little of this oyle of glaâ—nesse Therefore no marvell though men cannot be merry if they want this oyle for if they have it it will make them rise at midnight to sing Psalmes and will make them sleepe sweetly in the time of trouble Therefore it is our comfort whatsoever Christ hath done in the worke of redemption God will accept of it The third point is who it was that did anoint him It was God as Psalm 45. God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes so Peter Act. 2. 36. Let all the house of Israel know for a surety that God hath made him Lord and Christ In the Law wee see one man anointed another as Moses anointed Aaron Samuel anointed Saul and Elias anointed Elisha but it was God that did Anoint Christ Of this there be three Vses First seeing God hath anointed him he is the Lords Anointed therefore we must take heede we doe no injury and wrong to Christ as Psal 105. 15. Touch not mine Anointed c. if hee bee Gods Anointed take heed we doe not wrong him Why may a man doe wrong and injury to Christ I answere with Paul Heb. 10. He that sinneth willingly there is no repentance for him but a fearefull looking for of judgement If men sinne and will not repent but live in them without repentance and commit sinnes against their knowledge wittingly and willingly grieving God trampling and treading under foot the bloud of the sonne of God in the dust and making it of none effect Secondly that seeing he is Gods Anointed take heede we doe no injury or wrong to Christ in his members for a man doing wrong to a Christian may doe wrong to Christ in his members it is Saint Pauls doctrine 1 Cor. 8. 12. When yee sinne so against the brethren and wound their weake conscience ye sinne against Christ Thirdly seeing God hath anointed him therefore wee must anoint him our hands must follow the hands of God wee see in the Gospell the woman got a boxe of costly ointment and did powre it on Christ as he sate at the Table so we must doe get a box of ointment and powre it out on Christ and so anoint him Bernard shewes there be three sorts of ointment First to anoint the feete of Christ as the woman that we read of Luk. 7. 46. so a Christian must begin at the feete of Christ first And with what must he anoint him first with the oyle of contrition griefe and sorrow for his sinnes to sit downe at the feete of Christ and to lament and mourne for them there is no ointment that is bought at the Apothecaries shop so sweete to us as this oyle of contrition is to Christ Secondly wee must anoint the head of Christ as the woman wee read of Matth. 26. 7. And with what with the oyle of devotion with the best dutie and service we can doe unto him if we know any thing that will please God best that we should doe Thirdly we should anoint the body of Christ as Ioseph of Aramathea did he bought a great deale of sweete spices to anoint the body of Christ and so we must do but with what should we anoint the body of Christ with the oyle of compassion and if there be any of the members of Christ that stand at need we should be ready to shew compassion on them our hands must follow the hands of God as hee anointed Christ so must wee Fourthly to what end he was anointed We all know he was anointed to be a Prophet a Priest and a King now there were three sorts of men anointed in the Law first Prophets as Elias anointed Elisha to bee a Prophet in his roome â— Kings 19. 16. secondly Priests were anointed as Aaron and Eleazer his son thirdly Kings were anointed as Saul and David 1 Sam. 10. In the time of the Law two of these offices fell out to bee in one man as Melchisedech was a Priest and a King and David was a Prophet and a King Ieremie was a Priest and a Prophet but all these offices were not in any one man untill Christ came in whom these were fulfilled the other anointings were but Types and shadowes he was the substance Christ was anointed to all these offices He was a Prophet to teach us his Fathers will a Priest to make atonement for us and intercession A King to raigne over us to defend and protect us First he is a Prophet to declare the will of God Christ hath declared the will of God to his people and therefore he is a Prophet so saith Peter Act. 3. 22. that Moses said to the Fathers the Lord your God shall raise up unto you a Prophet even of your Brethren like unto me ye shall heare him in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you so saith the woman of Samaria Sir I perceive thou art a Prophet c. All other Prophets did teach but part of Gods will but hee hath revealed his whole will and therefore Christ is the great Prophet of the Church as Luke 7. 16. when they saw Christ had raised up that man that was dead they glorified God and said a great Prophet is raised up among us and God hath visited his people It is said Matth. 4. 16. The people that sate in darkenesse saw great light and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death light is risen up all the Prophets that were before him were as little lights to him hee was the great light that made all things If a man set up a candle it will give light in one roome set up a torch and it will give a greater light but what are all these lights to the light of the Sunne so all the Prophets that were before Christ were but all little lights to this and pointed to Christ he was the great light that made all things manifest The use is that seeing Christ is the great Prophet of the Church therefore wee must heare him Ast. 3. 23. Saint Peter saith That every person which shall not heare that Prophet shall bee destroyed out from among the people therefore he that doth despise and will not heare him speaking unto us that person shall be cut off and destroyed So Heb. 2. 21. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation c. And therefore seeing he is the great Prophet of the Church we must heare and regard him I shewed you in the morning it was a sweet thought in God Matth. 21. 38. when hee had sent his servants the prophets they beate them and killed them and stoned them at last he sent his sonne It may be saith he they will reverence him it was a sweet thought in God that not withstanding they had done all to his servants they
