what he did except God were with him the very Magitians confessed so much Digitus Dei est hic Secondly God not contented to giue him the power of Miracles because Magitians might if not doe them yet make shew of them added also this second confirmation of Oracle which putteth the other out of controuersie because it is not so casie to be counterfeited Our Sauiour Christ by whom was laid the foundation of the Canon of the New Testament had the same euidences to confirme his doctrine besides the many Miracles which hee wrought that Oracle was once and againe vttered from Heauen Matth 3. Matth. 17. Matth. 24 25. This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him And withall he forewarned his Church not to rest barely vpon Miracles for that false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shew great signes and wonders But why did God grace Moses by speaking with him in the hearing of the people Surely the end was that they might beleeue him for ouer that faith towards his person might be wrought in them For Faith properly relieth vpon the person and resteth vpon his word although it doth not comprehend many things which he speaketh as indeed the Israelites did not vnderstand many parts of the Law yet neuer did they question them because they were deliuered by Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was enough to them farther enquirie they made none But how could Moses be beleeued for euer seeing he is dead diuers thousands of yeares since Surely Moses liueth in his Writings hee that beleeueth them beleeueth him The Prophets long after him referre themselues to him in his Writings Ad legem testimonium Chap. 8. saith Esay Remember the Law of Moses which I gaue him in Horeb saith God in Malachie Thus also in the New Testament Chap. 4. Christ referreth to him You beleeue in Moses Matth. 22. Iohn 9. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses his chaire And wee find the Iewes still couering their oppositions to Christ and his Apostles with pretence of their faith to Moses Wee know that God spake to Moses wee are Moses his Disciples So deeply did this Oracle of God take roote in them that through ignorance and misconceit it became their stumbling blocke and that which truly vnderstood should haue brought them to the Gospel through the errour of their iudgement set them against it God doth as much as is fit to establish our faith but we often peruert the best meanes to our owne ruine I may not here forget to obserue vnto you a grosse errour of the Church of Rome God spake once to Moses saith my Text in the hearing of the people that the people should beleeue his words for euer therefore the Canon of the the Law was to stand for an eternall truth The same must we affirme of the Canon of the New Testament whose confirmation is much surer as Saint Paul testifieth Heb. 2. Hence it is that wee call vpon the Church of Rome to reforme according to this double Canon but they call as fast vpon vs for Miracles and Oracles to confirme our Doctrine But new proofes are only for new Doctrines wee alleage nothing but that which was taught by Christ and his Apostles and consequently nothing but that which hath beene alreadie proued by Miracle and Oracle an◠that which hath beene once thus proued is to bee beleeued for euer The last note which I gaue on my Text is that it hath a word which biddeth vs marke diligently all the points thereof marke what Gods comming is in what sort hee doth manifest himselfe vnto vs that which is not vulgar 〈◊〉 must not vulgarly bee regarded marke that Gods comming to giue the Law was full of Maiestie full of Mysteries wee must adore his Maiestie and not neglect any one of the Mysteries finally marke that whom God employeth in his seruice he vouchsafeth honour to their persons that his Word may passe with more weight from their mouthes The end of all is our good that we may cleaue faster vnto God ANd God grant that by the Ministerie of man our faith in God may so increase that at Christs second comming our faith may end in a beatificall Vision and then we shall haue no other Teacher but God The eighth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 10 and part of the 15 and 22. VERSES And the Lord said vnto Moses Goe vnto the People and sanctifie them to day and to morrow yea and the Priests to Verse 22. and Let them wash their Clothes and be readie against the third day Adde out of Verse 15. And not come at their Wiues YOu may remembe what I haue told you more then once that there was a Preparation to goe before the Promulgation of the Law a Preparation of God and of the Israelites This Preparation was first ordered and then the meeting followed So much of the Order as concernes God I opened the last time it followeth that I now come to the other part which concerneth the Israelites This branch of the Order doth prescribe First their Puritie and Secondly their Modestie Their Puritie whereof only at this time is deliuered in those words which now I haue read vnto you Wherein we will obserue First A Worke that is enioyned and secondly the Circumstances that doe attend that Worke. The Worke in a word is to Sanctifie But we are moreouer taught wherein this Sanctification doth stand and Whom it concernes It standeth in a Ceremoniall Obseruance They must wash their clothes and forbearance this you must must supply out of the 15. Verse They must not come at their Wiues These Workes that must be done concerne the Gouernour and his Charge the Gouernour is Moses he must sanctifie his Charge are the Israelites but they are diuided into the People and the Priest you must supply the Priest out of Verse the 22. both these must be prepared The Circumstances that must attend this Worke are two place and time the place is the Tents the ordinary place of the Israelites abode Goe to this people The Circumstance of time is double for here wee haue mentioned first the time during which the Worke was to bee a doing and that is to day and to morrow Secondly the time against which the Worke was to be done and that was the third day the day wherein God would appeare vnto them and they were to come in his presence You see then the particulars of my Text I purpose God willing to open them now and God now so open all our eares and hearts that we may learne by them to sanctifie our selues so shall God neuer appeare vnto vs nor wee appeare before God but to our endlesse comfort Come we then to the first particular and that is the Worke which must bee done this is in a word to sanctifie To sanctifie is to separate from a common to a sacred vse God made vs not only men that is reasonable creatures but also his children
their owne Heads winnowed like Chaffe Neither with their Heads only but also with their Hearts There is not a Passion which like a strong Gale of Winde doth not transport them Anger raiseth stormes within them Vaine Glorie as wings carrieth them beyond themselues Couetousnesse makes them base Enuie makes them vnsociable Pride maketh them Tyrants Luxurie makes them Beasts the Vngodly are as plyable as a Weathercocke neither need they any other winde to shift their situation but only their owne Passions But as if this Inward Wind did not turmoile them enough they are subiect to an Outward the wind of Gods Iudgement which the Chaldee Paraphrase calls Ventum furentem and the Prophets very commonly call it a Whirlewind Saint Iohn Baptist tels vs Matth. 3.12 that Christ shall come with his fanne in his hand and therewith shall throughly purge his floore Where marke that Gods Iudgement is compared to Wind of which our Sauiour Christ tels Nicodemus the wind bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3.8 thou knowest not whence it commeth nor whether it goeth so doe Gods Iudgements surprize men when the vngodly crie Peace Peace 1. Thess 5.3 then comes suddaine destruction vpon them You shall find this fully and excellently described Iob 21. But marke the Opposition of Chaffe vnto the Wind the weaknesse of 〈◊〉 to the irrisistiblensse of the Wind especially if it be a Whirlewind whither you respect the Impotencie of their owne Affections vnder which they sinke or Gods Vengeance which must needes ouer-beare them Who would set the Briars and Thornes against me in Battle saith God Esay 27 I will goe through them I will burne them together It must needs make much to the Miserie of the Vngodly that being so little able they must abide so violent an encounter violent it is but yet such as is meet for them for the Vngodly are called Reshagnim turbulent and tumultuous people and what Iudgement is so fit for them as to bee harrowed and hurled with the Wind They that giue rest to none it is pittie they should haue any rest The Vulgar addes to the Text Exegeticè from the Earth The wind driues the Chaffe from the Earth Saint Hierome makes a good Note vpon it Tà m infoelix erit impius vt ne terrenus sit puluis most miserable is the case of the Vngodly when the Earth that bare them 〈…〉 will not endure them God in Deuteronomie threatens such a Iudgement to the Iewes and we see that at this day they endure it their case may be any mans case and if wee bee Vngodly the Whirlewind may driue vs out of the good Land which God bestowes vpon vs. Russinus goeth a step higher Si facies terrae species patriae Coeleâ—lis accipitur recrè puluis à facie terrae proijci dicitur quia à Visione Calestis Gloriae impius remouetur Adam in Paradise below forfeited Paradise aboue and the Iewes had little hope of Heauen the Truth that were cast out of Canaan the Type thereof Neither may wee presume of the Kingdome of Glorie if we be vnworthy of the Kingdome of Grace And no wonder for Chaffe that is winnowed from the threshing Hoore is reserued for the fire 〈◊〉 3. as Saint Iohn Baptist telleth vs neither are the wicked separated from the good but for their greater Woe But I must conclude