filio Dei hominis the same title belongeth vnto him euen as hee was incarnate whereof the ground is the personall vnion the man-hood being assumed into one person with the God-head In regard of the first consideration is hee called vnigenitus the onely begotten of his Father in regard of the second he is called Primogenitus the first borne of many Brethren both wayes is CHRIST neere vnto GOD but our comfort standeth in the latter that Emanuel God with vs or in our Nature is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sonne of God for that is fons origo Adoptionis nostrae it is that which layeth the soundation of being the sonnes of GOD. As CHRIST was neere so was hee deere vnto GOD. And indeed the words that note the neerenesse containe the grounds of the deerenesâ—e also and they were vnigenitus the onely begotten and primogenitus the first borne vnigenitus ergo vnicè dilectus the onely begotten therefore onely beloued primegenitus ergo praecipuè dilectus the first begotten therefore the especially beloued of GOD for this is a principle Euery man loneth himselfe the more of himselfe hee findeth any where the more he affecteth if he bee not degenerate A father loueth his onely sonne intirely because he hath no more and his eldest chiefely because hee is Principium praecipuum roboris the first and chiefe of his strength But this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or naturall affection of men is but a sparkle and that much allaied of that which is in GOD originally and but deriuatiuely in vs. Therefore we may easily conceiue that CHRIST that is so neere in nature and grace must needes bee most deere vnto GOD that indeed he is Vir desidertorum a man after Gods owne Heart and the true Dauid that is beloued as the Prophets call him Adde hereunto that setled loue where it is iudicious is more feruent Now Christus is dilectus not recenti impulsu sed inolito probato it is as ancient as GOD euen coeternall that CHRIST is the Sonne of GOD onely it is in time delated to the man-hood but the length of it is Aeternitie See then how GOD expresseth his loue to vs when he so describeth the person that hee bestoweth vpon vs. And haue we then any thing which we should thinke too good to render vnto GOD Abraham will teach vs better who spared not Vnicum and dilectum silium his onely beloued Sonne when GOD called for him and we see how his thank fulnesse prospered Certainely we would prosper much better if in this kindnesse we would striue to bee answerable vnto GOD. I. pray GOD we may sure I am wee haue good cause if there were no other motiue then is contained in filius and Dilectus if we doe consider onely what the second Person in Trinity is to the first How much more if wee consider what hee doeth for vs In him is the Father well pleased Wee will resolue this Note into two first wee will see in whom and then how the FATHER is pleased Hee is pleased in his beloued Sonne This opens a Mystery Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold Exod. 28. said GOD to Moses and graue vpon it like the ingrauing of a signet Holinesse to the Lord and thou shalt put it vpon a blew lace that it may bee vpon the Miter vpon the forefront of the Miter it shall be and it shall bee vpon Aarons fâ—rehead that Aaron may beare the iniquitie of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their hory guifts and it shall be alwayes vpon his forehead that they may bee accepted before the Lord Euen so CHRIST being to bee consecrated now High Priest hath the Holy Ghost descending vpon him that so the Church may bee made acceptable in GODS beloued SONNE Neither was hee the Trueth onely of the High Priest but of the Sacrifices also St. Paul Hebr. 10. applieth to this purpose that place in the Psalme Psal 40. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not but a body hast then prepared me in burnt offerings and Sacrifices for sinne thou hast no pleasure then said I loe I come In the volume of thy Booke it is written of me to ave thy will O God In this sense doth the Law vse the word Ratza when it is applied to Sacrifices â—enit 1. and saith that they shall be accepted for the offerer and make an attonement for him Vntill CHRIST came there was no remedy against the curse of the Law but Typicall within the Church and without fruitlesse Colos 1. but CHRIST incarnate brought a soueraigne remedy Ephes 2. when hee became the true Propitiatory in him it pleased God that all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all things both in Heauen and earth De Censensu Ruangelact lib. 2. cap. 4. St. Austin speaketh briefely but fully In te complacui is as much as Per te constitui gerere quod mihi placuit In thee am I well pleased not onely taking delight in that which thou art but also by thee accomplishing all the good that I meane to the sonnes of men But what did CHRIST Surely he did propitiate GODS wrath and giue man grace in GODS eyes these two workes are contained in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are the blessings that flow from GODS good will towards men Reconciliation is composed of both of GODS Indulgence and Beneficence Indulgence is not enough without Beneficence â— Sam. 14. Absalon shewed this to Ioab when hee was restored from his banishment but not admitted into the King his fathers presence A good patterne to bee imitated by men is GOD who dealeth so in his reconciliation with men whereas men vse some times to forgiue but seldome to forget also they thinke it too much to deserue well and enough that they doe not deserue ill I would it were no more But let vs touch at these points a sunder first at the propitiating of GODS wrath The latter Chronologers will haue this Sacring of IESVS to haue beene performed vpon the day of Expiation in September which if it bee true then the Holy Ghost doeth fairely insinuate that CHRIST came as the Lambe of God to take away the sinnes of the world How soeuer this is true that hee bare our sinnes in his body and by his stripes we are made whole that he cancelled our obligation and slew hatred when hee suffered â—pon the Crosse Neither did CHRIST onely propitiate GODS wrath but also gaue man grace in GODS eyes CHRIST teacheth it in three Parables of the lost Sheepe the lost Groat and the Prodigall Childe The Fathers obserue the Allegory that St. Peter maketh in comparing Noahs Arke vnto the Church and obserue moreouer that as the Doue brought the Oliue branch into the Arke in token that the deluge was ceased and the world was become habitable againe Euen so the Doue that lighted vpon CHRIST brought the glad tidings of the Gospel it
Peccatum if they meane Vitium morale as they must needs in this Argument grant what they deny though they would shift it by acknowledging nothing to bee sinne but that which hath a concurrencie of our will which is too scant a Desinition if it be admitted will excuse not only habituall corruption but our Ignorances also and Omissions from being sinne But enough of this poynt A second thing that is to be obserued in the name giuen to this Corruption is that it is called Sinne in the singular number And indeed that which is Originall is but One euen the first One that was committed by Adam only that and the euill of that is propagated to Posteritie The difference betweene the Couenant of the Creation and the Euangelicall Couenant stands in this that without any imitation of ours or sinning after the example of Adam wee are guiltie of his first transgression and the consequents thereof fall vpon vs whereas hee communicates no other of his sinnes and all other successiue Parents vntill the time of our birth communicate no sinnes of theirs but such as we imitate and make our owne by imitation and in this sense must we vnderstand the 18. of Ezekiel where it is said Vers 20. that the Children shall not beare the iniquitie of their Fathers the second Commandement must haue the same interpretation Although we may not deny that temporally God doth visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children to the terror and example of others whom Magistrates in their Politicke Lawes imitate herein for the good of their State Therefore that extension of punishment must be vnderstood Non absolutè but Secundum quid not of Originall but of Actuall sinnes and those not propagated but imitated The Sinne then is but One but yet that One is such a One as is Vniuersall and Seminall Vniuersall if you looke to the Act which Adam committed for it was an Vniuersall Apostasie and the Diuines which looke curiously into it doe finde in it all kinde of sinnes both of the first and of the second Table But time will not suffer me to particularize As it is Vniuersall in regard of Adams Act so in regard of the corrupt Habit that followed thereupon and is an expresse image thereof it is Seminall it containeth the Seede of all kinds of Sinne so that there is no kind of Sinne whereunto the nature of man is not prone Saint Iohn reduceth all that is in the world to three Heads 1. 1. Ep. 2.6 The lust of the flesh 2. the lust of the eyes 3. the pride of life that is Couetousnes Voluptuousnes and Hautinesse and who is there in whom this seede is not found and from whom doth it not fructisie more or lesse as men haue more or lesse of the grace of God Saint Paul speaketh significantly when he sayeth that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sinning sinne Rom. 7.13 and that operatur omnem concupiscentiam it worketh all kind of lusts in man Rom. 7.8 and the Septuagint whom the Vulgar imitates may happily meane the compound nature of this sinne when it rendreth the word in the plurall number which the Originall hath in the singular These properties must be obserued because by them we may stop the mouthes of all profane persons that extenuate the greiuousnesse of Originall Sinne. As that which hath befallen our nature by Adams Fall may iustly bee called Sinne so is this Sinne fitly called Natiue or Originall for as the text teacheth Man is shapen therein and therein doth his Mother conceiue Him it is such a sinne as wee deriue from our Parents But our Parents are of two sorts earthly and heauenly wee haue our being principally from God so saith Iob vnto him thy hands haue made mee Iob. 10. vers 10. c. and fashioned me together round about thou hast powred me out as milke crudled me like Cheese thou hast cloathed me with skin and flesh and fenced me with benes and sinewes thou hast granted me life c. Vers 15. Vers 3. 