mouth of Christ. Let mee conclude with that sigh from his soule Could ye not watch with me one houre It will not bee long ere the glasse be runne the houre out Iudas is at hand iudgement is not farre off then may you sleepe and take your rest This day is neerer you now then when you first entred the Church Twice haue the blasted eares eat vp the full corne twice haue the leane kine deuoured the fatte Pharaohs dreame is doubled for the certainty and expedition Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry If wee shall haue comfort in this day when it is come wee must long for it before it doe come What comfort shall the Vsurer haue hee desires not this day for then the Angell sweares there shall bee no more time and his profession is to sell time He sels it deare very costly to anothers purse but most costly to his owne soule Such as bribe for Offices farme Monopolies contract an vsurious rent for life doe they desire it Woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darkenesse and not light The soule groaning vnder sinne desires it Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death The suffering soule may desire it Come Lord Iesus The faithfull Spouse wedded to Christ desires this comming of her Husband she is now espoused that is the plenary consummation of the marriage Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue honour to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and the Bride hath made her selfe ready Blessed are they that bee called to this marriage supper To the vngodly it will be a fearefull day Ignis vbique ferox ruptis regnabit habenis there shall follow an vniuersall dissolution Downewards goe Satan his angels and reprobates howling and shriking gnashing of teeth the effect of a most impatient fury to be bound hand and foote with euerlasting chaines of darkenesse Where fire shall torture yet giue no light wormes gnaw the heart yet neuer gnaw in sunder the strings eternall paines punire non finire corpora Small sorrowes grow great with continuance but O misery of miseries to haue torments vniuersall and withall eternall not to be endured yet not to be ended Vpwards goes Christ the blessed Angels and Saints singing with melodie as neuer mortall eare heard The onely song which that Quire sung audible to man was that which the Shepheards heard Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men Yet Christ was then comming to suffer what may we thinke are those Halleluiahs euerlastingly chanted in the Courts of Heauen we know not yet we may know one speciall note which an vniuersall Quire of all nations kinred and tongues Angels Elders All shall sing Blessing and glory and wisedome and thankesgiuing and honour and power and might bee vnto our God for euer and euer Amen To the spirits of iust men made perfect The Citizens of heâ—…uen are of two sorts by Creation or Adoption Created and naturall Citizens are the Angels Adopted are Men. Of these be two kindes some Assumed and others Assigned The Assigned such as are decreed in their times to be Citizens said before to bee written in heauen The Assumed such as are already possessed of it here Spirits of iust men made perfect But how then is the Apostles meaning cleared How are the militant on earth said to be come vnto these iust spirits in heauen Yes wee haue a Communion with them participating in Spe what they possesse in Re. Now we are no more strangers and forreiners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of GOD. Onely our apprentiship of the flesh is not yet out but they haue their freedome But as wee haue all an vnion with Christ so a Communion vvith Christians the combatant on earth with the triumphant in heauen Spirits this word hath diuerse acceptions It is taken 1. Pro animo for the Mind Luke 10. 21. Iesus reioyced in spirit 1. Chron. 5. 26. God stirred vp the spirit of the King of Assyria 2. Pro sede rationis et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 2. 11. What man knowes the things of man saue the spirit of man which is within him 3. Pro Affectuvel Afflatu for the motion of the mind whether good or bad Luke 9. 55. Ye know not what maner spirit ye are of So there is called the spirit of lust the spirit of pride c. 4. Pro donis spiritus sancti for the gifts of Gods Spirit Act. 8. 15. Peter and Iohn prayed for the disciples at Samaria that they might receiue the holy Spirit meaning the graces of the holy Spirit Gala. 3. 2. Receiued yee the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith 5. Pro efficacia Euangelij for the effectuall working of the Gospel and so it is opposed to the letter 2. Cor. 3. 6. The letter killeth but the Spirit giueth life 6. Pro spiritualibus exercitijs for spirituall exercises Gala. 6. 8. He that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape euerlasting life Iohn 4. 23. True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit truth 7. Pro regenerata parte for the regenerate part of a Christian and so it is opposed to the flesh Gala. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh 8. Lastly Pro anima immortalâ—… for the immortall soule Eccl. 12. 7. Dust shall returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God who gaue it This spirit did Steuen commend into the hands of Christ. Act. 7. 59. And Christ into the hands of his Father Math. 27. 50. yielding vp the spirit Thus it is taken here Spirits he doth not say bodies they lie in the dust vnder the hope of a better resurrection Spirits Wee find here what becomes of good mens soules when they forsake their bodies they are in the heauenly Citie There are many idle opinions what becomes of mans soule in death Some haue thought that the soules then though they die not yet are still kept within the body as it were asleepe vntill the last day But the Scripture speakes expresly the contrary for Diues his soule was in hell and Lazarus his soule in Abrahams bosome I saw vnder the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the Word of God Some haue imagined a transmigration of soules forsakeÌ„ of their owne bodies into other bodies Herod seemes to be of this opinion when newes was brought him concerning the fame of Iesus he said to his seruants This is Iohn the Baptist he is risen from the dead He thought that the soule of Iohn was put into the body of Iesus It is alleaged that Nebuchadnezzar liuing and feeding with beasts vntill seuen times were passed ouer him had lost his owne soule and the soule
yet the heart must hold The wretchednesse is it cannot burst Poena gehennales torquent non extorquent puniunt non finiunt corpora It is called by Augustine Mors sine morte sinis sine fine defectus sine defectu But some will say Your Text speakes of Proportion how can eternall vengeance bee proportionable to a momentany offence Yes first an infinite God is offended and a finite man is the offender Because he cannot be capable of an infinite wrath at once he must haue it in eternity the short dimensions of his Essence must haue a long extention of his punishment what wants in place must be supplied in time Christ indeed suffered enough in a short time because he was infinite man cannot doe so and therefore must be for euer in suffering Secondly he that delights in sinne desires it may alwayes continue and velle peccatum est peccatum so that an infinite desire must needs haue an infinite punishment Qui moritur sine poenitentia si semper viueret semper peccaret He that dies without repentance if he should euer liue would euer sinne So Gregor It is Gods iust iudgement Vt nunquam mortuâ—…s careâ—…t supplicio qui nunquam vâ—…uus voluit carere peccato That he dead should haue eternall punishment who liuing would haue beene eternally wicked Vt nullus detur inâ—…quo terminus vltionis qui quamdâ—… valuiâ—… habere noluit terminum criminis That no end should be allowed to his vengeance that would haue allowed himselfe no end of wickednes As the good man if he should euer liue would euer doe well If thou wilt therefore offend in aeterno tuo God must punish iâ—… aeterno suo Thy iniustice would put no date to thy sins Gods Iustice shall set no date to thy sufferings Thus ye haue plowed wickednesse and ye haue reaped iniquity You see the wickeds Seeding and Haruest God keepe vs from sowing such seed that we may neuer reape such a crop The godly haue also their Seeding and their Hâ—…uest All their sowing may be distinguished Into Pietie towards God Charity towards men For Pietie They sowe in Faith and God will blesse that Seede it shall grow vp to heauen for it is sowne in the side of Iesus Christ who is in heauen He that beleeueth on God there is the seed shall haue euerlasting life there is the Haruest Qui credit quod non videt videbit quod credit Hee that beleeues what he doth not see there 's the Seed shall one day see what he hath beleeued there is the Haruest They sow in obedience this is also a blessed Seed that will not faile to prosper wheresoeuer it is cast If ye keep my Commandements there 's the Seed ye shall abide in my Loue there 's the Haruest Rom. 6. Ye are the seruants to God and haue your fruite vnto holinesse there 's the sowing and the end euerlasting life there 's the Reaping Obedientia in terris regnabit in coelis He that serues God on earth and sowes the seed of Obedience shall in heauen reape the haruest of a kingdome They sowe in Repentance and this seed must needes grow vp to blessednesse Psalm 126. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy Hee that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed there 's the sowing shall doubtles come againe with reioycing bringing his sheaues with him there 's the Haruest Many Saints haue now reaped this croppe in heauen that sowed their seed in teares Dauid Marie Magdalen Peter as if they had made the Prouerbe No comming to heauen with dry eyes Thus nature and God differ in their proceedings To haue a good crop on earth we desire a faire Seed-time but heere a wet time of sowing shall bring the best Haruest in the Barne of heauen Blessed are they that mourne there 's the seeding for they shall be comforted there 's the Haruest Lastly they sowe in renouncing of the world and adherence to Christ and they reape a great Haruest Behold saith Peter to Christ we haue forsaken all and followed thee there 's the Seeding What shall wee haue therefore what You shall sit on twelue thrones iudging the â—…vvelue tribes of Israel all that you haue lost shall bee centupled to you and you shall inherit euerlasting life ther 's the Haruest Sow to your selues in righteousnesse and reape in mercy For Charitie He that sowes this seed shall be sure of a plentifull crop Whosoeuer shall giue to drinke to one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely a little refreshing in the name of a Disciple verily I say vnto you he shall in no wise lose his reward But if he that giueth a little shall be thus recompenced then He that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully Therefore sparse abroad with a full hand like a Seeds-man in a broad field without feare Doth any thinke he shall lose by his charitie No worldling when he sowes his seed thinkes hee shall lose his seed he hopes for amendment at haruest Darest thou trust the ground and not God Sure God is a better pay-master then the earth Grace doth giue a larger recompence then nature Below thou may est receiue forty graines for one but in heauen by the promise of Christ a hundreth fold a measure heapen and shaken and thrust together and yet running ouer Blessed is he that considereth the poore there 's the Seeding the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble there 's the Haruest Is this all No Math. 25. Ye fedde me when I was hungry and gaue me drinke thirsty comforted me in misery there 's the sowing Veni beati Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you there 's the Haruest I shut vp this point with the Apostles Blessing Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your righteousnesse God send you a good Haruest I conclude Whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he also reape O that this Text might be true vpon all vs at this time The Lord hath sowne the seede of his Gospell O that he might reape your soules to his glory But shall we hope for that which the Prophets found not I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength for nought saith Esay Nor the Apostles I haue fished all night and caught nothing saith Peter No nor Christ himselfe who spake as neuer man spake Yet himselfe telleth vs Math. 13. that of foure sorts of ground wherein the seed was sowne three were barren and returned no fruit Alas how much seed is sowne among thornes rockes and high-way grounds you come to receiue this seed but it fructifies not You bring forth hedge-fruit like the Heathen scarce so good We heare often and as often forget Yet still Beloued this Text shall be true God hath sowne and he will reape sowne his
