to content their owne sinnefull humour But so to reprehend is no way lawfull wee must deale with sinners as Samuel did with Saul chide them for their sinne yet pray for their soule as Moses did with the Israelites who corrected their iniquities yet would be blotted out of Gods Booke for their safeties as David did with Absalom who detested his fault and yet would have died for his sake then shall wee shew our selves true physicians that seare the sore to preserve the person and hate the sinne to preserve the soule THE NINE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XVIII How that they told you that there shall bee mockers in the last time c. Scorning and mocking the highest degree of sin NOw he commeth to the words that he will have them to remember they be these That there shall come in the last dayes mockers hee calleth the wicked mockers for in mustering up their sinnes hee beginneth with their flouting as an arch sinne a capitall sinne hee placeth it in the forefront as Ioab did Vrias it is a Metropolitan sinne as Salomons harlot 1 Reg. 3. was among women the worst of all as the beast in the Apocalyps Apoc. 13. which inspired the other with blasphemy like Antiochus who did more hurt then all the Tyrants before him Of these mockers speaketh Peter as though he had followed Iude verbatim word for word but he hath answered them so fully that we need not go any further for their confutation There shall saith he come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lusts and say Where 1 Pet. 3 3 4 5 6 7. 8 9. is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this they willingly know not that the Heavens were of old and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the Word of God wherefore the world that then was perished overflowed with the water but the Heavens and earth which There have beene scorners in all ages are now are kept by the same Word in store and reserved unto fire against the day of Iudgement and of the destruction of ungodly men Dearely beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeeres as one day The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is patient toward us c. Salomon had to doe with such All things come alike to all Eccles 9. 2. and the same condition is to the just and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth and he that feareth an oath so they said in Chrysostomes time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give me something here let hereafter go to others Mat. 22. such were in Christs dayes the Sadduces they denied the Resurrection Paul had to doe with these beasts which said Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye But if Peter reasoned well 1 Cor. 15. 32. 1 Pet. 47. saying Now is the end of all things at hand be yee therefore sober and watching in prayer The Epicures in Pauls time reasoned vilely and beastly nam contrariorum contraria est ratio for of contraries there is a contrary reason Such skummes have beene in all ages when Esay spake of sackloth they spake of slaying of oxen and Esa 22. drinking wine when the Apostles spake with new tongues they spake with their old tongues and said that they were drunken with new wine when Paul spake of the true God the Athenians Act. 2. 13. called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a babbler a rascall a trifler when Christ wrought miracles they said that he did them by the Divell and Mat. 12. now that we speake of God and the Kingdome of God they say that we are idle and must say something and that our doctrine is good for those that have little to doe they deride us as simple men that know nothing with the Corinthians they call our preaching foolishnes with the Aegyptians they call our resort unto the Church idlenesse with the Captaines they call our Exod. 8. 2 Reg. 9. Act. 26. 1 Cor. 1. 21. Act. 26. 25. preachers madde men with Festus they call our zeale plaine dotage and madnesse and with Pliny they call our meetings conventicles but wee will answere them as Paul did the Corinths It pleaseth God through the foolishnes of preaching to save them that beleeve As the Apostle did Festus Wee are not mad but wee speake the Words of truth and sobernes As the Christians did Plinie Trajane and others for their night meetings our witnesse is above our praise is not with men but with God The Latines for mocking use a triple Synonyme Irrisio subsannatio Rom. 2. illusio à risu â—â—gatu ludo a laughing to skorne a mocking by snuffing up the nose and a scorning by way of jesting the first two are open the third more secret when we breake a jest upon our neighbour that tends to his disgrace Of these mockers there be sundry kindes Some that mocke God Some that mocke Gods man They that mocke God are of two sorts the open that deny Divers sorts of mockers both of God and men God in word and in deed as Pharaoh And the secret that professe in shew but deny in truth like the Sonne in the Gospell who in word said I go father but in truth went not at all Multi adorantes Crucem exteriùs Crucem spiritualem per contemptum conculcant Many will beare the Crosse in their bosomes that never imprint it in their hearts and many fall before it in their closet that never follow it in their lives Irrisor non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod penitet He is a 〈◊〉 Iside no repenter whose works are not answerable to their words These mocke-Gods shall one day feele the hand of God Glaucus that scoffed at Venus was torne in pieces with his mares Lycurgus despising Bacchus chopt his owne legs asunder as hee lopt his vines Holofernes acknowledging no God but Nabuchodonozer Iudith 13. was murthered by a woman the people that will sacrifice to the Queene of heaven were consumed with the sword of famine Nicanor that derided the Lord of the Sabbath lost his head hand shoulder Phericides in derision of the God-head bragged Ier. 44. 17. abroad that himselfe had as much prosperity that never did sacrifice as they that offred an hundred Hecatombs to the gods but was as Herod coÌ„sumed with lice Daphida a scoffer in derision Act. 12. 23. of Apollos Oracle at Delphos enquired of it whether he should find his horse that he lost when indeed hee had none the Oracle made this answere Inventurum quidem sed ut co turbatus periret that
and the same operation Tres sunt in trinitate non statu sed ordine non essentia sed forma non potestate sed specie unus status essentiae potestatis quia sunt unus Deus There bee three persons in the Trinity not in state and condition but in order not in essence but in forme not in power but in kinde for there is one and the same state of essence and power because these three persons bee but one God But to leave this The persons of the Trinity are here distinguished they are sanctified of God the Father and reserved unto Iesus Christ The persons of the Father and the Sonne are discerned as in all other places Pater quasi fons exuberans filius ut rivus defluens ille ut Sol hic ut radius ille ut os hic ut vox procedens nonautem separantur sicut nec rivus a fonte nec radius a Sole nec vox abore quia aqua fontis est in Rivo solis lumen in radio oris virtus in voce The Father as the fountaine abounding the Sonne as the river flowing he as the Sunne this as the beame hee as the mouth this as the voice proceeding they are not separated as neither the river is separated from the fountaine nor the beame from the Sunne nor the voyce from the mouth for the water in the fountaine is in the river as the light of the Sunne is in the beame and the vertue of the mouth in the voyce The distinction of the persons obscurely delivered in the Old Testament in the New is made clearer than the noone-day For at the Baptisme of Christ the Sonne was seene The holy Ghost descended like a Dove Againe Christ bade them Baptise In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Againe Mat. 3. 16. this was Pauls farewell to the Churches The grace of our Lord Iesus the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you c. Mat. 28. 19. Againe Saint Iohn saith That there are three that beare witnessein Sanctification not available without preservation heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one Also the place Luk. 1. 35. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing that shall be borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of God doth 1 Iohn 5. 7 8. sufficiently prove the Trinity which places the Confession of Belgia quoted against Iewes Mahomitans Marcion Mans Sabellius Samositanus c. The third title of honour here given unto the Elect is reservation that they are reserved unto Christ Iesus that is as St. Peter saith They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation All former blessings without this is to small purpose 1 Pet. 1. 15. in that God not onely calleth us but sanctifieth us and not only so neither but also reserveth us in Christ Iesus This maketh Luke 6. 38. up the measure of our joy till the Bushell runne over So Paul told the Corinthians that God had called them and would confirme 1 Cor. 1. 8. them unto the end that they may bee blamelesse in the day of Lord Iesus This is the Anchor of our hope as the Sun at noone day as the Moone in the Full that God preserveth us for ever He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe the Lord is thy keeper the Psal 121. 4 5. Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand the Sunne shall not burne thee by day nor the Moone by night He that keepeth a sicke man sleepeth but he that keepeth us never sleepeth his eyes are alwaies open day and night like the gates of the new Ierusalem Apoc. 20. Christ giveth this reason why his sheepe doe not perish My sheepe saith hee heare my voyce and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck Iohn 10. 27 28. them out of my hand Our life is like a Ship in the Sea beaten with winde tossed with waves turmoyled with all kind of troubles and were it not that Christ is in this Ship we were like to sinke nor with Peter into the Sea but with Iudas into hell And this point is most notably handled by Master Calvin who affirmeth that Gods providence is over all the parts of our life we cannot Calvin libro 1. cap. 17. Instit. saith he take heat nor cold without danger by heat wee may surfeit and by colde catch an ague if wee mount up an horse In lapsu unius pedis periclitatur tota vita in the sliding of one foot is the danger of our life if wee enter into a Ship we are but an inch from death if we walke in the streets so many tiles so many deaths hang over our heads walk into the Forrests or Fields so many beasts so many enemies that conspire our destruction shut thy selfe in a Garden there a Serpent may kill thee Latet anguis in herbis And to recapitulate all this Bibulus a noble Romane riding thorough the streets in great pompe a tile fell from the house and strooke him so deepe into the head that it killed him Pope Adrian drinking at a Fountaine was choked with a flye Anacreon the Poet was choked with the graine of a Grape Gregory the 13. was suddenly strangled with a rheume and it is said of Plato that he dyed in a Gods providence watcheth over all especially his dreame and of Publius Crassus that hee dyed laughing Into these dangers might wee have fallen if God had not preserved us Marvellous is the providence of God in our lives Iob in his misery saw the want of it and therefore wished saying Oh that I were as in times past when God preserved me when his light shined upon Iob. 29. 2 3 4 5 6. my head and when by his light I walked through the darkenesse as I was in the dayes of my youth when Gods providence was upon my Tabernacle when the Almighty was with me and my children round about me when I washed my pathes with butter and when the rocke powred me out Rivers of Oyle c. In all the parts of our life God miraculously preserveth us miraculously doth he preserve us in our conception and therefore saith the just man Thou hast powred me out like milke turned me to Curds like Cheese thou hast cloathed mee with skinne and flesh and joyned mee together with bones and sinewes thou hast given me life and grace and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit Miraculously did hee nourish us in our Mothers wombe Psal 8. 2. miraculously nine moneths preserved hee us miraculously did he deliver us out of the wombe of our Mother for at our birth Psal 34. not onely women but Angels did assist us miraculously God keepeth us in our youth For CHRIST speaking
sustaineth the souldier but hope of victory and the mariner but hope of arrival and the husband-man but hope of harvest and the prentise but hope of freedome And shall not the hope of eternall life sustaine us Dum spiro spero whilest I breathe I hope this is the poesy of a Christian the hope of salvation we must put it on as a helmet though we sowe in teares we shall reape in joy Paul 1 Thess 5. 8. Psal 126. 5. setting downe the parts of a Christian life to sweeten the actions of it they being hard to flesh bloud propoundeth the blessed hope saying The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath Tit. 2. 11 12 13. appeared and teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty God and our Saviour Iesus Christ It is a blessed hope a blessed place that we looke for it is mount Garisim not mount Hebal Hee is a blessed God Deut. 27. 1 Tim. 6. 16. Rom. 9. 5. Iohn 16. Mat. 25. Apoc. 21. Deut. 27. Exod. 19. Numb 21. Exod. 10. Gen. 3. cap. 13. Zach. 14. Christ is a blessed Saviour the holy Ghost a blessed Comforter wee are blessed Children Heaven is a blessed Kingdome There is mount Garisim without any curse mount Horeb without any thunder the wildernes of Sinai without any serpent the land of Goshen without any darkenesse a Paradise without any serpent Eden without any weeds Ierusalem without any Canaanite there is day without night Summer without Winter riches without measure fulnesse without hunger pleasure without loathing life without death The faith and love of the Colossians sprang from the hope of Heaven therefore Paul tels them that hee thanked God for them and prayed for them ever since hee heard of their faith in Christ and of Col. 1. 4 5. their love towards the Saints for the hopes sake which is layd up for them in Heaven This stayd Iob in all his extremities when his cattell were stollen his houses blowne downe his children slaine his friends grieved his body wounded his wife alienated from him I am sure saith hee my Redeemer liveth and Iob 19. 25. I hope to finde him my deliverer and Saviour yea the Lord Iesus for the joy that was set before him indured the Crosse God will put a Hebr. 12. 2. difference one day betweene his children and bastards betweene them that say that it is but vaine to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his Commandements and that wee walked humbly Mal. 3. 14 15. before Lord of Hoasts and those that feare God the Corne shall bee gathered into the Garner the Chaffe shall bee burnt the Mat. 3. Goats shall bee separated from the Lambes the vessels of Clay shall bee broken Here is a mixture of sonnes and of bastards Ma◠25. of Corne and Chaffe of Goates and Lambes vessels Apoc. 2. of Clay and of Gold but in Heaven shall bee a difference and Body and soule shall be glorified in all parts and powers if that were not wee were the most miserable even Tully would not bee rocked againe in his Cradle Amas vivere quoth Aug. in vita aeterna Doest thou love to live everlastingly Hope with David to see the goodnesse of the 1 Cor. 15. 19. Aug. Lord in the land of the living In this life quoth Bern. erit mira serenitas plena securitas aeterna foelicitas wonderfull serenity full security eternall felicity then the whole man shall bee renewed our soules shall bee fully reformed to the Image of God as touching the two powers thereof From our understanding shall be dispelled all darkenesse and it shall be filled with new light and that of her selfe she shall know God and the will of God without preaching without praying without Sacraments without bookes and writings to instruct her for preaching shall have an end prayer an end Sacraments an end wee shall bee as the Angels of God understanding all things Now we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 12. but then shall wee know even as wee are knowne Our will also shall want all wicked lusts and shall bee filled with all true Love both towards God and man and this love shall never bee interrupted To conclude all the faculties of the soule shall bee filled with God and with his power so as the soule shall nourish the body without meate drinke sleep because hee shall bee replenished with God and God shall be all in all Erimus cives Coeli socij Angelorum Ephes 2. 3. cohaeredes Christi we shall bee Citizens of Heaven fellowes of Angels coheires with Christ Citizens with Saints and of the houshold of God As touching the body the other part of man it shall also bee glorified nulla illius erit senectus nulla mors nullus morbus nullum peccatum No old age shall molest it nor death nor disease nor sinne our bodies shall be like the glorious body of the Lord Iesus Nemo ibi irascitur nemo invidet nemo laeditur there is no man angry no man envieth no man is any way hurt or harmed No lust doth annoy no divell doth terrify there is a Sunne without setting life without dying labour without wearinesse pleasures without tediousnesse there we shall see God as he is in the sight 1 Iohn 2. 3. Aug. of whom wee shall doe foure things wee shall know wee shall love wee shall rejoyce and wee shall praise wee shall know the secrets of God which is a depth without bottome wee shall love God above all and our neighbour as wee should wee shall rejoyce for in Heaven there is fulnesse of joy and at the right Psal 16. 11. hand of God there is pleasure for evermore and we shall praise God without ceasing For saith David Blessed are they that dwell in thy Psal 84. 1. house they shall alwayes bee praysing of thee there our joy shall be full all joy here is at an ebbe but there is the flood of joy perfection Iob 15. 11. fulnesse of joy Againe here all joy is mixt with paine Health with Sicknes Life with Death Summer with Winter the Spring with the Autumne Libertie with bondage there is all solace no sorrow The joyes of of heaven unspeakable incōprehensible the first sorrow cast out into shame But as touching this eternall Life whereof Saint Iude here speaketh a man may well thinke of it and talke of it but hee Apoc. 21. 4. can never thinke nor talke of it as it is Paul saith The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard the heart of man cannot conceive the 1 Cor. 2. 9. joyes of this life The eye of man What can it not see How little a sound will the eare heare What great matters can the tongue utter What wonderfull things can
and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Nay the service of God is the end of our glorification Therefore the Apostle would have us to walke worthy our God who hath 1 Thess 2. 12. called us unto his Kingdome of glory And therefore unlesse wee esteeme vilely of our Creation Redemption and Glorification wee must become Gods servants and serve him in feare and rejoyce Psal 2. 11. before him with trembling Austine Observeth God was never called Lord until he had placed Adam in Paradise before he was called God simply but now the Lord God because hee was not so much a Lord to Angels and other creatures as unto man to teach him that hee must live under Gods lordship and serve him For though Adam was lord of the creatures and the creatures must serve him yet Adam had a Lord whom he must serve And yet God needeth not our service and therefore saith David O my soule thou hast said unto Psal 16. 2. Psal 50. 10 11. the Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee all the beasts of the Forrests are his and the beasts on a thousand Mountaines hee knowes all the fowles on the Mountaines and wilde beasts of the Fields are his Who saith the Apostle hath knowne the minde of the Lord or Who was his Counsellor or Who hath given unto him first and hee shall bee recompenced Rom. 11. 35 36. But howsoever hee standeth not in need of our service wee stand in need of his Lordship and protection that wee may bee safe under his Wings that wee feare not the feare of the Psal 91. night nor the arrow that flyeth by day nor the pestilence that walketh in the darke nor the plague that destroyeth at noone-day And doe wee stand in need of his Lordship Let us understand our wants and performe our service and duty to the Lord For thus hee reasoneth by the Prophet The Sonne honoureth his Father the Servant Mal. 1. 5. his Master If I bee your Father where is my honour If your Master where is my feare Let not God say of us as of the Israelites I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against mee Ravenna saith thus A move radium a Sole non lucet rivulum Esa 1. 2 3. a fonte arescit a radice ramum exiccatur a corpore membrum putrescit obedientiam a Christiano perit Take away the beame from the Sunne and it shineth not the river from the Fountaine and it dryeth up the bough from the Roote and it withereth the member from the Body and it rotteth and obedience from a Christian and hee perisheth Consider what Adam lost by his evill service he fell from purity Adams losse for his evill service If we wil serve God the creatures shall serve us to corruption from eternitie to mortalitie from Angels to men from heaven to hell had not the promised seed come in Hee was expelled out of Paradise as a Rebell an Outlaw and a shaking Sword hanging to keepe him out Hee came out of Eden a pleasant garden to toyle among Nettles Bryers brambles like the men of Penuel Hee became a slave to the creatures Gen. 3. 15. Iudg. 9. the creatures rebels against him to this day Homo nascitur cum dolore man is borne with griefe Vivit cum labore he lives by labour Moritur cum moerore hee dyes with sorrow Quis mihi dabit fontem lachrymarum ut defleam hominis miserabilem ingressum culpabilem Innocentius progressum desolatum egressum Who shall give mee a fountaine of teares that I may bewaile mans miserable ingresse his culpable progresse and desolate egresse I know that God hath turned this curse into a blessing for Plus in Christo lacrati sumus quam perdidimus in Adamo wee have gained more in Christ than ever wee lost in Adam For if by the offence of one saith Saint Paul Death raigned through one much more shall they which Rom. 5. 17. 18. receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse reigne in life through one that is Iesus Christ Likewise then as by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation So by the justifying of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the justification of life Thus wee have gained more in Christ than wee lost by Adam Yet this is of mercy not of merit of favour not of duty Witnesse the Apostle saying But when the bountifulnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by the workes of Tit. 3. 4 5. righteousnesse which wee had done but according to his mercie hee saved us by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Which he shined on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour But Augustine answereth this more fully and saith That Adams disobeying God lost his honour hee serving God all creatures served him hee disobeying God all disobeyed him The earth bringeth forth Weedes Thornes Venimous things The sea swallowes us up with flowes and stormes the ayre fighteth against us with Thunders Lightenings Tempests the heavens conspire against us with mortality of Pestilence the wilde beasts devoure us But to them that serve God God maketh his creatures serve them the earth to bring forth corne grasse fruits the ayre to be sweet the sea to bee calme the beasts to be helpefull Even so the Lions hurted not Daniel the Viper stung not Paul the Whale crushed not Ionas the Crowes Dan. 6. Act. 28. Iob. 2. 1. Reg. 19. Luke 16. Num. 21. fedde Elias the dogges licked Lazarus the Serpents of Sinai poisoned not Israel The Ecclesiasticall and tripartite historie tels us how the Crowes nourished Anthony an Hermit and Paulus Thaebeus how a Lionesse fedde Marcarius how an Hart brought Egidius meat into the Wildernesse how Helenus commanded a wilde Asse to carry his burthen I passe over that of Linus Romulus and Rhemus nourished of a shee-Woolfe and God must bee served sinne brought in the first service that of Plutarch of the Elephant that loved a Maid of Etholia and that of Plinie of a Panther that ledde a man out of the desart into a plaine way and that of Lucian of a Dolphin that carried Arion If wee serve God The stones in the streete shall bee in league with us and the beasts of the field shall bee at peace with us Ieb 5. 23. that is all creatures shall serve us Let us then addict our selves wholy unto his service not serving any other Master but him not the World not the Flesh not the Divell not Antichrist Not the World Ne illecti lest wee are allured with vaine pleasures and the lying vanities thereof not of the Flesh Ne infecti lest stayned polluted defiled therewith not the Divell Ne interfecti lest devoured and destroyed by him not Antichrist Ne decepti lest seduced and misled by him It is a base service to serve the
