they doe not truly understand the word of God but are apt to pervert it and abuse it to the deep dishonour of God and burthen of their owne soules But those that are the sheep of Christ they heare his voyce intelligently with understanding and knowledge for these Iohn 4.26 they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are taught of God that is Iohn 16.13 of the spirit of God which teacheth them all things as Saint Iohn speakes and leads them into all truth that is all truth necessary for salvation Therefore the Apostle Paul tells us 1. Cor. 2.15 that he that is spirituall discerneth all things that is all things pertinent to spirituall happinesse Hence it is that our Saviour saith in Mathewes Gospell to the affected with his spirit Mat. 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven to you that are inspired with my spirit From all which it is cleere that the true sheep of Christ doe heare his voyce Intelligenly with true understanding and knowledge And let it be here observed that wee meane not a meere theoreticall Iam. 2 19. or bare historicall knowledge which is in the very Divells and may bee often found in ungodly men Iohn 2 4. but wee speake of a knowledge practicall according to Saint Iohn who tells us That if wee say wee know God and yet keepe not his commandements wee are liars Bern. sup Cant. Serm. 36. Sunt qui scire volunt eo sine tantum ut sciant turpis curiositas est sunt qui scire volunt ut sciantur ipsi turpis vanitas est qui prosecto non evadent substannantem Satyricum scire tuum nil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter Per. Sat. 1. Nazianz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist in primis metaphys ter◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 8.1 Arist 5. ethic 3 cap. Variaâ—uÌ„ rerum scientia sine morum cultura honestatis nil aliud est quam gladius in manu hominis suriosi Mat. 13.13 Esa 6.9 10. and the truth is not in us For those then that seeke to know onely that they may know or that seeke to know that they may bee knowne or that seeke to know that they may pervert and abuse Gods sacred truth and take his weapons to fight against himselfe these heare not the voyce of Christ Intelligently with true knowledge but to the dishonour of God and prejudice of their owne soules Therefore Gregorie Nazianzen doth well conclude Knowledge is the greatest decor and ornament of life but saith hee if thou use it not well it is the greatest evill It is true that the Heathen man speakes All men by nature desire to know but it is most ture that the Apostle speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowledge if it be not watered with the dewes of Grace is apt to puffe men up and to transport them from all true rules of Pietie Therefore the very Philosopher worthily tells us that the knowledge of divers things without practice is nothing else but as a sword in the hand of a mad man Briefly for those stupidious hearers who as our Saviour speakes doe see and yet perceive not that heare and understand not whose hearts are waxed fat in wickednesse whose eares are dull of hearing which doe as it were winke with their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their hearts c. for these they are frozen in the dreggs of their iniquitie and doe plainely shew they are no sheep of Christ for the Text is cleere His sheep doe heare his voyce that is Intelligently with true understanding and knowledge Thirdly his sheep doe heare his voyce humiliter humbly confessing their sinnes and acknowledging their transgressions Prov. 28.13 for they know that to bee true that Salomon recordes That hee that hides his sinnes shall not prosper but hee that confesseth and forsakes them shall have mercie yea they know that the promise of Gods mercie and favour is limited with this condition as Saint Iohn doth plainely witnesse 1. Iohn 1.9 If saith he wee acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive our sinnes therefore no acknowledgement no pardon But saith Chrysostom confessio reddit Deum propitium Chrysost in Psal confession makes God to be mercifull This the blessed Prophet David doth witnesse unto us by his owne experience bending his speech unto God I acknowledged my sinne saith he and thou forgavest the punishment thereof Psal 32 5. August Wherefore Augustine gives worthy advice dimitte Satanam teipsum accusa ut accusatione tua veniam habeas let Satan goe and accuse thy selfe that by thy accusation thou maiest obtaine pardon for the Apostle tells us plainely 1. Cor. 11.31 If wee would judge our selves Bern. we should not be judged Oh saith Bernard judicatus non judicandus already judged and not to be judged Gloss Quando homo detegit Deus tegit Aug. Quando homo tegit Deus denudat for as the Glosse speakes When man discovers God covers but as Augustine speakes When man covers then God discovers As we may see clearely in pernicious Cain hee braved out his sinne when God asked him for his brother hee insolently replied Gen. 