God Oh it tickled Adam to the heart and therefore he made himselfe unlike a man hee made himselfe like to the beasts that perish In forma servi Philip. 2.7 To be like a servant this rejoyced Christ at the heart and for this cause hath God exalted him with a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow There is a Ladder of seven steps by which wee goe downe to Hell and the first of those steps is pride pride hath got the first place of the seven deadly sinnes and there is a Ladder of eight steps by which we goe up to Heaven And marke that seven to goe downe and eight to goe up for facilis descensus Averâ—i sed revocare c. We easier and with lesse paines goe to Hell downe-wards than to Heaven upwards but seven steps downe to Hell eight up to Heaven and the first of those eight is Humility Humility hath the first place of all Gods graces so Cromatius The eight Beatitudes are like Iacobs Ladder that reach from Earth to Heaven and the very first step as the foundation of the rest is Humility so Christ begins the Sermon of his Blessings Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are the humble Matth. 5. for humility is a poverty in spirit that 's the Quid est and Definition of it 1ª 1 ae 3 ae What is Humility If any one askes you what humility is you answer him truely if you say It is a poverty in spirit and as poore men are in their attire ragged in their dyet course and hungry in their speech lowly and reverent so Humility hath a leanâ— body it keeps the body under anâ— many times empty a freeze coateâ— a coate of sackcloth and covering of ashes and a submisse language 〈◊〉 ever speaking in a low stile and phrase Looke else upon the Centurion for the speech of humility he hath an high conceit of God and a low conceit of himselfe lookeâ— else upon King David for the dieâ— of humility hee will neither eate nor drinke looke else upon the King of Niniveh for the dresse and garments of humility he will have no gay clothes in a time of destruction upon his grey heart The Centurion speaks the voyce of humility King David cookes the diet of humility the King of Nineveh cloths the back of humility and they all act the gesture of humility upon their knees 1. And first what sayes the Centurion for the voice of Humility Humilities voyce Math. 8.8 what but this Lord I am not worthy thou shouldst come under the roofe â—f mine house Non sum dignus I am not worthy is evermore Humilities â—anguage Non sum dignus I am not worthy saies Iacob not worthy of what de maximis of Gods Regaâ—ioes Gen. 32 10. it may bee so very likely no de minimis I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies Non sum dignus saies St. Iohn Baptist I am not worthy no not to carry Christ upon his shoulders as it is reported of St. Christopher not so but Non sum dignus calceamenta portare Mat. 3.11 I am not worthy to unty his shooe-strings a poore office wee would thinke Non sum dignus saies Daniel Dan. 9.7 We are not worthy of any thing but confusion Quis ego saies Gideon that mighty man of valour Who am I that I should save Israel Jud. 6.15 behold my family is poore in Manasseh and I am the least in my fathers honse I am not worthy to doe it I Quiâ— ego ut alloquar saies Abraham the Father of the Faithfull Who am I Gen. 18.17 that I should speake unto the Lord I am not worthy I. So low a value does the humble man ever set upon himselfe that no man lower proud men take it well if wee humble our selves lower than is cause so Iacob the Patriarch pleased his proud brother Esau with saying Thy servant and does not God take such submisse extenuations of our selves very well I am a worme and no man saies David and God made David
And when his subtelty was found out by Nathan hee smoothes it 2 Sam. 12.13.30.31 and sayes plainly and sorrowfully Peccavi I have sinned Et transtulit Dominus And the Lord tooke away his sinne Sic vos so doe you If any of you while your tongue hath been besieging Hell by prayers as Ioab Rabbah by weapons and in the meane time your heart hath committed adulterie by roaving and wandring imaginations upon your gold at home your businesse abroad or your neighbour in the Church either by lust or talke as David with Bathsheba and you have sent for your eye the husband of your heart to cover this wickednesse by lifting up the white of it to Heaven why then dispatch it pull it out and now that Nathan your Minister hath told you on 't be sorry for it and confesse it and say I have sinned that God may forgive your sins that your tongue may conquer Hell that the Crown of the King