must bee unto us dearer than thousands of silver and gold more precious than the gold of Ophir sweeter than the Honey or the Hony-combe For albeit God can onely by the inward motion of his blessed Spirit worke out make-sure and perfect our salvation yet it pleaseth him in his eternall wisedome to use the word as an ordinary meanes of our vocation and salvation As then God giveth learning by study wisedome by experience riches by travell and like things by like meanes so he maketh perfect the calling of his Saints by the preaching of the Word which Rom. 1. 16. is the power of God to salvation to every man that beleeveth The second title of honour given here to the Saints is Sanctification he calleth them sanctified of God the Father this is the next grace wherewith he adorneth them For God continueth his graces as Iacob continued his wrastling as Peter continued his knocking till they let him in and God will not leave calling and working till hee hath sanctified and perfected his graces like the Sunne that never leaveth shining but commeth Psal 19. Exod. 17. forth as a Bridegroome out of his Chamber and rejoyceth as a Giant to runne his course Like the Fountaine of Elim and waters of Shilo that never leave running The calling of God is without repentance Rom. 11. 29. For God is not a man that hee should lye neither as the Sonne of man Numb 23. 19. that he should repent as Balaam though a false Prophet said most truely Whom God calleth them he justifieth whom hee justifieth he sanctifieth and whom he sanctifieth he glorifieth The learned call this Text in Rom. 8. Auream catenam a golden Rom. 8. 29 30. Chaine hee that draweth one linke draweth all the Chaine For as hee that hath one damnable sinne hath all sinne and is guilty of all so hee that hath one grace effectually hath all God perfects his Workes God is not like a stepmother that putteth out her child to nurse he is not as the Partridge or Bird that forsaketh her nests nor Ier. 1. 17. Iob 29. 1 Reg. 3. like the Ostrich that leaveth her egs in the dust like Salomons Harlot that exposed her child to the sword But he is as the Eagle that carrieth her yong in her wings till they can flie as the Pelicane that feedeth her yong ones with her heart-bloud till they can feed themselves He blesseth us untill he hath brought us into his Kingdome of blisse where wee shall never hunger nor thirst any more For Hee will destroy Death for ever and the Lord God will wipe away teares from all faces and the rebuke of his Esa 25. 8 9. people will hee take away out of all the Earth for the Lord hath spoken it and in that day men shal say Loe this is our God We have waited for him and hee will save us this is the Lord wee have waited for him we will rejoyce and bee joyfull in his Salvation So the Lord Iesus hath perfected the worke of our Redemption hee was borne for us he lived hee died he rose againe he ascended hee maketh intercession for us and hee will glorifie us so saith our Saviour Father I will that they which thou hast given me bee with mee even where I am that they may behold my glory that is that they may enjoy the Iohn 17. 24. eternall glory with mee This is a Doctrine of singular comfort like the wine and oyle that revived the wounded man like the news of Iosephs honour Luke 10. Gen. 45. 28. Luke 2. that comforted old Iacob like the song of the heavenly souldiers that rejoyced the Sheepheards like Davids Harpe to drive away Sauls melancholy Hath God begun with thee hath he called thee hast thou felt the motions of his Spirit in thy heart Noli timere bee not afraid hee will end with thee and accomplish all his graces in thee I meane not in perfection Nam sanctitas tribus gradibus perficitur Holinesse consisteth in three degrees In this life while we are regenerate by water and the holy Spirit after this life while the Soule enjoyeth the presence of God after the day of Iudgement when in Soule and body wee shall bee united to our head Christ Iesus In this life there is a threefold Sanctification 1 Imputed unto us 2 Wrought in us 3 Wrought by us Imputed Sanctification is when God imputeth unto us the sanctification of Christ Who is made to us Wisedome Righteousnes 1 Cor. 1. 30. Sanctification and Redemption By this wee are said to bee sanctified when the vertue of Christs Passion the fruit of his Death the power of his Resurrection is applied unto us and Christs Sanctification made ours by imputation Therefore the Apostle saith That Iesus Christ to the end that hee may sanctifie his people with his owne bloud suffered without the gate Heb. 13. 12. Sanctification wrought within us is the inward change of a man iustified whereby the image of God is restored in him a Protestants Religion teach Sanctity change not a non esse ad esse from a not being to a being for the faculties of the soule were before not ab esse ad non esse from a being to a not being for the faculties of the soule remaine still but ab esse ad esse from an ill being to a good being not abolishing the will minde and affections but rectifying and renuing them a change of a man iustified for we are iustified before we are sanctified Iustification is actus individuus Sanctification is actus dividuus we are iustified at once we are sanctified by degrees wee are iustified when our sinnes are not imputed unto us we are sanctified when a cleane heart is created and a right spirit renued in us Sanctification wrought by us is that whereby wee sanctifie and make holy the outward works and actions of our life This the Lord requireth Be ye holy for I am holy To this Saint Paul Levit. 11. 44. exhorteth let us cleanse our selves from all silthinesse of the flesh and 2 Cor. 7. 1. of the spirit and grow up to full holinesse in the feare of God The righteousnesse of Justification is by faith without works the righousnesse of Sanctification is by workes and by faith justifying righteousnesse is perfect but not inherent sanctifying righteousnesse is imperfect but inherent glorifying righteousnesse is perfect and inherent neverthelesse we must confesse that all our sanctification is from God Here the slander of the Papists is answered for Justification for whom God calleth he justifieth and whom hee iustifieth he sanctifieth We preach not an idle faith as they say opening windowes and doores to all wickednesse by a Solifidian error and an imputative Iustice A late Papist in his Treatise of the Eucharist saith We preach liberty we hinder good workes we teach a naked faith No no wee teach sanctity holinesse more than they who with Alexander the third
with the milke of wilde beasts If Iacob sorrowed so for Ioseph if David would have dyed for Absalom if Rachel wept for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Let the death of Christ Gen. 37. 35. 2 Sam. 17. Mat. 2. Luke 1. 75. Luke 7. Mat. 26. Psal 51. pierce our hearts and move us to holinesse and let us serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life The Lord sustaine our hearts that with Mary we may wash his feet with our teares and with Peter wee may weepe bitterly Create in us Lord a cleane heart and renue in us a right spirit Another reason is taken from our Salvation for without holinesse we cannot be saved For though wee be not saved for it yet we are not saved without it Hereupon saith the Apostle Follow peace with holinesse without the which yee cannot bee saved A Heb. 12. 14. sore a fearefull speech like the thunder in Mount Horeb which I adde the rather because men mocke at holinesse Oh say they you are holy men you are men of the Spirit you are Saints you are Sermon-men The Bastard Ismael flowted at Isaac Gal. 5. 29. 2 Sam. 6. Ier. 18. Michol skorneth at Davids dancing before the Arke the men of Anathoth did smite Ieremy with their tongue the Adversaries of Iuda jested at the people But if thou beest not holy if thou beest not a Saint thou art a divell and know that if ye Esra 4. Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 6. 8. live after the flesh ye shall dye for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption As Naomi said Call me not Naomi but Mara So call not these men Christians Gospellers but call them swine dogges that tread pearles under their feet call them Adders that will not be charmed call them Wolves that heare Mat. 7. Psal 58. Iohn 10. Hebr. 12. Iohn 6. not their shepheard call them Bastards and not sonnes yea call them divels as Christ called Iudas and say unto them as Christ said to Peter Come behind me Satan thou understandest not the things that bee of God but of man I marvell that the Sunne that is witnesse of these villanies standeth in the heavens that the heavens raine not downe fire and Brimstone as Gen. 19. 23. that the earth swallow them not up as Numb 16. that the creatures put not on their harnesse as Ioel 1. Lastly wee are sanctified wee must therefore be holy that our names and our natures our calling and conversation may be correspondent if then we will have part with Christ we must live after the example of Christ if wee will have Communion Causes of Sanctification The whole Trinity sanctifie with the Saints on Earth wee must bee Saints on Earth if wee will have the company of Saints in Heaven our conversation on Earth must bee heavenly Partly Wee are chosen in Christ that wee should bee holy and without blame before him and partly because the heavenly Court receiveth none but such as are pure Ephes 7. 4. Apoc. 21. 27. holy innocent David saith holinesse becommeth thy house for ever If holinesse become Gods house much more us which are the servants of his house Wel the God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your Spirits Soules and Bodies may bee holy and harmelesse untill the comming of the Lord Iesus For all our sanctification and holinesse is from the Lord as it appeareth plainely by the words of my Text Sanctified of God the Father Causa efficiens sanctitatis the efficient cause of holinesse is God the Father Instrumentalis causa fides the instrumentall cause is Faith for Fides cor purificat Faith purifieth the heart Materialis causa the materiall cause est energia sanctitatis quae est in Act. 15. 9. Iohn 1. 16. Christo for of his fulnes we have all received even grace for grace Formalis causa the formall cause est nostra renovatio ab impuris qualitatibus ad puras integras is our renewing from impure qualities to pure and sound Finalis Dei cultus the final Gods worship to the honour of God and the edifying of our neighbour But yet observe with mee that though sanctification bee attributed to the Father yet the Sonne and the holy Ghost are not excluded for wee hold the principle of the Schoolemen Opera Trinitatis quoad extra sunt indivisa the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinity and so are we sanctified by Father Sonne and holy Ghost yet sanctification is here ascribed to the Father as being the ground and first author thereof For the Son ne sanctifieth by meriting sanctification the holy Ghost sanctifieth by working it but the Father sanctifieth both by sending his Sonne to merit it and also by giving the holy Spirit to worke Thus Opera Trinitatis the outward workes of God are common to the whole Trinitie Sed opera Trinitatis quoad intus esse singularia the inward workes of God are singular and proper to some persons of the Trinitie Vt patri potentia filio redemptio spiritu sanctificatio tribuitur as power is ascribed to the Father redemption to the Sonne sanctification to the holy Ghost and yet these three now and then bee attributed to all the three persons Quod Vrsinus servato ordine agendi for as the Father and the holy Ghost doe redeeme and yet mediately by the Sonne so the Father and the Sonne doe sanctifie yet mediately by the Holy Ghost The proper or incommunicable workes of the Trinity are the inward eternall and hypostaticall properties as thus Pater generat the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten and the holy Ghost proceedeth Distinction of persons in the Trinitie and yet the Father is not the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the holy Ghost either Father or Sonne The other workes of the Trinity are indivisible how soever sometimes distinct as Creation to the Father Redemption to the Sonne Sanctification to the holy Ghost Peter Martyr sayth thus Pater ut fons filius ut flumen spiritus ut rivus ab utroque procedens The Father as the Fountaine the Sonne as the flood the Spirit as the River proceeding from them both The fountaine is not the flood nor the flood the fountaine nor the river either fountaine or flood and yet all these bee one water So the Father is not the Sonne nor the Sonne the Father nor the Spirit either Father or Sonne and yet but one God Et hi tres sanctificant and all these three sanctifie quoth Lactantius Ab uno omnia per unum omnia in uno omnia a quo per quem in quo omnia unus a se unus ab uno unus ab ambobus una tamen eadem operatio All things from one all things by one all things in one from whom by whom and in whom are all things one of himselfe one from one one from both and yet one
of the World to them all Venite benedicti come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome Mat. 25. 34. prepared for you and therefore as the Hart desireth the water-brookes so long their Soules after God their Soules after God yea after the living God and they cry day and night Come Lord Jesus come quickely Thou which art our Lord by right of creation by right of redemption by right of gubernation Apoc. 22. by right of preservation Come come away quickely and crown us with glory receive us into thy kingdome where is Gaudium sine fine sine metu finis Ioy without end without feare of end Thus much of the Persons saluted their vocation sanctification and reservation to Iesus Christ THE FOVRTH SERMON VERS II. Mercie unto you and Peace and Love c. Mercy Peace and Love from Father Sonne holy Ghost I Am now come to the Salutation wherein the Apostle wisheth and prayeth for three things 1 Mercy 2 Peace 3 Love Three things more excellent than Mat. 2. the three gifts which the Wisemen bestowed on Christ Gold Frankincense 2 Sam. 23. and Myrrh three things more puissant to overthrow the Divell than the three mighty men that were in the hoast of Israel to overthrow the Philistines and to fetch water out of the well of Bethelem that David longed for three things more comely than the three things that Salomon commended that is a Lion Prov. 30. among beasts a Gray-hound and a Goat Mercy which is the first thing here wished for is ascribed to God the Creator Peace which is the second to Christ the 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ephes 2. 14. Rom. 5. 5. Reconciler Love which is the third to the holy Ghost the Comforter For God hee is called The Father of Mercies Christ is called Our Peace and the holy Ghost Love The Apostle therefore in saying Mercy Peace and Love be multiplied is as if he should have said The God of Mercy forgive you your sinnes the God of Peace give you Peace that passeth all understanding and the God of Love grant that your Love may abound more and more that yee may bee rooted and grounded in Love And yet all this proceedeth from one and the same person Generall and speciall Mercies of God for albeit Mercy be ascribed to the Father Peace to the Sonne and Love to the holy Ghost Creation to the Father Redemption to the Sonne and Sanctification to the holy Ghost yet all these create redeeme and sanctifie For wee worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity wee confound neither the persons nor yet their worke Mercie be unto you Mercy in God is not passive but active Non quoad affectum sed quoad effectum No suffering with us in our wants but succouring us in them Mercy is here taken for grace and the meere favour of God The Apostle therefore in wishing Mercy Peace and Love to the Saints teacheth us Quales esse debent Christianorum salutationes nos literis nostris epistolis honorem opulentiam salutem longam vitam amicis optamus Iudas verò misericordiam pacem charitatem dona coelestia his tribus Ecclesia opus est aliter actum esset And first hee beginneth with Mercie For instead of Grace used by the Apostle Paul in sundry of his Epistles Iude heere nameth Mercy which is all one Mercy and Grace is that whereby all good is conveyed to us therefore an excellent blessing to bee prayed for and this Grace and Mercy of God is fourefold 1 Generall 2 Speciall 3 Temporall 4 Eternall The generall Grace and Mercy of God are those graces and mercies that hee bestoweth upon all men Hence is it that hee causeth the Sun to shine upon good and bad and his Raine to fall upon the just and unjust For there bee some good things which God giveth indifferently both to the good bad as Riches Honour Strength Beautie Health c. And there be some good things which God giveth onely to the good and not to the wicked as saving Faith saving Grace a new Heart a right Spirit peace of Conscience joy in the holy Ghost eternall Life And there are some evill things whereof the good taste as well as the bad as Sickenesse Sorrow Weakenesse of body Imprisonment Famine Sword losse of Friends c. And there are some evill things which God layeth upon the wicked and not upon the good as intolerable horror of conscience desperation Psal 104. 17 18. damnation c. This generall Grace and Mercy of God is over all his cratures the Fowles of the Aire the Fishes in the Psal 145. 9. Sea the beasts of the Fields His Mercie is over all his Workes His speciall Mercy is that whereby hee succoureth his elect This was the Mercy of God that preserved Lot from the burning of Sodome Daniel from the devouring jawes of the hungrie Gen. 19. Lions David from the cruelty of Saul and the Israelites Dan. 6. from the firy Furnace This is that Grace and Mercy which the child of God above all things desireth Lord lift thou up Psal 4. the light of thy countenance upon us His temporall Mercie is that whereby hee spareth sinners and standeth at their doores expecting and waiting their conversion Temporall and eternall Mercies Hereupon one descanteth very finely saying When vaine pleasure biddeth us to sell God and be gone his Mercy and Grace will not so part with us when we are lost in our selves his Mercy and Grace findeth us out when wee lye long in our sinnes his Mercy and Grace raiseth us up when wee come unto him his Mercy and Grace receiveth us when wee come not his Mercy and Grace draweth us when we repent his Mercy and Grace pardoneth us when wee repent not his Mercy and Grace waiteth our repentance The eternall Mercy and Grace of God is that which concerneth our everlasting Salvation this is that Mercy and Grace principally wished for By Grace wee are saved through Faith not of Ephes 2. our selves for it is the gift of God This word Mercy or Grace teacheth us to looke up unto God not unto our selves if wee looke to bee saved wee choose not the Lord but he us Vt salus esset penes figulum non penes lutum Aug. Paul ascriberh all to Grace and Mercy By the Grace of God saith hee I am that I am and his Grace which is in me was not in vaine and thus he taught the Romanes At this present there is a remnant through the election of Grace and if it bee of Grace it is no more of Workes or Rom. 11. 5 6. else Grace were no more Grace but if it bee of Workes it is no more Grace or else were worke no more worke an invincible Argument Peter letteth the Iewes see Terminum a quo terminum ad quem pervenerunt their state under the Law and under Grace Hee hath called you saith
Sabboth the Sacrifice and after tooke them away againe yee shall understand that hee gave them as figures and shadowes and therefore no mutability in the Lord The shadow must give place to the body the figure to the truth the greene blossome to the ripe fruit the seed time to the harvest So reasoneth Paul Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an Holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabboths which are but a shadow of things to come but the bodie is in Christ The day-starre must give place to the Sunne-rising and that to the Sunne at Noone-day Chrysostome compareth Though types cease yet truth and substance remain ever the same the Iewes to a candle the Christians to the brightnesse of the Sunne The Iewes to the first draught of an Image in bare lines the Christians to the same Image filled up with all due proportion and furniture of colours the one to the seed-time Hom. 10. in Mat. Gal. 4. the other to the harvest and reaping of the Corne So Paul compareth the Iewes to a Child the Christians to a perfect man the same light though not in the same quantitie the same Image though not with like furniture the same corne though not growne to the like ripenesse the same person though not in the like perfection of age The Iewes note five things wanting in the Gospell and in the latter Temple that were in the first to disprove this that I have said First the fire that came downe from heaven to burne the Holocausts Secondly the glory of the Angells appearing among the Cherubins Thirdly the inspiration of Gods spirit speaking in the Prophets Fourthly the prefence of the Arke Lastly Vrim and Thummim But all this is nothing for there is now a fuller knowledge of God and greater liberty to the conscience yet the same faith still For the Fathers and we have all Col. 2. Ier. 23. 5. but one faith they beleeved that Christ should come according to Ieremies prophecie Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall raigne and prosper and shall execute iudgement and iustice in the earth We beleeve that he is come and that Christ our Passeover is sacrified for us 1 Cor. 5. 7. Esa 7. They said Virgo concipiet a maid shall conceive and bring forth a Sonne we say Virgo concepit a maide hath brought forth her Sâ—â—ne For when the dayes were accomplished that she should be delivered Luk. 2. 7. she brought forth her first begotten Sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a Cratch They had sacrifices that prefigured his comming we have Sacraments that represent his comming Heb. 9. and being with us they and wee had but one light they had Lucem matutinam the moning light wee Lucem meridianam the light at noone-day Wee differ but In plus minus therefore saith Christ Blessed are the eyes that see the things that yee see Mat. 10. 24. For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see the things that yee see and have not seene them and to heare those things that yee heare and have not heard them If any object that God giveth us daily new Paith new graces I answere that God giveth not a new a strange faith but addeth to our old faith to our old graces God increaseth faith and his graces in us but not a new a diverse faith like the Arrians that had Fidem annuam menstruam a yeerely and a monthly The Gospell immutable Traditions uncertain Faith For whom God loves hee loves to the end This also commendeth unto us the Gospell that whereas other Lawes and Doctrines are changed altered augmented and diminished Gods Law is not The Law of the Lord is perfect Iohn 13. 1. Psal 19. The Lawes of the Romanes written by Numa Pompilius in Gold The Lawes of the Athenians written by Draco in Bloud the Lawes of the Persians written in Brasse The Lawes of the Lacedemonians written in Milke were altered but Gods Lawes are not Quoad substantiam as concerning their substance Sed quoad maledictionem as concerning the curse 2 Cor. 3. All traditions therefore all Gospels of Thomas Nicodemus Thaddeus and the eternall Gospell invented in Saint Cyrils time by abusing the place in the Revelation which runneth thus I saw another Angel flying in the middest of Heaven having an Apoc. 14. 6. everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth c. must fall to the ground like the house built upon the sand as also all those Revelations of the Paraclete devised by Montanus together with all those that came after the giving of the Gospell which is perfect for ever and so perfect that If any man shall adde unto it God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in Apoc. 22. 18 19. the Booke and if any man shall diminish from the words of the Prophecie of Gods Booke God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life and out of the holy Citie c. Let us not then adde nor diminish from the Gospell being so perfect for there is but one God one Faith one Baptisme one Christian Hope once revealed Ephes 4. for all But of the late Romish traditions which have entred long since the Gospell entred one may say to Rome as Esay said to Ierusalem Thy Gold is turned into Drosse thy Wine is mixed with Water thy Seede with Cockle thou wert sometime a faithfull Esay 1. City but now become an Harlot thou wert once the house of God but now turned into a cave of theeves Thou sayest that thou art rich and increased in wealth and standest in neede of nothing Apoc. 3. 17. but thou art poore and blind and naked as God said to the Church of Laodice poore and blind and naked indeed God give them hearts to understand and eyes to see their poverty and nakednesse But to passe with this heavenly Scripture as Moses did with the people to the land of Canaan Thirdly this Faith is given to the Saints By Saints hee meaneth the children of God truely converted not because they are perfectly holy and without sinne but in these foure respects First in respect of Separation for they they are elected and gathered out of this world and joyned to Gods people and dedicated to holy services and uses Secondly In respect of Vocation and therefore the Apostle The Saints the subiects of Faith and all Graces when hee said they were sanctified he said by explication that they were Saints by calling Thirdly In respect of Regeneration because they are now new creatures 1 Cor. 1. 2. And lastly In respect of Iustification or imputation because the holinesse and sanctity of Christ is imputed unto them For men may be Saints in this life For there are Saints in Earth as well as in Heaven
Hereupon saith David All my delight is upon Psal 16. 3. Psal 37 28. Ephes 3. 8. the Saints in Earth and on such as excell in Vertue And againe Hee forsaketh not his Saints And Saint Paul calleth himselfe The least of all Saints And Saint Iude here speaketh of Faith given unto the Saints The Papists will acknowledge no Saints till three things come unto them first they must bee canonized by the Pope secondly they must bee dead first and thirdly it must be an hundred yeeres after death Risum teneatis amici But to leave all this In that this Faith is given unto the Saints wee learne that holy things are not to be given to Dogs Mat. 7. 6. a Gold ring becommeth not a Swines snout Cardui benedicti are not for the mouthes of Mules the songs of Nightingales are not for the eares of Asses Faith is not given to the Reprobate God hath made other Pro. 11. 22. things for them they for other things He hath made them For Prov. 16. 4. Deut. 4. Jer. 6. the day of evill God gave the Law yet to the Israelites not to the Hittites Canaanites Peresites Hee gave the Arke but not to the Philistines He gave Incense to Sheba Balme to Gilead fine Spices to Arabia Ezek. 37. Milke and Honey to Canaan Silver to Tharsis Gold to Ophir but Hee gave his word to Iacob Ier. 9. Ezec. 37. Deut. 6. 1 Cbr. 29. Psal 147. Mat. 13. 11. 13. 1 Cor. 10. 15. his Statutes and his Ordinances unto Israel hee hath not dealt so with every nation neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Lawe Christ speakes mysteries but hee explaned them only to his Apostles Paul spake but yet unto them that had knowledge I spake to them saith Paul that have understanding judge yee what I saw So wee speake but not to them that are wilfully ignorant that shut their eyes stoppe our eares and harden their hearts against the Word with such men we meddle not but in the sin wherein we finde them in that we leave them we speake onely to beare witnesse of their sinne against the day of the Lord they have sinned and their sinne will finde them out as Moses said to the two tribes Behold yee have sinned against the Lord Numb 32. 25. and be sure your sinne will finde you out and yee shall bee assuredly punished for your sinne All things are given unto the Saints and nothing is given to the Reprobate but in Gods wrath and for the elects sake for their sake God made the world for their sakes hee redeemed it For God so loved the World that hee Gen. 1. gave his onely begotten Sonne that who soever beleeveth in him might not perish but have life everlasting For their sakes he preserveth it and Iohn 3. 16. when the body of Christ is made perfect the number of the The wicked usurpers of Gods gifts Saints accomplished God will dissolve the frame of this evill World and therefore when the soules of the Saints that were killed cryed out How long Lord holy and true tariest thou to iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth Answere was made that they should rest for a little season untill their fellow servants Apoc. 6. 10 11. and their brethren that should bee killed even as they were were fulfilled That the wicked live they may thanke the Saints the Godly how soever they hate them yet they enjoy all for their sakes the wicked are but usurpers and intruders to gift of God is due unto them but plagues onely Vpon them hee shall raine snares fire and brimstone storme and tempests this shall be their Psal 11. portion to drinke For judgements are prepared for the scornefull and stripes for the fooles backe For tribulation and anguish shall be upon the Soule of every man that doth evill Rom. 2. 9. As Elisha would not have spoken but for Iehosaphats sake so wee would not speake unto you but for some good mens sake that are amongst you otherwise you should dye in your sinne and rot and dye in your sinne you have neither part nor fellowship Act. 8. Apoc. 22. in Iesus Christ as Philip said to Simon Magus Let him therefore that is filthy be filthy still THE EIGHTH SERMON VERS IV. For there are certaine men crept in c. The Church and Religion hath their adversares WEE are now come to the third reason taken from the person of the Adversaries and it lyeth thus The adversaries impugne the Faith therefore the Saints must stand for it The Church hath many adversaries like Bees in an hyve like Moates in the Sunne like Pismires on a molehill Iohn saith That Apoc. 12. 7. he saw a great battel in Heaven that is in the Church Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragonfought and his Angels And Paul said There were many 1 Cor. 16. 9. adversaries Wee may say of the Church the Faith and Religion of God as David said of his owne person Mine enemies Psal 38. 19. live and are mightie and they that hate mee wrongfully are many in number As there is a contrary in all day and night cold and heate sicknesse and health life and death so in Religion Chrysostome In ser de nequitat depulsa saith Ferrum rubigo laedit lanam tinea ovem lupus Polium segetes grando vineam c. Rust hurteth Iron the Moth Wooll the Woolfe the Sheepe the Leopard the Kidde the Haile the Vine the Cockle the Corne the Caterpillar the Fruits few but have their adversaries So Faith and Religion Atheists Papists Pagans Heretickes Schismatickes Sectaries all these barke against the Saints as dogges against the Moone Religion divideth men in an house I am come saith Christ Secret enemies most dangerous that pretend Love to put fire on the Earth and what is my desire if it be already kindled Thinke yee that I am come to give peace in earth I tell you nay but rather debate From henceforth there shall bee five in one house divided three against two and two against three The Father shall be divided against the Sonne and the Sonne against the Father the Mother Luke 12. 49 51 52. 53. against the Daughter and the Daughter against the Mother the mother in law against the daughter in law and the daughter in law against the mother in law The godly the faithfull are as Lambes amongst wolves as Lilies amongst Thornes as Doves amongst Ravens Mat. 10. 16. many oppugne the Faith therefore wee must be ready to defend it yea strive for it unto death as Ioab fought for God so let us speake for God and write for God If wee had as many tongues and pennes as Argus had eyes let them all speake and Eccles 4. 2. Sam. 10. write for the Truth yea if wee had as many as haires on our heads as Ierome said to Helvidius Si veritas