matter a little pleasure or profit therefore in this what doe we but as Iudas did sell Christ for a trifle God give us eyes to see it and hearts to abhorre it Thirdly The manner how Iudas betrayed Christ with a kisse a signe of great love and friendship and therefore Christ saith unto him Luk. 22. 44. What doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse I would it were not so still that men kisse religion and yet betray their brethren kisse religion at the Church and yet betray it at home in their bad life and conversation Fourthly The issue and event When he had sold his Master and had but a little comfort First he bringeth the money againe to the Priests he could not abide it which may teach us to take heed how we come by our money if we come by it well we may have comfort but if badly it will one day lye as heavie as leade on a mans heart Secondly Iudas he comes and confesseth his sinne to the Priests and then he went and hanged himselfe he thought to have carried the matter closely and now he discovered it in the Temple Which may teach us that if we sinne against God though we thinke to carry away the matter closely and cunningly yet there will come a time when we shall discover the matter our selves and make it knowne and say I have beene a drunkard and a bad liver I have beene a whoremaster a covetous person and a deceiver of my brethren And as meat that is eaten by a weak stomacke cannot be at rest till it be up againe so a man cannot be quiet many times till hee have discovered all his sinnes himselfe this is the property of a bad conscience that it will egge a man to commit sinne and when he hath sinned then it wil never be at rest till have it brought a man to desperation Revel 20. 12. it is said that Iohn saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened that is their consciences For howsoever mens consciences may be sealed for a time that they cannot see their sinne yet one day they shall be opened and all the sinnes they have committed brought before them O what a fearefull thing will this be we see Iudas did but reade as it were a leafe or a page of this booke nay he read but as it were two or three lines and could not endure it but goeth out and hangs himselfe if it be so fearefull a thing to reade but a leafe or a page how fearefull will it be when a man shall reade every leafe and page in the booke Men that be of trades when they come to places of search they be unpackt and their fardels opened the searchers come and looke upon their ware when if they finde any false ware there is a forfeiture made of it So wee doe as it were in this world packe up our wares in a fardell in our conscience and when we shall stand before God at the day of judgement then our fardels shall be opened and if there be found any false wares sinnes that we have not repented of we may looke for that fearefull sentence Goe yee cursed c. And therefore every one should take heed what he packs up in his fardell seeing it shall one day be opened Having spoken of the Meanes of apprehending Christ wee are further to speake of the Manner which is laid downe in three Actions 1. In the taking of Christ 2. In the binding of him 3. In the leading him away first to Annas then to Caiphas First the taking of Christ and here two things are implied First The marvellous obduration of the Iews for it was a strange thing that they had the heart to take Christ notwithstanding they saw the works of his Power and of his Mercie First of his Power for so soone as he said I am he they straight went backward and fell to the ground and were fully confounded Secondly the workes of his Mercy in that whereas hee flang them downe yet he let them rise againe whereas he did but cast them to the ground he might have cast them to hell and when Peter had cut off Malchus eare being the busiest to take Christ he sets it on againe and healed it and yet for all this they lay hold on Christ as soon as they were up again although they had felt the power of Christ and had seene the workes of his mercy yet they would not be stopped in their course Which may teach us what a fearefull thing it is to have a hard heart that nothing then can stop and stay a man in the course of sinne neither the judgements nor the mercies of God for as we see at this day though God cast many downe to the ground as it were into their sicke beds and hath graciously raised them up againe and as hee healed Malchus eare hath healed them yet they straight-way stretch out their hands to sinne against God and to grieve him therefore wee see when a mans heart is obdurate and hardened with sin nothing will doe him good so it was in Pharaoh Exod. 8. 