thereof Lucifer that Crowne which hee ware when hee was in Heaven may bee put upon your head and all his people his tentations and sinnes and plagues may goe under the Harrowes and Axes and Sawes of your repentance and so shall the plague bee stayed and you saved 3. Dan. 4.30.31.32.37 King Nebuchadnezzar met with a loftie and proud peece of Timber Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my majestie And by and by his kingdome was taken from him and hee was driven from men to eate grasse as Oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his haires were growne like Eagles feathers and his nailes like birds clawes and he confessed that Gods workes are truth and those that walke in pride he is able to debase Sic vos so doe you If any of you rich Citizens that came hither with a staffe like Iacob over Iordan and are now become great and have built you faire houses Citie houses for profite and Countrey houses for pleasure yet walke not in the pride of your heart say not you have got this by the policie of your brain or the strength of your hand or if you have said so as too many of you have sayd so why then goe eate grasse with the Oxen feed hardly wet your body with the dew of heaven with thowres of neâ—venly grace with teares of true repentance let your haires grow like Eagles like Estridge feathers to break off the Iron chaines oâ— your sinnes and your nailes like birds clawes to picke out the eyes of these proud tentations Breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquitie by shewing mercie to the poore that there may bee an healing of your errour and a lengthning of your dayes and a staying of the plague through Iesus Christ Amen 4. Israel met with a rotten peece of Timber coverings of graven Images and ornaments of molten Images and shee cast them away as a menstruous cloath Sic vos so do you Isai 30.22.23.26 If you have pâ—â— your crust in the graven Images of silver or mâ—lâ—ea Images or gold If you have worshipped your wealth before you have your God if you have taken more delight and paines in getting this trash then the favour of God why then throw away these be angry with these selfe-confidences that God may send you seasonable weather and give you bread and binde up the breach of the people and heale the stroake of your wound Fiftly and lastly Saint Peter met with a foule piece of Timber a Damosell meets him and charges him to be Christs servant and hee denies him Another charges him and hee denies him againe and so the third time Then Iesus lookes backe the Cocke crowes and hee goes out and weeps bitterly Sic vos so doe you If when you have met with a Maide with a Woman you have denyed Christ and defiled your selfe his members If a second time you have polluted his Temple and lay with your neighbours wife if a third time you have defacced his Image and denyed him and belyed him by selling his Wares at high rates and put them off by Oaths and lyes Why see Iesus lookes backe lookes backe with pitty and anger both The Cocke crowes his Ministers call to you doe you goe out and turne from such wicked company and weepe bitterly that your Faith may not saile that your bodies may not dye that your Soules may not be damned that you may live to praise God here joyfully and in Heaven eternally For by turning here God meanes a motion opposite to going on you are in a way of sinne that hath made away for the plague if you goe on you goe a wrong way still and still the plague continues If you would have the plague away why then turne from that way turne from it with indignation and hate your sinnes as the Israelites did turne from it by contrition as Nebuchadnezzar did and be sorry for your sinnes Turne from it by confession as King David did and acknowledge your sinnes Turne from it by Resolution as Nehemiah did and divorce your sins Turne from it by compunction as St. Peter did and weepe for your sinnes send up St. Peters teares to Heaven that God may send some showers from Heaven send up King Davids groanes to Heaven that God may send health upon the Earth Turne you from that God may turne you to They that will not turne shall be turned The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the people that forget God If you would have a turne to Heaven when you goe from hence Then while you are here turne from your wicked wayes That 's the A quo and my third consideration 3 a 3 ae 2 ae FroÌ„ what wee must turne From what must wee turne From our wicked wayes And And here by the way I looke upon the Metaphor Wayes and by wayes here is meant Manners