themselues in the free remission of their sinnes those sinnes which thou hast not purged ô my Christ those hast thou pardoned Lastly to die for sinne is so sole and proper to Christ as it can be said of none to haue done it but himselfe For he trode the winepresse alone and of all the world there was none to helpe him he alone was the lambe of God that tooke away the sinnes of the world and the glorious voyce that came downe from heauen fell vpon him and none other This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him What should I say more he died he died the Iust for the vniust the innocent for the delinquent and he that knew no sinne died for all sinne all curse and execration lay vpon him who deserued none that it might be laide off vs he matched all miserie that he might merit all mercy Nay he died for our sinnes a dolorous death that he might gaine for vs an eternall and glorious life Good Lord how much are we obliged to thee and to thy death we sinned and thou smarted for vs we were in debt and thou dischargedst it we were euen dropping downe to hell and in suffering thou hast made vs soueraignes in heauen No sacrifice no salue no electuarie could cure the maladie of our sinnes but the death of the Phisitian must be the life of the Patient and therefore in this I may say in some sense as Tulli did to his wife Terentia in that his wofull exile In hoc miserior sum quam tu quae es miserima quod calamitas communis est vtrisque nostrum culpa mea propria herein might it well beseeme me ô my Christ to be more afflicted then thou whose afflictions are aboue all afflictions that the fall is common to vs both but the fault is properly mine for I haue sinned and thou hast smarted the Iust for the vniust And here the rather to breake your hearts with the balme of Christ his loue who died for your sinnes let me assure you in the faith how diuersly this his vnspeakable loue is confirmed and sealed vnto you both by bond and baile for he hath sworne to your saluation and he hath put in himselfe body for body Nay soule for soule to answere the rigour of his father that you his children might be free Psal 9.10 For the first true it is the Lord hath sworne and it hath not repented him thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizadecke A Priest to pray a Priest to bleede a Priest to pleade neuer wanting to stand vp in the gap for vs most miserable sinners Had it not beene enough to haue prayed for vs vpon Mount Oliuet but he must bleede for vs vpon Mount Caluerie And had it not beene sufficient there to haue bled for vs but yet in the heauen of heauens to stand for vs an aduocate euen there to pleade our cause according to that of Saint Iohn If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father 1. Ioh. 2. euen Iesus Christ the righteous c. Now in this oath and couenant he hath made with vs and for vs I obserue 1. Stabilitie In that it is from God for so it is said the Lord hath sworne he hath sworne that it is much and he hath sworne neuer to repent him of that he hath done that is more it repented God that he had made man but it neuer repented him that he had redeemed man so much more excellent then is the worke of our Redemption aboue that of our Creation this of Creation greeued for but that of Redemption neuer repented of and no maruell sith the sinnes of the olde water were once washed away with olde water but these with new blood strained out of the vaines of Christ euery droppe whereof was sufficient to redeeme a thousand worlds and therefore I may well say of this gift aboue all that euer God gaue to man that these gifts of God are Ametamellonta without repentance And this is the holy couenant the Lord made with vs before the world was for the safe keeping whereof he hath put in his Christ to enter both bond and baile Life for life body for body soule for soule as the blessed Apostle saith A Suretie of a better Couenant the worthines whereof as I haue said is 1. In firmitudine as confirmed by oath for the Lord hath sworne 2. in perpetuitate as abiding euer for of his kingdome there is no end 3. in pactionis modo ratified with blood neither of Buls nor Calues but with the pretious blood of Iesus Christ 4. In fine virtute as purging our sinnes purchasing our place and pleading our cause whereas Moses testament was established vpon no such sauing grounds for it was confirmed without oath and but for a time with the blood of Buls and Goates with the ashes of an Heyfer scattered in the ayre nor with any promise of eternall saluation but of a temporall rest and Canaan And thus of the aboundance of Christ his grace we haue all receiued grace for grace A grace preuenting when hee thought vpon vs ere we thought vpon him and met our miserie with his mercie A grace assisting supporting our frailtie and fashioning our faith and obedience to his holy will and a grace perfecting Neuer leauing vs till hee haue made vs to appeare before his Father in perfect beautie thus saying Oh Father here am I and the Children which thou hast giuen mee and nowe pardon them because thou hast plagued mee Me me adsum qui feci in me conuertite ferrum ô Rutuli nihil iste nec