A Crucifixe Ephe. 5. 2. He hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering The good Politician directed Math. 10. 16. Be wise as Serpents The way home Math. 2. 12. And being warned of God in a dreame Semper Idem Hebr. 13. 8. Iesus Christ the same yesterday Gods bounty Prou. 3. 16. Length of dayes is in her right hand The lost are found Luke 19. 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke A Generation of Serpents Psal. 58. 4. Their poyson is like the poyson of Serpents Heauen made sure Psal. 35. 3. Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation The Soules refuge 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them that suffer according The end of the Contents THE HAPPINES OF THE CHVRCH HEBR. 12. Ver. 22. But ye are come vnto Mount Sion and to the Citie of the liuing GOD the heauenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels 23. To the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust men made perfect 24. And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel THEY that make comparisons alteram partem deprimunt vt res alterius emineant debase the one part that they may aduance the honour of the other Our Apostle abates the glory of the Law that he may giue more glory where it is more deserued to the Gospell For if the ministration of condemnation be glory much more doth the ministration of righteousnesse exceede in glory The summe of the comparison is spent in these three generalls 1. There were Omnia terrena et externa all things outward and sauouring of earth ver 18. A Mount that might still be touched c. Here all Interna et coelestia spirituall and heauenly 2. There are all Obscura et caliginosa darke and difficult Blacknesse darknes c. Here all Clara et illustria cleare and conspicuous therfore the Prophet called Christ Solem Iustitiae The Sun of Righteousnesse and Iohn Baptist stiled him That light which lightens euery one comming into the world 3. There all were Terribilia fearefull and amazing not onely to the people ver 19. who intreated that the Word should not bee spoken to them any more But euen to Moses ver 21. So terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake Here all Amabilia et laeta louely as Rachel delightfull as Musike the Gospel is called the Message of peace Our Apostle therefore preacheth a double quantity in the Gospell Magnitudinem Gloriae multitudinem gratiae the greatnes of Glory to worke in vs reuerence the multitude of Grace to worke in vs loue obedience The Law was giuen by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Christ Iesus The excellency of Christ aboue Moses is exemplified in the third Chapter of this Epistle Moses verily was faithfull in all Gods house as a seruant But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house c. To the words the parts are generally two the Accesse and the Obiect First for the Accesse Yee are come What on your own feet without a Guide No Accessistis hoc est fide Euangelica perducti estis Yee are come that is yee are brought by the faith of the Gospel There is one that brings you God euery person in the blessed Trinity It is Opus Patris No man can come except the Father draw him Opus Filij Draw me we will runne after thee Opus spiritus sancti Let thy good spirit lead me into the Land of righteousnes Man is by nature in Zedechias case blind and lame Blind Non inuenisset viam nisi via inuenisset eum vnlesse the vvay had found him he could neuer haue found the way Lame he may know that the Temple of heauen hath a beautiful gate Grace but cannot come thither till God brings him loo sen his stupified ioynts and put into his hand the Almes of mercy This done he may enter into the Temple walking and leaping and praising GOD. Thus first he giues the Soule eyes vnderstanding then feet gracious affections and now expects that he should come God hath not so done all for thee that thou shouldest doe nothing for thy selfe A Deo sine te factus à te fine Deo infectus A Christo sine te refectus non à te fine Christo nec à Christo sine te perfectus God did create thee without thy selfe thou didst lose thy selfe without God without thy selfe Christ did redeeme thee but neither thy selfe without Christ nor Christ without thy selfe shall perfect thee Potest Dominus inueniri adueniri non praeueniri There may be a finding of God a comming to God but no preuenting of God Haue faith Hee that commeth to God must belieue and that of thine owne for there is no comming on anothers foote Thus that we might come to Christ Christ came to vs. Non de coelo merita nostra sed peccata traxerunt Not our merits but our maladies drew that great Physician from heauen to vs. Yee are not comming but come it is rather a time perfectly past then expectantly future Which plainely demonstrates that this is a description of the Church in her militant estate so well as triumphant Indeed either hath a relation to other a communion to other and the inestimable priuiledges of them both are wrapped vp together The connexion of Glory to Grace is so infallible that they often change names Heauen is called the kingdome of Holinesse and Holinesse is called the kingdome of Heauen Yee are saued by hope and Hee that belieueth hath euerlasting life and is passed from death to life So sure as if they were already in Heauen So Paul Our conuersation is in heauen from vvhence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. The obiect or place of our arriual is described by many excellent and honourable titles First it is called a Mount but is there so much happinesse in that Feriunt summos fulgura montes the highest Mountaines are most danger'd to the violences of Heauen ver 18. There was a Mount burning with fire This is no Mountaine of danger or terror but Sion safe pleasant delightfull Sion the ioy of the whole earth the beloued of GOD the Iohn that leaned on the bosome of Christ. The Lord loues the gates of Sion better then all the dwellings of Iacob But though a Mount though Mount Sion yet it might be a solitary and vnfrecuented Hill like that whereunto the Diuell tooke Christ and shewed him the kingdomes of the world vvhere a man can onely see glory not enioy it Or like that mount Nebo or top of Pisgah whereon Moses might onely stand and behold the Land of Canaan Not so but on this Mount there stands a City a populous Citie and full of buildings like that wherein Christ
shall weepe Satan is a killing master his wages is hell fire But all in grace is liuing and enliuing Idols are dead and neuer were aliue men are aliue but shall bee dead pleasures are neyther aliue nor dead Deuils are both aliue and dead for they shall liue a dying life and dye a liuing death Onely the liuing God giues euerlasting life Ierusalem This is the appellation of the Citie As Canaan was a figure of heauen either of them called the Land of Promise so locall Ierusalem is a type of this mysticall Citie There are many conceits concerning the denomination of Ierusalem Hierom thinks that the former part of the word comes from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy because Ierusalem is called the holy Citie But then there should bee a mixture of two seuerall languages Greek and Hebrew to the making vp of the word The Hebrewes deriue it better they say Sem called it Salem Peace and Abraham Iireh The place where he attempted the sacrifice of his sonne he called Iehouah-Iireh The Lord will see Thus put together it is Ierusalem visiopacis This is more probable then from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ierom or from Iebus as Pererius This is euident from the 76. Psalme ver 2. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion So that Salem Sion were both in one place The Iewes haue a Tradition that in one and the same place Cain and Abel offred in the same place Noah comming out of the Arke sacrificed in the same place Abraham offered Isaac in the same place stood Areunah's threshing floore which Dauid bought in the same place Melchisedek the Priest dwelt in the same place Salomon built the Temple and our Lord Iesus Christ was crucified But to let goe ambiguities Ierusalem is a City of Peace This is plaine Melchisedek was King of Salem that is King of Peace Gods Church is a Church of peace That of Plato ouer his dore is worth our remembrance Nemo nisi veritatis et pacis studiosus â—…trabit Let none enter but such as loue peace and truth Saint Paul is bold to his Galathians I would to God they were euen cut off that trouble you Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra Scripturas nemo Christianus contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus senserit No sober man speakes against reason no Christian against the Scriptures no peaceable man against the Church Hee that is not a man of peace is not a man of GOD. Peace is the effect of patience if men would beare iniuries and offer none all would be peace It is the greatest honour for a man to suffer himselfe conquered in that wherin he should yeeld Be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace be with you A iust reward if we haue one mind and liue in loue and peace the God of loue and peace shall be with vs. Heauenly This Citie is on earth but not of earth This is not terrestriall Ierusalem She is in bondage with her children She was not onely then vnder the Romane seruitude literally but according to Pauls meaning allegorically shee could not attaine the liberty of the Spirit but abideth vnder the wrath of God and horrour of conscience But this Ierusalem is heauenly I saw the holy City new Ierusalem comming downe from God out of heauen prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband Now it is called Heauenly in three respects Of Birth of Conuersation of Inheritance Ortus coelestis quoad originem progressus coelestis quoad conuersationem finis coelestis quoad translationem Here is all heauenly Ierusalem that is aboue is free the mother of vs all In hoc quòd dicitur sursum originis altitudo quòd Ierusalem pacis multitudo quòd libera libertatis magnitudo quòd mater faecunditatis amplitudo quòd nostrum omnium charitatis latitudo The Church in the Creede hath three properties Holy Catholike knit in a communion The word Aboue intimates she is Holy the word Mother that shee is knit in a communion the word Of all that she is Catholike Ierusalem is a type of the Catholike Church in Election Collection Dilection First for Election The Lord hath chosen Sion That out of all Cities this out of all Nations Ye are a chosen generation a peculiar people enclosed from the Commons of this world Gods owne appropriation 2. For Collection that was walled with stone this hedged in with grace God planted a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill and he fenced it It is well mounded and the Citizens of it linked together with the Bond of peace 3. For dilection Beautifull for situation the Palace of the great King the Sanctuary of his holy worship his Presence-chamber the pillar and ground of the truth There was the seate of Dauid here the Throne of the Sonne of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth that shutteth and no man openeth A heauenly Citie 1. In respect of her Birth and beginning heauenly For the Lord of heauen hath begate her of immortall seed by the word of truth Art thou a Christian behold thy honourable birth and beginning Was it an honourable stile Troianus origine Caesar Then much more Coelestis origine sanctus Euery Saint is by his originall heauenly Beare thy selfe nobly thou hast a celestiall generation 2. In respect of growth and continuance heauenly Our conuersation is in heauen Wee liue on earth yet saith the Apostle our conuersation is expresly in heauen Our affections are so set on it that wee scarce looke vpon this world wee so runne to our treasure there that wee forget to be rich here but like the Saints cast our money at our feet Act. 4. Corpore ambulantes in terris corde habitantes in coelis Our bodies walke on earth our hearts dwell in heauen To the hating and despising world vvee answere Nil nobis cum Mundo nil vobis cum Coelo Wee haue small share in this world you haue lesse in the world to come 3. In respect of the End Ideo dicitur coelestis quia coelum sedes eius Our soules are neuer quiet till they come to their wished home Thus hath GOD blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly places The Church in her worst part is below in her best aboue Earth is Patria loci but heauen Patria iuris As Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England We dwell in houses of clay vvhose foundation is in the dust but are ruled by the Lawes of that supernall Citie Father my will is that those thou hast giuen mee may be with mee where I am Amator mortuus est in corpore proprio viâ—…us in alieno A Louer is dead in his owne body aliue in anothers Animus velut pondere amore fertur quocunque fertur saith August Loue waighes and swayes the soule whither soeuer it be carried Exi
