Ashes Can we think upon Revenge to them that offer us Indignities and yet will we not be Reveng'd upon our sins which offered Christ so many Indignities If this Text works lesse with us we gain no more benefit by this Text then they did by the brazen Serpent who never lookt upon it but I hope it hath workt no lesse and if so much why then Behold Sampsons Riddle is again unfolded And as out of his strong came sweet and on t of his Eater came Meat Judic so out of Christs Crosse upon which he was killed comes this comfort to us that we shall live For if you aske Why God gave his Son St. John tells you It was That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life If you aske John 3.16 Why Christ came into the world He tells you himself It was to seek and save us that were lost If you aske Why Christ was killed upon the Crosse I can tell you and I tell you truth in it It was that his Hands might be stretched to embraâ—e and receive us into Heaven For the Crosse by vertue of Christ upon it Rev. is become Clavis Caeli The Key of David which shuts and no man opens which opens and no man shuts Ps which opens the everlasting door of Heaven that we may go in to the Prince of Life to the King of Glory For the Crosse by vertue of Christ upon it is become Baculus Jacobi Jacob's Staffe and by the help of it we may safely passe over the Jordan of this world into the Land of Canaan Gen. 32.10 For the Crosse by vertue of Christ upon it is Virga Moysi the Rod of Moses and with it we shall passe thorow the Red Sea of this world into the Kingdom of Heaven Exod. 14.16 For the Crosse by vertue of Christ upon it is become Lignum or Arbor Moysi Exod. 15.16 he Tree of Moses and with it we shall make all the bitter waters of this world sweet to our tasts pleasant to our smells and comfortable to our souls Nullus cibus tam amarus qui si recordatione aceti et fellis Christi temperetur non statim fit dulcior says St. Barnard No water so bitter which his Crosse cannot sweeten No meat so unsavoury which his Gall Vinegar upon the Crosse will not make rellishable Nihil tam durum says St. Gregory Nothing so hard so heavy which his Crosse will not make easy especially if we apply to our selves the Apostles inference Tim. If we suffer with him yes or for him we shall also Reign with him For the Crosse by vertue of Christ upon it is become Citharae Dabidis Davids Harpe and by touching the strings of it we shall lay all those evil Spirits 1 Sam. 16.23 which molest and trouble our Hearts For the Crosse by vertue of Christ upon it is become Gladius Dabidis Davids Sword and by the use of it we shall slay the Goliah of Hell 1 Sam. 17.51 and vanquish all the Philistines of Tentations For the Crosse by vertue of Christ upon it is become Clypeus Jehosuae Josuahs Shield with which if we guard our selves we shall batter the walls of Jericho and put to flight all the Armies of the Flesh Jos the World and the Devil For tell me tell me O my Soul whether if thou thinkest upon that Vinegar and Gall which Christ tasted at his death it will not allay and quench the fire of thy hottest Lusts Tell me tell me O my Soul whether if thou thinkest upon Christs Pater remitte on the Cross Father forgive them it will not fright thee from Revenge and work thee into Charity Did Christ forgive them who killed him and wilt thou be revenged upon them who do but displease thee God forbid Tell me tell me O my Soul whether if thou thinkest upon that Spear with which Longinus so we have received his name stab'd Christ to death thou wilt not fear to swear another Oath For thy Oaths stab him deeper then that Spear could Tell me tell me O my Soul whether if thou thinkest upon Christs great and incomparable meekness all the while he was killing that when he was reviled he reviled not again when he was slaughtered he threatned not thou darest for those petite Injuries which thou supposest are unjustly offered thee and maliciously laid upon thee swerve to Impatience No I am confident thou wilt not sin again if thou but remembrest Christ was killed for thy sins or if thou doest I shall be sorry Neither wilt thou despair of Gods mercy if thou remembrest That as he was killed to expiate thy sins so he was raised again to justifie thy Person But I read not that for any part of my Text nor shall I now make it any part of my Sermon my Sermon ends with the 30 day of January the day wherein King Charles was kill'd and murthered by you by you and us and all of us For if all of you had not an hand in the Actual murthering of him yet you are all guilty of his murther if all the Fathers and Schoolmen are right in their Expositions of Guilt and how we may stand guilty of sin They number nine waies and every one is very naught I shall name them and when we confesse our selves guilty of any one way of the nine God have mercy upon us The first is not to hinder it when thou canst For by this means thou makest thy self second in the sin and givest it the helP of thy hand because thou didst not hinder it with thy hand And was it not in our power to hinder the Kings murther Had we not six hands to