ausus nec potuit It is I that haue beene made sinne for them and paide the raunsome for their deathes thou ô my GOD hast turned thy furie vpon mee I haue selte it ô turne it from them that they fall not who neither durst nor could endure my danger or drinke of my Cuppe Shall not the Iudge of all the worlde doe according to right That which thou hast punished in mee thou mayest not punish in them againe Oh my GOD heare my prayer forgiue them for they knew not what they did and forgiue them their sinnes with the punishment of their sinnes for me thy sonne and their Sauiours sake And heere seasonable to you be it spoken who are but lookers on and beholders of these wofull tragedies these are now readie to be sacrificed and to act the last and best part of their life vpon the Altar of their Crosse you stay behinde how long God hee knoweth and must endure the warres and woes of this wicked world take heede you trample not vnder your feete the blood of that couenant which these penitent sinners haue laide to their hearts and treasured vp in their dearest thoughts Nor doe you thinke that onely they are sinners vpon whom this Tower of Siloah is fallen for and if yee doe not repent yee shall likewise perish I dare not for my
THE DAMPE OF DEATH BEATEN backe with the glorious light and life of Iesus Christ In a Sermon Preached at Lancaster Assises in Lent last to the condemned Prisoners there and before the Honourable Iudges and Worshipfull of that Countie By William Leigh Bachelor in Diuinitie and Pastor at Standish 1. Cor. 15. v. 57. Thankes be to God which hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ LONDON Printed by Tho Creede for Arthur Iohnson dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the white Horse 1613. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THOmas Tildesley Esquire his Maiesties Atturney generall within the Countie Palantine of Lancaster and Vice Chancellor of his Highnes Court of Chancerie there Grace be multiplied in this world and blessednes in the world to come Worshipfull Syr. YOur loue hath ouerawed me much in this busines wherein it hath pleased God and you to put me and for because your place and praise is in the Gospell I durst not consult with flâ—sh and blood but haue as you may see most willingly obeyed the heauenly call The Sermon being ended at Lancaster in Lent Assises last where I was enioyned by authoritie to preach to the prisoners then condemned to die it was your desire to have a copie in priuate of that which was then deliuered in publique at what time I truely tolde you my Notes were scattered and vndisgested rather carried in my heart then in my hand yet would God assisting me in conuenient time binde them together ere they were too farre fallen out of my minde and memorie which I haue here done accordingly and sent them to your worship as a constat of my vnfained loue yet with this Caution you neuer thinke what was then deliuered by voyce can be carried so powerfully in papers as it was in speech The words contained in the two tables which God gaue to Moses from the holy Mount were first spoken by the mouth of God ere they were written by the finger of God and then carried into the valley to be heard and kept of all the people So may I likewise say of the Gospell Voyces and Prophesies went of the blood of Christ ere euer it dropt out of his veines But if gratious words had not fallen from the mouth of Christ Christians had neuer conceiued either the power or vertue of his death For as there is a blood of redemption so there is a word of reconsiliation and surely where the word teacheth not there the blood droppeth not you are religiously wise to conceiue whereat I ayme To wit that reading preaching and practizing of pietie may all goe together like Saul and Ionathan of whom it is said that they were louely in their liues and at their deaths were not diuided Learned you are in your owne lawes and therefore knowe better then I can tell that though the body of your lawes lie in your bookes yet the soule thereof is in your mootes and pleadings as also that the barre and bench doe more powerfully end and profitably determine our causes then the bookes in your chambers can doe I speake in no desperagement either of your bookes or our Bibles which in themselues are learned sacred and holy but to intimate to all the world that if you pleade not and we preach not neither states can long stand nor soules can be ordinarily saued For though holy bookes be holy Oracles and registers of Gods truth Malachi 2. v. 7. Yet must the Priests lippes preserue knowledge and the people must seeke the lawe at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts Good Sir take what I haue written in lieu of my loue may it pleasure you and benefit Soules either liuing in this world or dying to a better it is all I wish in my heart it is all I begge in my prayer and what is in my power or Element to doe it shall be alwaies yours my penne is yours my paines are yours my selfe am yours to be commaunded in him who commandeth all with my daily prayer to God for you and yours euer to be kept vnder his holy and helping hand of prouidence and