Three things we learne in this Text First that the Vngodly are subiect to a double Punishment Poena Damni and Poena Sensus they are depriued of great Good and the Euill is great whereunto they are exposed Secondly the Non Sic and the Sicut aduise vs to compare the Happinesse of the Blessed Tree with the Miserie of this winnowed Chaffe that the Contraries being set one against the other we may the better discerne them and resolue which of them to choose Last of all We may see that there is no reason why we should enuie the pompes and vanities of this wicked World seeing they haue neither Substance nor Continuance Iob teacheth it more then once and so doth Dauid Psal 37. and 73. When we goe to a Play we doe with the Eyes of our Reason correct the Eyes of our Bodie and our Reason iudgeth them but Varlots whom our Sense beholds as Kings It were to be wished that when we come to the Stage of this World we would bring thither aswell the Eyes of Faith as of Reason our Iudgement would not bee so often perplext nor our Resolution staggered as they are with the seeming prosperitie and Glorie of the World we would with Moses 〈…〉 esteeme the rebuke of Christ better then the Treasures of Egypt and endeauor to be happy rather in deed then shew To shut vp all Blessed we would all be in this World but few take Notice of the Euidence of true Blessednesse That Euidence is in the first Resemblance the Resemblance to the Tree Let vs obserue it and desire to partake it otherwise we may be deluded with a seeming Euidence which you haue heard of in the latter Resemblance the Resemblance of winnowed Chaffe the double Miserie that is in it should make vs abhorre it as the double good of the former should make vs affect it God giue Vs a true Iudgement to distinguish them and Grace to make that discreet choice that we may partake the former of them Amen PSAL. 1. VERS 5. Therefore the Vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgement nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous THe words contain the second of those Euidences whereby it may be known who are Blessed Men are Blessed in this Life and that which is to come and God hath set marks vpon either degree of Blessednesse The markes of the first degree you heard vnfolded when I last spake vnto you vpon this Psalme It followes then that I now open vnto you the markes of the second degree so farre as I find them exprest in this Verse For the better vnderstanding whereof we must obserue First what matter is contained in these words and then whereupon these words are inferred In the World to come there are two remarkable things the Entrance into and the State of it in either of these there is some thing Common and something Proper both to the good and the bad In the Entrance that which is Common is Iudgement both must come to the Barre that which is Proper is That in the Iudgement the Righteous can the Vngodly cannot stand In the state it is Common to good and bad to bee Societies or Congregations but it is Proper to the Righteous to be of such a Congregation whereinto the Vngodly shall not come neither shall the Righteous come into the Congregation whereof the Vngodly shall be So much must bee supplyed à Pari the ground is the same for both the reason of the latter difference is contained in the former for they that differ in the Iudgement must differ in the Societie also seeing God is pleased that that shall be
the ordinarie passage vnto this These are the Contents of the words But you must take notice of the Inference also remembred by the first word Therefore That will informe vs that the Euidence of Blessednesse in the Life to come depends vpon the Euidence of Blessednesse in this present Life He that is Blessed here shall bee Blessed hereafter and hee shall neuer bee Blessed hereafter that is not Blessed here And so haue I shewed you whereof you shall heare Come wee then to the Text and first to the Contents thereof wherein wee must first see what is Common to the good and the bad at their Entrance into the World to come and that is Iudgement By Iudgement the Chaldee Paraphrast vnderstands the Generall Assizes that shall be kept at the end of this World and he is in his Interpretation followed by most Diuines Ancient and Moderne This being the meaning of this Word the Persons here mentioned Righteous and Vngodly must be vnderstood to appeare as well in their Bodies as their Soules There is a Iudgement that passeth before vpon them wherein their Bodies are seuered from their Soules but that Iudgement is priuate and particular whereas this is publike and generall and though they agree for the most part in the Substance yet in the Solemnitie they differ much and the latter doth much improue the former whether you respect the Glorie of the Iudge or the Doome of the Iudged This being resolued that the Iudgement is that which shall be at the last day We must here obserue how the Holy Ghost speaketh very accurately in these words He saith not the Vngodly and Sinners shall not be Iudged but the Vngodly shall not Stand in the Iudgement nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous And so the words haue in them Aliquid Commune which they imply and Aliquid Proprium which they expresse It is Common to all the persons here mentioned Good and Bad to be Iudged but Proper to the Bad not to Stand in Iudgement It is Common to Good and Bad to come vnto Iudgement as commom as to rise from the dead Saint Paul who Acts 24. saith there shall be a Resurrection of the iust and vniust saith distinctly 2. Cor. 5. that we shall all appeare before the Iudgement seate of Christ to receiue according to that which euery man hath done in his Bodie be it good or ill Daniel in the twelfth of his Prophesie teacheth the verie same 〈◊〉 2. Many of those that sleepe in the dust shall rise some to euerlasting Life and some to euerlasting shame The verie same also wee learne of the Preacher in his twelfth Chapter 〈◊〉 14. God shall bring euery worke into Iudgement and euerie secret thing whether it be good or whether it be euill The point is so cleare that it is made an Article of our Faith so that I shall not need to adde any more proofe Here note That wheras God is an absolute Lord most wise most holy most mightie so that he knoweth all and detests all sinne and may deale with Sinners at his pleasure yet hee will haue all the World see that he receiues none into Heauen nor sends any vnto Hell but the ground of his doing is iust for he sentenceth both in Iudgement so that there can bee no exception taken not by malice it selfe vnto his proceeding Both good and bad passe by Iudgement to their state And let this suffice concerning that which is Common vnto Good and Bad in the Entrance into the World to come I come now to that which is Proper And here I must begin with Venerable Bedes Rule Intellectus est per Opposita We must conceiue that what is denied to the Vngodly is granted to the Righteous so that these concise words must be resolued into more and so some not vnfitly supply in the first Branch of this sentence a word that is found in the last to make it cleere wherefore they read thus The Vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgement of the Righteous that is the Vngodly shall not stand in that Iudgement wherein the Righteous shall stand Let vs then consider these Propositions asunder first that which is exprest then that which is implyed The exprest Proposition is The Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement Standing in is opposed to both Shrinking from and Sinking vnder Iudgement so that if the Vngodly shall not stand it followeth they will Shrinke from and Sinke vnder it And indeed the Holy Ghost obserues both when God ariseth vnto Iudgement the wicked will first trie their heeles but when they will not serue then they grow heartlesse and despaire of Helpe But to open these Branches a little more fully Flight is the first attempt of the Vngodly at the Day of Iudgement they are forced vnto it from within and from without from the horrour of their owne conscience and from the terrour of the Iudge Touching Conscience it is an vndeniable truth that where there is sense of Guilt there is distresse of Feare see it in our Grand-father Adam no sooner had hee eaten of the forbidden fruit and his eyes were opened thereby but hee tooke couert and when hee was questioned hee gaue God this reason for his flying I saw that I was naked Neither was it his case only Gen. 3. it is hereditarie to all his ofspring Salomon hath put it in a Prouerbe Poou 28. The wicked flie when no man pursueth them God hath put it into his Law where the Israelites are threatned that if they breake Gods Couenant one part of their punishment shall be amazednesse of Heart Leu. 26. and such a fearefulnesse as that they shall flie at the shaking of a Leafe An Example we haue in Foelix Acts 24. who trembled when Saint Paul did but preach of Righteousnesse and Iudgement to come As the Guilt of Conscience so likewise the terrour of the Iudge will make the wicked to flie When God gaue his Law he gaue it with that terrour that the people gaue backe and stood afarre off yea Moses himselfe confesseth as Saint Paul reports that he was greatly afraid Heb. 12. And how much more thinke you shall the wicked be afraid when Christ shall come in the Glorie of his Father with all his Angels with the dreadfull sound of the Trumpet and all the World burning round about him certainly it cannot but strike such a terrour as shall make the wicked betake themselues to their heeles Christ in the Gospell describing the Last Day saith Luke 21.26 That Men shall be at their wits ends for feare and expectation of the euils to come they shall call to the Rockes to hide them to the Mountaines to fall vpon them Saint Iohn repeates the very same reckoning Kings great men rich men mightie men bond free the voice of euery one of them shall be this The great Day of the Lambs wrath is come and who shall be able for to stand Reuel 6. Put these