1. Ep. Ioh. 2.16 Gen. 1.31 Iam. 1. Feelesias 15.10.11 c. Ecclesias 25.24 Rom. 5.12 DAVID obserues the very same Psal 139. and Psal 127. Lo saith hee children are an Heritage of the Lord and the fruâ—â— of the wombe is his reward But Concupiscence is not of that father for All that he made was good and only Euery good and perfect guift commeth from him Therefore must we fetch this from other Parents our Parents that are below from the wombe that bare vs and the paps that gaue vs sucke The Mother is here named and indeed from the woman was the beginning of sinne and in her we all die but not in her only for the Apostle tells vs that By one Man sinne came into the world and that Man was Adam Philosophie teacheth that in generation the man is Principium Actiuum he is the principall cause of our Being and therefore of our being Corrupted And indeed the woman could not conceiue which is a passiue action except a man did infuse the seede therefore is he implied in this Text though he be not exprest And as wee receitie from both our Parents our being so doe wee our being Corrupt Serm. de Excell Eatust Apolog. Dauid c. 11. What Saint Bernard sayd of Adam and Eue is true Prius peremptores quà m parentes they had first murdered before they ingendered their Children and what of successiue generations Ambrose Ante vsuram lucis originis excipimus iniuriam et antequam nascimur maculamur contagio our parents beget Children after their owne Image Ephe. 2.3 dead in sinne and by nature children of wrath And how can it bee otherwise 1. Pet. 1.23 Iohn 3.6 the seed whereof wee are made is Corruptible seede so that that which is borne of flesh must needs bee flesh neither can any man draw that which is cleane Ioh 14.4 〈…〉 8. Psal 58.3 out of a nature which is vncleane Therefore seeing old Adam is propagated in all All must bee called transgessors from their youth But there is a curious Question how this Sinne is conueyed from the Parents to the Child from the dayes of Pelagius it hath much troubled the Church argued by the Fathers by the schoolemen by the Reformed Diuines yet so as that the most iudicious haue beene most sober and least aduenturous to define the manner I will not trouble you with that altercation Saint Austine hath said enough for the Pulpit in those few words The propagation is continued iusto but occulto Dei indicio God in so punishing hath done no more then he threatned in the Couenant although how he doth execute this Iudgement hee is not pleased to reueale but leaueth men rather to adore such secrets then to prie too farre into them Especially if their curiositie proue so vaine as to denie that which is euident because they cannot finde out that which is hidden as Hereticks haue
is longed for also when it is wanting in our nature By the Fall amongst other endowments this was lost Psal 62. â— The Sonnes of men are become vanity the sonnes of noble men are but a lie God then beholding them must needs finde wanting what in the Creation hee bestowed vpon them and what hee findeth wanting that he desireth may be recouered Behold how hee sheweth himselfe as a Father that might deale with vs as a Iudge what hee might exact hee desireth and desireth as a Father the supply of that the want whereof hee might punish as a Iudge hee taketh more delight to see vs recouered mercifully then iustly to perish in our sinnes The words must not be vnderstood exclusiuely Hee desireth Truth in the inward parts as if he desired it not also in the outward The inward is his Peculiar a closet whereinto none can enter but himselfe and as his residence is specially there so doth his eye principally looke into that wee may not thinke that the Holinesse that will content the Creature will content the Creator also when we go about to reforme wee must goe as deepe as Gods eye goeth and not thinke that all is well vntill all is well there But when we are prouided for that Mat. 5.29 wee must Let our light shine also before men the outward parts must haue Truth in them also God that is the Author of societies loues the bands of them also and by commanding the obseruation and commending the obseruers testifieth his good will towards them to the confusion of all Equiuocaters that diuorce the Inwards from the Outwards and care not how much fraud they vse outwardly while they please themselues with a counterfeit truth inwardly Wee must entertaine both such a truth in the Inward parts as manifesteth it selfe in the Outward and giueth good content both to God and Man But marke God that desireth Truth in the inward parts commendeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not bid vs root out our Affections but order them aright he calls not for stupidity but simplicitie he wills vs to flie all serpentine wiles but to entertaine a singlenesse of mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril vnleauened affections are much set by of God and sincerity is a vertue that yeelds sweet sauour vnto him Finally our Repentance our Confidence must specially be seasoned with this vertue for vnto them is the Text specially applyed And let this suffice for the regard that is yeelded to Sincerity I come now to the meanes by which it may be had and that is by diuine instruction of our Heart The Heart is here meant by the hidden part which elsewhere is called the Hidden man of the Heart why it is called Hidden in some sort I told you before as also why it is called a Part and not Parts the entrall is single and it hath a couering as it appeareth in the anatomizing of our bodies But by the entrall is meant the Vnderstanding the thoughts whereof are knowne onely vnto God They that write of the Temple of Salomon doe many of them parallel it with our persons which are temples of the Holy Ghost as that was partly vncouered and partly couered so haue wee an Outward and an Inward man and as that part of the Temple which was couered was partly Sanctum and partly Sanctum Sanctorum so haue we in our Inward man a couert seate of our desires which must be holy as you haue hitherto heard and a couert seate of the rule of our desires which must be more holy and that is our Heart there doth God reside as in his most Holy place and from thence by our conscience giueth order to the whole course of our life This place or power must be furnished with Wisedome The Apostle doth teach vs to distinguish betweene the Wisedome of this world and the Wisedome of God whereof the former is seeming the latter is Wisedome indeed This Wisedome is nothing but that guiding knowledge wherewith the Conscience must be furnished our desires haue no reason of themselues that which they haue they haue by participation of the higher power which is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is the guide of the inferiour powers now you know the vertue of a guide is Wisedome take away Wisedome hee will bee but a bad guide a bad did I say nay a blinde guide for Wisedome is his Eye and you know what our Sauiour Christ saith Mat. 6.22 The light of the body is the Eye if therefore thine Eye be single the whole body shall be full of Light if thine Eye bee euill the whole body shall be full of darknesse This Wisedome is nothing else but those good and sound Principles of Direction which should giue order to our affections which of them should stirre when and how farre did not Wisedome giue this order out of a true iudgement past vpon the Obiect Feare would stirre where Hope is called for and we would Ioy where wee should Grieue but that each affection taketh his proper turne and obserueth its iust measure wee are beholding vnto Wisedome But whence is this Wisedome Iob 38.36 Iob moued the question who hath put Wisedome in the inward parts or who hath giuen vnderstanding to the heart hee answereth himselfe fully in the 28. Chapter and the summe of his Answere is that God is the giuer thereof The reason may be taken from the nature of Wisedome which is answerable to the name thereof C. 6. â— 23 so saith the Sonne of Syrach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisedome is as the name thereof importeth and it is not reuealed vnto many Fuâ—lâ— Misâ— l. 1. c. 5. Now it hath its name from Tzaphah which signifieth to couer And indeed true Wisedome had a double Couering in the dayes of King Dauid a Couering of Ceremonies that darkened the things and a Couering of Infidelity that made most men incapable of them only God could remoue these Couerings cleare the Mysteries of Religion and giue men eyes for to discerne them not that God vseth not the ministery of men and by men informeth vs of our duties but they can goe no farther then the Outward man Ambros Cathedram habet in Coelo qui docet corda none but our Master which is in Heauen can open our hearts and worke these good instructions into our consciences This is the tenour of the Couenant of Grace Behold Ier. 31.32 the Day is come saith the Lord that I shall make a new Couenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Iuda I will put my Lawes into their inward parts and in their Hearts will I write them and so saith Saint Paul 2. Cor. 3.17 Ibid. v. 18 where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie libertie from both the Couerings so that Men with open face behold the glory of the Lord. And indeed who should repaire these guifts when they
true the soueraigne good There is one thing moreouer meant by this phrase which is peculiar vnto Dauid and doth somwhat concerne all those that are in authority 1. Sam. ca. 16 and that is an heroicall spirit Numb 11. God gaue him one when hee anointed him first to be King so did he vnto Moses Exod. ca. 19. and the Elders which were chosen to assist him Though euery child of God must by a noble spirit testifie his parentage and that Kingly degree whereunto he is called of God yet they that are set ouer others must haue a principall spirit in a higher measure answerable to their charge must their gifts be seruilitie beseemes none lesse then those who are appointed guides to lead others out of thraldome The next point is King Dauids prayer vphold or stablish His late wofull experience had taught him that he was labilis and fragilis that he was apt to take a fall and with the fall a bruise therefore hee had good reason to pray God to hold him vp to strengthen him yea the best are mutable creatures as they were made of nothing so of themselues they would turne to nothing againe Therefore hee that standeth must pray that he may not fall that his house rest not vpon the Sands to be blowen downe by the winds or borne downe by the Waues but vpon a Rocke which will hold out against them both Secondly this word importeth that he that hath recouered a fall Clem. Alex. Stromat lib. â— desires that he may no more relapse Vilificat libertatem qui iterùm vult amittere it is a shrewd argument that he setteth light by a free spirit that doth not desire as well for to keepe it as for to haue it and the desire for to keepe it doth argue at how deare a rate we set it Thirdly Saint Bernards rule is true Quae modo sunt modo non sunt is qui verè est non acceptat nec in caducis istis potest vera aeternitas sibi complacere Vertue be it neuer so eminent pleaseth not God except it bee lasting he will haue euery one striue to resemble him as well in constancie as in sanctitie Finally this comfortable sense and generous spirit are the two supporters of perseuerance for what should moue him to fall from God that is heartned with the comfortable sense of Gods fauour and established by a generous spirit to doe him seruice Therefore Gregorie the Great giueth vs a good note In 〈◊〉 Psal that if wee meane to perseuere wee must take heed that we doe not seuer these Solet quibusdam contingere c. it falleth out too often saith he that men luld a sleepe with the ioy of saluation forget how feeble their knees are and begge not to be held vp with a free spirit and so slip before they are aware wherefore he addeth Ita me correctum sac gaudere de veniâ vt tamen nunquam desinam esse suspectus de culpâ Let me neuer so ioy in the pardon of my sinnes as that out of the consciousnesse of my owne frailtie I should not desire to be strengthned against sinne The last thing I noted vpon this Text is Who is the giuer of these gifts and it appeareth to bee God for to him King Dauid prayeth and what better proofe then that euery man seeketh it of him and thanketh him Serm 6. Dei onâ—â—e 〈◊〉 Cap. 6. 