immediately vpon their Creation after Gods Image how foully were they ouer-reacht by the Serpent How shamefully did they plunge themselues in sinne in the full integritie of their nature And if they could stand so little in the fulnesse of grace how little shall we bee able to stand that come so short of their their measure Least therefore we make no vse of our abilitie God must be pleased to doe for vs that which he was not pleased to doe for them hee must in compassion of our frailtie either keepe off temptations or arme vs against them hee must giue vs grace to make vse of his grace In any other sense to conceiue that the first grace is indifferent and our will doth determine it is an Arminian dreame Not that we are excusable if hauing abilities we doe not vse them for temptations worke not physically but morally perswade they may they cannot compell and it is plaine that wee doe not vse that care and conscience in trying the fallacies wherewith wee are tempted to disbelieue God and those allurements which endeauour to withdraw vs from God as wee doe in reading the discourses of humane Arts and entertaining aduises concerning our worldly State Therefore wee are without all excuse and should iustly perish for our sinne when wee neglect the meanes that are giuen vs of God inward or outward And indeed all would so perish that haue them because all would so neglect them did not God as well follow as preuent some with his grace prouide by a second that they receiue not the first grace in vaine You haue not yet heard the vttermost that God doth for vs toward the performance of this condition for the condition must bee performed not for a day or a yeare but all our life long it is not enough for to heare Gods voyce to day and to morrow to despise it to day to bee true to him and to bee false to morrow our Faith and our Charitie must be as lasting as our life But alas our faith and our charity haue their wanings they fall often into a sowne wee breake euery day with God and if wee breake with him hee is no longer bound to vs yet he doth not so deale with vs nor take the aduantage which wee doe giue him hee is like a kind Landlord who when his Tenant neglecteth his Couenant and he by vertue of the Lease may make a re-entry forbeares and giues his Tenant leaue to salue the forfeiture hee is long-suffering toward vs and giueth vs space to repent and returne to our good God which is alwayes ready to receiue vs vnto grace and to pardon our offences Yet we may not presume of this vpon the Couenant for when God doth it hee doth it vpon another ground vpon the ground of Predestination Yea that which the kindest Land lord vseth not to doe God out of his goodnesse doth supply vs with those helpes whereby wee may recouer againe his fauour by the ministry of his word or some other meanes hee seasonably worketh in vs repentance and faith and indeed this is a great hight of grace Philip. 〈◊〉 that hee that beginnineth this good worke in vs will perfect it to the day of the Lord that wee are thus preserued by the power of God and that hee doth so put his feare into vs 1. Pet. 1. that wee depart not from him totally or finally What shall wee say then to these things Seeing that God by grace is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the author and the finisher of the performance of the condition required therefore though wee performe what wee are commanded yet must wee giue him the glory and hee that doth glory must glory in the Lord. I will shut vp this first obseruation with two good Admonitions The first shall bee this when wee receiue these commands from God Heare my voyce keepe my Couenant let vs humbly pray with Saint Austin Da domine quod iubes iube quod vis Lord enable mee to obey thee and then lay vpon me what commandement thou wilt Or rather if you will let vs pray as the Church teacheth vs when wee heare the ten Commandements Lord haue mercie vpon vs and encline outr hearts to keepe thy Law And God giue vs all this Spirit of Grace and Prayer 1. Epist 1. The second admonition let vs take from Saint Peter Brethren giue all diligence by the practice of Christian vertues to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things you shall neuer fall If wee follow the first admonition God will not bee wanting vnto vs if the second wee shall not bee wanting vnto our selues Thus much of the first Obseruation The second followeth We must not sticke at that which God requires because that which God offers doth infinitely exceed it That which God requires is neither thanke worthy nor in comparison of any worth It is not thanke worthy for what thankes doth a man deserue for yeilding that which he doth otherwise owe to God nay which God as before you haue heard doth giue him to bestow I will not againe amplifie these two points I adde a third what thankes doth a man deserue for working his owne perfection for to heare Gods voice and to keepe his Couenant are the perfection both of our head and of our heart they were first qualified for this vse and this vse is their happinesse It is true that so long as Concupiscence doth distemper our soule these imployments at first are not so pleasing they rellish as medicines to a sicke bodie And if you marke it well this is no small difference betweene Vertue and Vice wickednesse is sweete in the mouth and a man hideth it vnder his tongue but when hee hath swallowed it it is like the gall of Aspes vnto his conscience but with vertue it is cleane otherwise the first time wee enter thereupon is the harshest time Eccles 6. Vers 24 25. the longer wee are acquainted the better friends shall we be Put thy feet saith the sonne of Syracke into wisdomes fetters and thy necke into her chaine bow downe thy shoulder and beare her and be not grieued with her bonds Vers 28 29. for at last thou shalt find rest and it shall be turned to thy ioy For then shall her fetters be a strong defence for thee and her chaine a robe of glorie He that maketh his eare liable to Gods voice maketh his eare happie and he maketh his heart happie that maketh it stedfast in the Couenant of God for wherein can hee take more contentment And doth a man deserue thankes for thus bringing his owne person to perfection Put the case these things were thanke worthy yet certainly in comparison they are but of little worth for of what worth is the obedience of a seruant in regard of the fauour of a Soueraigne that vouchsafeth him to bee his Fauourite Of what worth is our loue of God which is our
viatoris I wil follow this point no farther By this time I doubt not but you conceiue that the Israelites in their answere were ouer confident they presumed too much of their abilitie Râ—m 8. especially of the extent thereof they did not know what was impossible to the Law by reason of the flesh And yet mistake not there is a vertue in this vice Neither is their confidence so blameable but there is something commendable in it When a father willeth something to be done by his child the child doth not so much consider what it can doe as what it would doe and therefore vndertaketh euen beyond its strength The father that seeth it doth not so much dislike the vanitie of the attempt as hee liketh the willingnesse to obey he delighteth in the good nature of his child and desires that his abilities may be answerable to his endeauours And in this sort did God take the answere of the Israelites as it appeares in the speech which he made to Moses when he presented the like words vnto him I haue heard saith he the voice of the words of this people they haue well sayed all that they haue spoken so he commends their confidence But to giue them to vnderstand that they vndertooke more then they were able to performe Deut. 5. God addeth a wish O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare mee and keepe my Commandements alwayes For nullius momentiest subitus affectus nisi accedat perseuerandi constantia As the parable of the two Sonnes Matth. 21. plainely sheweth God foresaw that all this profession of the Israelites was in them but a flash of a temporarie faith Psal 79. such as out of temptation appeares in most of vs. For if we be preuented with grace yea in many good things out of the light of nature we assent vnto the truth of Gods Law and our hearts incline to the good thereof Yea if we sit Iudges in other mens cases and are not transported with preiudice and acceptance of the persons we manifest this assent and inclination to the Law of God in generall in our dooming of other men but we doe not cast vp our owne accounts When our owne case commeth a foote and wee are exercised with any particular temptation then Gods wish is necessarie O that there were in them such a heart It is necessarie euen for those that haue beene so forward to say and that commendably All that the Lord hath commanded we will doe Let vs then know that the strictnesse of Gods charge serues onely to exercise our faith in Christ to inflame our loue towards God and to encourage our hope of perfection in heauen Multum ille in hac vita profecit qui quam longe sit a perfectione Iustitiae proficiende cognoscit But I draw to an end This answere did the Israelites make vnto the message that was sent from Mount Sinai what answere then must wee make vnto the message that commeth to vs from Mount Sion The yoke that Moses put vpon them was grave an heauie yoke Acts 15.10 Matth. 11.30 the yoke that Christ putteth vpon vs is suave an easie yoke The easier our charge the readier should be our acceptance it could not bee so commendable in them to vnder take beyond their abilitie as it will bee shamefull in vs if wee come short of them in expressing our forwardnesse to obey God For if their state were glorious ours doth much more exceed in glorie 2. Cor. 3. What remaineth then but that we oblige our selues chearefully to the Couenant of Grace and penitently bewaile our manifold defects in obseruing our obligation and that in our conflicts when wee are driuen to cry out O wretch that I am who shall deliuer mee c. Rom. 7 2â— wee answere Thankes be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord I conclude all with that passage in the Psalme Lord thou hast commanded that we should keepe thy precepts diligently and let Dauids wish bee euery one of ours Oh that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes The seuenth Sermon EXODVS 19. VERS 9. And the Lord said vnto Moses Loe I come vnto thee in a thicke Cloud that the people may heare when I speake with thee and beleeue thee for euer YOu may remember that I brake this whole Chapter into two parts a mutuall stipulation that passed betweene God and the Israelites and a preparation of the parties for so great a worke as was the promulgation of the Law I haue spoken of the mutuall stipulation it followeth that I now come on to the preparation This preparation is first ordered then the parties being orderly prepared doe meet each other The order for Gods preparation is set downe in this verse for the Israelites in many Verses following Touching Gods preparation we must obserue first that hee will vouchsafe his presence at this great worke I come to thee Secondly touching Gods presence the Text will teach vs the Manner and the End The Manner is such as beseemeth the person and fitteth the businesse as it beseemeth the person so it is maiesticall as it fitteth the businesse so it is mysticall both are included in the thicke Cloud The End of Gods presence was partly to grace Moses who was to be the Law-giuer that the people may heare when I speake with thee and partly to dispose the people aright who were to receiue the Law that they may beleeue thee for euer These be the points and they are remarkeable therefore are they prefaced with a note of attention Loe which will also direct our application it is remarkeable that God was present it is remarkeable that his presence was full of maiestie and mysterie the countenance which God vouchsafeth Moses is remarkeable and remarkeable is that disposition towards Moses which God requires in Israel I beseech you therefore in the feare of God to marke these points diligently whilst I cleere them vnto you briefly and in their order I come God vouchsafeth his presence at the worke and is this strange Must this haue a Loe put vpon it Is it strange for God to doe that which hee cannot chuse but doe Acts 7.49 For hee filleth heauen and earth heauen is his throne the earth is his footstoole reade the 139 Psalme and see whether a man can be any where without the presence of God Hee beareth vp all things by the word of his power saith the Apostle therefore it is not strange that God should be present at this work who is euery where it is rather strange that God should be said to come to it as if he changed the place of his presence which he cannot doe because he is infinite Obserue therefore that though God be euerywhere alike in regard of his being yet in regard of his being manifest he is not euery where alike now it is not his being but his being manifest that is meant in this place therefore
our choyce that we pitch vpon a good guide wherein the Scripture bids vs take heed of two Rockes the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must neither our selues forge a Religion neither receiue any that is forged by others for guiding of our conscience as we must not be without Law so must we take heed what Law we vse And indeed we may vse none safely but The Law of God in such cases Lanes 4.12 that of the Apostle is true There is but one Lawgiuer no Law but his bindes vnto that for performance whereof we may securely expect that he will performe what in the Couenant for his part hee hath promised vnto vs. Many commendations wee read in prophane Writers of the the Lawes of Solon Lycurgus Zaleuchus and others but these must all be as imperfect as the Law-giuers whether we respect the Precepts or the Sanctions none comprehending exactly the Dutie of Man and therefore not being able to set Man in the way to the attaining of his Soueraigne Good This is peculiar to the Law of God But what is meant by the Law of God Surely the Law deliuered by Moses whereof the Prophets were but Interpreters and their Interpretation shewes the largenesse of the Text namely That the Gospell is included in the Law for the Decalogue cloathed with the Ceremonies what is it but Implicitum Euangelium The substance of the Gospell which is Saluation by Repentance and Faith in Christ And so must we vnderstand not onely Moses his commendations of the Law Deut. 4. but King Dauids also Psal 19. and 119 the truth whereof cannot be acknowledged if the Law and the Gospell be taken Oppositè and not Compositè if we oppose the one to the other and doe not by the one put comfort into the other Certainely in this place we must so vnderstand the Law because it is made the Way to Blisse And marke that here One Law of God is opposed vnto the three degrees of Sinne The Counsell of the wicked The way of Sinners and The Seat of the Scorners one to three to giue vs to vnderstand that what those three promise is performed in this One no true Counsell but in this Law no good Course but that whereinto wee are set by this Law and if we will be Doctors and despise the folly of others we must sit in Moses Chaire we must professe no other but the Law of God And thus much of that Whereunto we must be dedicated Let vs uow see How Wee must first receiue it in the Inward Man the word vsed by the Psalmist is Chephetz which signifies Voluntatem and Voluptatem and notes where and what entertainment wee must first giue vnto The Law Where in our Will so we finde in the tenour of the Couenant This shall be my Couenant Iere. 31.33 which I will make with the House of Israel saith the Lord I will write my Lawes in their Hearts c. God will not haue a seruile Dedication hee will not bee serued by compulsion and therefore those that serue him are called Psal 110. A willing People Neither can the seruice be reasonable wherein the Will is wanting for the Actions are not counted ours wherein the Will hath no part seeing it is by vertue of the Will that a Man is Dominus actionum suarum a free Agent neither is any Action free but that which is done willingly though we cannot partake of the Law but by our Vnderstanding yet is the principall obiect of the Law our Will for Theologia is Scientia not Theoretica but Practica wee learne not the Law for to know it but to doe it Adde hereunto that Inclinatio voluntatis is Inclinatio totius suppositi it is not without cause that God requires the Will seeing the Will hath power to sway the whole Man especially if the Will be Chephetz ioyned with Delight for so God doth require the Heart hee will haue it seasoned with Loue Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and Loue is the fulfilling of the Law King Dauid opens this Delight 1. Tim. 1.5 Psal 19. when he tels vs that the Law was sweeter than Honey and the Honey-combe the meaning of it is we must not be mercenarie but the pleasure we take in it must-be the cause why we entertaine it And marke the phrase His delight is in the Law Multi habent Legem in Corde sed non Cor in Lege saith Hugo de S. Victore Many treasure vp the Law in their hearts that doe not solace their hearts in the Law they only know it these also delight in it Saint Austin obserues a Distinction betweene In Lege and Sub Lege Qui est in Lege secundum Legem agit He whose heart is in the Law followes the direction of the Law Qui est sub Lege à Lege agitur he whose heart is vnder the Law Rom. 7.22 entertaines it rather of constraint then with a willing minde but wee must Delight in the Law of God in the Inward man as the Apostle speaketh For as ground is fruitfull not by receiuing but by liking of the seed Euen so man becomes not Religious by knowing but by affecting of the Law Amor est virtus Vniens by Loue doth a man become one with the Law yea himselfe is turned into a liuing Law for men are alwayes busie about that wherein they take Delight and the Law being receiued into the inwaâ—d man will ouer-spread the whole man which is implyed in the next branch He meditates on that Law To Meditate on the Law is First to ruminate on the Scripture and sound the depth of it for the Law is deliuered in few words wherein there are contained great Riches of sense which by Meditation we must worke out Christ hath giuen vs a patterne Mat. 5. Where he vnwraps the sense of seuerall Commandements of Murder of Adulterie of Diuorce In the sixth of Saint Iohn how much matter doth he draw out of the Storie of Manna And what mysteries doth Saint Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrewes find in the Ceremonies of Moses This is the first branch of Meditating the vnfolding of the Riches of that sense which God hath treasured vp in his Law This is the worke of our vnderstanding But the vnderstanding doth but prepare matter for the Affections There is a second branch therefore of Meditating which is the seasoning of our Affections with that which we know And as the vnderstanding prepares matter for the Affections so what vse of our Affections but to quicken our Actions Therfore as a man which takes into his mouth a morsell of good meate chewes it and by chewing doth discouer the sweetnesse and kindly nourishment that is in it and hauing rellisht it swallowes it downe and by meane conueiances disperseth it into euerie part of his body that euery part may be made more vigorous and Actiue thereby So
Causes of flight together and then learne from Saint Iohn Iohn 1.3 20. If our conscience doe accuse vs God is greater then our Conscience and knoweth all things And yet Saint Basil maketh such a liuely Description of the worke of Conscience in Iudgement that a man would thinke nothing could be added to the terrour thereof 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Conscience will so limme out our Liues and be such a Looking Glasse of all our deeds that by an vnspeakable power in a moment of time as we would thinke nothing can better represent our selues to our selues But for all that the Heart of a man is an intricate Labyrinth none knoweth it but God only as God himselfe teacheth in Ieremie 〈◊〉 17 1◠〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 4. As all things are naked before his eyes so will he then bring many things to light which are hid in darknesse When then both these terrours concurre whereof the one so much increaseth the other you will not wonder that the wicked vpon the apprehension thereof betake themselues to flight Flying is their shift but it is a vaine one for whether should they flie when euery creature which at the Creation was made a Souldier in Gods Hoast shall at the last Day become a Iaylour to arrest prisoners and present them at his Assizes What remayneth then but that they that cannot shrinke from the Iudgement â—isdome 17. sinke vnder it For wickednesse condemned by her owne witnesse is very timerous and being prest with Conscience alwayes forecasteth terrible things The man that was but questioned for wanting his Wedding Garment at the Marriage Matth. 2â— grew presently speechlesse Our Sauiour Luke 21. saith that their Iudgement shall come like a snare and indeed in the Psalme we reade that God shall raine vpon the wicked Psal 11. Snares Fire and Brimstone Storme and Tempest this is their partion to drinke Now we know that a Snare doth not only take but ouer-turne the wild beast that is taken therein But if the terrour of the Iudge doe not 〈◊〉 19.12 Vnder whom the mightiest Helpes doe stoope as it is in Iob nor the inextricable suddaines of his Iudgement yet the weight of sinne will crush and beare a Sinner to the ground Dauid in his owne person and conflicts with a guiltie Conscience out of which notwithstanding by Gods mercie he did finally rise yet confesseth that the sense of guilt is like a drowning Floud like a crushing Burden a Burden too Heauie for man to beare and if the righteous that Man after Gods owne Heart when he sell as a man were scarcely saued where shall the Vngodly 1. 〈◊〉 â— and the vnrighteous appeare You see then how true it is that The Vngodly shall not stand in Iudgement Causâ cadent cadent persond themselues with their Cause shall fall to the ground they shall both sinke as low as the Chambers of death But Bonâ— concessum quod impijs negatum as Bede noteth though They shall not yet shall The Righteous stand And no maruell for they shall bee free both from the guilt of Conscience and the terrour of the Iudge And why Their hearts are purified by Faith yea purified from dead workes whatsoeuer is mortall is taken from them for Christ Iesus of God is made vnto them Wisdome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 〈…〉 the Law of Life which is in Iesus Christ freeth them from sinne and death so that Rom. 8. Matth. 24. there is no condemnation vnto them which are so in Christ And if there bee no Condemnation then may they Lift vp their heads with ioy when Christ commeth 1. Iohn 3. Luke 21 knowing that their Redemption draweth neere If their Conscience doe not accuse them they may haue boldnesse in the Day of Iudgement they shall stand before the Sonne of Man and his Throne shall be vnto them a Throne of Grace But more distinctly The Standing of the Righteous is opposed to the Flying from and Sinking vnder Iudgement if Adam did flie only because hee was Naked that which remedieth the Nakednesse stayeth the flight now Nakednesse stood in Sinne and Mortalitie both these are remedied in the Resurrection of the Iust The Sinne is all taken away by the Imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and Sanctification of his Spirit The Mortalitie because as they are quickened by Grace in their Soules so their Bodies of Naturall become Spirituall 1. Cor. 15. and their Corruptible puts on Incorruption their Mortall Immortalitie so then there being no part of Nakednesse left there can remayne no cause of Flying And if not of Flying from then not of Sinking vnder Iudgement for that which is the Cause of Flying is the cause of Sinking also but the state of their Person doth deny al possibility of Sinking the Spiritin their Soule is the Pledge of their Inheritance in Heauen and their Bodies which they shall then receiue are not only Houses from Heauen 2. Cor. 5. but such as are fitted for Heauen both carrie vpward and not downward But marke more particularly 1. Thes 4.16 what the Scripture saith of the Resurrection of the iust The Dead in Christ shall Rise first Yea they onely shall Rise from death for the Resurrection of the wicked is not from but vnto Death from one Death vnto another And therefore in Saint Luke onely the Righteous are called Filij Resurrectionis Luke 20.36 because their Resurrection is vnto Life which is properly a Standing the wicked doe but Rise to take a greater fall they fall from a Temporall to an Eternall Death Secondly As the Righteous shall Rife first so being raysed 1. Thes 4.17 Rapientur in occursum They shall be taken vp into the ayre to meete Christ and so shall euer be with him So that except He fall they shall neuer fall they shall be remoued from the Earth which is the place of falling Thirdly they shall be placed at the right Hand of Christ to be taken vp vnto him is to be admitted to a Beatificall Vision Psal 16. for what is our happinesse but to see Him as He is For in his presence there is fulnesse of ioy and if we be placed at His right Hand there is pleasure for euer more secure Honour and endlesse Life if that support vs no feare of falling we shall certainely stand But to put it out of all doubt When we come to the right Hand Matth 9. we shall be set vpon Thrones and shall with Christ iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel 1. Cor. 6 yea the Angels also so farre shall we be from being wofully Passiue that wee shall bee gloriously Actiue in that Iudgement How we shall Iudge is a curious question I will not now vndertake to resolue it it sufficeth to my purpose that howsoeuer we shall Iudge as many as are honoured with that function may well be held Standers they shall neither Shrinke nor Sinke But we may not forget
