and that is included in these words This day haue I begotten thee that is this day or time wherein thou doest rise from the dead and returne from death vnto life haue I manifested and declared vnto the world all abroad that thou art my Sonne and that I haue begotten thee For so is this place expounded by Paul euen of the time of Christs resurrection as we may see in Acts 13.30.33 So that then there must be a distinction made betweene generation or begetting it selfe and the manifestation of it The generation or begetting it selfe was from all eternitie but the manifestation of it was in time and then chiefly when Christ rose from the dead For then was he mightily declared to be the Sonne of God as the Scripture doth teach vs. But here before we stand vpon the proofe it selfe a few things may be obserued touching the generation or Gods begetting of his Sonne For as we are to know that Christ is the Sonne of God so we are to vnderstand in some sort how the Father did beget him whose Sonne he is said to be The manner therefore of this generation in few words was this The Sonne was begotten of the substance of the Father not by any fluxe as when water is deriued from the head of the spring to the channell not by any decision as when a thing is cut in peeces nor by any propagation as when a graft is transplanted into a new stocke but by an vnspeakable communication of the whole essence or godhead from the Father to the Sonne in receiuing whereof the Sonne doth no more diminish the maiestie or godhead of the Father then the light of one candle doth the light of another from which it is taken The time of this generation hath neither beginning middle nor end and therefore it is eternall before all worlds Wisedome in the Prouerbes which with one consent of all Diuines is said to be Christ affirmeth that she was before the world was created that is from eternitie For before the world was made there was nothing but eternity Prou. 8.24 Here are many things to be wondred at in this generation of the Sonne and we must be warned not to conceiue it in any carnall or humane manner For there is a great difference betweene it and those generations which are found here in this world amongst vs that are men For first in our generations the father is in time before his son and the son is after his father but in this generation God the Father and the Sonne are coeternall and not one before or after the other for time Secondly in our generations the father is forth of the sonne and the sonne forth of the father so that they are distant in place sometimes the one from the other many a mile but in this generation God the Father is in the Sonne and the Sonne is in the Father so that they are in place alwayes together Thirdly in our generations the sonne is from his father by propagation but in this generation the Son is from the Father by communication of substance and not by propagation Finally in our generations the father doth beget the sonne by communicating onely his seed vnto him but in this generation God the Father doth beget the Sonne by communicating his whole substance vnto him So that here is a fourefold difference to be found betwixt our carnall and this spirituall generation or begetting And therefore I beseech you do none of you conceiue of it after a grosse manner but pray you vnto God for spirituall eyes that you may behold it And if any of you cannot conceiue aright of it wonder at it as at a deepe mysterie but beware contemne it not as a thing either false or vnfruitfull And so I leaue it and come to the proofe it selfe That is taken you see from Christs resurrection from the dead All the miracles that Christ did frō time to time going stil beyond the reach and power of man did declare that he was the Sonne of God yet it hath pleased the holy Ghost to apply this chiefly vnto his resurrection as being a most notable argument to proue the same For being dead if he had not bene the Sonne of God indeed he had neuer risen againe but had perished in death And in that the Father raised him againe to life he gaue euident witnesse and testimonie that he was his owne naturall Sonne and that he had begotten him from all eternitie And therefore Paule doth say that he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead in Rom. 1.4 So that those that doubt whether Christ be the Sonne of God or no they may be resolued if they will but throughly consider of his resurrection from the dead For thus they may reason with themselues No creature that is dead and buried can of himselfe rise againe from the graue and returne from death vnto life but he that doth this must needs be the Sonne of God But Christ Iesus was dead and buried yet he rose againe from the graue and returned from death vnto life Therefore Christ Iesus is no bare creature but he is a Creator and the Sonne of the liuing God Many things might be here obserued and stood vpon concerning this point but because they are common matters and are included in the Article of our faith touching the resurrection of Christ from the dead I will passe them ouer and referre them to your owne priuate meditations Onely noting here by the way that as God did manifest the generation of his naturall Sonne vnto the world and did make men see that he had begotten him euen by his miracles and chiefly by raising him from the dead so he doth continually manifest the generation of his adopted sons and make them knowne to themselues and vnto others by his holy working in them and chiefly by his raising of them vp from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnesse as we may plainly see by many places of the holy Scripture but most excellently by that which Iohn hath written in the third chapter of his first Epistle the 8.9 and 10. verses thereof For there he doth manifestly teach vs who they be that are borne of God and how they may be knowne from the children of the Diuell and that is by their liues and conuersations For as the one of them do commit sinne who are of the Diuell so the other of them do not sinne who are of God but they worke righteousnesse and become holy as God their Father is holy yea as he doth further say they cannot sinne because they are borne of God So that then they are not leud and licentious as others are but they are sanctified persons and such as do worke out their saluation with feare and trembling By this we may shortly learne two things the one is whether we our selues be the children of God or no the other is whom of others we are