errors I beleeue saued for others Nescio quid dicere I know not what to say They haue damnable heresies as that of Free will of Merites c. yet the persons that of weakenesse defend them may be saued God pardons euen wilfull errors if they be truly repented Therefore I belieue that many of our forefathers went to Heauen though through blindnesse Now indeede they are more inexcusable because our sound is gone out among them There are Seducentes and Seducti the wilfull blind lead the wofull blind vntill both fall into the ditch If they will not see there is no helpe no hope If simple ignorance mislead there is hope of return but if affected it is most wretched Our office is to helpe them with our prayers and let vs pray for them as Paul for his Ephesians That the eyes of our vnderstanding beeing enlightened they may know what is the hope of Gods calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance is in the Saints Many of them haue ready hearts but they want eyes wee haue open eyes God grant vs ready hearts The first borne which are written in heauen This is a description of the persons of whom the Church consists The Church it selfe is a number of men which God hath set apart by an eternall decree and in time sanctified to become reall members of it They are written in heauen there 's their eternall election and they are the first borne that is 〈◊〉 borne there 's their Sanctification For the two parts of the description Their Primogeniture and Registring in Gods booke are but borrowed speeches whereby God would ratifie the euerlasting Predestination and saluation of his Church That as the First borne is not to bee defeated of his inheritance and the Enrolled names are neuer to be obliterated so certainly shall they inherite eternall life The first borne Some vnderstand by the first borne not all the Elect but onely the Patriarchs and such ancient Saints the noble primitiue parts of the Church Caluin Then this should haue beene referred onely to the Church triumphant in heauen but the Catholike Church is here expresly meant which coÌ„prehends also the Saints vpon earth therefore they also are first borne Besides they are said to be written in heauen which had beene a superfluous speech of those who are already in heauen they that are there need no writing Unusquisque Electâ—…est Pimogenitus But this seemes to infringe the Primogeniture of Christ to whom that Name is by speciall title and right giuen Primogenitus inter multos fratres saith Paul he is the First begotten among many brethren Primogenitus vniuersae creaturae the first borne of euery creature Primogenitus mortuorum the first borne from the dead He is the first borne as he is the Sonne of God and as hee is man As he is the Sonne of God in respect of time before all things the beginning of all in respect of dignity because hee is the foundation of all good to his Church Of his fulnesse haue we all receiued and grace for grace As he is man he is the first borne not in respect of time but of excellency and vertue In respect of his miraculous conception the first that euer was conceiued without sinne and by the ouershadowing of the holy Ghost In respect of his birth he was the first borue of Mary Shee brought forth her first borne Sonne and called his name Iesus In respect of his resurrection when GOD raised him out of the graue he is said to beget his Sonne Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee And lest the interpretation of birth onely should be deduced from that place Saint Paul expressely applies it to his resurrection Acts 13. 33. God raised vp Iesus againe as it is written in the second Psalme Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Lastly in respect of his preeminence hee is the first borne from the dead that in all things he might haue the preeminence So the priuiledge of primogeniture is singularly and indiuidually his How then are the faithfull heere called the first borne To answer this we must know that God hath sonnes by nature and by grace Christ by nature onely all the elect by grace Christ is a Sonne begotten not made we are sonnes made not begotten in respect of nature Christ as God is begotten not borne as man he is borne not begotten We see the priuiledge of Christs primogeniture from his let vs looke to ours for from him wee haue it The elect are called First-borne in three respects 1. Because they are vnited to the first borne For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren Hee that is made vnus cum primogenito may be well called primogenitus one with the first borne is a first borne 2. Because they are culled and called out of the world Many wicked are created before them but they are elected in Gods decree to life before the other for the wicked are not chosen at all Esau was Isaaks first borne but Iacob was Gods first borne Many of the worlds first-borne haue beene reiected Israel laid his right hand vpon Ephraim the younger and his left vpon Manasseh the elder Reuben thou art my first borne but thou shalt not be excellent Cain Adams first borne Ismael Abrahams first borne were cast off Thus saith the Lord Israel is my sonne euen my first borne The Lord had first chosen that nation to be his people yet afterward reiected them and accepted the Gentiles so that the elder serue the younger But Gods first borne are neuer refused whom hee hath predestinated to be sonnes hee hath also called to bee heyres So that this primogeniture is not in respect of generation but of regeneration Though they be not primò conditi they are primò reconditi Flesh and bloud hath no worke in this birth nor the will of man but the will of God Of his owne will begate he vs with the word of trueth that wee should be a kinde of first fruits of his creatures The Spirit begets of immortall seed grace in the wombe of the Church the meanes of this Birth being the Word Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdom of God Out of that vniuersall apostacie God sent his Sonne to beget some first borne to himselfe 3. Because the priuiledges of the first borne are theirs These were many as we may find in allusion to the Law 1. The excellency of strength Reuben my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignitie and the excellencie of power Man decayes and the children of age are not so strong as the children of youth therefore the first borne are called the beginning of power and the excellency of strength True it is that there 's no
decay in Gods Spirit that begets yet because the faithfull are first in Gods intention of fauour and hee giues them that strength of grace to resist sinne and to serue him which the world hath not therefore they are called his Firstborne the excellency of his power Though we be weake in our selues yet his strength is glorified in our weakenes his Grace is sufficient for vs. 2. The name of the family was giuen to the first borne Is not my family the least of all the families of the Tribe of Beniamin saith Saul Gilead made his whole family to be called Gileadites For further exemplying of this priuiledge read Numbers chap. 26. ver 23. to ver 52. Is this dignity lost vnder the Gospell to the first borne in Christ no for euen the wicked dwelling among the righteous are for their sakes vouchsafed the name of Christians The name of the first borne hath christned all the familie 3. Priesthood and the right to sacrifice Moses sent twelue young men according to the twelue tribes of Israel to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings vnto the Lord. Those young men are thought to bee no other but twelue of the first borne of the chiefe of the Tribes to whom the right of sacrificing Priesthood did belong till the Leuites were separated for that end Take the Leuites in stead of all the first borne among the children of Israel Neither is this priuiledge lost by the Gospel Christ hath made vs Kings and Priests vnto God his Father to offer vp spirituall sacrifice of thanksgiuing to him Priests but Priests to God lest the Schismaticke should take aduantage thereby to trouble the ciuill state The Propitiatory sacrifice is offered for vs by our high Priest Iesus the sacrifices of our Priesthood are onely gratulatory 4. Double portion If a man haue two wiues one beloued and another hated and children by them both if the first borne sonne be hers that is hated yet when he maketh his sonnes to inherit though perhaps hee would fauour the sonne of the loued yet hee shall acknowledge the sonne of the hated by giuing him a double portion of all that he hath for hee is the beginning of his strength the right of the first borne is his So the elect haue a double portion not onely a share in the things of this life but much more in heauen Godlinesse hath the promise both of the life that now is and of that which is to come It is a false imagination that God makes none of his children happy in this life Abraham was rich Dauid a King But if he denies them opulencie hee neuer denies them content This is the cheefe riches for we see others Esurientes in popina as the by-word is staruing in a Cookes shop wretched in their highest fortunes The godly haue so much share of this world as may stand with their eternall blessednesse in the world to come And such may bee content with a small portion here that are sure of the inheritance heereafter Iehoshaphat gaue great gifts of siluer and gold and precious things to all his children but the kingdome hee gaue to Iehoram because he was the first borne Our Law giues the first borne sonne the inheritance God will not depriue his of it Thus hath Christ promised a double portion to the faithfull He shall receiue an hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternall life And indeed the Birth-right with the Iewes was a type of euerlasting life The consideration of this excellent priuiledge doth teach vs three lessons 1. That we are dedicated to God Exod. 13. 2. Numb 3. 13. Sanctifie to me all the first borne So Haâ—…nah dedicated her first borne Samuel to the Lord. Mary brought Christ to Ierusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the Law Euery male that openeth the wombe shall be called holy to the Lord. To robbe God of his tythes is sacriledge but to take away from him our soules this is the highest sacriledge In this we haue a sequestration from common vse we are no longer as we were They are mine saith the Lord not onely by a common right so al things are his The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of it nor onely for a gratefull acknowledgement that the increase of all things comes from him But as the Israelites were Gods by a speciall claime because he preserued them in Egypt when the first borne were slaine For whose redemption he accepted the first borne of their beasts when he might haue commanded all lest this should seem grieuous to them he required but the first part Hee onely reserued what he preserued So we were all by nature in as much danger of Gods wrath as were the Israelites of the destroying Angell when the first borne of the Aegyptians were smitten dead But the Lord sprinkled the dores of our hearts with the bloud of his holy Lambe Iesus Hath the Lord spared vs then hee chalengeth vs. To take from man his owne is iniurious from God sacrilegious Glorifie God in your body and in your spirit why for they are Gods ye are not your owne saith the Apostle Thus hee confessed himselfe not his owne man There stood by me this night the Angell of God whose I am and whom I serue Wee are Gods possession the first borne which he hath redeemed by his owne First-borne Christ. This wee acknowledge when wee present our children to God in Baptisme Yet O strange and forgetfull inconstancy when wee haue giuen them to God in baptisme by a foolish indulgence wee take them away againe in education A Prince abhorres to haue his eldest sonne marry with a harlot this were to vilifie and ignoble that royall bloud And shall God brooke his First borne to be contracted with that vgly strumpet Sinne This were to forfeit and make void the right of primogeniture 2. Seeing we are Gods first borne let vs offer our first and best things to him The Lord hath deserued the priority of our seruice First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Our first studies our first labours must bee consecrated to God The Law required three properties in the sacrifices offered to God 1. They must be first borne vt illi reddamus prima qui nobis debil omnia that vvee should vvillingly giue him the first that had bountifully giuen vs all So vve must giue the first houre of the day the first vvorke of our hands the first wordes of our lips to the Lord. 2. They must bee cleane beasts for God abhorred the vncleane maimed or deformed Ye offer polluted bread vpon mine Altar If ye offer the blinde for sacrifice is it not euill if ye offer the lame sicke is it not euill offer it now to the gouernor will hee be pleased with it So vvee must hold vp to God cleane hands and send vp pure hearts
outside it seemed so glorious that he desired him to open it No it was sealed by the Councell Then saith the sonne tell me if my name be there the father replyes the names are secreted to the Senate The son studying how he might get some satisfaction desired him to deliuer the merits of those inscribed Souldiers The father relates to him their noble atchieuements and worthy actions of valour wherewith they had eternized their names Such are written and none but such must be written in this booke The sonne consulting with his owne heart that he had no such trophies to shew but had spent his time in courting Ladies rather then encountring Knights that he was better for a dance then a march that he knew no drumme but the tabret no courage but to be drunke Hereupon he presently retyr'd himselfe repented entred into a combate with his owne affections subdued them became temperate continent valiant vertuous VVhen the Souldiers came to receiue their wreathes he steps in to challenge one for himselfe Being asked vpon vvhat title he answered If honours be giuen to Conquerers I haue gotten the most noble conquest of all Wherein These haue subdued strange foes but I haue conquered my selfe and indeed this is iudged the greatest victory The application is familiar thou desirest to know whose names are written in blessednes it shall not be told thee This or that indiuiduall person but generally thus men so qualified faithfull in Christ and to Christ obedient to the truth and for the truth that haue subiected their owne affections and resigned themselues to the guidance of the heauenly will these men haue made noble conquests and shall haue Princely Crownes find in thy selfe this sanctimony and thou hast a sure testimonie thou art written in heauen But all men challenge this they beleeue and obey and doe good deeds and therefore some to be sure of putting in themselues constantly affirme all men are written But infinite numbers vvill be deceiued at the last For if there were vniuersall inscription there should follow vniuerfall Election if vniuersall election then vniuersall saluation If the former vvere true then vvere not election any such name If the latter to vvhat purpose did God make hell God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne What that all should be saued no but that Whosoeuer beleeues might haue euerlasting life Not all for he that takes all cannot be said to chuse Let this stirre vs vp to get security that our names are vvritten there Benefits common to all as light of the Sunne dewes of heauen are little regarded but quae rarissima carissima things hard to come by are much set by Because God doth not giue riches to all men but isti multum illi paruum huic nullum much