on Pilgrimage c. The Friers under a colour of wilfull povertie begged and robbed the world The Nunnes under a shew of single life filled the world full of bastardie Sexcenta millia capita infantum in Gregorii piscina reperta sunt there were six hundred thousand Childrens heads found in Gregories fishpoole The Priests by a colour of Masses made merchandise of soules and filled Iudas satchells The Abbeies under a colour of almes and hospitalitie robbed most parishes of their Ecclesiasticall livings they stole a goose and gave a feather greater theeves than ever was Barabbas they gave a meales meate and robbed a parish of their Church maintenance The Confessors under pretence of auricular confession knew the secrets of all Kingdomes It was the Popes fishing net it hath deposed more than two hundred lawfull Princes it made Fredericke Barbarossa the Popes Footstoole at Venice it exiled the King Desiderius into Lions The Pope under shew of Bulls or pardons hath robbed God of his glorie men of their money and soules of salvation he hath gotten thereby in America foure millions yearly they are like their fathers the Pharisies They devoure widowes houses even under a colour of long prayers wherefore they shall All Atheists before regeneration and conversion receive the greater damnation The whore of Babylon giveth poyson in a golden cup Beda Venerable Beda saith that the serpent in paradise had vultum virgineum a virgins face that hee might deceive Heva a virgin for he is a deceiver Yea from the beginning Math. 23. 14. Apoc. 18. Iohn 8. 44. Apoc. 20. 2. and abode not in the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Dominicans under the pretence of preaching the Franciscans under pretence of chastitie Nam virilia amputarunt the Carmelites under shew of virginitie and the Augustines under pretext of povertie have erected the Papall Kingdome by hypocrisie under colour of religion But Babylon is fallen even Rome the Queene of pride the nurse of idolatries the mother of whordomes the sinke of iniquitie Sentina malorum lacuna scelerum yea the Romish Iezabel is throwne downe and if the palmes of her hands and her skull or any thing of her remaine with us let us pray that it may bee buried also This Dagon is fallen downe twise once in King Edwards daies and againe in our dayes let it never rise againe Let this golden Diana be beaten downe for ever Let this whore of Apoc. â—8 Babylon perish and let her smoke rise up for evermore and let all that love the Lord Iesus say Amen But to proceed in the description of the wicked Secondly they are here described by their impietie hee saith that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without God without Faith without religion they denie God the only Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ so Paul said Ephes 2. 12. Phil. 3. 17 18. of the Ephesians before their conversion They were without Christ alienes from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant and promise and had no hope and were without God in the World And such were the Philippians They were enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose Ephes 4. 17 18. end is damnation whose God is their bellie and whose glorie is their shame which mind earthly things Such were all the Gentiles spiced with impietie For they walked in the vanitie of their minde having their cogitations darkened and being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them The world is full of such Atheists they swarme like bees in Hibla they abound like lice in Aegypt all the dust was turned into lice and in England all or most mens profession is turned into Atheisme Machivelisme saying that Religion is but policie to keep men in awe Many are of the Luk. 12. fooles religion to eate drinke play but to remember no God to pluckedown to build up to gather in but not to serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse Heu vivunt homines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Et velut infernus fabula vanaforet Alas men live as if no death should follow and as if Hell were but a fable There be many now like that Captaine that warred under Adrian the Emperor called Similus who at his death caused this Epitaph to be written upon his tombe Hic jacet Similus c. Here lieth Similus a man that was of many yeares and lived only but Seven many yeares without God but seven yeares in God many yeares wickedly but seven yeares religiously many yeares like an Atheist Atheists consuted by reason and sense but seven yeares like a Christian So a number of us may say that we have lived many yeares and yet but few yeares for God many yeares in sinne and wickednesse but few yeares in vertue and godlinesse There is a double life of Nature Grace In the one all live but in the other the elect only In all ages Atheists have abounded in Davids dayes The foole said in his heart there is no God In Salomons dayes they cryed A quicke dog is better Psal 14. Prov. 9. than a dead Lion We know what we have here but we know not what we shall have in another world In Esayes dayes For there were that said We have made a covenant with death and with Hell are Esa 28. 15. we at agreement In Christs time For there were Sadduces that denyed the Resurrection and affirmed that there was neither Angell nor spirit In Peters dayes For there were that said Where is the promise of his comming and so denyed the last Iudgement In 2 Pet. 3. Chrysostomes time they cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. give us that which is present let God alone with that which is for to come In Calvins time for then there were such that tooke away all difference betweene good and evill vertue and vice sinne and righteousnesse And in our dayes wee have that deny God and Christ and heaven and hell Angells Spirits and all David calleth them fooles Salomon calleth them Epicures Esay noteth them as blasphemers Christ calleth them Sadduces Chrysostome Nullifidians Calvin Libertines wee call them Machiavels ungodly men Such are worse than the Divell For hee confesseth God but these perhaps deny that there bee Divells so did the Sdaduces these men therfore shal feele Divels before they beleeve Divels I would not be in their coate for the Kingdome of England no not to be Monarch of the world for ten thousand yeares Divels are seene they are felt they are heard yet these men deny them but I will remit them to Philosophie to bee counselled that Sensus non fallitur circa proprium objectum sense cannot be deceived about his proper object The very Heathen will condemne us Tullie saith Non temerè nec fortuitò sati aut creati sumus sed profectò fuit divina quaedam vis quae generi consuleret humano nec id gigneret quod cum exantlavisset labores omnes tum
that they know him it is evident Col. 3. 1 2 3. by the testimony of the Apostle Behold thou art called a Iew and restest in the Law and gloriest in God but that they did not know him truly the same Apostle also testifieth saying The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you yea the Rom. 2. 17. 24. Divels knew him and his death but yet idly historically onely not unto Salvation And many so beleeve historically no further than the very Divels themselves doe For sinne still raigneth Iam. 2. 19. in them notwithstanding the commandement of the Apostle Let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6. 12. But to returne to our Papists who have opened their mouth against Heaven whose tongue walketh through the world for pride is to them as a chaine they are found to be notable hereticks denying not in words but in truth the Lord Iesus First they make him no Iesus by ascribing purging of sin to the bloud of Martyrs which they call Thesaurum Ecclesiae the treasure of the Church out of which they grant their Indulgences They make him no Christ by denying his Offices first they make no Priest by erecting a daily unbloudy sacrifice they rob him of his intercession by praying to Saints They make him no Prophet by ascribing so much to their traditions by giving the Pope authority over the Gospell to coyne Lawes as they list by bringing in with Cyrill the Monke Evangelium aeternum an everlasting Gospel which say they abolisheth the Gospell of the Father in the time of the Law and the Gospell of Christ in the time of Grace They make him no King by giving all power to the Pope to save to destroy to pull out of Heaven to pluck down to Hell Such a Cerberus is this of Rome not with three heads but with three crownes boasting De plenitudine potestatis of the fulnesse of power whose comming is by the working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse among them that perish This hath Sathan parted his Kingdome that the Turke in the 2 Thess 2. 9. East should deny Christs Natures and the Pope in the West his Offices and Merits For the former Romane Empire stood on Injustice the latter of Impiety the first injuring Men the other God yet not so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against God as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against Christ The Papists alleage the words of the Apostle Hereby shall yee know the spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God but by the Spirit there is meant the doctrine not of men the doctrine is of God though not the man They quote also another place of Iohn Whosoever Christ alone paid the whole ransome of our Redemption beleeveth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God but Saint Iohn speaketh not of a bare confession but of a right beleefe for the Divels confessed Christ To conclude they hold not the foundation with us For other 1 Iohn 5. 1. Luke 4. 1 Cor. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 2. foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Christ Iesus For if the Galathians joyning Circumcision with Christ overthrew all for so saith the Apostle If yee circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing The Papists joyning workes with faith nature with Grace the Law with the Gospell the Sacrifice with the Sacrament Moses with Christ must needs overthrow all for whole Christ or no Christ Totus Christus aut nullus Christus Hee payd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ransome and either hee paid all or not a 1 Tit. 2. Act. 4. penny Non est aliud nomen there is no other name given unto men whereby they shall bee saved save onely by the name of Iesus One compareth Christ to a man that purchaseth a Lease with his owne money and lets it to his successors to hold it by a Pepper kernell or a Rose leafe Christ hath paid for our Salvation For we are redeemed not with corruptible things as Silver and Gold c. But with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled all our 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. workes are but as a pepper kernell yea as nothing For when we have done all those things that are commanded us wee may say that wee are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duties to do Luke 17. 10. If the fathers of these men had never sinned yet could they not doe greater injury to the Church of God than to beget such sonnes or monsters rather as Tully said of Catiline Ecce ecclesiam apostaticam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non Catholicam utinam Deus Nestorem excitaret qui lites inter nos illos componeret Behold a Church Apostolicall and strife-stirring not Catholike I would God were pleased to raise some Nestor up to compose these jarres betweene us and them But to leave this note that Christ here is called our Lord which he is two wayes Iure creationis Iure redemptionis First By right of Creation for by him God made the World Hebr. 1. 2. Secondly By the right of Redemption for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to save the World Hereupon Iohn 3. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 20. saith Paul Yee are bought with a price Now redeeming is either by price and paying or by power and force Christ hath done both hee gave a price to God And gave himselfe a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2. 6. men Hee came by water and bloud not by water onely but by water 1 Iohn 5. and bloud In water is signified washing by bloud Redemption Secondly by his Power he redeemeth and hath taken us from the Divell So saith the Author to the Hebrewes Hee hath delivered Hebr. 2. us from death and him that hath the Lordship of death And Saint Iohn saith that Hee saw a great battell in Heaven Micbael and his Divers effusions of Christs bloud Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels but prevailed not neither was their place any more found in Heaven It was a greater matter to Christ to redeeme the World Apoc. 12. 7. than to make the World Hee made it in six dayes but he was thirtie and three yeeres in redeeming it hee made all with a word yea with a breath By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and the hoast of them by the breath of his mouth For the letter Psal 33. 6. ◠He in the Hebrew is but a breath But hee redeemed it with a great price not with silver and gold but with bloud not with bloud of Buls Goats but with his own precious Bloud 1 Pet. 1. 18. Gold and silver are but red earth and white earth which the error of
like a roaring Lion seeking whom to devoure 1 Pet. 5. 8. The dragon with his tayle drew the third part of the starres out of heaven and cast them to the ground and the dragon is ready to devoure us as soone as wee bee brought forth but wee must resist him Resist the Divell and he will flie from you So long as Ioas 1 Pet. 4. had Iehojada at his elbow he did well he walked uprightly in the sight of the Lord. So long as Vzziah had Zechariah to teach him he sought God and he understood the visions of God and God 2 Chron. 24. 2. 2 Chron. 26. 5. made him prosper but they being taken away Satan prevailed both with the one and with the other Therefore the Word is compared to showres so saith Moses My doctrine shall drop as the raine and my speech shall still as doth the dew as the showre upon the hearbs and as the great raine upon the grasse Deut. 32. 2. The Word is compared to an hammer Is not my Word like a fire saith the Lord and like an hammer that breaketh a stone And it is compared to Wind I saw saith S. Iohn an Angell standing on the Ier. 23. 29. Apoc. 7. 1. Iohn 6. 27. foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the earth that the windes should not blow on the earth And the word is compared to Food hereupon saith our Saviour Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for that which will indure to eternall life Grasse groweth not greene with one showre of raigne knottie wood is not riven with one stroke a ship saileth not with one blast a Child groweth not to a man with one meale and wee goe not to heaven with one sermon but with precept upon precept precept upon precept Esa 28. 10. line unto line line unto line that is with doctrine upon doctrine and wee must have one thing oft told This meeteth with those preachers and auditors that make strawberries of the Word to have it once in a yeare or once in a quarter but it is Food and every one must have his portion of meate in due season it is not strawberries It is also food for that we must heare it often it must be familiar unto us There is a waste in the body by reason of the heate in the stomacke and the liver and therefore must be repaired with a fresh supply of meate So there is a waste in the soule which must bee repaired with a supply of intellectuall meate that is the word Sometime there is a waste in the understanding which is darkened sometime in the will and affections ' Meditation recordation meanes to enrich the soule which are unruly sometime in the memory which is brittle sometime in our faith which is weake or in our love which is small or in our zeale which may be cold or in the minde which is earthly or in the whole man which is lumpish heavy unfit for Coll. 1. Coll. 3. Hebr. 12. Luk. 17. Phil. 3. 19. any good thing Come therefore still unto the Word heare it still heare it to learne and learne to remember it and remember to follow it and follow to continue it that I may say to this towne of Wallsham as Christ said to Zacheus house This day is salvation come unto your towne But as Lords and Barons never put on their Luk. 19. 9. Parliament robes till they goe to the Parliament house So wee put not on Religion till we goe to the Church and there wee leave it till the next Sunday We remember little and practise lesse like Cambridge Schollers that leave their Logicke in Sophisters hills till they returne againe But wee must heare to bee put in remembrance and though many bee soone wearie yet must not wee Be not weary of well doing saith the Apostle be not Gal. 6. wearie of hearing I see many that if they have a preacher in their towne on the Sunday refuse to heare any other on the weeke day as though they could heare too much Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteously not as a guest for an houre but as Col. 3. 16. an owner continually which cannot be except we be put oft in remembrance and heare often But in saying I will put you in remembrance he insinuateth that they had forgotten these following examples for wee are like the Ostrich that forgetteth her eggs in the dust like Partriches Iob 29. Jer. 17. which gather the yong that be not theirs like the bird Fulica that forgetteth her nest and hatcheth strange birds like the Philosopher that forgat his owne name we had need therefore be put in remembrance and often thinke and meditate of the doctrines we have heard Christians must be like the cleane-beasts that parted the hoofe and chewed the cud so we must ruminate and chaw that at home and concoct that which we have heard in the Church Marie laid up the words of the Shepheard In her heart we must learne of her For the heart is Thesaurus the Luk. 2. 17. treasure-house to store up all doctrines of life and of salvation the memorie is as a chest or coffer if wee had never so great Iewells yet if they be not safely kept as well as truely gotten all is lost not they that eate but they that digest most are the most healthfull not they that get most but they that keep most are richest So not they that heare most but they that remember most are most edified Our memories are like Bankrouts purses and like Danaides tunne the one can hold no money the other no liquor and our memories can hold no doctrine But let us strive to remember and as the Apostle speaketh Whatsoever things are Phil. 4. 8. true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are iust whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertaine to love whatsoever things God offereth mercy before hee inflicts iudgement are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise thinke on these things which yee have both received and heard c. But what are the things that Iude would remember them of Three notable examples of Gods wrath he calleth to their remembrance The first of the Israelites and therein observe with me three things Gods mercy in delivering them the first His iustice in destroying them the second Their sinne the Cause of Gods iustice the whetstone unto it the third and last But first let us looke upon Gods mercy in their deliverance for God beginneth with mercy that is the first act mercy is Alpha Iustice is Omega so David placeth it For speaking of Gods attribute he placeth mercy in the foreward Iustice in the rereward saying My song shall be of mercy and judgement God is patient and Psal 110. 1. Rom. 2. 4. full of mercy Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the riches of Gods mercy God never useth Iustice but when
his mercy is despised like a Prince that sendeth not his army against rebells before he hath sent his pardon and proclaimed it by an Herauld of armes like Tamberlaine who the first day set up his white tents and received all that came the next day blacke betokening the death of the rulers the third day red betokening the bloodshed of all So the Lord hath his white tents of mercy his blacke and red of iustice and iudgement if the one bee despised the other shal be felt hereupon saith Paul But thou after thy hardnesse Rom. 2. 5. and heart which cannot repent treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward every man according to his works More particularly God delivered this people mercifully yea miraculously their shoulders from burdens and their fingers from making of bricke hee drew them out of a fiery oven like the three children he put off their sacke-cloth and girded them with gladnesse and compassed them about with songs of deliverance hee carried them on the Wings of Eagles He brought a vine out of Aegypt hee cast out the Heathen and planted them in Thou madest roome for it and diddest Dan. 2. Exod. 19. Psal 80. 9 10 11. cause it to take roote and it filled the land She stretched out her branches unto the sea and her boughs unto the river God separated them from all the Sonnes of Adam For the most high God who divided to the nations their inheritance kept them as the apple of his eye And as an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her birds stretcheth out her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings So the Deut. 32. 8. 11 12. Lord alone led Israel But for orders sake I will divide the mercies of God into three severall sections or times Their deliverance in Aegypt the first Their comming out of Aegypt the second Their deliverāce after they were come out the third the last For First for their deliverance in Aegypt first it was much that Gods judgements upon the Aegyptians God should love them being come of the Amorites and Hitites wallowing in their blood that he should love them and choose them for his people as Moses said The Lord your God did not set his love upon you nor chose you because yee were moe in number than Ezech. 16. 3. 6. Deut. 7 8 9. any people for yee were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you There was nothing in them why God should choose them for they were no more righteous than others and therefore saith Moses againe unto them Speake not thou in thy heart saying For my Cap. 9. 4 5. Cap. 32. 9 10 11 12. Exod. 1. righteousnesse hath the Lord brought me in to possesse this Land c. For thou shalt inherit this land not for thy righteousnesse or for thy upright heart but for the wickednesse of those nations c. Israel was Gods portion Iacob the lot of his inheritance hee found him in the land of the wildernesse in a wast and roring wildernesse he led him about he taught him and kept him as the apple of his eye As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her birds stretcheth out her wings taketh them and beareth them on her wings So the Lord alone led him and there was no strange God with him God multiplied them not by meanes but by miracle For from seventy soules they grew in few yeares to 600000. and which is more the more that they were kept down the more they prospered like to Camomill the more it is troden the more it groweth or to a Palme-tree the more it is pressed the further it spreadeth or to fire the more it is raked the more it burneth God gave them Moses and Aaron and Miriam Mich. 6. Psal 78. 44 45 46 47 48 49 50. and God plagued the Aegyptians for their sake and did marvelous things in the land of Aegypt even in the field of Zoan He turned their rivers into blood and their flouds that they could not drinke hee sent a swarme of flies among them which devoured them and frogges which destroyed them hee gave also their fruits unto the Caterpiller and their labour unto the grashopper he destroyed their vines with haile and their wild figge-trees with the hailestone he gave their cattell also to the haile and their flockes unto the thunderbolts hee cast upon them the furiousnesse of his anger indignation and wrath and vexation by the sending of evill Angels he made a way to his anger hee spared not their soule from death hee Act. 12. Exod. 8. 17. gave their life to the pestilence If it were much to eate up one man with lice what is it to eate up a whole land If it was much to Iohn 2. Exod. 7. 19. Gen. 19. 2 Reg. 6. turne water-pots into wine what was it to turne all the waters of Aegypt into blood If it was a great thing to smite a few Sodomites Aramites with blindnesse what was it to smite a whole land with darkenesse that no man could rise for three dayes So much for the benefits bestowed upon them in Aegypt Now let us see what he did for them in their deliverance out Exod. 10. Exod. 12. Gen. 50. 3. Ier. 31. 17. of Aegypt In their deliverance he smote al the first borne in Aegypt the chiefe of their strength passed by Israel And wheras there was a great cry in Aegypt like that for Iacob for whom was made a great and an exceeding sore lamentation and like that of Rachel who weeping for her children would not be comforted because they were not there was joy in the land of Goshen hee inclined the hearts of the Gods mercy to Israel after their deliverance out of Aegypt Aegyptians to doe them good and they received of them Iewels of silver and Iewels of gold hee strengthened them so that there was not one feeble person among them Aegypt was glad at their departing for the feare of them had fallen upon them All the Idolls of Aegypt fell downe at their departure even as all the oracles Psal 105. 38. of the world ceased at the comming of Christ even that at Delphos Dodo Delos God brought them as a vine out of Aegypt God did cast out the Heathen and planted them hee made Psal 80. 8 9. a roome for them and caused them to take roote and they filled the land 3. After their deliverance when the red sea was before them the Aegyptians behind them the mountaines on each side of them God made a ready passage for them And caused the sea to runne Exod. 14 21 22. backe by a strong East winde all the night and made the Sea dry land for the waters were divided and the children of Israel went thorough the middest of the Sea upon the dry ground but the Aegyptians pursuing them Psal 105.