15. His heart was hardened and he harkened not to them as the Lord had said so likewise Numb 16. wee see the great judgements that befell Corah Dathan and Abiram that the earth did cleave and swallow them up so that all the people fled away at their crie and yet the next day after on the morrow all the multitude of the children of Israel did murmure against Moses and Aaron saying Yee have killed the Lords people c. Hence we may learne what a fearefull thing it is to have a hard and obdurate heart nothing will move it neither the mercie nor the judgements of God therefore let us pray to God to keepe us from this fearefull condition and to give us a soft heart that when he hath laid his judgements upon us wee may be bettered by them and when we taste of his mercies we may be moved with them and brought to repentance The second thing implied in the taking of Christ is that as he was taken of the Iewes so this should put us in minde of the fearefull taking at the last day for looke how Christ was taken in the Garden so every unrepentant sinner shall bee apprehended at the day of Iudgement the drunkard for his drunkennesse the swearer for his swearing the whoremaster for his whoring and so all unrepentant sinners shall be apprehended yea and it shall be in a more fearefull manner than Christs was For first he was apprehended of the wicked Iewes wee shall bee of the Angels Secondly he was brought before the barre of an earthly Iudge but we shall be brought before the barre of the heavenly Iudge which doth not only judge of the outward deeds and actions but of our hearts and thoughts so hee saith Revel 2. 23.
with Christ but I cannot see how this should be because there was none but Christ seene when hee rose againe it is said that the earth and the sea gave up their dead but we doe not read that the heavens gave up their dead The use hereof is that seeing the Angels and these Saints were contented when they had done the businesse and the worke of God they came for to lay aside their bodies and that they should dissolve and come to dust againe so when wee have done the worke of God wee came for in this world we should be contented meekely and patiently with the rest of our brethren to lay aside our bodies that they may dissolve and come to dust and ashes untill the time of the generall resurrection Having spoken thus of the manner of Christs rising now we come to the manifestation thereof for though no man saw him at the very instant when he rose yet when he was risen hee did manifest himselfe to the world so farre forth as was fit which may teach us that although the world doe not see the very instant or moment when we be humbled or when wee repent and turne to God or when wee are brought to an estate of Grace yet when we be converted and have turned unto God we must let the world see the fruits of our conversion so wee see the Theefe did as soone as he was converted hee did shew the fruits of his conversion for hee reprooved his fellow confessed his sinnes cleareth Gods judgements and pleadeth for Christ so Saint Iames saith shew me thy faith never talke thou hast faith unlesse thou shew it let the world see it shew it in thy speeches in thy actions and in thy life that thou art converted and turned unto God to this effect the same Apostle saith Chap. 3. 13. Who so is a wise man and is indued with knowledge amongst you let him shew it by good conversation so if thou hast repented and turned to God shew it in thy life and in thy speeches let thy words shew the fruits of it this is that which Christ himselfe exhorts to Matth. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven for it is not enough to have light in our selves but wee must let our light shine Christ did rise and no man saw the very instant and moment and yet when he was risen he did manifest himselfe to the world so though no man see the instant when wee were converted yet when we be converted we should shew the fruits of our conversion for as it is in the life of nature that a man cannot have life in him but it will appeare either by stirring breathing or panting so it is in the life of grace if a man have life in him it will bee seene by one meanes or other Secondly this may serve as matter of comfort Christ was not seene at the instant or moment when hee did rise and yet did shew by infallible tokens that he was risen many an one are troubled that they know not the very instant or moment of their conversion and therefore make question of their Christian calling but this example is fit to relieve such that although a man knowes not the very instant or moment when he was converted yet if he can proove by infallible tokens and markes he is converted he may resolve undoubtedly that he is called We see in nature that a childe hath life and yet the mother doth not know the instant ormoment of its life quickning but by the stirrings movings shee doth know there is life initiated in her childe so it is in the life of grace there may bee life in a man though he know not the very instant and moment when hee first received that life yet if hee have evident markes of it hee may have comfort that hee is converted though hee know not the time of it Now there were twelve severall times that Christ did appeare wherein he did manifest himselfe to the world it is too long to speake of all therefore I will speake of them that are most fit for our instruction There were five severall times