to one little to another none at all to a third hereupon men debase themselues to moiling slaues yea to earth-rooting beasts to get them For the race of this vvorld vvhere onel the first obtaines the goale gets the money all trusse vp their loynes run apace none vvill be hindmost For heauen vvhere all that runne well shall speed well and haue for their prize a Crowne of righteousnesse men are so courteous they will giue another leaue to goe before them But let thy grace in this life witnesse thy hope of glory in the life to come To God the Iudge of all We haue considered the Citizens let vs now looke vpon the glorious maiesty of the King that gouerns them Where first let vs obserue in generall that there shall be a day of Iudgement otherwise to vvhat purpose is there a Iudge If there were no such scoffers as to say Where is the promise of his comming For since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation this obseruation might vvell haue bin spared The reason to proue it is deriued from the iustice and goodnesse of God It is a iust thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you who are troubled rest with vs vvhen the Lord Iesus shall bee reuealed from heauen vvith his mighty Angels This for the honour of the faithfull and for the horrour of reprobates Here the good man findes the sharpest misery the euill man sweetest felicity therefore it is iust that there should be a time of changing turnes and places The wicked shall be a ransome for the righteous and the transgressour for the vpright The rich mans table stood full of delicates Lazarus lackes crummes therefore they must change states Hee is comforted and thou art tormented There is a time to get and a time to lose Woe to you that laugh for you shall mourne Blessed are you that mourne for you shall reioyce God shall giue the one Fletum pro risâ—… the other Risum pro fletu wiping away all teares from their eyes Reioyce thou irrefragably dissolute follow the lusts of thy owne heart but remember for all these things thou must come into iudgement It is a deere penniworth to buy the merry madnesse of one houre vvith ages of pangs infinite and eternall If there were no iudgement how should God be iust But the righteous shall see the vengeance So that a man shall say Uerily there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that iudgeth the earth otherwise vvhere is our hope For if in this life onely we haue hope in Christ we of all men are most miserable But it is obiected 1. That the whole vvorld consists of belieuers or vnbeleeuers now there is no last iudgement for eyther of these none for belieuers for He that belieueth hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement None for vnbeleeuers for He that beleeueth not is condemned already I answere first for the latter the vnbelieuer is condemned already in effect three wayes 1. By the purpose of God who did foresee and appoint his condemnation as a punishment for his sinne and execution of his Iustice. 2. By the vvord of God where his condemnation is set downe 3. By his owne conscience vvhich euery houre doth iudge and condemne him Yet all this hinders not but that he may also passe the iudgement of Christ at that generall Assises vvhich is the manifestation and completion of that inchoate iudgement To the former I answere it is not said The beleeuer shall not come into iudgement but he shall not come into condemnation For we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ euen the very faithfull absoluendicausa that Christ may publikely acquit them 2. That Conscience is a sufficient iudge what needes more I answere properly Conscientia testis non iudex the Conscience is a witnesse rather then a iudge Indeed it hath a great office heere and so it shall-haue there It is felt now but then more sensibly Now many are so borne away with the precipices and streames of
no peace to thy selfe till thou haue peace with GOD. Quamdiù impâ—…nitentia manet maledictio imminet So long as vnrepentance abides in vs Cursednesse hangs ouer vs. He that wilfully goes on in knowne wickednesse hazards himselfe to ineuitable cursednesse Goe ye cursed 4. The horrour of the paines Into euerlasting fire Fire of all elements the most violent therefore fittest to describe those pangs The pile thereof is â—…ire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a riuer of briâ—…stone doth kindle it Euerlasting the torments thereof are euer frying neuer dying Where the worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched Aug. Vermis corrodet conscientiam ignis comburet carnem quia corde corpore deliquerunt The fire shall torture their flesh the worme their spirit because both in flesh and spirit they haue sinned The reprobates shall be packed and crowded together like â—…rickes in a fiery furnace hauing not so much as a chinke where any winde may enter in to coole them 5. The preordinance of their torments Prepared for the Deuill and his Angels ordained before-hand Origen held that the Deuill and his angels should one day be released from their tortures and that these words of Christ vvere spoken Minaciter potiùs quà m veraciter rather by way of threatning then true meaning But Augustine answers that the Scripture hath confuted him plenissime ac planissimè For the fire prepared for Satan is not temporarie but euerlasting vvhere though flouds of teares bee continually raining vpon it yet can it not bee put out Prepared to the terror of vvicked men that couenant with hell alas they are deceiued it vvas made for some purpose That fire vvas prepared for some and some haue prepared themselues for it Burning in lusts in malice in reuenge vntill themselues their lusts malice and reuenge and all burne in hell The Deuill was crafty yet he could not scape hell be as vvily as you can yet beware hell It is not policy but piety that must escape this fire Now as this brings to the vvicked much terror so it helpes to preserue the godly against error And this vvas one principall cause of the penning this sentence The vvise master of the family vvill chide his seruants vea and vpon desert correct them in the presence of his child that he may learne by it to stand in awe of his Father So deales God Minatur quod faciet improbis ne faciat quod minatur sanctis He threatens the vvicked vvhat he vvill doe to their sinnes that the godly may auoid vvhat hee threatens for sinnes Omnis minatio amica monitio euery threatning is a faire vvarning The Lord giue vs mutare sententiam nostram vt ipse mutet sententiam suam to change our minde that God may change his menace Let vs now come humbly to him in repentance that vve may neuer depart from him into vengeance The other circumstances I will but touch 2. The reason of this reiection Mat. 25. 42. For I was hungry and ye gaue mee no no meate I was thirsty and yee gaue me no drinke They are not iudged Ex malis commissis sedex bonis omissis not by the euill deedes they haue done but by the good things they haue not done Christ saies not Yee tooke away my meat vvhen I vvas hungry but you gaue me not your meate You did not strip mee of the clothes I had but you gaue me no clothes vvhen I had not The axe cuts vp the tree which brought not forth good fruit though it bee not accused for bringing foorth bad fruit Innocency is good but not enough vve see that not to haue relieued is an vnanswerable inditement at that day How heauy vvill this sentence fall vpon many among vs What heapes haue many in this City perhaps some got vvithout a tenter'd conscience yeeld it no worse yet vvould to God it vvere so vvell for it is hard Bonum cito â—…uadere diuitem for an honest man to become rich on the sodaine They haue it and now may they not keepe it is it not their owne But O it is fearefull vvhen for this keeping they shall be condemned It is not a groat weekely or monethly to the poore and a small pension to the much-robbed Church that can discharge you but you must giue proportionably Pleade what you can to the poore Christ vvill not be so answered Who can force me to giue none but because thou wilt not giue vnforced thou shalt iustly be condemned 3. The obiection against this reason Math. 25. 44. Lord when saw wee thee an hungred or athiâ—…st c. and did not minister vnto thee They haue a kinde of impudence still adhering to their foreheads they would seeme to iustifie themselues though they bee deseruedly punished When did we see thee Often When this poore widow hath departed without thy mercy that orphan vvithout thy helpe that blinde or lame vvithout thy almes When when not euery occasion shall be a bill of enditement against thee Who will wonder to see a Romish Pharise sooth and flatter himselfe on earth when hee is not ashamed to doe it in iudgement â—…efore the Lord Iesus Christ Sed nulla defensio absoluet reum nulla infensio dissoluet iudicium Plead they whether subtilly or angrily as if some vvrong vvere done them it is Equity it selfe that doth sentence them 4. The confutation of their obiection Math. 25. 45. Insomuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me This one distinction takes away all their arguments here is a full answer to their Quando a declaration of their death-deseruing wickednesse that would haue no pitty on the Lord Iesus Iudgement mercilesse shall be giuen to them that shew no mercy you know this Diues was denied a drop because he would not giue a crumme you know this Hee that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore shall cry himselfe and not be heard Did not I tell you thus The poore you had euer this mercy you shewed neuer therefore Goe ye cursed 5. Lastly the Retribution this is set downe in briefe but the matter it containes is long and euerlasting All shall come forth they that haue done good to the resurrection of life they that haue done euil to the resurrection of condemnation These shall goe away into euerlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall An estate soone versed neuer to bee reuersed The voice of Christ shall speake it and the power of Christ shall effect it No Angell shall speake against it no deuill shall withstand it How should this teach Saint Pauls vse who considering that there shall be a resurrectian of the dead both of the iust and vniust resolued with himselfe to haue alwaies a good conscience void of offence toward God and toward man Let it instruct vs al to watch for this day a decaied charge then which nothing was more current in the
this same Ite maledictâ—… Goe yee cursed is a fearefull and vnanswerable argument Thus flesh and bloud speedes when it will deale with God on termes of disputation If Gods owne reason Thou shalt not do this be not stronger then all ours now it shal be one day Let no man deceiue you with vaine wordes for for these things the wrath of God shall come vpon the children of disobedience Be not deceiued As euery particular Sinne hath the particular colour so there are generall pretexts for generall sinnes whereby many soules are deceiued I find this doctrine though plaine so necessary that I must be bold to pursue it You may easily forgiue all good faults There are seuen generall pleas for sinne 1. Predestination is pleaded If I be written to life I may doe this for many are saued that haue done vvorse If not were my life neuer so strict hell appointed is not to be auoided These men looke to the toppe of the Ladder but not to the foote God ordaines not men to iump to Heauen but to climbe thither by prescribed degrees Non per saltum sed scansum Qui ordinauit finem ordinauit media ad finem He that decreed the end decreed also the meanes that conduce to it If thou take liberty to sin this is none of the way Peter describes the rounds of this ladder faith vertue knowledge teÌ„perance patience godlines charity Thou ruÌ„nest a coÌ„trary course in the wild paths of vnbeleefe profanenes ignorance riot impatience impietie malice this is none of the way These are the rounds of a Ladder that goes downeward to hell Gods predestination est multis causa standi nemini labendi helps many to stand pusheth none downe Looke thou to the vvay let God alone with the end Belieue repent amend and thou hast Gods promise to be saued Be not deceiued God is not mocked 2. It is Gods will I should doe this vvickednesse hee saw it and might haue preuented it It is vniust to damne a man for that he willâ—… him to doe Answ. This is a blasphemous and most sacrilegious â—…uill Where did God euer will thee to lie to sweare to oppresse to adulterize His will is his word and where findest thou his word commanding sin And shall Gods prescience make him guilty of thy euill Then must thy memory make thee guilty of other mens euill As thou by thy memory dost not cause those things to haue been done that are past So God by his foreknowledge doth not cause those things to be done which are to come 3. Ignorance is pleaded I knew not the deed to bee euill or if euil not so dangerous Indeed Ignorance may make a sinne Minus not Nullum a lesse sinne but not no sinne I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in vnbeleefe saith our Apostle And Peccata scientium peccatis ignorantium praepoâ—…ntur The sinnes of them that know are more haynous then the sins of them that know not But if thou hadst no other sin thy ignorance is enough to condemne thee for thou art bound to know 〈◊〉 ea que sunt Domini nesciunt a Domino nesciuâ—… They that will not know the Lord the Lord will not know them But I speake to you that may know your ignorance is affected Some of you haue not the knowledge of God I speake this to your shame Mulâ—… vt liberiùs peccarent libenter ignorant Many that they may sinne the more securely are ignorant wilfully Thus you may goe blindfold to hell Be not deceiued God is not mocked 4. A fourth saith I haue many good deeds to weigh with my euils Indeed I am an Vsurer an Adulterer a Swearer but I keepe