triumphing in fifty two set battells looke againe and thou shalt see him to receive fifty two wounds in the Senate and every one of them mortall Thou seest Sennacherib glorying at the gates of Ierusalem that hee would dry up the rivers with his horses feet that men should eate their ordure and 2 Reg. 19. drinke their owne pisse but looke againe and thou shalt see him slaine in the temple by his owne Sonnes Adramelech and Sharezar Looke on Manasses and thou shalt see him triumphing in 2 Chro. 33. 11. blood looke againe and thou shalt see him a poore distressed prisoner Looke on Herod and thou shalt see him in his royall Act. 12. apparell assuming to himselfe the title of a God looke againe and thou shalt see him stroken of Gods Angell and eaten up of wormes Thou seest Cardinall Woolsie with his silver pillars and pollaxes writing Ego Rex meus I and my King but looke againe and thou shalt see him dead at Leicester with stench and infamie The wicked are like the coggs of a wheele now up now downe like a Player that now playeth the King and when the play is ended he is but a begger like a counter now a pound now a penny now nothing Deus ut apis habet mel aculeum God as a Bee hath hony and a sting As he is unmeasurable in mercy so is he exceeding great in justice very ready in pardoning and very ready in punishing vengeance is his and he will reward Rom. 12. THE TWELFTH SERMON VERS V. Which beleeved not Infidelity the root of all other sinnes BVT to come unto the sinne it selfe that was their destruction that was their infidelity They beleeved not Of this the Prophet spake saying They spake against God saying Can God prepare a table in the Psal 78. 19 20 21 22. Wildernesse behold he smote the rocke that the water gushed out and the streames overflowed Can hee give bread also or prepare flesh for the people Therefore the Lord heard and was angry and the fire was kindled in Iacob and also wrath came upon Israel because they beleeved not in God nor trusted in his helpe Moses reckoneth up their infidelity in order and he saith Remember Deut. 9. 7 8. 22 23 24. and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to anger in the Wildernesse since the day that thou diddest depart out of the land of Aegypt untill yee came to this place yee have rebelled against the Lord. Also in Horeb yee provoked the Lord to anger so that the Lord was wroth with you to destroy you Also in Taberah and in Massah and in Kibroth-hattaavah yee provoked the Lord to anger likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadeshbarnea saying Goe up and possesse the Land that I have given you then yee rebelled against the Commandement of the Lord your God and beleeved him not nor harkened to his voyce yee have beene rebellious ever since I knew you you were never good egge nor bird first nor last The Apostle urgeth this sinne in Israel and insisteth in it above Hebr. 3 19. Cap. 4. 2. all others saying They could not enter in because of unbeleefe And againe The word that they heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it For hee that will heare and Infidelity reprooved as the roote of all other sinnes understand with profit must temper and mixe the word with faith that is he must beleeve it No doubt this people had many sinnes For they were a rebellious people but the capitall arch-sinne was unbeleefe the roote and well-spring of all other their sinnes Paul nameth five sinnes to have beene in Israel 1. Lusting 2. Idolatry 3. Fornication 4. Tempting of God 5. murmuring 1 Cor. 10. 6. but yet the originall of them all was unbeleefe and all these were the fruits of this corrupt tree unbeleefe So Paul ascribed all his evills to this sinne of unbeleefe I was saith he a blasphemer and 1 Tim. 1. 13. a persecutour and an oppressour but I was received into mercy for I did it ignorantly through unbeleefe Christ reproved his disciples bitterly for this sinne his words were as thunderbolts Be not saith he carefull for your lives what yee shall eate or drinke or for your bodies Mat. 6. 25. 30. what rayment yee shall put on Is not the life more worth than meate and the body more of value than rayment If God cloath the grasse of the field which is to day and to morrow is cast into the fornace shall hee not doe much more to you ô yee of little faith and againe ô fooles and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken And after his resurrection appearing unto the eleven he reproved them of their Luk. 24. 25. unbeleefe and hardnesse of heart and for this sinne he did chide Peter Wherefore doest thou doubt ô thou of little faith And for this sinne hee made Thomas ashamed saying thus unto him Put thy Mar. 16. 14. Mat. 14. 31. Iohn 20. 27. finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull And here by the way let me answer a slaunder of the Papists who raile of the Gospell and aske where bee the fruits of it as Osorius Allen Bristow As Christ said shew me the tribute mony Mat. 22. 19. Mar. 11. 1. Reg. 3. so say they shew us the fruits of their profession they call us the cursed figge-tree that had leaves but no fruit and barren Rachel which had no child and Salomons harlot with the dead child But wee answere that if there be any fault it is in our lives not in the Gospell For it worketh in them that beleeve but all beleeve 1 Thes 2. 13. not therefore all worke not whom doth the Gospell save only them that beleeve For seeing the world by wisdome knew not Ged 1 Cor. 1. 20. it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve To whom is it the power of God surely to them that beleeve The Gospell is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Rom. 1. 16. Now this faith is Gods gift and cannot be commanded For though Christ had done many miracles and preached many heavenly Sermons unto the Iewes yet they beleeved not That the saying of Esayas the Prophet might be fulfilled that hee said Lord Iohn 12. 37 38 39 40. who beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Therefore could they not beleeve because Esayas saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and should bee converted and I should heale them Therefore is it said that so many received the word As beleeved Faith is an anchor but God must Faith the gift of God fasten
fell from Angels to Divels For their sinne of Apostacy was great it cryed to God for vengeance The Lord Iesus noteth this Apostacy in them to shew that their sinne was not by creation but by wilfull corruption Hereupon saith our Saviour to the Iewes You are of your father the divell and the lusts of your father doe yee he abode not in the truth It followeth then that Iohn 8 44. he was once in the truth and that he was not created evill This Apostacy in some case joyned with wilfulnesse and malice is not to be prayed for So saith Saint Iohn the Disciple whom Iesus loved If any man see his brother sin a sinne that is not unto death let him aske and he shall give life for them that sinne not to death There 1 Iohn 5. 16. is a sinne unto death I say not that thou shouldst pray for it Some Apostacies cannot be renewed For it is impossible that they which have been once lightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were Heb. 6. 4 5 6. made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come If they fall away should be renewed by repentance seeing they crucifie againe to themselves the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him For certainely they that are Apostataes and sinne against the Holy Ghost hate Christ crucifie and mocke him but to their owne destruction and therefore fall into desperation and cannot repent Indeed there is no sin but by repentance may be forgiven but they that sinne against the Holy Ghost which some affirme to be Apostasia aut negatio Christi Apostacy or the denying of Christ it shall not be forgiven â—â—â—lla in Luc. 12. 10. Quia directè obviant principio per quod fit remissio peccatorum because they are directly and plainely opposite and contrary to that whereby remission of sinnes is obtained that is unto repentance And this is the cause saith Augustine why God hath redeemed men and not Angels for that they sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from within and of themselves maliciously and rebelliously man sinned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from without and by provocation And this is Christs death saves only men not Angels the cause saith Augustine why Moses wrote nothing of the fall of Angels he named not their wound because he would not name their medicine Sed hominis vulnus medicinam narravit but he hath shewed man his wound and medicine also for that Aug. lib. de mirab Script cap. 2. God would restore him againe Humanam ergo naturam non Angelicam sumpsit Christus quoth Athanasius therefore he tooke the nature of man not the nature of Angels according to that of Athanasius the Apostle He in no sort tooke the Angels but hee tooke the seed of Abraham Quia Angeli per se defecerunt à Deo because the Angels of themselves fell from God Therefore the promise of the Messiah was made onely to man not to Angels The grace of GOD that Tit. 2. 11. bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared Grace saveth men not Angels For these Angels that fell have no benefit by Christs death he came not to save them for their sinnes are not pardonable But the cause of mercy I leave to God onely the father of mercies These are but conjectures of Augustine and Athanasius In the meane time Dorbels reasons are too weake to prove that men shall bee punished in hell more deeply than these Angels that fell His first reason is Quia Deus nunquam pro illis passus est ut pro nobis that God never suffered so much for them as for us His second reason is Quia Angeli pro uno tantum peccato puniuntur nos saepe deliquimus the Angels fell by one sinne only man by many sinnes hee offendeth oft His third reason is Quia daemones sunt spiritus tantum nos autem corpore anima peccamus that the bad Angels the Divels be spirits onely but men have both bodies and spirits But these reasons are vanishing as the untimely dew unsavoury as the white of an egge brittle as the webbe of a spider Hee spake as Phormio spake before Hannibal Rem magis delirantem nunquam legi I never read a more doating thing But to proceed my meaning is not that all Apostacy is sinne against the Holy Ghost for every Apostacy is not uncurable every fall of man is not damnable as the fall of Angels yet it is dangerous for he that settetb his hand to the plough and looketh back Luke 9. 62. is not fit for the Kingdome of God And Christ said to the sicke man Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto Iohn 5. 14. thee Thus all Apostacy is dangerous though not damnable for if damnable what shall become of the godly themselves for they often fall from the Lord slide backe and decrease in the graces of God They keepe not their first estate which was the sinne of the Angels Ephesus lost her first love but I would our Church were like it for Ephesus hated the evil wee hate the good Apoc. 2. 4. they examined the false Apostles wee examine none they suffered Luke 12. 45. persecution we persecute others we smite our fellow servants Iulian the Christian is become Iulian the Apostata and Simon Peter is become Simon Magus Ioseph is become Pharoah grapes are turned into thornes figs into thistles Lambes into Lions and Doves There must be a perpetuall growth in grace and goodnesse into Serpents We are fallen from our first love every day lesse and lesse zealous lesse and lesse loving lesse and lesse religious than heretofore we have been Memento Anglia memento Norfolcia unde excideris Remember England remember Norfolke whence thou art fallen Revertere revertere Returne returne saith the Lord Ier. 3. 14. for I am your Lord and will bring you to Sion Let us follow the counsell of the Wise man In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening Eccles 11. 6. let not thine hand rest that is increase in goodnesse doe good in Gal. 6. 6. thy youth doe good in thine age yea doe good at all times be not weary of sowing be not weary of working the seed-time is nothing the harvest is all in all To doe good in youth is nothing to doe well in middle age is nothing but to continue in old age to the last gaspe is piety indeed When a righteous man saith the Prophet turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth Ezech. 18. 26. iniquity he shall even dye for the same hee shall even die for his iniquity that he hath committed aswell may we drowne in the Havens mouth as in the middest of the boisterous Sea aswell may wee fall through the peevishnesse of age as through the lusts and concupiscence of youth Of many it may be
without measure torment without ease Where the worme dieth not and the fire is never quenched Where the wrath of God shall seaze upon body and soule as the flame of fire doth on pitch and brimstone Oh who can expresse the paines of fire and brimstone stinch and darknesse Without hope of release and comfort Men and Angels cannot doe it if that they should summon a Parliament together for the same end and purpose For as S. Iohn said of the 1 Iohn 3. 2. elect It doth not appeare what we shal be so say I of these evill Angels and of all the rable of the reprobats it doth not appeare what they shal be Iudas Herod Pilate have been many hundred yeares in fire already but yet the greatest is to come Then shall thy lascivious eyes be afflicted with the sight of ghastly spirits thy curious eares affrighted with the hideous howling of damned Divels and reprobates thy dainty nose shal be cloyed with noysome stinch of Sulphur thy delicate tast pained with intollerable hunger thy drunken throate shal be parched with intollerable thirst thy mind tormented to thinke how foolish thou wert for earthly pleasures to lose heavens joyes and incurre hellish paynes thy conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder and thou shalt weepe more teares than there is water in the Sea For the water of the sea is finite but the weeping of a reprobate shall be infinite If any man will aske how it can stand with Gods justice to punish a finite sinne with an infinite punishment S. Gregorie Greg lib 4. Moral cap 12. answereth two manner of wayes First he saith Corda non facta pensat deus God pondereth our hearts not our deeds peccant cum fine qui vivunt cum fine their sinne hath an end because their life hath an end but if they could have lived without end they would have sinned without end Aequum ergo est ut nunquam careat supplicio qui nunquam voluit carere peccato ut nullus daretur illi terminus ultioni qui noluit ponere terminum crimini It is right and just that he should never want punishment which never would want sinne that no end should be given to him of revenge which would make no end of sinning Secondly he answereth thus Quantò major est persona eò major est injuria in illum commissa The greater the person is so much the greater is the trespasse and injurie done unto him An injurie a trespasse done to a meane man a common person that person can bring but his action upon the case against him but a trespas done against a noble man is scandalum magnatum against thy prince and Sovereigne it is death for it is Crimen lesae Majestatis Seing then God is infinite the punishment of the trespasse done against him must be infinite also An other objection is made quomodo paenae inferni perpetuae esse possunt how the paines of hell can be everlasting and how bodies How the pains of hell are eternall can live in those everlasting fires Augustine answereth that the Salamander liveth in the fire and is not consumed in the fire and we have certaine creatures called Crickets that live in hot Aug. de Civitat Dei lib. 21. cap. 2. 4 5. Ovens and Chimnies take them out of those hot places and they dye And further he saith that the ashes of Iuniper being raked up in the coles of Iuniper keepe fire all the yeere an end And againe saith he Take me a Peacocke and dresse it and it will not putrifie but abide sweet all the yeere an end Take me snow and wrap it up in chaffe and it preserves it but take fruit and lay them in chaffe it melloweth and rotteth them Take unslaked lyme and bring it into the Sunne it is cold and throw it into the water and it burneth The adamant is not broken but with the blood of a goat and who can give a reason of this Apud Garamantas there is a fountain so cold in the day that a man cannot drink of the water thereof and so hot in the night that a man cannot touch it for scalding There is a fountaine in Epirus if ye bring torches that burne unto it it puts them out but if ye bring torches that be out it kindleth them There is a stone in Arcadia called Asbestos which being once kindled can never be quenched And there is a stone in Thracia that burneth in the water but put out with oyle The horses of Cappadocia conceive with the wind Thus God dealeth strangely with his creatures why not with the fire of hell these evill Angels and all the damned besides Semper comburentur nunquam consumentur they shall alwayes be burning but never consumed Thirdly it is demanded how the evill Angels and mens bodies Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 21. cap. 10. can be tormented in the same fire Augustine answereth as the soule of the Epulo was tormented in this fire when his body was in hell Lastly note that the day wherein the Angels shall be judged is called a great day He hath reserved in everlasting chaines under darkenesse unto the iudgement of the great day It is called a great day and it is so called in three respects Great in respect of the Iudge who is thus described by Daniel I beheld till the thrones were Dan. 7. 9 10. set up and the ancient of dayes did sit Whose garments was white as snow and the hayre of his head like the pure wooll his throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire A firy streame issued and came forth from before him c. And he is described by Saint Iohn thus Apoc. 20. 11 12. And I saw a great white throne and one sitting thereupon from whose face fled heaven and earth and I saw the dead both small and great stand before the throne and the bookes were opened and there was another book opened which was the booke of life and the dead were judged after those things which were written in those bookes And againe the same beloved Disciple describeth him thus I saw heaven open and behold a Apoc. 19. 11 12 16. white horse and he that sate upon him was called faithfull and true and he judgeth and fighteth righteously and his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes and he had a name written which no man The day of the last judgemenr why called the great day knew but himselfe and hee hath upon his garment and upon his thigh a name written The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Thus yee see the greatnesse of the Iudge and in respect of him this day is called a great day Secondly it is called great in respect of the Assistants the Angels Dan. 7. 10. For Thousand thousands shall minister unto him and tenne thousand thousands shall stand before him And hee shall come to judgement Mat.
25. In the glory of his Father with all his holy Angels Thirdly great in respect of the prisoners that shall be arraigned For when he shall come in the clouds of heaven every eye shall see him even those that peirced him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wayle Apoc. 1. 7. before him Nay then The Kings of the earth and great men and rich Apoc. 6. 15. men and the chiefe Captaines and the mighty men and every bond man and every free man shall be arraigned And therefore it may well be called a great day for if the particular day of the destruction of Ierusalem was so grievous that the Prophet cryed out The great Zeph. 1. 14 15 16 day of the Lord is neer it is neer hasteth greatly even the voice of the day of the Lord the strong man shall cry there bitterly That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and heavinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darkenesse a day of clouds and blacknesse a day of Iâ—â—l 2. 10. 11. the trumpet and alarum against the strong Cities c. And againe the earth shall tremble before him the heavens shall shake the Sunne and Moone shall be darke and the starres shall withdraw their shining and the Lord shall utter his voyce before his host for his host is very great For he is strong that doth his work For the day of the Lord is great very terrible and who can abide it What shall be the generall day of the destruction of the whole world when the Elements shall melt with 2 Pet. 3. heat the heavens shall passe away with a noyse the earth shall reele and stagger like a drunken man and the world shall burne Good Lord what a great day will this be when all the Saints out of heaven all the damned out of hell all the dead bodies out of the earth must appeare Not an Angell spared not a divell respited not a Saint or sinner rescued but all must be summoned to give their attendance and to make their appearances Once the world was destroyed with water but now it shal be consumed with fire For the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels 1 Thes 1. 7 8. in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them which know not God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ Let thy heart dwell seriously in this meditation but a little imagine that thou sawest the world on fire the Iudge sitting the dead standing before him the sinnes of all men revealed the divels accusing Eccles 7 38. them it would beat downe many sinnes in thee Remember the end and thou shalt never doe amisse Christ speaking of that day saith That there shall be signs in the Sun and in the Moon and in the Stars and Luke 21. 25 26 upon the earth trouble among Nations with perplexity the Sea and the waters shall rore and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things that shall come on the world for the powers of heaven Iudgement terrible to all but especially to the wicked shall be shaken Others Sessions and assizes be fearefull to malefactors what shall Gods assizes bee when the Ancient of dayes shall sit whose garments are white as snow and the haire of his head is like pure wooll and his throne like a firy flame Then Dan. 7. 9. fulminabit dominus e Caelo the Lord shall thunder from heaven and the highest will give his voyce And if the thunder and ratling of a cloud be so terrible what terrour shall there bee when he shall thunder that sits above the clouds For then Terra tremet Mare mugiet the earth shall quake the Sea rore the ayre ring the World burne and if Tota terra the whole pillars of the earth must move how should this move man who is but a cold of earth If virtutes Coeli the powers of heaven must tremble what will befall those mindes of mudde and earth that have never a thought of heaven If the Angels of God shall stand then at a gaze how agast will the wicked be whose portion is with the Divell and his Angels If the Heavens must cleave and the Elements bee rent asunder how will earthly hearts faile and breake If the righteous shall scarce be saved Vbi impius Where shall the wicked and the sinner appeare If S. Ciprian is said so Ciprian much to feare diem Iudicii the day of Iudgement that he cleane forgot diem martyrii the day of Martyrdome and earthly torment and no marvell Nam timor mortis nihil ad timorem Iudicis the feare of temporall death is nothing to the feare of him that hath power of eternall life and death And if they be in such amaze Ad quos judex For whose glorie and good the Iudge shall come how shall they stand amazed Contra quos Index against Apoc. 20. whom and for whose eternall shame and paine the Iudge shall 1 Coâ— 1. 25. come If Heaven and earth shall flie before him Quomodo stabimus ante potentissimum quem nemo potest vincere how shall we be 1 Tim 1. 17. able to stand before the most mightie whom none can vanquish For the weakenes of God is stronger than men Ante prudentissimum quem nemo potest fallere before the most wise whom no man can deceive For he is God only Wise and in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge and understanding Ante piissimum quem nemo potest corrumpere before the most just whom no man can corrupt His judgement will be Rectum judicium a right and a true judgement he cannot faile either Ignorantia legis as not knowing the Law For he gave the Law and he will judge according to the Law nor yet ignorantia facti As not seeing the fact For his eyes goe thorow the World Ye may interprete them if ye will 7. thousand thousand eyes For he is Totus oculus All eye Aug. The consideration of this should stirre us up to be carefull and circumspect in all our wayes that we never treade our shooe awry nor offend this Iudge in any thing that at this great day we may find him a gentle and a loving Lambe and not a Lion of Iuda For as to the wicked the Iudge is terrible so to the godly friendly and as to the wicked this great day is a day How can the wicked stand before the uncorrupt Iudge of redemption But to proceed a little further this day is called a day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an excellencie For never day was like unto it In the day of Israel when he went out of Aegypt The Sea fledde Iordan was driven backe the mountaines skipped like Rammes and the little hills like yong Sheepe In the day of Iosua the Sunne stood still in Psal 114. Heaven from morning to noone
whose hands are full of blood The Drunkard whose body is as the swill-tub the irreligious person that seldome prayeth seldome giveth thankes or heareth Gods Word Quaeres quae spes quoad animi solatium hisce What hope of heaven and happinesse can these men have how thinke they to escape this fire of hell Scientes prudentes vivi videntesque pereunt knowing understanding alive and seeing they shall perish GOD shall raine upon them snares fire brimstone this shall bee their portion to Psal 11. drinke So much for the first punishment of the reprobate Fire The second punishment of the reprobate is eternall fire fire and eternity of fire All paines here have an end but the paines of hell have no end Whereupon Augustine Miseris erit mors fine morte finis sine fine defectus sine defectu c. To these miserable Aug. lib. de Spiritu anima cap. 56. wretches there shall be a death without death an end without end a decay without decay because their death shall ever live and their end shall ever begin and their decay knoweth not how to decay death shall presse them but not extinguish them sorrow shall torment them and not drive away their feare the fire shall burne them and not consume them nor yet dispell their darkenesse for in this fire is obscuritie darkenesse and in this obscurity and darkenesse feare and trembling and in this combustion and burning sorrow they shall alwaies suffer torment and alwayes shall feare because they shall be tormented without hope of pardon If after so many thousand yeeres as Eternity of torments in hell aggravate misery they have haires on their heads they might have an end of their torment there were some hope and they might indure those torments more quietly but because they have no hope that ever their paines shall be either eased or ended desperatione deficiunt they faile they faint and quaile thorow despaire Et ad tormenta non sufficiunt and they are no way able to indure those torments Ibi erit tortor semper caedens there shall be a tormentor ever beating them Et vermis semper corrodens and a worme alwayes gnawing them Etignis semper comburens a fire alwayes burning them For their worme shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched sinnes shall bee detected and the sinnes shall be punished Esa 66. 24. and that for ever they shall see divels but not God Quod est omnium meseriarum miserrimum which of all miseries is most miserable For if Absalom tooke it so grievously that hee 2 Sam. 14. 32. was banished his Fathers presence and could not see his face how grievously shall the Reprobate be afflicted to be banished Gods presence and not to see his face for they shall be punished with eternall perdition from the presence of God and glory 2 Thes 1. 9. of his power But to follow this point a little further all men in misery comfort themselves with hope of an end the prisoner with hope of a gaole-delivery the mariner with hope of arrivall the souldier with hope of victory the prentise with hope of liberty the gally-slave with hope of ransome onely the poore caitiffe in hell hath no hope he shall have end without end death without death night without day morning without mirth sorrow without solace bondage without liberty Let fire and eternall fire move us common fire is quenched with water wilde fire with milke and vinegar but hell fire is not quenched their worme dyeth not and the fire never goeth out And Mar. 9. 44. why should not wee beleeve this seeing that their is a certaine stone in Arcadia called Asbestos which being once kindled never goeth out never can be quenched If this be in a stone how much more in the power of God This earthly fire except it be nourished with wood and other combustible matter will out but the fire of hell never goeth out it alwaies burneth and never ceaseth The reason is because our fire is not In loco proprio in his proper place sed violenta but in a violent The fire of hell is in his proper place for the breath of the Lord kindleth it We Greg in moralibâ—â— see Aetna to burne alwayes for it hath burnt from the beginning of the world and still doth burne why should not then hell fire burne alwayes and why should not we beleeve that men shall alwayes live in the fire of hell seeing wee see and know the Salamander to live in the fire If this may be by the power of nature why may not that by the power of God The paines of hell be such that all the Arithmetitians in the world cannot number them nor all the Geometritians measure them The terrours of hell should deterre from sinne nor all the Rhetoritians expresse them Quid hora ad diem c. saith one what is an houre to a day a day to a month a month to a yeere a yeere to a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeeres to eternity Mathuselah lived almost a thousand yeeres but the yeeres that are past are nothing we have nothing of time but that which is present The Pigmaeans lived onely seven yeeres never reached unto eight yeeres And their be certaine creatures bred and borne at the river Hispanis that live but a day in the morning they are bred and brought forth at noone they are at their full strength at night they make their end and are gone compare our yeeres with eternity and wee are in the same state and condition The reason of this endlesse punishment is the infinite Majesty of God words against common persons beare but common actions against noble men they be Scandala magnatum against Princes they be treason so the person of God aggravateth the sinne If any aske then how Christs death could satisfie the justice of God seeing it was not eternall I answer that he did it thorow the excellency of his Person and the perfection of his merits The remembrance of these paines in hell will drive away the remembrance of sinne as the Adamant is contrary to the Loadstone and suffereth it to draw no iron to it behold the weight of hell paines in Christ How sweat he how cryed he Deus meus deus meus quare dereliquisti me My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How did teares of blood trickle from him If hell paines were so grievous unto him what will they be to us Onely this difference is betwixt Christ and us that hee sustained all mens sinnes wee but our owne sinnes our paine therefore not so great as his but yet of greater and longer continuance his was but temporall ours eternall if we repent not We must suffer the vengeance of eternall fire The remembrance of fire and eternall fire swalloweth up all our cogitations How can our hearts endure or how can our hands be strong in that day When the Lord shall have to doe with us the