that Christ appeared that day hee rose in 1. To Mary Magdalen 2. To the two women going from the grave 3. To the two Disciples going to Emmaus 4. To Simon Peter 5. To the Disciples being together onely Thomas away Now what is the reason that Christ appeared so many times that day he did rise on so that all the day long hee did appeare to one or other at one place or another to his followers and did spend it in holy exercises and in holy apparitions I answere it was to dedicate and institute the Christian Sabbath therefore Christ did so many times appeare that day it is a great question amongst Divines who it was that did alter the Sabbath some thinke that it was the tradition of the Church but it is not the Church nor all the Churches in the world that can alter it it must be Christ onely that must doe it therefore he did appeare so many times that day to set it apart to holy uses by his owne example the Apostles did not institute the day nor dedicate it of themselves but gathered together by the divine knowledge they had that it was Christs meaning and will to teach them by his appearing so many times in one day to appoint that day for the Christian Sabbath and therefore the Apostle did put it in practise so wee see Act. 7. 20. and 1 Cor. 16. 2. and Revel 1. 10. where the name is given to it as the first day of the weeke and the Lords day whence it is manifest that Christ did dedicate and sanctifie the Christian Sabbath as Augustine saith well that by the resurrection of Christ on that day it was consecrated to be the Christian Sabbath The first appearing was to Mary Magdalen out of whom he cast seven devils And there bee three things to bee observed in this point of his appearing 1 The Cause why he did appeare to her 2 The Manner of his appearing 3 The end of it First The cause why hee did appeare to her not because shee was a great stateswoman a rich woman or a more holy woman than the rest for there was Mary the Mother of Christ an holier woman one would have thought hee would have appeared to Caesar or to Emperours and Kings to Noble men and to great men of the world or to the holiest and most sanctified women in the world or that he should have appeared to his Mother but he did appeare first to Mary Magdalen out of whom he had cast seven devils one that was infamous and a great sinner yet she was penitent for her sinnes and a true convert as appeares in that she did shew such speciall love to Christ upon her conversion in attending
flocke of sheepe the shepheard is awake and the Dog barkes so that the wolfe goeth away doth no harme yet saith hee a wolfe hee came and a wolfe hee goes away in like manner a man may come into a Church amongst Gods people and bee restrained from some sinnes either for feare of men or for feare of the law or of some punishment yet still hee is a wolse hee retaines his wolvish nature a wolfe hee comes and a wolfe hee goes therefore we must not onely restraine sinne but wee must kill and mortifie it Secondly they did refraine from some sinnes and not from all So wee see the Pharisee did refraine from some sinnes but not from all hee was not an extortioner or an unjust man but hee was a proud person a hater of the poore and a contemner of his brethren And so likewise Laban hee refrained from speaking ought but good to Iacob and yet he was an idolater or else hee would not have made such search for his idoles Therefore we must not refraine from some sinnes onely but wholly and universally from all of what kinde soever they bee Thirdly a man may bee inlightned and have a great deale of knowledge hee may know God and Christ what sinne is and punishment due unto it with many other profitable notions and yet want the Spirit of God Hebr. 6. 4. we read that there may be some that may bee inlightened and taste of the word of God and of the powers of the world to come and yet never bee renewed againe by repentance if they fall away so Iudas was a preacher had great knowledge and many good gifts and yet hee was a Devill therefore hee had not the sanctifying Spirit in like manner a man may have great gifts of memory and knowledge have a rare and an excellent gift in preaching and neverthelesse want the sanctitie of the Holy Ghost Here because illumination and knowledge is a gift of the Spirit of God and a thing to bee desired and labored for as S. Paul exhorts the Colossians to put off the old man and to put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge therefore I say because knowledge is a gift of the Spirit let us see what is the defect of this illumination and knowledge To this I answer There are two defects in it First men doe not labor for the right kinde of knowledge And secondly they doe not make a right use of their knowledge First men did not labour for a right kinde of knowledge For there are two kindes of knowledge First speculative Secondly practicall knowledge speculative knowledge is to know things to discourse of them and to make table-talke and to speake of them practicall knowledge is to know things to put them in practise that they may bee layd to their hearts and to their lives to bee reformed thereby Now let us all labour for this last kinde of knowledge and not for the first and this is the first defect of mans knowledge Secondly that men doe not make a right use of their knowledge they doe not apply it to their hearts and to their lives for the bettering and reforming of them for it is a sure thing we can have no more comfort of our knowledge than so farre as we put it in practise A man may have a flint stone in his pocket and yet bee a cold if hee doth not make use of it to strike fire so a man may have knowledge and have no comfort by it unlesse he make use of it to the bettering of himselfe Therefore it must bee our wisedome that when we have knowledge to bee sure to apply it to our hearts and to our lives for the bettering of both Fourthly a man may have a kinde of repentance hee may bee humbled for his sinnes cry out against them confesse them and weepe for them and yet neverthelesse want the Holy Ghost as Pharoah Exod. 9. 