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper But God discovered his bloudy treacherie to the perpetuall horror of his soule and conscience Iosh 7.18 So sacrilegious Achan cunningly concealed his private thieft but God by lott discovered him 2. Reg. 5. â—5 to the utter ruine of him and his whole family It was easie with Gehazi to deny his symonicall bribes smoothly answering Thy servant hath beene no where 2. Reg. 5.27 but God discovers it to his Master Elisha and makes him the instrument to denounce a grievous scourge against him and his posteritie for ever Acts 5. Ananias and Saphira may closely conceale their Hypocrisie they may boldly and impudently denie their private fraud but God will manifest it and by the mouth of his Apostle deprive them of all vitall power And in these our times many such may we behold that are farre from that humble hearing of Christs voyce as intirely to acknowledge their sinnes and transgressions but are apt to braue them out with a proud and an arrogant countenance And therfore doe plainely shew they are farre from being the sheepe of Christ for they doe humbly heare his voyce acknowledging and confessing their transgressions yea they are apt mournfully to cry out with the prodigall child Father Luke 15.18 19 wee have sinned against Heaven and against Thee and are no more worthy to be called thy children And indeed when was it that sinfull Mary found peace to her soule but when shee kneeled at the feet of Christ Luke 7.48 and powred forth even a flood of teares to wash the feet of Christ and wipt them with the haires of her head therein
reputing of the creature righteous which is our justification And thus we see how first Christ may be said to know his sheepe Secondly he knowes them preservatively and that internally externally First internally to preserve them from the fury and violence of sinne oh else how soone would sinne extirpe and roote out all grace from their soules but this blessed Saviour preserves them and keepes downe the violence of sinne continually nourishing in them faith and obedience Hence it comes that though grievous disertions do oft-times afflict the very sheep of Christ yet their faith never totally failes sinnes never comes to have plenall domination for as the Prophet Ieremy speakes the Lord hath written his lawes upon their hearts and as the same Prophet speakes hath so put his feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from him that is totally and altogether as afterward I shall more cleerely shew wherefore the sheepe of Christ may well say with blessed David Psal 23. The Lord is our Shepheard he restoreth our soule alas our sliding soule leades us in the paths of righteousnes even for his Names sake Thus first hee knows them preservatively internally to keep them from the fury of sin Secondly he knows them preservatively externally to keep them frō the rage of Satan his wicked complices who if they might be left unto their swinge how soon would they root out the godly from the face of the earth for as the Psalmist saith the wicked doth watch the righteous to slay him Oh how did wicked Iezabell lye in waite to destroy the fervent zelous servant of God Eliah how did cruell Saul plot and practise against innocent David nay the wicked and ungodly who love not each other yet these as we often see can be content to joyne hands together to conspire a mischiefe against the righteous Luke 23.12 Aug. in Psal 36 Conc. 2. Injusti vix se patiuntur c tunc autem secum concordant quum in perniciem iusti conspirant non quia se amant sed quia cum qui amandus erat simul oderunt Psal 129.2 3 4 Pilate and Herod will bee friends together to supplant Christ Iesus This is that which Augustine speakes The wicked can hardly abide one an other c. but saith hee then they agree together when they conspire to destroy the godly not for that they themselves love one an other but for that they both hate him whom they ought to love But let this bee the comfort of the godly that their blessed Saviour Christ Iesus hath stood for their defense and will stand for their defense for ever For the whole flock of Christ may well say They have often afflicted me from my youth oh they have often afflicted mee from my youth but they could not prevaile against me The plowers plowed upon my back and made long furrowes but the righteous Lord hath cut the cordes of the wicked Psal 34.19 For it is cleerly true that many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all he will not leave them in the hands of the wicked that is Psal 37.33 wholly altogether but will so preserve them that he wil give them happy deliverances here Rev. 21.4 or translate them where all tears shal be wiped from their eyes where there shal be no more mourning nor lamentation 1. Cor. 15.28 Psal 16 11. but God shal be all in all before whose face there 's fulnes of joyes for ever Thus we see that Christ knowes his sheepe preservatively to keepe them both from the furie of sin the rage of Satan all his pernicious cōplices Not that the knowledge of God is remissive by proper speaking