aside saith the Apostle all maliciousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and envy and all evil speaking as new borne 2 Pet. 2. 1. Babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that yee may growe thereby Among all the indignities that were offered unto Christ this was not the least they nipped his cheekes they buffeted his face they blinded his eyes they nayled his hands they peirced his feet they lanced his heart but especially they rayled on him saying He saved others let him also save himselfe if he be the Christ the Luke 23. 35 36. chosen of God The Souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vynegar mixt with myrh and gal to hasten his death and said if thou be the King of the Iewes save thy selfe Therefore wee are willed to thinke upon him that endured such speaking against of sinners Heb. 12. 3. As an image is not seene in water that is troubled no more is truth in a mind that is malitious but it sendeth forth with violence all manner of evill speakings A soule mouthed an evill tongued man is worse than the divell not simply but in respect For a man may avoid the divell Resist the divell and hee Jam. 4. 7. will flye from you but we cannot resist a slanderer a rayler And albeit the Apostles charge is Speake not evill one of another brethren he that speaketh evill of his brother or he that condemneth his brother Iam. 4. 11. speaketh evill of the Law and condemneth the Law Yet the world is as full of evill speakers as Nilus of Crokadyles as Sodome of Sulphur and Egypt of Lice In conviviis rodunt in circulis vellicant maledico dente omnia carpunt It is salt to their meat to rayle on men in feasts and bankets A good name is a pretious oyntment and woe to them that bereave a man of it many mens tongues walke at randome and speake evill of the things they know not Can the wound be cured so long as the iron remaine in it Can the iron be cold so long as it is in the Smiths forge Can the River cease running so long as the Fountaine floweth And can the tongue refraine from evill speaking so long as hatred boileth in the heart Of the abundance of the heart the mouth Luke 6. 45. speaketh And as the water turneth the wheele so the heart the tongue Boetius saith Si irâ fremis Leo es si fraude inniteris Vulpes es si inconstans Camaeleon es si luxuriaris porcus es si convitiaris Canis es if thou beest greatly moved with anger thou art a Lion if thou delightest in fraud thou art a Fox if thou beest unconstant thou art a Camaeleon if lecherous a Hog if foule-mouthed or evill-tongued a dogge and Beware of dogges saith the Phil. 3. 2. Apostle they are alwayes barking and biting and snarling One resembleth a foule-mouthed man an evill speaker to the Basiliske for as the Basiliske killeth the Bird that flyeth in the ayre with his breath so doth the evil speaker kil men with his tongue I will say of these foule-mouthed men as Hierom sometime said Brownists raile on our Church doctrin and Ministery of Iovinian Tacere nesciunt maledicere non cessant nunquam enim bene loqui dedicerunt they cannot hold their peace they cannot cease from evill speaking they never yet learned to speake well There is an art in speaking as well as in writing for there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right speaking as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right writing and both necessary Iudge now of what spirit our Brownists be as Christ said of his disciples that would have fire come downe from Heaven and Luke 9. 35. destroy Samaria Yee know not of what spirit yee are So they know not of what spirits they be of for all their eloquence standeth in biting speeches that our Church is Babylon Sodome as Apoc 11. 8. that our ministers have the marke of the beast as Apoc. 13. 16. that our people are swine and dogges as Mat. 7. 6. that our Communion cup is Calix diaboli the cup of the Divell that Mensa Christi is Mensa diaboli the table of Christ is the table of the Divell as 1. Cor. 10. 20. our pulpits bee tubs our Geneva Psalmes Gehenna Psalmes But I will say to them as one said Hoc genus hominum ridere soleo non odisse I am wont to laugh at these kind of men not to hate them they thinke much to be touched in doctrine but I will answere them as Erasmus answered Longolius deponant gladios nos scuta abiiciemus removeant venena nos antidoto uti cessabimus cessent maledicere nos non regeremus in hoc illis consentire non possumus ut pareamus schismaticis Let them lay away their swords and wee will throw away our shields Let them remove their poyson and wee will cease to use any Antidote Let them refraine from evill speaking and we will not taunt againe In this wee cannot consent unto them in their schismes I but say they wee are willed To come out from Babylon yea and To separate our selves and to touch no uncleane thing I 2 Cor. 6. 14. confesse Schismatikes interpret this discession locally but the Fathers understand it mentally and morally The Prophets and Apostles proclaimed Touch no uncleane thing but how Contactu cordis non corporis Doth hee that commit sinne displease thee thou touchest no uncleane thing Hast thou charitably rebuked him thou art come out from him yet they cry out we have no Ministers no Sacraments no Church at all What is their reason our lives are not answerable to the doctrine of the Gospell Be it so yet this is no reason why they should make discession from us How corrupt was Ierusalem so corrupt that Esay compareth her to Sodome and Gomorah yet hee erected Esa 1. not new Altars whereupon to offer sacrifice apart but entred into the same Temples and celebrated the same Sacraments with them while Moses received the Law in the mount the people made a Golden Calfe below in the valley God shewed Exod. 32. their idolatry to Moses making an offer to destroy them and to multiply him to a greater and better nation Had not Moses now a faire occasion of departing from them lest hee should No men perfectly pure no state totally corrupt touch any uncleane thing yet he leaves them not but goeth unto them reproveth them and maketh intercession to God for them How desperate was the impiety of the Pharisees in the dayes of our Saviour Yet for all that Christ our Saviour frequented their Temple and would not forbeare their religious exercises The Church of Corinth was defiled with many sinnes and horrible out-rages both in life and Doctrine they were deriders sectaries incestuous prophaners of the Lords supper denyers of the most essentiall Article of the Resurrection yet so long as the Ministery of the Word
Privativa privative There is an ignorance not sinnefull as in Adam not to know his nakednesse nor the serpents subtilty in the Angels and Christ Gen. 3. as man not to know the latter day Quia proprium est humanae naturae Mar. 13. 32. futura ignorare because it is the property of Humanity to be ignorant of future things and this is Ignorantia justa lawfull ignorance but there is an ignorance utterly unlawfull for it is sinne and the cause of sinne and companion of the same The Iewes crucified Christ thorow ignorance For if they had knowne Acts 3. 17. they would never have crucified the Lord of glory Why did the Samaritans so rayle on the Iewes Alas they knew nothing why Iohn 4. 22. 1 Cor. 2. 7. rayled the Princes on Christ they knew him not why did the Galathians revile the Christians in the point of Law for that they knew it not why doe the Brownists and Papists rayle on us Nesciunt Scripturas they know not the Scriptures I say to them as Paul to the Galathians Tell me ye that be under the Law Gal. 4. 21. doe ye not heare of the Law c. So tell me ye that will under Antichrist doe ye not know Popery yee doe not why doe the earth-wormes rayle on us in fayres markets tavernes Nil sciunt they know nothing They may say with Socrates Hoc scio quod nihil scio this one thing I know that I know nothing Hence came Anabaptisme from Rotman Quintinus Pocquinus Persevallus being Ostlers Chamberlaines Tapsters Coblers c. Lucinus wished that his writings might not be read either of men too Meanes to come to true knowledge learned or utterly unlearned Quod alteri nihil intelligunt alteri plus fortasse quà m ipse de se because the one sort understood nothing the other understood perhaps more than hee understood of himselfe So we would preach to neither Sed si optio daretur If I might have my wish wee had rather preach to the learned than to the ignorant for we had rather be reprehended than not to be understood Well is he that preacheth to an eare of understanding and not as Actaeon did to his dogges Rebuke not a scorner lest he hate thee but rebuke a wise man and he will love thee give Prov. 9. 8 9. admonition to the wise and hee will be the wiser teach a righteous man and he will increase in learning And indeed how should wee have knowledge we read nothing wee search not the Scriptures we attend not to reading to exhortation and doctrine All our Iohn 5. 29. knowledge must come from hearing which being so our knowledge can bee but small for wee heare not a Sermon from one moneth to another nor handle a Booke from one Sunday to another and then our knowledge must needs be small for our eares are like a reedle or sieve that can hold no water or an Vnthrifts purse that can hold no money Saint Augustine commendeth unto us foure things to bring us unto knowledge 1. Reading 2. Meditating 3. Praying 4. Contemplating Reading is an assiduous perusing of the holy Scriptures joyned with the attentive hearing of the Word preached The Eunuch was a diligent reader of the Prophet Esay The Disciples Acts 8. 27. of Troas heard Paul preach untill midnight The Nobles of Berea received the Word with readinesse But these men heare little Act. 17. 11. read lesse Meditating is an earnest imployment of the minde a thing straightly commanded and commended Let not the Booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night For Ios 1. 8. blessed is the man that doth delight in the Law of the Lord and in that Psal 1. Law doth meditate day and night But our meditations are not setled upon the Law and Ordinances of the Almighty Prayer is a lifting up of the minde to God craving his blessings and praising him for his mercies reading enquireth meditation findeth prayer requesteth but contemplation tasteth how sweet and gracious the Lord is Yee know that it is the Commandement of the Lord Seeke and yee shall finde knock Mat. 7. and it shall bee opened unto you If wee seeke by reading wee shall finde by meditating if wee knocke by praying it shall be opened unto us by contemplating but these neither seeke by reading nor find by meditating nor knocke by praying they are as horse and mule in whom there is no understanding For they Motives to stirre up to use the means to get knowledge Speake evill of things they know not Luther said if there bee a Paradise in this earth it is in Churches of preaching or schooles of learning so that wee have grace to learne in them They were wont to say give a man learning and turne him loose but that Proverbe was bred in another age when learning was more esteemed Quando erat rarior carior when it was more rare and deare but this is a time of ignorance whetein men raile on all the workes of God for want of knowledge but this is a desperate disease and for mee let it grow till it be rottennesse in their bones I speake not in hope of amendment but to beare witnesse of their sinne against the day of the Lord. Is there no Balme in Gilead Is there no Knowledge in England A man without Knowledge is as a workeman without his hands as a Ier. 8. 22. Painter without his eyes as a Traveller without his legges Imago mortis vivi hominis sepultura The image of death Lazarus sepulcher no true man Nemo potest jure dici homo nisi qui sapiens est Seneca only the wise man is a right man and the man of understanding is onely wise The Heathens tooke paines for naturall knowledge and built Libraries by their Temples and the Romans by their Capitoll In Athens were Vniversities and the Students called Philosophers In Persia Magi. In India Gymnosophistes and in England Druides Ierusalem had more than foure hundred schooles Samuel taught at Rama Elizeus at Ierico Iohn at Ephesus Marke at Alexandria and Paul at Rome Charles erected universities at Paris Tolouse Papia Padua and Prague Pithagoras travelled many Countries for knowledge Apollonius compassed ninty Regions and Plato was sold in his travailes Simonides studied seventy yeares Anaxagoras seventy two Thales seventy eight Socrates eighty foure Milesius ninty seven Livie wrote an hundred and forty bookes and Pliny threescore and fifteene All men desire knowledge and the reason is Cupiditas discendi optima ratio vivendi desire of learning is the best way of living Philip rejoyced that Alexander was borne in the daies of Aristotle and blesse thou God that thou livest in these daies of knowledge Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see For I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things that yee see and have not seene them and to heare those
things which yee heare and have not heard them Luke 10. 23 24. But to proceed if it bee a sinne to raile in ignorance how execrable is it when it is in knowledge then it is a double sinne as in Iulian the Apostata who said of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He knew the Scriptures hee had read the Scriptures but he despised them and therfore the Church never pray'd for him but against him So Chrysostome speaking of certain Hereticks called Anomaies saith Hanc arborem haereseos nec Paulus plantavit nec Apollo rigavit nec Deus auxit neither have Paul Chrys planted this tree of heresie nor Apollo watered it nor God encreased it sed plantavit superbia rigavit invidia but Pride planted it A shame for a Christian to bee ignorant of Christianity and Envy watered it they sinned in knowledge not in ignorance they said that they knew God as well as God knew himselfe And as these Anomaies went to farre one way so did the Sceptickes another way they doubted of all things Num Chrisippus homo esset an formica whether Chrisippus were a man or a pismire whether snow is white or blacke For Satan is ever in his contraries All Arrianisme came from pride in knowledge not ignorance alone Arrius seeing Alexander preferred before him denied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ the consubstantiality against his own conscience and his end was accordingly for as he was a disputing being provoked to the stoole in exonerating nature hee poured out all his bowels and so hee dyed These men had need say Pone ostium labiis set a doore before my lips The Pharisees also knew Christ yet railed on him they called him Fabri filium the Carpenters Sonne a man of new learning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 141. a drunkard a worker by the Divell a deceiver therefore they were farre from mercy and many sinned In spiritum sauctum against the holy Ghost Lastly the Divell sinned thus for it could not be ignorance they being by creation Angels of light Mat. 13. Mar. 2. Mat. 12. Iohn 7. he fell upon mere envy in knowledge whereupon Billius in his Anthologiâ maketh the comparison betweene him and Christ Ille voluit esse supra Angelum Hee would be above an Angell Sed hic infra hominem but Christ beneath a man and therefore he became a scorne of men yea the very outcast of all people Ille coelum dedignatus est he disdained Heaven but Christ disdained not to walke on the earth Ille omnibus hominibus invidit hee envied all men and would have them to perish but Christ Loved 1 Tim. 2. 4. all and would have all to be saved but this malice of Satan could not be in ignorance but in knowledge But to returne most men raile in ignorance they are like unto Herpasta Socrates shee foole that having lost her eyes did not beleeve that shee was blind but thought the house to be darke So we are blind and yet will not see it it is nothing to name the tenne Commandements the Lords prayer the twelve Articles of faith the two Sacraments but to understand them We raile on Catechising for that wee understood it not Acts 8. 30. I say to thee as Philip said to the Eunuch when he heard him read the Prophecie of Esaias Vnderstandest thou what thou readest Even so understandest thou what thou prayest beleevest receivest Christianus sine scientia est sicut navis sine remis A Christian without knowledge is like a ship withovt sailes rudder ancker cable c. or like a bird without wings or like a tree without Iohn 3. 19 rootes or a purse without mony This is the condemnation of the World that men love darkenesse more than light and why so their deedes are evill They shall one day cry out in Hell Wee have erred from the way of truth the light of righteousnesse hath not shined unto us the Sunne of understanding rose not up upon us Wee have wearied our Ignorance the cause of distruction selves in the way of wickednesse and destruction and wee have gone through dangerous wayes but wee have not knowne the way of the Lord. Men are not ignorant for want of teaching but for want of learning Wisd 5. 6 7. 13. wee will not learne there wee shall say Assoone as we were borne wee beganne to draw an end and have shewed no token of Vertue but are consumed in our owne wickednesse If wee should live so long as Methnsalah who lived nine hundred sixty nine yeeres it may be we would have more knowledge for the World but no more for God we have sold our selves with Ahab to doe wickedly the dayes will come that we shall say as Iacob said Surely Gen. 5. ca. 28. 16 the Lord was in this place and I was not aware The Lord was here but I was not aware of it hee spake to me and I heard him not hee offered his grace to me and I regarded it not his Sunne shined and I beheld it not And now it is night and I cannot walke death commeth and I cannot worke their bones shall lie downe in the graves full of ignorance blindnesse poperie Iohn 12. Qualis enim vita finis ita For as thy life is so is thy death Thy bones are full of the sinne of thy youth and it shall lie downe with thee in the Dust And Paul is peremptory namely That God will render Iob 20. 11. 2 Thess 1. 8. vengeance unto them that doe not know him The wicked seeing the elect in Heaven shall say to God as Esau said to Isaac Hast thou but one blessing my Father blesse me even me also my Father But it will be too late their blessing shall be turned into a cursing Nay Iude chargeth them further that they abused themselves in that they knew not like the Doctors of Ephesus of whom Paul reporteth thus They would be Doctors of the Law and yet understand 1 Tim. 1. 7. not what they speake neither whereof they affirme And also in that they knew For saith Iude Whatsoever things they know naturally as beasts which are without reason in those things they corrupt themselves so that every way they are vile and miserable as Apoc. 3. 17. Some things they knew naturally as beasts that know sweet from sowre good from evill meat from poyson The wicked know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the formall things but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mysteries in Christ Hereupon saith Paul We speake the Wisedome of God in a mysterie even the hid Wisedome whereof 1 Cor. 2. 14. the wicked have no saving understanding The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can hee know them because they are not spiritually discerned They savor not the things that are of God as Christ said to Peter Come behind
but the infection disperseth it selfe thorow the eyes even upon them that behold it so that they are touched therewith as it were by some poysonable influence But besides envie there were many other sinnes in Cain hee walked many wayes there was in him profanenesse contempt of God irreligiousnesse God rejected his sacrifice for it was not Hebr. 11. 4 5. offered in faith It is like that hee offered an evill pinching grudging sacrifice with an evill heart So many of us offer the sacrifice of Cain Wee grudge God any thing every little is too much in his service We build our owne houses faire but wee thinke much to give any thing to Gods house and service we wil rather take from the Temple with Balthazar and rob it with Dionysius than give to it As in the land of Israel looke what the Dan. 5. Palmer worme left that the Grashopper devoured and what the Grashopper left that the Canker devoured and what the Canker left that the Caterpiller devoured So in our Church looke what Impropriations have left that have Patrons deuoured what Patrons have left that evill Customs have devoured and what evill Customes have left that have contentious and covetous parishioners as with the teeth of a Lion greedily gained O that these taking hands might one day see the hand which Balthazar saw upon the wall they would then bring every Tythe into the Lords barne and robbe God and his Church no longer Dan. â— Mal. 3. Againe let a man have many children if there bee but one lame and deformed or simple in wit that is given to God and the ministerie the eldest is made a Gentleman the rest Lawyers but the most silly simple deformed is made a Minister he is good enough for God and his Church this is the offering of Cain Againe of duties appertaining to the Ministery if there bee any thing worse than another that wee give to the Minister of God Wee give not to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet therefore we shall not receive a Prophets reward And though the Apostle saith Let him that is taught in the Word make him that taught him partaker of all his goods yet by their wills they shall Mat. 10. 41. Gal. 6. 6. have nothing they would have us live of their almes and of benevolence stand to their good wils and courtesies and take what The Heathen observed the gods to be severe punishers of sacriledge they will give Yet saith Saint Paul Who goeth on warfare at any time of his owne cost Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit of it Who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of it And again Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things eate of 1 Cor. 9. 7 13 14. the things of the Temple they which waite at the Altar are parertakers of the Altar So also hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell This plainely sheweth that the maintenance of the Minister is not a voluntary and beggerly Almes but an honourable stipend allotted of God according to that which Christ saith Dignus est operarius mercede the laborer is worthy of his reward And Paul saith that Hee is worthy of double honour that is reverence and maintenance and whosoever shall robbe him of his due the thing so taken will ring him such a peale to Hell that he will wish he had never beene borne Laqueus est hominis devorare sancta It is a destruction to a man to Prov. 21. 20. devoure that which is sanctified The very Heathen observed that after such time as the Grecians once offered violence to the Virâ—il lib. 2. Aeâ—eid Lactan. de origin cap. 8. Temple of Pallas that they never prospered And Lactantius writeth of divers who have beene grievously punished for offering violence unto holy things as namely of Fulvius the Censor who taking away certaine Marmoreas tegulas tyles of Marble out of the Temple was within a short time after distract of his wits and had two of his sonnes slaine for griefe whereof he dyed also Of Appius Claudius who for alienating those things that were consecrated to Hercules lost his eyes And although Dionysius made a jest of sacriledge in taking a golden Cloake that was upon the image of Iupiter Olympius and putting a linsie woolsie cloake upon it in the stead thereof saying That a golden cloake was too heavy in Summer and too cold in Winter but a linsie woolsey cloake was fit for both Also in cutting off a golden beard that Aesculapius did weare saying That it was no reason that the son should have a beard when as Apollo his father had none Furthermore in taking away certaine golden cups which they held forth in their hands saying That it were folly not to take them being so kindly offered yet this went not without punishment for at the last hee was driven out of his kingdom So Xerxes sending foure hundred of his souldiers to Delphos to spoile the Temple of Apollo they were every one of them destroyed with lightening thunder So Marcus Crassus for taking a great summe of money out of the Temple of Ierusalem viz. ten thousand Talents within a while perished miserably with his whole Army But to let these passe If you would be pleased to cast your eyes a little upon divine Histories and the Histories of the Church yee shall see this sinne horribly punished Balthazar for prophaning and abusing the holy vessels received presently a fearefull doome and sentence by a hand-writing upon a wall Antiochus Epiphanes for taking the vessels of Gold and Silver God punished sacriledge in all ages out of the Temple and for destroying the Inhabitants thereof without cause suffered most grievous paine and misery Herod surnamed the Great having opened Davids sepulchre to 1 Mach. 6. 12. take money out of it as Hircanus had done before divers of his men were consumed with a flash of fire that brake from a secret place Ioseph Ant. lib. 26. cap. 11. Looke to the age succeeding I meane the time of the Gospell and yee shall see Ananias and Saphira for with-holding secretly a part of that which they had voluntarily given to the vse of the Church most severely punished with sudden death Act. 5. 5. After this when the Church was endewed with great riches and possessions by the bountifull donations of godly Emperours and other devoute Christians Iulian the Apostata and Foelix his companion for taking away the holy vessels of the Temple and making but a jest of sacriledge receiued both of them their just punishments the one hauing his mouth which was an instrument of blasphemy made a seige or passage to avoide his filthy excrements which are naturally egested another way the other having all the blood of his body gathered to his mouth as to a sinke which he never left spetting and spawling out till all was
abate your sinnes that God may abate your punishment Nay cast away all your workes of darkenesse that yee may never come into the place of darkenesse the Divels dungeon where the worme dyeth not where the fire goeth not out but continuall weeping and gnashing of teeth howling yelling and crying without ease of paine or comfort of mind that is such endlesse misery as the griefe thereof can neither be conceived of us nor expressed of them that feele it THE FIVE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XIV XV. And Enoch the seventh also from Adam prophesied of such saying Behold the Lord commeth c. Antiquity with Verity bring Authority to Doctrine HEre hee describeth the judgement of God at large which is ready to hasten nay to full upon these Epicures and Hypocrites and all proud swelling men yea and upon all ungodly persons whatsoever For as the power of the Lord had her day in the creation of the World and the mercy of God her day in redemption of man the little World so the justice of God must have her day in the just punishment of the unjust and wicked of the world This text of judgement devides it selfe into foure branches 1 That there shall bee a judgement 2 That the Lord shall be the Iudge 3 The manner of the judgement 4 The end of it To condemne all the ungodly of their evill deedes and cruell speakings against God But first he citeth his Author and saith that Enoch the seventh prophesied of such men that is of such Epicures of such proud swelling persons of such hypocrites Enoch is named the seventh Though some Scripture bee lost yet it is supplied in others and is perfect from Adam for Adam Seth Enos Kenan Mahalaleel Iared lived before him and dyed onely he was taken up alive into Heaven as was Elias in a firie chariot Tanquam candidati resurrectionis as the forerunners of the resurrection So that note here the antiquitie of the Prophesie of Enoch which Iude citeth to purchase authority unto the doctrine antiquity joyned with verity is of great force Quod primum illud verum quod posterius illud falsum whatsoever is first that is true what is later that is false Ieremy sendeth men to the old wayes Stand in the way saith he and behold aske for the old way and walke Ier. 6. 16. therein ye shall finde rest unto your soules Christ debating a question sendeth them to Antiquity saying Ab initio non fuit sic from Mat. 19. 8. the beginning it was not so Ab initio non Papae non Cardinales c. from the beginning no Popes no Cardinals no Patriarches c. therefore shall they not continue for ever sed eradicabuntur but shall be rooted out So reasoned the Wise man for idols saying Wisd 14. 12. cap. The inventing of Idols was the beginning of whoredom and the finding of them is the corruption of life for they were not from the beginning neither shall they continue for ever Sed vetusta consuetudo sine veritate vetustus Cypr. error an old custome without truth is but an old error The Papists to warrant their traditions and unwritten verities mightily urge the Prophesie of Enoch but this prophesie is not counterfeit or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inscriptum quiddam but wee must know that much Scripture is lost which we have not which might bee when Antiochus and Maximine caused the bookes of the Law to bee burnt We lacke many of Salomons workes who wrote of all things from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hysop on the 1 Reg 4. wall In that God hath not given us the bookes of Nathan of 1 Chro. 29. 2 Chro. 9. Gad of Iado of Shemaia of Athia the Shilonite of Iohn the sonne of Hanani c. It is not for that the Scriptures are unperfect and to bee supplied with unwritten verities but for some other causes best knowne to God They say the Scriptures are unperfect and therefore have added their unwritten traditions which they call Apostolicall unto the Scriptures to make the totall rule of Faith the Scriptures making but one part thereof and their traditions another as it appeareth by the late Trident Councell and of Bellarmines exposition thereof The Councell saith Omnes libros veteris novi Testamenti necnon traditiones ipsas Sess 4. decret 1. tum ad fidem tum ad mores pertinentes tanquam vel ore tenus a Christo vel à Spiritu Sancto dictatas continua successione in Ecclesia Catholica conservatas pari pietatis affectu reverentia suscipit ac veneratur Tridentina Synodus that is All the bookes of the old and new Testament as also the traditions themselves pertaining both to Faith and manners as being either pronounced by the mouth of Christ or delivered by the holy Ghost and by continuall succession preserved in the Catholike Church the Councell of Trent receiueth and honoreth with like and equall affection of pietie The Papists hold the Scriptures insufficient without traditions and reverence And Cardinall Bellarmine writeth thus Asserimus in Scripturis non contineri expressè totam doctrinam necessariam sive de fide sive de moribus proinde praeter Verbum Dei scriptum requiri etiam Verbum Dei non scriptum idest divinas Apostolicas traditiones that is Libro de verbo Dei non Script cap. 3. We affirme that in the Scripture is not contained expressely all necessary doctrine whether of faith or manners and therefore beside the written Word of God is required also the unwritten word of God namely divine and Apostolicall traditions And againe he saith Scripturae sine traditionibus nec fuer unt simpliciter necessariae necsufficientes The Scriptures without traditions were Ibid. cap. 4. neither simply necessary nor yet sufficient And againe Dico Scripturam etsi non sit facta praecipuè ut sit regula fidei esse tamen regulam Ibid. cap. 12. fidei non totalem sed partialem totalis enim regula fidei est Verbum Dei sive revelatio Dei Ecclesiaefacta quae dividitur in duas regulas partiales scripturam traditiones I say that the Scripture though it were not made especially to be the rule of faith yet it is the rule of faith not in whole but in part For the whole rule of faith is the Word of God or the revelatiō of God made unto the Church which is devided into two partie-rules Scripture and traditions Besides they further alledge that the Church was 2249. yeeres before the Word written but how shall that appeare that the Church then had not the written Word Why Moses citeth a booke called The warres of the Lord and in Iosua the booke of the iust is cited and it may bee that Noah Abraham Numb ◠Ios 10. and Isaac wrote those things that did belong to those times Iude also in this Epistle eiteth the booke of Enoch Papists alledge that