a good house I giue almes and I will doe more when I am dead Indeed these are good workes Bona accipientibus non facientibus Good to the receiuers not to the Giuers So a man may be borne for the good of many not for his owne They write that the Pyramides of Egypt was built for that great Pharaohs Tombe but the Red Sea disappointed him Many thinke by good workes to build vp a heauen for themselues but leading vnsanctified liues hell preuents their purpose And such a man as robbes many hundreds to relieue some may at last for his charity goe to the Deuill The Papists indeed stand extremely for building Abbies Colledges for Iesuites and augmenting the reuenues of Monasteries that Masses and Dirige's may bee sung for their soules they giue full absolution to such a man and seale him a generall acquittance of all his sinnes They make the besotted Laity especially some rich Burger belieue that without any more adoe it is impossible for a man to bee damned that liues in such a Profession and which is strange here they equiuocate truely so long as a man liues in it but if he dyes in it there is the danger But wee know the poison must be iustified or else the worke is not sanctified Be not deceiued GOD is not mocked 5. But say some God is mercifull Comfortable truth else woe woe to miserable man But shall God shew mercy to those that abuse his mercy Hee will not be so mercifull to thee as to be vniust to himselfe God will be iust goe thou on and perish God shewed mercy to the relenting not to the railing theefe Wouldst thou haue him mercifull to thee that art vnmercifull to him to thy selfe Misericordia amplectenti non tergiuer santidatur They that will lead a wicked life sub spe misericordiae in hope of mercy shall meet with a fearefull death sub terrore Iustitiae in the horror of Iustice. Kisse the mercy of God abuse it not Where is Praesumptio veniae will follow Consumptio poenâ—… a presuming of fauour shall bee punished with a consuming wrath Be not deceiued c. 6. Others alledge Christ died for our sinnes and his satisfaction is of infinite price This is the dore of hope from which the profanest wretch is angry to be driuen The most presumptuous sinner flatters his soule with this comfort as if the gates of Heauen were now set open and hee might enter with all his iniquities on his backe Indeed there is no want in Christ but is there none in thee In him is plenteous redemption but how if in thee there bee scarce fayth whatsoeuer Christ is what arâ—… thou God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely beâ—…otten Sonne Hee did not let or lend or sell but giue not an Angell nor a seruant but a Sonne not anothers but his owne not his adoptiue but naturall his begotten Sonne not one of many but his onely begotten Sonne Many degrees of loue but what of all this That whosoeuer beleeueth on him should not perish but haue euerlasting life But thou hast no faith therefore no priuiledge by this gift I am the good shepheard saith Christ. Why I giue my life but for whom for my sheepe Not for lustfull goates or
Word and will reape his Glory His glory eyther in your instruction or destruction conuersion or conuiction life or death O why should that be to your horror that is meant to your comforts Turne not that to your desolation which God sends to your consolation Pray you then with me euery one to the Lord that this seed now sowne may bring forth fruit in vs all in some thirty in some sixty in some a hundred fold To the glory of his holy name and the eternall saluation of our soules through Iesus Christ. Amen HEAVEN-GATE OR THE PASSAGE TO PARADISE REVELAT 22. 14. in fine And may enter in through the Gates into the Citie IF we supply these words with the first word of the verse Blessed wee shall make a perfect sentence of perfect comfort Blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may haueright to the tree of life And may enter in through the gates into the Citie In the whole there be Premises Promises The Premises qualifie vs we must be such as are Blessed and who are they Qui praestant mandata that doe his commandements The Promises crowne vs and these are two 1. That wee may haue right to the tree of life euen that which Reu. 2. is in the middest of the Paradise of God From whence the Angell with a flaming sword shall keep all the reprobate 2. Et per portas ingrediantur ciuitatem And may enter in through the gates into the City When without shall be dogs and scorners c. whosoeuer loueth and maketh a lie To the last words of the verse I haue bound bounded my discourse Wherein I finde three points readily offering themselues to be considered Motus Motion Enter in Modus Manner Through the gates Terminus Place Into the Citie So there is a threefold circumstance Quid. What an Entrance Qua. How through the gates Quò Whither into the Citie The Motion Enter in They are blessed that enter in Perseuerance onely makes happy Our labours must not cease till wee can with Stephen see these Gates open and our Sauiour offering to take vs by the hand and welcome our entrance We know who hath taught vs that onely continuers to the end shall be saued It is obseruable that in the holy Spirits letters sent to those seuen Churches in the second and third chapters of this Booke all the promises runne to Perseuerers Uincenti dabitur To him that ouercomes shall it be giuen Nec paranti ad praliim nec pugnanti ad sanguinem multo minus tergiuersanti ad peccatum sed vincenti ad victoriam Nor to him that prepares to fight nor to him that resists to bloud much lesse to him that shewes his back in cowardice but to him that ouercomes to conquest Demas seeing this warre ranne away fell backe to the security of the world Saul made himselfe ready to this battell but he durst not fight glory and lusts carried him away Iudas stood a bowt or two but the High Priests money made him giue ouer and the Deuill tooke him captiue But Paul fought out this combat euen to victorie though he bore in his body the markes of the Lord Iesus I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Therefore now there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee This is a good life saith Bern. Mala pati et bona facere et fic vsque ad mortem perseuerare To suffer euill to doe good and so to continue to the end Some came into the Vineyard in the morning some at noone others later none receiued the Penny but they that stayed till night Augustine affirmes this to be almost all the contents of the Lords Prayer Hallowed be thy Name thy kingdome come thy will be done Wherein wee desire that his Name may alwaies be sanctified his Kingdome alwaies propagated his will alwaies obeyed Indeed this grace perfects all graces Wee beleeue in vaine if our faith hold not out to the end Weeloue in vaine if our charitie grow cold at last We pray in vaine if our zeale growes faint VVee striue in vaine at the strait gate if not till we enter Venire adreligionem est vera deuotio sed non religiose viuere vera damnatio To come to the truth of religion is true deuotion not to liue religiously is true damnation Man is naturally like a horse that loueth short iourneyes and there are few that hold out Whence it comes that the last are often first and the first last Know ye not that they which runne in a race run all but one receiueth the prize He that hath a good horse can goe faster vp a hill then downe a hill He that hath a good faith doth as quickly ascend the Mount Sion as the wicked descend to the valley of Hinnon If men would as strongly erect themselues vpwards as they direct their courses downewards they might goe to heauen with lesse trouble then they doe goe to hell But he that at euery sleppe lookes at euery stoppe and numbers his perils with his paces either turnes aside faintly or turnes back cowardly They that goe wandring wondring on their iourney are at the gates of Samaria when they should enter the gates of Ierusalem God saith I will not leaue yòu Heb. 13. Will you then leaue GOD One told Socrates that he would faine goe to Olympus but he distrusted his sufficiencie for the length of the iourney Socrates told him Thou walkest euery day little or much continue this walke forward thy way and a few dayes shall bring thee to Olympus Euery day euery man takes some paines let him bestow that measure of paines in trauclling to heauen and the further he goes the more heart he gets till at last he enter through the gates into the Citie Bernard calls Perseuerance the onely daughter of the highest King the perfection of vertues the storehouse of good works a vertue without which no man shall see God There is a last enemy to be destroyed Death we must hold out to the conquest euen of this last aduersary Which if it conquer vs by the Sting of our Sinne shal send vs to the dores of hell if we conquer it by our Faith it shal send vs to the gates of this Citie Heauen Lauda nauigantem cum peruenerit ad portum All the voyage is lost through the perilous Sea of this world if we suffer shipwracke in the Hauen and lose our reward there where we should land to receiue it What get we if we keepe Satan short of ruling vs with his force many houres when at our last houre hee shall snatch our blisse from vs The runner speeds all the way but when he comes at the races end to the goale he stretcheth forth his hand to catch the prize Be sure of thy last step to put forth the hand of faith then most strongly Ne perdatur
this world our second is a gate into the world to come There is some paine in both For this vvorld but little ioy after the paine for the other after short sorrow eternall glory Sanctification Is the second gate Make your calling and election sure saith Peter by a holy life For so an Entrance shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. But there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoeuer worketh abomination or maketh a lie Therfore Paul prayes the God of Peace to sanctifie vs wholly Holinesse is the way to Happinesse Grace the gate of Glory But some may obiect frō that of Paul that this Sanctification must be totall and perfect but who can come so furnished to the gate therefore who can enter the Citie I answer There is required onely Sanctificatio viae non Patria such a Sanctitie as the gate can afford though farre short of that within the Citie The Schoole distinguisheth vvell It must be communiter in toto vniuersaliter in singulis partibus but not totaliter et perfectè This Sanctification must be communicated to the whole man and vniuersally propagated to euery part though it haue in no place of man a totall perfection Indeed Nullum peccatum retinendum est spe remissionis No sinne is to be cherished in hope of mercy But wee must striue for euery grace vve haue not and for the encrease of euery grace wee haue Quaerendum quod deest bonum indulgendum quod adest Let vs make much of that we possesse and still seek for more striuing to the marke And yet when all is done Profectio haec non Perfectio est Wee haue made a good steppe forward but are not come to our full home But stil Lord be mercifull to me a sinner And Enter not into iudgement with vs. Now sith this gate stands in our owne Heart giue me leaue to describe it and that briefely by The Properties The properties are 2. It is Lovve Parts Little Lowe Heauen is well called a Building not made with hands for it differs both in Matter and Forme from earthly edifices For matter it is Eternall not momentany for maner fabricked without hands Great Mannors on earth haue large answerable Porches Heauen must needes be spacious when a little starre fixed in a farre lower Orbe exceedes the earth in quantitie yet hath it a lowe gate not a lofty comming in They must stoope then that will enter here He hath filled the bungry with good things and the rich hee hath sent empty away The rich in their owne conceits and proud of their owne worth shall be sent empty from this gate Zaccheus climes vp into a Sycamore tree to behold Iesus but when Iesus beheld him got vp so high he said Come downe Zaccheus Luke 19. Make haste and come downe Whosoeuer will entertaine Iesus must come down The haughtie Nebuchadnezzar that thinks with his head to knock out the starres in heauen must stoope at this gate or hee cannot enter Be you neuer so lofty you must bend Gods honour must be preferred before your honours It is no discredite to your Worships to vvorship GOD. Little Christ calls it a narrow gate They must be little that enter little in their owne eyes slender in the opinion of themselues Whosoeuer shall not receiue the kingdome of God as a little child he shall not enter therin Samuel to Saul When thou wast little in thine own sight wast thou not made the Head of the Tribes of Israel When Iesse had made all his Sonnes passe before Samuel he asked him if none remained yet Iesse answeres Yes a little one tending the flockes Fetch that little one saith Samuel for wee will not sit downe till he come That little one was hee Sayes the Angell to Esdras 2. Esdras 7. A citie is built and set vpon a broad field full of all good things Yet the Entrance thereof is narrow This is spatiosa speciosa Ciuitas A citie beautifull and roomthy yet it hath but a narrovv wicket a little Gate Alas how will the surfeted Epicure do to enter whose gluttonous body is so deformed that it moues like a great Tunne vpon two pots What hope hath an Impropriator with foure or fiue Churches on his backe to passe this little gate The bribing Officer hath a swolne hand it will not enter and the gowtie Vsurer cannot thrust in his foote The factious Schismaticke hath too bigge a head the swearer such forked blasphemies in his mouth that here is no entrance Pride hath no more hope to get into the gates of that Citie aboue then there is hope to cast it out the gates of this City below Much good do 't with earthly Courts for it must not come into the Courts of Heauen Thinke O sinners you cannot goe with these oppressions with these oathes frauds bribes vsuries with these wickednesses into the gates of this Citie You must shift them off or they will shut you out You heare the Properties the Parts are now to bee considered and these are foure The foundation the two sides and the roofe The Foundation is Faith One of the sides Patience The other Innocence The Roofe Charitie Faith Is the foundation Coloss. 1. Be ye grounded and setled in the Faith Credendo fundatur saith Augustine It is grounded in faith All other graces are as it were built on this foundation Credimus quōd speramus quod credimus speramus diligimus quod credimus speramus diligimus operamur What we hope wee beleeue what wee beleeue and hope we loue what we beleeue hope and loue wee endeuour to attaine So all is built on Faith Hope on faith Nulla spes increditi it is impossible to hope for that wee beleeue not to be Charity on faith why should a man giue all to the poore vnlesse hee belieued an abundant recompence Repentance on faith why else suffer we contrition for sin if we beleeued not remission of sinne Temperance on faith why forbeare wee the pleasing vanities of the world but that we belieue the transcendent ioyes of eternity whereof these harlots would robbe vs Patience on faith why would we endure such calamities with willing quietnesse and subiection if wee belieued not an euerlasting peace and rest to come All obedience on faith that God would accept it in Iesus Christ. If all bee built on faith I may call it the basis and foundation of this Gate Without faith it is impossible to please God for hee that commeth to God must belieue that he is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Faith is the passage-way to God not one of that holy ensuing Legend entred the City of life without this He that hath faith shall enter yea hee is entred Iohn 5. He hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but