that the Sinewes by which wee are supported in this Standing are deriued from Christ if out of Him we looke vpon our selues Psal 113. we may well say Enter not into Iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh liuing be iustified Or to keepe to the word of my Text Psal 130. If thou Lord marke iniquities who shall be able for to Stand Wee cannot Stand without Corruption except his Grace doe clense vs neither can we Stand against Condemnation except his Merits doe secure vs. Some here worke vpon the difference which they suppose to be betwixt Vngodly and Sinners vnderstanding by vngodly those wicked men who are open and professed Enemies to God Malefactors Deprehensi in flagranti Crimine taken in the manner of doing by Sinners vnderstanding other wicked men which seeme to be in the Church and are as it were but Probabiliter suspecti Challenged vpon suspition And they tell vs The first sort of wicked men Shall not stand in Iudgement that is shall not be graced with any formall Arraignment before their Condemnation The second sort howsoeuer they may stand in Iudgement so farre as to be legally tried yet they shall neuer come to stand in the Congregation of the Righteous In Iob. c. 36. neuer partake with them in Happinesse Princes saith Gregorie deale otherwise with their Subiects then they doe with their Enemies in point of Iudgement for if they take an Enemie they vse Martiall Law and command Execution without any iudiciall Processe but if a Subiect be called in question hee hath the benefit of the Law he is suffered to plead for himselfe neither is hee doomed before hee is tried The meaning is that of the wicked which shall bee arraigned at the Day of Iudgement such as are without the Church shall without all plea as profest Enemies of Christ bee proceeded against for their Infidelitie shall be vndeniable But those that are within the Church God condescends farther vnto them they shall haue a trial they shall be heard what they can say though it will steed them little because it shal be shewed them how vaine it is And indeede such a forme of proceeding is exprest Matth. 25. and Luke 13. Where by the way It is good for vs to take notice That though it be a Priuiledge to be of the Church Militant in this world yea and it giues vs also a Priuiledge aboue Infidels at the entrance into the World to come Yet except we so shew our faith in our workes on Earth that we may haue the benefit of it at the Day of Iudgement there is little comfort in such a Priuiledge For in regard of Death a Citizen is no freer then an Enemie if both come to it though one come to it by Martiall Law the other by Processe in a Ciuill Court So if both meete in Hell it skils not whether one come as an Infidell and the other as a wicked Christian except haply the Christians case be the worse because he neglected the good meanes which the Infidell had not I haue shewed you wherein the Vngodly and the Righteous agree and differ at the entrance into the world to come we must now following the Text see the very same points in the state of both which followeth vpon that entrance And here first we doe find something Common for both are Socteties or Congregations They haue beene so from the very beginning of the World there hath beene the Serpent and his Seede the Woman and her Seed the Sonnes of God and the Daughters of men Michaell and his Angels the Dragon and His Babel and Hierusalem Saint Austen in his learned Bookes De Ciuitate Dei hath enlarged this point it is so cleere I neede not dwell longer vpon it But we must marke that these Societies may bee distinguished â—ither onely Habitu or also Actu onely in Qualitie or also in Place In this World they are in place confounded though they are distinguished in qualitie the Righteous though they are not of the World Iohn 17 yet they are in it and many false Christians are in the Church which are not of it the World is as Gods Feild wherein grow both Wheate and Tares in his earthly Barne there is both Graine and Chaffe his House hath Seruants Thriftie and Vnthriftie and in his Flocke are as well Goates as Sheepe But this confusion shall not hold on alwayes they that differ in Qualitie shall also be sundred in Place the Goates from the Sheepe the Tares from the Wheate the foolish Virgines from the Wise the Vnthriftie seruant from the Thriftie This is the first point of Difference But it is not the onely point but as they are separated Luke 16. so this separation shal continue for euer so doth Abraham assure Diues Betweene you and vs there is a great Gulfe no passage from one to the other The same God that separated the Egyptians from the Israelites by the Pillar of fire when they came out of Egypt will neuer suffer them to come together will so part the Saints of Heauen from the Feinds of Hell that they shall neuer grow into one Societie againe Not that absolutely it cannot be otherwise but God will haue it to be so 2. Cor. 6.14 he will haue it cleerely to appeare that there is no Communion betweene Light and Darknesse Christ and Belial the Temple of God and the Synagogue of Satan Eay 66.14 It is true that the Godly shall goe out and see the wicked tormented Luke 16. and Diues in Hell shall see Abraham in Heauen and Lazarus in his bosome to the greater Comfort of the one and terrour of the other But they shall neuer come together neither shall they change their Place or State This latter Difference is grounded vpon the former for they that differ at the entrance into the World to come must needes differ in the state thereof for Iudgement is the Gate that doth as it were lead vnto that State therefore if the vnchangeablenesse of the State doe moue vs wee must not bee carelesse of the Iudgement Let this suffice touching the Contents of these words a word of the Inference and so an end Therefore the first word of this Verse lookes backe vpon that which goeth before and out of that truth collects this You haue heard that the Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement wonder not at it The Vngodly are but Winnowed Chaffe and how should that Stand that is so light as Chaffe or rest which is so restlesse as Chaffe which is winnowed The Righteous shall stand and wonder not at it They are Trees well planted Trees Trees laden with Fruit with Leaues Trees wel-liking well liked euery point addes weight vnto them maketh them firme and standing If a man bee disenabled to stand it is because hee is Chaffe and if hee bee a Tree hee shall bee well able to stand You see what you should feare what you should desire
greater then the latter the Men against whom hee offended were his Vassalls God was his Soueraigne vnequall Obiects make vnequall sinnes and as is the sinne so must our apprehension be greater of greater sinne The apprehension then of the greater did cleane take away the apprehension of the lesser as when a man is afflicted with two paines the sharper drownes all sense of the duller so that though King Dauid were not without feeling of the wrong done to his Subiects yet was hee more feeling of the wrong done vnto God especially considering the amplification of the many fauours which God had vouchsafed him the more he was indebted to God the more reason he had to bee sensible of the offence which hee had giuen to him and so in comparison to greiue only for that And so should we in our Repentance make the measure of Gods fauours to vs the measure of that Repentance which the sinnes against our Neighbors doe at any time draw from vs. And thus much for the first branche of the Confession I come now to the second Wee haue heard Whom King Dauid offended wee must now heare How farre that appeareth in these words I haue done this euill in thy sight To offend God is to doe him wrong but to offend him in his sight is to improue that wrong vnto Contempt and that is to doe wrong in the highest degree But more distinctly As before you heard there was some thing common in the wrong and something proper so must you obserue the like in the contempt also To offend a man before his eyes is not only to wrong but also to contemne him take an example from your selues he that abuseth a mans wife doth him great wrong but if it bee done before the husbands face how much doth that scorne multiply the wrong there is much odds betweene a Seruants abusing his Master and abusing him to his face for this is not onely to displease but also to despise him If it bee so betweene man and man how much more betweene Man God That which is common to all wrong we may not denie vnto that wrong which we doe vnto God Especially if you consider the inequalitie of the eyes for as the eyes are so is the eye-sore Let a drunkard see one drunke and an adulterer one committing of adulterie though in cold blood out of some reliques of Conscience he will be moued yet nothing so much as he ought because the Obiects of his eyes are such as himselfe is But the eyes of a sober a chast man are affected with such spectacles answerably to their sobrietie and chastitie the more vertuous they are the greater impression of griefe doe these vices make in them And this leadeth vs to that which is proper vnto God in this Contempt doth aggrauate the same For there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Coram oculis tuis before thy Eyes And thy eyes implie three properties that are peculiar vnto God For His eyes are 1. most piercing 2. most pure 3. most powerfull Most piercing A man that breaketh wedlocke saith the Sonne of Sirach saith thus in his Heart chap 23. who seeth me I am compassed about with darknesse the walles couer me what need I feare such a man onely feareth the eyes of men and knoweth not that the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne beholding all the waies of Men and considering the most secret parts He knew all things or ere they were Created so also after they were perfected he looked vpon them all Psal 139. Dauid hath made a whole Psalme concerning this peircing Eye of God Saint Paul comprehendeth it in few words All thinges are naked before his eyes Heb. 4. 