Courses Conversations 1. FroÌ„ our wicked wayes and the meaning is Turn from your wicked manners your wicked courses your wicked conversations And againe by Way is meant not onely a course but a setled course not a starting or a fit but a constancie Good men may start aside as David into an adulterie Peter into a denyall but Non est via eorum It is not their way This and so the wicked may sometimes try the right way Cain may stumble upon a sacrifice and Saul upon an offering and Caiaphas upon a prophesie but it is not via eorum they quickly take their former roade againe and so the whole meaning is You that are good turn you from your wicked startings you that are bad turn you from your wicked courses 2. From al our wicked waies from all your wicked wayes For not a sin but must be repented of Israel was guilty of other sinnes yet Israel could not get the victory till Achans sinne was done away Other sinnes there were but
sins so the Ieweâ— disputed well 1ª 5ae 3 ae 2 ae Muk 2.20 when they sayd Who can forgive sinnes but God onely Nor did Christ gaine-say it though he sayd againe The Son of Man hath power to forgive sins for that was by vertue of the Union of the God-head and Manhood into one Person Originally it is in God I and onely too Nor is Quorum remiseritis any Barre Ioh. 20. Whose sinnes yee forgive they are forgiven for the power of the Priest is but a Delegate a ministeriall a dependent power a power to ascertaine us that such a thing is done Sicut in terra sic in Coelo As in Earth so in Heaven It is Primitive Imperiall and Soveraigne in God therefore sayes the Church O God whose nature and property is alwayes It will beare onely too to have mercy and to forgive therefore sayes Daniel To thee ô Lord belongeth mercy Dan. 9. 2 Cor. 1.3 therefore St. Paul calls him The Father of mercy and God of all consolation and so GOD proclaimes himselfe Exod. 3 4. The Lord the Lord God strong gracious mercifull and ready to forgive c. And so King David prayes According to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all mine offences Psal 51.1 In a word sinne is onely directly against God and therefore God onely can directly forgive sinne As David therefore to his Auditory Trust not in wrong robbery nor in my childe of man for there is no helpe in them so I to you trust not in Indulgences nor in Supererogations though the Churches though the Saints they are fallen that you may stand upright goe to God but goe to God in the face of Iesuâ— Christ for as it is Gods property to forgive so it is his property to forgive in Christ GOD lookeâ— graciously upon none but in the face of Iesus Christ And then Ecâ— Agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundâ— Behold the Lambe of God which take away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1.29 And secondly 2 a 5 ae 3 ae 2 ae as God onely caâ— forgive sinnes so God certainelâ— doth forgive all sinnes all sinneâ— that men turne from and aske for givenesse for so Christ himself tells us All sinues shall be forgiveâ— save the blasphemy against the Hoâ— Ghost Mark 3.38 Object And shall not that sinne be forgiven how then doth God forgive all sinnes Solut. To answer this you must understand what Christ there speaks of He speaks not De personae Spiritus Of a sinne against the person of the Spirit but Dona Against the graces of the Spirit No sure for God blesse us which of us have not sinned against the person of the Spirit Which of us have not resisted quenched and grieved the Spirit I ô God have mercy upon us and against the Graces of the Spirit too yet not to death we trust â—n God For howsoever the Schooles say The sinne against the Holy Ghost is â—ot a sinne of Ignorance No that 's â—ardonable as St. Pauls was because a man may affect too much knowledge as Adam did nor yet is it a sinne of Infirmity no that 's â—ardonable as St. Peters denyall was because a man may affect too much Soveraignty as the Angels did but a sinne of Malice it is because a man cannot affect too much Love Yet with submission I dare not send any weake conscience to despaire for this for which of us have not sinned when wee have knowne sinne to be sinne and that against the arguments and perswasions of our owne Conscience yes against the motions of Gods Spiritâ— and what is this lesse than a sinne of Malice and God forbid this should bee sinne against the Holy Ghost and unpardonable No sure it is not The sinne against the Holy Ghost that which is impardonable is for all the world like the mad mans sicknesse not that it cannot be cured but