27. said to Moses and to Aaron I have now sinned the Lord is Righteous but I and my people are wicked Heere wee see that Pharoah saw his sinnes confessed them and yet hee had not the sanctifying spirit so Saul 1 Sam. 24. 17. where of him it is said and Saul lift up in his voyce and wept and said to David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rendred mee good and I have rendred thee evill so also of Iudas Matth. 27. 3. it is said Then when Iudas which betrayed him saw that hee was condemned hee repented him and brought back the thirty peeces of silver to the chiefe Priests and Elders saying I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood So then we see a man may repent of his sinnes confesse them bee humbled and weepe for them and yet want the Holy Ghost Now seeing repentance is a good gift of the spirit let us see what is the defect I answer it is in three things First these men did weepe and sorrow more for the judgment that was like to come upon them than for the hatred of the sinne So wee see Ahab did weepe and cry out when the judgment was pronounced against him by the Prophet and yet his repentance was faltie Secondly they did weepe for one and not for all their sinnes so we see Iudas did hee repented this one sinne of the betraying of Christ and had a number of other sinnes hee never repented of so Pharoah hee repented of this one sinne of detayning and holding back of the Children of Israel but did not repent of his other sinnes Thirdly They did weepe for their outward sinnes and not for their inward corruption Therefore thou whosoever thou art must labour of finde in thy selfe whether thou mournest for the hatred of sinne or for feare of Gods judgment if it bee for feare of punishment and for feare of Hell thou canst not have any comfort but if it bee for the hatred of sinne because it is displeasing to God thou mayest have comfort therefore as Augustine saith shew mee the man first that can weepe and mourne for sinne though hee knowes that God will not damne him that hell is shut up and the Divell shall not torment him this man may especially have comfort Secondly that so repents for one sinne as that hee drawes in all his sinnes as far as judgment informes him Thirdly that is humbled not onely for his outward sinnes but especially for his inward corruption Thus wee see Paul did Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of sinne If thou canst finde these three things in thy repentance thou mayest have comfort in it Fifthly a man may have a kinde of love to heaven a desire to be saved and to behold God in glory and yet may want the holy Ghost Two examples wee have of it first of Balaam Numb 23. 10. who
Levit. 4. 3. there was a sacrifice appointed for the Ignorance of the Priests and People and Habakuk 3. the Prophet intitles a prayer for the Ignorances Therefore the Church may bee ignorant of some things as the Church of Ierusalem was Acts 11. 10. The Church was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till they were informed by Peter and in Cyprians time there was rebaptising held in the true Church So in Augustines time it was held as a thing needfull to salvation for Children to receive the Lords Supper contrary to Saint Pauls rule 1 Cor. 11. Let a Man examine himselfe therefore it is out of question their may be errors in the true Church But the difference is twofold First that they doe not erre in the foundation their errours doe not strike at the heart and let out the life-blood of religion but it is like the scratching of a Thorne and therefore it remaineth Holy in the foundation Secondly Though it fall into errour it is so assisted by the Power of grace as it doth not rest till it recover againe as mud being throwne into a fountaine rests not till it workes it out and settles againe so though the Church fall into errour it is so assisted by the power of grace as that it recovers againe as Iohn 16. 11. saith Christ When hee is come that is the Spirit He shall lead you into all Truth that is possesse them with all truth and lead them in all Truth Peter himselfe did not know all for he was ignorant of the calling of the Gentiles till he saw the vision And then it was revealed unto him so though the Church of God be ignorant for some time it shall not so continue but the Holy Ghost will lead it into all truth Now with the holinesse of their Faith they must joyne holinesse of life as 2 Pet. 1. 5. saith he moreover joyne with your Faith vertue and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance c. with saith there must be joyned good life as of 1 Tim. 1. 