to account for such For our selues if we flie the corruption which is in the world through lust and giue all diligence thereunto ioyning moreouer vertue with our faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue we may assure our owne soules that we are the children of God and that he hath begotten vs vnto life eternall as Peter doth well declare in the first chapter of his second Epistle the 10. and 11. verses thereof For others we are to take them onely for the children of God who walke not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit and do become new creatures performing the same holy duties with vs whereof mention was made out of Peter last of all But if either we our selues or others faile herein leading wicked or loose liues we may tremble and feare but we must not challenge this prerogatiue vnto our selues to be called the sonnes of God nor giue it vnto others that are vnworthy of the same For as God is holy so are all those holy who are borne of him but as for the rest who are wicked and naught they belong to the Diuell who was a sinner from the beginning as Iohn doth teach vs in the place before alleaged Wherefore looke to your selues that you may be boly and righteous rising from the death of sinne vnto the life of righteousnesse that thereby you may be assured that God is your father and that he hath begotten you and beware also what title and appellation you giue vnto others that none may be wronged but euery one may haue that which doth of right belong vnto him Hauing thus spoken of the person of Christ or his sonne-ship now we are to speake of his office or princely kingdome wherein is set downe first the largenesse of it in the 8. verse then secondly the inuincible power of it in the 9. verse In handling these things I will be as briefe as I can In describing the largenesse of it there is included a duty which he must performe namely prayer then the fruit of it which is a great and large gift I will ioyne both these together for breuities sake Aske of me saith the text these are the words of God the Father inuiting Dauid or Christ to aske somewhat of him and enioyning them a certaine duty to performe if they would haue their kingdomes enlarged The words following containe the gift it selfe which God would bestow vpon them vpon their prayer and petition which they should make vnto him And I will giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession A worthy reward of such a small duty as prayer is and a gift as we say most worthy of a king Surely as God is such is his gift For as he is great and mighty so is his gift here great and mighty It is obserued of Alexander the Great that he gaue to one Perillus for the marriage of his daughter fiftie talents and when Perillus told him that it was too much by halfe he answered him and sayd If halfe be enough for thee to take yet it is not enough for me to giue And in like manner when he had giuen vnto a poore Aegyptian a rich and populous citie and the Aegyptian stood all astonished at it supposing that he had mocked him Take quoth he to him that which I giue thee for if thou art Bias that demandest I am Alexander that giueth Thus he would giue gifts according to his owne ability and power So euen so doth the Lord our God deale here he doth bestow his gifts according to his owne ability and power Though halfe a kingdome be a great gift yet a whole kingdome is but a small gift with him Dauid and Christ must haue more of him then that For Dauid who was but the figure and type of Christ had of him not onely the whole kingdome of Israel and Iudah but all the heathen also that were round about him as the Ammonites Moabites Aramites Philistims Amalekites and diuerse others all which were in subiection and became tributaries to him as may be seene by the second booke of Samuel and namely by the 8. chapter thereof But as for Christ who was the body and truth he had spacious and large dominions of him indeed For he bestowed vpon him not onely one kingdome or two alone but all the kingdomes of the world from one end thereof vnto the other as the Apostle doth at large declare in his 1. chap. to the Ephe. in his 2. chap. to the Phil. Wherupon Christ himselfe spake vnto his Disciples saying All power is giuen vnto me in heauen earth Go therfore and teach all nations baptizing thē in the name of the Father the Son the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you as it is in Math 28.18.19.20 Here I might stand vpon the largenesse of Christs kingdome and gather some good obseruations out of the vniuersality thereof as to shew that wheresoeuer we liue or be yet we are vnder his dominion and are there to worship him and that if we do once offend him and play a treacherous part with him there is no place of safetie for vs to flie vnto to escape his power and hand as who doth reigne throughout all the world and not in some places alone as kings here vpon the earth do amongst whom malefactors yea most vile and notorious traytors do escape oftentimes death and other punishments according to their just deserts because they shift out of one mans kingdome into another But I will passe them ouer to your owne considerations come to more neceslary points for our learning A duty you see here is enioyned vpon Christ that he must pray to his Father for his kingdome and aske the same of him Againe a large promise is made vnto him that if he shall so do he shall haue an ample one indeed euen such an one as shall reach from one end of the world vnto the other Vpon both these brances a man might seuerally insist and stand but as I promised before I will conioyne them both together that of two works I may for shortnesse sake make but one Wherefore the doctrine which is to be collected out of them both together is this Doct. that men must pray to God for benefits and that by praying vnto him they shall obtaine them Aske saith our Sauiour Iesus Christ and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you For whosoeuer asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened as it is in Math. 7.7.8 Likewise Iames doth say making instance in one particular which is wisedome If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God which giueth vnto all men liberally and reproacheth no man