two Were we not three to one thorowout all the Kingdom Well God have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to redeem this Law by bringing home King Charles II. and settle him in his Fathers Throne King Charles I. that was murthered The second is Not to reprove it when we should For by this means we make our tongues Advocates for it and give it License by our Silence And where was one of us or if one by name Dr. Gauden who did reprove it in tempore opportuno Well God have mercy upon us and open our mouths to pray for restoring King Charles II. and may God and the King forgive us all for not reproving them who murthered K. Charles I. The third is to Council sin For by this means we become a Mother to it and give it Wombe by conceiving it in another And for this let them look to it who fram'd Petitions and caught the giddy multitude to cry for Justice until King Charles I. was most unjustly murthered and if there were such a one who told Oliver Crumwel That he stoop'd to low in creeping too and supplicating the King then his prisoner and afterwards told the King It was admired that his Majesty should so Court such a Rebel and told the Rebel
is that Provokes him Part. 3. It is my third Consideration in revealing that Question wherewith or by what did they Provoke God to Anger Operibus suis so Calvine and Molleras by their works wicked works they were facti suis so Amesius by their Deeds Evil Deeds they were Adinventionibus suis so St. Hierome which our Translation followes by their own Inventions What those Inventions were the former verce tells you they joyn'd themselves to Baal Peer and ate the offerings of the Dead But in that verse verse 28. they are but succinctly set down you may read their Inventions more at large in the book of Numbers They committed VVhoredome verse 2.3 with the Daughters of Moab Cap. 25. They ate the Sacrafice of their Gods i. e. the Dead and they joyn'd themselves to Baal Peer of which I shall give a Compendious and short Paraphrase that you may understand what their sins were and would to God we had not found out worse Inventions our selves 1. Fornicatus est populus They committed VVhordome and an Invention this was and an Invention of their own too For it was against Gods Proscription He proscribed it in his 7th Commandement Non Maechaberis Thou shalt not violate that good order which should be between Person and Person by unruly Lusts by unclean Deeds The Consequences of this sin are commonly a Diseased Body an empty Purse a shamefull name and without Gods great mercy a Damned Soul For Harlots are the high way to the Devill when you look upon them with Delight you begin your Voyage when you chat with them you make haste when you lie with them you are at your journies end In this age it is called a trick of youth But I pray God have mercy upon us and forgive us the sins of our youth and encline our hearts to keep this Law Thou shalt not commit VVhordome least we Provoke God to more VVrath by our Invention 2. The second was Commederunt sacrificia they at the sacrifices of the Dead and they were called the Sacrifice of the dead either because the Gods of the Moabites were dead Gods to whom the Sacrifices were offered so Musculus or else because they were offered for dead men so St. Austen or else They were Oblations devoted to Gods service to God-self by men that were Dead whilst they lived And they ate them i. e. They devoured them by sacriledge and robbed God of them Either of these Expositions is an Agravation of their sin For whereas the Israelites were fed with those Sacrifices which were offered to the True God and thereby put in minde that the Covenant betwixt God and them was as firm and familier as betwixt Man and VVife who eat at the same Table They did hereby divorce themselves from the True God and marry themselves to a false and confirm it by eating the Sacrifices of the Dead A meer Invention This The third was Copulati sunt Baal Peer they joyned themselves to Baal Peer and what was Baal Peer Baal Peer was a false God an Idoll not such a God quem Deus fecit nor so good neither which God made of whom He saies himself Dixi Dij estis I have saied yea are God but a God Psal 82. quem fecit homo which man made of whom the man of God saies they are no Gods but the works of mans hands They call'd him Baal for his honour for Baal signifies a Lord Psal and Peer they call'd him for his Residence for his Abode was upon the Hill or Mountain Peer so Lyranus Others and amongst them Justinianus saies that Baal Peer is Idolum Ignominie by way of contempt the blind God he had eyes but he saw not he saw not his Preists launcing themselves he had ears but he heard not he heard not Elias mocking him nor his own false Prophets crying unto him Others says Baael Peer signifies Deum hortorum the Garden God Whatsoever it signifies sure I am it was a meer Invention this For Gods injunction was Thou shalt have no other Gods but me You see what their Inventions were I wish they were not a Map of ours yes I wish we did not outvy them in Inventions So many are our Inventions that I cannot give you the Tythe of them and in that word Tythe there lyes one of our Inventions 1. Come let us make the Lease of this House for 6. l. per annum Rent but let the Income by another Indenture be 16. l. per annum more A meer Invention this for saies God Bring ye all the Tythes into the Store-House Malac. 