this World passeth away and All these things must be dissolued and how should the little World euer come to a stand when the Great World makes away so that wee must prouide for another place Wee must nay euery man doth will he nill he he doth for his Life is but a Way he is euery day euery houre euery moment onward somewhat toward Heauen or Hell But the Way notes not only a Course but a setled Course There are many startings aside both of Good and Bad the best many times slep aside into by-paths but that is not Via eorum the Iust mans way for he commeth to himselfe againe and with greater alacritie returnes to his Religious Course And the wicked out of fashion or fancie doe oftentimes trie the right way but that is not Via eorum it is not the wicked mans way for he quickly distastes it and takes againe his former Roade therefore the Scripture doth not by the Way vnderstand that which we doe by sits but that which wee doe constantly and wherein wee perseuere So then it is Common to all men to go a Way and hold a setled Course but yet the Course which all take is not the same the Text will tell you that though a Way bee Common yet not the same Way Here are two mentioned The Righteous mans Way which I told you is a righteous way and the Way of the wicked which I told you is a wicked Way The Scripture doth mention a Straight and a Crooked a Narrow and a Broad Way the way of the Eagle and the way of the Serpent a way vpward and a way downeward a way to Life and a way to Death the way of God and the way of the Diuell the Straight Narrow Eagles Way the way vpward to Life which is Gods way that is the way of the Righteous or the righteous Way the Crooked Broad Serpentine Way the way downeward to Death which is the way of the Diuell that is the Way of the wicked or the wicked Way I neede say no more of these Wayes that heretofore haue said so much of the difference betweene Good and Bad men It shal suffice to haue added thus much vpon occasion of this word Way and the â—arietie thereof specified in this Verse Let vs come on then to the Iudiciall Prouidence that worketh vpon these Wayes And here I told you there is also some thing Common and some thing Proper both these Wayes are wrought vpon by the prouident Wisdome and Power of God he Discernes them hee Rewards them both were there no other proofe the triuiall Verse confirmes it Entèr Praesentèr Deus est vbique Potentèr His Eyes behold all the wayes of Men and his Eye lids trie them all that which is applyed to Baltazzar Mene Mene Tekel Vpharsin Dan 5. concernes euery one more or lesse Dauid hath made the 139. Psalme in describing this Generall Eye and Hand of God and the Sonne of Syrach hath excellently exprest it Chap. 23. and we shall really denie God and be plaine Manichees if we did exempt any thing from him and not subiect all things to his Iudiciall Power T is true that some things he permits vnto the Creatures but it is neither an ignorant nor an negligent Permission he knowes whereabout they goe and holds the bridle in his owne hand most maiestically doth God in Esay let Zenacharib vnderstand as much Chap. 37 in an answer that he giues vnto that insolent Message I know thine abode and thy going out and thy comming in and thy rage against me because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come vp into mine eares therefore will I put my hooke in thy Nose and my bridle in thy Lips and turne thee backe the way by which thou camest But I need not enlarge this point of Gods Generall Iudiciall Prouidence for it will be farther confirmed by the particular branches thereof If these particulars be true the Generall cannot bee denied because the Generall is included in the Particular Though then it bee Common to both Wayes that they come vnder Gods Iudiciall Prouidence yet come they not vnder it both alike it workes vpon either after a speciall manner first vpon the way of the Iust Nouit Deus The Lord knoweth that Way The Knowledge of God here meant being not Generall but Speciall we must enquire what manner of Knowledge this is I cannot better informe you then by paralleling Gods speciall Knowledge of Man with Mans speciall Knowledge of God for Hee which knowes God is also knowne of him 1. Cor. 8. Et qui ignorat ignorabitur 1. Cor. 14.38 Now the speciall Knowledge that Man must haue of God stands in two points in Distinguendo Colendo he must first learne to distinguish God from all others and that Contra and and Supra he must oppose him to all that seemes but is not God hee must not thinke him like vnto Idols that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not hands and handle not c. For hee must beleeue that God is priuie to the Wayes of men and disposeth all things at his Pleasure As we must thus oppose God to those which seeme but are not Gods so must we preferre him also before all to whom that name is communicable bee they Angels or Men for though there bee some thing like in both yet doth God infinitely exceed in that wherein he is like This is the first branch of our knowledge which stands in Deo Distinguendo in distinguishing God from all others The second branch stands in Deo Colendo in our Carriage towards God and that also consists of two branches Contemplation and Dilection our Eye must euer bee on him our Heart must euer be towards him Psal 27 4. One thing haue I desired of the Lord saith King Dauid and that will I still require that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the faire Beautie of the Lord and to visit his holy Temple and how busie is the Eye of the Spouse in the Canticles in viewing her Beloued from top to toe As the Beautie of God drawes the Eye of Man continually to behold it so being beheld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man cannot behold it but he must fall in loue with it It was wittily replyed by an Ancient Father Saint Basil as it is thought vnto Iulian the Apostata when hee wrote vpon an Apologie of Christian Religion presented vnto him 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certainly it is impossible for him that knowes God as a Christian ought not to thinke hee is bound to loue him in the highest degree with all his Mind with all his Soule with all his Heart with all his Strength as the Law speakes This being the speciall Knowledge that we must haue of God we must obserue that Gods speciall Knowledge of Vs is answerable hereunto He Knowes His first Distinguendo as in the departure out of Aegypt
senselesse a subiect Lib. 22. Moral Cap. 13. Gregorie the Great parallels Dauid in his Sinne with Lazarus in his Graue Christ cried with a loude voyce Lazarus come forth and it was not a weake voyce that could rouse Dauid out of his so dead a Sleepe and it is the common disease of all sinners nothing lesse then Gods Spirit can worke a spirituall remorse in them But the power of the Ministrie will appeare better in the successe wherefore I come vnto that The Successe was a speedie and a Sollemne Conuersion a Speedie he did not outface the Prophet he did neither denie nor extenuate his fault but presently acknowledged it and desired to bee vnburdened of it In Psal 37. gustauit tantùm peccatum saith Saint Ambrose vt ostenderet quomodo posset aboleri he tasted of the poyson but did not digest it he did not so take in sinne Dedoct Christian Iab 3. Cap. 21. but he could vomit it vp againe Saint Austin wittily obserues the word Hospes in Nathans Parable and shewes that sinne in the Children of God is but a stranger well may it be entertayned it cannot haue in them any perpetuall abode because it is not of the Houshould yea seeing they accompt this stranger to be an enemie they make hast to be rid of him we see this in Dauid and we must learne by him when we are roused to see that we are out of the way to make hast and not deferre the time to turne our feete into the way of Gods Commandements Psal 119. As Dauids Conuersion is Speedie so it is Solemne it appeares in two points in that hee penned this Psalme and that hee committed it vnto the Chiefe Musician Iames 5.13 First he penned the Psalme Saint Iames his Rule If any man bee merry let him sing holds not backward therefore euery man that singes is merrie There are mournefull aswell as there are ioyfull songs Gracelesse persons when they haue sinned are so shamelesse as to make ioyfull songes thereof witnes the impure Sonets whereof euery Age hath vented some none more then this our sinfull Age and they are accompted the fittest Musicke for their most riotous Feasts But Dauids Song made of his sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adolefull Elegie a verie Lamentation But what needed this after Nathan had absolued him yes there was great neede of it first His Confession to Nathan was very succinct and though praematura venia arguebat profundam Poenitentiam God knew he repented heartily whom hee forgaue so speeedily yet so short a Text needed a larger Commentarie least men should conceaue too shallowly of Repentance and performe it perfunctorily Secondly the Conscience is not so soone quieted as it is pardoned though our Faith doe rest vpon Gods Truth yet desire we to haue it confirmed by a liuely sense therefore a godly man newly recouered though he be safe is not secure which maketh him plie God with his prayers vntill he haue recouered againe his former Peace Finally God released all the punishment of sinne vnto Dauid but not all the Chastisement as it appeares by Nathans Absolution Dauid might desire to bee eased of that also and to that end hee might importune God with his passionate Prayer And it beseemes vs well when wee are free from the Flames of Hell to deprecate the calamities wherewith God may iustly visit vs in this life I come to the last note This Psalme when Dauid had penned it was deliuered to the chiefe Musician or Master of the Quire not onely to bee kept but also to be sung hee would haue the Church to witnesse to his Conuersion and take a good Patterne from him yea so it was made a part of the Cation and is to goe for a Rule amongst vs The Septuagint intimate as much when they translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they intimate thereby that not onely Dauids Case must bee remembred therein but others also must be conformed thereto But I must end 1. As Nathan was sent to Dauid saith Saint Austin so is Dauid sent vnto vs we may nay we doe goe in to our Bath-sheba commit spirituall corporall fornication and God knowes we haue litle sense of our sinne As we tread Dauids steps in sinninge so in Dauids senselesnes let vs reade our owne 2. God doth not forsake vs when wee will not we cannot helpe our selues we haue many Nathans that are neither vnlearned nor idle they deale as discreetly as vnpartially it were to bee wished that as they are Needefull and Powerfull so they might speede with vs as Nathan did with Dauid and worke in vs a Speedie and a Solemne Repentance 3. If King Dauid were not ashamed so to humble so to afflict his Soule which of vs should be ashamed wee should not but as Saint Ambrose in his dayes Apolog. Dauid 1 c. 2. wee so may wee complaine in ours there are fewe men bee they but of meane substance that doe not thinke themselues too good to be so abased yet he that will not submit himselfe to this painfull impression of the Law shall neuer feele that more comfortable that springs from the Gospell GOd grant that seeing the best of vs shall euer carrie about vs a Bodie of sinne we may neuer want Nathans if it may be to prevent at least to make vs see our slips and that wee may bee as tractable as King Dauid submitting our selues to the voyce of the Law that wee may haue the benefite of the Gospell so may Pastors and People haue mutuall Comfort in the Church Militant and in the Triumphant be ioyntly blest for Euermore Amen PSAL. 51. VERS 1.2 1. Haue mercy vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according vnto the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my transgressions 2. Wash mee thoroughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse mee from my sinne THis Penetentiall doth teach vs touching Repentance whence it springs and what it is Whence in the Title and What in the Psalme Of the Title I haue alreadie spoken It followeth that I now come on to the Psalme which when I haue ript vp and laid open before you you will haue iust Cause to say that it is the goodliest Picture of true Repentance that euer was drawne by the pen of the Holy Ghost The whole is a Prayer but of that kind which we call a Vow And as King Dauid did sustayne a double Person so is his Vow double Hee was a Child of God a deare one Hee was a Member of the kingdome the cheifest one he was a man after Gods owne Heart and hee was the King of Israel therefore he vowes not onely for himselfe but his Kingdome also But in setting downe his Vowes he obserues a good Order the first is for Himselfe the second for the Kingdome And why The Kingdome was wounded by his Fall and the Cure thereof depended vpon his Recouerie therefore doth he first take care of the Head from whom the same health was
As it seiseth vpon the Head and vpon the Heart so doth it vexe them both for it is Coram Nobis and Contra Nos both before vs and Against vs. The word Neged doth containe both Praepositions and therefore the Interpreters haue differed in their Translations but because sin cannot be before a Penitent but it will bee Against him therefore will I conioyne them both I will shew you that it doth haunt our Thoughts and afflict our Hearts Sinne then is fitly resembled vnto a Harlot painted that her countenance may by art worke what by nature it could not doe while she doth wooe her Louers that which she offereth to their view is the paynting but when she hath drawne them into her snare she giueth theÌ„ leaue then to see hir natiue hue she reuealeth then what before shee concealed Euen so sinne hath a faire out-side but the inside thereof is foule it puts on the one to allure but when men are allured then it sheweth them the other wee are easily tempted to the Act of sinne for pleasure maketh vs swallow the bait when the Act is determined the sight of the pleasure vanisheth but the sight of the guiltie corruption abideth by vs the painting is quickly wiped off and the vglinesse thereof appeares and the Angell of light is quickly turned into an Angel of darkenesse though wee striue to cast our sinnes behind vs will we nill we they will thrust themselues before vs. And why Hom 3i in Cap. 12. ad Hebraeoâ—â— they are grauen in Memoriâ Conscientiae as Chrysostome calls it they are registred in the Booke of Conscience which we are forced to read euen when we would be most glad to be rid of it but the relation thereof cannot be supprest our thoughts cannot be freed from it And this is the first vexing propertie of sinne it doth vexe our Thoughts But not our Thoughts only it vexeth our Hearts also it is not onely Coram but Contra not onely Before vs we cannot but thinke of it but also Contra Nos In Psal 35. we cannot but be tormented with it Saint Ambrose saith it is Vltrix Imago a verie Furie it is a Hell going before Hell and rackes vs before wee are put vpon the racke the Harlot suddainely turneth into a souldier and giueth vs as many deadly wounds as she gaue vs counterfeit kisses Chap. 20. verse 12. Chap. 1. Iob expresseth it in a verie fine Similie Wickednesse is sweet in the mouth and the wicked hideth it vnder his tongue but this meate in his bowells is turned it is the gall of Aspes the Wiseman speaketh it plainely Men entertaine sinne as a frend and make a Couenant with it but what is the issue it consumeth them and bringeth them vnto naught and as Saint Peter speaketh 1. Pet. 2. it fighteth against their Soules Neither is this vexing momentanie it vexeth Semper Alwaies Alwaies Before Alwaies Against a Sinner is the double Euill of sinne in the night in the day in prosperitie in aduersitie while hee is alone while hee is in companie a sinner that is rowsed to see his sinne cannot but be vexed with the Euill thereof Nec prius hi stimuli mentem quam vita relinquent Quique dolet citius quam dolor ipse Cadet The torments will not end before death and in the Reprobate after death this Vexation shall be much increased But of this Vexation more anon when I come to couple the first part of the Text with this latter Let vs come on then to King Dauids ingeneous feeling of this Malignitie Malignitie of his owne sinne And indeed it is his owne Sinne that he is feeling of Many studie sin and they can see euill enough in it but it is other mens sinne in other mens eyes Moates seeme Beames Mat. 7.3 but Beames in our owne eyes seeme not so much as Moates most men are like the Laodiceans thinke themselues Rich encreased in goods that they want nothing euen then when they are poore blind naked and miserable as Christ tells that Church Reuel 3. Hereupon it is Luke 18. that they come to God like Pharisees with I thanke God I am not like vnto other men but King Dauid choose rather to play the Publican to looke into his owne sores his errors his rebellions to amplifie his owne sinnes and fit them with their proper names to note the diseases of his owne Head and of his owne Heart It were to be wished that you that are Penetents had taken the same course You haue traduced your Pastors for the Diseases of their Head and reproached them by the names of Baals Priests you haue traduced your Brethren for the Diseases of their Hearts and doomed them as vnworthy of the Communion of Saints and see how God hath rewarded your Pride he hath suffered the Diuell to wound you both in Head and Heart he hath made you spectacles of those diseases which you condemned in others Rom. 7. they may presse you with that question of Saint Paul Thou that makest thy boast of the Law by breaking the Law dishounerest thou God And vpbraid you with the Prouerbe Luke 4.24 Physician heale thy selfe And it is a good warning that may be taken by vs all not to studie others before we haue studied our selues and not to let our censure passe against any more seuerely then against our selues so did King Dauid in his practise of Repentance and so must we we must looke into our owne Case not onely so we must bee feeling thereof also so much is meant by the word Acknowledging Acknowledge doth implie knowledge and adde thereunto the vse therof To vnderstand this we must obserue that for the ordering of our life God doth furnish vs with two helpes the one is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie or note the Principles whereby wee doe distinguish good and euill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth the Application of these Principles to our Actions the first you may call Morall knowledge the second Morall Acknowledgement the latter cannot bee without the former and the former should not be without the latter But to touch at either of these for our present occasion God hath set downe those Principles which he thought expedient to guide a Christian Resolution but two Euils haue ouer-taken the Church The Papists they breed vp the people in an ignorant Deuotion and care not how litle they know the true grounds of Conscience but bid them rest contented with an Implicite Faith and rest their Soules vpon the Authoritie of the Church they offend in Parum in ouer-scanting of the peoples knowledge But the Separatists runne into the other extreame they offend in Nimium attribute too little to the Church and exceed in knowledge or fancies which they suppose to be Diuine knowledge And what maruell When leauing the guides of their owne Church then whom since the Apostles dayes God hath not raised vp in any
Gods Word which is the first Branch of Iustice The second is Integritie Integritie I told you is Iustitia in facto when iust deeds are squared by iust wordes The Deed heere is Iudging and this word must lead vs to another Chapter the 12. of the 2. of Sam. Where the same Nathan commeth vnto Dauid with a second Message a Message that containeth a performance of that which God promised in the former Message hee promised that if he did sinne hee should smart and there hee maketh him smart hee promised that hee should not so smart but hee should haue good proofe of Gods greater Mercie and there he feeleth it in the Absolution from his sinne So that Gods Deeds in Iudging keepe good correspondencie with his Wordes therefore is Integritie ascribed vnto them for what is the integrity of a Iudge but the true temper of Seuerity and Mercy if God be Iudge the gracious mixture of the Law and the Gospel where both these are put in practice and put in practice as they ought there is Integrity so much is wanting of Integritie as is wanting of these if Seuerity bee administred without Mercy or if Mercy haue not the vpper hand of Seuerity there wanteth Integritie in the gouerment of the Common-weale because he is commanded of God so to temper his Iudgement And God may seeme to come short of his Integritie if hee did not mixe and mixe so his Law with his Gospell as he himselfe being otherwise free hath by promise laid a tie vpon himselfe Hee couenanted with Dauid to administer the Law vnto him and chastise his sinnes but citra condignum with the rod of a Man and not of God He couenanted with him to administer vnto him the Gospell but vltra condignum not after the manner of Men but after the manner of God Thus to administer both Law and Gospell so to dispence Mercy and Seuerity is Gods clearing himselfe in Iudgement I called it his Integritie Ioyne these now together Promissionem et Praestationem the 7. and the 12. of the 2. of Sam. whereof one containeth the promising Word the other the performing Iudgement and couple the Integrity of the Performance with the Fidelity of the Promise and you haue an excellent Picture or Representation of the Iustice wherewith God doth gouerne his Church Now this Iustice must haue its Praise As God is Iust in speaking so must hee bee Iustified as hee is cleare in Iudging so must hee be clarified that I may so say that is glorified These two Verbes doe not import that the Creature can infuse any perfection into the Creator will wee nill wee these things are in him Fidelitie is inseperable from his wordes and Integrity from his Iudgements all that can be done by vs is Cognitio Recognitio we are bound to take notice of them and not to smother our knowledge but yeeld God the glory that is due vnto them To this end doth God manifest his perfections vnto the reasonable Creature and in their owne Cases doe they feele and see in other Mens Cases the experience of them Saint Paul seemeth to read the latter part of the Text otherwise then here is exprest for hee hath Rom. 3.4 that thou mightest ouercome when thou art iudged whereas heere it is that thou mightest be cleare when thou iudgest They are not words of a contrary meaning but Saint Pauls Text which followeth the Septuagint doth adde an obseruation ouer and aboue that which you haue heard that is Though God be Iudge of all the world yet worldly men sticke not to take vpon them to iudge God yea and God is pleased to put his Iustice vpon tryall as wee read Esay 1. Micah 6. and elsewhere so carefull is hee that not onely his proceedings be iust but his Iustice euident also so euident as that whosoeuer shall contend with him in Iudgement shall bee driuen to yeeld The best haue oftentimes doubts and disputes they question Gods Integritie how the Gospell and the Law can stand together and God at the same time condemne and absolue and yet bee iust God would settle their consciences Vnbeleeuers not onely quarrell with but deny also Gods Integritie but the Mouthes of all gainsayers shall bee stopped they shall bee forced to subscribe to confesse that God is cleare in Iudging free from all drosse of contradiction that Mercy and Truth may kisse each other and the Law goe hand in hand with the Gospell as after appeares And so haue I declared vnto you the praise of Gods Iustice I come now to shew you the reference that it hath vnto K. Dauids sin which that I may the better do you must obserue that the former words Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight may be vnderstood either Materialiter or Formaliter as a Description of sinne or a Supplication of a sinner Some vnderstand them after the latter fashion and so King Dauid Non not at finem peccati sed precationis hee noteth not the end of his Sinning but the end of his Praying Non dicit quo fine fecerit Malum sed quo fine nunc faciat bonum hee doth not shew vs whereat he aymed when he sinned but what he desireth now heeprayeth Hee desireth that as in amplifying of his sinne hee doth by a Comparison amplifie Gods Iustice for Contraria iuxta posita magis elucescunt Vertue neuer shineth more gloriously then when vice is made a foile vnto it so his recouery may bee a Monument of Gods Mercy And we may well propose vnto our selues in our confession the setting forth of Gods glory and this may be the end of it yea comfortles were our Confession if it were not for this end God would not accept it neither should wee haue good of it the more we humble our selues to magnifie God the more wee doe our duty and the more wee shall tast of his Mercy To make good this sense some take in some of the former words I acknowledge my sinnes yea goe backe as farre as the beginning of the Psalme Haue Mercy vpon me O Lord. And indeed those two must concurre the humble Repentance of a sinner and the gracious Indulgence of a good God that God may be iustified in his sayings and cleare when he his iudged O Lord saith Gregorie if thou doe not forgiue the Penitent thou wilt haue none to whom thon mayst performe thy Couenant Ruffinus and diuers other Fathers doe amplifie this sense and restraine it to the particular Case of King Danid as if the gracious promise in the 7th of the the 2. of Sam must needs fall to the ground if the indulgence specified in the 12th of the 2. of Sam. had not released the forfeiture which God might haue taken for King Dauids sinne Though this be a religious and a true sense of the word yet hath Saint Paul taught vs another that doth better fit the Contexture Rom. 3.4 wherefore Saint Chrysostome and