but in regard of effects Esa 59.2 Thirdly he doth know them remissively that is to forgive and pardon all their sins and their transgressions Oh this is the speciall happinesse of a Christian condition for how grievous a thing is sinne it separates betweene the Creator and the creature For one sinne and that but in thought the Angells were cast out of Heaven Gen. 3.17 Gen. 6.7 Gen. 18.20 For sinne Adam was thrown out of Paradise For sin the old world was drowned and those flourishing cities Sodom and Gomorrah Deut. 19.23 Admah and Zeboim were consumed with fire from Heaven Oh saies the Prophet Ieremie Lam. 3.39 wherefore is the living man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne yea so grievous a thing is sinne that when once the greatnesse of it is discerned and the deepnesse of Gods judgements against it oh how it terrifies the soule It made Cain to cry out My sinne is greater than can be forgiven Gen. 4.13 Mat. 27.5 It made Iudas to lay violent hands upon himselfe yea it sometimes strickes no small terror into the very Saints of God It made David to cry out Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head and are as a waightie burthen too heavy for me to beare We see when that innocent lambe Christ Iesus did beare the burthen of our sinnes oh how they plunged him Mat. 6.38 they made him mournfully complaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is heavy round about unto the death Matt. 26.39 they made him grovell upon the earth they made him distill downe sweat like drops of blood and at length to cry out Luke 22.44 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh then how grievous a thing is sinne Mat. 27.46 how happy are they that have the remission and pardon thereof that well might David say Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiven whose sinne is covered that is from the revenging eye of Gods justice Oh blessed these for they have great peace of conscience Rom. 5.1.8 assurance that God is their loving Father assurance that they are coheires with Christ of his glorious kingdome Heb. 9.14 blessed therefore are these Rom. 8.17 Hence it is that the Apostle Paul doth place our whole justification in this speciall point Remission of sinnes the privative forme thereof From all which it is cleere that the blessednesse of a Christian doth not consist in this Rom. 4 7. that hee hath no sinne or that God cannot see any sinne in him but in this that his sinnes are pardoned and not imputed to him for the precious merits and satisfaction of Iesus Christ and therefore when these doe at any time through frailtie and weakenesse fall into any sinne God doth punish these onely correctively to amend them and bring them home to himselfe not vindictively to condemne them for their sinnes Rom. 8.1 for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus And thus we see that Christ doth know his sheep remissively to pardon and forgive their iniquities Come I now unto the third generall Prosecution and they follow him that is in a threefold manner willingly patiently perseveringly First willingly not
upon them seemes to draw into an utter oblivion And thus we see that sinne is fitly compared to a Fever to a Leprosie to a Phrensie to a Lethargie Oh now what shall this impresse within us Is this the nature of sinne is it a disease a disease so grievous so hard to bee cured how well might this instruct us to relinquish sinne to bee warie how we entertaine that dangerous maladie But what may we not here stand a pauld and amaz'd may we not well cry out oh tempora oh mores for what heart can conceive what eare hath heard or what tongue can expresse the miserie of these times oh that the eternall power would inspire some power of his spirit to make our dull and earthie mindes fit to record and apt to utter some breviat of this wicked age Alas forsake our sinnes warie how we give entertainment to sinne a strange discourse oh how the flintie heart returnes it back againe and seemes to eccho in my eares Tush tush a voyce for heaven but not for earth what should we become the wonder of the world t is not the fashion of this strong stomackt age to make a question how full they gorge themselves with sinne Most true indeed what can bee more cleere The opinion of the world for now the trade of sin is growne full ripe * hee is held a sot of no regard that treads but ordinarie stepps of sinne but dives he downe to hell and fetch he thence some strange unheard of damned plot that may amaze the minde astonish modest eares and be a wonder to the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 câ—leritas ad nequitiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malignè diligens Such amongst other of this time seeme those to be in the Romish iudgement that plotted that horrid stratagem the powder-treason hath he not only as Basill speakes a notable dexteritie to invent mischiefe but as Eustathius speakes becomes most diligent and watchfull to put it in practice oh he is the man surpassing wise a worthy polititian