19. saith S. Paul of some having faith and a good conscience which some have put away and as concerning faith hath made Shipwracke they were not wise enough to joyne to the holines of their faith holines of life but cast away a good coÌ„science made no conscience of known duties and so made shipwracke of all the pretious graces that they had imbarked In the 2 Thes 2. 10. it is said Because they received not the love of Truth that they might be saved therefore did God send them strong delusions that they should beleeve lies Therefore if men will not receive the love of the truth that they may be saved it is just with God to send them strong delusions to beleeve lyes therefore it must bee our care that with holinesse of our faith we joyne a Holy life Secondly the Church is holy by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse as 1 Cor. 1. 30. it is said Christ is made to us of God the Father wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption so Christ is not onely our justification but our sanctification for his holinesse is imputed to us In the Law as wee may see Rom. 11. 16. In the first fruits all the rest was sanctified though they â—â—re not brought into the Temple nor presented before God yet by thâ— first fruites the rest was made Holy by a certaine power to the eateâ— and users of them so because Christ is the first fruits that was offered to God in all the puritie that might bee therefore the Church of God is made holy by relation from him To this the Schoolemen agree for saith Aquinas every imperfect thing presupposeth some certaine thing that is perfect that it might be helpt all our holinesse is unperfect in our selves therefore it must bee made perfect by the holinesse of Christ In all accusations of the Divell and conflicts of our consciences wee should come to God and say Lord though I am a sinner uncleane and have infinite wants in my selfe yet in my Head Christ I am sanctified and made Holy so that whatsoever I want in my selfe it is made good in him We see chrystall though it have no light nor lustre in it selfe yet set it in the Sunne and it receiveth the Sunne beames so although we have no light nor manner of lustre in our selves yet if we be brought to Christ wee receive all the graces of Christ therefore in the Revelation the Church is said to bee apparelled with the righteousnesse of Christ Thirdly the Church is holy by inherent holinesse because there is never a true member of the Church but doth labour to be holy though they be incumbred with a number of sinnes Therefore Heb. 3. they are called holy brethren and Esay 65. 12. It is said of them and they shall call them the holy People the redeemed of the Lord for it is the care of every true member to be holy though they be troubled with many incumbrances weaknesses and sinnes Therefore whosoever thou art that art not holy at all for wee cannot obtaine to bee perfectly holy in the estate of corruption labour to bee holy in some measure use the meanes and have care to rid and remove thy sinnes for otherwise thou art no true member of the holy Church A man may live in the Church till his flesh rot or his eyes fall out of his head and yet be no true member of the Church no more than a wodden legge is a true part of a Mans body which though it moove and goe with the body yet may be laid in the fire when the body is in safety because it is not joyned to it to draw life and motion from it in like manner a man may live in the Church and bee no true member thereof because hee is not joyned to Christ nor can approve himselfe to his owne conscience or to the conscience of others therefore as it is the care of every true member to be holy so it must be the care of us that are in the Church Fourthly the Church is holy because there be the meanes of holinesse It is not so holy as Corah Dathan and Abiram said Numb 16. 3. to Moses and Aaron ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation is holy Thus to have no neede of Magistracie and Ministerie were a dangerous errour for any to thinke for the Church hath neede of all the meanes of holinesse though there be some beginnings of it yet they have neede of Moses and Aaron of Magistracie and Ministery as Psal 77. 20. it is said that The Lord led the People of Israel like Sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron the Lord led them with great tendernesse and respect hee led them like sheepe but it was by the hand of Moses and Aaron as long as the Church is in her Pilgrimage it hath neâ—de of all meanes of holinesse to guide and
of our sinnes to get faith in Christ to walke before God in newnesse and holinesse of life and then after this life we shall live in all blessednesse in the kingdome of Heaven for ever SERMON LXXI LVKE 1. 77. To give knowledge of salvation unto his People by the remission of their sinnes AT length wee are come to the second maine blessing and benefit that God giveth unto us in this life the forgivenesse of sinnes wherein two things are to be considered First That the forgivenesse of sinnes is one of the greatest blessings that God giveth to his People here in this World Secondly That this blessing appertaineth to this life onely if we have it not here let us not looke for it in the life to come For the first That the forgivenesse of sinnes is one of the greatest blessing that God giveth to his People in this world We see Esay 33. 