he purged the Temple and beganne to cast out them that sold and bought in the Temple and ouerthrew the tables of the mony changers and the seates of them that sold Doues and would not suffer that any man should carry a vessell through the Temple saying vnto them It is written Mine house is the house of prayer but yee haue made it a donne of theeues the high Priests and the Scribes and the chiefe of the people sought to destroy him Luke 19.47 When he had wrought another good worke and had raised from the dead Lazarus Maries and Marthaes brother who had now bene dead foure daies and began to stinke in the graue as his sister Martha said yet came foorth of the graue bound hand and foote with bands and his face was bound with a napkin then gathered the high Priests the Pharises a Councell consulted againe which way to bring him to his death Ioh. 11.47 c. Finally to passe ouer other particulars which happened in the whole course of his life when he had done them what good he could from time to time as appeareth by these his words Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent to thee how often would I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings ye would not Math. 23.37 yet they notwithstanding the same tooke him apprehended him as their deadly enimie and as a malefactor that was not worthy to liue vpon the face of the earth amongst them any longer Iudas one of the twelue came vnto him and with him a great multitude with swords and staues from the high Priests and the Elders of the people and they tooke him and led him to Caiaphas the high Priest where the Scribes and Elders were assembled There he was examined by them accused and condemned to death likewise some of them there beganne to spit at him and to couer his face and to beate him with fists and to say vnto him Prophecy vnto vs ô Christ who is he that smote thee And the Sergeants smote him with their rods Math. 26.47 c. and Mar. 14.43 c. After this in the dawning of the day when the morning was come they led him away bound vnto Pilate and laid most grieuous things vnto his charge but when Pilate heard of Galile he asked whether the man were a Galilean and when he knew that he was of Herods iurisdiction he sent him to Herod but Herod with his men of warre despised him and mocked him and arrayed him as if he were a foole in white and sent him againe to Pilate Luke 23.11 Then Pilate ouercome by his aduersaries did at the last giue sentence against him caused him to be scourged and to be sent away to the place of execution Mar. 15.15 But before he came thither see what the souldiers did They led him into the hall which is the common hall and called together the whole band and clad him with purple and platted a crowne of thornes and put it about his head and beganne to salute him saying Haile King of the Iewes and they smote him on the head with a reed and spat vpon him and bowed their knees and did reuerence And when they had mocked him they tooke the purple off him and put his owne clothes on him and led him out to crucifie him Mar. 15.16 c. Being come to the place of execution which was without the citty they crucified him and hanged him vpon a tree betweene two theeues And as he hanged there in that shamefull and opprobious manner The people stood by him and beheld him and they together with the rulers mocked him saying he saued others let him saue himselfe if he be the Christ the chosen of God The souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vinegar and said If thou be the king of the Iewes saue thy selfe Likewise they that went by railed on him wagging their heads saying Hey thou that destroyest the Temple buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe and come downe from the crosse Lastly one of the euill doers which were hanged with him railed one him saying If thou be the Christ saue thy selfe and vs. Luke 23.35 c. and Mark 15.29 c. In regard of all which things we see that our Sauiour might iustly make his cōplaint here say Why do the heathen rage and the people murmure in vaine The kings of the earth band themselues the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and his Annointed Come let vs breake their bands and cast their cords behind vs. Here before we goe any further a question may be asked to wit why Christ was thus reiected by all sorts of persons For a man may iudge that euery one should haue loued him and haue reioyced greatly for him he was so gentle so meeke so humble so patient so wise so learned so holy so mercifull so louing and in one word so willing and so able to do euery man good as none in the whole world besides him either was or could be We know that the virgin Mary did sing and reioyce when she knew that she should beare him Luk. 1.46 c. And that the Angels did sing and reioyce when he was borne Luk. 2.13 c. And that Simeon did sing and reioyce when he was brought into the Temple Luke 2.27 c. And that Abrahams sonne which he had by old Sarah that was a type and figure of Christ was called Isaac which name signifieth laughter to shew what ioy and laughter there should be about Christ Gen. 21.3 In consideration whereof the question may rightly be moued why the world should thus oppose themselues against Christ But the answere to it is this They hated him without a cause as our Sauiour himselfe doth testifie of them in Ioh. 15.25 Some of them did persecute him through ignorance not knowing what he was as we may see by his prayer to his Father for them in Luk. 23.34 when he saith Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Also by the Apostles words in 1. Cor. 2.8 For had they knowne it saith he they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory Others of them did resist him of malice and of a cankered stomach they knowing well enough what he was as is apparant by the words of our Sauiour who doth accuse them for that cause of the sinne against the holy Ghost which can neuer be forgiuen in Mark 3.28 Some lastly did neglect him through feare and dread they knowing that if they did beleeue in him or confesse him they should be excommunicated out of their Synagogues according to the law of the Iewes as is apparant by Ioh. 9.22 where we find that the blind mans parents for that cause would not confesse that Christ had cured their son And as they did thus feare trouble at home yea some of the great ones as well as the small ones as we