3.10 that is one Invention 2. Come and let us goe and play the Good Fellowes and drink an Health or two A meer Invention this for saies God VVoe be to him that is strong to power in strong drink and again in the New Testament Isa Be not overcome with VVine wherein is excess That 's a second Invention 3. Come let us goe and play a Trick of Youth and lie with yonder VVench Exod. 20. a meer Invention this For saies God Thou shalt not commit Fornication Mat. 5. 1 Cor. and again Thou shalt not look upon a VVoman to Lust after her and again Thou shalt not touch a Woman that 's a third Invention 4. Look yonder goes a Reprobate a meer Invention this for God made no man on purpose to Damne him because God selfe saies 1 Tim. 2. He hates nothing that he hath made and St. Paul from God saies God would have all men to be saved that is a fourth Invention 5. A Child of God cannot sin a meer invention this Jac. 1 Joh. 1. For saies St. James In many things we sin all For saies St. John If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us That is a fifth Invention 6. Come saies the Merchant let us ingross this Commodity and raise the Rate a meer Invention this For saies God The people shall curse him that with-holds the Corne that 's a sixth Invention 7. Sirrah saies the Shop-keeper to his Apprentice pare that Yard a meer Invention this For saies God Thou shalt not have a short measure Deut. that 's a seventh Invention 8. Christ did not descend into Hell a meer Invention this For saies David of Christ to God Thou shalt not leave my soul in Hell and saies Athanasius VVhosoever beleives not this Psal 16. that Christ went down into Hell without doubt he shall perish everlastingly that 's an eighth Invention 9. No Necessity of Baptizing Infants a Meer Invention this For saies Christ Suffer little Children to come to me Man 10. and saies St. Peter Be Baptised every one of you for the promise is made to you and to our Children Act. 2. and saies the Counsell of Milevitary Placuit ut quicunque parvulos recentes ab ut reteris matrum baptisandos negat Anathemasit whosoever denies Baptisme to Children let him
Therefore did Jepthe plead a right Title to that Land for the Israelites by Prescription because they had possest it for 300 years or as we speak here in England Judg. 11.12.13 Time out of mind Now then to draw this Argument to a conclusion we joyne issue thus because Achab had neither Gods commandement for his Warrant nor the Law of Nature for his Necessity nor the tacite consent of Naboth for his Prescription He was therefore guilty of theft for taking away Naboths Vine-yard and because guilty of theft a Milignant And now Beloved as in the former so I say again Judge your selves If Robbing of Naboth but a Subject male Achab a Malignant though a King Whether then Naboth the Subject had not been a Malignant if he had robbed Achab the King though a bad King And this day the 30th of January will yearly remember them to be the true Delinquents and Malignants who robbed King Charls and murthered King Charls whether their Names were Fairfax or Ireton or Whaley or Pride or Baxter or Braâ—shaw or whosoever else especially Cromwel because after he had kill'd he took possession For you for my self and all Loyal Subjects I pray From robbing and murthering either our Superiours or Inferiours God deliver us and encline our hearts to keep these two Lawes Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale that neither our Neighbours goods nor blood may cry for vengeance or bring Judgments upon us here or hereafter for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Amen Anno Dom. 1655. 1 Cor. 9.16 Necessity is laid upon me and wo be to me if I preach not the Gospel GOD did once open the mouth of an Asse to teach a Prophet his duty Num. so merciful is God that rather then a Prophet should miscarry in his Duty an Asse shall teach it him But now the Prophets mouths are shut that they may not teach men their Dutys so merciless is man that rather then men shall learn their Duties the Prophets mouths shall be muzzelled I pray God this be not a sad Omen of more miserie then we have already felt two ways 1. That the shutting of our Mouths whereby we might be kept from starving be not the wounding of your Souls Rom. whereby you may be kept from Believing For how shall you believe without hearing and how shall you hear without preaching and how shall we preach if we be not sent if we be shent when we go being sent about our Masters errant to preach But 2. I pray God this silencing the Clergy do not prove a worse Omen then the starving of your Souls even the darkening of your Souls here and the sending of them into darkness hereafter at the least the Souls of your innocent Posterity For how shall they when the Orthodox and lawful Clergy