oh none to him Those grosse and common sinnes ebrietie adulterie base usurie and foule blasphemie become such hacknies of the world so frequent and familiar in every place that these they seeme no sinnes at all they will tell you they can prescribe If you commence a suit they will plead a custome If you urge it further they will prohibit and draw you downe to the judgment of the world Egregious wickednesse reckoned by unhallowed spirits for wise political inventions where you may bee sure they will prove their suggestions So that these foule sinnes by their communitie and continuitie seeme to have purchased to themselves such a kinde of immunitie that you may behold them to walke up and downe the streets without controule very gravely very gentleman-like as if they had nothing to doe with the societie of hell as if these were no sinnes at all for in this deepe transgressing age nothing seemes worthy of that name The indulgent judgement that men use to have of sin and wickednes but some horrid-acted stratagem that may seeme to put the very Divells themselves to schoole now none seeme to bee wicked but such as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extreamely wicked wicked as it were beyond comparison oh such bee our times so strange bee our affections but oh wretched creatures whither doe you bend your course oh see your estate observe your condition you are full of foule diseases your soules are laden with the burning Fever of sinne with a loathsome Leprosie whose great contagion is ready to make a separation betwixt you and your God alas with a violent Phrensie which makes you warre against God grow insensible of your miserie and smile when your destruction approacheth even with a grievous Lethargie which makes you sleepe in sin and continue in wickednesse never remembring either heavenly joyes or hellish miseries And what will you still remaine in this estate will you take no notice of your great distresse shall neither the burning of the Fever nor the contagion of the Leprosie nor the violence of the Phrensie nor the oblivion of the Lethargie worke any impression upon you shall they be no motives to you to make you forsake your impieties and to become warie how you entertaine any sinne which ever carries with it the nature of all these grievous diseases Oh then what can remaine to you but endlesse woe and miserie what can be your estate but as David spake of the mountaines of Gilboa never dewes to fall on you more no showres of grace to mollifie your hearts but as you have begun in sinne so to end in sinne through the strength of your disease by which you have so violently resisted the sweet fountaines of Gods mercies so often compassing your soules But blessed bee the hills of Armenia which give rest unto the Arke of the Lord oh blessed those that give way to this voyce of God and become moved to forsake their sinnes and cautious how they ever entertaine that grievous disease which seekes to inthrall them with an incurable distresse And thus much for the action Metaphorically set forth in the word heale plainely shewing sinne to bee a dangerous disease and consequently never able to bee cured by any but by God himselfe as the principall efficient which concludes the scope of my first part the matter subject I will heale Proceed wee now unto the second generall the predicate Rebellions I will heale their Rebellions When sinnes of infirmitie or sinnes of ignorance are committed these doe taint the soule and make it liable to eternall death Rom. 6.23 for the reward of sinne of any sinne whatsoever is death but when wee lade our selves with rebellions sinnes pertinaciously committed and continued in against our knowledge and our conscience oh these may well be said to exasperate and incense a speedie passage of Gods justice against us for as the Prophet Samuell speakes Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie as proceeding from the same loathsome sinke an incredulous unbeleeving heart yet even this great wickednesse the Lord is content to heale and cure it to the repentant and truly humbled I will heale their Rebellions plainely shewing that great sinnes limit not Gods mercies but if we truly mourne for sinne and become sincerely humbled for our impieties endeavouring to apply his blessed mercies unto them desiring them in the merit and mediation of that loving Saviour Iesus Christ he will not faile to heale even the rebellious soares of our soules When bloudy Cain and treacherous Iudas had committed great and grievous wickednesse whence was it that they perished in their evills alas not because Gods mercies were not able to cure them but because they desperately despaired never fixed eye upon those soveraigne comforts Wee may see in Mathewes Gospell our Saviour tells us he would have gathered together wicked and rebellious Ierusalem as the hen her