World and he shall not iudge it as God because that as Esay saith Tollatur impius The wicked must be taken away that he may never see the glory of God but Iohn 12. 47. as man Vt homines videant that men might see the Iudge of men August saith Quamvis non recedat pater à filio unum enim sunt tamen ad iudicium veniet filius non Pater although the Father departeth not from the Sonne for they are one yet the Sonne shall come to iudgement and not the Father Quia ibi nec Deitas Filij nec Patris videbitur for there neither the Deity of the Father nor of the Sonne shall be seene The third thing to bee handled is the manner of his comming to iudgement it will be a most fearefull yet a glorious comming he will come with thousands of his Saints For if other Benches be furnished with Iustices of Peace Gods Bench shall bee furnished with Angels Thousand thousands shall minister unto him and tenne thousand thousand shall stand before him and when hee shall thus come in his glory fulminabit è Coelo the Lord will thunder from Heauen and the highest will give his voyce Now if the thunder and and crackling of a cloud be so terrible what terror shall there be when hee shall thunder that sitteth above the clouds The thunder doth but demolish Mountaines and roote up trees but when God shall thunder out his judgements hee will crush and cast downe King Prince and People that have not made him their fortresse and their tower The thunder doth but shake the clouds make them to flye up and downe as birds in the ayre but when God shall thunder out his judgements hee will shake and astonish the heart and conscience Yet shall there bee then a great difference betwixt a good and a guilty conscience for a good conscience shall bee moved sed ut folium but as a leafe with a little winde and breath of Gods displeasure but the guilty shall bee removed as the foundations of the Earth are shaken with the full rigour of Gods wrath For then as Saint Ierome hath it Terra tremet mare mugiet the Earth shall quake the Sea roare the Ayre ring the World burne And all this all becommeth as a fire-brand or burning coale O miserable sinner how wilt thou tremble when the Lord shall come with thousands of his Saints to judgement and if the just and upright man Iob was afraid of this judgement and therefore cryed out and said Quid agam quo me convertam cum veniet Dominus ad iudicum What shall I doe or whither shall I turne Iob 31. 14. me when the Lord commeth to judgement If Blessed Hillary who from the fourteenth yeere of his age served the Lord in feare and rejoyced before him with trembling as David did By the terror of particular iudgements we may gather the generall who was affraid of this day as it appeareth by his speech upon his death-bed Egredere anima egredere quid dubitas quid times Goe forth O soule go forth why art thou afraid why doubtest thou thou hast served God these seventy yeeres and art thou Psal 14. afraid now to depart If these holy men were afraid of this day how oughtest thou O sinner which hast drunke iniquity like water hast not served thy God one day as thou oughtest to doe I say how oughtest thou to quake and to tremble If the iust shall scarce be saved where shall the poore wretch appeare then thou wilt cry to the Mountaines Fallon us and to the Hils Cover us hide us from the presence of the Lord and from the wrath of the Lambe For the great day of the Lords wrath is come and who can abide it but all will be in vaine If Zephanie spake so tragically of the particular judgement of God by Nebuchadnezar saying The great day of the Lord Zeph. 1. 14 15. is come a day of wrath a day of trouble and heavinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darkenesse a day of cloudes and blackenesse a day of the trumpet and alarme If Ieremy spake sorrowfully and lamentably of the particular judgement of God upon Ierusalem saying How is the gold become dimme the most fine gold is changed and the stones of the Sanctuary are scattered in the corner of Lament 4. 1. 2 4 5 10 11. every streete The noble men of Sion comparable to fine gold how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers the tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roofe of his mouth for thirst and the young children aske bread and no man breaketh unto them They that did feed dilicately perish in the streets and they that were brought up in scarlet imbrace the dung The hands of the pittifull women have sodden their Children which were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people The Lord hath accomplished his indignation he hath powred out his fierce wrath he hath kindled a fire in Sion which hath devoured the foundations thereof what may be said of the generall judgement when not one Citie but all Cities shall bee destroyed The reprobates shall see above them an angry Iudge beneath them Hell fire on the right hand their Sinnes accusing them on the left hand the Divels tormenting them within them their gnawing conscience without them the damned spirits bewayling on every side the World burning Vbi regredi impossibile progredi intolerabile where to goe backeward it is impossible and to goe forward intolerable The glorious manner of Christs comming is described by the Apostle The Lord saith hee shall descend from Heaven with a shout and with the voyce of the Archangell and with the trumpet of God then hee shall come not with twelve poore Apostles but with twelve thousand thousand Angels Wel the Lord shall come with thousands of his Angels where note that his second comming shal not be like his first At the first he came in poverty now shall he In Christs humility his glory appeared come in glory at the first he came in humility now shall hee come in Majestie at the first he came with the tongues of men now shall he come with the voice of an Archangell and trumpe of God At the first he came in misery now shall he come in Mat. 24. Luk. 9. 58. Majesty at the first he came with Glory be to God on high now shall he come with vae vae vae with a threefold woe upon them that dwell upon the face of the earth At the first he came with tidings of great joy that shall come upon all people now shall he come with feare and trembling upon all the nations of the earth At the first he came 1 Tim. 1. 17. Apoc. 1. 7. Apoc. 5. as a servant now shall he come as a King At the first he came as a prisoner betweene two theeves now shall he come as a Iudge
jury into the world Ex multis iâ—ramentis perventum est â—andem in peâ—iuâ—ia in multilâ—quio non deest peceatum From many oathes men Chrysost came at last to perjury and in much speaking there is sinne with much water there goeth some gravell with much fire some smoke and with many words some lies as among many wounds some skarres Aquinas saith that we must use an oath as we use physicke which is not used but in necessity in diseases So an oath is to be used in necessity when the trueth otherwise cannot appeare Parcè utenda medicina parcè iur amentum A medicine Aquin. is to be used sparingly and an oath sparingly yet a number cannot talke but they must sweare As the girle said of Peter Thou art of Galilee for thy speech bewrayeth thee So these Mat. 26. swearers that thus speake against God are of the Divell By thy barking I know thee to bee a dog by thy hissing to bee a serpent and by thy swearing to bee a vile man Shall I call that a sweet fountaine that sendeth out nothing but brine salt water and sulphurous Shall I call that good earth that yeldeth nothing but briers and brambles And shall I call him a Christian The generall Iudgement most certaine that cannot speake five words but one shall bee against God one shall be an oath by God and by God As she said Call me not Naomi but call me Mara So call not these Christians but beasts monsters Divels as Christ called Iudas These men Iohn 6. 70. as S. Iohn said have the hornes of the Lambe but they speake like the dragon they have a shew of religion but they sweare like reprobates they speake by the mouth of a greater beast Apoc. 13. then themselves These men are like belles that hang in the steeple but they are not seene but heard so these men though they be nor seene they may be heard in the Ale houses and Tavernes as men passe by there they roare and sweare and speake against God and count it a gentlemenly quality In times past Gentlemen were knowne by three properties Learning Armes and Gentlenesse but now by swearing wantonnesse and taking of Tobacco I speake not of all God hath his number Lord how are men degenerated from that they have beene What a Metamorphosis is in the world Have men drunke of Circes cup or are they changed with Hecuba for railing at the siedge of Troy into dogges that they barke thus against God Well they shall come to Iudgement one day for this Christ will come and we expect it To give iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds that they have committed and of all their cruell speakings which ungodly sinners have spoken against And Come Lord Iesus come quickly Apoc. 22. One thing further let me observe unto you that he saith Behold the Lord commeth with thousand of his Saints to give iudgement against all men c. That hee speaketh in the present tense not in the future tense to note the certainty of his comming So Esay Esay 9. said of Christ Vnto us a Child is borne yet was he not then borne but five hundred yeeres at the least after So Iohn spake Ecce venit Apoc. 1. 7. in nubibus Behold he commeth in the clouds and yet hee is not come but to note the trueth of his comming he affirmeth that he commeth The Apostle saith That Faith overcommeth the World and yet we are striving with the world as yet wee are in the 1 Iohn 5. 1. mayne battell as yet the plowers plough long furrowes on our backs as yet we strive unto bloud and yet he saith We have overcome the world because wee shall overcome it The Shepheards said that the words of the Angell were come to passe yet had they Luk 2. 15. Rom. 3. Numb 23. 19. not been a Bethelem Let God be true and all men liers He is not a man that hee should lye neither as the Sonne of man that hee should repent hath be said and shall he not doe it and hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Heaven and earth shall passe before one iot or tittle of his Luk 16 17. Word shall passe As for him that thinkes that the Lord will never come to iudgement nor that this body shall rise againe Let him remember that he who bringeth the Sunne out of his Chamber daily who reneweth the dead hornes of the Moone Psal 19. Psal 104. every moneth who dried up the sea in one night who caused None so vile but sometime feareth iudgemeÌ„t inwardly Aarons withered rod in one night to beare ripe Almonds who quickened Sara her dead wombe who revived the dead corne in the ground can raise againe this body and howsoever the Exod. 14. Gen. 18. 1 Cor. 15. wicked seare up their consciences with a hot iron yet I am perswaded there is none so wicked but sometime trembleth at the iudgement That the Lord shall come with thousand of his Saints to give Iudgement on all flesh c. None so riotous but sometime he saith Esca ventri venter escis Meate for the belly and the belly for 1 Cor. 6. 13. meate but God shall destroy both it and them None so covetous but sometime saith The rust of these things will be a witnesse against me None so blasphemous but at one time or other Iam. 5. 3. saith The plague departeth not from the house of the swearer None so adulterous but saith I may not make the Ecclus 23. 12. members of Christ the members of an harlot I may not make the 1 Cor. 6. temple of God the stable for the Divell And to conclude none so past all feare of God but sometimes saith This geare will not last alway what shall become of me when I stand before Gods iudgement seate Foelix trembled when he heard Paul preach of Iudgement and Adrian the Emperour said at his death Animula Act. 24. vagula blandula quo nunc vagaris O my little wandring tender soule whither doest thou now goe Thou wouldest not have the conscience of a damned creature to gaine tenne thousand worlds and to bee the Monarch of them for so many thousand yeers Well yee see there shall be a Iudgement yee see the person that shall be our Iudge The Lord he shall come in his owne person to iudge us and what a comfort will this be that hee shall come for us that went up to send the Comforter unto us Yee see the manner of his comming with thousand of his Saints The end of it to rebuke all the ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all the cruell speakings that wicked sinners have spoken against And now to make some use of all this that hath been spoken concerning this Iudgement The use of it is triple 1. For terrour 2. For comfort
3. For Instruction But first it serveth for terrour it is a wonderfull terrible doctrine to the wicked for how can it be but terrible when the Lord shall come with thousand of his Saints to give iudgement against all men and to rebuke c their hearts shall faile them for feare Luk 21. Apoc. 9. 6 They shall seeke death in those dayes and shall not find it This hath been their day wherein so farre as they could they have done their will The next is the Lords day wherein they must suffer his will how can it be but terrible when they shall see the Sonne of man in the clouds above to condemne them beneath hell mouth open ready to devoure them before the Divels haling No way for the wicked to escape Iudgement them behind them the Saints and all their dearest friends forsaking them on their left hand their sinnes accusing them on the right Iustice threatning them on all sides the world made a bone-fire terrifying them how can it be but terrible when the hilles cannot hide them nor the Mountaines cover them from the presence of the Iudge For hee is here and there and every where If they mount and soare up to heaven he is there if they goe into hell he is there too So that pati intolerabile latere impossibile it is not possible to indure nor possible to avoid the iudgement How can it be but terrible when God shall raine upon them fire and brimstone storme and tempest This shall be their portion to drinke when God shall powre even the vials of his wrath upon them and they shall feele the masse of his displeasure Here the wicked are iudged that they may bee amended but there their iudgement shall be that they may be confounded For there will be no place for repentance If Foelix trembled to heare tell of iudgement What will poore Foelix doe when he must feele Iudgement both in the sentence and execution If Iohn and Daniel at the sight of a mild Angell fell upon the earth as dead Dan. 4. 8. Apoc. 1. 17. How shalt thou miserable sinner indure the presence of the terrible Iudge If Haman could not abide the angry countenance of Assuerus Hest 7. 9. how shalt thou ô wicked man iudure the angry countenance of this frowning Iudge If Adam for the commission of one sinne ranne from God in great feare and hidde himselfe among the trees that were in the garden Gen. 3. 8. whither shalt thou runne ô sinnefull Adamite that hast committed as many sinnes as starres in the sky or sands by the sea Imo horum numerus numero non clauditur ullo Yea the number of them is not to be numbred Whither I say wilt thou run or where shalt thou hide thy selfe from this terrible Iudge If the drowning of the old World the burning of Sodom the opening of the earth to swallow up Corah c. and such like the Iudgements have such horrour in them who can expresse the horrour of this day when many millions of wicked shall be turned into hell with all the people that forget God If it be such a shame to doe penance for one fault in one congregation where men will pray for the offendour what a shame will it be when all our faults shall bee discovered before all the whole world without all hope of pitty and help and all workers of iniquity shall be cast alive into that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Looke therefore to your selves yee generation of Vipers and wash your hands and clense your hearts For certainly the Iudge of all the world will doe right 2. This doctrine of Iudgement serveth for comfort to all penitent Christians they may lift up their heads rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious For the Lord shall then come be glorified 2 Thess 1. 10. in his Saints and made marvailous on them that beleeve Hereupon The consideration of the general iudgement should instruct us saith Augustine Quare non gaudes cum venerit iudicare te qui venit iudicari propter te Why dost thou not rejoyce when he shall come to judge thee that came to be judged for thee hee hath beene thy advocate to pleade thy suites to God his Father and certenly when hee comes to judgement hee will not goe against his owne pleading He is thy brother and carries a most brotherly affection unto thee and will he condemne his owne brother He is thy head and hath performed all the offices of an head unto thee and can he then faile thee when thou hast most need of him hee died for us to redeeme us a people peculiar unto himselfe and will he faile us in the last act of our redemption Oh no no lift up your heads then and in patience possesse your soules What though hee bee terrible to the wicked to thee hee will bee kind and mercifull thou shalt not bee wronged by false witnesses neither shalt thou bee iudged by common fame or outward appearance The Iudge will not be transported either by passion or spleene nor will condemne thee to satisfy the people as Pilate did Iesus and besides nothing shall be remembred but what good thou hast wrought and done thy sinnes shall be cleane blotted out of remembrance they shall bee buried in the heart of the earth and drowned in the bottome of the sea they shall never rise up to Iudgement against thee Rejoice therefore poore penitent thou shalt find Christ a friend no foe a Iesus no Iudge a Saviour no confounder thou shalt find Heaven and not Hell Angels not Divels Gods right hand not his left hand everlasting life and not everlasting death 3. This doctrine of judgement serveth for instruction First it should restraine uncharitable censuring and judging one another Who art thou that judgest another mans servant hee standeth or falleth to his master Christ is the Lord of quicke and dead Iudge therefore nothing before the time If wee could consider that we should every one give accompt to God himselfe as Rom. 14. 12. wee should find worke enough to looke to our owne score and little leasure to forestall God in this matter of judging 2. Are there matters of difference among us Let the Saints judge them and end them God will bee contented to put his cause to them at the last day For we know that the Saints shall judge 1 Cor. 6. 2. the World and therefore why should we refuse their arbitrement 3. It should order and moderate our sorrowes for our dead friends We should not sorrow as people without hope seeing we beleeve that all that sleepe in Iesus God will bring with him 1. Thess 4. 13 14 17 18. we shall meet together againe in that day and ever live together with the Lord and therefore wee should comfort one another with these words 4. This summons to judgement gives a dreadfull warning admonition to the world even to all men every where to repent
We should prevent iudgement by iudging our selves in so much as God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world with righteousnesse by that Man whom he hath appointed Act. 17. 31. Woe will bee unto us if that day come upon us unawares before we have made our peace and humbled our selves before God and by true repentance turne from sinne to sanctity It is an unspeable favour that God shewes us when he offers us this mercy that if we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord in that day 1 Cor. 11. 34. And it will on the other side kindle his wrath extremely when having such grace offered wee neglect it and death and judgement find our sinnes unremitted on Gods part and unrepented of ours 5. Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved it should stirre us up to an holy conversation So reasoneth S. Peter Seeing that all those things must be dissolved what manner persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hasting to the comming of the day of God c 2. Pet. 3. 11 12. We are Gods stewards let us arme our selves as they that must give accounts of their stewardship and let us jmploy such talents as God hath lent us to Gods glory and our neighbours good Lastly since the day of Iudgement is the day of our full and finall Redemption and since hee shall come as a theefe in the night even the houre that we thinke not Let us therefore watch and be ready alwayes carefull and diligent sighing and groning longing and praying hasting to and looking for this glorious comming of our Lord and Saviour Christ to judgement THE SIXE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XVI These are murmurers complainers walking after their owne lusts c. Many discontented with Gods dealing with them HEE proceedeth to describe the wicked and that foure wayes 1 By their Impatiencie 2 By their Lusts 3 By their Pride 4 By their Flattery For they yeeld many sinnes as Nilus yeeldeth many Crocodiles and the Scorpion many Serpents at one birth This impatiencie is two-fold Against God and against man And first for God many are never content but if they have one thing they would have another like the daughter of Caleb when wee have pasture ground wee must have arable and when wee have that we must have wood ground for fewell and parkes for pleasure like some Clergy men that must have one benefice for corne ground another for glebe land like Aesops Lion they must have the first second and third part and except God give them the fourth part also they will fall out with him they will murmur and as the Prophet speaketh In the evening they will Psal 59. 15. goe to and fro and barke like dogs and grinne if they be not satisfied Paul noteth this sinne in Israel and applieth it to Corinth and in them to all Churches saying Neither murmure ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer but to see it plainly Murmuring the sinne of the Israelites read Exod. 16. and there yee shall finde that the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wildernesse and said Oh that we had dyed by 1 Cor. 10. 10. Exod. 16. 2 3 4 5. the hand of the Lord in the land of Aegypt when we sate by the flesh-pots when wee ate bread our bellies full But Moses told them That God heard their grudgings against them and further said At even shall the Lord give you flesh to eate and in the morning your fill of bread for the Lord saith hee hath heard the murmurings that yee murmure against him c. and so at even quailes came and covered the ground and in the morning he rained Manna upon them Againe God having given them bread and flesh no sooner wanted they water but they were as vile Wherefore the people contended with Moses and said Give us water that wee may drinke and the people murmured against Moses and said Wherefore hast thou brought us out of Aegypt to kill us and our children and our cattell with thirst Thus like dogges except their mouthes were filled they barked continually like the Gangrene or the disease called the Woolfe which gnaweth ever except it be fed For no sooner had God delivered them out of Aegypt but except he would deliver them from Pharaoh also they would raile Hereupon they said unto Moses Hast thou brought us to dye in the Wildernesse because there were no graves in Aegypt Wherfore hast thou served us thus to carry us out Exod. 14. 11 12. of Aegypt did not we tell thee this thing in Aegypt saying Let us bee at rest that wee may serve the Aegyptians for it had bin better for us to have served the Aegyptians then that wee should dye in the wildernesse Thus they dealt with God for water at another time Why have yee brought the Congregation of the Lord into this Wildernesse Numb 20. 4. 5. that both wee and our cattell should dye there Wherefore now have yee made us to come up from Aegypt to bring us to this miserable place which is no place of seede nor figges nor vines nor pomegranats neither is there any water to drinke Cyrill noteth upon the 6. of Iohn Vers 52. that this sinne of murmuring is hereditary to the Iewes it was morbus haereditarius like the stone the Fathers conveyed it ever to their children and this sinne like the heads of Hydra drew many other sinnes after it as disobedience ingratitude impatience distrust tempting of God blasphemy it was never alone The whole course of the sacred Scriptures crieth out against this sin specially in men professing God Do all things saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 14. without murmuring or reasoning and Saint Peter Be yee harborous one to another without murmuring and Wisedome bids us Beware 1 Pet. 4 9. Sap. 1. 10. Gen. 4. 14. of murmuring Cain murmured and the Scripture noteth it as his sinne The Israelites were grievous murmurers Sometimes for their Labour Sometimes for Drinke Exod. 5. 21. Cap. 16. 25. Cap. 17. 3. Sometimes for Flesh as ye heard before Sometimes in distrust to obtaine the City so strongly The punishment of murmurers walled Sometimes for feare to be killed of their enemies Sometimes for want of dainties as figges pomegranats Num. 13. 3. Num. 14. 2. Cap. 16. 42. Cap. 20. 3. vines c. Sometimes for that they were over-layed with Manna And for other like causes upon which the holy Ghost setteth a brand of dislike and so by their sinnes admonisheth us to beware For this sinne never went unpunished There is murmuring for good done on the Sabbath day For not washing before meate for the oyntment that was powred upon Christ and not rather sold and given unto the poore that widowes were neglected that Mary did not helpe Martha but sate and heard Christs words But still observe that
earthly If wee doe beleeve that God doth forbeare and forgive us our sinnes and not deale with us according to our deservings if he sanctify us with his spirit and make our bodies temples of the Holy Ghost if he turne us unto himselfe working our conversion which is as great a worke as at the first to create us we may bee well assured that he will deliver our soules from death and preserve us from famine For if he spared not his owne Sonne but hath given him Psal 33. 19. Rom. 8. 32. Luk. 12. 32. for us all to death how shall he not with him give us all things also Murmure not then for the want of outward things which perish with their use For it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome This is the way to represse murmuring Yet men many times are murmurers yea Gods children themselves sometime fall into this sinne but this is to let us see our infirmity and Gods mercy not to excuse this sinne True it is that Iob did passe the bounds Iob 3. 3 4 5. 11 12. of patience saying Let the day perish wherein I was borne and the night wherein it was said that a man child is conceived let the day bee darkenesse Let not God regard it from above that is let it be put out of the number of dayes Neither let the light shine upon it but let darkenesse and the shadow of death sustaine it and let the clouds remaine upon it Let them make it fearefull as a bitter day Why died I not in the byrth and why died I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees prevent me and why did I sucke the brests And so Ieremy Cursed be the day wherein I was borne and let not the day wherein my Ier. 20. 14 15 16. mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man that shewed my father saying A man child is borne unto thee and comforted him and let that man be as the Cities which the Lord hath overturned and repented not and let them he are the cry in the morning and the shouting at noone day The Ion. 4. 8. like may be said of Ionas who wished in his heart to die and said It is better to die then to live And the same may also be said of Elias It God never failes the faithfull is enough Lord take away my life I am no better then my Fathers These are examples to make us beware not to bee followed In multis peccavimus omnes in many things we sinne all when the water is Iam. 3. troubled it is not cleare nor good to drinke of When mens minds are troubled their speeches are passionate and grievous but God shall strengthen them if they pertaine to him premimur sed non opprimimur We are pressed but not oppressed wee 2 Cor. 4. 8. fall but we rise againe Let us chide our soules as David did Why art thou so heavy ô my soule why art thou so disquieted within me Waite Psal 42. 14. on God relent not murmure not though troubles bee long and great dic animae tuae Quid tumultuaris say unto thy soule Why doest thou make tumult why doest thou fret and storme Art thou hungry God will feed thee as he did Elias by Ravens that brought him meate morning and evening Art thou weake God will strengthen thee as he did Shamgar with his Oxe goad Art thou shut up close in prison God will deliver thee as hee did Peter the brazen gates of their own accord shall open unto thee Pharao may pursue Israel but he shall be drowned in the red Sea Ieroboam may stretch out his hand but it shall wither Abraham may lift up his hand to smite Isaac but Gods Angell shall stay him and a ramme in a bush shall be present to bee sacrificed in the roome and stead of him The Arrians may lie in waite for Ambrose but he shall passe thorow the middest of them without hurt A lion shall feed Macarius A Hart shall bring meate to Aegidius A wild Asse shall carry Haebaenus over the sea A whale shall receive Ionas safely The Duke of Savoy may besiege Geneva sed providebit Deus quoth Beza God shall provide Ne desis Deo in fide non deerit tibi in ope Be not wanting to God in faith and hee will not bee wanting unto thee in help Trust thou in the Lord and doe good dwell in the land and thou shalt bee fed assuredly Psal 137. 3 4 5. and delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire Commit thy way unto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe Sed hoc facile dictu sed arduum factis This is soone spoken but not so soone done few will in patience possesse their soules scarce one of a thousand will beare his Crosse patiently without murmuring Let us but want any corporall food by and by wee breake out What meanes the Lord to kil us with famine What greater sinners are we then such and such that have the world at will Would God hee would either amend these things or make an end of us who can endure such an hard time better to dye any way then to dye of Famine But away with this murmuring and let us rely upon God and say with Iob Though hee killme yet will I put my trust in him There is murmuring also against man grudging either at their wealth or at their love and favour or at the credit and preferment wherein they goe before other men So the Pharises murmured against Iesus and against his Disciples because the One man repines ordinarily against another people followed them and thus the Grecians murmured against the Disciples of Christ because their widowes were neglected in their daily ministring a fault whether more bad or common Act. 6. 1. among us it is hard to say For what more ordinary among men than murmuring If he be our superiour in wealth or in honour or in credit wee murmure against him as too great to dwell so neere us and if he bee our equall wee grudge that hee should thrive and prosper aswell as wee if he be our inferiour wee disdaine him Thus among all sorts there is murmuring so that whereas all things should bee done without murmuring nothing is done without murmuring one man repines against another We say as Peter said Lord what shall this man doe We grudge like the men of the vineyard Nemo sua sorte contentus Iohn 21 21. Mat. 21. No man resteth contented with his lot It was wont to be a proverbe Homo homini Deus One man is a God unto another but now Homo homini Daemon One man is a Divell to another to repine disdaine and hurt another yet are wee commanded to bee patient and to settle our hearts not to grudge one against another Iam. 5. 8 9. lest we be condemned The people murmure