is longed for also when it is wanting in our nature By the Fall amongst other endowments this was lost Psal 62. â— The Sonnes of men are become vanity the sonnes of noble men are but a lie God then beholding them must needs finde wanting what in the Creation hee bestowed vpon them and what hee findeth wanting that he desireth may be recouered Behold how hee sheweth himselfe as a Father that might deale with vs as a Iudge what hee might exact hee desireth and desireth as a Father the supply of that the want whereof hee might punish as a Iudge hee taketh more delight to see vs recouered mercifully then iustly to perish in our sinnes The words must not be vnderstood exclusiuely Hee desireth Truth in the inward parts as if he desired it not also in the outward The inward is his Peculiar a closet whereinto none can enter but himselfe and as his residence is specially there so doth his eye principally looke into that wee may not thinke that the Holinesse that will content the Creature will content the Creator also when we go about to reforme wee must goe as deepe as Gods eye goeth and not thinke that all is well vntill all is well there But when we are prouided for that Mat. 5.29 wee must Let our light shine also before men the outward parts must haue Truth in them also God that is the Author of societies loues the bands of them also and by commanding the obseruation and commending the obseruers testifieth his good will towards them to the confusion of all Equiuocaters that diuorce the Inwards from the Outwards and care not how much fraud they vse outwardly while they please themselues with a counterfeit truth inwardly Wee must entertaine both such a truth in the Inward parts as manifesteth it selfe in the Outward and giueth good content both to God and Man But marke God that desireth Truth in the inward parts commendeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not bid vs root out our Affections but order them aright he calls not for stupidity but simplicitie he wills vs to flie all serpentine wiles but to entertaine a singlenesse of mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril vnleauened affections are much set by of God and sincerity is a vertue that yeelds sweet sauour vnto him Finally our Repentance our Confidence must specially be seasoned with this vertue for vnto them is the Text specially applyed And let this suffice for the regard that is yeelded to Sincerity I come now to the meanes by which it may be had and that is by diuine instruction of our Heart The Heart is here meant by the hidden part which elsewhere is called the Hidden man of the Heart why it is called Hidden in some sort I told you before as also why it is called a Part and not Parts the entrall is single and it hath a couering as it appeareth in the anatomizing of our bodies But by the entrall is meant the Vnderstanding the thoughts whereof are knowne onely vnto God They that write of the Temple of Salomon doe many of them parallel it with our persons which are temples of the Holy Ghost as that was partly vncouered and partly couered so haue wee an Outward and an Inward man and as that part of the Temple which was couered was partly Sanctum and partly Sanctum Sanctorum so haue we in our Inward man a couert seate of our desires which must be holy as you haue hitherto heard and a couert seate of the rule of our desires which must be more holy and that is our Heart there doth God reside as in his most Holy place and from thence by our conscience giueth order to the whole course of our life This place or power must be furnished with Wisedome The Apostle doth teach vs to distinguish betweene the Wisedome of this world and the Wisedome of God whereof the former is seeming the latter is Wisedome indeed This Wisedome is nothing but that guiding knowledge wherewith the Conscience must be furnished our desires haue no reason of themselues that which they haue they haue by participation of the higher power which is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is the guide of the inferiour powers now you know the vertue of a guide is Wisedome take away Wisedome hee will bee but a bad guide a bad did I say nay a blinde guide for Wisedome is his Eye and you know what our Sauiour Christ saith Mat. 6.22 The light of the body is the Eye if therefore thine Eye be single the whole body shall be full of Light if thine Eye bee euill the whole body shall be full of darknesse This Wisedome is nothing else but those good and sound Principles of Direction which should giue order to our affections which of them should stirre when and how farre did not Wisedome giue this order out of a true iudgement past vpon the Obiect Feare would stirre where Hope is called for and we would Ioy where wee should Grieue but that each affection taketh his proper turne and obserueth its iust measure wee are beholding vnto Wisedome But whence is this Wisedome Iob 38.36 Iob moued the question who hath put Wisedome in the inward parts or who hath giuen vnderstanding to the heart hee answereth himselfe fully in the 28. Chapter and the summe of his Answere is that God is the giuer thereof The reason may be taken from the nature of Wisedome which is answerable to the name thereof C. 6. â— 23 so saith the Sonne of Syrach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisedome is as the name thereof importeth and it is not reuealed vnto many Fuâ—lâ— Misâ— l. 1. c. 5. Now it hath its name from Tzaphah which signifieth to couer And indeed true Wisedome had a double Couering in the dayes of King Dauid a Couering of Ceremonies that darkened the things and a Couering of Infidelity that made most men incapable of them only God could remoue these Couerings cleare the Mysteries of Religion and giue men eyes for to discerne them not that God vseth not the ministery of men and by men informeth vs of our duties but they can goe no farther then the Outward man Ambros Cathedram habet in Coelo qui docet corda none but our Master which is in Heauen can open our hearts and worke these good instructions into our consciences This is the tenour of the Couenant of Grace Behold Ier. 31.32 the Day is come saith the Lord that I shall make a new Couenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Iuda I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and so saith Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3.17 Ibid. v. 18 where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie libertie from both the Couerings so that Men with open face behold the glory of the Lord. And indeed who should repaire these guifts when they
calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is that which executeth what the commanding part resolueth The word in the Originall signifieth either Directum or Erectum that which keepeth right forward or standeth vpright The actiue power of our soule is subiect to two defects it may straggle out of the way through rashnes or stagger in the way through faintnes while we are in the way allurements of diuers kinds draw vs into by-pathes we are set vpon by the crafty serpent and if that succeed not then with terrors wee are startled and made either to come to a stand or else to march cowardly The cure of all this is a right Spirit when God is pleased by grace to set strait steps vnto our feete and strengthen our feeble knees so that wee step not aside out of the way nor halt in the way our Spirit is directus it keepes good correspondency with our iudgement and executeth no more then it hath in charge and it is also erectus it bends no more then our affections doeâ— whether it pursue or encounter any thing resolued vpon by the soueraigne part it sheweth continually a religious stayednesse Finally whereas grace maketh a double cure one on our Heart and another on our Spirit and the regeneration of our Spirit is but an attendant vpon the regeneration of our Heart wee may not diminish the number of the parts nor inuert the order but when wee will trie our selues whether and how farre wee are regenerated wee must looke into our inwards see how we finde our selues there but specially to these fountaines of life the Heart and the Spirit see whether grace command in the Heart before the Heart command and that it may season our workes well whether it selfe bee seasoned first with grace and hauing taken this suruey of the Heart wee must come on to the Spirit and see whether our execution be as holy as our resolution if grace preserue vs from mis-guiding allurements and support vs against disheartning affrightments then is our Spirit as right as our Heart is cleane both are regenerated by the Spirit of grace The Fathers vnderstand here a double grace not onely the grace of Regeneration whereof you haue heard but the grace of Prophesie also wherewith King Dauid was endued as appeare in his Psalmes wherein are many excellent Prophesies It was no small griefe vnto him to haue that diuine influence suspended and to haue withdrawne from him those heauenly Reuelations therfore they conceiue the words thus Dauid desired a cleane Heart that so hee might haue a right Spirit for Blessed are the pure in heart they shall see God saith Christ Mat. 5.8 Wis 1.1.5 and the holy spirit of discipline will not abide in a soule when vnrighteousnesse commeth in The holy spirit of Prophesie is long since ceased and wee cannot be depriued of that which we neuer had but of this we may be sure that sin in our heart doth not a little bleare our eyes when we come to consider of Gods truth in his word and endeauour though not our selues to be yet to vnderstand those that were vndoubted Prophets But enough of Regeneration so farre as this Text doth teach vs what it is I come on to shew you briefly the last point of the Text which is Whence it proceeds It proceeds from God of him King Dauid beggeth it Create in me a cleane heart O God and well may he aske it of him for God doth promise the gift of this grace A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put into you saith God Eze. cap. 36. and S. Paul in his Epistles doth often direct his prayers for these vnto God â—t how then doth Eze. c. 18. bid vs make vnto our selues new hearts and new spirits and Moses in the Law Deut. 10. bids vs circumcise the fore-skin of our hearts Surely not to note our power but our want that out of the conscience thereof we should seeke vnto the father of Lights from whom commeth euery good and perfect gift Iam. 1.17 Or if it be to note any power of ours it is but power to vse the outward meanes but the effect wished hath a higher cause which is the Spirit of God And indeed the true cause why the Holy Ghost speaketh so differenly sometimes calling vpon vs and sometimes willing vs to call vpon God is because Gods inward worke is seldome without our outward though the honour which God doth to the vse of the meanes must not derogate ought from Gods totall producing of the effects The more to be blamed is the Church of Rome who by aduancing the meanes impaire that honour which is due vnto God Let it stand then for a grounded Truth that Regeneration is the gift of God As it is Gods gift so it is no ordinary gift of his it is a worke of his great might and of his great mercy of his great might for it is a Creation Creation is either to make something of nothing or at least if that whereof it is made be something yet that thing hath no disposition to become that which it is made if you looke to the gift that is giuen by Regeneration surely that is made simply of nothing it is an effect that proceeds immediately from the Spirit who hath nothing out of which to worke that effect but his owne almighty power for non educiturè potentia naturae nature sendeth forth no such fruit If you looke vpon the Person that receiueth the grace then also Regeneration will proue to be a Creation for so farre is he from being disposed fitly to receiue grace Rom 8.7 Is 11.6 that hee is naturally opposite vnto it the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God so saith the Apostle and the Prophet will tell vs that regenerating is like the changing of the nature of Tygers Lyons and Wolues c. a hard worke Saint Austin goeth so farre that hee thinketh it a harder matter to bring a sinner accustomed to an euill course into a right way then to create a world especially to bring him to entertaine the Christian faith which is foolishnes to the Gentile and a stumbling blocke to the Iew. The more absurd is the patronage of free will in the case of new birth the very word Creation doth refute it 1. Cor. 1.23 2. Cor. 5. Eph. 4. which Saint Paul vseth more then once and thereby both Testaments put vs in mind that wee can doe as little towards our spirituall creation as we could towards our naturall in regard of both we may vse that of the Psalm It is God that hath made vs and not we our selues both waies made vs by the power of a God Neither is it onely a worke of great power but of great mercy also that is intimated by the word Renew pulchre dixit innoua saith S. Chrysostome it is well said renew the house was built before which sinne ruined and grace doth re-edifie and indeed that this
conuerted thereby and let vs each hasten other in our returne toward thee Let vs be carefull to saue not our selues onely but others also that each may bee the others ioy when we shall both be presented spotlesse and blamelesse at the appearing of Christ. PSAL. 51. VERSE 14. Deliuer me from bloud guiltinesse O God thou God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing aloude of thy righteousnesse THe religious seruice which King Dauid vowed is the Edifying of others and the gâ—â—rifying of God how he will edifie others you haue heard and are to heare how he will glosie God God may be glorified either in regard of the particular sauom hâ— sheweth vs or the generall worth that is in himselfe Dauid promiseth to glorifie God in both respects At this time my Text doth occasion me to speake of the former wherein I will obserue first a spirituall Pange haâ—ouer taketh his Deuotion and then the Deuotion it selfe In the Pange we shall see what he seeleth and to whom he slieth he feeleth a sting of Conscience a remorse of Bloud-guiltinesse and being pained herewith he seeketh for ease he crieth Deliuer But he seeketh discretly and ardently discretly for he seeketh to him that can Deliuer to the Lord who is interested in the consciences of his creatures and as he can so he will he is the God of his childrens saluation This is his discretion which he warmeth with Zeale hee is earnest in his petition which you may gather out of the doubling of the name of God Deus Deus salutis meae Hauing thus ouercome the spirituall Pange that interrupted him hee falleth to his Deuotion wherein you must marke first the argument that he insisteth vpon and that is God Righteousnesse Secondly the manner how he doth extoll it which is publike and cheerefull publike for hee will vtter it by his tongue cheerefull for his tongue shall sing aloude These bee the particulars which wee must now looke into farther and in their order And first of spirituall Pangs in generall King Dauid had a pardon of this sinne particularly besides a generall promise that God would neuer withdraw his grace from him and yet we find him here perplext and distrest in conscience Though I did on a former Verse touch at the reasons hereof yet will it not be amisse that I a little farther enlarge this point There can be no doubt but Gods truth is infallible he cannot denie himselfe hee will neuer recall his word but yet Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis the vertues wherewith we entertaine Gods promises are as wee are imperfect because we art partly flesh and partly spirit our faith is not without doubting if their be imperfection in our faith which is the foundation of our spirituall life our Hope will be answerable it will not be without distrusting neither will our Charitie be better we cannot so loue but we will feare And why Could we cast our eyes onely vpon God his goodnesse must needes appeare wonderfull and so leaue a kind of amazednesse in vs neither can we easily beleeue that he should vouchsafe such fauor vnto man but we more often cast our eyes vpon our selues vpon our wickednesse whereby we haue broken Gods lawes vpon our vnthankfulnesse which haue set light by Gods blessings and this is able to stagger our faith much more especially when the Serpent shall plie vs with the representation of Gods iustice thereby indeauouring to ouer-whelme our Meditations vpon his mercies and shall presse vnto our conscience the imperfection of our faith hope and charitie so farre as to perswade vs that they haue no truth at all Here-hence spring those spirituall pangs in so much that euen in those which by grace haue giuen sinne a deadly wound you shall perceiue many pangs as it were of spirituall death and as men that are recouered out of an Ague haue many troublesome grudgings thereof that disquiet them not a little euen so Penitents aster enormous sinnes must looke for many a smarting twitch of the worme of conscience But to leaue spirituall Pangs in generall and come to that which in particular is toucht here in my Text he feeles are morse of bloud-guilâ—inesse the euill he feeles is exprest by the name of blouds so the word is in the originall and is vsed to note either our originall corruption or actuall sinne King Dauid in the former part of this Psalme confesseth both that sinne that he inherited from his Parents and that which hee contracted himselfe therefore of the Interpreters some pitch vpon the former and some the later Saint Austin pitcheth vpon the originall sinne and supposeth that Dauid was moued with remorse of his corrupt nature which is the cause of all sinne and indeede they that are borne in Concupiscence are said to be borne of flesh and bloud 1. Cor. 15. and Saint Paul meaneth that wee must put off that before we can be fully blest when he saith that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of heauen Finally it is that where at God pointeth Ezek. 16. when he speaketh thus to the Church When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said vnto thee in thy bloud Liue. The reason of the phrase is because Vitaest in sanguine as the law speaketh the animall life subsisteth in the bloud and the abundance of bloud is the fuell of concupiscence whereupon some coniecture not improbably that to note this the legall expiation of sinne was made by the effusion of bloud Some goe not so farre as originall sinne but vnderstand the word of actuall which is the fruit of originall and because of actuall sins some are by Diuines called spirituall some carnall spirituall such as mooue from and are transacted principally by the reasonable faculties of the soule and haue but sequelam a concomitancie of animall carnall those that are suggested from and acted by the animall soule principally and haue but a concomitancie of the rationall by blouds they vnderstand that later kind of sinne And indeede such were the sinnes whereof King Dauid had now remorse his Adulterie his Murder both sprang from bloud adulterie from bloud luxuriant which made him transgresse in his concupiscible facultie murder from bloud ebullient which made him transgresse in his Irascible facultie The word Sanguines being plurall is by the Fathers obserued to note plentie and varietie of sinne some in one word parallell it with the first verse of this Psalme where Dauid mencioneth all his Iniquities and then there is a Synecdoche in the word species progenere the carnall sinnes put for all kind of sinnes which some resolue into sinnes past present and to come But it is best to keepe our selues vnto the Argument of that storie whereunto this Psalme alludes and then Varietie shall note Adulterie and Murder and Plentie shall consist in the many murders that followed the adultery Vriah was treacherously slaine and that he might be slaine treacherously many others