protection And so I cease your further trouble but neuer leaue to loue and honour you as I am much bounden Standish this seuenteenth day of Aprill 1613. Your worships euer and so assured in his loue William Leigh THE DAMPE OF DEATH BEATEN BACKE WITH THE glorious light and life of Iesus Christ Colloss 3. verse 3.4 For yee are dead and your life is hidde with Christ in good When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glorie WHen I last supplied this place in your honourable presence as now I doe and preached vnto those poore delinquents then readie to die by the doome of iustice I was sharpely censured of some that I preached too much mercie and too little Iudgement and that like an vnskilfull Samaritan I powred into the sores of those wounded soules and broken hearts ouer much oyle and too little vineger Which and if I did I might well say with the Prophet Ieremiah in a cause not much different Ierem. 20.7 O my God if I be deceiued thou hast deceiued me thou hast deceiued me with the extent of thy mercy which reacheth farre euen from the nethermost hell to the highest heauens Thou hast deceiued me with the height of thy mercie which is aboue all thy workes for thy mercie O Lord stretcheth it selfe vnto the heauens and thy truth vnto the cloudes thou hast deceiued me with the depth of thy mercie for one depth calleth vpon an other but that of mercie swalloweth vp all Nay thou hast deceiued me with thine holy offerings of mercie vpon thine holy Altar who hast said I will haue mercie and not sacrifice But oh my God thou art not deceiued neither can thy mercies be limited in thy bountie and why shall they be straitned in my bowels It may be Nature hath made me ouermilde and the sinnes of the world require I should be seuere yet this must I say withall that neither my ouermilde disposition nor yet the worlds transgression shall euer make me cruell against the penitent And such you are whose salt teares this day doe well expresse your sorrowfull hearts who hauing beene humbled at the barre of Gods Iustice why should you not appeale to the barre of his mercie to seeke and sue for grace to helpe in time of need For when is need if not now when the feare of death is before your face when the horrour of your sinnes cryeth vengeance against your soules wheÌ„ your best friends faile you and this whole world forsaketh you when Sathan winnoweth you like wheate because he knoweth he hath but a short time when is need if not now to pray that your faith faile you not that the Lord would be propitious and that no temptation fall vpon you greater then you are able to beare but that euen in the middest of the temptation
the Lord would giue you a gratious issue and that so vpon your dissolution which is at hand you might be translated out of this miserable world to liue with God in the mercies of a better Pardon me then againe to passe by these turbulent waters of Iorden I meane of Iudgement that runne roughly vpon the Rockes of your sinne and giue me leaue yet still to bathe in the sweete running waters of Shilo I meane mercie that goe softly by Syon and when Iordan is driuen backe with the Ocean of Gods mercies you may more speedily make your passage into Canaan the land of your inheritance Now therefore to you be it spoken poore suppliants ouer whom we pray with teares and preach with passion lift vp your hearts aboue the height of all Sublimitie Settle your affections on things that are aboue and not on things that are belowe For thoe yee be dead what of that yet your life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is your life shall appeare then shall yee appeare with him in glorie The Text is like the fierie Chariot that carried vp Eliah into heauen 2. Kings 2. v. 11. which thoe happily it might turne his bodie into Synders yet it neuer left him till it had brought his soule into solace And it runnes as you may heare see vpon three wheeles the first is of death the second of life and the third of glorie Death goeth before Life followeth after and glorie perfecteth all and so as I may say there is blessednes in death there is blessednes in life and there is blessednes in glorie and with this three folde gable yee are halled vp to heauen Yee are dead that is your blessed mortification Your life is hid with Christ in God that is your blessed regeneration And when Christ which is your life shall appeare then shall yee appeare with him in blessednes that is your glorie Or thus yee are dead that is your blessed crosse but your life is hid in Christ that is your blessed shade or couer and when Christ shall appeare then shall yee appeare with him in glorie that is your blessed crowne and diadem of all heauenly delights Gen. 27. v. 26.27 It is said of aged Isaacke that when his sonne Iacob had prepared for him such sauourie meate as his soule loued cooked and seasoned with the cunning hand of Rebeckah his mother Isaack called vnto him and said Come hither my sonne and let me kisse thee before I die for me thinkes the smell of thy garments is like vnto the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Though most of you be young yet are yee now aged dead to this world