cleaveth unto them as Naamans Ieprosie did to Gehezi and his seed for ever they are of the mind of Medius parasiteto Alexander who willed his Schollers ever to slander their enemies Nam si vulnus inquit sanaverint manet tamen cicatrix for although they have healed the wound the scarre of the slander abideth still So some will beleeve them they leave still a sting behind them they thinke much that we should say thus much and therefore call our Apologies railings Thus the Guisians accused the Protestants to have Loricas ferri non fidei Brest-plates of iron not of faith when as they klled three thousand in one Church at Vesse in the time of doctrine So the theeves of Sicilia accused the merchants and travellers that they rode cruelly armed when as they had all engines to rob men So Fimbria sued Scevola for that he received not his weapon deep enough Must their mouthes bee open to offend and not ours to defend O tempora ô mores What a world is this May they say all evill on their Ale-benches and we not defend our innocency The Lord cut off those lips Psal 12. That which I say of Papists I say of Atheists also Nam facti sumus speculum We are become a spectacle to men and Angels 1 Cor. 4. but let men and Angels and Divels Papists and Atheists say what they can so that they say truly The fourth and last sinne is Flattery in admiring mens persons they lift up and throw downe praise and dispraise they wonder at men as if they were Angels Illorum enim lingua venabilis their tongue is saleable they will say any thing for gaine make the Crow white and the Snow blacke but if wee give titles our Maker will destroy us Now to give titles is to change Iob. 22. 22. the name as to call a foole a wiseman to cloke the truth to flatter Flatterers worthily rewarded men For woe unto them that speake good of evill and evill of good which put darkenesse for light and light for darkenesse put bitter for sweet and sweet for sowre God blesseth plaine speaking Hee Esa 5. 20. Pro. 28. 23. that rebuketh a man shall finde more favour at length than he that flattereth with his tongue he that pertaineth to God will love such Salomon preferreth the wounds of a friend to the kisses of an enemy Open rebuke saith he is better then secret love the wounds of a lover are Pro. 27. 5 6. faithfull and the kisses of an enemy are pleasant that is they are flattering and seeme friendly David prayed God to cut off all flattering lips saying The Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud things which have said With our tongue will wee Psal 12. 3. 4. prevaile our lips are our owne who is Lord over us And wee see this punishment verified in two notable rare examples the one in the Amalekite who came upon Saul and slew him and tooke the 2 Sam. 1. 8 10 15. crowne that was upon his head and the bracelet that was on his arme and brought it unto David because hee would currie favour with him and flatter him expecting hereby some preferment at his hands but David commanded one of his young men to fall upon him who smote him that hee dyed The other in Baanah and Rechab who slew Isboseth the sonne of Saul and brought his head unto David to Hebron and said unto the King Behold 2 Sam. 4. 8 9 10 11 12. the head of Isboseth Sauls sonne thine enemie who sought after thy life and the Lord hath avenged the Lord my King this day of Saul and of his seed Thus they went about to flatter him and hoping for some preferment for that they did But David said unto them As the Lord liveth who hath delivered my soule from all adversitie when one told mee that Saul was dead thinking that hee had brought good tydings I tooke him and slew him how much more when wicked men have slaine a righteous person in his owne house and upon his bed shall I not now therefore require his bloud at your hands and take you from the Earth And David commanded his young men and they slew them and hanged them up over the poole in Hebron Let all flatterers speed so let all Sycophants eate the fruit of their hands and bee filled with their owne inventions Liquescant ut limax let them melt away like a snaile Let them be powred out like water that runneth apace and bee like the untimely fruit of a woman and let them not see the Sunne and or ever their pots bee made hot with thornes so let indignation vexe them as a thing that is raw God punisheth flatterers yea and them that heare them also listen to them Thus Ahab lost the victory at Ramoth Gilead thus Rehoboam lost his Kingdome thus Herod lost his life This should 1 Reg. 22. 2 Chro. 10. 10. Act. 12. make all men give God the glory lest wee bee proud of those things that are not ours Are wee praised for Learning for Wisedome Patience Liberality House-keeping Give God the glory say as Paul said who hath separated thee to wit from 1 Cor. 4. 7. other men and preferred thee and what hast thou that thou hast not received and if thou hast received it why rejoycest thou as though Flattery a base and slavish sinne thou haddest not received it Consider that the purpose of these flatterers is their profit it is an old proverbe Qui nescit dissimulare nescit vivere hee that knoweth not how to dissemble knoweth not how to live but change the letter e into o and it is true Qui nescit dissimulare adulari mentiri noscit vivere he that knoweth not to dissemble flatter lye hee knoweth how to live Coggers Psal 55. 23. Foysters Flatterers shall not prosper These Flatterers are worse than Crowes for they prey upon the dead these upon the living The child of God must speake as God speaketh God speaketh to the heart he lanceth the conscience and woundeth the spirit he speaketh plainely to draw men to Repentance but a Flatterer is a weather-cocke his tongue is set to sale his heart is at the will of others Aiunt aijt negant negat if they affirme any thing he affirmeth it too if they deny any thing hee denieth it also Aliud stans aliud sedens loquitur hee speaketh one thing and another thing sitting as Tully said of Catiline they study to please men not God they cannot say with Paul Wee speake not as they that please men but God which trieth our hearts they have their reward 1 Thess 2. 4. How often have we being in company heard religion railed on Popery extolled vertue condemned vice commended the good defamed yet either held our tongues or yeelded to that for feare to offend the great ones But we must not please men for then wee cannot please God
with a true Heb. 10. 22. heart in assurance being sprinkled in our heatts from an evil conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water All living creatures have their nourishment every one in their kinde some live of the Earth as Molles other some of the Water as Fishes some of the Ayre as the Camelion some of the fire as the Salamander other creatures more noble than they live by meat as the naturall man but others more noble than he as the Angels by meditations contemplations The Soule therefore being a spirituall substance as the Angels is nourished and fed with the same meate that they bee Here is the difference their vision of God is Col. 3. 3. Ephes 4. 18. cleere and manifest ours obscure and darke their life perfect ours imperfect their life is a life of glory ours is called the life of grace As the sea followeth the moving of the Moone for as shee increaseth that waxeth so the perfection of a Christian life dependeth on prayer as our prayers increase so doth our perfection in Christianity increase also For seeing the heart is the beginning of life and of workes Et quale cor talia opera and as our heart is such be our workes if the heart therefore be devout and well ordered our workes will bee devout and good also if otherwise our workes will be vile and naught For unto Tit. 1. 15. the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mindes and consciences are defiled To conclude it is no little proofe of the vertue of prayer to behold the two principall glories and testimonies which the Father gave to Christ Iesus in prayer for in his transfiguration while hee prayed His face did shine as the Sun and his cloathes were as Mat. 17. 2. white as the light and in his Baptisme while he praied The Heavens were opened unto him the Spirit of God descending like a Dove lighted Mat. 3. 15. upon him This should incourage us to pray and to pray alwayes to pray and to pray continually even every moment as the least occasion is offered prayer should bee the key to open the day and the locke to shut in the night when wee rise in the morning we should pray with Abrahams servant and say O Lord God Gen. 14. 12. I beseech thee send me good speede this day when we lay us down at night to pray with the sweet Singer of Israel Lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death and whatsoever wee take in hand Psal 13. 3. either by day or night to prevent it with the blessing of the Psalme Prosper the worke of our hands O prosper thou our handy worke Egredientes de hospitio armet oratio regredientibus de platea occurrat Psal Ier. Ep. intercessio when thou goest out of the house let prayer arme thee Prayer the means whereby wee receive all good things when thou returnest into thy house let prayer meete with thee prayer is vinculum invincibile wouldest thou binde the Almighty that he may not hurt thee Prayer is the band by which hee is tyed and wouldest thou untie him to doe thee good Prayer must doe it Prayer is Clavis Scripturae it is our Oedipus to resolve our doubts it is our Commentary to understand Gods Word Oratio est Deo sacrificium Diabolo flagellum oranti subsidium Prayer is a sacrifice to God a scourge to the Divell and a helpe to our Aug. selves in all our troubles And againe Orationis purae magna est virtus velut fidelis nuntius mandatum peragit penetrat quò caro non pervenit Great is the power of pure prayer for it is a faithfull Aug. in Psal 36. messenger shee delivers her errand and pierceth thither whither flesh cannot come And this was it which made Bernard to say Nemo nostrûm parvipendeat orationem suam dico enim vobis quodipse ad quem oramus non parvipendet eam postquam egressa est ab ore nostrùm ipse scribit eam in libro suo unum in duobus indubitanter sperare possumus quoniam aut dabit quod petimus aut quod novit utilius Let none of us lightly esteeme his prayer I tell you that hee to whom we pray doth not lightly esteeme it after it is out of our mouth he writes it in his booke and one of these two wee may doubtlesse expect either that hee will grant our petition or that which hee knoweth to bee better for us Call upon mee and I will heare thee saith God Aske and you shall have saith Christ Before they cry I will heare them saith Iehovah The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him saith David O then let us call and cry unto him by earnest and hearty prayer night and day but let us pray in knowledge with understanding in faith by beleeving in remorse with seeking in zeale without cooling in attention without wandering in reverence without contemning in constancy without revolting and in love without revenging Let our eyes bee fastned hearts fixed knees bowed mouthes opened and our hands lifted up as to the King of Kings and as Iacob would not let the Angell goe till he were blessed so let not God goe till wee be heard Finely said one Orat misericordia non orat miseria orat innocentia non orat nequitia orat judex desiderat parcere non orat reus ut indulgentiam mereatur accipere Doth mercy pray and shall not miserie piety intreate and shall not iniquity the Physician request and shall not the sicke the rich begge and not the poore the innocent pray and not the guilty the just and he that never sinned fall downe and the sinnefull sinner stand upright the Sonne of righteousnesse bee humbled and the sonne of wickednesse waxe proud shall the judge intreate and desire to pardon and the traytor not begge to bee forgiven Is not Christi actio Christiani institutio Christs practice our president But hee prayes and shall not wee pray Wee must pray for our bodies that they may be preserved for our soules The Holy Ghost the Author of prayer that they may bee saved for our estates that they may bee maintained for our thoughts that they may bee sanctified for our words that they may bee seasoned for our actions that they may bee ordered by Gods Spirit But Saint Iude doth not onely exhort to prayer but also sheweth how wee must pray In the Spirit the which words may be understood two manner of wayes either of the Author of prayer or of the Manner of praying If we understand it of the Author the sense is good for Gods Spirit causeth prayer and every good worke For wee know not how to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh requests for us Rom. 8. 26 27. with sighs that cannot bee expressed for hee that searcheth the
amaenitas Veris abundantia Autumni Bern. requies Hiemalis There shall bee the fairenesse of Summer the sweetenesse of the Spring the pienty of the Autumne and the Winters rest Nay God shall bee all in all unto us Heaven is described in the Apocalyps that the walls are of precious stones 1 Cor. 13. the gates pearles the porters Angels the streetes payed with gold the City Interlaced with crystall rivers the bankes set with trees of life which beare fruit monethly and the leaves cure the Nations Their Sunne is the countenance of God their day never endeth their felicity never decayeth their state never altereth You have beene in mount Horeb where you saw thunderings and lightenings now are yee called to mount Thabor where yee shall injoy the glory of Christ Iesus and say with Peter Bonum est hic esse It is good to bee here Let them make account of this life who make their Lusts their guides their Belly their god their Kitchin their faith the World their Friend and are not onely in it but of it But our Countrey is Heaven our friends Angels our companions the Saints our Father God our mother the Church our brother Christ our guyde the holy Ghost our inheritance Ierusalem that is from above The Saint by loving another as himselfe hath as many joyes as fellowes and for that they all love God more than themselves they take more pleasure of his blisse than all their joyes besides the damnation of their friends grieveth them not because it standeth with the glory of God which is more to them than all their blisse And thus yee see the joyes of life and yet all that I have said of Heaven where wee shall leade a life eternall and possesse a Paradise of infinite pleasure is nothing it is but stilla mari a drop of water to the whole sea scintilla igni comparata as a sparke compared to the great fire of Aetna it is nothing there In Heaven no decay or damping of ioy needeth no Sunne to shine no Moone to give light no porters the gates of it are open continually there is food better than the Mann that fell from Heaven apparell finer than Aarons Ephod Ecclus. 18. 9. Exod. 16. Exod. 30. Psal 133. 2. Mat. 24. Apoc. 2. Hebr. 12. 22. Mat. 17. Esa 11. perfume sweeter than the perfume of the Tabernacle a building more stately than Salomons Temple there is Paradise without any Serpent to tempt us Mount Horeb without any Thunder to feare us Mount Thabor without any change to greeve us Libanon without any Wildernesse to rent us there is mirth without mourning and such joyes and delights that if all the plants of the Earth were Pennes if all the Earth were Paper if all the Sea were Inke if every Man Woman and Childe were a good Pen-man yet they were not able to expresse the thousandth part of these joyes Hic in terris omnium rerum est vicissitudo here in earth all things alter and change after Day commeth Night after Winter Summer after Sickenesse Health after Life Death after Youth old Age after Pleasure Paine but there is Day without Night Summer without any Winter Health without any Sicknesse or Sorrow Life without Death Youth without old Age Pleasure without any Paine there is the Beauty of Absolon without Deformity the Strength of Samson without any Debility the Wisedome of Salomon without any Folly We shall come from Faith to Sight Aug. Epist. 121. Proâ—e Viduae from the Glasse to the Face from Aenigma to a plaine Truth Hic enim ambulamus per fidem non per aspectum here wee walke by Faith and not by Sight Nunc in spe â—unc in re Now in Hope then in Deede Nuncforis tunc domi Now abroad then at home For when this earthly house of this Tabernacle shall bee destroyed wee shall have an house not made with hands but eternall in Heaven For 2 Cor. 5. 1. as the Father said Quid ibi deesse potest ubi Deus est cui nihil deest What can there bee wanting where God is to whome nothing is wantings O beati visio videre Regem Angelorum Sanctum sanctorum Deum Coeli Rectorem terrae Patrem viventium O blessed sight to behold Aug. lib. despir c. cap. 57. the King of Angels the Holy of holies the God of Heaven the Ruler of the Earth the Father of the Living Woe to mee miserable creature quoth August which am not where the holy Saints bee for your life is without all gunne-shot and danger of death your knowledge without errour your love without offence your joy without any annoy I alas am in the region of the shadow of death I know not my end I would depart hence but I know not when I would dye and this haply shall bee my last day But many have no regard at all of this life they looke too much to the pleasures of the world which makes them not to looke into the powers of the life to come not to looke to eternity It is said of Moses that he chose rather to suffer afflictions with the Hebr. 11. 25. people of God in Aegypt then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season The wicked the Infidels have made a Covenant with death and are Divers errors concerning eternall life with Hell at an agreement they beleeve not eternall life they hold with the Sadduces that there is no resurrection nothing maketh us loth to dye but unbeliefe Withipoll wished to live five hundred Esa 28. 15. Mat. 22. yeers though but in the shape of a toade Paulus tertius said at his death Nunc tria experiar Now shal I trie three things Num sit Deus whether there bee a God num anima sit immortalis whether the soule bee immortall num sit vita post mortem and whether there be a life after death The Borussians and the Irish cry to their dead Quare mortuus es Why diddest thou dye Thou hadst wife children corne cattell oh why didst thou dye They have no hope But brethren things present will bee past and things future will 1 Thess 4. bee present and last for ever this life is no life It were long to rehearse all the errors that Satan hath troubled the Church withall in this point I will name but some of many first the Libertines erre who say that all men shall be saved all shall goe to Heaven contrary to that which our Saviour saith Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter the Kingdome of Heaven And Mat. 7. 14. againe Many shall come in that day and shall say Lord Lord have not wee prophesied in thy name cast out Divels in thy name and done many miracles in thy name But he shall answere them Depart from me for verily I know you not And the Prophet telleth us That though the Esa 10. 21. number of the children of Israel bee as the sand
speaketh this by way of comparison not that the wicked should be rebuked but he sheweth their malice and the small hope of their amendment Well Rebuke not a scorner saith Salomon lest hee hate thee but rebuke a wise man and hee will love thee And the Prophet speaking of the wicked saith They hate him that speaketh in the gate meaning the Prophet that openly Amâ—â— 5. 10. reproveth them and they abhorre him that speaketh uprightly But if a Physician give a sharpe potion or a Surgeon a sharpe corrasive it is not to kill the patient but to recover him If a shepheard after his whistle settes his dogge on his sheepe it is not to woorry them but to returne them home therefore let men suffer the Word of exhortation as the Apostle intreateth them saying I beseech you brethren suffer the Word of Exhortation You are Hebr. 13. 22. sheepe wee shepheards and no difference but this that they in the field have to do with unreasonable sheep wee in the Church with reasonable yet some are woolves not sheep some are unreasonable and evill men yet rebuke them Dilexit Theodosius arguentem non adulantem Theodosius loved a reprover not a flatterer for better are the wounds of a lover than the kisses of an hater David wished to bee rebuked Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefit and let him reprove me and it shall bee a precious oyle Better Psal 141. 5. we chide then God chide And other save with feare The feare here named is not only the denouncing of judgement by way of doctrine against impenitent sinners but also the holy discipline of the Church the fearefull sentence of Excommunication whereby men are delivered up to Satan as was the incestuous Corinthian of whom Paul writeth thus When yee are gathered together and my spirit with you in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that such one I say by the power 1 Cor. 5. 4 5 of our Lord Iesus Christ be delivered unto Satar for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus So Hymeneus and Alexander were excommunicate and delivered up to Satan 1 Tim. 1. 20. for their blasphemy For can there be a greater feare then to thinke that wee are estranged from the company of the Saints put out of the Church delivered into the power of Satan wholly committed and commended to the Divell Thus Babilas Bishop of Antioch excommunicated Philip the Emperour for the executing Divers kindâ— of excommunication of an hostage committed unto him thus Ambrose Bishop of Millane excommunicated Theodosius for a murder done at Thessalonica thus Symonachus excommunicated Anastasius the Emperour for blasphemy and Paganisme thus Innocentius excommunicated Arcadius Eudoxia for persecuting Chrysostome Thus are vile men to be handled they are to be excommunicate and delivered up to Satan We must have no fellowship with them Finely saith one Triplex est Communio there is a threefold Hemingius Communion Spiritualis Moralis Sacramentales Spirituall Morall Sacramentall The first with God in a spirituall life the second with men in our daily conversing the third with the Pastor and the Church in partaking of the holy mysteries And againe Triplex est excommunicatio Spiritualis Moralis Sacramentalis Spirituall Morall Sacramentall Spirituall whereby a man is shut out of Heaven and shall never be partaker of the price of our high calling which is in Christ Iesus Morall whereby a man is excluded from the company of men Sacramentall whereby he is excluded from prayer the Word Sacraments And this excommunication is a fearefull thing it is to be cut or divided from the body of Christ and to be delivered up to Satan There is a two fold use of Excommunication First Vt excommunicatus pudore victus ad poenitentiam excitetur deflectat à malo That the excommunicate may bee ashamed of 2 Cor. 2. 7. his sinne and be brought to repentance and so to eschew evill Secondly Ne contagio ad reliquos serpat Lest the contagion should creepe and infect others For a little leaven sowreth a whole lumpe of 2 Cor. 5. 6. dowe And excommunication is sometime just sometime unjust but howsoever it passeth against us justly or unjustly it is to be Greg. feared Sententia excommunicationis sivè justa sivè injusta metuenda est THE SIX AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXIII Pulling them out of the fire The sinner in a dangerous estate BEfore yee heard that we must use discretion and put difference of sinners to pitty some and to reprove some To save them with feare that is by sharp reproofes to draw them out of danger Now here in these words hee sheweth the great danger men are in when they sinne they are in the fire ready to bee consumed and therefore hee saith Plucke them out of the fire And who can pluck them out of the fire but with violence This is the state of the wicked they are as dry trees and rotten wood and two things are prepared for them a sharpe hatchet and a quicke fire for every tree that bringeth Luke 3. 9. not forth good fruit shall be hewne downe and cast into the fire This is that which the Apostle calleth the deceitfulnes of sinne Exhort one Hebr. 3. 13. another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne It promiseth safety and bringeth destruction so the Apostle affirmeth Sinne saith hee tooke occasion by the Commandement and thereby slew mee We thinke wee are well Rom. 7. 11. inough when wee sinne and yet indeed wee are at the very pits mouth For when the wicked grow as grasse and all workers of iniquity Psal 92. vers 7. flourish then shall they be destroyed for ever And Iob speaking of the wicked saith One dieth in his full strength being in all ease and Iob. 21. 23 24. prosperity his brests are full of milke and his bones full of marrow And as the sudden ruine of the wicked is set out by fire they are The fickle estate of the wicked ready to be burned so againe their state is described by yee they are as men that walking on an yee suddenly fall So saith the Psalmist Thou doest set them in slippery places and castest them Psal 73. 17 18. downe into desolation how suddenly are they destroyed perished and horribly consumed Their estate also is set out by grasse and hearbes which grow to day and are cut downe to morrow so saith David They shall soone bee cut downe like grasse and shall wither Psal 37. 2. as the greene hearbe their estate also is compared to Chaffe which now lies in the floore and by and by is blowne away with the winde The Prophet saith They are as Chaffe which the winde driveth away Alas all their felicity and great pompe it Psal 1. 4. is but a dreame it is but
as Chaffe the least blast of Gods wrath will overthrow all their happinesse and felicity which at the best is most uncertaine and mutable Iob saith They spend their dayes in pleasure and suddenly goe downe to Hell And hee saith The Lord Iob 21. 18. doth make them as stubble before the winde and as chaffe shall they bee dispersed for in a moment they are gone and like chaffe scattered abroad the godly are as trees the wicked are as chaffe there is difference betweene chaffe and trees Ieremy layeth out the estate of the wicked by comparing them to sheepe Let us talke with thee of thy judgements saith Ieremy Ier. 12. 1 2 3. to God Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Thou hast planted them and they have taken roote they grow and bring foorth fruit thou art neere in their mouth but farre from their reynes and at last hee saith Pull them out like sheepe for the slaughter and prepare them for the day of slaughter Now they live and within an houre are led to the shambles Iob compareth them to a dreame or vision in the night and saith That the rejoycing of the wicked is but Iob 20. 5 8 9. short and the joy of hypocrites is but for a moment hee shall flee away as a dreame and they shall not finde him and shall passe away as a vision in the night so that the eye which had seene him shall see him no more and his place shall see him no more Moses compareth them to a tale that is told and hee saith that they bring their yeeres to an Psal 90. end as a tale that is told and Saint Iames to a vapour that continueth but a little season How soone is the yee moulten How soone Iam. 4. is the flowre withered How soone is a vapour consumed of the Sunne How soone is a dreame vanished How soone is a tale told How soone is a ship past How swift is the flight of an Iob 4. 25. Eagle And such is our life so elegantly David setteth out their fall I have seene saith hee the wicked strong spreading himselfe like a greene Bay tree yet he passed away and he was gone I sought him but hee could not bee found they are gone they shall no more returne Psal 37. 35 36. to their faire houses and their places shall know them no more where they dwelt how they lived we know but where they dyed where they are God knoweth they were here but they are gone Ederunt biberunt riserunt luserunt they have eaten drunken laughed sported and made themselves merry but suddenly No mans estate permanent they are gone Feare dwelleth in their houses and brimstone is scattered in their habitations their rootes are dried up beneath and above is his branch cut downe his remembrance shall perish from the earth and Iob 18 15 16 17. hee shall have no name in the street David in his Epitaph cryeth out Quomodo ceciderunt potentes How are the mighty overthrowne So how are these wicked ones overthrowne So Saint Ambrose made it the foot of his song speaking of the death of the three noble Emperours Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius Omnibus O Valentiniane Gratiane speciosi fuistis O Valentinian and Gratian that have beene Oratione funebride Theodosiâ— obitu Gratiani beautifull to all and admired of all conjoyned in life not divided in death one grave did not separate them whom one affection joyned together meeker than Doves swifter than Eagles stouter than Lions gentler than Lambes the bow of Gratian never turned backe neither did the sword of Valentinian returne empty Quomodo ceciderunt potentes How are the mightie fallen O quomodo O how how Againe speaking of Theodosius hee saith Obitum ejus omnia elementa moerebant All the Elements mourned for his death the Sunne was eclipsed the Moone did not shine the Ayre was darkened the Earth trembled the Waters roared and the whole World bewailed the losse of such a man Quomodo ceciderunt potentes O quomodo corruerunt How are the mighty fallen How are the mighty overthrowne c. No mans state is permanent let no man trust his present state for how soone are rich men impoverished How suddenly are wise men infatuated How soone are the honourable abased How suddenly are the strong weakened How suddenly are the faire blemished Laban hath lost his sheepe Achitophel his wisedome Haman Gen. 30. 2 Sam. 16. Ester his honour Samson his strength Absolon his beautie Dionysius his kingdom How suddenly do the wicked perish The wicked are as men in the fire ready to be burned as prisoners adjudged ready to be executed as sheepe for the shambles For behold Pharaoh now sitting in his chariot now drowned in the Sea Exod. 14. and meate for Haddockes Behold Balthasar now tossing the pots and by and by quaking like a beast behold Herod now sitting in a chaire of gold and the people crying The voyce of a God and not of a man and presently strucken of an Angell and eaten of Wormes behold Dionysius to day a King in Syracuse to morrow a Schoole-master in Corinth Lastly behold Cardinall Woolsey with silver pillars pollaxes and golden crosses writing I and my King and within a while dead at Leicester of an Italian Figge with his stinch putting out the torch To these examples of Balthasar Pharaoh Dionysius and others â—erome addeth many more Nam feriunt summes fulmine montes subitò The Lightnings strike the high mountaines suddenly Constantins Death comes not sudden to the godly dyed suddenly in a Village called Mopsi Iulianus was suddenly hit with an arrow from Heaven Iovinianus stifled with stinch in a vomit of bloud Valius perished in the warres against the Goths Gratian was slaine suddenly at Lions Valentinianus the younger was hanged Procopius Maximinus Eugenius quoth he dyed suddenly on the sword they say that Gregorie the thirteenth died suddenly of a Rheume of whom Beza wrote Nec panifex nec potifex sed carnifex Papa pater pontifex This is the case of all men But what wicked man will beleeve this till hee feele it Every man flatters himselfe till the plague come and then hee cryeth out that it came too suddenly it came ere hee looked for it For certainely when a man shall heare the words of the curse and Deut. 29. 19 20. blesse himselfe in his heart and saith I shall have peace although I walke after the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennes to thirst the Lord will not bee mercifull unto him but the wrath of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and every curse that is written in this booke shall light upon him and the Lord shall put out his name from under Heaven Salomon noteth three things in the wicked their plague commeth shortly suddenly and without recovery for marke his words His destruction