1. Cor. 1.31 if that he haue it What meane we saith Saint Cyprian by all the Lords Prayer Nisi vt in eo quod esse cepimus perseueremus Whereunto agreeth Saint Augustine and the Apostle telleth vs that he that glorieth must glorie in the Lord Vntill we come to God we can find no ground of stabilitie how glorious were the Angels in Heauen How holy was Adam in Paradise Both left vnto themselues are monuments of the frailtie of a creature If they how much more we that come so short of their gifts Wherefore God hauing shewed vs how little stedfastnesse there is in the foundation of nature Psal 94. buildeth vs vpon a surer foundation he buildeth vs vpon himselfe Hee is become our refuge and the strength of our considence And as he only can establish vs with a free spirit so only he can restore vnto vs the ioy of his saluation The earth may breath forth vapours and intercept the sun-shine but not the Earth but the Sunne it selfe must dispell those vapours that with his brightnesse hee may cheere the earth againe our sinnes may cloud the light of Gods countenance only Gods mercie can make it breake through that cloude and shed a comfortable influence into our soule I say only God that for sinne withdrew it from vs. It is not meant that hereupon we should grow idle but wee must not ouer-value our endeuours Heb. 3.12 wee must take heed that our Lampes goe not out That there be not in any of vs an euill heart of infidelitie to depart from the liuing God Psal 127. we must gird vp our loines and we must watch But yet wee must still remember that Except the Lord build the house they labour but in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the Citie the watchman waketh but in vaine Tutiores saith Saint Austin Esay 46. Viuimus si totum Deo damus non nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte committimus wee are most secure while we value our owne endeauours at nought and giue all the glorie of our stabilitie to God Heare yee me O house of Iacob and all that remayne of the house of Israel which are borne of mee from the wombe and brought vp of me from the birth therefore vnto the old age I am the same euen I will beare you vnto the hoarie haires I haue made you I will also beare you and I will carrie you and I will deliuer you If God put his feare into our hearts we shall not depart from him if hee keepe vs none shall be able to take vs out of his hand Reade Colos 1. Philip. 1. I conclude though we can say with Saint Paul 2. Tim. 4. I haue fought a good sight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith hence-foorth there is laid vp for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which God the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day yet let vs with the foure and twentie Elders Cast downe our selues and our crownes before him that sitteth vpon the Throne and the Lambe saying Reue. 4.4 Prayse and honour and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and to the Lambe for euermore AMEN PSAL. 51. VERSE 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and Sinners shall bee conuerted vnto thee WHen I brake vp the first part of this Psalme I told you that it was a Vow and therefore obserued therein the parts of a Vow a Desire and a Promise for when a man voweth there is something that he
possest with a spirit that is deafe and dumbe they had neede that Christ should say vnto them Ephata be thou opened they will not bee able so much as to say 1 Cor. 12.3 Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost But if God once open our lippes then we shall be able for to speake Neither to speake onely for there is more included in the phrase then so Psal 45. Colos 2. but Grace shall be powred into our lippes our words shall be poudred with Salt as Saint Paul speaketh God that openeth the lippes will also Suggerere materiam supplie the matter of our speech for that is it Dauid aymeth at that he may againe be the Pen-man of God and that his tongue may be the Pen of a ready writer that hee may speake nothing but that which is indited by the Holy Ghost that his words may flow alwayes from the grace of Sanctification and that he may as he was before be a Prophet also and be inspired to speake by the grace of edification Neither doth he ayme in this Prayer onely at the matter of his speech but at the manner also that he may speake with freedome and with wisedome with freedome that he be no more check't with his consciousnesse of sinne And indeede ingenuous freedome in praysing of God is a good argument that our soules are possest with the peace which passeth all vnderstanding Philip. 4 7 and ioy of the Holy Ghost As in the Prayer hee desireth freedome so doth he desire wisedome of speech also it is Gregorie the Greats note Illius os aperit Deus c. God openeth his mouth who doth attend not onely what he saith but also when where and to whom Our tongue though it be a little member Cap. 3. Tâ—eâ— 28. Chap 22. yet it is an vnruly one saith Saint Iames Life and death is in the power of the tongue which made the sonne of Syracke to moue this question Who shall set a watch vpon my mouth and a seale of wisedome vpon my Lippes that I fall not suddainely by them and that my tongue destroy me not Whereunto you may shape an answere out of Dautâ—s Prayer Set a watch O Lord before my mouth Psal 141. and keepe thou the doore of my Lippes so that without this Prayer he could neuer haue made good that promise which elswhere hee maketh Psal 39. I said I will take heede to my wares that I offend not with my tongue One Pamâ—o in the Ecclesiasticall storie is reported to haue studied that short lesson many yeeres and yet in the end he profest that he could not attaine to the exact practise thereof And which of vs is here that offendeth not in his tongue And therefore good reason haue the best euen the verie best to Pray with Dauid Lord open thou my mouth and humbly to surrender the gouernement of his tongue vnto God Finally by this which you haue heard you may easily gather that lippes are to be vnderstood as mouth before this is no more exclusiue then that the heart the whole man must follow the Lippes as before they did the tongue for looke with what we will praise God for that must wee craue Gods guiding and assistance And let this suffice for the particular points which are contained in this Text. I come now to the generall which arise out of the parts laide together Whereof the first is this that seeing Dauid prayeth Open my lippes and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise wee must not begge ought of God which wee meane not to imploy to his glorie that which commeth from him must returne vnto him againe he that is the first cause must bee the last end of all his creatures and of their gifts Therefore when God first opened Zacharies mouth then presently he fell to Luke 1. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. When God first endowed vs hee did it that we might the better serue him by our owne default we are disenabled and out of the sense thereof we must confesse that without a second gift of grace we can doe nothing not so much as thinke a good thought nor open our lippes vnto his praise he must worke in vs both to will and doe it Philip. 2.13 Farre be it then from vs that we should with those prophane persons Psal 12. say Our tongues are our owne we will speake who is Lord ouer vs And let ouâ— tongues runne wild Certainely God neuer openeth our lips for such endâ— hee doth not furnish vs with any gifts whereby we should oppose his glorie But all that commeth from him doth shew forth his vertues vnto the world In Exod. c. 3. and therefore if our tongues produce worse effectâ— there is some other then God that openeth our lippes Vereor saith Origen no sint aliqui quorum diabolus aperiat ora many so speake that a man may well feare that the Diuell hath charge of their lippes for their words honour him he is a Lyar and deceipt is vnder their lippes hee is a murderer and their throates are open sepulchers he an impure spirit and some mens talke is nothing but ribaldrie and doth not the Diuell open their mouthes In some places the Scripture speaketh it expresly Matth. 26. the Diuell entered into Iudas presently his tongue fell to conference with the High Priest what hee might haue for betraying of Christ Satan filled the heart of Ananias and Saphira Acts â— and they fell to lying against the Holy Ghost a lying spirit entred into Michaia the false Prophet and he presently seduced Ahab to goe and bee slaine at Ramoth Gilead 〈…〉 and what else meane those three vncleane spirits like Frogges that came out of the mouth of the Dragon 〈…〉 of the beast and of the false Prophet to gather the Kings of the earth to the Battell of the great day of God Almightie Certainely they are those impostors by whose tongues the Diuell doth abuse the world There are some that haue mungrell tongues out of whose mouth commeth blessing and cursing that can blesse God within the Church and curse their Brethren when they are without it whom I must remember of Saint Iames his censure 〈…〉 3 1. My brethren these things ought not so to be can the Fig tree beare Oliue berries or a Vine Figges No fountaine can send forth at the same hole sweete water and bitter fresh and salt What nature abhorreth in vnreasonable creatures sinne produceth commonly in creatures that are reasonable are not we then worse then they Yea verily much worse in that they are but naturall monsters and wee are morall It were much better for vs to be plaine dumbe then to be of gracelesse speech 〈◊〉 12. for we shall giue an accompt for euerie idle much more for euerie euill word I had rather then neuer speake then not speake to Gods glorie And yet mistake not God needeth not our praysing of him
aduise you shall sind in Meses 〈◊〉 â—â— The secret things belong vnto the Lord God but those things which are reuealed belong vnto vs and to our children for euer that we may doe all the words of this Law I haue hitherto told you onely in generall whom this Prohibition doth concerne but in the 24. verse wee find a distribution of these persons there we sind that the Law is laid not onely vpon the People but vpon the Priest also No body will make a a question of the people what modestie beseemeth them yet there was a time when the question was made of them also 〈◊〉 16. â— 3 for Korah Dathan and Abiram came vpon Moses and Aaron thus You take too much vpon you all the congregation is Holy and the Lord is amongst them God is as neere to euery man as he is to you and euerie man may come as neere God as you doe See you how they plead for confusion and animate the People to be bold with God But they were taught better manners I but if the people be what is that to the Priest Yea the Priest also is to learne modestie Not only the minor Cleargie as the Rhemists mince it but the maior too they that are likely most to presume were to haue a speciall Item For the pride of our heart will carrievs aboue our selues when wee see that others are placed below therefore they that are aduanced in any degree need to bee remembred that they keepe their station This did God excellently expresse in the fabricke of the Tabernacle and of the Temple wherein there was First Atrium prophanum thither might Infidels and vncleane persons come but no farther within that was Atrium populi thither might the Lay both women and men come that were circumcised and not vncleane but farther they might not come except it were to offer their speciall Sacrifices within that was Atrium Sacerdotum thereinto might