or excusing them And Hercules after he had slaine his wife and children became so perplexed in conscience that in the horror of it he concluded Nemo pollutojqueat animo mederi none of a polluted conscience can be cured And Aristotle was able to say of the wicked in the 9. of his Ethicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zeph. 3.5 therefore Alexander a heathen man having slaine his deare friend Clitus became grievously troubled in his conscience his very conscience accusing him for that barbarous and savage cruelty Thirdly they knew this distributive or iudiciarie iustice of God by the examples of Gods iustice for that hath beene true and shall bee true for ever which the Lord sets down by the Prophet Zephany Every morning doth hee bring his iudgements to light and faileth not Therefore when Tull. Hostilius was slaine by lightning from heaven and his house burned the Gentiles understood this to bee the iustice of God against him for his irreligious exorcismes So that wee see it cleere the Gentiles did know this iudiciarie iustice of God yet wilfully against their owne knowledge and conscience they committed things worthy of death A grievous wickednesse for if every sinne deserve death even sinnes of infirmitie and ignorance as the Prophet David doth witnesse and therefore doth cry out unto God Psal 19.12 Oh clense me from my secret sinnes how much more sinnes of wilfulnesse committed against the full swinge of knowledge and conscience 1. Ioh. 3.8 as were the sinnes of these Gentiles for knowing the iustice of God they committed them therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 1.18 They detayned the truth in unrighteousnesse they knew it but they wilfully reiected it Now saith our Saviour Luke 12.47 Hee that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes And wee may see that the Prophet Samuel calls the sinne committed against knowledge and conscience 1. Sam. 15.23 a rebellion and compares it to those great sinnes witchcraft and idolatrie and Saul being guilty of this the Lord reiects him for ever What should this then impresse within us beloved in Christ Iesus oh how well might it serve to instruct us to be cautious how we entertaine or live in any sinne against our knowledge and our conscience First to be cautious how wee entertaine any sinne against our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 for if as Saint Iohn speakes our conscience condemne us God is greater than our conscience and knoweth all things If therefore wee commit those things that our owne knowledge and our conscience is able to condemne us and pronounce iudgement against us for it how much more then shall the Lord condemne us and iudge us for these sinnes to whom they are farre better knowne than to our owne consciences Besides if our conscience bee able now to accuse us for these sinnes how much more shall it bee able to doe it at the finall iudgement Rev. 20.12 when the bookes shall bee opened even the booke of conscience and by the vigour of the divine power shall bee made able to call to remembrance all the thoughts words and actions whatsoever Rom. 2.15 had spoken or done by us and to accuse us or excuse us for them according as they have been agreeable or dissenting from the Law of God how much more then shall our consciences bee able to accuse us for all our sinister passages when they shall be thus opened and as it were quickned and awaked by the mighty power of God for oftentimes in this life through the long habite and continuance in sinne the conscience becomes as it were dead and the dictamen or voyce thereof strangely quailed but at length the Lord shall quicken it even the conscience of the most wicked as he did somtimes Cains which made him cry out Gen. 4.13 My sin is greater than can be forgiven or as he did somtimes Iudases which did so torment him that it made him bring backe his base corrupted hyer and to throw it downe at the feet of the Priests and Elders Matt. 27. openly confessing I have sinned betraying the innocent blood and as weary of his life desperately deprived himselfe of all vitall power Oh therefore be we cautious how we entertaine sinne against our knowledge and our conscience Secondly be we cautious how we live in any sinne against our knowledge and our conscience for this is a dangerous estate for saving Faith receives no impression where the conscience is wounded with plenall raigning sinnes committed against our knowledge and our conscience Therefore the Apostle ioynes these two together 1. Tim. 1.19 Faith and a good conscience that is a conscience purged and purified from raigning sinnes for these doe vastare conscientiam they wast and destroy the conscience therfore to these there is no comfort no peace with God no peace in conscience for there is no peace Esay 48 2◠saith the Lord unto the wicked In these that thus live in sin committed with full consent of will against their knowledge and their conscience there is no pietie nor religion there is no true feare of God nor obedience unto his sacred Word Psal 36.1 Oh that wee would therefore be cautious how wee live in any sinne against our conscience for if the Gentiles as the Apostle shewes us had no pretext