Now the same hand that layd on this penaltie must take it off The blind men in the Gospell recouer'd not their sight till Christ came They were as types to vs to teach vs that only the Spirit of Christ can restore our spirituall eyes Therefore of this Spirit are we counselled to buy eye-salue to annoint our eyes that vvee may see 2. This originall defect is encreased by actuall transgressions We were borne ignorant wee haue made our selues blind putting out euen that remaining sparke of nature Wee mind earthly things setting not onely our affections but euen fixing our whole knowledge on this World And it is impossible that mans eye should looke on earth and heauen also at one instant It is a rule in Philosophy Nothing receiues any thing but that is emptie of all other things of a contrary nature The eare must be empty of all sounds the taste of all sauours the eye of all colours before there can be entertainement giuen to a new obiect The smell possessed with Rew cannot sent the Rose the taste infected with gall imagines all morsels bitter and a greene glasse held before the eyes presents all things looked on greene So if the soules eye be taken vp with the gawdy vanities of this py'd world it cannot discerne the things that concerne euerlasting peace The vnderstanding then must be with-drawn from earth that it may contemplate heauen This confutes their practices that haue vowed a Monkish life addicted to speculation eying of heauen yet are perpetually raking in the mudde of the earth to get money with an impossibilitie of reconciling these two opposite obiects to their eyes at once In vaine they lift vp ceremoniall eyes of a forc'd deuotion for the eye of their heart is fixed downwards Vnlesse they haue squint-ey'd soules that can looke two wayes at once But I rather think that like watermen they looke one way and rowe another for hee must needs be strangely squint-ey'd that can at the same instant fasten one of his lights on the light of glory the other on the darknes of iniquitie The riches aboue and below are remote things Quorum dum aliud contemplatim aspicimus aliud contemptim despicimus vvhereof whiles we admire the one we vilipend the other This blindnesse then being both hereditarie to our natures and hereditary diseases are not easily cured and augmented by our wilful disorders can be taken away by no hand but Gods Since the World beganne was it neuer heard that any man not man but God opened the eyes of one that was borne blind and had encreased this caecitie by his owne accessiue and excessiue wickednesse He that would desire inspection into others blindnes had need of cleare eyes himselfe Cast out the beame in thine owne eye that thou maist pull out the mote in thy brothers saith our Sauiour Let vs take with vs then the eyes of grace that wee haue that we may the better looke into that blindnesse of nature we had There is in this blind eye diseases and defects The diseases are double so are the defects The Diseases 1. The Cataract which is a thicknesse drawne ouer the eye and bred of many causes this especially either from the rheume of vaine-glory or the inflammation of malice From this eye there is no reflection or returning the owne beames whereby a man may contemplate himselfe But euen the optick nerues and the visory spirits are corrupted the memorie cannot reuolue nor the mind present it selfe what it is nec in se descendere tentat This darke mind is the vault where Satan keepes his Seminarie and sits hatching a blacke brood of lusts The meanes to expell this disease is to take Gods Law into thy hand and heart and through that glasse to looke into thy selfe Consider your owne wayes in your hearts saith the Prophet Teipsum Concute tecum habita te consule dic tibi quis sis Plumbe-deepe into thy owne brest Animi tui abyssum intra A man offends lesse by searching sinne with too deepe then with too short an instrument Though this be saith Abselme grauis angustia a hard exigent Si me inspicio â—…ipsum non tolero si non inspicio nescio Si video horror si non videro mors est If I looke into my selfe I cannot indure my selfe if I looke not I cannot knovv my selfe If I see my selfe there is horror if I see not there is death This inspection is difficult Difficile est se nosse sed beatum It is a hard but a happy thing to know ones selfe Priuate sinnes are not easily spied out Difficilius est inuenire quà m interficere as Casar said of the Scythians It is harder to finde them out then to roote them out Innumerable sinnes are in a man if not in actuall and ripe practice yet in growing seeds Qui indulget vno vitio amicus est omnibus Hee that is partially indulgent to one sinne is a friend to all It is a paines well taken to study thy selfe How sweet a rest doth that night bring whose sleepe is preuented with a recognition of our selues Bernard teacheth man a three-fold consideration of himselfe Quid quis qualis fit What by nature who in person what kinde of man in conuersation Which particulars when he casteth vp he shall finde in summe Himselfe a miserable sinner Si cupis bonus fieri primùm crede quòd malus fis If thou wouldest be good first know that thou art euill Chrysostome amplifies this selfe knowledge by teaching a man to consider what he is in himselfe dust and ashes what is within him much wickednesse what aboue him an offended Iustice what below him a burning lake what against him Satan and sinne what before him vaine pleasure what behinde him infallible death But alas what is all this that hath beene said of the eye if God enlighten not that mentall eye to see it Hee must open our eyes to behold the wonderfull things of his Law Otherwise mans sight to these obiects is but as oculus noctuae ad lumen solis Spirituall ioyes he cannot perceiue and what hee conceiues of death and hell hee thinkes of them senselesly like a beast or desperately like a Deuill If his conscience begins to wake he sings her asleep againe And as in some the fuliginous vapours arising from the lower parts of the body blinde the eyes so in him the fumous euaporations of the fleshes lusts haue caused absolute blindnesse The spirit of God with the sauing instrument of grace can onely take away this Cataract 2. There is another disease called the Pearle in the eye a dangerous disease and heereof are all worldlings sicke for earthly riches is such a pearle in their eye that they cannot see the pearle of the Gospell which the wise Merchant sold all he had to purchase By distrusting and distracting cares of the world this intellectuall eye is not onely depraued but depriued of light Affectio
Discedite but depart the Church without the blessing they will not stay till Christ bids them Goe They venture therein wretchedly and dangerously if they could so conceiue it to depart without the Peace of God It is an vsuall complaint of man in distresse Quare direliquisti me Domine Why hast thou forsaken me O Lord God iustly answeres Quare direliquisti me Home Why didst thou forsake me first O man Would you needs depart when you should not you therefore shall depart when you would not Discedite Depart indeed a wofull reiection Depart from me yee cursed why cursed good reason you would not tarry for a blessing Thus is God euen with the wicked Recedistis à me recedam à vobis You left me I therefore leaue you Will you go without bidding Abite get you gone He that will goe into captiuity let him go Deus prior in amore posterior in odio God loued vs before we loued him hee doth not actually hate vs till we first hate him Nunquam deserit nisi cum deseritur Hee forsakes not vs till wee forsake him no man can take Christ from thy soule vnlesse thou take thy soule from Christ. God complaines of the Iewes that they had left him My people haue forsaken mee Forsake thee O Lord liuing Father of mercies and God of all comfort Will a man forsake the snow of Lebanon and the old flowing waters that come from the Rockes If any will do so then heare the curse O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall bee ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they haue forsaken the Lord the fountaine of liuing waters But let them that cleaue to the Lord heare the blessing I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Let vs hang on the mouth of God for decision of all our doubts direction of all our waies like the Centurions seruants Going when he bids vs comming when he cals vs doing what he commands vs. At his Word let vs arise and goe on earth at his Call wee shall arise and goe to heauen Hee that obeyes the surge in grace shall haue the surge in Glory Hee that goes in the wayes of Holinesse shall go into the courts of Happinesse Hee that goeth forth weeping bearing with him precious seed shall come againe reioycing and bring his sheaues with him They that haue done well shall goe into euerlasting life Thus much of these two words as they belonged to that person the Leper Now let vs vsefully apply them to our selues First let vs obserue from this Arise 1. It is Christ that giues the Surge which reuiueth vs we can neuer stirre from the seate of impietie till hee bids vs Arise No man can come to me except the Father draw him The Spirit of Christ must draw vs out of the black and mirie pit of iniquity as Ebedmelech drew Ieremy out of the dungeon We cannot arise of our selues Nature hath no foote that can make one true step toward heauen That which is borne of the flesh is flesh not fleshly in the concrete but flesh in the abstract We cannot speake vnlesse he open our lips God sayes to the Prophet Cry What shall I cry the Spirit must giue the word All flesh is grasse c. Wee cannot stand vnlesse hee giues vs feet Sonne of man stand vpon thy feete alas he cannot but ver 2. The Spirit entred into me and set me vpon my feete We cannot see except hee giues vs eyes Intelligite insipientes Bee wise O yee fooles Alas they cannot but Da mihi intellectum do thou O Lord giue them wisedome Bee yee not conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of your minde that you may proue c. There are first two verbes Passiue then an Actiue to shew that we are double so much Patients as we are Agents Being moued we moue Acta fit actiua voluntas when God hath enclined our will to good that will can then incline vs to performe goodnesse If we cannot speake without lips from him nor walke without affections from him nor see except hee giue vs eyes then neither can we arise except he takes vs by the hand as Peter tooke the Creeple and lift him vp and immediately his feete and ancle bones receiued strength If the spirit of our Lord Iesus giue vs a Surge our lame soules shall grow strong and liuely in the nerues of graces we shall Arise and walke leaping and singing and praising God 2 We must arise for wee are naturally downe By nature a man lyeth in wickednesse by grace he riseth to newnesse of life Nature and Religion are two opposites I meane by nature corrupted nature and by Religion true Religion for otherwise the accepting of some Religion is ingraffed to euery Nature It is Nature to bee dead in sinnes it is Religion to be dead to sinne It is Nature to be Reprobate to euery good worke Religion to be ready to euery good worke It is nature to be a Louer of ones selfe 2. Tim. 3. 2. Religion to deny ones selfe Luk. 9. 23. It is nature for a man to seeke onely his owne profite Religion to Serue others by loue Nature esteemes Preaching folly Religion the power of God to saluation There are two lights in man as in heauen Reason and Faith Reason like Sara is still asking How can this bee Faith like Abraham not disputes but beleeues There is no validity in Morall vertues Ciuill mens good workes are a meere carkase without the soule of Faith They are like that Romane that hauing fortunately slaine his three enemies the Curiatij comming home in triumph and beholding all the people welcome him with acclamations onely his sister weepe because hee had slaine her loue hee embittered his victories with the murder of his owne sister Carnall men may doe glorious deeds flourish with braue atchieuements but they marre all by killing their owne sister the deare soule Thus we are downe by Nature Grace can onely helpe vs vp and make vs arise If you aske how Nature hath deiected vs how we came originally thus depraued I answer We know not so well how we came by it as we are sure we haue it Nihil ad prâ—…dicandum notius nihil ad intelligendum secretius Nothing is more certainely true to be preached nothing more secretly hard to be vnderstood Therefore as in case of a Town on fire let vs not busily enquire how it came but carefully endeuour to put it out A Traueller passing by and seeing a man fallen into a deep pit began to wonder how he sell in to whom the other replyed Tu cogita quomodo hinc me liberes non quomodo huc ceciderim quaeras Do thou good friend rather study how to helpe me out then stand questioning how I came in Pray to Christ for this Surge