the Leuites come to doe their seruice to the Priest but no farther within that was Sanctum thereinto might the Priest goe to offer Incense but no farther within that was Sanctum Sanctorum whereunto the High Priest only had accesse and that but once a yeare in reuerence of Gods maiestie sitting in the Cloud there vpon the Mercie Seate betweene the Cherubins You see that the neerest places to Gods presence were of rarest accesse and that by fewest persons Looke what state God kept in the Tabernacle and Temple the same he kept at this Hill appointing vnto the Israelites seuerall stations the multitude both of Priests and people haue their station allotted in this text Some might come nearer as Aaron Nadab and Abihu and the seuentie Elders but they are willed to worship afarre off and Moses alone was to come neare the Lord but they are expressely willed not to come nigh Verse 2â— In this Chapter Moses and Aaron are called vp alone and are excepted out of the prohibition they may passe beyond others whom God calleth and they only God was pleased to doe them this honour And wee must repute it a great honour done vnto them that they might come so neare vnto God Our Sauiour Christ in the dayes of his humiliation kept the like state so farre as might stand with his forme of a seruant For he did not conueâ—se so familiarly with the multitude as with the seuentie Disciples nor with the seuentie as with the twelue Apostles nor with the twelue Apostles as with the pillars of them Peter Iames and Iohn who only were admitted to bee priuie to the highest glorie that hee manifested on earth which was his Transfiguration and the deepest Passion which hee endured on earth which was his agonie Yea euen of these three he chose out one as the principall fauourite Iohn whose stile is the beloued Disciple who at supper leaned on his bosome whom Saint Peter himselfe vsed vnto Christ when he would be resolued Who it was that should betray him Finally him he made the high soring and sharpe sighted Eagle the beholder and penner of that Reuelation which hath as many mysteries as words God then who is an absolute Monarch will bee a free disposer of his fauours and we must not presume of more then hee vouchsafeth the People may not the Priest may not both must take heed vnto themselues that they doe not presume Take heed vnto themselues Then themselues haue a pronenesse to curiositie Iaâ—â—eâ— 1 And indeed so it is for euery man is baited and so ledaside by his owne lusts and there is no lust so ancient in man as pride is Yea the first sinne of Angels was the stepping ouer their bounds and though pride be not homebred in man as it was in Angels yet experience proued in Adam and Eue that mans nature is a soile very apt to conceiue the seed of pride if it be sowne in it by the Deuill neither will any seed of iniquitie proue sooner or faster Considering then the aptnesse of our nature to receiue and forwardnesse to bring forth this euill fruit God doth not without cause by Moses bid the Israelites take heed vnto themselues Neither to themselues only but to their cattell also they must bee watcht that they breake not the bounds And indeed if our peccare be quasi pecuare if wee shew our selues beasts when wee doe straggle then it is the propertie of beasts to straggle and seeing it is their propertie they must be looked vnto But you will say that they are vnreasonable creatures and so able to doe morally neither well nor ill True but yet the place which we must not prophane our selues we must much lesse suffer our beasts for to prophane Yea obserue it well and you shall find that whether wee keepe fasting dayes or feasting dayes God will haue euen beasts to communicate in some sort in the Ceremoniall part of our pietie In the solemne repentance of Niniue not only the men but the beasts also are commanded by the King to bee kept from meate to bee clothed with sackcloth In the Law of the Sabbath when man resteth the beast must rest also thinke you only in a cruill sense There is more in it then so as hereafter I shall shew you God would haue them also to obserue his Feasts And here we see that what prohibition God layeth vpon men he layeth vpon beasts neither may prophane holy ground And may ours doe that which theirs might not doe May dogges tread in Gods Sanctuarie during the New Testament which vnder the old Testament were not suffered to be so very dogges that is impudent creatures It should seeme wee thinke they may else would wee not bring them hither and indure them here not only to disturbe Gods seruice but also to disgrace Gods House I shame to speake what we blush not to see the markes of their vncleanlinesse in the most sacred places of this Church and I thinke other Churches are not vsed much better Well I would wee were more
was stung by the Serpent so in Paradise was hee cured by the seed of the Woman The Patriarchs in their order Heb. 11. not onely knew but felt the vertue of this Childe this Sonne St. Paul comprehends it in a short Rule Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for euer Hee was a Lambe slaine not onely borne from the beginning of world Neither onely did the efficacie of his person worke but in a sort his presence also was vouchsafed vnto the world It is an ancient opinion of many of the Fathers and not a few of the worthiest late Diuines approue it that all apparitions of God in the Old Testament were of the second Person In the eighth of the Prouerbs himselfe saith that his delight was to be amongst the Sonnes of men Yea and to say nothing of other shapes how often did hee appeare in the shape of a man which apparition the Fathers call Praeludium incarnationis It was a faire intimation of that which in time hee should bee for euer after hee had once taken vpon him the nature of man which death it selfe should neuer seuer from him O Lord that wouldest not only become Man but also bee Gods gift to Man thou which wert before all time wouldest be bestowed in time bestowed vpon Iewes bestowed vpon Gentiles and make them both one Israel of God Notwithstanding there was nothing in them to demerit thee much in them to prouoke thee yet hast thou out of thine own goodnesse so tendered Man as to satisfie thy Iustice that it might bee no hinderance vnto thy Mercy but that thy Mercy might remedy both our Woe and Sinne We beseech thee that wee may all be new borne by vertue of thy Sonnes birth and giue our selues to Thee as he is giuen to Vs that so we may be in the number of those which with the Prophet may say Tovs a Childe is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen Which grace he vouchsafe vs that is giuen vnto vs To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be giuen all honour and glory now and for euer Amen THE THIRD SERMON The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders THe Doctrine of this Scripture containes the Truth and Excellencie of Christs Person and State Of the truth of Christs Person I haue already spoken and shewed you both the Natures wherein it subsisteth and the People to which it belongs The Natures wherein it subsists are two The Nature of God and of Man which haue a most streight vnion in one Person and yet without the least diminution of eyther nature This Person belongs vnto the Iewes not according to the flesh but according to the spirit euen to the whole Israel of God which consists of beleeuing naturall both Iewes and Gentiles To this People doth Christ belong But of what degree is hee amongst them For euery companie that consists of many persons if they bee incorporate hath men of sundry degrees by the Ordinance of God and the common rules of discretion there are superiours there are inferiours some which command some which are commanded Of which ranke is our Sauiour Christ Of the highest it appeares in his State The Gouernment shall be vpon his shoulders Although then the Scripture affirm that Christ appeared in the forme of a seruant and himself said That he came not to be ministred vnto but to minister et must we not mistake his Ministery was not of the foote but of the head it was not an obeying but a commanding Ministeric The Head ministers and so doth the Foote in our body naturall but they minister not both alike The head ministreth to the foote by way of commanding the foote ministreth to the head by way of obeying Christs Ministery was of the former not of the later kinde his Foes and his Friends in the Gospell both salute him by the name of Rabbi or Rabboni which is by interpretation Master And our Sauiour Christ telleth his Disciples in St. Iohn You call me Master and Lord and you say well for so I am And elsewhere he calleth himselfe The Heire of the Vineyard The Lord of the Sabaoth The Name of Christ or Messias is a most cleare proofe hereof for none were anointed but to be superiours and the Acts which Christ did exercise beare witnesse hereunto which were all of them eyther Propheticall when hee taught or Priestly when hee sacrificed or Kingly when hee wrought Miracles These bee the things which were done by him and the Gospell relates no other kinde of acts or at least none in comparison And all these are commanding acts they are acts of a Superiour exercised in the dayes of his flesh in the dayes of his greatest humiliation So that the forme of a Seruant and the ministring of Christ shew that he had not the attendance for worldly respect that was due to such a Superiour hee had not so much as a house to hide his head in much lesse had hee any Princely pompe But they deny him not to haue been a Superiour they deny him not that which was giuen him in my Text and my Text giueth him the State of a Superiour To come then vnto it There are two things to bee obserued in the words 1. Of what sort the Gouernment was 2. and Wherewith Christ did sustaine it The Gouernment was of the best sort it was Regall it appeares in the next Verse where Christ is said To sit vpon the Throne of Dauid And this Gouernment he sustaines by his owne carefull Power for it is layd vpon his shoulders These two Points we must at this time looke into briefly and in their order I beginne with the Gouernment If wee looke backe to the Story of Genesis we shall finde that when God promised Isaac which was a Type of Christ he changed both his Fathers and his Mothers name shee was called Sarai but God new named her Sarah which is a Princesse and Abram was new named Abraham a Father of many Nations And me thinks when I reade these words here in the Prophet and those that follow wherein Christ is described I see the application of those names to this Person I see the Principality I see the Posterity I see in Christ the truth of Sarah and of Abrahams name And surely the word which here signifieth Gouernment hath great affinity with the name of Sarah But of Gouernments some are subordinate some are absolute Some so command as the Centurion in the Gospell I am a man set vnder authority though I haue diuers vnder mee and I say to one come and hee commeth and to another go and he goeth But some so command as Salomon speaketh of a King against whom there is no rising vp whose Lawes must not bee disputed on earth and his Commandements bee obeyed by all that are his Subiects Christs Gouernment is not of the subordinate but the absolute sort it appeares by the Throne by the Kingdome vpon which he sitteth places of absolute power especially if