to excuse their sins whose chiefest Schoolemaster to shew them Gods iustice against their sinnes was yet but the light of Nature if these were voyde of excuse oh then what shal we say to our selves If we live in sinnes against our knowledge our conscience even those grosse sinnes which wee see daily familiarly entertained drunkennesse adulterie deceit oppression envie malice and that hell-bred sinne of usurie how inexcusable shall we be to live in these sinnes who have not only the light of Nature Rom. 6.23 but the cleere and manifest word of God to shew us the iustice of God against these sinnes nay the excellent and precious gospell of Christ Marke 1.15 promising to the repentant that forsake their sinnes and beleeve this sacred truth Ioh. 3.16 17 18. eternall felicitie and happinesse oh then how voyde of pretext shall we be yea how greatly shall this aggravate iudgement against us to live in sinnes against our knowledge and our conscience to whom Gods iustice is so cleerly manifested Heb. 2.2 3. to whom so great meanes is afforded to reclaime us and recall us Oh know we if we against our knowledge and conscience will thus still continue our violence in sinne notwithstanding this great meanes afforded us it shall bee easier for these Gentiles at the day of iudgement than for us And thus much beloved for my first generall part the pollution of the Gentiles in respect of their owne proper sinnes Come I now unto the second observed generall the pollution of the Gentiles in respect of the sinnes of others which the Apostle sets downe as a deep
the equitie of God in punishing sinne First the blindnesse of man in corrupted nature from the pluralitie of the sinnes committed for the Apostle saith not they committed some thing worthy of death but things worthie of death Secondly the patience of God that he forbears to throw them downe to death though they commit things worthy of death Thirdly the equitie of God that hee throwes down none to death but for things worthy of death And first for the foremost the blindnesse of man in corrupted nature intimated from the pluralitie of the sinnes committed It is a grievous and a miserable estate to commit any thing worthie of death that is of eternall death the due reward of sinne Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.23 for what is the force of eternall death oh exceeding grievous It doth not only sever a man from all joy from all blisse and glorie but loads him with all woe and miserie inwardly with the sting and worme of conscience to torment him outwardly with burning fire for ever to afflict him and yet never consume him for as S. Augustine speakes the motion of the heaven ceasing there shall be no passion materiall but spirituall Aug. l. 21. de Civit. Dei Cessante motu coeli nulla fiet passio materialis sed spiritualis But man blinded with corrupted nature discernes not this whence it comes to passe that he doth not only cōmit some thing worthy of death but things worthie of death even manie foule and odious sinnes thereby increasing the eternall wrath and judgement of God against him For as the sinne so shall be the punishment manie sinnes manie punishments One sinne may bring thee to eternall condemnation but many sinnes will aggravate the judgment and heape up an increase of wrath We know what the Lord speakes by the Prophet Esay Esa 28.17 that hee will lay judgement to the rule and Christ himselfe tells us that as Babylon hath sinned Rev. 18.7 so shee shall bee rewarded But corrupted man hee takes no knowledge of this therefore hee goes on every houre increasing his judgement for everie houre hee commits things worthy of death Oh thinke you if wicked Pharaoh had truly discerned that the multiplying of sinne had multiplyed the judgements of God against him As we may see from Exod. 3. to 14. would hee then so often have opposed the expresse voyce of the Lord Or thinke you that if pernicious Abab had truely understood that his deepe heape of sinnes would have drawne a deepe heape of judgements against him 1. King 21.25 would hee have committed so many things worthy of death would he have sold himselfe to commit wickednesse Oh by no meanes Or can we thinke that if that Epicure spoken of by our Saviour Christ had truely discerned that his heape of impieties Luke 16. his pampered feeding his unhallowed drunken discourses his cruell uncharitable affection that would heare no plaint nor mourning of poor distressed Lazarus that yet did crave but the crummes that fell from his Table thinke we if hee had truely discerned that his foule heape of sinnes would have brought upon him such a heape of punishments as to force him to cry out for one drop of water such a drop as might hang but on the tip of a finger Vers 24. and that poore Lazarus should bring it whom before he held so base as not worthy of the crummes that fell from his table and that to coole but the furie of his tongue onely a small request only one dip of but the tip of a finger to coole only the raging heat of one small part oh