gratious God hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giueth life The proper office of the Law was to threaten terrifie condemne Lex non damnans est ficta pictalex sayth Luther That law that doth not condemne is a fained and a painted law But the power of the Gospell is to conuert and saue The Lord hath annointed me sayth the Prophet in the person of Christ to preach good tydings vnto the meeke to bind vp the broken-hearted to proclaime libertie to the captiâ—…es and the acceptable yeare of the Lord to comfort all that mourne The law was called the Ministration of death but the Gospell like Iohn Baptist points vs to Christ a Sauiour Behold the Lambâ—… of God tâ—…king away the sinne of the world The law menaced death but the Gospell assures vs There is no damnation to them which are in Christ. When the law like a sterne Seriant arresteth thee Pay that thou owest the Gospell produceth an acquitâ—…ance â—…ealed in the bloud of Iesus and sayes to thy faith All is payed Quod lex operum minando imperâ—…t lex fidei credendo impetrâ—…t What the law of workes commanded threatning the new law of fayth obtaineth by beleeuing 2. The Gospell is also more glorious and that both in regard of the Countenance and Continuance For beautie more glorious because it is more honourable to be the messenger of mercie and life then to be the minister of terrour and death A deathsman is accounted base but their feete are beautifull that bring tydings of peace and pardon If the ministration of condemnation be glorie much more doth the ministration of righteousnes exceede in glorie For Continuance Moses glory is done away but the glory of Moses his Lord remaines for euer The law was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Christ Iesus The type is vanished banished but the substance abideth euer When that which is perfect comes that which is in part is done away There was a second Testament to succeed the first but after the second shall succeed none So that if any man shall wilfully and finally euacuate to himselfe the vertue of this new Couenant there remaineth no more sacrifice for his sinnes Therfore the Apostle concludes If that which is done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious The bloud of Christ doth mystically run fresh to the end of the world therefore the Gospell must be preached that this bloud may be applied The Gospell is that Star that must bring vs to Christ therfore shall shine till our soules come to him in glory The very subiect of the Gospell is euerlasting life therfore it shall not leaue vs till it hath brought vs thither 2 This Vntill giues matter of exhortation instructing vs to waite with patience for this blessed tyme to be content to stay for Gods Vntill It is a sweet mixture of ioy in trouble the certaine hope of future â—…ase Thou art captiued thou shalt be freed thou art persecuted shalt triumph thou art fought against shalt raigne thou art derided but thou shalt shine in glory Onely quietly expect this Vntill Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry But Vntill this recompense of reward comes ye haue neede of patience Labour not a violent extrication of thy selfe abide and waite Till we all meete in the vnitie of fayth c. We are got through the gate let vs now enter the Citie werein we shall find fiâ—…e principall Passages or Streets What aâ—…ting â—…ting Who We yea we All all the Saints Wherin In Vnitie that vnitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereof Of the Faith knowledge of Gods Sonne Whereunto To a perfect man Vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. What Meeâ—…e The meeting of friends is eâ—…er comfortable When the brethrâ—…n heard of vs they came to meete vs as farre as Appiâ—… forum whom when Paul saw he thanked God and toâ—…ke courage They haue sullen and tetricall spirits whom the sight of good friends cannot cheare Fraternum verè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecâ—… quâ—…m bonum c. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie Some things are good but not pleasant as afflictions they are not sweet yet proâ—…table It was good for me that I haue beâ—…e afflicted that I might learne thâ—… statutes Other things are pleasant but not good The wicked take delight in sinne which sâ—…ayeth the soule But this is both Bonum and Iuâ—…undum good and pleasant also There is a threefold meeting of the godly 1 In this life with their soules in their bodies 2 After death of their soules without bodies 3 At the last day of both together in glory 1. In this life and here the communis terminus of their meeting is Gods house Where alwayes Christ himselfe is one of the number Wheresoeuer two or three of you be gathered together in my name I will be in the midst of you But to haue his blessed societie we must not only bring our bodyes but our minds with them Quomodo erit Christus in medio nostrum â—…i nobiscum non erimus How should Christ be with vs if we be not with our selues Plus valet consonantia voluntatum quâ—…m vocum The harmonie of our voyces is not so pleasing to God as of our hearts This is the happiest meeting in this world The denyall of this comfort made the soule of Dauid sicke cast downe disquieted within him And his reuiuall was that he might goe vnto the altar of God vnto God his exceeding ioy Indeede the vngodly thinke not thus they are more delighted with the tabernacles of Meshek and the tauernes of Kâ—…der In the 2. of Luke when Ioseph Mary had lost Iesus comming from Ierusalem they sought him among their kinsfolke and acquaintance But they found him not till they came to Ierusalem there he was in the Temple The children of God when they seeke Christ find him not in the world among their kinred friends in the flesh but in Domo Dei in the house of God It is dangerous to be absent from these holy meetings least we misse of our Sauiours companie God did not promise to meete thee here thou vsurer at the Banke thou drunkard at the alehouse thou sluggard on thy vnseasonable couch but at the Church Christ comes to appeare to vs and we are gone some about our farmes of couetousnes others about carnall pleasures In vaine we seeke God if not in his right Vbi where he hath promised to be found Fugienti bonum consortium obuenit corruptum corrumpens sodalitium He that eschewes Christian meetings shall be met withall either by the Deuill when he is lazy or by the Deuils friends when he is busie 2. When death
them casting vp white and red earth in abundance Wherewith his amazed eyes growing soone enamoured he desires a participation of their riches They refuse to ioyne him in their gaines vnlesse he wil ioyne himselfe in their paines Hereupon he fals to toyling digging deluing til some of the earth fals so hea uie vpon him that it lames him and he is able to goe no further There he dies in the sight of that Citie to which he could not goe for want of feet looseth a certaine substantial gift for an vncertain shadow of vaine hope You can easily apply it God of his gracious fauour not for our deserts giues man his creature a glorious Citie euen that whose foundations are of Iasper Saphyre and Emerald c. He doth more directes him the way to it Goe on this way Walke in loue He begins to trauell and comes within the sight of heauen but by the way he spies worldlings toyling in the earth and scraping together white and red clay siluer and gold the riches of this world Hereof desirous he is not suffered to partake except hee also partake of their couetousnes and corrupt fashions Now Mammon sets him on worke to digge out his owne damnation where after a while this gay earth comes tumbling fo fast vpon him that his feet be maimed his affections to heauen lost and he dyes short of that glorious Citie which the king of heauen purchased with his owne bloud and gaue him Thinke of this ye worldlings and seeing you know what it is to be charitable put your feet in this way Walke in Loue. There be yet others whose whole course is euery step out of the way to God who is Loue and they must walke in Loue that come vnto him 1. There is a path of Lust they erre damnably that call this the way of Loue. They turne a spirituall grace into a carnall vice and whereas Charitie and Chastity are of nearer allyance then sound these debauched tongues call vncleanesse Loue. Adulterie is a cursed way though a much coursed way for a whore is the high-way to the Deuill 2. There is a path of malice and they that trauell it are bound for the Enemie Their euill eye is vexed at Gods goodnes and their hands of desolation would vndoe his mercies Other mens health is their sicknes others weale their woe The Iesuites and their bloudy Proselyts are pilgrims in this way We know by experience the scope of their walkes Their malice was strong as Sauire in saxa but they would turne Ierusalem in aceruum Lapidum into a heape of stones Yea such was their rage that Nil reliqui fecerunt Vt non ipsis elementis fieret iniuria they spared not to let the elements know the madnesse of their violence They could not draw fire from heauen their betters could not do it in the dayes of Christ on earth therefore they seeke it they digge it from hell Flectere cùm nequeunt Superos Acheronta movebunt Here was a malicious walking 3. There is a counterfeit path the Travellers make as if they walked in loue but their loue is dissimulation It is not dilectio vera true love which S. Ioh. speakes of nor dilectio mera as Luther not a plaine-hearted loue They will cosen you vnseene and then like the whore in the Proverbes wipe their mouthes and it was not they Their art is Alios pellere aut tollere to giue others a wipe or a wound Iudas-like they salute those with a kisse against whome they intend most treason 4. There is a way directly crosse to loue which neither obeyes God for loue keepes the commandements nor comforts man for loue hath compassion on the distressed These haue feete swift enough but swift to shed bloud Destruction and miserie are in their wayes They are in Zedechiahs case both their eyes are put out and their feete lamed with the captiue chaines of Satan so easily carried downe to his infernall Babilon These are they that devoure a man and his heritage Therefore Christ calles their riches not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things without them as if they had swallowed them down into their bowels The phrase is vsed by Iob He hath swallowed downe riches he shall vomit them vp againe God shall cast them out of his belly When this vomit is given them you shall see strange stuffe come from them Here the raw and vndigested gobbets of vsurie there the mangled morsels of bloudy oppressions here fiue or sixe impropriate Churches there thousand acres of decayed tillage here a whole casket of bribes there whole houses and patrimonies of vndone orphans here an Inclosure of commons there a vastation of proper and sanctified things Rip vp their conscie nces and this is the stuffing of their hearts These walke crosse to the Crosse of Christ as Paul sayth they are Enemies cursed walkers Whereupon we may conclude with Bernard Periculosa tempora iam non instant sed extant the dangerous times are not comming but come vpon vs. The cold frost of indevotion is so generall that many haue benūmed ioynts they cannot walke in loue Others so stiffe and obdurate that they will meete all that walke in this way and with their turbulent malice striue to iustle them out of it Therefore David prayes Preserue me from the violent men that haue purposed to ouerthrowe my goings Let vs then vpon this great cause vse that deprecation in our Let any From pride vain-glory hypocrisie from envy hatred malice all vncharitablenes Good Lord deliver vs. I am loth to giue you a bitter farewell or to conconclude with a menace I see I cannot by the times leaue drinke to you any deeper in this cup of Charity I will touch it once againe and let every present soule that loues heauen pledge me Walke in loue The way to life everlasting is loue and hee that keepes the way is sure to come to the end We knowe that we haue passed from death to life because we loue the brethren For this are the workes of mercie charity piety and pitty so much commended in the Scriptures by the Fathers with so high titles because they are the appoynted way wherein we must walke and whereby we must worke vp our owne salvation Therefore the Apostle claps in the necke of good workes laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Thereby wee lay the ground of saluation in our consciences and take assured hold of eternall life He that goes on in loue shall come home to life This comforts vs not in a presumption of merite but in confident knowledge that this is the way to glory wherein when we find our selues Walking wee are sure we are going to heauen and sing in the wayes of the Lord Great is the glory of the Lord.