are silenced from preaching ever learn to acknowledge the Articles of their Faith and particularly that one most necessary Article of the Trinity 1 Joh. 5.7 since there is but one Logical Text in the whole Bible that proves it Many Symbolical Texts there are that shew it but only one Logical Text I say that proves it And when we are silenced both from preaching and reading the Common Prayers in which Book the Creed of Athanasius is the only Piece that expounds that Logical text of the Bible the Heterodox Clergy never or seldom troubling themselves with that Master-piece of Faith How shall your Posterity learn to believe in a Trinity in unity and in an Unity in Trinity God divert it But if you observe Gods works you will find them all and amongst them all his Judgements to be done in Number Weight and Measure when he resolves to punish a People for their crying sins He commonly begins at their Bodys and either divides their Civil Governours as in the case of Rehoboam the lawful King and Jeroborm the usurping King of the Jewes and with such a Civil Division commonly arises a Spiritual Division and the lowest of the People are made or make themselves Priests and wrest the word of God to successful Principles yet there was then an Orthodox Priesthood remaining to maintaine the Purity of Gods Word and Worship and happy are the People that are converted then But if they go on still and side one with another and having made an Head justle out the Truth and the Prophets may no more preach at Bethel because it was the Kings Court nor in Jerusalem because it was the Metropolis the Chief City end the Kings Chamber Though the Judgment of taking away Kings eâ—eavy and we have felt it yet the next is heavier when the Judgment rises so high as to take away the Priests too And therefore as the Church was wont to pray From Famine Plague Pestilence Battail Murther and suddain death Good Lord deliver us so answerably I pray now From suddain death Murther Battaile Pestilence Plague and Famine but especially From the Famine of the Word Good Lord deliver us Amos the Prophet makes that the greater Judgement and God deliver you from it For it any of you do think there lyes no Necessity upon you so hear us preach yet I think there lyes a Necessity upon us and wo be to us if we preach not the Gospel That 's the Text and in it I observe 1. The Duty To preach the Gospel 2. The Duty performer Me to me every lawfully ordained Minister St. Paul was ordained thereunto and therefore did it and we that are called thereunto must do it too 3. Why must we do it Necessitatis Causâ for Neecssity sake 4. What is that necessity Why besides other Necessities which I shall look upon There is a woful Necessity if I do it not Vae mihi When I have dispatcht these I shall by way of Antithesis â—ook upon the Text another way not as it is in the Bible but as â—t is in the Alchoran Necessity is laid upon me and wo be to me if I do not preach the Gospel I begin with the first The Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what is the Gospel Pars 1. Why this word Gospel signifies two things 1. That Sacrifice which the Heathens used to offer to their Gods when they received any good news or tydings In this sense Cicero takes it O suaves Epistolas Quibus Evangelium deberi frater Adâ— Attic. O sweet Epistles O excellent Letters which I account worthy of an Evangel i.e. Of such a Sacrifice 2. It signifies the bringing of good news and here Appropriatly it signifies the glad tydings of our Redemption by Christ so says the Angel Luke 2. Fear not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For behold I bring you glad tydings i.e. Good news then which there is there can be no better For it is of a Pardon to a Condenmed Malefactor and it is not only to oâ—e but to All to all you To you in the City of David the Royal City of the Anointed King is born a Saviour which is
the Faith of Blood to Justification We may not with Balaam desire to dye the death of the Kighteous and live Covetously Nâ—â—b but we must with David lead the life of the Righteous and dye Comfortably If we would dye in the Lord and receive the end of our Faith which is the Salvation of our Souls we must first Live in the Lord by laying the Foundation of Faith by doing the Act of Faith and by bringing forth the Fruit of Faith 1. Fundamentum autem Fidei quid But what is the Foundation of Faith Why it is Cognitio Dei nostri the Knowledge of God and of our selves The Knowledge of God the Father and our Fall He made us upright and we found out many inventions He made us in his Image and we defaced it The Knowledge of God the Son and our Redemption we were lost and He sought us we were sold and He bought us 1 Cor. were slaves and He enfranchised us The Knowledge of God the Holy Ghost and our Sanctification by Him Such we were Druâ—kards Revilers Fornicators c. But we are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. This is the Foundation of Faith and it must be laid by Knowledge 2. The Act of Faith and it must be effected by Applying Actus autem Fidel quid And what is the Act of Faith