as Isaacke was and I hope the meate prepared for you is such sauorie meate as your soule loueth Cooked with a more curious and cunning hand then that of Rebeckah for the spirit of God hath spoken it by the mouth of Paul and therefore come and kisse your Christ before yee die sith the sweete smell and odour thereof is like vnto the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed For now are yee blessed in death blessed in life and blessed in glorie First then my deare brethren beloued and longed for I say beloued in the best loue which is of Iesus Christ and longed for with a longing desire of your speedie saluation euen at the instant of your desolution let it not seeme strange vnto you that there should be a blessednes in death The truth hath spoken it you may belieue it Reuell 14. v. 13. The dead that die in the Lord are fully blessed Amodo euen now they rest from their labours and their workes follow them This voyce saith Iohn fell downe from heauen that in the sweete ayre thereof breathing life into our soules our dead and dul harts might be comforted and euen here in the midst of death neuer to despaire of life You haue heard belowe in this valley of teares many fearefull voyces when sinne and shame runne after you as it were with Hue and Crye and when yee weare taken in your transgressions against God and the King it was a fearefull voyce when putting your selues vpon God and your countrey yee were found guiltie by the verdict of twelue iust men yet more were yee daunted when yee were sentensed to die with this irreuocable doome from the mouth of Gods minister yee shall goe to the prison from whence yee came thence to the place of execution there shall you hang vntill you be dead and Christ haue mercie vpon your soules your hearts were shaken to heare that voyce and the mercifull Iudge tendering dropped downe teares to pronounce the Iudgement the standers by were compassionate and the whole Bench was moued with your miserie yet what of all this Sith all these voyces are beaten backe with a voyce of greater Maiestie Euen thus The dead that die in the Lord are fully blessed Or as it is in my Text Yee are dead but your life is hid with Christ in God c. But happily it may seeme a Paradox to your passionate hearts that a man should wither and yet flourish that a man should be breathles yet breath that a man should be senselesse and yet feele that a man should be dead and yet aliue Ye are dead yet is your life hid in Christ c. Surely Nature can neuer sounde it yet grace may apprehend it thus It is possible to die to sinne and yet liue to righteousnes It is possible to die to this world and yet liue to a better It is possible like a Dead man to walke vpon this Earth and yet to haue his cōuersation in Heauen Nay it is possible that heauen earth should so blend in one as that one and the selfe same man should be dead in himselfe and yet liue to his God It was so with Saint Paule when hee said Whether in the bodie or out of the bodie I cannot tell God hee knoweth but me thinkes I see things that are invtterable It was so with Iohn Reuel 1. V. 10. V. 17. when Rauished in spirit he fell down dead vpon the sight and at the feete of that heauenly vision It was so with Daniel when groueling vpon the ground Daniell 8. V. 16.17.18 hee lay as dead yet heard a voyce betweene the Bankes of Hula which said Gabriell make this dead man to vnderstand the Vision It was so with Ezekiel at the Riuer Kebar when he was caried betweene heauen earth by the haires of his head And so both heard saw the diuine vision Ezekiel 8. V. 3. All these were aliue and yet dead they were rauished in spirit and therefore lauish of their bodies their thoughts were not mortall whether in their bodies or out of their bodies they could not tell Nor did they care either for the crosses or comfortes of this transitorie worlde so they might solace their soules in the Ioyes of a better The
againe whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother wife or children or lands for my name sake he shall receiue an hundreth fold and shall inherit euerlasting life Isay 55.1 it is the call of thy God and Christ yee that haue no money to buye come buye without penney or penneyworth Behold I set a kingdome on sale euen that of heauen where riches are bought with pouertie peace with persecution glorie with shame mirth with mone Sollace with sorrow life with death for yee must die once that yee may liue alwaies alwaies there where true Ioyes are to be found Fiftly though this treasure be purchased with paine yet it is kept with comfort Earthly riches we so greedily catcht at and gape after they are sharpe as a thorne they pricke to the bone for they pricke in getting they pricke in keeping and they pricke in parting from them Nay Acquirendo Retinendo Erogando in getting keeping and bestowing there is nothing but much sinne with little solace and great daunger with small delight But the treasure wherein our life is hid Ecclus. 