impouerish his subiects by exacting of them grieuous subsidies and taxes but he doth greatly enrich them by bestowing large giftes and benefites vpon them Ephe. 4.7.8 c. The last is loue or mercy for he doth beare that kind affection towards his people that all their miseries doe touch him Heb. 4.15 and for to do thē good he was content to die for them Ephe. 5.2.25 Where all these things do concurre meet together there is a party well qualified for gouernement A man may be couragious yet not fearing God if fearing God yet not dealing truely if dealing truely yet not hating couetousnesse if hating couetousnesse yet not wise if wise yet not diligent if diligent yet not bountifull if bountifull yet not louing if louing yet not couragious But where shall all these be found together Surely in none but in Christ Iesus for in him they are in the highest degree of perfection and therefore did the Lord make choice of him before all others to goe in and out before his people and to be the Head or gouernour of his Church Here we must take heed of some abuses Vse we must not collect from hence either that Christ is inferiour to his Father or that he was made King as he was God for he is equall with his Father in glory Maiesty touching his diuine nature or God-head as the Apostle doth shew in the beginning of his 2. chap. to the Philippians True it is that he is inferiour to his Father in respect of his humane nature and as he is man but not otherwise as he is God of the same substance or being which he hath together with the Father frō all eternity Againe whereas he is made King this is done in respect of both his natures together as he is God-man and Man-God and not simply in respect of one of them alone for so to affirme of either of them were absurd if not blasphemous But leauing the abuses the true vses are these First hereby we may learne to reuerence Christ the more because he is established in his throne by his Father For if Dauid were pricked in heart onely for cutting of Sauls garment who was a wicked man and his deadly enimy too because he was the Lords annoynted with what reuerence and care should we carry our selues towards Christ Iesus our Sauiour who is holinesse and righteousnesse it selfe and one that loues vs well seeing the Lord hath annoynted him and made him to be our King But alas our carriage is such towards him as if he had vsurped this place vnto himselfe by tyranny or were set vp in his throne by some created authority but let vs looke to ourselues and amend this our fault In the second place here we may learne that seeing God hath set vp his Sonne in his kingdome he will still defend him and aide him in the same as also bring fearefull iudgments vpon all such as shal go about to resist him And this is the chiefest end wherefore this sentence is here alleadged and therefore let all men take heed what they do and let all those know also who are in lawfull authority that so long as they carry themselues worthy of their places the Lord will alwaies stand about them for their defence and protection as here he did about his Sonne Christ and blessed Dauid the King Lastly here we may learne by the example of Christ that it is not good to run into a calling but to stay vntill the Lord doth place vs in the same A great complaint is made in Ieremy by the Lord against men in this respect that they did run before that he did send them as we may see at large in the 23. chapter of Ieremy But beware we that we doe not the like For shall Christ that had the Spirit of God without all measure stay and waite his Fathers leasure and shall we mortall and sinnefull creatures who haue not the Spirit almost in any measure yet runne and goe before our commission is drawne out and sealed by the Almighty More things might be spoken vpon these matters but let these short obseruations minister an occasion vnto you to contemplate more at large vpon these points The end of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON vpon the second Psalme PSAL. 2. VER 7.8 9. I will declare the decree that is the Lord hath said vnto me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I shall giue thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt crush them with a scepter of yron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell IN the former verses mention was made of God the Father whose maiestie and power was excellently set out for the confounding of such wicked aduersaries as did rise vp against him But now these verses do intreate of God the Sonne who is also most liuely described in the same by a certaine inuincible power and maiestie as being one sufficient to ouerthrow all such resistance as is made against him And that his enimies might be daunted the more as his friends receiue the greater ioy and consolation he comes in himselfe speaking and vttering his voyce vnto them declaring plainely amongst them all what is the very decree and ordinance of God his Father concerning him and his kingdome the summe and substance whereof he tels them is this The Lord the great God of heauen who hath created all things and who doth continually preserue the same he euen he sayd to me Thou art my sonne yea my naturall and onely sonne most deare and precious vnto me Thy workes which thou doest continually in working strange and admirable miracles do shew that I haue begotten thee but chiefly that day is an argument thereof vnto all the world wherein thou didst arise from the graue and returne againe from death vnto life And because thou art so neare vnto me and one on whom I haue set my whole delight and pleasure aske of me what thou wilt and thou shalt haue it I will not say to the halfe of my kingdome but to all my kingdome if thou shalt aske the whole I will bestow it vpon thee yea I will giue thee all power both in heauen and in earth and thou shalt reigne not in a small compasse alone but in a most spacious and large circuite euen throughout all the world from the one end thereof vnto the other And whereas there are many rebels and traytors that do daily rise vp against thee thou shalt not take pity and compassion vpon them to forgiue them but thou shalt punish them throughly according to their deserts with thy scepter or mace of iron wherewith thou art armed thou shalt destroy them And herein deale thou with them as the potter doth with his vessell as he doth dash that all to peeces when it is once broken and seruiceable for no vse so do thou so confound them that they may