because it will not bee cured The Glasseâ— which brings his health he throws against the Physitians head and fights against his owne Cure And such is the sinne against the Holy Ghost when God hath tryed all wayes Judgments Mercies promises and threats and all these are received in vaine and the man will not repent then ah then I say no more but as from all sinne so from this sinne above all sinne Good Lord deliver us Till then blessed bee the Name of God for it there is no sinne against God but may be forgiven No sinne though Tam multa though Tam magna though they be as many as Manasses's more than the sands of the Sea though they be as heavy as King Davids a sore burthen and too heavy for us to â—eare why yet for all this God â—orgave them and why not us surely he will forgive us if wee will â—oe as they did Repent and turne from our wicked wayes For all this Repentance doth or rather intreats God to doe all this you may bee sure on 't so that your Repentance be not like a Planet sometimes iâ— Conjunction with God some times in more sometimes in lesse aspect sometimes in plaine opposition for then you are not forgiven else if your Repentance be fixt be sure on 't so that your Repentance be not like the plague The plague takes one away it may bee to day and then shuts up that house for Moneth when the Moneth is expired within a Weeke and the poore soules hope for liberty the the plague takes away another anâ— shuts up the house for a Monet longer So if your Repentance bâ— onely for fits you may doubt oâ— forgivenesse otherwise if it be steady and constant if you are soâ—ry for what is past and resoluâ— for the time to come and sinne 〈◊〉 more why behold thou art maâ— whole All that I have to say to you more of this is this to beseech you to labour for forgivenesse To be a sinner Oh God a sinner it is the greatest plague that man ever pull'd upon his owne head but to bee a forgiven sinner to have our sinnes forgiven this is a blessing of blessings I this makes a man blessed indeed Ps 32.1 2. For blessed is hee whose unâ—ighteousnesse is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sinne Many there be that care not so they may have the carnall desires of their hearts but as Abraham â—ayd to God when hee had given him Canaan and many a larger promise Lord what is all this seeing I goe childlesse Gen. 15.2 So say I to them they have children at their desire pleasures at their command â—ches at their becke but what are all these if they want forgivenesse Oh happy oh peaceable forgivenesse let me be as poore as Iob as sicke as Hezechias as hungry as Lazarus I care not so I may have the forgivenesse of my sinnes If you once have this you may be sure the next thing will be The Land will be healed if you seeke the
2 Sam. 2â— 25 David bought the threshing floore of Araunah the Jeâ—â— site and built there an Altar unto the Lord and offered thereon burnt offerings and peace offerings Samuel the Priest did it Isaiah the Prophet did it and bids us doe it too 1 Sam. 9.13 Isa 12.4 Praise the Lord call upon his Name declare his doings amongst the people make mention that his Name is exalted And Iesus that is both Prince Priest and Prophet Ioh. 11.41 our Saviour did it Father I thanke thee that thou hast hearâ— me And shall not the children doe what the Father did the Prince did it and shall not the Subjects doe itâ— shall not the people doe what the Priest did Iesus Christ the Saviour did it and shall not we that hope to be saved by him doe it and give thankes unto the God of Heaven for shame else For it is thirdly so fairely rewarded that no Duty like unto it if we doe the duty of Devotion and pray we are preserved iâ— we doe the duty of Faith and beleeve we are justified if we doe the duty of Love and forgive wee are forgiven if we doe the duty of Charity and give it shall be given to us But if wee doe the duty of my Text and give thankes to the God of Heaven God will glorifie us with himselfe in Heaven 1 Sam. 3.30 They that honour me I will honour so sure is the thankfull man of glory And now I doubt not but you are all ready to say Give thankes who does not wee all give thankes unto the God of Heaven Nor doe I doubt but you all say so my doubt is whether you doe so For Thanksgiving I must tell you is no complement no verball thing but a Reality it hath three words to expresse it by and must be done in all three else it is not done at all The first is Gratias habere To have thanks and it is called Recognition his place of residence is the Heart when we thinke how gracious God