1. Sam. 16. And herein standeth the prerogatiue of Gods Eye aboue mans Man can see onely the Face God looketh on the Heart Man beholdeth the Operation Ruffinus God the verie Intention of the worke So that though Dauid committed this sinne in secret carried the matter as he thought very cunningly yet was God too sharpe sighted for him by Nathan brought to light what hee thought was hid in darkenesse and in vaine shall we affect these couerts we can neuer be out of Gods Sight The second prerogatiue of Gods Eye is that it is most pure it can abide no iniquitie Such as bee wicked cannot stand in his sight The best of men are compast with infirmities and though they bee not as bad as others yet it is possible they may be and this possibilitie may hold them in from being so censorious as otherwise they would they that brought the Adulteresse to Christ Iohn 8 when Christ bid Him of them which was without sinn to cast the first stone at her slunke away one by one and their owne guilt checked the forwardnesse of their Iudgement But God is as farre from the possibilitie as from the Act of sinne and therefore may his Holinesse make him more free in the abhorring of sinners The last prerogatiue is the Powerfulnesse of Gods Eye for it is the eye of a Iudge the Iudge of all the world a Iudge which is armed as well with power as right to take vengeance euen of the greatest Monarches in the world put the Case that all King Dauids Subiects had beene priuie to his fall yet had they no right to call him to an Account but God could doe what they could not his eye was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eye that could take vengeance and chastise the King according to his deserts Lay now together all these prerogatiues of Gods Eyes and see how they exaggerate King Dauids contēpt It was great immodestie to sin before the eye in that it was so piercing an eye not to feare a witnes that was so through a witnes from whom he could not conceale any part of his fact nor the least circumstance that did cloath his fact greater immodestie to sinne before so pure an eye from which he could expect no extenuation of his fault because it was free from all communion in corruption it must needs as fully abhorre as it did throughly discerne the fault but the greatest immodestie was the sinning before so powerfull an eye the eye of his Lawgiuer before whom he was to appeare and from whom he was to expect his doome to be carelesse of such an Eye must needs bee the hight of Contempt for whom will hee regard that regardeth not his Iudge such a Iudge that hath so Piercing so Pure so Powerfull eyes The Eyes of the Iudge doe exaggerate the contempt so doth the enormitie of the sinne also for it is not onely Malum but Hoc Malum Sinnes are of diuers degrees some of Ignorance some of Infirmitie these men daily commit before the eyes of God and they ought daily to repent of them because they testifie their neglect of Gods Eyes but there are sinnes of a higher straine which men cōmit with a high hand the
a drudge Miserum est fuisse foelicem the memory of a better doubleth the misery of a worse estate it doth so corporally and it will doe so spiritually if euer we be put to the triall of it yea we shall find it will doe it so much the more by how much the touch of conscience is more tender then any other sense and the gift which we lose is infinitely more precious then any other gift The taking backe doth much amplifie the depriuation but how much more doth it amplifie that nothing is left behind Though the haruest be caried away yet if there be some gleaning behind though a Tree be cut downe yet if there bee a roote left in the ground though the Sunne goe downe yet if it be twilight these small remainders of greater goods are no small refreshings to a loser It doth a man some good to keepe some monuments of his better estate especially when they are pledges of some sparkle of good will towards vs continuing in him vpon whose iust displeasure we forfeited all As God in fauour giueth the holy spirit so in displeasure doth hee take him away and we cannot guesse better at the measure of his displeasure then by the measure of the depriuation If he take it but in part then mercy tempers iudgement but if he leaue no sparkles of grace that may be kindled again then we become Loruhama Hose 1. we are cleane shut out of the bowels of his compassion And this is that which King Dauids trembling conscience doth deprecate in these words Ne auferas Take not away I haue opened vnto you the nature of spirituall Reiection and Depriuation and I doubt not but by that which you haue heard you conceiue that they are grieuous iudgements but the bottomes of them are not sounded except we also take notice of the Consequents two wofull consequents The first if man be reiected of God as before you heard hee must looke for a cleane opposite condition hee loseth the place of Gods presence and whether shall he goe but euen to the pit of hell Hee loseth the state of that blessed place and hee shall fall into the state of the cursed God doth disgrace him dares any creature yeeld a good looke vnto him God layeth him open to danger and whose indignation then will not burne against him Whose hand will spare him vpon whom God layeth his heauie hand Guesse what will become of them that are reiected by the King of heauen by that which you see befall them who are reiected by Kings on earth The first consequent of reiestion is bad neither is the first consequent vpon depriuation better he that loseth the holy Spirit shall be possessed by an vncleane Spirit 1. Sam. 16. it was Sauls case the Text is plaine The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an euill Spirit troubled him where God is not Satan will be Some would bee Neutrals in the World but indeed none are Man is either a Temple of God or a Synagogue of Satan yea and looke how much God taketh from vs of his Spirit so much wee shall be sure to haue of the vncleane Spirit as Darknesse taketh vp all the roome that is not filled with Light if we haue no portion of Gods Spirit those vncleane Spirits will possesse vs wholy A miserable exchange and yet is this the inâ—uitable consequent of depriuation You would thinke I had brought the iudgement to the height but I haue not there is another consequent a consequent worse then the former Omnis spes veniae tollitur so sayth Gregorie the Great the case is not only very bad but it is past all recouery and why Is a man reiected No other man may intercede for him See this in the case of a King How long saith God vnto Samuel wilt thou mourne for Saul seeing I haue reiected him from raigning ouer Israel See it in the case of a Kingdome I will cast you out of my sight saith God as I haue cast out all your brethren euen the whole seed of Ephraim he speaketh of the Kingdome of Iudah and therefore pray not thou Ieremie 1. Sam. 16. Ieremy 7. for this people neither lift vp crie nor Prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not heare thee A pittifull case a man may haue no Mediator if he be reiected How much more miserable is his case if he be depriued for then he cannot pray for himselfe it is Saint Pauls doctrine We know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit maketh intercession for vs with groanes which cannot be vttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God You see there is no Prayer can be made hopefully but must be endited by the Spirit and the Spirit prayeth in none but in those that are Saints therefore they that are depriued of the Spirit are depriued of the grace of Prayer as Zacharie also witnesseth which ioyneth them both together Zach. c. 12. When a man is brought to this case that hee hath no friend to stand vp for him and he cannot be a friend vnto himselfe how desperate is his case What remayneth then but that hee betake himselfe vnto a wretched course Surely Cain did so when hee was reiected hee became the Father of such Giants whom nothing could mend but the generall Deluge and what a life led Saul after hee was depriued So ill a life that his owne death could not make amends for it but many of his children were faine to be hanged vp long after to pacifie the wrath of God Yea the Parable of the vncleane Spirit witnesseth that they that haue beene in the state of grace and by reiection and depriuation are fallen from it are much worse vpon the relapse then euer they were before they first began to be good No wonder then that Dauid conceiued this deprecation against so fearefull iudgements Yea most gracious was God vnto him that gaue him time for to deprecate that put a distance inter meritum iudicium betweene his ill deseruing and Gods iust reuenge he deserued to be cast out but continued still in Gods presence he deserued to be depriued but he retayned still Gods holy Spirit See what good vse hee maketh of Gods patience while hee is in the presence hee preuenteth the casting out and preuenteth the taking away of the Spirit while yet the Spirit abode within him and his preuenting is nothing but deprecating And while we haue the like time we must vse no other meanes how long doth God forbeare vs when wee grieuously prouoke him Were we better aduised we would be more prouident and not ouer-slip the time allowed vs for deprecation lest to our endlesse griefe we find that when we are vnder these iudgements our state is past recouerie I should here end but I must speake a little of