regard of those that must obserue the Law all are not equall and Christ himselfe telleth vs that there are Mandata minima Matth. 5. Wherefore the doubt had a good ground but the Scribe knowing that the Law had three maine Heads the Morall the Politique the Ceremoniall and that from euery of the heads sprang manifold branches moreouer supposing that Christ was illetterd Matth. 13.54 and not seene in these studies thought that it was the onely way by such a Question either to disgrace his knowledge if he could not suddainely lay together the varietie of Commandements and out of an aduised comparison passe a true iudgement and so they should lessen his reputation with the people Or if he did answere to the Question and clearely expresse himselfe then hee should set those that held the contrarie tenant against him and so at least wise they should doe him some mischiefe which was the vp-shot of a Tempter And to that â—nd hee doth not onely Socratically mooue this question hoping for an ironicall conclusion and to put a scorne vpon Christ but politickly also hoping to distract his Auditors and raise him vp many aduersaries But foolish man that he was he looked onely vpon Christs out-side of his inside hee knew nothing Had he knowne who Christ was he would neuer haue made such an aduenture Hee that gaue the Law vnderstood the Law to the full and hee knew the degrees of obseruance which prescribed them vnto men the euent proued it and the Tempters successe was farre other then hee exspected as hereafter you shall heare There is one note more De magno mandato quaerit saith Chrysostome qui minimum non impleuit Matth. 23. the Scribes and Pharisees did vse to bind heauie burdens and lay them upon other mens shoulders which they would not lift at with the least of their fingers ambitious of profound knowledge but carelesse of any degree of true pietie Wee haue many such that busie their wits in the most learned Inquiries of Gods Predestination of the day of Iudgement of the mysteries in the Reuelation of Chronologie Genealogie sacred Antiquities and in the meane time soaring in these contemplations aloft take no heede vnto their steps but are spectacles to the world of no small Morall infirmities Wherefore Chrysostome aduiseth well Quaerat de maiore Iustitia qui impleuit minorem let vs practise our lessons as wee learne them and not paine our wits in studying a greater vntill wee haue brought our Hearts to obey a lesser commandement otherwise we shall bee but like the Alchimists that all their life are making of Gold and goe to their graues starke beggers You haue heard both of the questionist and the question and how well the question fitteth the questionist the temptation representeth the tempter Examples are not vnfitly compared vnto looking Glasses wherin we may behold as well what to eschue as what to follow in this we haue found little to be followed much to be eschewed GOd graunt we may make the right vse of it and that we doe not in our liues shew our selues to be either Scribes or Pharisees either counterseitly holy orignorantly learned But let our inside be no worse then our out-side and let vs presume of no more then we are sure is good either in our life or learning Finally let vs in simplicitie of heart become the Disciples of Christ and let our ghostly edification be the end of our enquires So shall we be free from the iust censure that was deserued by this questionist and that for this question a question otherwise good but tainted by the ill meaning of so bad a questionist The second Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37. Iesus said vnto him Thou shalt Loue c. THese words containe an answere to a question the question was mooued by a Lawyer the answere thereunto is shaped by our Sauiour Christ Hauing heretofore vnfolded the Question it followeth that I now come on and vnfold the answere vnto you wherein first wee must obserue that Christ doth vouchsafe an answere vnto a tempter Iesus said vnto him to him who before is said to haue come to tempt Christ Secondly we must see what the answere is which Christ doth vouchsafe it is such as doth fully yea abundantly resolue the question and which withall doth discreetly and powerfully defeate the malice of the questionist this later point is implied but the former is expressed in the Text. At this time I will meddle onely with the Answere to the question I will shew you the particulars contained therein and handle as many as the time will permit In the Text we doe find that Christ doth fully yea abundantly resolue the doubt for he not onely affirmeth which is the great Commandement in these words Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy Heart c. but hee confirmeth it also in these words On these two Commandements depend the Law and the Prophets To resolue the Question fully doth not content he doth resolue it abundantly also hee teacheth the Pharisee more then he did aske he asked but after one Commandement Christ teacheth him two as well that which enioyneth the Loue of our Neighbour as that which enioyneth the Loue of God hee giueth an Answere with a vantage but this vantage proueth in the end a disaduantage to the Pharisee as hereafter you shall heare But more distinctly to breake vp that which Christ affirmeth to be the great Commandement We find that therein God inioyneth Loue thou shalt Loue. As he doth enioyne it so he teacheth where it must bee seated and on whom we must bestow it It must bee seated in the inwardman the Heart the Soule the Mind And it must be bestowed vpon the Lord our God and our Neighbour Neither is it enough to bestow it on them except in bestowing it we obserue an Order and a Measure An Order for we must first loue God and then our Neighbour Therefore in my Text is that called the first and this the second Commandement A measure for we must loue God more then our Neighbour God with all our Heart Soule and Mind this first saith the Text is the Great Commandement But we must loue our neighbour only as our selues therfore doth the Text tell vs that this 2 nd is not equall it is only like to the first CoÌ„mandement Let vs come to the particulars whereof the first was this Christ doth vouchsafe an Answere and that to him whom he knew to be a Tempter Though the person deserue to be reproued to bee reiected yet Christ beareth with him and doth not refuse to satisfie his demand Wonder not at it long before he dealt no worse with the Arch-tempter in the 4. of S. Mathew you shal find that he replied vnto him euen a third time And in so doing taught vs that wee must not bee ashamed to auouch Gods truth though it be to the Diuell himselfe nay we haue a more comfortable note included herein
speaketh properly to them that are vnder the Law and so Thou an Israelite and teacheth vs which are the Israel of God In this word Christ taxeth the Pharisees glosse who straightened the extent of neighbourhood Matth. 5. as appeared by the Addition they made to the Law Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemies they confined neighbourhood to their owne sect at least to their owne Nation And wee see at this day the Iewes mention not Christians without reproch no more then Papists doe Protestants But a Christian must know that in Iesus Christ there is neither Iew nor Gentile Coloss 3.11 Grecian nor Barbarian male nor female bond nor free Saint Austin hath a conuicting reason De Doctrina Christiana c. 30. which is that otherwise there would bee some persons with whom we might commit adulterie whose goods wee might steale whose bodies we might murder without any sinne against them which is absurde The case of the Canaanite was extraordinarie Austin tract in Iohannis cap. 15. we may not match our affections with Gods precepts as if they were alike lawfull Wherefore let vs beare fruit answerable to the seed which God hath sowen in our hearts and though our nature bee prone to satanisme and hatred for this charitie is a straine aboue nature and knowne only to those of the Church yet let vs mortifie it and subdue it to the Law of God Let vs not define whom we must loue other wise then we are taught of God let vs not thinke we loue as many as we should if we exclude any from our loue for our loue must be the fulfilling of the Law therefore it is impossible for vs in regard of any man whatsoeuer to performe the Law which bindeth vs to him without Loue. NOw therefore the God of Loue season all our hearts so with Loue that Hatred being cleane rooted out we may all be of one minde of one heart and out of the sweet sense and comfort hereof we may all say and sing Ecce quam bonum Behold how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie The sixth Sermon MATT. 22. VERSE 37 38 39. Thou shalt Loue the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soule and with all thy Mind This is the first and great Commandement And the second is like vnto it Thou shalt Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe THe last point which I opened vpon this Text taught vs vpon whom we must bestow our Charitie we learned that we must bestow it vpon The Lord our God and our neighbour vpon these persons and vpon those things that haue reference vnto them must it bee bestowed Therefore though the Commandement seeme in nature to bee but one for it is onely Loue yet Christ breaketh it into two and these two vnequall As it must be bestowed on them so in bestowing it we must obserue an Order and a Measure both are plainely prescribed in the Text. The Order for here is a Frist and a Second commandement mencioned The Measure for here is mentioned the great commandement and a commandement that is onely like it We are willed to loue first The Lord our God secondly Our neighbour this is the Order And we are willed to loue the Lord our God with all our heart soule and mind c. and our neighbour as our selues this is the Measure Order then and Measue are to be obserued in the bestowing of our Charitie And indeed without Order and Measure no worke hath either Beautie or Perpetuitie looke vpon the frame of heauen and earth were not the parts thereof so well ordered had not each of them his limits it could neither be so goodly nor so lasting a Creature want of Order would blemish the goodlinesse and want of Measure would shorten the lastingnesse thereof Euen so is it in Charitie inuert the Order alter the Measure required therein by the Law wee doe foulely deforme it and all societie grounded thereon bee it heauenly or earthly will quickly bee disolued This time will not suffice for the opening of both wherefore I will now onely handle the Order and reserue the Measure for some other time Touching then the Order that is to be obserued in Charitie wee must know that it is twofold there is Ordo ad intra and ordo ad extra an order in the generation of it or the working of it into our soules and an order in the employment of it as we expresse it in our liues Of the first Order you heard when I opened vnto you the seate of Charitie and shewed you that it is either Primitiue or Deriuatiue it must begin at the Heart and from thence spread it selfe into the Soule the mind the strength With that Order we haue nothing to doe now my Text leadeth me to speake of the second Order the Order of employment the bestowing of it vpon others after we are seasoned with it our selues To come then to this Order to vnderstand it we must take this Rule Scire quid facere debeamus nescire ordinem faciendt perfecta scientia non est moralitie requireth that we not onely know what we ought to doe but also in what order otherwise the knowledge of our dutie is imperfect therefore imperfect because it will be indiscreete discretion being that which doth distinguish and digest the parts of De Cinit Dei lib 5 cap. 22. and points in our dutie So that take away Order vertue will presently degeâ—erate into vice especially if we admit that definition of Saint Austine short but true Vâ—rtus est ordo amoris vertue is nothing else but the well ordering of our Charitie Wherefore the Order of Gods precepts must not bee passed ouer vnregarded because therefore doth God keepe an order in commanding to intimate vnto vs what order we must keepe in our liuing Whatsoeuer is good may be beloued well or ill well if you obserue the order and if you neglect it then you loue it ill But let vs come closer to the Text. Here we find a first and a second Commandement It is doubted by some whether they are rightly so called seeing that which concerneth our Neighbour was first deliuered Leuit. 19. vers 18. and therefore deliuered on mount Sinai Leuit. 27.34 Comp. numb 10 ver 11 12 with Deâ—â—r 1 6 vide Deut. 2 1â— and that which concerneth the Lord our God was deliuered afterward Deutro 6. vers 50. and therefore deliuered in the land of Moab Deutr. 1.5 The distance of times wherein they were deliuered was thirtie eight yeeres But we must not insist vpon these words as referring to the times wherein Moses deliuered the Commandements but as expounding their sense as they are a Summe of the Decalogue and point out the principall duties prescribed therein Now because the Decalogue was engrauen in two Tables and the briefe of the first was our dutie toward God therefore is that called the first Commandement
what these two Commandements enioyned vs is by Christ fulfilled for vs. Saint Pauls wordes sound that way Rom. 8. That which was impossible for the Law by reason of the weaknesse of our flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemed sin in the flesh Math. 5.17 Rom 10.4 Gal. 3 2â— that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs and Christ saith I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it and he is the end of the Law and the Law a Pedagogue to Christ But Hilarie hath a good Rule Sensus dictorum sumendus est ex causis dicendorum Christs words are an Answere and therefore must bee vnderstood sutably to the Question Now the Question was touching that which was enioyned vs therefore the Answere is not to bee thought to extend farther And doubtlesse the Questionist thought nothing of the Gospell for how should hee thinke vpon that whereof he had no knowledge Wherefore in contracting of those parts wee must include no more then that dutie which is enioyned vs by the Law as it is contradistinct to the Gospell and all that is contained herein Yea Saint Austin was conceited that not only God did worke the Law and the Prophets out of this ground but that the very Heathen also wrought all their allowable Moralitie and Policie out of it Neither is there any point of this kinde in Christian Religion which may not bee fetched out of Heathen Writers Not that any one of them hath all the Rules but that there is no Rule which may not bee found in some one of them I except alwayes the Rules of the Gospell Whereupon it followeth that Reason it selfe acknowledgeth the truth of all those Rules I will not be so confident as to affirme that the Heathens did euer acknowledge all that I haue opened on these two Commandements a glimpse they had of most of it the writings of Plato Seneca others doe testifie as much the fragments of the twelue Tables which are the foundation of the Ciuill Law and the bodie thereof testifie how farre Reason hath gone But I hasten to an end You haue heard a Lesson which is recommended vnto vs in Christs Answere I told you it is a briefe of the Bible the whole is no more in effect then Loue God aboue all things and thy Neighbour as thy selfe a short lesson you would thinke but it is a very hard one whether you respect the proper worke of Loue or the workes which it commands The reason is partly in our Ignorance which doth not easily learne our dutie and partly in our Concupiscence which hinders vs from doing that which we know from these two impediments no meere man euer was free De perfect Iustit ad Coelest 1. Cor 13. since the fall of Adam neither is it likely any man shall bee vntill the end of the World Wherefore Saint Austin is of opinion that our intire obedience is reserued for our state in Heauen When that which is perfect is come then shall that which is imperfect be done away Saint Paul speaketh it of Charitie which shall not be abolished in Heauen but consummated where wee shall loue God though not quantum diligibilis in se yet quantum ab homine and our Neighbour as our selfe But Saint Austin giueth a good Rule why these Commandements were giuen I am ante praecipitur quia non recte curritur si quo currendum nescitur quomodo autem sciretur si nullis praeceptis ostenderetur Therefore wee must vnderstand the Commandements aright wee are wayfaring men and these Lawes trace out the way which we must goe to Heauen Wee I meane as many as are faithfull For to vs is the Law giuen and some steps must we make herein euery day that wee may bee the forwarder to our iournies end So all our worke should proceed from it and the Loue of God should order our life especially with that we should be principally affected and coldly with other things in comparison of that 1. Cor. 7. v. 31. Vse the world as if we vsed it not If a man bee perplext in his deliberation how hee should carrie himselfe because the profound disputes of Moralitie exceed his capacitie let him hearken to the good counsell of an ancient Father Noli per multa tre nec discendi terreat te ramorum diffusio radicem tene de magnitudine arboris noli cogitare A man may rid himselfe of much trouble in resoluing his conscience what to doe if hee season his Heart well with the Loue of God and of his Neighbour I meane not that he should refuse other helpes if hee may haue them but the more hee hath of this the lesse he will need other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that makes vs obey out of feare this out of goodnesse The Papists abuse this Text for they say this is one of the directories of the Church whereby shee may supply her Traditions but it warrants no supply of the Morall Law much lesse of Articles of Faith though if it be reasonably vsed it may extend to positiue Lawes Lastly seeing all hang on these two Commandements none can crie nesciebam I knew not what to doe But I draw to an end In the Hebrew Bibles the first Characters of these two Commandements are extraordinary great whether by the appointment of Esdras when he digested the Bible or by the Authours of the Mazoreth when they set downe the various lections I will not dispute of this wee may bee sure that whosoeuer was the Authour hee meant we should take notice of these as most remarkable Commandements Not such notice as the Iewes take who write them in schedules and weare and reade them as Amulets to keepe from them all euill which superstition diuers Christians did imitate in Saint Hieromes dayes hanging about their neckes little Gospels In Matth. c â—â— But that Father saith well that caskets and closets may hold our Bibles and be neuer the better for them they are the better for Scripture who lay it vp in their hearts and this God meant the Iewes should dâ—e when he bade them bind his Lawes as frontlets about their heads Deut. 6. and bracelets about their armes hee would haue them in all their wayes thinke vpon them and be euer exercising themselues in them and not to vse the ceremonie only forgetting the substance And I pray God these Commandements may be such frontlets on our eyes as God meant and not such as the Iewes vsed Charitie is the end of the Law the fulfilling of the Law 1 Tim 1.5 Rom 13.10 Col. 3.14 as Saint Paul speakes in imitation of Christ the bond of perfection the way of life yea the superexcellent way all these commendations the Scripture giueth it But beyond all commendations goeth that which Christ giueth it in my text Vpon it hang all the Law and the Prophets Wherefore owe nothing to any but this
whose hands he knew he should haue no thankes for his labour So to confesse must needes be an ingenuous Confession And indeed such an ingenuous Confession doth well beseeme all in debates of Religion For it fals not out in them as it doth in the Games of Actiuitie wherein onely he that conquereth is crowned the conquered also shall haue his crowne in this case if being conuicted hee acknowledge and submit himselfe vnto the truth It were to bee wished that the World would imitate this Ingenuitie that God might forgiue vs our infirmities and giue vs grace to profit in the way of eternall life But the World is possest with a spirit of obstinacie so that men will not be perswaded though they bee perswaded nor conuicted when they are conuicted bee it in head or heart When wee deale with Papists or Anabaptists we haue too lamentable proofe hereof they carrie themselues like deafe Adders they stop their eares and will not heare the voyce of the Charmer charme he neuer so wisely But to leaue the absent and direct my speech to our selues that are present Are our Hearts better disposed then their Heads I would they were but experience teacheth that though our sinnes bee laid neuer so clearely before vs and Gods Law that condemnes them often applied close to our Conscience yet few there are that become sensible as Dauid was vpon Nathans reproofe or as the Niniuites were at the preaching of Ionas The want of this Ingenuitie is the cause why drunkards sweareas adulterers all wicked liuers notwithstanding all our instruction continue still like vnto themselues But let them take heed their obstinacie will one day cost them deare they will be put vnto a worse shame for perseuering in sinne Eccle 4 Aust Epist â—8 then euer their Repentance coulde bring vpon them You haue heard one branch of the Scribes Ingenuitie manifested in his acknowledgment of the truth when he heard it But hee doth not onely acknowledge but he doth iustifie it also hee sheweth that he is able soundly to confirme it And indeed this is compleate Ingenuitie when a man doth not onely yeeld when he hath nothing to say against the truth but also goeth farther and becomes an Aduocate thereof shewing the reason that moues him and may moue others to subscribe vnto it See how this Scribe doth it To loue God with all our heart saith he and our Neighbour as our selfe is better then all burnt offering and sacrifice Nothing could come in competition with Morall Law but the Ceremoniall giuing it then preeminence aboue the Ceremoniall he giues it absolute preeminence and so prooues Loue to be the great Commandement following herein the direction of God himselfe in Esay Osea Amos Cap. 1. Cap. 6. Cap. 5. Cap. 7. and Ieremie I haue handled this point vpon the fiftie one Psalme and therefore intend to passe by it at this time onely giuing you this rule whereby you may the better iudge of his proofe Charitie pleaseth God immediately of it selfe Sacrifices please not but in vertue of Charitie But marke how with this his Reason hee doth perstring his fellowes You know the Pharisees were for their Corban Irenie i. â— c. 323 and taught children to disobey and destitute their parents rather then not to performe their sacrifice which Doctrine of theirs this Scribe acknowledgeth to be most peruerse a fruit of couetousnesse Of whom we may learne this good lesson that we must not perfunctorily read the Scriptures but learne by them how to argue for them by knowing what is contained in them and weying what will follow vpon them Secondly marke that whereas this Questionist came as a Tempter he so profited by Christs answere that hee went away a commender of Christ which ingenuitie of his makes it probable that of himselfe hee was well disposed but carried away with ill companie of which sort no doubt but there are many in the Church of Rome many that rather follow the streame then their owne iudgement whose vnhappinesse it is to be so vnhappily yoked which must teach vs to take heed how we sort our selues with malicious aduersaries of the truth least wee become like vnto them at least be made instruments of theirs Finally obserue that Christ hath a greater conquest ouer the Pharisees then he had ouer either the Herodian or the Sadducee for he onely put them to silence so that it was left wholy to the Auditorie to iudge whether they were fully answered or no but the Scribe that thought to speed better is driuen to a harder straight hee is driuen to confesse and that before the people that Christ had answered the truth hee that thought to procure his disgrace is made the trumpet of his prayse and glorie so strangely doth God worke in the hearts and consciences of men according to that in the Psalme He receiued gifts for men euen for his enemies that the Lord God might dwell amongst them and to this purpose are his arrowes said to be verie sharpe and to pierce the hearts of the Kings enemies Psal 45. the preparation of the heart is of man but the answere of the tongue is of the Lord Baalam went to curse the Israelites God made him blesse them Saul went to take Dauid God made him prophesie of his succession the messengers went to take Christ but they returned with this commendations of him Neuer man spake as he speaketh Saul went to persecute the Christians of Damascus but on the way hee was so changed that when he came thither he preached the Gospell So doth the rage of man turne to Gods praise and the fiercenesse of their Spirits doth he refraine hee turneth Lyons into Lambes And thus much shall suffice to be spoken of the Scribes Ingenuitie I come now to Christs Clemencie the clemencie wherewith he entertained that Ingenuitie the Text saith first that he tooke notice of it he saw that he answered discreetly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is significant as one hauing a reasonable soule The proper obiect of our vnderstanding is Truth it is naturally carried thereunto and so is the will to Good the the naturall obiect thereof But these reasonable abilities are diuerted and peruerted by our sense and sensuall appetite which beset vs and which we are desirous to please Whereupon it followes that though men be reasonable creatures yet are their resolutions for the most part carnall so that it is no small commendation for a man to bee able to sequester in his consultations the better part from the worse and notwithstanding the solicitations of the worse to follow the direction and inclination of the better as did this Scribe And what he did Christ saw his piercing eye discerned not onely the words which he spake but the fountaine also from whence they sprang otherwise he would not haue spared after his custome to haue told him plainely that hee was an hypocrite But Christ is so farre from blaming him that hee seemeth rather