round world and they that dwell therein It is true that the Diuell shamed not to Christs owne face to say All the Kingdomes of the earth are mine and theirs to whom I will giue them Luke 4. but that was but the vaunt of the father of lies Nabals speech was a speech beseeming a Nabal 1 Sam. 25. Shall I take my flesh and my bread and giue it vnto men whom I know not the diuell experienced Christs right and so did Nabal too Christ stripped them both of that which they had and he threatneth no lesse vnto the Iewes and Israelites Ezek. 16. Hos 2. when they became so gracelesse as to deriue his title to others to their Louers as the Prophet cals them be they idols or men I will open this point a little more fully There is ius ad rem and ius in re propertie and possession right to a thing and power ouer that thing These are many times seuered in men many a man hath right to that ouer which he hath no power he is kept out with a strong hand Wisd 2.11 and many a man hath power ouer that whereunto hee hath no right his strength is the Law of all his righteousnesse It is not so with Christ property and possession meete both in him and hee hath power ouer whatsoeuer hee hath right vnto both right and power extend vnto all things His right Iohn 1. Heb. 1. for hee is the onely begotten of the father therefore heire of all things In the second Psalme he that said Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee said also Aske of mee and I will giue vnto thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the vttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Neyther is Christ an inheritor only but a purchaser also Rom. 14. He therefore dyed and rose againe that he might be Lord of quicke and dead that he might be King of kings and Lord of lords A double right then hath Christ vnto all by birth by purchase And his power is as wide as his right Mat. 28.18 by birth-right hee is an all-mighty God and by purchase all power is giuen vnto him both in heauen and earth therefore Iob saith cap. 1. The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh the Psalmist Promotion commeth neyther from the east nor from the west Psal 75.6 but the Lord setteth vp one cap. 2. 5. Psal 115. and taketh downe another Daniel Blessed be the name of the Lord for euer and euer for wisedome and might are his hee changeth times and seasons he remoueth kings and setteth them vp he doth whatsoeuer hee will both in heauen and in earth Out of this which I haue told you concerning Christs right you may learne many good Lessons first from the propertie If he haue right to all in whosoeuers hand it is then no man should come vniustly by his goods for he that defraudes his brother defraudeth not man but God Euen as a master that putteth his goods into his seruants hand is the principall partie that is wronged if his seruant be eyther deceiued or oppressed and as the Master will pursue his right against the wrong doer so will God also take vengeance vpon all vniust persons hee will in the world to come nay he doth in this world for what Chronicle is there that doth not iustifie the prouerbe de malè quaesitis non gaudet tertius haeres will gotten goods neuer prosper As Christs propertie in our goods teacheth vs not to get them vniustly so doth it teach vs also not to vse them vnreasonably A tenant that holdeth land from a Lord may not vse it otherwise than according to the couenants agreed vpon if hee doe hee forfeiteth euen so is it betweene God and vs the grant which he maketh vs of his creatures is but conditionall wee may take conuenient foode for our sustenance decent cloathing to shrowd vs from the iniuries of the weather and we may bestow our money to supply our own and other folkes necessaries To these ends wee may vse Gods creatures but wee may not riot with our meate and drinke we may not be fantasticall in our apparell neyther may we with our wealth grinde the faces of the poore we haue no couenant that warrants any of these and therefore the doing of any of these is a forfeit to him that is proprietarie And how often might Christ re-enter vpon our goods if he would take aduantage of our daily abuses yea he daily doth re-enter if wee had grace to see it for what goodly patrimonies daily come to nought by drunkennesse pride oppression I would the world did take as much notice of it as euery place doth giue them iust occasion to doe for what countrey what shire what citie yea what village aboundeth not with examples hereof These lessons Christs right to our goods doth yeeld vs. His power ouer our goods will yeeld vs as many for seeing our goods are not in our owne power but in Christs wee may not trust in them but in him It is the Apostles rule 1 Tim. 6. Wee may not trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God Our wealth may be taken from vs as Iobs was or we may betaken from our wealth cap. 1. as the rich man in the Gospell who while hee was inuiting his soule to eate and drinke because he had store laid vp for many yeares heard that vnpleasing message Thou foole this night shall they take thy soule from thee Luke 12. and then whose shall all these things bee Our selues are not in our owne power much lesse our goods therefore it is good trusting in neyther of them but in him that hath power ouer both Secondly this power of God ouer our wealth must remember vs that to our honest endeauours wee adde our deuout prayers for Psal 127.1 for except the Lord build the house they labour but in vaine that build it Wee may plant wee may water it is God that must giue the increase if hee bee close-handed euery thing will famish and he filleth euery liuing creature with his good gifts when hee openeth his hand It is his blessing as Salomon teacheth Pro. 10.22 that maketh men rich Ioyne Christs right and his power together and gather what wretches they are that for wealth forsake him who hath right to it and power to bestow it and betake themselues vnto the diuel who is but a pretender of right and when by Gods permission he hath done his best for them hee cannot keepe them in possession And no wonder the Gospell teacheth that Christ with a word did cast him out how then should hee be able to keep others in Secondly when Gods children are in want wee may not argue therehence that Christ is vnable to relieue Psal 78.19 Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse was the voyce of infidelity for God is Shaddai all-sufficient it is one of his essentiall Attributes and
Zorobabels Temple But that place must be considered not in its meanenesse as it was built by the Iewes but as it was furnished with that glorie whereof heretofore you haue heard that house so adorned was to bee the place of peace Salomons Temple was a place of peace but his peace was but a type it was a worldly peace Zorobabels Temple is also a place of peace but his peace is the truth that answered the former type the peace thereof is heauenly that Temple which had but the type of the glorie had no more but the type of the peace and the truth of the peace rested there where the truth of the glorie was So that there is an emphasis in the words this place the holy Ghost giueth thereby the Iewes to vnderstand that it was not the former but the later Temple whereunto God intended the peace which he promised to Dauid 2 Sam. 7. 2 Chro. 22. Isay 25. 26. and all the promises of peace in the Prophets were to be referred thither this Ierusalem was to answer vnto her name and to be indeed the vision of peace But I told you heretofore that Zorobabels Temple was to be vnderstood not only literally but mystically and so it signifieth not onely that materiall house but also the Christian Church peace is annext vnto this peace Extra Ecclesiam non est salus No saluation without the Church and therefore no peace he shall neuer haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother In our Creed wee place the holy Catholicke Church and Communion of Saints before the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting As the soule doth not quicken other parts than those that are vnited to the body no more doth the spirit of God giue his blessing of peace to any that are distracted from the body of the Church This must be obserued against all Schismaticks that doe excommunicate them selues and disorderly persons that are iustly excommunicated by the censure of the Church all these while they continue in that state though they doe not lose ius ad pacem yet they doe lose ius in pace though they doe not lose their interest in yet they suspend the benefit of that peace and their state is vncomfortable though it be not irrecouerable And they which follow negligently the assemblies of the Church doe not a little defraud themselues of this peace for they must seeke it chiefly by prayer in Gods house and there doth God dispence it by the mouth of his Ministers I will giue you only two proofes the one our of the Old Testament when the sacrifices were ended which were typicall prayers Num 6.25 Aaron is willed to dismisse the people with these words The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face shine vpon thee and be gracious vnto thee the Lord lift vp the light of his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace A second proofe wee haue in the New Testament where the Church doth solemnely vse those words of the Apostle when after the Liturgie it dismisseth the people The peace of God which passeth all vnder standing keep your hearts and mindes c. And what better inuitation can wee haue to repaire often to the Church than this blessing of peaceâ— foure-fold peace which is there daily offered vnto vs and may bee receiued if we come and come prepared for it I say prepared Before you heard that the peace commeth to the house but as it is furnished with the glorie where there is none of the glorie there can be none of the peace therefore wee must prepare these Temples of our bodies and soules by entertainement of the glory that they may be made capable of the peace The Apostle speaketh plainely Rom. 5. Wee must bee iustified by faith before we can haue peace with God Esay 32. If iudgement dwell in the wildernesse and righteousnesse remaine in the fruitfull fielde the worke of righteousnesse shall bee peace 1 Cor. 2. and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for euer God doth annoint vs before he doth establish vs. St. Austin hath a witty conceit vpon the words of the 85. Psalme Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other Duae sunt amicae Iustitia Pax c. Righteousnesse and Peace are two fast friends happely thou wouldest gladly enioy the one but thou wilt not bee perswaded to performe the other for there is no man that would not willingly haue peace but all are not willing to worke righteteousnesse yet be thou assured that if thou dost not loue peace's friend which is righteousnesse peace will neuer loue thee for righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each the other 2 King 9. You know what Iehu answered the King of Israel when he asked him Is it peace Iehu what peace can there bee so long as the whoredomes and witchcrafts of thy mother are so many So may we reply to euery soule vnquiet soule that enquireth after peace Looke for none where there is sinne Well may there bee the enemie assaulting and daily sounding alarums but this securing peace which is Gods garrison cannot bee there So long as the Iewes serued God their enemies could not inuade their borders Exod 34. but then the Temple was exposed to the enemie when the Prophets could not reclaime them from sin It is a good conscience that is a continuall feast You haue heard seuerally of the Peace and the Place you must now heare ioyntly of their knitting together who knits them and How He that knitteth them is God in Christ God is the God of peace so the Apostle calleth him Phil. 4.19 and the Prophet tels vs that he creates light as well as darkenesse and Elihu is so bold as to say Iob 34. that if God giue peace none can hinder it But as God giueth it so hee giueth it in Christ for it is his worke to make peace the Prophet Esay cap. 9. vers 6. calleth him the Prince of peace his true members are Sonnes of peace his Apostles Messengers of peace and his doctrine is the Gospell of peace all the foure specified degrees of peace were wrought by him First he tooke away the guilt of our sinne Esay 53. The chastisement of our peace was layd vpon him For he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. Secondly hee hath kild the worme for being iustified by faith in him our heart condemnes vs not and we haue confidence towards God so that we can come with boldnesse vnto the throne of grace Thirdly the Law of the spirit of life that is in Iesus Christ doth free vs from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8. It mortifieth it subdueth the old man and maketh vs walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Finally he putteth an end to that discord that is betweene man and man The Prophets foretold that when hee