is in our prouerbe now let them bestirre them and with all hast let them runne vnto the Lord for mercie and grace before his wrath breake out and consume them Lastly by this we may learne what counsell and aduice to giue to others when they are in some danger and know not well what course to take to rid themselues there-from If any of them shall come vnto vs as the Iewes did to the Apostles saying Men and brethren what shall we do Acts 2.37 we may easily answer them euen as it is here Be wise and learned c. that is repent you of your sinnes and submit your selues vnto the Lord your God in all dutifull obedience as it doth become you This this is the onely course that you must take Doubtlesse no other course in the world can do you any sound and perfect good but if you shall once performe this all shall be well with you quickly as it was with Nebuchadnezzar who vpon his submission vnto the Lord was restored againe to his kingdome or as it was with Manasses who vpon his prayer vnto the Lord and hearty sorrow for his sinne was deliuered out of his prison at Babylon and reëstablished againe in the throne of his kingdome at Ierusalem or lastly as it was with the Israelites who vpon their crie vnto the Lord and the confession of their sinne were from time to time deliuered from their enimies and blessed with peace and abundance of good things Hitherto for the persons to whom the exhortation is directed now let vs come to the matter whereof it doth consist And that in a word is repentance and amendment of life as I touched before Wherein is conteined first the time when it must be had then secondly the points wherein it doth stand The time is present set downe in this word Now. Because they were in a present danger and were likely euery houre to be destroyed therefore the Prophet would haue them to repent presently and out of hand euen before those iudgements of the Lord did fall vpon them which were mentioned before in the 5. and 9. verses of this Psalme Wherehence we are taught this doctrine that men must out of hand repent and turne to the Lord and not deferre their conuersion from time to time but presently goe about the same Seeke the Lord saith the Prophet Esay in Chap. 55.6.7 while he may be found call ye vpon him while he is neare Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vurighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and he will haue mercy vpon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgiue While we haue time saith Paule in Gal. 6.10 let vs do good vnto all men but specially vnto them that are of the houshold of faith And to day saith the holy Ghost in Heb. 3.7 if ye shall heare his voyce harden not your hearts as in the prouocation according to the day of the temptation in the wildernesse but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Thus you see shortly the verity of the doctrine and the confirmation thereof Now the reasons of it are many but chiefly these foure First Reasons because it is vncertaine whether we shall liue any longer or no. For the yong do die as well as the aged and men are oftentimes taken away on the sudden Thou foole saith God to the rich man in Luke 12.20 this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided And when men shall say saith Paul in 1. Thes 5.3 peace and safety then shall come vpon them sudden destruction as the trauaile of a woman with child and they shall not escape Many examples we haue hereof in the Scriptures The world thought themselues sure when they were eating and drinking but then came the floud Luke 17.27 The morning was faire when Lot went out of Sodom and yet before night were the Sodomites destroyed Gen. 19.23 Nebuchadnezzar thought himselfe neuer more sure then when he had builded great Babell but yet while the word was in his mouth God humbled him downe vpon his knees Dan. 4.12 And well was Herod when he began his Oration to the people but before the end thereof his departure from them the Angell of the Lord smote him so that he was eaten of wormes and gaue vp the ghost Acts 12.23 So that if we do deferre our repentance but one day yea but one houre death may preuent vs before that we can repent and so we shall be damned Secondly because the longer that a man doth post off his repentance and amendment of life the harder it will be for him to repent and amend at the last Can the blacke Moore saith Ieremy in Chap. 13.23 change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do euill As though it were a thing vnpossible for a sinner who hath continued long in his sinne to leaue his sinne and to forsake it and so to become a good man at the last And surely with man it is vnpossible though it be otherwise with God vnto whom all things are possible For if we cannot ouercome a Lyon when it is yong and but a whelpe how shall we be able to ouercome him when he is old and growne to his full power and strength And if we be not able to bow a tree of sixe yeares growth it is in vaine for vs to go about to bow it when it is twentie yeares old or more So euen so it is also with sinne the longer that we shall nourish it in our bosomes the harder it will be for vs to ouer-maister it in the end yea it will be vnpossible for vs to do it For that will grow still stronger and stronger and we our selues shall be weaker and weaker And therefore it is good to go about the cure of it betimes as we do about the cure of such wounds as are made in our bodies knowing that the lōger that they be deferred the harder is their recouery at the last Thirdly because God is to be serued before all things whether the world the flesh or the diuell as Elijah the Prophet would be serued before the widow that fed him 1. Kin. 17.13 Seeke first the kingdome of God saith our Sauiour in Math. 6.33 and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be ministred vnto you So soone as man was created a law was giuen him to shew that he should liue vnder obedience from the day that he was borne in So soone as he is borne he is baptized in the name of God to shew that when we cannot runne to God we should creepe as it were to him So soone as he beginneth to pray he saith Hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come c. before he aske his daily bread to shew that we should seeke the sanctification of