24. it is said The People that dwell therein shall have their iniquitie pardoned So Esay 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort ye my People saith God speake yee comfort unto Ierusalem and crie unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquitie is pardoned for she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sinnes and Psal 32. David pronounceth the man blessed that hath his sinnes pardoned therefore Matth. 1. the Angell said to Mary and thou shalt call his Name Iesus for he shall save his People from their sinnes so then it is cleare by the Scripture that the pardon of sinnes is one of the greatest blessings that God giveth in this life It is a great blessing indeed to have food and rayment with things fit and needfull for this life but the pardon of our sinnes is a greater blessing than that for take any man abounding in all these things riches goods honours and credit yet if he want the pardon of his sinnes he is a miserable man and stands in a wofull condition for he stands not on cleare grounds The prisoners in the Tower are in a worse estate and condition than the poorest waterbearer is for though he have all good diet attendance fine roomes and a soft bed to lie on yet in his owne sense he is miserable because he lookes every day for his arraignment when sentence shall be given against him so if a man flow in all the wealth and deliciousnesse the world can afford and yet be unreconciled to God and hath not repented his sinnes he is in a worse condition and estate than the poorest of Gods Saints though they have but bread and water because that every day hee may looke when hee shall have the finall sentence pronounced against him to the wofull confusion of him for evermore When every thing goes well with us it is an hard matter for us to see the pardon of our sinnes to bee one of the greatest blessings but if the Lord should open our eyes to see our sinnes and to feele the burthen of them a little being touched in conscience for them then if the world were set on the one hand and the pardon of our sinnes on the other we would choose the pardon of our sinnes before all this world The use hereof shall be seeing the pardon of sinnes is one of the greatest blessings that God giveth in this world therfore though God give us food and raiment things needfull and necessarie for this life yet we should not be at rest till we finde the pardon and forgivenesse of our sinnes most men now a-dayes labour for these outward things never seeke for the pardon of sinnes but every one should checke himselfe and say I have laboured a long time for these outward things for a little bread and cloath yet the time is to come that ever I sought for the pardon of my sinnes the greatest blessing of all Exod. 8. 8. wee read how Pharoah came to Moses and Aaron saying Pray yee unto the Lord that hee may take away the frogges from mee Hee desired not him to pray to take away his sinnes which was the cause of them Iust the same is the case of the men of this world they cry out take away this judgement this sicknesse this lamenesse take away this povertie but never pray to God to take away their sinnes which are the cause thereof Gen. 15. God made to Abraham great and large promises who replies to God Lord what is all this seeing I goe childlesse so when God hath given a man Riches and goods and what the heart of a man can wish for yet he should say unto God Lord what is all this seeing I want the pardon of my sinnes therefore above all things Lord forgive mee my sinnes and pardon them The second thing is that pardon of sinnes appertaineth to this life onely for there are two sorts of blessings some that appertaine to this life some to the world to come those that appertaine to this life are First The Communion of Saints Secondly The forgivenesse of sinnes Here a man must seek it for so Christ shewes Matth. 5. agree with thine adversarie whilest thou art in the way Now Augustine saith that the time of life is the way to the judgement barre and therefore while wee are in the way wee must labour to seeke peace with God and the pardon of our sinnes lest our adversarie accuse us to the Iudge and the Iudge deliver us to the jaylour and the jaylour cast us into prison whence wee shall not come out untill wee have payed the uttermost farthing And Salomon saith Eccl. 9. 10. All that thy hand findeth to doe doe it with all thy power for there is neither worke invention nor knowledge in the grave whither thou goest So S. Cyprian saith when a man is once out of this world all opportunitie of doing good is gone So Chrysostome here in this world one must finde the pardon of his sinnes in the world to come it will bee too late to finde it And so Augustine there is a twofold Repentance a fruitfull Repentance which is in this life and penall or unfruitfull Repentance in the life to come so the wicked in Hell may repent them of their sinnes the whoremonger of his whroedome swearers of their swearing and the drunkard of his drunkennesse but this kind of Repentance is unfruitfull because they have no good by it but it serveth to increase their further torment But the fruitfull Repentance is in this life onely therefore we are taught hereby to make it our wisedome to lay hold on the good time that God giveth us to repent us of our siâ—nes to bee reconciled unto him and seeke favour at his hands for if we bee once dead and layd in the grave all opportimitie of doing good is taken away If a man sends his servant to the market to buy such things as they stand in need of when the market bell rings hee must apply himselfe to buy the things that