promise Let vs come then to it The first Obseruation that I made vpon the reference of If and Then was this We may not exspect what God doth offer except we performe what God requires In conceiuing the mysterie of our Redemption we must obserue a double method of God the one according to which he resolu'd on it the other according to which he was pleased to communicate it If you looke vnto the first method that was first in Gods intention which was last in his execution he resolued first vpon the End to manifest his Mercie and Iustice in sauing a certaine number out of the Masse of perdition and leauing others to perish therein through their owne default and he made choice of and proportioned such meanes as in his wisedome might seeme fitest to compasse this End If we denie this we make Gods prouidence more indiscreete then is vsually that of well aduised men for in all their deliberations they begin at the end and according to the rule of wisedome Finis praescribit speciem mensuram mediorum they dispose all things answerable thereunto But as when men haue done their deliberations and giue order for their worke they prescribe first the meanes in their order and by those meanes will haue such as they imploy to compasse those Ends euen so doth God setting men in time on the way to their saluation wherevpon he was eternally resolued lead them first to the meanes without which it is not his pleasure they should euer come vnto their happie End These two methods must not be confounded the method of publishing the Gospell with the method of Gods making the first Decree thereof The Decree of sauing men did not runne the same way with the Decree of bringing men to saluation I would not obserue this darke point vnto you but that our English Anabaptists are become plaine Arminians as their Pamphlets shew which they scatter abroad to corrupt the people The ground of the errour of both as the learned may perceiue in ripping vp their discourses is the confounding of these different Decrees and Methods when they studie the mysterie of our saluation But let vs come to plaine matter God from the beginning though he were Lord of all and might at his pleasure giue Law to any yet hath he proceeded with his reasonable creatures by way of Couenant now a Couenant consisteth of mutuall stipulation or promise Gods to Vs and ours to God so runneth the Law Hoc fac viues to doe Gods will was to be our promise and Gods promise was to giue vs life so runneth the the Gospell Crede saluus eris we must yeeld Faith vnto God and God will bestow saluation vpon vs It is the first thing children learne in their Catechisme as they are taught that by Baptisme they are made children of God members of Christ and heires of the Kingdome of heauen so likewise are they taught that by their suerties they haue vowed to renounce the diuell and all his workes the pompe and vanities of this wicked world to beleeue the Articles of the Creed and keepe Gods holy Commandements There is then a mutuall conditioning betweene God and man man with God so Iacob Genes 28. which is generally to be obserued in all votiue Prayers God with man here and elswhere Deut. 28. And yet we may not mistake for there is great odds betweene these Conditionings for when God conditioneth with man hee asketh nothing but what was due to him before all the obedience wee can performe is due by our natiue allegeance the allegeance which a Creature oweth to his Creatour but we in our conditioning with God may not desire ought of God which he hath not first promised for no Creature may carue to himselfe hee must be contented with that which God will vouchsafe him and whatsoeuer he offers vnto vs is such as whereunto we haue otherwise no right Adde hereunto that we may bee sure of God that what he offers he will performe for with God there is no variablenesse nor shadow of change Scio cui crediderim Iam. 1. But he cannot bee so sure of vs Omnis homo mendax we neuer abide stedfast in our Couenant But Gods conditioning with vs I must open vnto you a little more fully Know then that though what God requires wee must performe yet performe it out of our owne strength we cannot originall sinne hath dâ—â—inabled vs and by adding actuall vnto it wee are made lesse able though in regard of their natural gifts there is inequalitie betweene men yet a bono caelesti omnes aequè auersi nisi discriminet gratia God requires that we should heare his voice 1 Cor. 2.14 beleeue in him but a naturall man cannot perceiue the things of God yea hee will winke with his eyes and stop his eares least â—ee should see and heare returne and bee saued God requires that we keepe his Couenant 〈◊〉 8. but the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie against God it is not it cannot be subiect to his Law Yea so impotently are we giuen to spirituall fornication that though God graciously wooe Vs yet gracelesly we reiect him Thereis no remedie then but the condition which God requires on our part must remaine vnperformed except he giue vs grace wherewith to performe it he must giue vs supernaturall power to performe this supernaturall worke 1. Cor 47 Quis te discernit Quid habes quod non accepisti He biddeth vs heare his voice beleeue in him whereas faith is his gift he must purifie our hearts by faith He biddeth vs keepe his Couenant and loue him but Charitie is a fruit of the Spirit Acts 1â— and this fire must be kindled from heauen God must circumcise our hearts and make vs keepe his lawes Dat non tantum nouas reuelationes sâ—d bonas voluntates for no man can come to the Sonne except the Father draw him Ex nolente faciens volentem as saith Saint Austin But if God giue that which we must giue to God how is the worke ours Surely thus though God giue the abilitie yet hee will haue vs make vse of it vse the eye of faith which he doth illighten and so obey his voice vse the Charitie wherewith he doth seasen our hearts and set our affections vpon him let it be our chiefest care to hold fast vnto him if we doe so we shall be reputed performers of the condition for grace doth not take away the libertie of our will though it giues new qualities working vpon it not onely Physically but morally also Yet here againe remember that we need a second grace that we may make vse of the first for our vnderstanding though enlightned may bee circumuented with Sophistrie and our will may bee transported with vanitie euen after God hath sanctified it though otherwise the Will doth tend naturally to good when it is sanctified as the vnderstanding to truth It is cleare in Adam and Eues case
these good precedents they that are honoured to bee Gods messengers must learne that it beseemes Referendaries to keepe themselues to their instructions and deliuer so much as and no more then they haue receiued in charge But to speak a litle more distinctly to this point The message did consist of two branches First That which God required Secondly That which God offred Moses that did deliueral Gods Cōmandements deliuered both these branches he informed them of their dutie aswell as of Gods mercy and of Gods mercy no lesse then of their dutie And indeed both are requisite to be taught our dutie that wee doe not presume Gods mercie that we doe not despaire omit either and you may me the doctrine of Gods Couenant There is also committed vnto vs the Law and the Gospel the one to humble the other to comfort men we ought to conioyne both and you must be content to heare of your dutie aswell as of Gods mercie We preach them both to our people the Papists charge vs with taking from the doctrine of the Couenant but the bookes of our Confession the Articles and Catechismes and the booke of our Deuotion our publike Lyturgie and finally the Homilies which are appointed to be read vnto the people refute this slander But wee iustly charge them with adding to the doctrine of the Couenant the bookes Apochryphall and their vngrounded Traditions and wee remember them of that saying of Salomon Pro◠30 v. 6. adde not to Gods Word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar And what wee haue censured in them are nothing else but the forgeries of mens braines which may not bee reputed the Oracles of God Therefore though we call vpon you dutifully to heare and receiue aswell what God requires as what hee promiseth yet as necessarily to saluation wee doe not wee should not call vpon you to heare more then he requires or to beleeue more then he promiseth But enough of Moses Fidelitie Let vs now see his Wisdome As hee dischargeth himselfe fully so doth hee discharge himselfe clearely also For he laid all that God commanded him before the faces of the Elders Nec incautis nec nescientibus ingeritur Lex Here first we meete with a strange phrase for can words bee laid before mens faces you would expect that the Text should haue said Moses spake that which God commanded in the eares of the people and here wee find their eares turned into eyes When the Holy Ghost meaneth euidence of speech it vseth to expresse it in such significant tearmes Saint Paul telling the Galathians of his perspicuous preaching the Gospell vnto them 〈◊〉 3. v 1. saith that Iesus Christ was described in their sight and crucified before them Although the Holy Ghost doe speake to some in Parables Mat 13. that in hearing they may heare and not vnderstand which he doth in punishment of their contempt of euident truth which hath beene laid before them Mat. 6. because as the Prouerbe is Pearles are not to bee cast vnto swine nor holy things vnto dogs yet to those that heare with a reuerent and an obedient eare Mat. 13. ◠11. Datum est nosse mysteria regnicoelorum the Parables are vnfolded the mysteries of the Kingdome of heauen are laid before their face To open this point a little better We must distinguish the Couenant of God from the Illustrations and Amplifications thereof The Couenant it selfe both Old and New is plainly deliuered whether you respect that which God requires or that which Godoffers aswel in this chapter as in other parts of the Bible But there are many Illustrations and Amplifications of either of these Typicall Mysticall darke and hard to be vnderstood which the people cannot vnderstand without an Interpreter ea which the Interpreter himselfe cannot vnderstand without manifold helpe helpe of Deuotion that Gods Spirit may inlighten him and helpe of Meditation painfully scanning and comparing the branches of the Text with other places finally helpe of Varietie of humane literature which giueth great light sometimes to the phrase sometimes to the matter in hand But aboue al in matters necessarie to saluation we follow Catholike Tradition This we say And yet the wrangling Romanists beare the World in hand that wee say there is no difficultie in the Scriptures and that for their guide wee referre the people only to their priuate Spirit which are grosse vntruths We encourage the people to read the Scripture and tell them that though there bee some depths therein wherein an Elephant may swimme yet there are some such shallowes wherein a Lambe may wade The simplest may meete there with all parts of their Catechisme the ten Commandements the Articles of their Creed the Lords Prayer the Sacraments These points containe the substance of the Couenant and they are plainly deliuered there And more then these are not necessarie to saluation Some may haue more some lesse vnderstanding of these according to their breeding yet all should vnderstand these And for this purpose did Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and the Fathers of the Primitiue Church commend vnto the people the reading of the Scriptures But we aduise them to leaue vnto the learned at least to learne of them to vnderstand those things that are vailed and soberly to edifie their pietie with these things which they shall find there vnuailed or laid before their faces I haue done with the deliuerie of the Message I come now to the Answere that is made thereunto And here we are to take notice first Who maketh it the whole Congregation The people answered But doe not you remember that the Message was deliuered to the Elders why then doe the People answere Surely because the Elders receiued it to deliuer it to the people and therefore not only the Elders but the people also were to make an answere Some are of opinion that the Elders were the representatiue bodie of all the people and that their consent was the consent of all and that all were bound by that which they did as in Parliaments the chosen Knights and Burgesses in Synods the chosen Proctors of the Clergie haue such obliging voices Which conceit the Romanists wrest so farre as therupon to make the tenents of the Elders of the Church the ground of the peoples faith to which purpose they also abuse the maxime of Cyprian Ecclesia est in Episcopo The Church subsisteth in the Bishop vbi non sunt Sacerdotes Ecclesia non est The same premises serue aswell to conclude for the Lyturgie in an vnknowne tongue and for their priuate Masse For if the people may beleeue because their Bishops beleeue they may aswell as indeed they doe serue God in the Priest and in the Priest they may communicate without any their priuitie to what hee doth or any their cooperation with him from which they are necessarily excluded by priuate Masses and vnknowne Prayers But the reason why the people are said to
shewed whensoeuer wee approach God or haue to doe with sacred things That we may learne and practice it Let vs in the feare of God listen to that which I shall further say of these points briefly and in their order The first is Moses charge He must make a fence betweene the people and the Hill set bounds round about the People or as it is in the 23. verse He must sanctifie the Mountaine and make of it a Sanctuarie And indeed well might it so be reputed when it was couered with all the visible tokens of Gods maiesticall presence and if it be sanctified hereunto then it followeth it must be reuerend in our eyes and inuiolable by vs wee must not esteeme it as common ground nor make bold with it as if it were such Euerie man should know his distance and obserue it but ignorance in some and negligence in others are the causes why men left to themselues either know not what they should doe or doe not what they know God therefore in pitie of our ignorance and to hold in our vnrulinesse hath appointed those that shall set vs our bounds especially in things indifferent wherein presuming of lawfulnesse few will haue an eye to expediences The vulgar eye is not sharpe enough to discerne it neither is the vulgar heart plyable to the obseruance of it It is the worke of the Gouernour to remedie both these defects Neither onely in things indifferent but also in moralities for they are to make Lawes euen vpon the Law of nature and keepe vs to the doing of that which we would not doe though our Conscience suffer vs not to bee ignorant thereof because the morall Law is written in our hearts What man that hath not put off a man knoweth not that murder adulterie theft are sinnes And yet what more common in mens liues The commonnesse hath made it necessarie for all States to set bounds vnto their people in regard of these things And if in regard of Ciuill how much more of Ecclesiasticall things Men are neuer more lawlesse then in those things wherein you would exspect that euery man should especially bee a Law vnto himselfe that is in keeping his distance from God But herein also we need a Boundarie and God hath appointed those that must set it And who are they but such as Moses those that are set ouer vs For Moses must be considered here not onely as a messenger from God but also as a Ruler of the Israelites neither were they to heare him onely as a Counselour but as a commander his words did more then informe they did order their liues And in a word this is a principall branch of Magistracie to take away the common excuse of offenders which is Non putaram I wist not that this was my dutie and to direct them by Lawes before they call them to an account for their liues I will not here fall vpon the question which is much debated at this day whether Magistrates may set bounds vnto the people in causes Ecclesiasticall as well as Ciuill Onely take notice that here by an example we are taught that they may And let this suffice for Moses charge The Israelites charge is They must not presume to goe vp vnto the Mount And indeed a Boundarie were no Boundarie if it might bee passed You know by your ground that an Inclosure is no Inclosure if it may bee common how much more must this be conceiued of the Inclosure of God that Ground which he hath fenced vnto himselfe for a Sanctuarie If it be a trespasse to breake through your neighbours fence how much more through the fence of God This is Transgression indeed it is indeed Peccatum for that is quasi pecuatum playing the vnruly sheepe that will not be kept within his penne or to speake plainely with S. Iohn 1 Iohn 3 4. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Transgression of Gods Law But God will not haue his people Sonnes of Belial such as cannot indure his yoake Psal 2. hee will not haue them like those insolent ones that say Let vs breake his bonds and cast his cords from vs. God hath giuen a Law to the sea saying Iob. 38. Hitherto shalt thou come and here thou shalt stay thy proud waues and the Sea passeth not the bounds which God hath set it How much lesse should we presume notwithstanding the swelling of our nature and the impetuous affections thereof God exspecteth we should checke the presumption of our nature But about all presumption we should take heed of that which is the highest going vp into the Mount prophaning of the Sanctuarie of God and ventring in sacred things farther then he giueth vs leaue Curiositie in this kind hath beene the mother of Heresies when men haue beene busily wittie in searching into rather then belieuing of that profound Article of the Trinitie Man that is not able to vnderstand his owne nature Dauid confesseth such knowledge is too wonderfull for him dreameth that hee can comprehend the nature of God 〈◊〉 39. Others haue lost themselues while they haue diued into the mysteries of the Incarnation who are not able to vnderstand their owne regeneration Some ouer-studie themselues in the Booke of Gods prouidence and would know more then is possible for man to conceiue of Gods counsell in Predestination of the cooperation of grace in free-will c. Others climbe not so high but yet they goe to farre in determining the manner of the mysticall Vnion in the Sacrament and discouering of mysticall senses in many passages of the Scriptures To say nothing of the Iewish Cabalists of Astrologian diuinations of hereticall Reuelations and heathenish mysteries It is too cleare that what with the curious Cur Why of some and quomodo How of others there hath beene manifold passing the Bounds climbing the Mount and intrusions vpon God and the things of God It is naturall to a man to desire knowledge but since wee did eate of the forbidden fruit we haue beene very peruerse in that desire we that haue no mind to know God as we ought are very eager to know him as we ought not In this world Non Deum scrutari sedam are debemus we should rather desire to loue God then to know him whereas wee desire rather to know him then to loue him and as our first parents desire rather to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill then of the tree of life And we need as a spurre vnto good and sauing knowledge so a bridle to restraine vs from that knowledge which is curious and presumptuous 〈◊〉 12. wherefore blessed is that discretion which maketh vs wise vnto sobrietie I will conclude this point with a good admonition of the Sonne of Syrach 〈◊〉 3. Seeke not out the things that are too hard for thee neither search the things that are aboue thy strength but what is commanded thee thinke therevpon with reuerence The ground of that good
Apud Photium in Bibliotheca after the ouerthrow of Hierusalem should haue beene crowned by his Souldiers as a Conquerour hee refused it and gaue this answere This worke is none of mine I lent my hand but God gaue the strooke You see a very heathen did confesse the birth of Iezreel But Iezreel was not the onely child Lo-ruhama was borne also God gaue the stroke and it was a Mercilesse stroke Theodoret obserueth well in comparing the many iudgments that besell the Iewes that they were vindemiati defoliati at other times their enemies had fruit gatherings vpon them and they had fals of the leafe they were made very bare and brought very low butyet neuer so low as now when they became as the Fig-tree which Christ cursed in those words neuer fruit grow on thee any more when they became not onely a naked but also a withered Tree Mal. 1. â— when the habitation of Iacob became like the habitation of Esau a border of wickednesse and the Iewes as the Edomites a people with whom God is effended for euer Tertullian in his Apologie describes their wofull state Caeli soli extorres sine Deo sine homine Rege they may neither breath in their owne ayre nor tread on their owne ground they haue helpe neither from God nor man as if they were the brood of Caine continuall vagabonds semper noui vbique alieni neuer suffered long in any one plaâ—â— neither entertained otherwise then as meere strangers whatsoeuer liberâ—â— they haue they pay for it to the vttermost Saint â—â—nard goeth farther in an Epistle of his saying Neuer was there such a 〈◊〉 as God hath brought vpon the Iewes who are Catholike slaues slaues in 〈◊〉 the world I will not rip vp stories to proue this euen this yeare God hath made vs see the truth hereof Germanie hath yeelded a spectacle of their slauerie In the Citie of Frankford which was inhabited with many thousinds of them when they were preparing themselues to solemnize that day wherein they bewaile the destruction of Hierusalem the Inhabitants otherwise exasperated against them wreakt their displeasure vpon them and hazarding many of their liues rifled most of their goods and forced them out of their Citie There is yet a third child the worst of the three Lo-ansmi the heauiest calamitie that euer befell the Iewes God oftentimes afflicted them and the affliction was very sharpe but he neuer before dissolued the bond whereby Israel was knit vnto him and was by Couenant his peculiar people but now that which Theodoret would haue the world to wonder at silij facti sunt canes canes filij We that at the plauting of the Gospell were no better then Dogs haue now the honour to bee children of God and they that then were children what are they now but Dogs Dogs not vouchsafed so much as the crummes that fall from their masters table At first their Kingdome failed then failed the Prophesie and now the Priesthood faileth also there is no bond of Commerce left betweene them and God such was the destruction of Hierusalem But this was but a Type we were in this to behold a greater euill the eternall damnation of the Iew. Non aliquid vsitatum dicit saith Chrysostome it is no vsuall matter that Iohn Baptist meaneth by the wrath to come it is not the sword or pestilence or famine that he terrifieth them with he puereth them in mind of some other iudgement such as they had neuer heard before Wee are then from the Type to come to the truth from the destruction to the damnation which is here called wrath to come And the first thing that this phrase putteth vs in mind of is the difference that God hath made betweene Angels and men both sinned and were sentenced but the stroke of Iustice was respited vnto man which on the Angels was inflicted presently no space left vnto the Angels to be reconciled vnto God but God hath giuen a space vnto man Saint Chrysostome obserueth well there vpon If thou sinne and God doe not presently strike thinke not that he doth it out of Impotencie hee doth it out of Patience it cannot be Impotencie for he presently did strike the Angels that are greater then men it is Patience then which argueth Gods wonder full mercie towards man Yea and thereupon it followeth vndoubtedly that during this space which God granteth for repentance no man need to despaire Lib. 2. de Panitentiá or to be despaired of Saint Ambrose is confident herein I am perswaded saith he that if Iudas Iudas that betraied Christ had spoken vnto Christ that which he spake vnto the high Priest I haue sinned in that I haue shed innocent bloud he might haue beene saued if Iudas who not Man is not doomed definitely in this life But I must remoue a stumbling blocke for restraining Wrath to that punishment which is to come I may bee thought to denie it in any of those punishments which we feele in this life and indeed I doe denie it For whatsoeuer is inflicted here is improperly Wrath and in comparison deserueth not the name of Wrath you may call it Wrath materially but formally it is no Wrath. I will shew it by a three fold difference which is betweene the punishments of this life and those of the life to come The first is in their Originall the second in their Measure the third in their End For the Originall we must learne that wrath is no immediat affection there is something else that commeth betweene it and the Will and that is Loue and Hatred the Will is prepossest by one of them before it bringeth forth Wrath and Wrath is the immediate fruit either of Loue or Hatred we learne it out of Gods message sent by Nathan to King Dauid 1. Sam. 7.14 15. If thy children breake my Lawes and walke not in my statutes I will visit their sinnes with the rod and their offences with scourges but my Mercie I will not take from them as I did from Saul Dauids house felt stripes and so did Sauls but mercie laid on those and hatred these The very same may you gather out of Gods words in the first of Malachi Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated and these two God exprest in punishing them both as it followeth in that Text. Now all punishments in this life they are effects of Loue that Loue which fixed a space betweene our sinnes and the receite of our wages But when the space is ended the Loue doth end whatsoeuer we feele after it is the stroake of hatred Psal 88. God forgetteth then to be mercifull and shutteth vp his louing kindnes in displeasure So that as this stroake is properly Wrath so the other cannot be but improperly so called seeing thereby God so chastiseth vs not because he hateth vs but because he loueth vs Castigo te non quod odio habeam sed quod amem is in this life much more truely said of