in both kindes and the people as it was glorified because the concomitancy maketh them receiue both in one kinde Adde hereunto that they must mocke the people with vnconsecrated wine or beare them in hand that it is arbitrary in the Church whether they shall or shall not haue it Their other reasons are ridiculous certainly they agree not with the precept Doe this No more doth whatsoeuer they doe besides as their Reseruation their Circumgestation their Application of the Host vnto many vses whereunto God neuer ordained it But the most notorious corruption of these words is that they are made a part of the Priests Ordination as if they did giue him power to sacrifice both for quicke and dead For from these words doe they deriue that part of the Priesthood yea vpon these words they build the Masse also as if Hoc facite were as much as sacrifice and immolate Christ vnbloudily But I will not stand to refute them As the Pastors worke is enioyned in Hoc facite so is the Peoples also they must doe as the Disciples did take that which was distributed amongst them eate that which was consecrated for them and they must feed thereon with their bodies and with their soules Not only with their bodies as carnall Christians doe nor with their soules as the Papists teach their people to communicate mentally with the Priest as if a man were euer fit to communicate mentally when he is not fit to communicate corporally but we must communicate with both otherwise wee are not compleat guests of this entire Feast And though of the two better the body bee wanting than the soule because the grace that possesseth the soule will redound to the body but the food of the body cannot benefit the soule yet seeing the body and bloud of Christ is the fountaine of life spirituall to our soules immortall to our bodies our best course is to eate and drinke with both that we may liue and liue in both blessedly for euer As the People must doe this so they must take heed that beside this they doe not eyther superstitiously adore the Elements or Atheistically prophane them in swearing either by the heauenly or the earthly part of the Sacrament The last Note that I will giue is the Commemoration that is enioyned by the precept Doe this in remembrance St. Paul expounds the word thus Shew forth the Lords death And indeede the Sacrament is a liuely representation of the crucifying of Christ and but a Commemoration For the Popish Masse is refuted in this very word and St. Pauls phrase which shew that Christ is not crucified againe but the manner of his crucifying Sacramentally represented to vs and so the Fathers tooke it But as the Pastor must commemorate the sacrificing in his worke so must the People the sacrifice in taking and feeding thereupon as vpon the viaticum peregrinantium militantum Finally that which remembreth vs must be often frequented by vs so must this Sacrament Wherein it differs from Baptisme which cannot be reiterated this may yea it must The first Christians thought so who at first receiued it euery day they may make vs blush whose deuotion is now so cold But I end That death which Christ endured for vs and doth offer to vs wee must remember in such signes and apply to our selues by such meanes as he hath appointed if we meane to be benefited thereby MOst mercifull Sauiour that by thy powerfull word hast consecrated these holy Mysteries of thy most precious Body and Bloud broken and shed to be the vndoubted pledges of thy Gospell and euer-running Conduits of thy Grace curing the deadly wounds of all our sinnes and satisfying as many as thirst and hunger after righteousnesse grant that we neuer neglect to receiue and when we receiue may euer be prepared prepared both in body and soule so here by faith worthily to feed on thee as thou representest thy selfe veyled in thy Church Militant that we may hereafter fully enioy thee as thou presentest thy selfe vnueiled in the Church Triumphant And in acknowledgement of this present grace and that future glory let euery one of vs become a sanctified Eucharist that with soule and body wee may now and euer sing Glory be to thee O Lord O Lord our strength and our Redeemer Amen IHS THREE SERMONS PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRALL Church of Wells at the Feast of WHITSVNTIDE EPHES. 4. verse 7 8. But vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Wherefore he saith When he ascended vp c. to the 17. verse THe Apostle in former Chapters hath opened the mysteries of the Gospell but at this hee beginnes to deduce certaine rules of life which spring therefrom and hee doth specially recommend vnto the Ephesians three Christian Vertues Vnitie Pietie and Constancie he would haue them all agree in Gods truth and expresse that truth in their liues and not wauer in their liues for feare of the Crosse But more particularly touching Vnitie he tels them wherein it consists and wherefore it must be entertained Wherein it consists we learne in the verses that goe before but wherfore it must be entertained we are taught in these that now I haue read vnto you The Reasons are partly the meanes whereby and partly the end for which we receiue the gifts of God The meanes are two one Principall which is Christ the other Instrumentall which are his Ministers And the End is twofold first our Consummation in grace secondly our Preseruation from errour These bee the particulars which take vp so much of this Chapter as reacheth from the seuenth to the seuenteenth verse At this time sutably to the time I shall entreat only of the first of our meanes of Christ the principall meanes whereby we obtaine the blessings of God And here we are to see first What Christ doth then What right hee had to doe it What Christ doth is set downe three wayes but all yeelde but one sense first He giueth grace secondly He giueth gifts and thirdly He fils all things that is by him we haue Gods blessings But we may resolue them into two points the Gift and the Giuer the gift is grace and that grace hath power to fill and this is nothing but a description of the Holy Ghost which descended this day for he is the filling grace of God Of this gift the Giuer is Christ it is here called expresly his gift and he giues it discreetly because according to a measure and yet vniuersally not one of the Church which doth not partake it to euery one of vs is giuen grace This Christ doth and he doth no more than he may his right to doe it is gathered out of his Ascension which St. Paul describes to be a deserued Triumph The parts of a Triumph as they know which are read in stories were these two first the person of the Conquerour was carried in state and secondly the monuments of his
to giue so hee may giue as much or as little as hee will for hee may doe what hee will with his owne but hee doth not onely follow his Will but the counsell of his Will as this Apostle teacheth vs Occumenius and the counsell of his Will or his Wisedome doth respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the endowment of the Church As in our body naturall God hath ioyned beauty and commodity in framing the limmes so that euery one hath that proportion as is most comely and vsefull so the Church though vna yet is varia though it be but one body yet hath it diuers members and though the one body be quickned with the same spirit yet in euery member the spirit doth varie his gifts and the Church thereby is the more beautified and benefited so that no man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficient of himselfe but hee is thereby vrged to desire the Communion of Saints wherein stands our mutuall comelinesse and comfort Seeing then Christ giues as hee thinkes meete euery man is bound to thanke him for that which hee hath and enuie must not make him murmure for that which hee hath not It is absurd for a man to dislike with the dispensation of Christ it is as if the members of the body should grudge that they haue not the endowments each of the other wherein if God should satisfie them the deformity and discommodity which would follow would quickly make them weary of their desires Though Christ be thus discreet in giuing yet is hee kindly bountifull also for he giues to euery one St. Ambrose hath a good rule In donis officiorum diuer sitas est non Naturae all drinke of the same spirit though they drinke not the same draught As in our naturall body there is no member that liues not by the soule no more is there in the mysticall Bodie any member that liues not by the Spirit Christ will haue euery one haue some token of his loue and will haue euery one stand the Church in some stead The Church I say for the particle All is limited by Vs. There are gifts that are bestowed vpon all the world as wee acknowledge in our daily grace The eyes of all things looke vp vnto thee O Lord and thou giuest them their meate in due season thou openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing euery liuing thing Psal 145. but the graces here meant are the peculiar of the Church you heard it in the Gospell this day The spirit is such a thing as the world cannot receiue but the Church seeth and knowes him and he shall abide with her for euer for it is onely the Church that can say The Let is fallen to her in a faire ground she hath a goodly heritage But the gifts that as vpon this day descended on the Apostles were visible gifts and they had corporall effects speaking in diuers languages casting out diuells curing of diseases treading vpon serpents c. these gifts we haue not how then haue we the spirit that descended this day Gregory the Great answereth well Thou hast it though it appeare in another sort Thou canst not speake diuers tongues but of what Nation soeuer thou art thou canst speake the language of Canaan and it is as great a miracle that all Nations vnderstand the same heauenly language as that the same person should speake all languages Thou canst not cast out Diuels out of mens bodies but out of their soules thou mayst and cure the diseases of their soule though thou canst not the diseases of their body yea bruise thou mayst the old Serpents head though thou canst not safely tread vpon a Snake In a word thou mayst doe many things inuisibly and spiritually which are not inferiour to those things which the Apostles did visibly and corporally and doubt not but if thou beare the fruit of the Spirit the Spirit of Christ doth rest vpon thee And if wee doe solemnize the memory of Saints how much more should we solemnize the memory of the Sanctifier wee are all bound to keep this day holy to the Lord because this day the Lord gaue that gift which doth concerne vs all Wherefore let vs all say BLessed be the Lord God euen the God of our saluation hee daily loadeth vs with his gifts euen the spirituall gifts of Grace Hee that giues them fill vs with them that as we are called to be so we may be indeed comely and profitable members of the mysticall Body of Christ and liue for euer conformable to our Head Amen THE SECOND SERMON On Trinity Sunday at an Ordination of Ministers EPHES. 