hath beene to us this Visitation the Plague tooke some away before me some behinde me some on my right hand some on my left yet I am left God hath annointed the posts of my doore with the blood of the Lambe that the destroying Angell might passe over mee and my heart muses what to render to the Lord for this his goodnesse when wee doe so why then Gratiaes habemus we have thanks in our hearts for God or wee have Thankfull hearts to God 2. Is Gratias referre To returne thankes and it is called commemoration his Elocutour is the Tongue when wee declare the wonders God hath done for us the Plague knockt at my Neighbours doore but passed mine I was as fit an object for that destruction as any man but God in mercy spared me Blessed bee his name and my Tongue saies what shall I render unto the Lord for all the Benefits hee hath done unto mee when wee say so why then wee doe Gratias referre give Thankes with our Tongues to God The 3. is Gratias agere to doe Thankes and it is called Retribution the Actor of it is the Hand or Life when the hand gives the oblations of Thankes and the Life does the offerings of Thanks in sanctity to God and is acceptable to him in equity to man and is unreproveable with them in Charity to the poore and is profitable to them When we doe so why then Gratias agimus We doe and wee doe give thankes to the God of Heaven So wee doe to man if a man doth us but ordinary courtesies at an extraordinary pinch why then wee doe first studie to magnifie him in our hearts we were in Prison hee hath payed our Debts and set us at liberty we were in Captivity he hath redeemed us and made us free we were in danger hee hath rescued and made us safe ô what a friend was this think wee how good hath hee bin unto us and so Gratias habemus And then secondly we speake of him to others how good he hath beene to us this and this he hath done for me God reward him for it and so Gratias referimus And thirdly wee cast with our selves how to requite him hee shall no sooner command but we obey and so Gratias agimus and shall wee not doe so to God From him we have whatsoever wee have Redemption from the hands of all that hate us Preservation from the Plague and pestilence and therefore we must give thanks to the God of Heaven Surely the very Heathens intended no lesse in their Charites they were three The first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that signifies Letitia Ioy but Ioy is in the dilation of the heart The second was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to flourish and that is in the Tongue And the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Splendor and who shines more than he whose life is a glorious Sunne And doe you ever thinke to shine as the Sunne in Heaven or to flourish like a greene Bay-tree in Paradise or to be filled with those joyes which never entred into the heart of man unlesse you thus with your hearts tongues and hands give thanks unto the God of Heaven King David surely thought so else hee would never have delivered it with so much passion as Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven It is my second consideration and the first particular of the first part Oh And this particle is sometimes Vox exhortantis An exhorting word so the Psalmist Psa 30.4 Sing unto the Lord ô yee Saints of his and give thankes at the remembrance of his holinesse Sometimes it is Vox optantis A wishing word So the Psalmist againe Ps 107.21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse Here it is both ô thâ— you would doe it saies David â— way of exhorting and ô that could wish you to doe it by way desire So passionate he for this duty thâ— sometimes hee exhorts himselfâ— Praise the Lord ô my Soule Psa 103.1 and nâ— onely his soule but also his Tongâ—â— and his hand and all that is with mee praise his holy name sometime his company Psa 95.1 O come let us sing unâ—â— the Lord and Hymnus is a Psalm of Thanksgiving Psal 134. sometimes the Clergy Praise the Lord ô house â— Aaron praise the Lord ô house of Levâ— sometimes whole Assemblies Praâ—â— yee the Lord Psa 13â— 1 2 3. praise yee the name of the Lord Praise him ô yee servants of the Lord yee that stand in the house of tâ—â— Lord in the courts of the house of oâ—â— God Praise yee the Lord. Sometimes whole Countries let Israâ—â— now confesse that he is gracious and that his Mercy endureth for ever Psa 150.6 sometimes all creatures Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord and such he aimes at here a publicke Thanksgiving for a publick Blessing private thankes doe