slender ease and if it had beene granted but can we thinke that if hee had truely understood that his so great heape of sinnes would have acquired so great a heape of iudgements that ever he would have contracted them oh void of question hee would not Or shall wee thinke that if the ungodly creatures of these times that runne headlong the path of sinne and wickednesse did cleerly see their miserable estate would they then commit so many things worthie of death to the daily increase of their punishment would they so violently reiect all exhortations all motions of the spirit and so furiously heape up sinne upon sinne adding not onely rebellion to their sinnes but strength to their rebellions oh void of question they would not But alas they are covered over with the darke veyle of sinne and corrupted nature so that they doe not truly discerne their miserable estates This was the condition of the Gentiles for although they knew in the generall that they which committed such things were worthy of death yet in the particular application they failed for in the soule of man two things are to bee considered the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respects the understanding which comprehends certaine principles of nature as that murther adulterie and such like be sins and worthy of punishment the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respects the conscience which makes the assumption or particular application after this manner But we have committed such things therefore we are worthy of punishment Now observe wee that in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or generall apprehension of the understanding the Gentiles discerned these things to be sinne and worthy of death but in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or particular application of the conscience they greatly failed namely that they were guiltie of these and therefore that eternall death belonged unto them From all which cleerly appeares the veritie of my first observation the blindnesse of man in corrupted nature intimated from the pluralitie of the sins committed for in this estate hee goes on in sinne hee commits things even many things worthy of death to heape up judgement and to aggravate his punishment Oh what shall this then inforce unto us but earnestly to labour for the grace of Gods spirit to purge and drive out this corrupted nature for were men once truly seasoned with the strength of heavenly grace it would make them mourne and deplore their sinne and transgression Psa 6.7 as blessed David speakes of himselfe Every night saith he did I make my bed to swim and watered my couch with my teares and no marvell Seneca for vulnera clausa plus cruciant wounds being stopt they are the more grievous but saith Chrysostome mournfull teares are as it were the spunges of sinnes to wipe them and wash them cleane away Chrys Lachrimae sunt spongia peccatorū Yea grace that worthy vertue would make them see the odiousness of the intertaine of sinne how displeasing it is to God and burthensome to the soule as wee may cleerely see in religious Ioseph who being truly seasoned with the graces of Gods spirit would not be drawne to commit wickednesse by any perswasion but in contempt of it breakes forth Gen. 39.9 How should I commit this wickednes and so sin against
servants of God may be said to be iust subiectively or inhesively onely inchoatively which is their sanctification relatively imputatively Christs righteousnesse thorough faith being reckoned and imputed as theirs which is their iustification Againe secondly by voluntarie obedience one may be said to be iust so was Adam iust in the state of innocencie so is it most truely said of Christ who by his voluntarie and perfect obedience fulfilled the whole law of God Thirdly by nature one may be said to be iust that eyther as made so by the benefite of another or else originally by himselfe and of his owne nature in the first kinde it may be truly spoken in like manner of the first Adam who was just by nature as being made so by the benefit and bountie of his Creator and most truely may it also be spoken of the second Adam Christ Iesus who was conceived in the wombe of a virgin without any spot of sinne by the vertuall operation of the holy Ghost But now concerning God hee is just in a farre different and farre more excellent manner for hee is not made just but he is just originally of himselfe and by himselfe in his essence and nature therefore it is onely true of God that hee is simpliciter justus simplie just which cannot be said of any other thing whatsoever for although it may bee said of the regenerate that by remission of sinnes and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse they are perfectly just yet it is false and erroneous to say that they are simply just nay Christ himselfe although as hee is man he may be said to be just naturally habitually and hypostatically yet simply he cannot be said to be because whatsoever justice he hath as he is man hee hath it by participation