Church according to that in the Prophet This people haue I formed for my selfe 〈◊〉 45. they shall bee to set forth my prayse And indeed of what regard the Church is with God we may gather out of that which God hath done for it he is become a father vnto it in Christ and tendreth euery member thereof as his deare childe hee hath giuen his only begotten sonne to death for the saluation of it and made him the Bridgeroome of the Church the Holy Ghost doth he send to guide to comfort it and the Angels are ministing spirits for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation Can any man beleeue this 〈◊〉 1. and not beleeue that wee are a pretious treasure vnto God Hee hath prouided for vs a Kingdome that cannot be shaken 〈◊〉 12.28 1. â—ct 5.4 an immarescible Crowne of glorie hee hath communicated vnto vs the Throne of his owne Sonne and giuen vs power ouer all our enemies and can wee doubt but we are Kings vnto him And as for our Priesthood Iames 5 16. that is as euident the prayer of the righteous auailes much their sufferings are to him sacrifices all their life is a sauour of a sweet smell and he is well pleased with the worke of their hands Feuci 7 14. Finally they haue washed their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe they are clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ God vouchsafeth to conuerse with them to dwell with them therefore they are to him an holy Nation We that account our selues happie if wee bee deare to great men great if we be but pettie Lords thinke not meanly of our selues if we be but Priests vnto Baal and looke bigge if we haue but the righteousnesse of a Pharisie how happie should wee thinke our selues that are vouchsafed to be the Fauorites of the King of Kings how should we esteeme our selues that are made Kings of Heauen how should we glorie in our diuine Priesthood and ioy in our true Holinesse when we consider our selues as we are in our selues dust and ashes weake and wicked ones wee may well crie out with Dauid who am I O Lord and what is my Fathers house that I O Lord should be such a one vnto thee and sing the Virgins Hymne My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour for he that is mightie hath magnified me c. And when vnder the Crosse wee find that in the eye of worldlings wee are reputed wormes and no men the reproch of men and the despised of the people when they oppresse vs with more then Egyptian bondage scoffe at the sighes and groanes which the Holy Ghost indites in vs and repute all our deuotion to bee but madnesse when they traduce vs as Samaritans as friends of Publicans and Sinners yea as instruments of Beelzebub and condemne vs to a shamefull death as pestilent fellowes traitours and blasphemers what greater comfort can we haue then this promise of God Eritis mihi You shall be to me a peculiar treasure a Kingdome of Priests an holy Nation But I goe on You haue heard of much good but what you haue heard doth not yet amount to a Prerogatiue that appeares in these words aboue all people When we haue good things that are not common to others especially if it be better then they haue any then haue we obtained a Prerogatiue and this was Israels case for the Church was not now Catholique as it had beene before Abrahams time and was to bee after the comming of Christ Gods promise was Catholique to Adam though Cain played the Apostata it was Catholique also to Noah but his children fell away therefore when Gods reuiues it vnto Abraham hee made it but particular and Israel only was his Inheritance In Iuda was God knowne his Name was great in Israel Athanas de Incarnat verb. not that others might not bee if they would become Israelites but ordinarily none but Israelites or Proselytes had part in the Promise Therefore the Law speaketh thus What Nation is there so great Deut. 4. who hath God so nigh vnto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call vpon him for And what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and iudgements so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day And the Psalmist God sheweth his word vnto Iacob Psal 147. his Statutes and Iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation c. This is often repeated by Moses Deut. 10. but especially Chapter 32. Seeing then God doth compare one Nation vnto all people and preferre it he doth extoll his owne grace and teach vs that the blessing is singular and if singular then a Prerogatiue and because singular and a Prerogatiue the more to be esteemed Surely in worldly things we thinke so for what is he that hath any gist or good which others haue not who doth not esteeme it as much for the rarenesse as for the greatnesse thereof I would wee did passe as true a iudgement vpon our heauenly Treasures surely the Church was wont to doe so Pone me vt signaculum Cant 8. saith the Spouse Set mee as a Seale vpon thy arme and in her Plea Populus tuus omnes nos Wee are thine enen the sheepe of thy pasture Esay 63. As God doth honour vs aboue others so will hee that we be mindfull of his speciall fauour Put now together the Greatnesse of the Good which God offers with the Singularitie of the fauour which God vouchsafeth Israel and they will yeild vs a definition of the Church for what is Ecclesia but a people chosen out of the world and preferred before it in that it is Gods peculiar treasure and to him a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation But I leaue that point to your priuate meditations which will bee the fuller if you adde the next particular vnto it for that also is considerable in your contemplations of the Church That which God offers is a Prerogatiue and such a Prerogatiue as is Gracious I gather it first out of Vos Deut 7 yee yee shall bee vnto mee a peculiar treasure c. And who are yee neither the most nor the best of people Moses from God telleth them so bondslaues in Egypt and much more bound to Satan for they were a rebellious nation more base in minde then in condition and therefore God biddeth them looke vnto his free loue the cause of their deliuerance Et dare non dignis res mage digna Deo the lesse worth there appeares in the receiuer the more grace doth there shine from the giuer As Israels want of worth made the gift gracious so also was it gracious in that God was not driuen to make the choice out of any want for all the earth is mine saith God All Nations they are the same by nature and it was free for God to make choice of any other
to loose all those that will make vse of the flight amongst which these Iewes were none For who hath forewarned you saith Saint Iohn vnto them Before I come to the question I must a little describe the persons they were Sadduces and Pharisees There are but two extremities of Religion into which men run Superstition and Atheisme these fell the one that is the Pharisees into the one extremitie and the other that is the Saduces into the other extremitie Now sinnes are of two sorts some whose nature is in opposition to the flying from the wrath to come and some which are such as they doe not exclude the same A Drunkard an Adulterer a Murderer are grieuous sinners and in danger of the wrath to come but the Principles are not corrupted vpon which the forewarner must worke when hee perswadeth then to flie they doe beleeue the iudgement to come and in cold bloud will easily belieue that there is euill in their liues therefore vpon such good counsell may worke and wee see daily that many such are reclaimed But there are many whose sinnes are opposite vnto this counsell of flying either because they thinke there is no wrath to come as the Saducee or that they are out of danger of it as the Pharisee vpon such it is hard working Now come to the question Who hath forewarned you I am not ignorant that sundrie Writers ancient and later suppose that this is Quaestio admirantis and make Saint Iohn Baptist who receiued all others quietly when these persons came to stand amazed and wondring Is it possible hath Gods grace preuailed with Saduces with Pharisees and will they also bee Christs Disciples Is Saul among the Prophets Can hee that thought there was no Hell be brought to flie from Hell and hee that thought himselfe righteous prouide against the Iudgement day Surely such examples are rare not that God doth not yeil◠some to shew nothing is impossible to his grace but he yeildeth but few because men should take heed of such sinnes and wee see by experience how Pharisaisme in Papists and in Atheists Saducisme frustrate the labours of many painfull Forewarners the corrupt Principles of their conscience hinder their preuayling Who forewarne them to flie from the wrath to come But I take the Question rather to bee Negatiue and that as Christ often so Saint Iohn here doth detect their hypocrisie and telleth them that they aimed little at that which was intended by Baptisme The Kingdome of God happily in their sense they could bee content to enter into by the Baptisme of Saint Iohn for their Messias was to bee a worldly King or if so be they thought vpon wrath which they desired to escape it was wrath present not wrath to come the wrath of men not the wrath of God they would shake off the yoke of the Romanes they feared not the paines of Hell when they perceiued that Saint Iohns Baptisme sorted not with their desire it is obserued that they despised it to their destruction and when Christ asked them Whether it were of heauen or of men they durst not answere him from Heauen least Christ should come vpon them with Why did you not then belieue it Adde hereunto that it is not likely Saint Iohn would haue reproched them with these words generation of Vipers had there not bin hypocrisie in them I conclude then that the Question containeth a negation and that S. Iohn herein doth set forth the second euill of these Iewes They wanted meanes of forewarning which might apply to them the Remedie which God hath appointed against the wrath to come Matth. 