iudgements of the Lord sounded out of his word against them for the same For as these mothers are wont commonly to comfort their children thus fearing with one of these two things either that there is no time yet past or else if the time be past that their maister is a gentle man and will forgiue them So they do vsually heart on themselues against all feare dread whatsoeuer by the consideration of these two things first that there is no time vnfit or too late for repentance secondly that God is a mercifull God and one most ready to forgiue them though they haue posted off their repentance ouer-long and haue not turned vnto him in time as they ought to hane done In this snare and cord of the diuell lest you also should be led along to your destruction at the last marke what answer may be giuen to these things To the first it may be sayd that though no time be vnfit or too late for repentance while we are here in this world yet oftentimes we are taken out of this world before that we can thinke of repentance and soundly turne vnto the Lord. For as many are taken away on the sudden so it fals out by the iust iudgment of God most vsually as an ancient Father doth wel obserue vt moriens obliuiscatur sui qui cum viueret oblitus est Dei That he should forget himselfe in the time of his death who did forget God in the time of his life Againe you must know that late repentance is seldome or neuer good and true but alwaies for the most part feigned and dissembled like to that which was in Pharaoh Ahab Saul and others who seemed to be sorry for their sinnes and desirous to haue the hand of the Lord remoued from them For qualis vita finis ita such as the life is such commonly is the death A good man hath a good end and a bad man hath a bad end Lastly you must alwaies remember what was said before namely that repentance is not in our power and that we cannot turne to God when we will And therefore as a begger must take his almes when it is offered vnto him and not refuse it because there is no time amisse to take an almes so we must take repentance when the Lord doth offer it vnto vs and not vpon such a foolish consideration cast it off as now was touched Now to the second it may be answered that though God be a God of mercy receiuing all sinners vnto himselfe vpon their repentance and amendment of life yet he is withall a God of iustice visiting the iniquities of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of all such as do hate him as you are taught in the end of the second commandement Dauid tels vs in Psal 18.26 that he will shew himselfe froward with the froward Salomon sheweth in Prou. 3.34 that with the scornefull he scorneth And in the first chapter of the same booke Wisedome her selfe informeth vs that she will not regard wilfull and obstinate sinners turning vnto her in verse 28. saying Then shall they call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. You know how the Lord did sware in his wrath that the Israelites that did prouoke him in the wildernes should not enter into his rest Heb. 3.8 So that God will be farre off at such a time to giue repentance and vpon repentance to receiue to mercy And therefore as the women sung concerning Saul and Dauid saying Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand 1. Sam. 18.7 so we may mournefully sing that the despaire of Gods mercy hath slaine thousands but the grosse presumption of his mercy hath slaine ten thousands Wherefore to conclude this point let neither of these impediments nor any other whatsoeuer hinder you from a present conuersion vnto the Lord but out of hand take him for your onely God and serue him Lastly here we may learne what to do in regard of those who are vnder vs. We must not suffer them to go on still in their sins but breake them quickely to the Lords yoake and bow He is a fond fellow that will not breake his horse while it is a colt but let him runne on till he be old and shall fling him into the ditch And he deales very foolishly that hauing a beautifull standing cuppe and very precious balme giuen vnto him to put into the cuppe will not yet put it in before the cup hath stood long full of stinking liquor So we our selues shall be no better if we shall suffer our children and others vnder our tuition to go on in their childhood and youth vnnurtured in the waies of the Lord and suffer them to liue after their owne will and to drink in the deadly poyson of the world whereby they shall be made vnable to be reclaimed at the last But teach we them betimes and labour we to bring them to the knowledge of the Lord and obedience vnto his will so shall not sinne be their destruction nor rebellion be their ouerthrow But more of this elsewhere As thus we haue heard when we must repent so now let vs heare wherin repentance doth stand And that is in two points the one is knowledge or vnderstanding the other is obedience or subiection Of the former of these mention is made in this verse of the latter in the following Bewise saith the Prophet ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth Here is that knowledge vnderstanding expressed which is required of vs in euery true sound repentāce but what means the Prophet hereby may you say were the Kings vnwise and were the Iudges of the earth vnlearned Yes surely for otherwise they would neuer haue rebelled against the Lord and his annoynted as they did Yet his meaning is not that they were altogether without wisedome and learning for they had wordly wisedome and learning in great aboundance but that they wanted the heauenly wisedome and learning therefore he doth exhort them to looke for that Marke here there is a two-fold wisedome and learning one that is earthly and from man an other that is heauenly and from God The children of this world saith our Sauiour in Luk. 16.8 are wiser in their generation then the children of light In which words he doth intimate that as there are two sorts of men the one wicked called the children of this world the other godly termed the children of light so there are two sorts of wisedome the one for the body and this life the other for the soule and the life to come This latter wisedome the Kings and Iudges here wanted but the former they had For the body and this life they were wise and learned they knew well enough how to rule and gouerne and to turne all things to their