from his divine nature But God is so just that hee is his owne justice for justice is not in God as an accident in the subject or by way of composition but of essentiall union for all the proprieties of God are essentiall he is essentially just hee is essentially good and therefore justice and goodnesse it selfe and consequently it is true onely of God that he is simply just This our Saviour Christ doth plainely witnesse Mat. 19.17 who tells us There is none good but God that is simply and absolutely good as of himselfe and by himselfe nay if we speake properly and strictly none can bee said to be so much as perfectly good Quod tale est ex participatione imperfectè tale est or perfectly just or perfectly holy neither Angells nor men for it is a cleere rule that that which is such as it is by participation is imperfectly such as the water or iron made hoat by the fire is imperfectly hoat as having their heat not naturally but accidentally and by participation And thus we see how God may bee said to bee just namely simply and absolutely in a farre more excellent manner than any other thing whatsoever as being originally and essentially just But come wee now to consider what is meant by justice in this place for although properly there be but one justice in God as there is but one essence yet in regard of the divers respects or divers persons which God in a certaine kinde may bee said to beare his justice also may bee said to bee divers As he is a most free Lord doing whatsoever he pleaseth In regard of divers respects God may be said to be just in a fourefold manner Vt liber Dominus Vt Deus omnium Vt Deus Pater electoruÌ„ Vt omnium Iudex As a free Lord as the God of all as the God and Father of the elect as the Iudge of all his will is his justice as he is the Creator Conserver and Governour of all things his goodnesse is his iustice as hee is a speciall Favourer of the elect his mercie and his truth in his promises is his iustice as he is the Iudge of all giving to every one according to his workes his due punishment of the nocent and absolving of the innocent is his iustice which is the iustice which is meant in this place and is called the distributive or iudiciarie iustice of God because by it he gives unto every one according to his workes Now observe we this distributive or iudiciarie iustice of God the heathen knew and that in a threefold kinde by the light of nature by the testimony of their owne consciences and by the examples of Gods iustice in the world First by the light of nature they knew many divine things as that their was an eternall power for they concluded Euripides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nuncupavit that this glorious frame of the world had some excellent builder They had also some knowledge of the providence of God that it is hee that disposeth and worketh all things Anaxag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is God that disposeth and worketh all things To which purpose also speakes Orpheus Sophocles Pythagonas with divers others Phocylides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soule is immortall never waxing old liveth ever The Chaldaean precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phocylid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plat. in Gorgia Virg. Aeneid 6. And Dâ—aco a Heathen man so farre discerned this judiciarie justice that he appointed death for all sinnes the light of Nature teaching him that sinne deserved death Rom. 2.15 they also understood the immortalitie of the soule as besides divers others Phocylides doth plainely witnesse The soule saith he is immortall never waxing old but living ever They had some knowledge of a place of ioy and comfort provided for it as the Chaldean precept doth witnesse Seeke Paradise the most splendant region of the soule they had some tast of that great point the resurrection of the body as the former Author Phocylides doth manifestly testifie We hope saith he shortly to returne from the earth to the light that is an eternall and a heavenly light And concerning this distributive or iudiciarie iustice the subiect of this discourse by the light of nature they also plainely understood it as amongst others Hierocles doth testifie who shewing a reason why the ungodly would not have their soules to bee immortall speakes after this manner A wicked man saith he would not have his soule to be immortall lest hee should come to the iudge that is the eternall iudge there to bee tormented with punishments Yea hence it was that Plato a heathen man did appoint Elisian fieldes unto them of upright conversation and an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or place of torment for the wicked the very light of nature teaching him this distributive iustice of God Wherefore we see first of all that the heathen knew this iustice of God by the light of nature Secondly they knew it by the testimony of their owne consciences for as the Apostle speakes their conscience did beare them witnesse either accusing them