21. v 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 31. p. 501. Nazianzen obserueth well It is not the Nation but the disposition that maketh a Pharisee euery Countrie may haue Pharisees and Saduces for it is not the name of a Nation but a conuersation and therefore this question may concerne vs and we must inquire into our selues whether wee haue either a Pharisees or a Saduces disposition And indeed wee shall find too many of both Heretickes Atheists vpon whom Forewarners cannot worke and if we be better disposed wee must acknowledge Gods great mercie that as hee hath appointed wrath so hee hath appointed a Remedie wee must learne both of our Forewarners and so learne both that we be the better for them and scape the vengeance that is to come The summe of all is sinnes and punishments are not inseparable God hath set a space betweene them and appointed a Remedie to the one for the auoyding of the other for the knowledge hereof hee referres vs to our spirituall Pastors and we must take heed we haue neither Saduces nor Pharisees eares which may make vs vncapable of their forewarnings O Lord that hast appointed Forwarners to thy Church so blesse their paines that they may fixe our thoughts on and resolue our reason of that wrath which is to come not only the sight of it but also the flight from it Let vs not despise the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering nor with hard and impenitent hearts treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Eccles 18. but knowing that thy goodnesse leadeth vs to repentance let vs so thinke vpon the wrath that shall be at the end that we may flie from sinne to grace and so bee thought worthy to escape this euill and stand in the last day with comfort before the Sonne of man stand for euer to giue glorie vnto thee the Father of mercie through Iesus Christ our only meanes to obtaine this mercie in the Communion of the holy spirit who only teacheth vs to make the right vse of this mercie Amen The third Sermon LVKE 3. VERSE 8. Bring forth therefore fruites worthy of Repentance SAint Iohn Baptist hath in his Sermon hitherto shewed the Iewes of their bad case in regard both of sinne and woe If he had here ended he should rather haue seemed to bee a minister of Moses then an harbinger of Christ and although happily he might haue awakned the worme of Conscience to bite them with the terrours of the Law yet should hee not haue answered his fathers prophecie by giuing light to them that sit darknesse Luke 1. and in the shaddow of death and guiding their feete into the way of peace wherefore to shew that hee came indeed in the spirit of Elias and meant to turne the hearts of the fathers towards their children Malachi 4.6 and the children towards their fathers before the Lord came and smote the earth with cursing as he vnpartially gaue the Iewes to vnderstand the euill of their case so doth he carefully endeauour to set them in a better course The ground and scope of his words is in effect this Euerie Iew is to haue a double being in the Couenant an hereditarie a possessorie in that he is the of spring of Abraham he hath a title to the promises but possession of that whereunto
take faith for Scientiall or Conscientiall they are spectacles to the world of a dying faith their errors cannot be excused and their superstitions are intollerable Whether wee be in our declination or no it is worth our enquirie An old Friar preaching to his Brethren spake these words Fratres in principio religionis nostrae c. Brethren when our Order first began we were full of Conscience in processe of time we lost a syllable and then retained nothing but Science we haue now lost one syllable more and wee are nothing but Entia certaine flow Belites good for nothing I am sure we haue lost one syllable if wee haue lost no more for Conscience to Godward and towards the world are rare things But what talke I of Christian faith We haue ouerliued Ciuill faith I am pridem fugêre pudor verumque fidesque In quorum subiere locum fraudesque dolique though cases of Conscience bee not so corruptly deliuered by vs as by Iesuits Psal 14. who teach men artificially to lie and to murder meritoriously yet in practice we are gone very farre and if God should looke downe from Heauen to see if there were any that would seeke after God Chap. â— he should find that all are gone aside c. Wee may reade a picture of our selues in Ieremie if we doe not exceed it What may wee conceiue but that the Sonne of Man is comming Psal 110. for towards his comming this degeneration will be most manifest Not at his first Comming for then the birth of his wombe was like the morning deaw it suddenly ouer-spread the earth The Kingdome of Heauen suffered violence and the violent tooke it Christs second comming shall bee like the dayes of Noah as then so at Christs comming Men will be eating and drinking marrying and giuing in marriage then the Floud came and then shall come the Fire Neither shall Faith be only latens lurking as in time of persecution but languens giuing vp the Ghost for want of grace But let vs weigh the phrase shall he find when he commeth then hee commeth to seeke this faith and so indeed bee doth For as all Iudgement is giuen to him as hee is the Sonne of Man and hee shall come to iudge in the glorie of his Father so his first enquirie is not only What his Church suffereth but How it is disposed neither must we looke for his relieuing hand except he find vs busie at our faithfull cries When God sent Moses to deliuer Israel marke what he saith vnto him Exod â— Rom. 8. I haue seene the affliction of my people and haue heard their crie and Saint Paul telleth vs that they that haue the first-fruits of the Spirit sigh in themselues while they looke for the redemption of their bodies Saint Peter 2. Pet. 3. Seeing all these things shall be dissolued what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conuersation and godlinesse looking for and hastening to the comming of the Day of God Christ before both Luke 21. Watch and pray alwayes that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to passe and to stand before the Sonne of Man If God giue vs sighes and groanes which cannot be exprest it is a good prognostication of our deliuerie if we be senslesse and stupid it is a signe of our destruction either in terra nostra when he bringeth troubles vpon our State and the Clouds gather apace and threaten a storme Ambros or cum orbe terrarum at the genetall Day of Iudgement which cannot bee farre off as appeares by the generall defect of faith at which time there will be very few left to bee saued Finally obserue the phrase Christ doth not doubt but foretell what shall be yea and deplore also those wretched times because he is the Sonne of Man that is hath giuen vs so great an interest in him and himselfe beareth so great an affection to vs So that the manner of the speech doth Terrorem incutere and should Torporem excutere it serueth to strike a terrour into vs and to rowse vs out of our lethargie I haue done with the Argument I haue shewed you what is affirmed I come now to the Argumentation and in few words will shew you How it is inferred It is inferred First very strangely for God in good things should be a patterne vnto man but man is here made a patterne for God a wicked man for a good God but it is not in wickednesse but in goodnesse And Christs meaning is to teach vs That we may imitate not only the good but the bad also in that which they doe well Christ himselfe did so he compares his second Comming to the stealing on of a thiefe in the night Et quod decuit Christum cur mihi turpe putem Yea hee biddeth vs doe so imitate not only the bad Steward in his Prouidence but the Serpent also in his wisdome Saint Paul borroweth Sentences out of the Heathen Poets Saint Austine borrowed a rule of interpreting the Scripture from Tichonius the Donatist Truth and Goodnessse in whomsoeuer they are they are Gods and therefore whether the point be speculatiue or practicke if it bee of this kind in whomsoeuer wee find it wee may follow it and in following it we follow not mâ—n but God God I say in that of his which we find in men for virtus vel in hoste landatur and this imitation is one of the profits wee may make of our most deadly enemies Therefore it is too much precisenâ—sse to dislike some things in our Church because therein wee follow the Church of Rome as if all principles of reason and Religion were dead in them as it is too much malice in the Romanists to dislike many things because they come from vs though otherwise they cannot denie them to be reasonable Christs Inference teacheth vs more indifferencie of Iudgement Though the Inference may seeme strange yet is it very strong for wee may strongly conclude à minus probabili ad maius if a corrupt Iudge will bee moued with importunitie how much more a iust God If a poore Widow preuaile so with man how shall Gods owne Elect preuaile with him If the Cries of Nature worke so much how shall the Cries of Grace worke The proceeding of the wicked Iudge may well resolue vs of that which wee may expect from God This Parable represents a strong motiue Maith 7. If you that are wicked know how to giue good things to your children when they aske you how much more your Father which is in Heauen c. Therefore Christ doth not only moue the question as if it were a Probleme but turnes it into a direct Affirmation I tell you Hee will and Christs I tell you is a seale of certaintie for hee is Amen the faithfull and true witnesse yea it is Hee himselfe that shall doe what hee saith as appeares Esay 63. Who is hee which