not so much as think one good thought as Paul doth confesse of himselfe in 2. Cor. 3.5 Lastly you must often and seriously thinke on all the reasons before going as also deeply meditate with your selues vpon Gods fearefull iudgements which he hath executed vpon sinners from time to time For this will breed in your hearts a sense awe of his Maiestie as we may see by many stories in the Bible and namely by that which is written in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 5. verse 11. where you find that feare came on all the Church and on as many as heard what iudgement fell vpon Ananias and Sapphira his wife when both of them fell downe at Peters feete and yeelded vp the ghost before him Wherefore performe these things with care and conscience and no doubt but you shall haue the true feare of the Lord at the last within you Hitherto of the first point now followeth the second which is ioy Andreioyce saith the Prophet In the entrance of the Psalme it is euident that they were grieued against the Lord and that they did as it were loathe and abhorre him but now on the contrary side they are willed to reioyce in him and to be glad in his behalfe and there is good reason for it too not onely because he hath set such a good and bountifull king ouer them as his Sonne is but also because he himselfe is so sweete a God and his seruice so pleasant and beneficial as it is Then as men do desire to haue their seruants to reioyce in them and in their seruice and to doe whatsoeuer they doe with chearefull hearts so the Lord would haue them his seruants to reioyce in him in his seruice and not to go about his busines with murmuring and repining soules but with cheerfulnesse and alacritie of spirit Learne we then from hence this doctrine Doct. that we must reioyce and be glad in the Lord our God and in all that seruice which we do performe vnto him To this we are exhorted in many places of the word Be glad ye righteous saith Dauid in Psal 32.11 and reioyce in the Lord and be ioyfull all ye that are vpright in heart Likewise Paul writing vnto the Philippians in the 4. Chap. and 4. verse thereof he doth stirre them vp vnto the same duty saying Reioyce in the Lord alway againe I say reioyce But those places which are in Esay 54.1 and in Zophonie 3.14 c. are excellent for this purpose if they be well considered of and therefore I pray reade them at your leisure and marke them well But to leaue the doctrine Reasons which is cleare and cuident of it selfe and to come to the reasons of it to consider with our selues why we should do it they are in number these two First because he doth excell and passe all the creatures in the whole world for all good things whatsoeuer For we are wont to reioyce in such things as are singular and do go beyond others for goodnesse As for example if a man hath a faire beautifull woman to his wife passing other women for beautie or pulchritude Or if he hath a goodly child of admirable parts to his sonne excelling other children for learning and other rich endowments Or lastly if he hath a stately commodious house for his dwelling ouer-matching all other houses in the country about him for pompe and necessary vses how much doth he reioyce in these daily experience doth teach vs that they are the only ioy and delight of his soule And euen so should it be with vs in regard of our God for he doth passe and excell all others whatsoeuer as in wisedome in mercy in iustice in power in loue in goodnesse in glory and the rest And therefore we should reioyce in him and make him our sole delight and pleasure The other reason is this because he doth and also is most able to do vs most good and to blesse vs both here in this world and also in the world to come For it is an vsuall thing with vs euermore to reioyce in those things which are good and profitable vnto vs and the more commodious and beneficiall any thing is vnto vs the more commonly do we reioyce and delight therein I need not demonstrate this vnto you by any examples For you know it too well your selues Doubtlesse if any of vs haue but a friend who is alwayes kind and louing vnto vs as being ready still with his horse to lend it vs with his plough to labour for vs with his money to lay it out vpon vs and with his body to go and come at our desire for our profite and emolument we cannot but greatly reioyce in him and be exceeding glad that euer we met with such a good and faithfull friend But behold dearely beloued the Lord our God doth passe him by many and infinite degrees for all that we haue we haue from him he doth neuer faile vs but he doth helpe vs euery day and night and he is able to do vs good for euermore to blesse vs here and all that we haue and to crowne vs with glory hereafter in the heauens aboue where shall be ioy and no sorrow health and no sicknesse holinesse and no wickednesse glory and no shame riches and no pouerty life and no death and in one word happinesse and no misery And therefore there is great cause why we should reioyce and be glad in him Vse This then plainly reproueth such as take their delight and pleasure in worldly matters and in the vanities of this life but not in the Lord nor his wayes Some you shall find reioycing in their wisdome some in their riches some in their strength some in their parentage some in their honors some in their sports some in one thing and some in another but few in the Lord and his seruice But this is condemned you may see in Ieremy 9.23.24 where the Lord doth forbid the wise man to glory in his wisedome and the strong man to glory in his strength and the rich man to glory in his riches and doth command all to glory in him and his knowledge And therefore Paul doth say Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. 1. Cor. 1.31 2. Cor. 10.17 Secondly as this doth controlle them who take no pleasure in the Lord but do go about his seruice with vnwilling and heauie hearts like vnto the Beare that is drawne to the stake so it doth teach vs that that is but a slaunder which is cast out against vs when men say that Religion breeds melancholy and cuts off all mirth and ioy For here you see we are called vpon to reioyce and this ioy also that is in vs is exceeding large and great For Peter doth shew that it is vnspeakable and glorious in 1. Pet. 1.8 when he saith that we do beleeue in Christ though we see him not and do reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious And Esay