Zorobabels Temple But that place must be considered not in its meanenesse as it was built by the Iewes but as it was furnished with that glorie whereof heretofore you haue heard that house so adorned was to bee the place of peace Salomons Temple was a place of peace but his peace was but a type it was a worldly peace Zorobabels Temple is also a place of peace but his peace is the truth that answered the former type the peace thereof is heauenly that Temple which had but the type of the glorie had no more but the type of the peace and the truth of the peace rested there where the truth of the glorie was So that there is an emphasis in the words this place the holy Ghost giueth thereby the Iewes to vnderstand that it was not the former but the later Temple whereunto God intended the peace which he promised to Dauid 2 Sam. 7. 2 Chro. 22. Isay 25. 26. and all the promises of peace in the Prophets were to be referred thither this Ierusalem was to answer vnto her name and to be indeed the vision of peace But I told you heretofore that Zorobabels Temple was to be vnderstood not only literally but mystically and so it signifieth not onely that materiall house but also the Christian Church peace is annext vnto this peace Extra Ecclesiam non est salus No saluation without the Church and therefore no peace he shall neuer haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother In our Creed wee place the holy Catholicke Church and Communion of Saints before the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting As the soule doth not quicken other parts than those that are vnited to the body no more doth the spirit of God giue his blessing of peace to any that are distracted from the body of the Church This must be obserued against all Schismaticks that doe excommunicate them selues and disorderly persons that are iustly excommunicated by the censure of the Church all these while they continue in that state though they doe not lose ius ad pacem yet they doe lose ius in pace though they doe not lose their interest in yet they suspend the benefit of that peace and their state is vncomfortable though it be not irrecouerable And they which follow negligently the assemblies of the Church doe not a little defraud themselues of this peace for they must seeke it chiefly by prayer in Gods house and there doth God dispence it by the mouth of his Ministers I will giue you only two proofes the one our of the Old Testament when the sacrifices were ended which were typicall prayers Num 6.25 Aaron is willed to dismisse the people with these words The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be gracious vnto thee the Lord lift vp the light of his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace A second proofe wee haue in the New Testament where the Church doth solemnely vse those words of the Apostle when after the Liturgie it dismisseth the people The peace of God which passeth all vnder standing keep your hearts and mindes c. And what better inuitation can wee haue to repaire often to the Church than this blessing of peaceâ— foure-fold peace which is there daily offered vnto vs and may bee receiued if we come and come prepared for it I say prepared Before you heard that the peace commeth to the house but as it is furnished with the glorie where there is none of the glorie there can be none of the peace therefore wee must prepare these Temples of our bodies and soules by entertainement of the glory that they may be made capable of the peace The Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 5. Wee must bee iustified by faith before we can haue peace with God Esay 32. If iudgement dwell in the wildernesse and righteousnesse remaine in the fruitfull fielde the worke of righteousnesse shall bee peace 1 Cor. 2. and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for euer God doth annoint vs before he doth establish vs. St. Austin hath a witty conceit vpon the words of the 85. Psalme Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other Duae sunt amicae Iustitia Pax c. Righteousnesse and Peace are two fast friends happely thou wouldest gladly enioy the one but thou wilt not bee perswaded to performe the other for there is no man that would not willingly haue peace but all are not willing to worke righteteousnesse yet be thou assured that if thou dost not loue peace's friend which is righteousnesse peace will neuer loue thee for righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each the other 2 King 9. You know what Iehu answered the King of Israel when he asked him Is it peace Iehu what peace can there bee so long as the whoredomes and witchcrafts of thy mother are so many So may we reply to euery soule vnquiet soule that enquireth after peace Looke for none where there is sinne Well may there bee the enemie assaulting and daily sounding alarums but this securing peace which is Gods garrison cannot bee there So long as the Iewes serued God their enemies could not inuade their borders Exod 34. but then the Temple was exposed to the enemie when the Prophets could not reclaime them from sin It is a good conscience that is a continuall feast You haue heard seuerally of the Peace and the Place you must now heare ioyntly of their knitting together who knits them and How He that knitteth them is God in Christ God is the God of peace so the Apostle calleth him Phil. 4.19 and the Prophet tels vs that he creates light as well as darkenesse and Elihu is so bold as to say Iob 34. that if God giue peace none can hinder it But as God giueth it so hee giueth it in Christ for it is his worke to make peace the Prophet Esay cap. 9. vers 6. calleth him the Prince of peace his true members are Sonnes of peace his Apostles Messengers of peace and his doctrine is the Gospell of peace all the foure specified degrees of peace were wrought by him First he tooke away the guilt of our sinne Esay 53. The chastisement of our peace was layd vpon him For he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. Secondly hee hath kild the worme for being iustified by faith in him our heart condemnes vs not and we haue confidence towards God so that we can come with boldnesse vnto the throne of grace Thirdly the Law of the spirit of life that is in Iesus Christ doth free vs from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. It mortifieth it subdueth the old man and maketh vs walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Finally he putteth an end to that discord that is betweene man and man The Prophets foretold that when hee
should continue in sinne but that we should returne and feare him feare him walking in his waies as it is in the parallel chapter 2 Chro 6. and becomming more wary that wee prouoke not his wrath Out of all this you may gather that the feare is not seruile but filiall wee must feare not so much to smart from God as to offend him it must be fear that doth not only hold the hand but change the heart it must be that fear that is the beginning of wisedome of which the Psalmist a good vnderstanding haue all they which doe thereafter it is a well doing feare And such a feare doe I commend vnto you at this time of humiliation giue me leaue to shew you how you must practise it The first plague which before you heard of was Famine God if hee remoue that doth it that we might shew our feare of him by repressing Luxurie Now Luxurie is represt two manner of waies 1. by the voluntarie sobrietie of euery man and it were to be wisht that euery man would be a Law vnto himselfe and out of his owne detestation of sensualitie enioyne himselfe the diet of mortification that he would bring his owne body vnder and by his endeauour thereof testifie his vnfained sorrow for former excesses But this is not to be expected that sobriety will be so forward if men be left to their free will therefore a compulsory course must worke vs vnto that from which wee are by nature too auerse The rather if long peace and plentie of Gods blessings make the way easie to our sinnefull Lustes Sumptuarie Lawes therefore if euer are in these loose dayes most requisite they are most requisite to set bounds vnto our backe and belly which are euen mad with vanitie whole bookes might be written of our many metamorphoses both of diet and apparell and not to flatter you wee are the most infamous morall changelings that are in the world prodigall yea prodigious are the expences that our Nation is at to make it selfe the by-word of other Nations Adde hereunto that many good and great Families are so exhausted with this vanitie that in these times of publicke supplyes they that by their rancke should are least able to helpe the State Wherefore lest the Common weale bee not able to support it selfe by reason that the priuate weale is vainely profused and that the poore may haue some comfort of that which is saued from riot let the State put a remedie to this politicke consumption lest the whole perish by the waste of euery part Mistake mee not I know that there are Requisita personae as well as naturae Reason and Religion as it rangeth men into sundry degrees so doth it proportion their expences and the greater men are the more costly may their apparell bee and their fare the more daintie But two things great men must doe the one is they must learne from morall Philosophie to distinguish Maiestie and Magnificencie from Luxurie and Vanitie the one is ordered by discretion but they are brain-sicke that entertaine the other Secondly wee must remember that there is a time for euerie thing a time to fast and a time to feast a time to weepe and a time to laugh we must take heede therefore of Diues example who fared delitiously euery day and euery day wore fine linnen and purple you know what became of him if we feare his end let vs not imitate his life Our second Plague was Pestilence if God spare vs and stay that infectious disease we must take care to stay the contagion of sinne crying sinnes spread farre and euery day poyson many they are growne so rise that they are growne past shame and Gods tenne Commandements are become ridiculous wee are thought but weake men when we remember the sonnes of Belial of their obedience to them Whether Lawes bee wanting aduise you it is certaine that if there be any they are as if they were not when iustice sleepeth both in City in Country and enormous sinners passe commonly vncontrolled Magistrates would be awakened and quickned to stoppe this morall Pestilence that so by Gods mercy the corporall Pestilence may be stayed also The next Plague was the Sword If God spare vs from the slaughter thereof he doth it that we should testifie our feare of him in fighting his battels against sinne the world and hell hee doth not remoue the sword from our throats that we should flye at his flye at him wee doe in vaine but it will betray the malignitie of our will when we open our mouthes against heauen and become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebels against God send him this message We will not haue this man raigne ouer vs but we will do what seemeth good to euery man in his owne eyes That God may turne our swords into plowshares and our speares into mattocks let vs turne our members that haue beene Instruments of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne into members that became instruments of righteousnesse vnto God Rom. 6. I told you that there is a Plague that lighteth vpon our Goods or Possessions if God remoue that plague he doth it that we should testifie our feare of him in that fashion as Daniel taught Nabuchodonozer Dan. 4. in his words will I speake vnto you Let my counsell be acceptable vnto you and breake off your sinnes by righteousnesse and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore if it may bee a continuing of your tranquilitie Let our charity who are yet free extended to those poore ones vpon whom God hath laid his hand begge mercy for vs and hold off Gods heauie hand from our Goods for there is nothing that can sooner preuaile to make the earth bring forth her increase and God euen our owne God to giue vs his blessing and if we make friends of our wicked Mammon this may be our comfort if we should faile in these perillous times they wilreceiue vs into euerlasting Tabernacles Luke 16. The last Plague which I specified was the great diminution of the Orthodoxe Church And what thinke you is the best way to repaire the decayes thereof No doubt but politicke vnions of States is a very good meanes and warlike preparations the vsefull instruments of those vnions if they be timely if they be competent they are fit meanes to bring them to reason perforce with whom ciuill Treaties and brotherly Intreaties cannot preuaile But the best meanes is to make much of Gods truth while we haue it and to make a sauing vse for our eternall comfort which God knoweth hitherto wee haue not done as much as we should and wee doe euery day lesse and lesse And what wonder if that be weary of vs seeing wee grow weary of it Neither is it enough for vs to make much of it for our own good but also wee should propagate it to others And here let me tell you that there lieth a great guilt vpon Christian States this amongst the rest that they
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
Iudgement God and the King are your warrant you may take the sword But your power must bee put in practice you must vse it against Malefactors Peccare peccantes non cohibere iuxta putato saith Agapetus to the Emperour the proper sinne of the Magistrate is not to represse sinners and sinners are they that doe not the Law Iudgement hath two workes as the law hath two parts The parts of the Law are Proeceptum Sanctio the workes of iudgement are Conuiction and Execution The King followes this methode in his commission hee will not haue any executed before he be conuicted St. Basil in an Epistle to Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia doth excellently describe the manner of the Iudges proceeding in his daies Quirerum potiuntur in hoc mundo quando facinorosum aliquem sunt vindicaturi cortinas obducunt c. The Iudges in temporal causes when they are to sentence a malefactor retire themselues desire to heare what the wisest of their assistants can say in defence of the arraigned they pause long sometimes beholding the prisoner sometimes reflecting their eyes vpon themselues as communicating with him in the same nature and feelingly bemone his case whose life they must cut off not moued thereunto by any passion of their owne but performing that seruice which is vndeniably imposed vpon them by the Law The Law then must speake before the Iudge and not the Iudge before the Law for iudicium legis is iudicium solius rationis but iudicium hominis est iudicium rationis libidinis no man murmures if his doome be euidently the voice of the Law though it bee a very grieuous doome but let it bee neuer so light if it bee onely the voyce of a man hee is very patient that doth not murmure at it The King therefore doth wisely subiect his people to the Law and wills the Iudges to vse that for their rule and try therewith who deserues the stroke of the sword and all Iudges must subscribe to Ireneus his note Indumentum iustitiae leges habet Magistratus if a Magistrate would be reputed iust he must referre euerie mans case to bee ordered by the vnaffectioned Law Secondly marke that a malefactor is described not by doing against the Law but by not doing of the Law the reason whereof is The first intention of the Law is the working of the common good It should be in the world of men as it is in the world of other creatures euerie thing furthereth the felicitie of the whole he is not worthy to bee a member of a State by whom the State is no whit the better The Romanes wel vnderstood it when they instituted their Censors to inquire into euerie mans course and to note them with infamie that could not giue an account of some good vse of their life It is pitifull to consider how many there are in this Land whose glorie is their shame as the Apostle speaketh the Chronicle of whose life was long since summed vp by the Poet Nos numerus sumus fruges consumere nati c. no better than cyphers if you respect the common good they doe but if you looke vnto the common euill they are the vipers of the State Surely they doe not the Law which they should but which they should not they doe against the Law they are daily seene and who doth not know them I meane riotous swaggerers and masterlesse vagabonds but by whose default I know not few are challenged fewer punished and so they swarme because they feele not the sword and yet they are the proper obiect of the sword For whereas St. Paul Rom. 13. expresseth two vses of the sword one the laude of them that doe well the other the terrour of them that doe euill this commission remembers only the later the reason whereof is giuen by Ireneus Quoniam absistens à Deo homo in tantum efferauit imposuit ei Deus humanum timorem vt moderentur ad inuicem in manifesto positum gladium timentes Had there been no fall there should haue beene a power indeede in man ouer man but it should haue beene only directiue it is now coerciue also wee neede now not only correction for doing ill but coaction also to do well and this is the principall employment of the sword whereunto accords that of St. Paul Lex non est posita iusto if all men were good euerie man would bee a law vnto himselfe but there are few that can guide themselues too many that will not bee guided by others Aristotle and those the Philosopher calleth fooles of whom you know Salomon saith Arod must bee for the backe of fooles The Magistrate must vse the sword against them And he must vse it without delay Sero medicina paratur cum mala per longas conualuere moras is no lesse true in the politicke than in the naturall bodie whether wee consider the corrigiblenesse of the delinquents or the preseruation of the State both should bee intended by iudgement but both grow desperate through delay In the heart of euerie man there are principles of honestie which when first lust casts into a slumber the Magistrate may awaken to checke sinne by holding him in that was running riot but if the Magistrate winke Consuetudo peccati obducit callum conscientiae by impunitie men will grow senslesse and shamelesse the Preacher confirmes it Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily Eccles 8. therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill Secondly sinne is like a contagious disease it will spred like a leprosie especially where the law of leprosie is not in force and where the wicked are not forced by the stroke of the sword to cry vnto the sound that approach them I am vncleane I am vncleane Leuit. 14. And so in time conniuencie breeds vitia adulta praeualida as Tacitus calleth them and a State becomes like Rome of which Liuie speaketh Neque vitia neque remedia ferre possumus though the sinnes bee so strong that they vuioynt the whole State yet the patient growes so tender that it will sooner dye than endure the setting of the ioynts againe How neere wee are to our Climactericall yeare I leaue it to the Statesman to consider onely this I will remember you that a Iudge which is a Father in his Countrey must be a louing Father and of such a one Salomon speaketh Pro. 13. Hee that loueth his sonne correcteth him betime Or if a louing Father be too meane a precedent imitate a good King King Dauid Betimes saith he Psal 101 will I rise to roote out the wicked Or if you will goe higher learne of God who speakes thus vnto Cain Genesis 4. If thou dost ill in foribus peccatum that is as the Sonne of Syrack speaketh Ecclus 35. The Lord will not be slacke the Almighty will not tarry long till hee hath smitten in sunder the loynes of the vnmercifull and
good vse of your indulgence as to be ashamed and reclaimed Wherefore as St. Iude obserues you must saue some with feare and plucke them out of the fire wherein they would burne themselues you must compell them to learn and obey the law of the God of Ezra the true God whereupon followeth also the next point which is they will the more easily be brought to doe the Kings law Of obseruing lawes in generall I need say no more than I haue but the iniquity of the times wills mee to remember you that lawes must bee obeyed though they be the lawes of the King of Persia this is the second caution The Proctors of Rome though they dare not flatly deny it yet so sophystically handle it that what with subiecting the scepter of Kings to the command of Popes and exempting of such persons and cases as seeme good vnto him they vndermine what they would seeme to yeeld and the most they grant is no more nor no longer than their Holy Father doth that 's too much or hereafter will allow them If hee will abrogate all they must acknowledge none no lawes of a King of Persia a King that is not of their religion Others haue learnedly and sufficiently shaken their grounds and my Text is an argument of no small force to resolue the consciences of such as doubt whether a different religion doth euacuate the power of a lawfull Soueraigne It doth not though it be a false religion how much more when it is the true and the King our King commands onely for the God of Ezra the true God and enioynes no other worship of him than according to his owne lawes the vndoubted register whereof is the sacred Word of God Wherefore you must bee as the earth mentioned in the Reuelation cap. 12. and swallow all those waters that the dragon casts forth to drowne the woman you must crush these seedes of rebellion which ayme at nothing but the ouerthrow of true Religion And how must you crush it euen by punishment And so I come to the second worke of iudgement from the precept to the sanction which containes the second limitation of the power Wherein I obserue first how farre the Magistrate may draw his sword Looke how farre his prouidence doth reach so farre may his vengeance reach also The reward of sinne is death eternall death to violate Gods Lawes or the Kings is no lesse than sinne it should therefore be reuenged with eternall death But behold here vnspeakeable mercie God would haue vs iudged here by men that we be not condemned hereafter by him This is the proper end of the keyes and the sword of the power that is in the Prince and the Pastor The occasion draweth mee to speake of the Sword yet let me giue you this Item touching the Keyes that malefactors must remember that for euerie of their offences challengable by the Law of man they owe a repentance vnto God and the greater their offence the deeper should be their repentance Which I the rather note because there are too many of them that scarce giue glorie vnto God when they suffer by the Law and if they escape make no conscience at all of their sin as if how soeuer they speed at the iudgement seat of men they were not to take heed that they be not cast at the barre of God which the first Councell of Nice well corrected when imitating Gods law without preiudice to the ciuill sword it appointed sundrie yeares penance according to the grieuousnesse of sinne Sed pristino rigori non sumus pares the Liturgie of our Church saith that it were to bee wished but the iniquitie of the times that it is not to be hoped Secondly seeing your power should touch men with a losse temporall to keepe them from a losse eternall you see what wrong you doe them when you suffer them to spend their dayes in loosenesse and in a moment as Iob speaketh though from their beds they goe quicke down into hell how much better were it for them if with one hand or one eye they might goe into heauen than hauing both to bee cast into hell O then let the righteous rebuke them yea smite them rather than that your precious balmes should breake their heads yea slay their soules spare nothing that is temporall so you may preserue them from the paine which is eternall You see how farre you may draw the sword But when you strike your strokes must bee proportionable to their sinnes but the proportion must not be Arithmeticall but Geometricall they must be secundum merita but not aequalia meritis you may punish intra but not vltra medum so doth God who notwithstanding doth punish in number weight and measure Semper aliquid detrahit de poenae atrocitate as Nazianzene speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth temper mercie with iudgement In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the wine thereof is red and it is full mixt whereof though his children offending drinke yet only the incorrigible wicked drinke the dregs thereof And the same Father writing to the Emperours Deputie reckoning vp his vertues demands this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what shall I say of your clemencie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here you decline something but he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot much blame you you haue God for your patterne who in Hosea speakes thus of himselfe How shall I giue thee vp O Ephraim how shall I deliuer thee O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Seboim my heart is turned within mee my repentings are rouled together I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath c. You must wisely then temper iudgement and mercie but so that mercie doe not hinder iudgement and yet that of the two mercie reioyce against iudgement And thus haue you heard what a Iudge may and must doe he may take the sword and must vse it against malefactors but with the conditions of the vse and limitations of the power specified in my text The conditions are two he must vse it timely and indifferently the limitations also two he must extend it to all transgressions of both Tables and intend it according to their transgressions And the end of all must bee by a temporall punishment to saue the wicked from eternall paine or if that will not bee that the blood of all cursing Shimei's and factious Ioabs and irreligious Abiathars also may bee vpon their head and the head of their seed but vpon Dauid our Dauid vpon his house and vpon his throne vpon this whole Church and Common weale may bee peace for euer from the Lord. MOst mighty most mercifull Lord who to preserue sincere pietie and secure peace in the Church and Common weale hast put the sword into the hands of mortall men and for the vse thereof hast aduanced them aboue their Brethren we humbly beseech thee so to sanctifie them with thy grace whom