nothing is still prone to returne to nothing especially being wrought vpon by the Diuell and the World you will not so much wonder that the children of Israels garments did not cleane weare out in their forty yeares passage through the Wildernesse as that the garment of Regeneration which we receiue in Baptisme weareth not out all the daies of our pilgrimage in this world But we must not mistake stability doth not exempt vs from stormes yea stormes that may shake our house and peraduenture vntile some part thereof and breake some boughes off from our tree but the foundation the roote are immoueable the house the tree shall neuer fall And this is the vttermost of that stability which we must expect in this world The gates of hell shall not preuaile Valere poterunt non poterunt praeualere We shall experience that they had might but not might enough to ruine vs they may giue vs wounds but none that are vncurable they may bruise our heele but shall not be able to breake our head we are so farre established in this world and in the world to come wee shall be established farther euen so farre as to be free from all stormes and all wounds we shall not be at all moued You heare how Christ doth stablish how he doth order But these things may bee done eyther well or ill Many make orders which are not good and support their people in doing euill it is not so with this King in doing both hee followeth a good rule Iudgement and Iustice I will not trouble you with the diuers significations of much lesse with the manifold commentaries vpon these words I suppose the fairest to bee that which points out the two especiall acts of a King which are the calling of his people to an account of their liues that is Iudgement and to proceede in their trials by an euen rule that is Iustice Euery man is required to haue a care of his life and to be respectiue of the society wherein hee liues A Romane Emperour in the Preface of his Institutions makes this abridgement of ciuill conuersation A man must honestè viuere not doe ought disgracefull to his owne person that is not enough hee must bee carefull of others also alterum non laedere that he worst not another mans state while he would better his own yea he must suum cuique tribuere so liue that euery man be the better for him This is the duty of a Subiect and the King looks that he shall performe it to this end he keepes an Assizes and executeth Iudgement It fareth with the body politicke as it doth with the body naturall in the body naturall if the humours keepe their proportion wee shall haue our health no sooner doe they swarue from it but they begin a disease which maketh way to putrefaction and so to dissolution wherefore we apply physicke to reduce them againe into a due temper euen so while good Lawes sway our carriage towards our selues towards our neighbours each man doth well the Common-weale doth prosper but no sooner doth the subiect breake these bands but a ciuill putrefaction entreth which maketh way to the ruine of a State wherein euery particular mans wel-fare is hazzarded with the whole the remedy whereof is the worke of Iudgement Iudgement then is a fit remedy but it must bee attended with iustice also not the Kings affections but his lawes must moderate his iudgement and the medicine must bee fitted to the disease otherwise if the Scales of iustice doe not first weigh the merits of the cause the iudgement will as much disquiet the State as discontent the parties iudged If you put these words together to order and to stablish with iudgement and iustice each requires both ordering is not perfect without iudgment and iustice nor stablishing perfect except both concurre for stablishing is nothing but a perpetuating of good order Therefore to set the subiects right the King must vse iudgement guided by iustice and that he may keepe them in that state he must perseuere in so doing These words as you see haue an euident truth in a Common-weale and from thence are they borrowed but to note a higher truth which concernes the Church whereof Christ is King And here we must obserue an improuement of the vertues vpon which Christ will passe his iudgement Honestè viuere is not only to liue as beseemes ciuill men but as beseemeth Saints children of God expressing his image members of Christ leading his life and temples of the holy Ghost bearing in our foreheads Holinesse to the Lord. And as for alterum non laedere it is not enough for vs not to defraud others we must loue our very enemies blesse them that curse vs doe good to them that hate and persecute vs. Finally our suum cuique tribuere must be to deny our selues our friends our life when we will testifie our duty to God yea to lay down our liues also for the Brethren after the example of Christ So dear must their welfare be vnto vs. As that which comes into iudgement is so improued so is the iudgement it selfe also for Christs iudgement is without preiudice without partiality nothing can be concealed no person can be exempted he will bring all both persons and things secret and open before his iudgement seate all bookes shall then bee opened and the secrets of all hearts reuealed he will iudge them all But his iudgement is ordered by iustice and this iustice is of a higher straine than ciuill iustice can be for the iustice is Euangelicall wherein God through Christ doth so question vs as that he tenders withall a pardon vnto vs and is as ready to forgiue as to discouer our faults Not only to forgiue them but also to amend vs it sufficeth not Christ graciously to clense vs from the guilt of sinne hee also giueth vs a new heart and createth an ingenuous spirit within vs by which wee may bee held in from sinning With such iudgement and with such iustice doth Christ order and stablish his Church And here must wee marke a notable difference betweene this King of heauen and Kings on earth earthly Kings neyther giue minds vnto their subiects to obserue their Lawes neyther is it lawfull for them in all cases to exempt their subiects from the stroke of iustice when they haue offended But our King can doe both hee can rectifie our conuersation and when we haue sinned he can comfort our distressed consciences Last of all in vsing this rule whereby he directs and supports his State this King is constant he doth it incessantly from henceforth and for euer As the growth hath an eternity so must the cause thereof which is the Kings policie haue an eternity also For there could be no eternity in the effect were there not an eternity in the cause especially in effects which are alwaies in fieri and not in facto such as is this It is in the mystical body as it is in
haue not been carefull to bring them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to the knowledge of Christ and participation of the Gospel Much trauelling to the Indies East and West but wherefore some go to possesse themselues of the Lands of the Infidels but most by commerce if by commerce to grow richer by their goods But where is the Prince or State that pitieth their soules and without any worldly respect endeauours the gaining of them vnto God some shew we make but it is but a poore one for it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an accessorie to our worldly desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not it is not our primarie intention wheras Christs method is Mat. 6.33 first seeke ye the kingdome of God and then all other things shall be added vnto you you shall fare the better for it in your worldly estate If the Apostles and Apostolicke men had affected our saluation no more we might haue continued till this day such as somtimes we were barbarous subiects of the Prince of darknesse Those of the Church of Rome boast of their better zeale for the Kingdome of Christ but their owne Histories shew that Ambition and Couetousnesse haue beene the most predominant Affections that haue swayed their endeauours and they haue with detestable cruelty made their way to those worldly ends in stead of sauing soules haue destroyed millions of persons We should take another course for their conuersion yea the same that was taken for ours and if wee doe it is to be hoped God will continue vs his people and adde daily to his Church such as shal be saued For Popish Recusants let me speake a word their case is mixt consisting partly in ignorance of the truth and partly in the seed of disloyaltie Wee haue made many good Lawes if not to roote out at least to keepe downe so much of their corruption as is dangerous to the State it were to bee wisht that greater care were taken for informing their consciences and indeed there should our Lawes beginne with them vnder a reasonable paine to vrge them to conference for why should we doubt but that God would blesse the honest endeauours of the Ministers of the truth who permits the Seducers to steale away so many hearts from God and the King Of this we may be sure that eyther God will worke that which we wish the recouery of those which are seduced or at least their obstinacie will bee without all excuse and the punishment thereof by sharpe Lawes will be no more than is iust in the sight both of God and man The neglect of this care of infidels and recusants is no small cause of that great distresse which at this day is fallen vpon the reformed Churches and God thereby calleth vpon vs to amend these defects Let vs vse our punishment well and let Gods chastisement prouoke vs to a better life though it seeme grieuous to vnderlie Gods heauy hand yet it is much more grieuous to be neuer a whit the better for the plagues for it is a second refusing of grace the same God that doth at first recommend vnto vs pietie by sweetning it with temporall blessings when that course speedeth not tryeth whether wee will bethinke our selues if we smart for our vntowardlinesse and certainly his case is desperate who is the worse for his stripes as you may reade in Gods complaint passionately exprest by Esay Cap. 1. Cap. 5. Cap. 4. by Amos and Ieremie hath illustrated it by an excellent simile of reprobate siluer which is molten in vaine because