for euermore loue him and do whatsoeuer you can for him and call him not onely your Lord as many do but honour him also as your Lord as few do and fulfill all his commandements from time to time as you ought to do And so I come to the reasons which may moue you hereunto In number they are two Reasons The one is taken from the euill or inconueniences which otherwise will happen vnto vs if we doe neglect this our duty towards Christ The other is drawne from the benefite or commodity which we shall enioy if we do performe it as we ought to do The former of these is set downe in these words Lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his anger shall suddenly burne The latter in these words Blessed are all that trust in him Both these do yeeld vs a large field to walke in but I will be very succinct and briefe in handling them Lest he be angry saith the text that is lest he be offended and displeased with you for it Here is the first euill or inconuenience that will fall out vpon the neglect of our duty vnto Christ It will cause him to be angry and much offended with vs for it And ye perish that is lest you your selues be destroyed and come to perdition Here is the second euill or inconuenience that will fall out vpon the passing ouer of our obedience vnto him He will not spare vs but he will punish vs and destroy vs for the same And this destruction of ours is amplified by two things The first is by the circumstance of the time for as we shall perish so shall we perish in the way that is before that we can come to our iourneyes end and fully accomplish such things as we go about and do intend to performe which no doubt will be a great griefe vnto vs. For it is a griefe vnto a man to perish at any time but a greater griefe by farre is it vnto him to perish in the midsts of his busines and to be cut off by death or any other iudgement of God before he can dispatch such matters as he is most desirous for to do The other is by the suddennesse of it or rather by the certaintie of it touched in these words When his wrath shall suddenly burne or as others reade it If his wrath shall burne though neuer so little Of these two readings the latter is the best as most agreeing with the circumstance of the place and the words in the Hebrew text for they are these Chi ijbegar chimengat that is in our English tongue word for word when he shall burne though but a little or thus though he shall be wrathfull albeit neuer so little The last word of all called chimengat doth not signifie suddenly as it is translated in our Bibles but it doth signifie though neuer so little or but a little for it is compounded of chi and of mengat the which mengat doth come of the verbe Mangat that importeth to diminish or to make small And hereby I say the certainty of their perdition is noted out for if they shall perish when he is but a little angry they must neuer looke to escape that do anger him greatly and prouoke him datly to wrath by their sins and disobedience but be assured of destruction as the coate that is vpon their backe as it is in our Prouerbe Thus in a few words you see that there are two euils or inconueniences which fal out vnto all such as wil not loue Christ obey him The one is the anger of Christ against such the other is his iudgments proceeding from that anger which he wil powre downe vpon thē to their vtter ouerthrow destruction And both these are vrged by the Prophet to draw vs to all dutifull seruice subiection vnto him Wherfore let vs consider here first what is noted of Christ of those that wil not submit thēselues vnto him as they ought to do then secondly what vse we must make therof Touching the former of these there are foure things noted and set downe The first is that Christ will be angry with men that do disobey him Looke how we are offended and displeased with our children and seruants and such others as are vnder vs when they are stubburne and wilfull refusing to do our commandements and to submit themselues vnto vs So is Christ Iesus our Sauiour offended and displeased with all such as will not do homage vnto him and walke according to his commandements but will do whatsoeuer seeme good in their owne eyes follow the pleasures of their owne hearts The second is that he will not spare such but destroy them and bring most heauy plagues and iudgements vpon them For howsoeuer they may flourish and prosper for a time yet in the end they must come to perdition As we when we are angry wrathfull with our people for their transgressions and offences against vs do beate them and lay them on according to the qualitie and quantitie of their deserts So will Christ deale with them that breake out daily against his Maiestie and will not submit themselues vnto his gouernment he will take them and beate them and lay them on stroke vpon stroke vntill he hath crusht them all to peeces The third is that the wicked shall neuer accomplish their purposes to the full but in the very way as they are going about their practises they shal be arrested be brought to perdition like the fishes that are taken suddenly in the net and the birds that are caught in the snare euen while they hunt after their prey and do seeke for food to nourish themselues withall The fourth and last is that though Christ be mercifull and the sweet Sauiour of the world and so full of loue and compassion that he was content to lay downe his life for his enimies yet when he is once angry albeit but a little there is nothing but death destruction with him His wrath is like the roaring of a Lyon howsoeuer his fauour be like the dew vpon the grasse and he that prouoketh him to anger sinneth against his owne soule This euen this all shall confesse at the last when the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men as well as others shall hide themselues in dens and among the rockes of the mountaines and say to the mountaines rocks Fall on vs hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe For the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand as it is in the latter end of the sixth chapter of the booke called the Reuelations All these points are worthy to be stood vpon but I will referre them to your owne meditations Vse The vse that we must make of them is this that we stire vp our soules by the