that which I rather obserue is These two Disciples aboue the rest had a strong conceite of Christs earthly Kingdome which made them carnally both ambitious and zealous Of their ambition wee read elsewhere where One of them desired to sit on Christs right hand and the other on his left here they shew themselues zealous But their indignation is carnall and so is the weapon where with they doe expresse it My Obseruation is One grosse conceite breedes another It did so in them It doth so in the Church of Rome who dreaming of a temporall power which Christ hath giuen vnto his Church is forward to execute temporall paines vpon whomsoeuer is not conformable vnto her will But I leaue the Persons and come to their Passion Wherein notwithstanding marke that though they are bold to propose yet to resolue they are not bold They are bold to propose their Desire their Reason Their desire is Fire a sharpe weapon especially seeing Saint Paul for dissention in Religion prescribeth other which they would not haue to spare they would haue it Consume their Enemies Rom 16. Fire is their Weapon Quid mirum filios tonitrus fulgurare sayth Saint Ambrose It may be the very place put them in minde of the Element because it was in the Region of Samaria that God executed a fearefull vengeance by Fire 2. Kings 1. Or haply because this Element is in the Scripture made the ordinary attendment vpon Gods Iudgement therefore they especially affect that weapon Iohannes Magnus reporteth that Carolus an ancient King of the Gothes amongst his great Lawes ordained this for one That if any man were thrice conuicted to haue denied entertainement to strangers his house should be set on fire Vi aedibus proprijs iuste priuaretur qui earum vsum inhumaniter negavisset Surely whereas there are foure Elements the Earth the Water the Ayre the Fire euery one of the three first are hospitall the Earth entertaines beasts and men the Water fishes the Ayre birds only the Fire is inhospitall and therefore though they might haue wished for an earth-quake to founder the Village or a floud to drowne it or a venemous Ayre to poyson the Inhabitants of it as that King thought so did these Apostles think that the other 3 Elements were too compassionate and only this vnmerciful Element â—iâ— to take vengeance on these merciles men Sure they would haue no mercy shewed them for they would not only haue fire out Consuming fire Li 2 〈◊〉 Seneca obserues well Non vt in beneficijs bonestum est meritameritis compeâ—sare ita in iniurijs illic vinci turpe hic vincere inhumanum and the rule of the Law is Fauores ampliandt restringendaodia and God is the Patterne hereof whose mercy doth indeede permit him to doe vs good Vltra condignum but his Iustice neuer strikes vs but Citra condignum 〈…〉 81. 〈…〉 40. 〈◊〉 131. God is more admirable in sparing then punishing because Cedit iure suo in the one Exigit in the other read Hosea 1.6 Wisd 12. It is our riches to exact our debts but Gods to forgiue his What bowels then had these Apostles that would so repay wrong with reuenge a Iesse wrong with so sharpe a reuenge for it was but a common discourtesie which for many yeares the Samaritans bad vsed towards all the Iewes and that out of no other malice then such as proceeded from a rooted ignorance they were then rather to be pâ—tied for their ignorance then thus to be hated for their malice But I see now the truth of King Dauids answere to the Prophet Gad when he was offered his choice of three plagues Famine 〈…〉 Pessilence or the Sword I am in a wonderfull straight Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let not mee fall into the hands of men for men are bowelles euen Iames and Iohn which asking fire shew themselues to be worse then fire for as Chrysostome obserueth Fire can stay it selfe if God commaund though it be the nature of fire to burne as appeareth in the case of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego but men though it be contrary to their nature as appeares in that it is painefull to be furious and rage cannot hold though God lay his commandement vpon them The voluntary Agent whose property it should be Statuere actiont suae modum becomes a naturall Et agit ad extremum potentiae suae Vnto whom I say no more but this Wouldest thou O man that God should so deale with thee and send fire such a fire so soone as thou deniest entertainment vnto him Thou wouldest not see then how euery man desireth mercy for himselfe the tenderest mercy but for his enemy Iustice the extreamest Iustice and because it is so Seneca's rule is good Irascenti tibi nihil volo licere quia dum irasceris omnia putas licere In a word the Apostles offend twice first in that being Pastors they desire a corporall reuenge Secondly in that being Christians they desire so sharpe a reuenge Nazianzene thinks they wished for the fire of Sodome Sharpe it is but it is not singular though they haue no Rule yet they haue an Example for it Elias did so In this Chapter is report made of the Transsiguration of Christ wherein appeared Moses and Elias â— Moses the meekest of men Elias a seuere man they saw them both but see whom they remember they might haue remembred Moses and so haue intreated Christ not to take iust displeasure at so bad vsage if he had beene feeling of his owne wrongs but while he is calme they storme and they colour their passion by Elias his example So prone is our nature to imitation and in imitation to pitch vpon the worst The knowledge of Rules is too painefull few will study them and know good and euill by them men take a shorter course and thinke that well done wherein they are like vnto others So liueth the most part of the world and careth not much for any farther enquiry into their actions But when they fall vpon examples according to which they square themselues their liues commonly are exemplifications of the worst It is the obseruation of a very leud Writer but heerein hee hath deliuered a remarkable truth When men read the liues of good men they read them with content and cannot without detestation read the liues of those that are bad yet when they are but to expresse whom they wil be like they forget their owne vpright iudgment and yeeld themselues to their inordinate Passions Certainely these Apostles not so much out of iudgement as out of rage chose rather to bee liâ—e Elias then Moses and wherein are they better then the Samaritans For the Samaritans ranne vpon the same ground that they did they called for fire because Elias did and the Samaritans had the same argument They would not receiue Christ because their Fathers had not vsed to to do it Certainely in the
that we should bow before him the knees of our hearts no lesse then the knees of our bodies when we lift vp our hands vnto GOD we should lift vp our Soules also and our eyes should not behold Heauen but our faith should pierce vnto the Throne of GOD. Finally there is no Ceremoniall Law which should not attend some Morall as the shadow doth the body or the body should the soule the Sonne of SYRACH hath made a whole Chapter that teacheth this Lesson But the Iewes put a sunder what GOD had conioyned Cap. 35 they shewed much zeale for the Ceremoniall but were carelesse of the Morall Law expressed much submission of their bodyes but little deuotion of their Soules and drew neere with their lips but their hearts were farre from God Of this GOD complaineth ESAY 1. and doth passionately vary tearmes to expresse his dislike thereof they solemnized their Feasts and offered Sacrifices and assembled themselues in his House Esay 1 But what saith GOD To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices Who required your presence to tread in my Courts I hate your solemne Feasts The cause of all is Your hands are full of blood In the last of ESAY GOD is much sharper He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man Cap. 66. he that sacrificeth a lambe as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered swines blood he that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol Marke the Reason They haue chosen their owne wayes and their soule delighted in their owne abominations You see then that in seruing GOD we may offend him grieuously if we seuer those things which he hath coupled for our seruice then will be plaine hypocrisie and Hypocrifie is by a Prouerbe noted to be double iniquitie And iustly is it so noted for therein we do first Interpretatiuè deny that GOD is the Searcher of the heart in that we doe not approue our heart to him Secondly we doe expresly preferre the Diuell before GOD in that we giue the better part I meane our Soule to the Diuell and reserue onely the worser part that is our bodyes for GOD. This should all that present themselues in GODS House seriously thinke on especially you that make shew of a solemne Penitent but such a shew as betrayeth that there is no broken heart within you nor contrite spirit seeing there appeareth so little euidence thereof in the outward man Be you assured that so repenting for sinne you doe but add vnto your sinne you are a transgressor of the Law in regard of your Separation of the Ceremoniall from the Morall Law But there is an other transgression of the Law which is the direct and immediate violation of the Morall part thereof This is the greater sinne and doth more apparently deserue such a name for the former though it be a sinne yet it is a cloaked sinne it maketh some faire shew in the eyes of men how vgly soeuer it is in the eyes of GOD but this walketh vnmasked and appeareth as it is Secondly the former is Malum quia prohibitum euill vpon no other ground but because by a positiue Law it is forbidden it is onely extrinsically euil the other is prohibitum quia malum by no meanes to be done though there were no positiue Law that did forbid it the euill thereof is intrinsicall for it is the violation of the Image of GOD according to which man was made and according to which he should liue In the particular Case that concernes this Penitent GOD that gaue a rationall facultie vnto the soule of man whereby he should order the sensitiue in the vse thereof would haue a man shew himselfe to be better then a beast And how doth a man differ from a beast that hath vnbridled lusts and neglect not onely sacred wedlocke but the degrees of Affinitie and Consanguinitie within which GOD and Nature require that his lusts be stinted This should you that are the Penetent seriously thinke on and measure the grieuousnesse of your sinne by this these things as well the transgression of the Morall as the seperation thereof from the Ceremoniall But the grieuousnesse of sinne is argued not only from what is done but also from the doing of the same Aliud est peccare aliud peccatum facere saith St AVGVSTINE It is one thing to sinne another thing to be giuen ouer to sinne and his distinction is not idle for it is grounded not onely vpon St IOHNS phrase 1 Iohn 3. but also vpon St IAMES his gradation Men are first inticed by their lusts Cap. 1. then lust conceaueth and brings forth sinne and sinne being perfected brings forth death and this perfecting of sinne is properly the doing of sinne All men sinne but they that haue grace take heed of doing sinne feare and shame are both shaken off by those that goe so farre they endeauour not so much as to hide their sinnes Of these Iewes our Psalme saith They sate they spake they ran they wrought euill they consented one with another and were professors of a wicked life And little better is the case of this Penitent who for many yeeres hath openly in the eyes of the world notwithstanding the clamor of many that iustly did detest it liued in abominable Incest which doth much aggrauate his sinne There is a third Aggrauation in my Text taken from the Person that doth commit the sinne Thou hast done these things And the circumstance of the Person doth much improue the foulenesse of a fault No man should sinne against GOD but they that are most bound should forbeare most Now the Iewes had a double Obligation one by Nature the other by the Couenant They were GODS Creatures and GOD vouchsafed to contract with them Not to performe the dutie which we owe especially when we haue solemnly vowed it maketh vs guiltie in a high degree And euerie one within the Church if he doe sinne is so farre guiltie his Vow in Baptisme will presse him no lesse then the Condition of his Nature And this must you that are the Penitent ponder in your Soule that you may answerably hereunto feele the burden of your sinne I doe not amplifie these things without Cause they must be the rather marked because the deeper the Iewe was in guilt the greater was GODS Patience Notwithstanding their double offence their Seperation and Transgression their double Obligation of Nature and Vow their double sinning in that they did not onely act but professe sin yet did GOD hold his peace he proceeded not against them but with great Patience GODS Patience is noted by his Silence the word signifieth to be deafe and dumbe and putteth vs in mind of a double voyce a voyce of sinne and a voyce of Iudgement That sinnes haue a Voyce you may read Gen. 4. where ABELS blood doth cry and in the Storie of Sodome Gen. 18. the voyce of whose sin came vp to
you that are the Penitents that it doth not you should not be here to doe penance if you had such doome as GODS Law requireth you are therefore bound to thanke GOD for the clemencie of the State and make good vse of this time of grace remembring that though you scape the corporall fire there is another fire which you haue cause to feare which St IVDE telleth vs was figured out in the perpetuall burning of Sodome and Gomorrha the fire of Hell and assure your selues that if the Land of Canaan spued out those impure persons Heauen will receiue no such and if they that transgressed MOSES Law perished ciuilly without all mercie most wofull shall their destruction be that are reserued for that fire which shall deuour the aduersaries the fire of Hell You shall doe well therefore to quench that fire before you come at it and there are three waters with which you must quench it The first is the water of your teares you must imitate King DAVID who all the night long washt his bed watered his couch with his teares there he sinned and there he bathed himselfe so must you But mans teares are too weake a water to wash away either the guilt or staine of sinne which are the fewell of that fire you must therefore moreouer vse two other waters the water of CHRISTS blood to wash away the guilt and the water of his Spirit to purge out the corruption of your sinne If you make good vse of these three waters that fire will neuer seize on you otherwise assure your selues that though we spare you GOD will not spare you he will one day punish you most seuerely And it were good that our Law did not spare so much as it doth considering the growth and ouer-spreading of impuritie It were to be wisht that our temporall Sword did strike as deepe as the Sword of MOSES did it may when it pleaseth the State and it shall not doe it without example of other Countreys Or if that may not be obtained at least it were to be wisht that the old Canons of the CHVRCH were reuiued and ghostly discipline exercised more seuerely for certainly the scandall is great which such sinnes bring vpon the CHVRCH and they that slander vs without a cause when they haue iust cause how will they open their mouthes against vs Our care then should be to stop their mouthes but principally we should prouide that there be no wickednesse amongst vs which is the end of the doome and the last point of my Text. I will touch it briefly The Iudgement was seuere but it was necessarie Necessarie for the State which is to preserue it selfe free from guilt there must no wickednesse be amongst you No wickednesse that is impossible in this world for viuitur non cum perfectis hominibus they that haue most of the Spirit haue some-what of the Flesh and the Field of GOD till haruest will haue Tares as well as good Eares and the good eares will haue chaffe as well as good graine and the good graine will haue bran as well as flower We may not looke then for any State wherein there is no wickednesse The Law therefore requireth onely that there be Nullum scelus no haynous wickeduesse no tantum scelus as the Vulgar speaketh enormous transgressions there must be no crying sinnes the State must haue a vigilant eye vpon such sinnes and execute vengeance vpon notorious sinners they must not be amongst vs. But they will the Serpent will be in Paradise yea Lucifer was in Heauen the Arke had a CHAM and amongst CHRISTS Disciples there was a IVDAS Be then they will amongst vs. But the meaning of the Law is they must not be indured by vs they must not scape vnpunished if they doe they will proue contagious such sinnes are like fretting Gangreenes they are like vnto Leauen they infect all about them and if they doe not infect they will make guiltie and for sparing such a one GOD will not spare a whole State And there is good reason for Qui non vetat cum potest iubet GOD taketh them for abettors that will not when they may reforme inordinate liuers Therefore the State must put away from amongst them such inordinate liuers 1 Cor. 5. Hierusalem below must as neere as may be be like vnto Hierusalem aboue Apoc. 22. of that aboue St IOHN saith Extracanes impudici no vncleane person commeth thither neither must any be indured here so soone as they appeare they must be made expiatorie Sacrifices and their death must free the State from guilt But I draw to an end A word to you that are the Malefactors Origen Ad paenitentiae remedium confugite qui praeuenti estis tam graui peccato Seeing you haue beene ouertaken with so foule a fault neglect not the remedy which GOD hath left you heartie and vnfained repentance for your sinne the rather because you haue to do with a most mercifull Iudge who doth not onely moderate the punishment but commute it also commute the punishment which you should suffer in Hell with a punishment which the CHVRCH inflicteth here on Earth Consider the qualitie consider the quantitie of these different punishments and you will confesse that it is a most mercifull commutation Cast then your eyes backe and consider what you haue done how haynous your offence hath beene and cast your eyes forwards likewise and consider what you haue deserued how great a danger you haue incurred by inioying a short and beastly pleasure Thinke vpon both these often and thinke vpon them seriously so shall you yeeld GOD the greater glorie for the mercie which he vouchsafeth you and he shall worke the greater comfort in your soules by assuring you of the remission of that sinne wherewith you haue so greatly prouoked him And to vs all this I say Eligamus priùs affectus castigare quà m propter ipsos castigemur Let vs plucke out our eyes cut off our hands rather then by retayning them to be cast into Hell-fire Let this spectacle remember vs often to set before vs the shame of the world and the horror of a guiltie conscience which befall enormous sinners in this life And if that will not hold in our corrupt nature let vs set before vs the neuer-dying Worme the euer-burning Fier Or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs begin here our life in chastitie Nazian that we may one day be in the number of those Virgins that follow the Lambe whether soeuer he goeth Reuel 14. And let Magistrates and Ministers both be iealous ouer the State with a godly iealousie that as by the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments it is espowsed to one Husband 2 Cor. 11. so it may be presented as a chast Virgin vnto CHRIST when those heauenly Nuptials shall be solemnized wherein standeth our euerlasting happinesse This God grant for Jesus Christs sake by the operation of the Holy Spirit To which one