15. v. 8. hath in it gladnes of heart as Siracides saith for men of truth haunt it and shall prosper euen to the beholding of God Waue therefore all wearines in the wealth of this wicked world and as the prouerbe is Ito sicut canis per Nilum drink by catches for feare of Crocadils taste of it pleasures but soake not into them least in the sweetnes thereof thou be supped vp Amatores suos nouit deuorare non portare it knoweth better how to crosse then crowne it riuals Lastly ex spiritualibus Componitur This treasurie stands vpon spiriturall store no orient pearle of Peru or Mexico no gold of Hauila no Carbunkle Topas or Chrisolit with are nothing else but Terrae maculae immunditiae Neither any of these or all these with an other world of greater wealth can store the treasurie we ayme at it is filled it is filled with the substance of a more heauenly beeing spiritualibus non mundanis gazis not with transitorie but with eternall store It is filled with righteousnes peace and ioy of the holy Ghost it is filled with mercie grace and glorie It is filled with long life length of dayes and all Aeternitie It is filled with Imperiall maiestie brightnes and immortalitie It is filled with the presēce of God with the sight of the Lambe and with the sweete breath and perfume of the holy Ghost proceeding from both It is filled with Songs of Sion Melodious Musicke and praises of all Saintes and Angells sweeter then the harmonie of the Heauens Finally It is filled with greater ioy thē man can thinke or Angell can speake therfore I leaue it with a Selah to my soule till I finde in glorie what I feele in grace And the Lord increase your Faith till you come to this perfection Pardon mee a while to followe this current till I hauee layde you a sleepe in the sweete Repose and Bosome of your CHRIST And therefore say yet further to the solace of your saued soules Christ in whom your life is secured is that hidden Mannah tendered to the Church at Pergamus and in them to you and so to the conquering Saints all the Worlde To him that ouercommeth Reuel 2. V. 17. I will giue to eate of the Mannah that is hidde Prou. 25. V. 1. It stands with the glorie of God to keepe a thing secret So saith Salomon But the Kings honour will finde it out Christ is a secret a mysterie and a Myne to be digged into our heauenly food our meate and hidden Mannah which we may not find in the barke and rinde which often times seemeth faire to the sillie Eye of flesh and blood but wee must search the Veynes and digge downe to the Roote where Christ his sappe and sweetnes is Reu. 10. V. 10. The little booke was sweete in the mouth but bitter in the belly The lower it went the more passionate it was It feeling was in it fall and till it came to the entrails it entred not So is this hidden Mannah swimming in the eare moulded in the mouth it relisheth not to thy saluation But when it searcheth the veynes of thy heart and soule then is thy life hidde in Christ then is the very soule of thy Soule incorporated into thy Sauiour which made the Prophet crye out in Rauishment of spirit Rasili Rasili My secret to my selfe Isai 24. V. 6. My secret to my selfe As if hee should say If none will feele yet am I filled with the abundance of this Angells foode yea and though all the world lye in darknes yet Christ my Loue my Life my Light and my Saluation shineth vnto my selfe and I shall walke in the brightnes thereof euen from grace to grace till I come to glorie Yea and in the meane time be fedde and filled with that Heauenly Mannah which in these respects I may paralell with my CHRIST and apply as a comfortiue to your pensiue soules who are to dye and now hunger and thirst after righteousnes grace and glorie 1. First as Mannah fell from Heauen So did Christ when hee bowed the Heauens and came downe and said I am the bread of life that came downe from Heauen whereof who Eateth shall neuer hunger any more Now your Eating of CHRIST Io. 6. V. 35. is but your stedfast Faith beleuing in CHRIST For so saith Saint Augustine Edere est Credere And therefore saith Christ Io. 6. V. 40. He that belieueth in mee hath euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day Whervpon I may conclude Quid paras dentem ventrem Crede manducasti Why doest thou bring mee thy tooth and thy belly belieue in me and thou hast eaten me Secondly when the Mannah was fallen some gathered more and some gathered lesse and yet so As he that gathered little Exod. 16. V. 18. had no lacke and he that gathered much had nothing ouer So is CHRIST the foode of our soules hee filleth all that gather though not in like measure And therefore let none iudge of the quantitie of Faith and Sanctitie how much or how little will saue a soule Sithence we are heere taught that if it be any it is enough For he that gathered little had no lacke and he that gathered much had nothing ouer None may presume haue he neuer so much None may despaire haue hee neuer so little But he that hath none at all is remediles of all mercie You are here deiected at Christ his feet your teares prayers and kisses expresse your Faith and Feeling both of Christ his mercies and your owne miseries It may be you thinke you are feeble in Faith and wanting in workes and what of that Tantum velis Deus praeoccurrit Onely bee thou willing and God will supplie thy wants hee will meete thee in the way