4.11 He gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers THE passage of Scripture contained from the 7. to the 17. Verse doth informe vs of the reasons which perswade Christians to agree in Gods truth These reasons are two drawne the one from the meanes whereby the other from the end for which the Church receiues the spirituall gifts of God The meanes is Christ And touching Christ St. Paul teacheth vs in this passage what he doth and what right he hath to doe it That which hee doth is expressed three wayes but all yeeld but one sense 1. He giues grace 2. He bestowes gifts 3. He fils all things that is his gift is a filling grace Grace is a free gift a gift Donum non salarium not an hyre of our labour but an argument of Gods fauour And this gift is free it is grounded vpon no obligation all gifts of men are in part due as the reciprocall between equals for loue challengeth loue or those that are not reciprocall between vnequals be they Honoraria or Eleemosynaria whereof the inferiour oweth the former to his superior in acknowledgement of his eminency and the superiour owes the latter vnto his inferiour out of a fellow-feeling which hee must haue of his wants but Gods gifts can neither bee deserued nor requited neither doth he finde ought worthy his regard in vs neither doth any danger of his moue him to commiserate vs His gift then is absolutely free But this is common to the gifts as well of Creation as of Redemption but the Scripture restraines the word Grace vnto the gifts of Redemption which are not onely non debita but indebita whereof God owes vs no one but he owes vs the contrary that is plagues and therefore hee doth giue not only non dignis to those that are without all merit of good but also indignis to those that are full of the merits of sinne The word then is plainly Euangelicall and signifieth such blessings as accompany the New Testament those blessings are most properly termed Grace This grace hath a power to fill which no other thing hath and it fils sistendo and explendo desiderium it fixeth our wandring desires so that we desire no other obiect and this is able to satisfie to the full and satisfie the whole man Now
Adoption he was not carelesse of a holy life of the common Endowment not the grace of Edification the proper Endowment hee was no vnprofitable seruant neyther stood he in the market place idle when hee should labour in his Lords Vineyard Secondly vnto his vse of these gifts there concurred more workers than one Hee tels vs Who they were and What was eyther of their preheminence They were two Himselfe I laboured and Gods grace that laboured also with him Either of these workers had their preheminence St. Paul had He laboured more than all and that in either grace He striued to exceed all in holinesse of Life and in the painefulnesse of his Ministrie As St. Paul had a preheminence in working so had grace also it had a preheminence aboue St. Paules preheminence yea St. Paul doth confesse that hee doth owe all his preheminence in working to the preheminent working of Gods grace I laboured more than all yet not I but Gods grace that was in me When we haue thus considered the particular branches we shall point at two good obseruations that arise out of the whole bodie of the text they are St. Paules Sinceritie and his Modestie Sinceritie in giuing God his due glorie he ascribeth vnto God the originall the gifts the vse of whatsoeuer was good in him or was done well by him And there can be no greater Modestie vsed by a man in speaking of himselfe than St. Paul expressed here in his extenuating and correcting speeches He was a member of Christ a Minister of the Church he mentioneth neither he contenteth himselfe with this commendations I am that I am And for his vse of Gods gifts hee attributeth no more vnto himselfe than that which was next vnto nothing Gods grace bestowed on me was not in vaine so he extenuateth his worth And because hee was to say something more of himselfe to stoppe the mouthes of his maligners I laboured more than all he presently correcteth himselfe as if he had ouer-reached hee drownes all the conceit of his owne eminencie in the contemplation of the much greater preheminence of the grace of God I haue opened the contents of this Scripture which God willing I shall now farther vnfold and haue an eye in vnfolding of them vnto this present occasion And because they will concerne both Pastors and People I shall desire both to follow me with their religious attention First then wee are to see whence the Alteration of St. Paul did spring I might in a generalitie tell you it sprang from Heauen so we find in the Acts of the Apostles De grat 〈◊〉 arbitr cap. 5. and St. Austine hath obserued it And indeede it is no fruit that springeth from the earth the earth may make men of better become worse by reason of mans mutabilitie and the kingdome of darknesse but if of worse men become better the cause thereof must bee sought in heauen Especially if as St. Paul of wolues they become sheep of blasphemers beleeuers of persecuters preachers of the Faith But I told you this heauenly cause is powerfull and mercifull powerfull God is the Cause And the cause cannot be lesse than God for the Alteration is a Creation so it is called by St. Paul 2 Cor. 5. Euery one that is in Christ is a new Creature Now Creation as wee reade in the entrance of our Creede is a worke of an Almighty power And indeed it must bee so for it produceth things either ex non ente simpliciter out of nothing at all or else ex ente non disposito out of that which in nature hath no possibilitie to become that which it is made yea St. Paul meaning to shadow our new Creation by the old chooseth the branch wherein the subiect was so farre from being disposed that it was directly opposite to that which it was made God which commanded light to shine out of darkenesse is he which hath shined into our hearts to giue vs the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. St. Paul Rom. 11. vseth another similitude of graffing a branch of the wilde Oliue into the true but contrary to nature For nature aduiseth to set sweet graffs into sowre stocks and though it be naturall for the stocke to be vehiculum alimenti to conuey the nourishment to the graffe yet naturally virtus temperamenti the qualitie of the iuice is from the graffe not from the stocke But in our supernaturall graffing it is farre otherwise the branch of a wilde Oliue is made partaker not only of the roote but of the fatnesse also of the true Oliue Being then a worke so contrary to nature it must needs be a work of the God of nature And indeed we learne in St. Iohn cap. 1. that the Sonnes of God are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Hee of his owne will begetteth vs by the word of truth that we should be the first fruits of his Creatures Iames 1. As the Cause is most powerfull so is it also most mercifull for the Attribute that preuaileth with God in this worke is grace All good gifts before the fall vouchsafed Angels and men proceeded from his goodnes but after the fall his fauours are ascribed to his mercie which mercie the Scripture vsually vnderstandeth in the name of grace for mercie is nothing else but sauing grace Now grace then importeth free loue Tit. 2. for it excludeth all merit for Quis prior dedit Who euer preuented God in well doing that God should make him amends Grace giueth not merenti to one that deserueth rather it giueth immerenti to an vnworthy person to man polluted with his owne blood grace saith Thou shalt line Ezek. 16. Yea dat contraria merenti grace is indulgent euen before a man is penitent God setteth forth his loue in that when we were enemies Christ dyed for vs Rom. 5. And such was the grace that altered St. Paul as St. Austin obserues vt tam magna efficacissima vocatione conuerteretur Paulus gratia Dei erat sola quia eius merita erant magna sed mala St. Paul doth very iustly ascribe the change that was made in him to this powerfull and this mercifull Cause And seeing we are all by nature children of wrath we must all ascribe our Regeneration to the same Cause Tit. 3. It is worse deceipt than that of Alchemie for a creature to assume vnto himselfe the transforming of a sinner God only can change as earthly mettals so earthly men of vessels of dishonour make vessels of honour of vessels of wood make vessels of gold and of vessels of wrath make vessels of mercie Who is found of them that seek him not and manifested to them that enquire not after him Esay 65. This destroyes the errour of the Pelagians And let them that are receiued into grace remember to whom they are indebted for it it will make
First Gods Worke Deus fecit God made the time a Day Secondly Mans Acknowledgement Haec est dies the Church doth Kalender it for a high day As we must learne thus discreetly to distinguish times so we must also learne to solemnize them Religiously In performance whereof the text will teach vs What we must doe and How That which wee must doe is reduced to two Heads wee must take full comfort in such a Day we must reioyce and be glad in it Reioyce with our bodies Bee glad in our soules both bodie and soule must expresse a comfortable sense Neither must wee only take comfort in it but pray also for the happie continuance of it for the continuance Saue Lord we may be depriued of it for the happie continuance of it Prosper Lord it may be in vaine bestowed on vs. These be the things that must bee done But How that is When and by whom When Now at the verie same time that Wee haue ioyed in the Day must Wee also bee praying for the continuance thereof And whom doth the Psalmist meane by We Looke vnto the beginning of the Psalme and you shall find the parties thus specified Israel the House of Aaron all that feare the Lord the Common-weale the Church the Cleargie the Laitie all whom the Day concernes must take notice thereof and expresse this dutie thereon You see the summe of this Scripture which I will now God willing enlarge farther and apply vnto our present occasion But before I enter vpon the particulars I may not forget to let you vnderstand that this Psalme hath a double sense an Historicall and a Mysticall the Historicall concernes King Dauid and the Kingdome of Israel the Mysticall toucheth Christ and his Church The Mysticall hath warrant from the Gospell wherein Christ doth apply some branches of this Psalme vnto himselfe the the Historicall is cleare in the Bookes of Samuel which intreat