because as the Apostle teacheth she is of him and for him and therefore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7. yet in coniugall power they are equall Man hath no power ouer his body no more hath the woman ouer hers each is in the others power and that in solidum they haue coequall command each ouer the other So likewise their coniugall affections should be coequall they should embrace each the other with entire and vndeuided loue no reseruation of that kind may be endured by the bond of wedlocke on either side the mans or the womans It is true that Licentiousnesse hath distinguished where the Law hath not distinguished and libertie hath beene granted to men to share their bodyes and their affections amongst many women but women are denyed that libertie and haue euer beene required to confine their affections to one man and communicate their bodyes to no more then one which distinction of licentiousnesse hath specious grounds First they say the ends of marriage are lesse preiudiced if the libertie be granted vnto men then if it should be granted vnto women Are they preiudiced Then preiudiced But nothing should be granted that doth preiudice those ends Away then with that Apologie for Lust There is another taken from the example of the Patriarkes and indeed so the Iewes vnderstand this Text as if it were an allegation of the Fathers to proue Polygamie and read it thus An non vnus fecit Did not our father Abraham take many wiues And yet he had aboundance of Spirit i. aboundance of the spirit and grace of GOD he know what he did and he did nothing amisse Why should not we imitate him But supposing that reading to this obiection in the next words the Prophet shapes an answer he sought an holy seed that is as the Fathers say non fecit propter libidinem sed propter orbitatem he did it not to satissie his lust but that he might haue an heire according to GODS Promise And if you looke vpon the storie of the Patriarkes ABRAHAM and IACOB you shall find that though they had more wiues then one yet neuer had they them out of lust no nor out of their owne choyce ABRAHAM tooke HAGAR but he was importuned to doe it by his wife SARA yea and SARA too would haue the child reputed hers as borne vpon her knees IACOB chose but one wife and that was RACHEL LEAH was put vpon him by deceipt and the two Mayds by the opportunitie of his wiues The after times were worse and of all the Kings of Israel were most licentious they tooke too much after the Heathen Kings but their fact can be no good president because expresly forbidden by a speciall Law Deut. 17. Some excuse them by a dispensation as likewise the Patriarkes but being vrged to shew it they are saine to supply the silence of the Bible with a conceipt that the first that swarued from the Law had his warrant by inspiration and that others tooke their allowance from his example But the excuse is dangerous and vngrounded we may not make so bold with GODS Law rather may we thinke that the best of the Patriarkes were but men and that they were carryed away with the error of their times and that GOD in mercie bore with that as with other their imperfections but we may not venter to say his Iustice did allow it A dispensation is an allowance of Iustice notwithstanding the Law but a permission is a forbearance of mercie which doth not proceed against sinne according to the rigour of the Law either to checke or to correct it We may grant the Patriarkes the benefit of such a mercifull permission but a legall dispensation we cannot grant them without better proofe As for GODS giuing of SAVLS wiues into DAVIDS bosome 2 Sam. 12.8 we are to vnderstand NATHAN of those whom SAVL neuer knew otherwise they will iustifie Incest in the right line which DAVID so abhorred that he would neuer keep companie with those Concubines which ABSALON had abused much lesse would he admit into his bosome any woman which his father-in-law had knowne Vnto this principall onenesse we must adde the accessorie of honor and concord Onenesse of honor for Vxor fulget radijs mariti vt luna solis when a man marryeth a woman with his body he doth worship her and endow her with all his worldly goods that is she becomes as noble and as rich as he is reseruing alwayes the supremacie vnto man I meane reuerence to his person which is the fountaine of her honor and obedience to his command in dispencing the goods which she holdeth from him in chiefe Onenesse of concord is a like affection and disposition in prosperitie and aduersitie which can neuer stand with Polygamie the mother of iealousie and iealousie is the mother of discord as you may gather out of the storie of SARA and HAGAR RACHEL and LEAH and the wiues of ELCANAH SAMVELS father the best mens Families haue not auoyded it All this while that I haue spoken of the onenesse in marryage you must not mistake as some haue done for there are two kinds of Polygamie Simultanea and Successiua the hauing of more wiues successiuely or at one time Some haue ouer-rackt chastitie as some haue shrunke it Hist Fab. lib. 1 The Montanists as appeares by TERTVLLIAN in his Booke de 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Nouatians as we learne out of THEODORET held that if a man buried one wife he might not marrie an other And the CHVRCH of Rome cannot excuse it selfe from this error in that it forbiddeth the blessing of second marriages in the CHVRCH and suffereth not any that hath had a second wife to enter into holy orders or that hath married a widow which is interpreted Polygamie But this kind of Polygamie was neuer forbidden by any Law it is not onely allowed Rom. 7. but commanded also 1 Tim. 5.14 Canin 8. Amb. de vidâ—â—â— The Councell of Nice hath made a Canon in defence of it and the Fathers iustifie it It is then onely Polygamia simultanea the hauing of many wiues together that is condemned by my Text by the Old Testament Austin de bono viduit c. 11. Cap. a. Cap. 19. by the New and by the Fathers as they haue occasion to speake either of the institution of marriage deliuered in Genesis or the interpretation of our Sauiour CHRIST in St MATHEW which Polygamie had its originall from LAMECH one of CAINES posteritie And this must you the Penitent obserue as that which giueth the first light vnto you of your sinne you haue offended against the onenesse of marriage As you haue offended against the onenesse the Worke so haue you against the Workemaster he is the second part that I pointed out in the Text of the Law for he is the cause of this onenesse In wedlocke there are three persons to be obserued first the Male secondly the Female and thirdly GOD that
by many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heauen we must be baptised with CHRISTS baptisme and drinke of his cup And if you marke the eight beatitudes in the first Sermon of CHRIST you see that they run almost all of them vpon a passiue obedience and place blessednesse in the Crosse A blessednesse then there is in suffering but few would affect it did they not hope for a better after it therefore St Iames addeth what hereafter they are to expect and that is the crowne of life This I told you is a full definition of blessednesse a definition that better resolueth then those many but different that are found in Philosophy Blessednesse presupposeth life and the life is not blessed without a Crowne But the life and the crowne may either be considered in diuers times or knit together in one time If they be considered at diuers times then life belongs to this world and the crowne to that which is to come so that the Apostle saith that the crowne to come is for the life that is past and a man that lookes for the crowne must haue a care of this life Cap. 8.10 Cap. 3.11 For he shall be crowned that striueth lawfully therefore CHRIST in the Reuelations saith Esto fidelis tibi dabo coronam and againe hold fast that none take thy crowne 2 Tim. 4. and St Paul I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the faith from hence forth there is layd vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse c. Haec vita est negotiatio they that here exercise their faith and hope by charitie shall find a reward in Heauen But if we ioyne life and the crowne and referre them both to the time that is to come then doth the crowne expresse the condition of the life in Heauen For though the word life of it selfe vsed absolutely doe signifie a blessed life as appeares in many passages of Scripture yet the crowne doth more distinctly represent vnto vs the manner of that life and it represents three things the perpetuitie the plentie the dignitie thereof The perpetuitie for as a Crowne hath neither beginning nor ending so is it the liuely Image of Eternitie and in this respect it is called an immarcescible and immortall crowne and a Kingdome that cannot be shaken En Ps 6. Talia sunt Dei dona saith Chrysostome valida decore plena at in hominibu◠non ita est sed qui est in gloria non est securus qui autem securus non est in gloria in Deo vtraque concurrunt Secondly the crowne notes the plentie because as the Crowne compasseth on euerie side so doth that which is plentifull satisfie on euery part and nothing is wanting in this life therefore the Scripture in seuerall places runneth ouer euerie part of our body and power of our soule and sheweth how euerie one shall haue his content the eye in beholding GOD the eare in hearing the musicke of Heauen the tongue in praysing c. The last is the dignitie and that is principally noted by a crowne as it appeares by the vse that is made thereof on Kings heads And indeed what is eternall life but a Coronation day the Scripture indescribing it remembreth all parts of a Coronation the robes long white robes of righteousnesse which we shall put on then the oyle of gladnesse wherewith we shall be annointed then the Scepter which CHRIST shall put into our hands to bruise therewith all Nations the Throne whereupon we shall sit with CHRIST the Feast whereat we shall eat and drinke with him finally in steed of a Bishop or Archbishop to performe these ceremonies we shall haue the great Bishop of our soules IESVS CHRIST and he shall doe it in the presence not of earthly Peeres but of the heauenly both Saints and Angels Ad hereunto that this Crowne is significantly called a crowne of life to distinguish it from the Crowne of mortall Princes which is but a dead crowne whereas this is a liuing In a mortall Kings Crowne there is gold and flowers and pretious stones but all are dead the gold and flowers and pretious stones whereof our Crowne consists are all liuing for the Lord himselfe is the Crowne In that day shall the Lord of Hosts be for a Crowne of glorie Esay 28. and a Diadem of beautie to the residue of his people and the people shall be a Crowne of glorie in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diademe in the hand of GOD. And no maruell for the life to come is the marriage day wherein the Spouse shall receiue her Crowne vpon her resurrection as CHRIST receiued his Crowne at his resurrection St Paul is plaine for it Hebr. 2. This phrase then of the Crowne of life is more then a militarie phrase the Souldiers in triumph wore Insigne sine regno but here Insigne ceniungitur cum regno and the name of Crowne is vsed rather then any other ornament because ornamenta caetera membrorum sunt singulorum capitis ornatus totius corporis est dignitas You haue heard what is Patience and what is the Recompence thereof one thing remaineth that the patient man may know vpon what ground he may expect this recompence That is set downe here by the Apostle in two Verbes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof each hath his Nowne annext vnto it to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is annexed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresly and betweene this nowne and that verbe there is a strong coniunction for the Lord is so great a person as by the Law may command our patience and yet so good a person is he that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath promised a recompence See then our title it is from GOD but grounded not vpon the Law but the Gospel And indeed if you looke into St Paul we shall find that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word proper to the Gospel especially in the Epistle to the Galathians so that we must not stand vpon desert but acknowledge GODS mercie for as it is Psal 103. Coronat te miserationthus 2 Tim 4.8 It is true that St Paul calleth it Coronam iustitiae but there is Iustitia fidelitatis as well as aqualitatis The ground of merit euen in the Creation was GODS Contract which he vouchsafed to make with his Vassall notwithstanding the Obligation of his naturall alleageance This Contract consisted of mutuall Couenants which Couenants were proportionable to the Contractors Mans Conenant was of workes but workes proportionable to the abilities of man that is meane and finite GODS Couenant was of life proportionable to the magnificencie of GOD so that there was apparantly a proportion betweene the workes and the Worker the Rewarder and the reward but betweene the worke and the reward none at all Hence it is that betweene Adams obedience and GODS recompence thereof there could be no merit of condignitie which properly vnderstood compares and equalleth the
rules of life of which there are two sorts As there is the Heart of a naturall and the Heart of a Christian man so these rules are either Naturall or Supernaturall The Naturall are those which are inborne and ingrauen in the hearts of all men the reliques of that Image which in the Creation wee receiued from GOD these informe the naturall man though weakely of Pietie Equitie Sobrietie and concerning all these the very Heathen haue deliuered many memorable sentences But besides these a Christian hath other rules his Heart is new written with the Spirit of GOD Cap. 31. according to the promise made in Ieremie I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and wee finde the performance thereof in the New Testament preached by St. Peter Act. 2. and St. Paul Corinth 3. and to the Hebr. cap. 8. Yea euery Christian man feeleth the trueth of it in his owne soule hee feeleth those Naturall Principles rectified by Grace and much higher superadded to them so that the Christian man discernes much better then a naturall man can what is good and euill This is the furniture of the Directory power The Conscience hath besides this a Iudicatorie power and there is furniture for that also which is nothing else but a skill how to trie mens liues by those former rules and doome them as it findeth them And this skill is aswell in the Conscience of a naturall man as of a Christian man though it be of much greater perfection in the latter then in the former But wee must know that it is not the hauing but the vsing of these rules is properly meant by our Conscience For as the Schooles note well Conscientia neque potentia naturalis neque habitus it is neither a natiue nor an acquired abilitie sed est Actus Conscience is a Worke and indeed it is a worke which my Text speaketh of and whereas Conscience hath two workes the one going before our morall works the other following after though for your better vnderstanding I will touch at the former yet keeping my selfe to my Text I will insist vpon the latter These principles then whether Naturall or Supernaturall were bestowed vpon vs perpetually to assist and guide vs in our wayes One of the Heathen well resembled Conscience to a Paedagogue Epictetu◠for as the Paedagogue by the appointment of parents is alwayes at hand with a childe to direct and restraine him who otherwise through impotency of affection would goe astray euen so is our Conscience appointed ouer vs to hold the raines to guide and hold in our wilde and headstrong nature And surely wee are bound to acknowledge the mercifulnesse of GOD manifested herein hee hath graciously prouided for the preuenting of sinne who is pleased not onely to giue vs a Law but also to place in vs a perpetuall remembrance thereof vnto vs. And the reason why men sinne must needes be either because they doe not consult or doe contemne this guide so that either their sinnes are wilfull if they contemne or their ignorance is affected if they neglect this preuenting meanes afforded of GOD. But I haue not now to doe with the Consciences worke of Direction that worke of hers that goeth before our worke but I haue to doe with the worke of Iudicature the worke that followeth our workes GOD hath left it in some sort in our power whether we will or will not make vse of the former worke of Conscience and some by his grace vse it some for want of grace vse it not but GOD hath appointed Conscience a second worke which it is not in any mans power to put off the worke of Iudicature wherein GOD doeth let vs see what it is to vse or not to vse the former worke And here we must marke that as the Law which is contained in the Directory work of Conscience hath two parts a Precept and a Sanction so the Iudicatorie worke of Conscience doeth two things it playeth the Iury to arraigne vs and the Iudge to doome vs. First it testifieth whether wee haue or haue not obserued the precepts of GOD. In that respect it is resembled to a Registrie or an exact Record exhibited at an Assizes if wee doe not take notice of the counsell which our Conscience giueth vs before hand wee shall finde that our Conscience taketh notice of all that is done by vs and will make a perfect presentment thereof it will truely relate how farre we haue or haue not suffered our selues to bee led by her aduice and we shall not be able to except against the Verdict of this Iury. As it maketh a true Presentment in regard of the Precept so doeth it pronounce a iust Doome in regard of the Sanction for it pronounceth what is our due and therein wee shall finde it a Iudge not onely putting vs in minde of life and death but also sentencing vs thereunto And indeed this is the last and the highest worke of Conscience and for this cause Nazianzene doeth fitly tearme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inward and vpright Tribunall But to open this Iudicatorie work of Conscience a little more fully we must obserue that she dealeth not alike with al because she findeth not all alike The Physicians acknowledge Corpus neutrum a body that is neither sicke nor whole but the Conscience doeth not acknowledge any neutrall man that is neither good nor bad Non liquets and speciall Verdicts are not knowne to the Conscience it findeth euery man either guiltie or not guiltie Secondly it confoundeth not Tares with Wheate nor Sheepe with Goates in the Presentment not in the Doome doeth it confound the right hand with the lest Hell and Heauen Death and Life It hath an accusing and excusing Voyce a condemning and an absoluing Voyce these two sorts of Voyces it hath and no more Finally we must expect no shift no delay in the worke of our Conscience whether it play the Iury or the Iudge But let vs take these workes a little a sunder And first see that which is against vs the Apostle vseth a significant word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a compound word which sheweth that Conscience doeth first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 know throughly before it doeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offer to condemne vs the very word importeth an orderly course of proceeding it doeth not goe against vs without a iust ground and so is free from the corruption which is in too many worldly Iudges that resolue vpon a mans execution before they haue heard his cause But our Conscience is priuie to all our doings an eye-witnesse of all that passeth from vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it knoweth and proceedeth vpon certaine knowledge Yea it will present it so to the eyes of our soule that it will not suffer vs to be ignorant of that which it knoweth it will make vs Confitentes reos we shall plead guiltie against our owne selues And here
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
those few cornes of good seed which I deriued from them At least if their leprosie ouer-spred my whole man yet was it not so deepe rooted or so strongly setled as by my ill diet it hath since beene What then may this house of my body this garment that couereth my Soule expect but to be vsed as the leprous house the leprous garment which in a fretting leaprosie were the garment to bee burnt the house to be plucked downe And indeed as impossible is it for the Iuie that springs and ouer-spreads a wall to be killed without taking in sunder of all the stones and separating them from the morter which knitteth them together as for the natiue sinne wherein I was borne branching it selfe ouer euery part of my body and power of my soule to be purged except I be dissolued my Soule part from my bodie and the parts of my bodie loose that knot wherewith each is linked to the other I doe not then complaine of the Decree it is iust it is necessarie my sinne maketh it iust and that this sinne be dispossest it becomes necessarie necessarie for All and then for me I would yeeld vnto it I would be contented with it blessed Apostle the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken were good I would obey it I would yeeld to death though death be bitter were there not a heauier thing that followeth death more terrible then death it selfe Let me feele Gods hand so I come not into Gods presence into the presence of the Iudge to giue an accompt for my life Blessed Apostle is it not enough that my Soule can no longer enioy her bodie no longer by her bodie enioy those things wherein shee hath placed her soueraigne good that shee can no longer solace her selfe with her mate take comfort in her of-spring eate the fruit of her labours receiue honour from others bestow fauours at pleasure bee an Oracle vnto many and to as many be a terror Blessed Apostle is it not enough that these things faile and I must part with them No thou sayest no when thou hast lodged my bodie in the the Graue thou sufferest not my soule to rest thou callest her to a straight accompt thou tellest her of a Iudgement How vainely haue I beene abused by heathenish prouerbs that told me death ends all and yet all is not at an end When I come to death I must come before my Iudge I must answere the Law the Law must trie my life how well I haue obserued it how answerable my carriage hath beene to it And Lord what a fearefull thing is this When thou blessed Apostle didst reason of these things thou madest Foelix a great man a heathen man to tremble and a greater then Foelix the King of Niniuie did tremble also when hee heard Ionas And yet how little did they know thy Law How much did their ignorance excuse their transgression thereof And what then will become of me that know so much and haue so little to plead Can I chuse but tremble O Lord while I liue I often heare of thy Law and the accompt that must be giuen thereof but I neuer had so much grace as Foelix or the King of Niniuie no not when I read the storie of Foelix and the King of Niniuie Neither of them onely but of good King Iosias also whose heart did melt at the reading of thy Law when he saw how vnanswerable the liues of his people were thereto And what wonder that Iosias heart did melt when Moses himselfe did quake at the receiuing of the Law Surely these all felt the terror of the Iudgement they knew what it was to come before their Iudge And I the more in my life I was senslesse the more sensible shall I bee hereof in my death vnexpected euils afflict the more especially if they bee great their impression must needs be deepe But bee I affected neuer so wofully I must appeare I must be tried hee that gaue the Law will inquire into the obseruance of his Law While we liue many couer our faults which when wee are dead they will not sticke to amplifie and he that liuing goeth for a Saint after his death is traduced as a diuell A heauie Iudgement yet how many vndergoe it But this is their comfort that of this Iudgmēt they haue no sense how their name fareth in this world in death they know not But against the other Iudgement there is no shelter all the stormes of it must light vpon vs in our owne persons we must answere for our selues and we are not so well knowne to our selues as to him that sifteth vs. Yet so much we know that we shall trauerse no Indictment we shal plead guiltie to euery Bill our owne conscience is a true counterpart vnto Gods Booke we shall bee charged with nothing out of the one which we shall not read distinctly in the other To read it were enough for the vttermost confusion for what man knoweth and doth not abhorre himselfe Had we a true looking glasse wherein wee might behold the manifold enormous sinnes of our life neuer could any thing be more vgly neuer would any thing be more abominable neuer were we so much in loue with our selues when we acted sinne as wee shall detest our selues when we see the staines of sinne But detestation and confusion are but the first part of this Iudgement the worme the sting bitter tortures euen before we are sentenced for Hell make vs to be wofull wretches Adde hereunto that which is the hight of shame the depth of paine Were no body priuie to our sinnes but our selues the knowledge of them wil confound vs but when they become knowne to others if they be but men sinners like our selues and therefore more likely to be temperate in their censure the shame groweth double but how manifold then will it be when the Angels shall bee witnesses to it the holy Angels whose puritie will the more illustrate it Nay God himselfe whose Image wee should beare and to whom how vnlike we are his presence wil make most manifest So that our shame will bee out of measure shamefull Our paine will bee no lesse painefull For here in this world the remorse of sinne euen in those that haue not a seared conscience is many wayes delayed in sleepe by feasts with companie many other outward helps but especially the putting farre off the euill day and the weake information that our distracted vnderstanding giueth our Heart and the hardnesse that doth benumme the senses thereof all these more or lesse doe mitigate our paine But after death these lenitiues are withdrawen from vs our eyes will be kept waking our stomacke fasting our friends farre from vs our wits that were wise to doe euill and to doe good had no vnderstanding at all shall then be wise onely to know our euill but good of ours it shall haue none at all to know and our heart was neuer so waxie to be wrought