of the Saints as they did the soule of Lazarus into the bosome of Abraham haue no commission for this mans soule This rich man might be wheeled and whirled in a Coach or perhaps Pope-like be borne on mens shoulders but the poore begger vvhose hope is in heauen though his body on earth that could neither stand goe nor sitte is now carried in the highest state by the very Angels when the other dying hath no better attendance then deuils And so if you aske who then require his soule sith neither God nor heauē nor the blessed Angels wil receiue it why deuills they that haue right to it by Gods iust decree for his vniust obedience Gods iustice so appoints it for his sinnes haue so caused it Sathan chalengeth his due his officers require it Thou hast offended oh miserable Cosmopolite against thy great Soueraignes Law Crowne and Maiestie now all thou hast is confiscate thy goods thy body thy soule Thou whose whole desires were set to scrape all together shalt now find all scattered asunder thy close congestion meets with a vvide dispersion Euery one claimes his owne the vvorld thy riches the wormes thy carkase the deuill thy soule Lust hath transported thine eyes blasphemie thy tongue pride thy foote oppression thy hand couetousnesse thy heart now Satan requires thy soule Not to giue it ease rest or supply to the defects of thy insatiate desires no dabit in cruciatum he shal deliuer it ouer to torment When. This night In this darke Quando lie hid two fearefull extremities Sadnesse and Suddennesse It is not onely said In the night but in This night 1. In the Night this aggrauates the horror of his iudgement The night is a sad and vncomfortable time therefore misery is compared to the Night and ioy said to come in the Morning Pray that your flight be not in the night saith Christ to the Iewes as if the dismall time would make desperate their sorow The night presents to the fantasie which then lies most patient of such impressions many deceiuing and affrightfull imaginations Well then may a true not fantasied terror worke strongly on this wretches heart whiles the night helps it forward All sicknesse is generally stronger by night then by day this very circumstance of season then aggrauates his miserie making at once his greefe stronger himselfe vveaker But what if wee looke further then the literall sense and conceiue by this night the darknesse of his soule Such a blindnesse as he brings on himselfe though the day of the Gospell be broke round about him The cause of night to a man is the interposition of the earth betwixt him and the Sunne This worldling hath placed the earth the thicke and grosse body of riches betweene his eyes and the Sunne of righteousnesse And so shine the Sunne neuer so cleare it is still night with him There is light enough without him but there is darknesse too much within him And then darkenesse must to darkenesse inward to outward as Christ calls it vtter darkenesse He would not see whiles he might hee shall not see when he would Though hee shall for euer haue fire enough yet it shall giue him no light except it bee a little glimmering to shew him the torments of others and others the torments of himselfe 2. This night the sadnesse is yet encreased by the sodainnesse It will be fearefull not onely to bee surprised in the night but in that night when hee doth not dreame of any such matter when there is no feare nor suspition of apprehension His case is as with a man that hauing rested with a pleasing slumber and beene fedde with a golden dreame suddenly waking findes his house flaming about his eares his wife and children dying in the fire robbers ransacking his coffers and transporting his goods all louers forsaking no friend pitying when the very thrusting in of an arme might deliuer him This rich man was long asleepe and beene delighted with prety wanton dreames of enlarged barnes and plentifull haruests as all worldly pleasures are but waking dreames now he starts vp on the hearing of this Soule-knell and perceiues all was but a dreame and that indeed hee is euerlastingly wretched The suddennes encreaseth the misery The rich man hath no time to dispose his goods how shall he doe with his soule If in his health wealth peace strength succoured with all the helps of nature of opportunity preaching of the Gospell counsell of ministers comfort of friends he would not worke out his saluation what shall hee doe when extreame pangs deny capablenesse to receiue them and shortnesse of his time preuents their approaching to him He hath a huge bottome of sinne to vnrauell by repentance which he hath beene many years winding vp by disobedience now a great worke and a little time doe not well agree This sudden call is fearefull This night shall thy soule be required Yet before I part from this point let me giue you two notes 1. There is mercy in God that it is hac nocte this night not this houre not this moment Hac nocte vvas suddaine but hoc momento had beene more sudden and that this larger exhibition of time is allowed was Gods meere mercy against the worldlings merit He that spared Niniueh many forties of yeares will yet allow her forty daies He that forbore this wretch many daies receiuing no fruit worth his expectation will yet adde a few houres God in the midst of iustice remembers mercie much time he had receiued and abused yet he shall haue a little more When the Lords hand is lifted vp to strike him yet he giues him some lucida interualla monitionis warning before he lets it downe But let not the worldling presume on this sometimes not an houre not a minute is granted Sword Palsie Apoplexie Impostume makes quicke dispatch and there is no space giuen to cry for mercy But what if a paucity of houres be permitted ancient wounds are not cured in haste the plaister must lie long vpon them There was one man so saued to take away desperation and but one so saued to barre presumption Conuersion at the eleuenth houre is a wonder at the twelfth a miracle All theeues doe not goe from the gallhouse to glory because one did no more then al Asses speak because God opened the mouth of one Flatter not thy selfe with hope of time Nemo sibi promittat quod non promittit Euangelium Let no man promise himselfe a larger patent then the Gospell hath sealed to him 2. The day of the wicked turnes at last to a night After the day of vanity comes the night of iudgment Now is the time when the rich mans Sunne sets his light and his delight is taken from him His last sand is runne out the clocke hath ended his latest minute his night is come His day of pleasure was short his night of sorrow is euerlasting Extremum gaudij luctus occupat Vexation treads on the
heeles of vanity Mans life is compared to a Day This day to some may be distinguished into twelue houres The first giues vs natiuity euen in this houre there is sin an originall prauity indisposition to good pronenesse to euill Secondly Infancy God now protects the cradle Thirdly Childhood and now we learn to speake and to sweare together the sap of iniquity begins to put out Fourthly Tender age wherein toyes and gawdes fill vp our scene Fiftly Youth this is a madding a gadding time Remember not the sins of this time prayes Dauid their remembrance is bitter sayes Iob. Sixtly Our high noone God that could not be heard before for the loud noyse of vanity now looks for audience for obedience Seuenthly This is full of cares crosses the dugs of the world taste bitter it is full time that this houre should weane vs. Eightly Brings vs to a sense of mortality we feele our bloud decaying Ninthly Our bodies goe crooked and stooping to put vs in minde that they are going to their originall earth Tenthly We are euen as dying we do dye by degrees our senses first faile vs our eyes are dimme like old Isaacs our eares deafe our taste dull our grinders are done our stilts vnable to support vs. Eleuenthly We are a burden to our selues to our friends we long for death if any hope of a better life hath possessed our hearts The twelfth houre it comes Which of these houres pass ouer vs without Gods mercies without our voluntary vnthankfulnesse vnlesse those first houres wherein our ignorance is vncapable of such obseruance All thy day long haue I stretched out my hands vnto thee saith God If none of these houres reclaime vs our day is spent and the night comes that night wherein no man can worke actiuely to comfort though passiuely he worke for euer in torment I knovv that God cuts many one short of most of these houres and often shuts vp his day-light before hee comes to his noone But howsoeuer man passe from Infancy to childhood from childhood to youth from youth to age yet senectutem nemo excedit none can be more then olde Though tam senex nemo quin putet se annum posse viuere no man is so old but still he thinks hee may liue another yeare And therefore lightly the older the more couetous and Quò minus viae restat eò plus viatici quâ—…ritur the lesse iourney men haue the more prouision they make God allowes this liberall time to some but what enemies are we to our selues that of all these twelue houres allow our selues not one Many post off their conuersion from day to day sending Religion afore them to thirty and then putting it off to forty and not pleased yet to ouertake it promise it entertainment at threescore at last death comes and allowes not one houre In youth men resolue to allow themselues the time of age to serue God in age they shuffle it off to sicknesse when sicknes comes care to dispose their goods lothnesse to dye hope to escape martyrs that good thought and their resolution still keepes before them the length of Gracious street at least If wee haue but the lease of a Farme for twenty yeares we make vse of the time and gather profit But in this precious Farme of Time we are so ill husbands that our Lease comes out before we are one penniworth of grace the richer by it Take heed it is dangerous trifling out thy good day lest thou heare this message in the euening This night shall thy soule be required of thee Then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided This is the Question It were somewhat if thou mightest perpetually enioy them thy selfe if thou couldst fetch downe eternity to them As those in the 49. Psalme whose inward thought is that their houses shall continue for euer and their dwelling places to all generations they call their lands after their owne names But there is a Quamdiù and a Quousque Hovv long Hab. 2. How long Thou that lodest thy selfe vvith thicke clay How farre Esa. 14. How farre Thou that madest the earth to tremble and didst shake the Kingdomes Here is a Non vltra to both thy power is confined thy time is limited both thy latitude and extention are brief'd vp heere 's thy period a full stop in the midst of the sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whose shall those things bee which thou hast prouided He that should read thy history being ignorant of thy destiny and finde so plentifull a happinesse in the first page of the booke grounds so fertill cattell so prospering house so furnished possibilities stroâ—… king thy hopes hopes milking thy desires desires dancing to the tune of thy pleasures promises of larger barnes more opulent fruites and all this with ease yea with hearts-ease Soule be merry and comming now to the end of the page but not of the sentence turning ouer a new leafe thinking there to reade the maturity and perfection of all should finde a blanke an abrupt period an vnlook'd for stoppe would surely imagine that eyther destiny was mistaken or else some leaues were torne out of the booke Such a Cuius erunt haec omnia would be a terrible dash in a story of happinesse so fairely written and promising so good an Epilogue But here is his end you must read him no further He whom you haue seene this day you shall see him againe no more for euer Whose shall these things be O worldling Were thy grounds as Eden and thy house like the Court of Iehoiakim yet dost thou thinke to raigne because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar no aduenit finis tâ—…us Thy end is come Whose shall these things be It were something yet if thy children might enioy these riches But there is a man that hath no child yet is there no end of his labour neyther is his eye satisfied vvith wealth And he sayth not For whom doe I trauell and bereaue my soule of this good The prodigall would bee his owne heyre and Executor but this couetous man bequeaths neyther legacy to himselfe nor to any knowne Inheritour The other desires to see en end of all his substance this man to see onely the beginning Hee hunts the world full cry yet hath no purpose to ouertake it he liues behind his wealth as the other liues beyond it But suppose hee hath children and then though hee famish himselfe to feed them fatte though he be damned yet if his sonne may be made a Gentleman there is some satisfaction But this Cuius erunt is a scattering word and of great vncertainty Whose shall they be perhaps not thy childrens They say Happy is that sonne whose father goes to the Deuill but thou maist goe to the Deuill and yet not make thy sonne happy For men make heritages but God makes heyres He will wash away the vnholy seed and cut off the generation of the wicked Salomon had