of the aduancement of King Dauid If we follow the Mysticall then the Day here remembred is Easter day or the Day of Christs Resurrection and that was a Day indeed the Sunne of Righteousnesse then shone forth in great strength and brought life and immortalitie to life But if we follow the Historicall sense then was the Day here remembred the Day of K. Dauids succession vnto Saul a verie Festiuall Day to Israel though not so high a Feast as is our Easter day The Fathers Commentaries runne most vpon the first sense our occasion is better fitted with the latter wherefore without preiudice to the former we will insist thereon leauing the Mysticall we will insist only vpon the Historicall sense of these words The first point therein is the discreet distinguishing of Times All times are not alike there are nights and there are dayes the time here specified is a Day Saint Basils Rule must guide vs in vnderstanding this word he tels vs that when the Holy Ghost speaketh of a Day in this and many other places wee must not plod vpon the course of the Sunne but looke vnto the occurrents of the time the occurents are of two sorts prosperous or aduerse the former is vsually called Day and the later Night We haue not then to doe with a Naturall but a Metaphoricall Day But Metaphors haue their reasonable grounds and because they are Implicitae Similitudines close couched resemblances we must vnwrap them that wee may see the resonablenesse that is in the vse of them If we doe this in our present Metaphor the reason will be apparent why a prosperous state is tearmed a Day For a Day is caused by the Sunne rising who by his beames sendeth to the earth Light and Heate Light by which all things are discerned and may bee distinguished and Heate by which they are quickened and cherished Euen so in a prosperous State there is something that answereth to the Sunne and that is a good King and well may the King bee tearmed a Sunne in the Common-Weâ—le as the Sunne is tearmed a King in the midst of the Planets A good King then like the Sunne ouer-spreads the Common-Weale with Light and Heate Light all things doe appeare in their right hue flatterâ—e or tyrannie doth not blanch or beare out falshood as truth and good as euill euery one beareth his proper name and is reputed no better then he is which is no small Blessing of a State if we take notice of that which is occurrent in euerie Historie That the best men haue beene branded as the vilest and the vilest haue beene commended for Worthies so farre hath darknesse ouercast the iudgement of the World seeke no farther then the storie of Christ and his Apostles the Scribes and the Pharisees As a good King doth remedie this perueâ—snesse of iudgement by a truer light so doth hee by a vegetable heate put heart into those that deserue well and further their well fare it is no small blessing you may gather it out of the 72. Psalme where the cheareful face as it were of the State doth speake the comfortable influence of a good King you may amplifie this point by that difference which in the 104. Psalme you finde betweene a day and a night The night is a time wherein the sauage beasts doe range abroad men retire and appeare not but in the day men goe freely abroad to their labour and the sauage beasts retire euen so in the time of an ill gouerned Common-Weale all sorts of beastly men as filthy as Swine as greedie as Wolues as cruell as Tigres as deceitfull as the Crocodile these and such like riot and controule and without shame satisfie their lust and then it is dangerous to be iust to be mercifull But the countenance of a good King chaseth such vermine away and none vnlike vnto him find Grace with him or appeare before him the 101. Psalme hath no other argument but this very point and Solomon hath exprest it in seuerall Prouerbs This blessing of Light and Heat of distinguishing and cherishing the good from and aboue the bad springs from a good King if hee bee only a Head of the Common-Weale many Heathen Kingdomes enioyed such Dayes vnder their Augustus Traians Adrians and the like But if the King be also a member of the Church a King of Israel as King Dauid was then doth he yeild vnto his State another Day vnto the Ciuill hee addes a Spirituall Day for as Constantine said well A good King is Episcopus ad extra Ecclesiam as the Pastors are ad intra though he may not administer sacred things yet must hee command them to be administred to bee administred sincerely that no Errours or Heresies dimme the heauenly Light and to be entertained reuerently that the people may feele the sweet inflaence of Grace Epistola ad Bonifacium hee maketh Lawes for the promulgation of the sauing truth of God as Saint Austine teacheth and by wholsome Discipline brings the people to be aswell religious as loyall no lesse dutifull children of God
aduersitie therefore as wee must praise God for the one so must wee pray against the other at the same time wee must doe both But who are they that must doe it the text hath no more but Wee but if you looke vnto the beginning of the Psalme you shall find a Commentarie vpon that word you shall find that this must be done vniuersally Israel must doe it The House of Aaron must doe it all must doe it that feare the Lord if all be the better for the Day the dutie of solemnizing the Day belongeth vnto all to the Ecclesiasticall to the Ciuill State both must acknowledge what they receiue both must acknowledge the Day whereon they did receiue it The Day wherein the blessed Sunne did arise vnto vs all the fruits of whose Raigne are this great calme from stormes of warre and plentifull publication of Gods sauing truth wee must all acknowledge both these blessings As we must all acknowledge them so must we all take full comfort in them we must not defraud the Day of our ioy seeing the day brings comfort vnto vs it brings comfort to our bodie and comfort to our soules therefore our bodies and soules must reioyce in it In it but not forgetting him that made it that is God As for the Day wee are most beholding to him so in him must we ioy most But our comfort must not make vs forget our danger danger from without danger from within danger from our owne vntowardlinesse danger from the maliciousnesse of our enemies this double danger must make vs seeke to him that made our Day that he would make it a perpetuall Day that hee would hinder whatsoeuer impediment we may iustly feare from our enemies and not suffer vs to be an impediment of our owne blisse I shut vp all with the very words of my text Our times are such as that we haue good cause to vse the first words This is the Day which the Lord hath made and if we must say this this must draw from vs that which followeth the religious solemnizing of the day we must exhort each the other and be perswaded by our mutuall exhortation to vow the expressing of our comfort Wee will reioyce and bee glad in it and deprecate whatsoeuer imminent danger with Saue Now wee beseech thee O Lord O Lord we beseech thee send vs now Prosperitie AMEN A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT MARIES IN OXFORD ON THE fift of Nouember 1614. LVKE 9. VERS 53 54 55 56. 53. But they would not receiue him because his face was as though he would goe to Ierusalem 54. And when his Disciples Iames and Iohn saw it they said Lord wilt thou that wee command that fire come downe from Heauen and consume them euen as Elias did 55. But Iesus turned about and rebuked them and said yee know not of what spirit you are 56. For the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens liues but to saue them Then they went to another Towne FAthers and Brethren Reuerend and Beloued in the Lord We solemnize this Day in a religious acknowledgement of the King and his Kingdomes our Church and Common-weales vnspeakable deliuerance from an vnmatchable Treason In furtherance of this common Pietie to refresh our memorie and quicken our deuotion I haue chosen this storie which containes an vnpartiall censure of an inordinate Zeale inordinate Zeale in two Apostles who are therefore vnpartially censured by our Sauiour Christ And this storie haue I the rather chosen at this time to speake of in this place because here is the hope of Church and Common Weale the Seed aswell of the Gentrie as of the Clergie And it is for such that the Factors of Rome doe trade to make Aduocates of the one and of the other Actours of their holy Fathers most barbarous Designes Wherefore it is very behoofull that they aboue others bee not only inured to detest but informed also vpon what ground they should detest such sauage such hellish counsels and attempts Now better informed they cannot bee then if they be furnished with sound rules of a good conscience which they may oppose to all deceitfull Romish ones wherewith the vnlearned are insnared and they peruerted that are vnstable The Romanists boast of their manifold studies of Diuinitie and indeed they haue manifold I would they were as good as they are many But their Cases of Conscience are that vpon which they principally relie and wherewith their Kingdome is most supported And no maruell for they are euen for the Lay-mans studie and their Power of the Keyes is chiefly managed by these Cases It is most true that all parts of their Diuinitie are full fraught with sophistrie but when we come to this part ouer and aboue what impietie what iniquitie what impuritie doe we find Others occasionally may vnder take other points I wish they would prouided alwayes that they doe it soundly discreetly considering what a precious what a tender thing a good Conscience is It is not euery mans skill aright to handle it But I haue now to doe with a point of Iniquitie with an vnlawfull reuenge of persons afflicted for Religion We haue here a Reuenge proposed by such afflicted persons and we haue Christs doome passed therevpon that such reuenge is vnlawfull See it in the Text. First the Affliction The Samaritans would not receiue Christ And this Affliction was for Religion Christ was not receiued because his face was as if he would goe to Ierusalem It was great inhumanitie not to entertaine a stranger but the reason improues it as high as Impietie if we therefore fare the worse at the hands of men because wee are well disposed to serue God Being so farre vrged Zeale cannot hold surely Iames and Iohn could not as was their name so were they Sonnes of Thunder were they called and the Exhalations they breath are very hot And yet marke though they are bold to propose yet are they not so bold as to resolue They propose their Desire their Reason Their desire is Fire a cruell weapon and they would not haue it spare a iot it must consume their enemies make a finall and a fearefull spectacle of these vngodly Samaritans A sharpe desire And yet they sticke not at it and why it is not singular they haue though not a Rule yet an Example for it Elias did so that is the reason He dealt so with the old Samaritans when they wronged him and shall these new Samaritans escape better that thus wrong Christ This they propose But they doe not resolue as if they were conscious to themselues that they may erre they submit their desire to God and to Christ They desire Fire consuming Fire but it is from Heauen they would haue no other then God would send Nay they would not haue that except Christ be pleased Master wilt thou if thou say Nay we haue done Behold Nature and Grace and how Grace doth stop the furie of Nature Grace doth somewhat but the Fountaine