the drosse cannot bee separated from it Amend then wee must That is not enough we must be constant in our amendment we must feare God all the dayes of our life that is true Repentance when a man so turneth to God that he doth not returne againe like a dogge to his vomit or a sow to wallow in the myre Relapses are dangerous as Saint Peter teacheth 2 Pet. 2.21 and our Sauiour Christ tels the recouered lame man in the Gospel Iohn 5. Behold thou art made whole goe thy way sinne no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thee I will hearken saith the Psalmist Psal 85. what the Lord will say vnto me for he will speake peace vnto his people and to his Saints that they returne not again vnto their folly We should all remember Lots wife who for looking backe was turned into a pillar of salt Animae in vitia relabentis accusatricem a visible inditement of relapsing soules Most men are to God-ward like Planets sometimes in coniunction with him sometimes in a more or lesse aspect too often in plaine opposition but let vs take heed we be not in the number of those wandring stars of whom St. Iude speaketh to whom is reserued the blacknesse of darknesse for euer To begin well and not to go on is as if a man should put a soueraigne plaister to a dangerous wound and after a while teare it off againe thinke you that man would bee the better for his salue or the worse rather you heard before our sinnes are wounds and although repentance be a soueraigne salue yet proueth it not such vnto vs except it be lasting There is a good reason giuen by St. Bernard Cecidimus in lutum lapides our sias are like vnto fals into the myre wherein there are stones the mud doth soile vs and the stones bruise vs we may soone wash away the myre but we cannot so soone recouer our bruise euen so the guilt of our sin is sooner remitted than the corruption can be purged Therefore Repentance taketh time to restore our spirituall health and doth not compasse it but with much fasting watching praying almesdeeds c. and is watchfull ouer vs that second wounds make not the first more dangerous in a word being deliuered from our enemies and the hands of all that hate vs we endeauour to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Here are added two motiues vnto this constant amendment taken from the place wherein they liue It is true that wheresoeuer they liued they were to feare God all the dayes of their life because God is euery where a knower of the the heart a rewarder of men according to their workes But the place of their aboad put no small obligation vpon them first because it was an eminent place eminent corporally a good Land a Land flowing with milke and honey eminent mystically for it was the seate of the Church and a type of heauen and who should bee fruitfull in good workes rather than they that dwell in a fruitfull Land and holinesse beseemeth Gods house for euer But to sin in the Land of Immanuel in the Land of vprightnesse is no small improuement of sin and hee that is barren of good works in a fruitfull Land shall haue the earth that brings forth her increase rise vp in iudgement against him Our Countrey hath both
GODS not onely all-seeing Psal 13â— but also fore-seeing Eye GOD himselfe answereth the question in Ieremie concerning mans Heart Who can search that intricate and wicked labyrinth I the Lord. The LORD onely is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the Heart and we are much better knowne to him then we are to our selues This Inequalitie being obserued marke now the Apostles Inference Is our Heart condemne vs God is greater then our Heart and knoweth all things If we regard the Iudge in our bosome how much more must wee regard the Iudge of Heauen and earth if we stand in awe of the knowledge which wee haue of our selues how much more must wee reuerence the piercing eye of GOD Nay if Cain and Iudas and such other wretches were so distressed and perplexed when they were but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely condemned by themselues and it is so fearefull a thing for wickednesse to bee condemned by its owne Testimonie Wisd â—â— How will they bee at their wits end when they shall bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 arraigned before CHRIST comming in the glory of his FATHER and all his holy Angels with him when the Bookes shall be opened and the lury giue euidence vnto the Iudge according to those things that are written in those Bookes The miserie must needes be answerable and it is fit that our feare bee answerable to the miserie Certainely it is the drift of the Apostle to worke an Affection in vs sutable to the obiect that he setteth before vs. And we shall doe well to make that vse of it vse of the Inference which he maketh arguing from a condemning Conscience vnto a Condemning God whom no Iudge can equall in Omnipotencie no Iury in Omnisciencie My Text intreateth not onely of a Condemning but also of an Absoluing Conscience and it maketh a comfortable Inference thereupon And here we are first to obserue the absolute comfort of a good Conscience that from thence we may ascend vnto the Comparatiue The absolute is Boldnesse boldnesse in Iudgement for so you must vnderstand it sutably to the Argument The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freedome of speech A guiltie man is tongue tied as you may perceiue in the Parable of the Marriage Feast the man that wanted a wedding garment was no sooner asked Friend how camest thou in hither but he was euen speechlesse The eloquentest man will become mute out of the guilt of his Conscience It is no small comfort that a seruant can vtter his owne defence in the presence of his Lord. The Syriacke Paraphrase rendreth the word by Reuelationem faciei a guiltie man hangeth downe his head hee hideth his face so the Scripture describeth Cain And indeed confusion is inseparable from guilt The Philosopher can tell vs that Blushing in children is nothing but the vaile of Consciousnesse and men that doe not easily blush supply that defect by hiding their face But Innocencie needeth no such couert it shameth not to bee seene the cheerefulnesse of the countenance doeth speake vnto the world the guiltlesnesse of the Conscience St. â— Corinth 1. Paul calleth this boldnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Gloriation because it is the onely thing wherein a man may glory yea and ioy too for A good Conscience is a continuall feast Preâ— 25. Whatsoeuer mans state is in this world he can neuer be defrauded of this glorious ioy Hee that hath a good Conscience hath more comfort vnder the Crosse then hee that hath an ill Conscience can finde in the middest of all his pleasures for Conscientiam malam non sanat preconium laudantis nec bonam vulnerat conuitiantis opprobrium This is the generall comfort and therefore it is found aswell in the Iudgement of the Heart as of God But from the absolute consideration hereof let vs come to the Comparatiue If we feele this boldnesse in the inward Iudgement we shall feele it much more in the outward if the imperfect verdict of our owne Heart so cheere vs what cheere shall wee conceiue out of the perfect verdict of GOD But the boldnesse that we haue to God-ward doeth appeare specially in three things First in Prayer in that a good Heart bringeth vs to GOD Hebr. 10. in full assurance of Faith and the answere of a good Conscience maketh intercession for vs to God 1 Pet. 3. Secondly at the day of Iudgement when a man of good Conscience will not feare the wicked nor bee troubled hee standeth confident like a Lyon while the other flie A good Conscience is that same Oyle which the wise Virgines had to trimme their Lampes when they met the Bridegroome which made them stand with boldnesse before the Sonne of man Thirdly in Heauen when they shall appeare before the Throne of GOD there to attend with Angels and Saints Blessed are the pure in heart saith CHRIST for they shall see God Argue then thus If it bee comfort to behold GOD by Faith what comfort will it be to behold him by sight If it bee comfort to finde a Quietus est when we call our selues to an account what comfort will it bee to receiue our discharge from GOD if it be comfort to mee to talke familiarly with my owne Soule what comfort will it be for me to talke familiarly with GOD We must argue from the one to the other as from a finite vnto an infinite thing and so conclude the greatnesse of the one from the little taste that we haue of the other To draw towards an end The scope of this Scripture is to teach vs what vse we must make of our Conscience We should consult it before we set our selues about any morall worke and assure our selues that it is a more faithfull Counseller then are our lusts they draw vs whither themselues incline and what themselues abhorre from that they withdraw vs but the Conscience will deale most faithfully with vs it will diswade vs from nothing but that which is euill and perswade vs to nothing but that which is good And happy were wee if we would make it our guide Naturall men were lesse vnhappy if they did so for they would lesse offend GOD and should bee lesse punished Christian men were much more happy for their guide would teach them more to please GOD that they might bee more blest But if this doe not mooue vs let vs feare the aggrauating of sinne the more meanes the more guilt the more guilt the more stripes And what vse will a man make of other meanes that neglecteth this domesticke that sitteth so close to him as his owne Heart And yet see I report mee to euery mans owne Conscience whether he bee ruled lesse by aime then hee is by his owne Heart Our Conscience is furnished both with the Law and with the Gospel and how could we so enormously violate either if we would hearken vnto her if we would suffer her to direct our actions But this is rather to bee wished then