Why it is Fiducia A perswasion that God the Father so loved me Joh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Son for me A perswasion that God the Son so loved me That he came in the similitude of sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 and for sin condemned sin in the flesh A perswasion that God the Holy God so loved me that he hath baptized me into the death of Christ and hath thereby made me the Temple of Himself a Member of Christ and the Child of God In a word 1 Tim. 1.15 when I believe Though I am the greatest of all sinners yet Jesus Christ came into the world to save me 3. Fructus autem fidei quid And what is the Fruit of Faith Why it is Charitas Charity Charity to God by Prayer Charity to my self by Fasting and keeping my Body under Charity to the Poor by Almes These These are the precious Fruits that grow upon the precious Tree of Faith Faith believing in God thorow Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost to be saved does therefore pray to God against sin and keeps the Body under from sin and gives Almes to the Poor And when we do this why then as Christ saies you shall know the Tree by his fruit we live in the Lord and therefore we shall dye in the Lord. The word of my Text is not Qui vivunt They which live but Qui exeunt They that dye in the Lord Nor did I say this to deviate from my Text but to tell you How you may fulfil the Text and dye in the Lord and no way for this but by living in the Lord for otherwise the Lord may be said to Dye in us we cannot be said to Dye in the Lord. Nor yet did I say this That the man that lives not in the Lord cannot dye in the Lord For God can fetch water out of the flinty Rock but to tell you That ordinarily Few dye in the Lord that do not first live in the Lord They that live in sin may dye in the Lord and such A course may speed But it is a dangerous and indiscreet pare to venture a Soul upon such an hazard This course is sure to speed ' They that live in the Lord do alwayes dye in the Lord. It is storied that the French ad judged certain ground to the Irish against the Scotch because Spyders Toads and such poysonous Creatures did presently dye if they were put there So you may be our own Judges and know to what Master you belong If siâ—ful lusts words and works dye when they come upon the Ground of your Souls you belong to the Lord He lives in you and you shall dye in him Once more Would you dye in the Lord Why then as St. Paul saâ—es Dye daily i. e. Master your Lusts Subdue your Wrath Humble your Pride Resist all Temptations v.g. more plainly Suppose Covetousness were now breeding in my heart and Money perswaded me to become another Judas to betray my Soul my Saviour my King my Countrey Yet remember I it is but a sad bargain I am about No profit to gain the whole world and loose mine own Soul And what I say of this sin I say of all sin Take them while they are but little ones Mat. even but Temptations and dash them against the stones Against the stones of Mortification and Repentance Obey the Precepts of God and resist sin Believe the Promises of God and relye on Christ and so you shall live in the Lord Continue in this Obedience to the Law Persevere in this Belief of the Gospel and though you do sometimes fall and God forgive us all for who falls not often yet Rise again by Repentance and at the Hour of your Death Then six your Faith upon the Mercies of God in the Merits of Jesus Christ and you shall Dye in the Lord And Dying so you shall be blessed Etiam sic dicit Spirius For so saith the Spirit It is my second General Pars 2. I called it the Witness to assure the Deposition to confirm the truth of the Proposition and I must tell you It is beyond all exception Etiam sic dicit Spiritus For so sayes the Spirit But of this I shall not need to speak much For I hope in Christ There is no Athist here to deny the Truth of God or of his Word No Schismatick or Heretick here I hope to deny this Book of Revelation though penned by St. John to have proceeded from the Spirit Not any Carnal or Private Spirit not any Giddy or worldly spirit but the Holy and Blessed Spirit and therefore I forbear to prosecute this Point and thank your Piety for saving me the pains Nor shall I dare to trespass upon your Patience Pars 3. in speaking much of my Third General This Depositaries Exposition of the Proposition And yet least I should injure your Expectation I shall venture upon a word or two If any one askes wherein are the Dead Blessed They that dye in the Lord wherein are they blessed Loe The Spirit makes answer and sayes They are blessed two wayes 1. In Relaxation They rest from their Labours 2. In Retribution Their Works follow them They are two Blessednesses and two such Blessednesses as this world cannot afford Ease and Glory both In this world If sometimes we have Rest in our Studies by Divine Contemplation yet there we have no Glory we are but poor Schollars still And if sometimes you have Glory in the Court by Royal admission yet there you have no Rest you are but Observing Courtiers still But in Heaven Both you and we shall have