saith he cōmeth Prov. 6. 15. speedily hee shall bee destroyed suddenly without hope of recovery all these three bee fearefull The wages of sinne is death yea sudden death We pray in the Letany to be delivered from sudden death Rom. 6. 23. but our prayer is nothing except our life be godly that shall give a rest to Gods children No sickenesse no death commeth suddenly Esa 28. 12. to the childe of God for hee prepareth himselfe ever hee is a childe of light and of the day therefore hee will not sleepe as other men doe but he will watch and be sober Gods children have oyle in their Lampes that is Faith and Repentance 1 Thess 5 5 6. Mat. 25. they have made their reckonings their loines be girt and their lights burning and let us bee like unto these servants that wait Luk. 14. 28. for their master when he commeth from the marriage that when he commeth koncketh we may open unto him immediately Luk. 12. The troubles that came upon Iob were not sudden he looked for them long before they came Multa cadunt inter calicem supremaque labra many things happen betweene the cup and the upper Iob 1. 25. lip but not to the godly for they stand alway in awe of God and are affraid to offend him for which cause Salomon counteth them blessed saying Blessed is the man that feareth alway And againe hee saith A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe Pro. 28. 14. Prov. 22. 3. that is the punishment that is prepared for the wicked and flyeth to God for succour hee seeth his wants he suspecteth himselfe hee daily asketh God mercy whereas the wicked feareth nothing like the Amalekites who eating drinking 1 Sam. 30. 16. playing dansing and even in the middest of all their sport and pastime were suddenly slaine For the wicked say Come I will bring wine and wee will fill our selves with strong drinke and to morrow Repentance and godly life must not bee deserted till death shall bee as this day and much more abundant but God saith Hac nocte repetent animam tuam This night shall they fetch away thy soule from thee when some are eating some drinking some stealing some whoring some building buying selling Esay 56. 12. Luke 12. 45. 1 Thess 5. 2 3. then shall God come For the day of the Lord shall come even as a theefe in the night for when they shall say Peace peace sudden destruction shall come upon them as sorrow commeth upon a Woman travelling with childe and they shall not escape and therefore the counsell of Augustine is good Vitam emendare dum tempus habenius to amend our lives while wee have time Operari dum dies est to worke Aug. Ser. 4. de sanctis while it is day Pulsare dum aperitur ostium to knocke while the doore is opened falcem mittere dum messis durat to thrust in the sickle while the harvest lasteth Negotiari tempore nundinarum to buy and sell while the Faire or Market lasteth Misericordiam implorare ante diem justitiae to crave mercy before the day 2 Cor. 5. 2. of justice approcheth For now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation Begge mercy then to day thou knowest not whether God will give thee time and grace to doe it to morrow To this saying of Augustine I might adde the saying of Ierome upon his death-bed as saith Eusebius Cremonensis Cur moraris miser de die in diē converti ad Deum O miserable and wretched man why doest thou deferre from day to day to bee converted unto God Cur te jam malorum nonpoenitet Why doest thou not now repent thee of thy sinnes and wickednesse Ecce mors properat ut te conterat Behold death approcheth to teare thee and kill thee the Divell plyeth him to receive thee the wormes expect thee daily to devoure thee wit and strength and all beginne to faile thee But thou wilt say I will repent in articulo mortis at the very point of death O vana suspitio oh falsa meditatio O vaine suspition oh false meditation Looke and see if thou canst finde one of an hundred nay one of a thousand that have obtained this grace and mercy of God that his end should bee happy whose life was unhappy his death good whose conversation hath beene bad Ignis est ira Dei Gods wrath is fire Nos sumus stipula wee are as stubble and straw devoured of the fire wherefore let us worke while it is day the night commeth when as no Iohn 9. man can work And as Noah built the Arke in faire weather and Ioseph laid up graine and corne in the seven plentifull yeeres and Gen. 6. as the Ant that hath neither Master Ruler nor Guide provideth in the plentie of Summer for the dearth of Winter so let us Prov. 6. like good Noahs build the Arke of a good Conscience before the judgement overflow like provident Iosephs let us lay up the graine of godliness in the barnes of our hearts before the dearth of Mercy come and like painefull Ants provide food for our soules before the Winter of justice doth approach And whatsoever Eccles 11. we put our hands unto let us doe it quickly For there is neither worke nor invention nor wisdome nor understanding in Ministers save the soules the grave that wee go unto Save them with feare in plucking them out of the fire he saith Save them with feare Christians are said to save men when God useth their speech and exhortation to doe good on men they are said to winne soules which is the greatest gaine in the world For all the gold in the world laid in one ballance and the soule of a man in another will not countervaile one soule they cost more then so for We are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold 1 Pet. 1. 18. but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled and without spotte Salomon gained gold and silver and had it in abundance Alexander gained men for he subdued whole hosts Augustus gained 1 Reg. 10. Luk. 2. Countreyes for hee taxed the world but good men gaine soules this is most of all For he that winneth soules is happy happy indeed For they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Prov. 11. 30. Dan. 12. 3. starres for ever and ever Wee are said to convert a sinner because God useth our ministery in it and this should be our chiefe care to convert one another from sinne to sanctity from Sodom to Sion from Babylon to Ierusalem from the power of Satan unto God For hee which hath converted a sinner from going astray out of the Iam. 5. 20. way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes And our Saviour saith If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell Mat. 18. 15. him his
art wrought of the good Spirit so Paul ascribed the rising and the standing of the Philippians to God I am perswaded saith Paul that he that hath begunne this good Phil. 1. 6. worke in you will performe it untill the day of Christ Iesus And writing to the Corinthians hee saith That God shall confirme them to the end that they may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 8. To that end Christ prayed for the Apostles saying Holy Father Iohn 17. 11 12 15. keepe them in thy name even them whome thou hast given mee that they may bee one as wee are while I was with them in the world I kept them in thy name those that thou gavest me have I kept I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou keepe them from evill If then the Papists should use these words tenne thousand times Stand fast againe Continue tenne thousand times would I retort upon them that wee cannot stand fast wee cannot continue but by God We flye not with our owne wings we swimme not in our owne barke not nature but grace not man but God doth all in the worke of salvation Wee stand not of our selves in our owne strength but in God Leviores sumus vanitate Wee Psal 62. are lighter then vanity it selfe If God kept us not wee should fall every day every houre every moment so great are our temptations Quomodo stabit debilis inter tot fortes homines How can a weake man stand betweene so many strong men homuncio inter tot fortes Gigantes a litle dwarfe between so many strong Giants â—ndus inter tot armatos a naked man betweene so many armed men Caecus inter tot laqueos a blind man between so many snares Viator inter tot fures a traveller betweene so many theeves Mortalis inter tot immortales immundos spiritus a mortall man betweene so many immortall and uncleane spirits For wee wrastle Ephes 6. 12. not against flesh and blood that is principally and chiefely for our most mortall enemies are more than flesh and blood more in number greater in power craftier in their wiles or longer continuance more envious malicious cruell as namely against principalities against powers and against the worldly governours the Princes of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places Hee cals them Principalities because they have great rule and dominion not so much over other Our enemies many and powerfull Divels as over wicked men and calls them Powers to shew that their principality is not a meere titular matter but is armed with power so as they are able to doe great matters He cals them worldly governours to shew over whom the Divell hath government not over the elect but over the world the reprobates of the world He cals them spirituall wickednesse to declare their nature that they are spirits and that they bee evill and malicious the words in the originall signify spirituals of wickednesse or spirits of wickednesse that is most monstrous wicked spirits these are they against whom wee warre and fight how can wee stand against them of our selves Nam illi sunt astuti nos fatui they are crafty wee are foolish illi fortes nos debiles they strong wee weake illi experti nos inexperti they expert wee unexpert illi vigilantes nos somnolenti they watching wee sleepy illi spiritus nos caro they Ephes 6. 14. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Apoc. 12. cap. 10. Luk. 11. Iohn 12. 1 Cor. 4. spirit we flesh the armour therefore is called the Armour of God not our armour but his The Divell is ever described mighty and wee weake to this end hee is called Leo rugiens a roaring Lion Draco volans a flying Dragon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that old serpent homo fortis a strong man princeps mundi the prince of the world Deus mundi the God of the world it is therefore the miraculous grace of God that hee killeth not our soules every houre for God would have us to live both lives the naturall and supernaturall As concerning the naturall life from the soule the naturall powers of understanding will and perceiving flow as touching the supernaturall from grace prayer thankesgiving zeale love repentance mortification doe proceed and this is called The life of God if God withdraw his grace wee fall presently even the best men Peter a notable Apostle yet fell Ephes 4. 18. Mat. 26. Ier. 2. 14. for all his brags at the voice of a girle Ieremy a worthy Prophet yet grew desperate hee that foyled our first parents standing Gen. 3. upon legges of brasse would soone foyle us standing upon legges of clay it is as great a matter to resist temptations being moved unto it as for dry wood and flaxe to resist fire being put to it it is supernaturall in the one so is it in the other for us to resist sinne therefore pray as Christ said Watch and pray Mat. 26. 41. that yee enter not into temptation The fish is not more taken in the nette nor the bird in the snare than wee of the Divell soone hee Iohn 13. 2. entred into the heart of Iudas soone he filled Ananias his heart quickly he tempted David to number the people and quickly Act. 5. will hee overthrow us unlesse God keepe vs that wee fall not But to make further use of this doctrine S. Iude here intimateth unto us that of our selves wee are ready to fall our building by nature is upon the sand not upon the rocke our shields and swords are of blotting paper not of steele our wings like Icarus are of waxe All which I speake to humble the pride of None can presume of his owne strength but must fly to Prayer flesh and blood that no flesh rejoyce in Gods presence To which end Paul applieth his speech Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed that hee fall not Adam fell in Paradise Iudas in the schoole of our Saviour the Angels from heaven and doe wee thinke to stand of our selves No no. Doest thou trust in 1 Cor. 10. 12. Gen. 3. Mat. 27. 2 Pet. 2. 4. 1 Reg. 11. Iudg. 15. thy wisdome None was ever wiser than Salomon yet was he deceived Doest thou trust in thy strength None was ever stronger than Samson yet was hee vanquished doest thou trust in thy stablenesse and constancy None more stable more constant than Peter yet hee fell For hee that said unto Christ I will dye with Mat. 26. thee before I deny thee denied him thrice and every time more fearefully than other Doest thou trust in thy riches None richer than the Epulo and yet hee is in hell in torments God saith unto Luk. 16. all Let not the rich man glory in his riches nor the wiseman in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength O pray to God for
perseverance trust not to thy selfe bee not proud of thy continuance in the faith thou mayest fall when thou seest so many fall suspect thy selfe insult not over them but follow the advice of the Apostle Brethren if any of you bee overtaken with any fault you that Gal. 6. 1. are spirituall helpe to restore him in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou also bee tempted Noli superbire sed time Bee not Rom. 11. Phil. 12. proud but feare as hee said unto the Romanes yea Let us worke out our salvation with trembling and with feare O tremble tremble tremble thou mayest fall O double and redouble and triple and multiply thy prayers unto God for his assistance when thou seest the dragons tayle cast downe so many starres so many learned Apoc. 12. 5. teachers rare men in Church and commonwealth say to thy selfe Am I better than all these am I wiser than Salomon meeker than Moses patienter than Iob zealouser than Elias godlier than David humbler than Paul yet Salomon was deceived Moses spake unadvisedly Iob cursed the day wherin he was borne 1 Reg. 11. Psal 106. Iob 3. and the night wherin it was said A man child is conceived Elias was almost desperate It is enough Lord take away my life Paul was proud of his revelations and besought God thrice David fell by 1 Reg. 17. 2 Cor. 12. 2 Sam. 12. Bathsheba Have all these fallen and shall I stand for ever Hath God made me a lease a grant of his grace without impeachment of waste No I am weake like a broken hedge like a tortering wall Immo in hac carne non habitat bonum Yea in this flesh of mine Rom. 7. 18. there dwelleth no good thing Beda Venerable Beda maketh mention of foure effects of sinne that is of our originall fall in Adam Infirmity Ignorance Malice Concupiscence Infirmity or weakenes is in the body Ignorance in the minde Malice in the will Concupiscence in the liver or in the affections of the sensitive Our pronenes to fall comes from our originall corruption soule Vndique ergo labimur nusquam tuti sumus we fall therefore every way and we are safe no way Augustine said of himselfe and the rest of the godly Quid sum ego sine te Domine What am I without thee ô Lord And againe Aug. lib. 4. confess in his Soliloquies Quod cecidi fuit in me That I fell it was of my selfe quod surrexi steti ex te fuit Domine That I rose and stood this came from thee ô Lord thou hast opened mine eyes and I see that a temptation and a warfare is the life of man upon the earth no man living is justified in thy sight for if there bee any good thing in us great or small it is of thee and it is thy gift none of ours if any evill it is of our selves For no evill dwelleth with thee Psal 5. hee therefore that seeketh glory to him of that which is thine fur est latro hee is a theefe and a robber similis diabolo qui invidit gloriae tuae and like unto the Divell which envied thy glory If at any time I have stood I have stood by thee if at any time I have fallen I have fallen of my selfe and alwayes should have beene in the dirt and mire haddest thou not raised mee alwayes thy grace prevented mee delivering me from all evils saving mee from evils past raising mee from evils present defending mee from evils to come cutting off before mee all the snares of sinne which if thou haddest not done I had beene a theefe a murderer an adulterer a drunkard an vsurer and there is no sinne or kind of sinne that ever mand idd but I might have done it so farre Augustine for the seeds of the same sinnes that bee in others bee in us and would grow if grace cut them not downe For there is an infusing grace and a restraining grace Granatensis in his meditations confesseth that God working in us by grace doth as a man that kindleth greene wood he blowes often but it burneth not so God sendeth many good inspirations into the heart but wee stifle them For the flesh lusteth against Gal. 5. 16. Mat. 26. Rom. 7. 24. the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh the flesh is weake and there is a Law in our members rebelling against the Law of our minde and leading us captive into the law of sinne This Popish Frier disableth nature and yet ascribeth unto it a power an ability to receive grace and to stand in it Herein we and the Romanists differ in that they say grace helpeth nature wee say that it wholy frameth nature that there is no more goodnesse in our nature then there is water in a flint stone Hereupon saith God I will put a new spirit within their Ezech. 11. 19. bowels and I will take the stony heart out of their bodies and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes And the same thing hee promiseth afterward that is to give them a Ezech. 37. 26 27. new heart and a new spirit to take away their stony heart out of their bodies to give them an heart of flesh and to put his spirit within them to cause them to walke in his statutes and to keepe his judgements to doe them and Paul saith I know that Rom. 7. 18. in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Non dicit exiguum sed No goodnesse in us but that which is infused by grace nullum bonum in nobis hee doth not say a little good but there dwelleth no good thing in us the allurements of the world the temptations of the flesh the suggestions of Satan are so many that if the grace of God did not keepe us wee should fall every houre yea if it were possible the very elect of God should not Mat. 24. bee saved Laquei sunt in senectute juuentute divitijs honoribus cibo somno there be snares in old age in youth in riches in honours meate drinke sleepe Saint Anthony saw the ayre full of snares of tenne shippes which saile in the sea scarce one is drowned and of tenne soules that flote in the seas of this world scarce one is saved Ablata gratia Dei the grace of God being taken away what can a weake man doe among so many strong a dwarfe Bern. among so many Giants a traveller among so many theeves and robbers a naked man among so many armed enemies not men but divels God would have us to live both lives the naturall and supernaturall from the soule which is the naturall forme the powers and senses doe proceed from grace which is the supernaturall forme the vertues and the gifts of the spirit do proceed Let us not despaire therefore There bee more with us than against 2 Reg. 2. us as Elisha said unto his
eternall the Psal 90. 1 Cor. 13. wombe of the mother is nothing to the world and the world is nothing to heaven seeing one starre is bigger than the earth Iob 38. Againe the difference of the inhabitants maketh a difference betwixt Heaven and earth that is full of living men this of dead Luk. 9. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rom. 3. men that of iust men this of sinners this of men Rom. 3. 24. that of Angels Dan. 7. here dwell the penitent there the perfect here dwell the militant there the triumphant here dwell friends and enemies there friends onely and the elect there Hebr. 12. 23. Iob 7. Apoc. 14. God shall be plenitudo lucis nostro intellectui fulnesse of light to our understanding Multitudo pacis voluntati multitude of peace to our will Et continuatio aeternitatis memoriae and continuance of eternity to our memory It is said of the Swannes that they sing dying Cantator Cignus funeris ipse sui And we like Swans in the assurance of the glory that shall bee revealed to us should live and die reioycing For we shall be made an eternall joy and glory from generation to generation salvation shall The happines of Heaven set out by comparison bee our walles and praise our gate we shall have no more Sunne to shine by day neither shall the brightnes of the Moone shine unto us for the Lord shall bee our everlasting light and our God our glory our Sunne shall never goe downe neither shall our Moone be hidde for the Lord shall be our Esay 60. 15 18 19 20 21. everlasting light and the dayes of our sorrow shall bee ended wee shall bee all righteous and possesse the land for ever Wee shall come with Israel from Mount Horeb where was nothing but thunder lightning and clowdes to mount Thabor where wee shall injoy the glory of Christ Iesus and say with Peter Bonum est hîc esse It is Mat. 17. good for us to bee here Let them make account of this life who make the world their friend and are not onely in it but of it whose eyes the God of this world hath blinded that they looke 2 Cor. 4. 3. not for future things wee are here pilgrimes our Countrey is Heaven our friends the Angels our companions Apoc. 21. the Saints our City the new Ierusalem how can wee sit among the rivers of Babylon and not weepe to remember the heavenly Sion O curvae in terris animae coelestium inanes O crooked soules on earth and devoid of heavenly things Wee marvell at the Pigmaeans that are but a cub it high and live but seven yeeres and yet our life to eternity is not seven yeeres nor seven dayes nor seven houres nor one houre it is but a moment 2 Cor. 4. 17. so S. Paul calleth it Saturne one star is thirty yeeres in motion in circuit and we may goe round about the world in three yeeres and odde dayes so little a space is it What is a drop of water to the whole Sea An acre of land to the mappe of the world the light of a candle to the brightnes of the Sunne the life of a child to the yeeres of Methusalah the conceite of a foole to the experience of Noah who saw two Worlds or one drop of raine to all the waters in the Clowds which drowned a whole world Such is our life to eternity and the glory of this world to the glory of Heaven a thousand yeeres are but a day nay S. Iohn calleth 2 Pet. 3. all the time since Christs comming but an houre he maketh sixteene hundred yeeres but an houre to eternity to the dayes 1 Iohn 3. everlasting Oh thinke oftner of heaven and the glory of it Oh seeke the things that bee above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of Col. 3. 1. God set your affections upon Heavenly things and not upon earthly Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they might see the hope of their calling Ephes 1 17. the riches of the glorious inheritance And pray you for it for as yet these things are hid from our eyes videmus tantum terrena we behold onely earthly things If in a golden game some should step aside and runne after flies and feathers would wee not count them mad so is it in Christianity our life is a race wee all are runners heaven is the goale eternall life the prize but many step aside after flies and 1 Cor. 9. vanity We tire our selves in the way of wickednes and destruction and Wisd 5. 7 8 9. wee have gone thorow dangerous wayes but we have not knowne the way of the Lord what hath pride profited us Or what profit hath the pompe One day in Heaven more ioyous than many in the greatest honour of riches brought us All these things are passed away as a shadow and as a poast that passeth by If a man knew the thoughts of Alexander Magnus when hee died of the poison of Styx after all his victories or the thoughts of Iulius Caesar receiving in the Senate 52. wounds and all deadly after that hee had conquered the world hee shall see that they tooke little pleasure in their former honors and victories Philip Mornay saith of Carolus quintus whom of all men the world judged most happy that hee cursed all his honors in his old age his victories trophees riches saying Abite hinc abite longè Get yee hence get yee away a sarre off hee found more joy in one dayes contemplation of Heaven than in all his Imperiall life Then then was his mourning turned into joy and his sacke loosed and hee girded with gladnesse Hee that knew the Psa 30 11. thoughts of the soule of the rich man in hell hee shall see that hee crieth Woe woe to all the wealth honour pompe and glory of the world and had rather bee one day in Paradise than tenne thousand yeeres in this world hee curseth gold house land credit and saith Vae domni lutâ—ae ob quam perdidi auream in coelis Wo to this house of clay that hath made me lose an house 2 Cor. 5. 1. of gold in Heaven In Saint Lukes Gospell wee doe reade that when some spake of the temple how it was garnished with goodly stones and consecrate things O saith our Saviour are these the things that yee looke upon The dayes will come when a stone shall not bee left upon a Luk. 21. 6. stone So say I O then looke up higher Againe in Heaven is the presence of glory As there is no light but that which is derived from the Sunne so there is no glory but that which is derived from the glory of God that is true everlasting glory As there is no right Balme but in Gilead no right incense but in Sheba so there is no true glory but the Heavenly glory Gloria mundi ut fumus The glory of the world is but
of the riches and wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearcheable are his judgements and his wayes past finding â—ut Yea so wise a God is hee that deprehendit astutos in astutia that hee taketh the wilie and subtill in their craft and subtiltie nay there is no Wisedome there is no understanding there is no Counsell against the Lord. Let us Prov. 21. alwayes then submit our selves to this onely wise God who knoweth how to deliver us out of temptation and trouble and to 2 Pet. 2. punish the wicked for with him is wisedome and strength hee hath counsell and understanding Iob 21. 22. I am come unto the second title and that title is that hee calleth him a Saviour yea our Saviour a title of great comfort hee is able to save us hee is willing to save us what now is wanting to our full consolation There is power there is will in him to save us upon these two pillars resteth our faith So Saint Peter comforted the dispersed Church for having shewed how that through the aboundant mercy of our God wee are elect and regenerate to a lively hope and how faith must bee tried hee commeth at last to this salvation here spoken of and telleth them that they shall one day receive the end of their faith even the salvation of their soules The which salvation in Christ is no new thing but a thing prophesied of old salvation is the thing that wee all long for for there is none so wicked but he would bee saved and no salvation but in Christ There is no other name given unto men by which they shall bee saved save onely by the name of Act. 4. 12. Iesus hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saviour so called at his birth This day is Luke 2. 11. borne a Saviour which is Christ the Lord so named before his birth Thou shalt call his name Iesus for bee shall save his people from their Mat. 1. 21. sinnes And thus called after his birth and Ioseph called his name Iesus a title knowne in Heaven honoured in Earth and feared in Hell He is a Saviour a powerfull Saviour when he Mat. 1. 25. was weakest then did he the greatest works that ever were done hee was powerfull in his life in doing miracles in giving sight Christ is properly called the Saviour to the blind eares to the deafe tongues to the dumbe legges to the ame life to the dead O but more powerfull at his death in saving the world For then the Sunne was darkened the earth trembled the stones clave in pieces the graves opened the dead raised his death reached to Heaven to earth to Hell the Angels rejoyced the Divels trembled and all men were comforted Let Satan boast like Rabsache that God cannot deliver Ierusalem out of his hands that God cannot deliver the elect from his power he is a lier the God of peace shall tread him under our feete shortly our Michael hath cast downe the Dragon we may sing the â—o Paean the joyfull triumph with the Saints Now is salvation in Heaven and strength and the Kingdome of God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is throwne downe which accused them day and night before God and they overcame him with the blood of the Lambe For indeed Christs death was our life his sacrifice our satisfaction Lact. his labour hath eased our burthens his wounds our curing his stripes our healing his curse our blessing his damnation our absolution Finely saith one Thou art sicke hee is the Physician of thy soule yea dead in sinne hee is thy Saviour and reviver thou art starved through sinne hee is the bread of life thou art thirsty hee is the water nay dead with thirst hee is the ever-springing well the River of Paradise one drop whereof is more than all the Ocean The Graecians for an earthly deliverance by Flaminius cried so loud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the earth gave an Eccho and a rebound that their cry made the Fowles of the ayre to fall downe dead their voice and shoute was as the sound of a thunder how much more cause have wee to reioice in the Lord Iesus who saveth both body and soule and delivereth from dangers of this life and the life to come The Angels sung at his birth Glory be to God on bigh Luk. 2. in earth peace good will towards men No tongues of men or Angels are able to expresse this benefit it is a greater my stery than so for so the Apostle confesseth saying Without controversy great is the mystery of godlines which is God is manifested in the flesh justified 1 Tim. 3. 16. in the spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentils beleeved on in the world and received up in glory Moses saved Israel from Pharao Christ saveth us from the Divell hee from Aegypt Christ from hell hee brought them into the land of Chanaan Christ will bring us Exod. 12. Col. 1. into heaven hee sprinkled the dore posts with the blood of the Lambe Christ our hearts with his owne blood The Papists are injurious to Christ and breake in upon his titles and offices making him either no Saviour or else but a little Saviour in ascribing salvation to Agnus Dei to the blood of Martyrs to Crosses Masses Papists doe as much incroch upon Christ as the Turkes doe they will not acknowledge election justification to come from grace as a right Popish doctrine tends to the disgracing of Grace Father but from workes a stepmother all their doctrine savours of pride blaspheming grace and the worke of grace Note their doctrines de igniculis virtutum insitis à natura of sparkes of vertue grafted in us by nature de gratia operante cooÌ„perante of operating and cooÌ„perating grace de puris naturalibus of pure naturals they will not suffer any body to call God Father and yet is hee the Father of Mercies and God of all 2 Cor. 1. 3. comfort The Church of Rome saith That all the actions of men unregenerate bee not sinne that originall sinne needeth no repentance that a man by meere naturals may love God feare God and beleeve in Christ that a regenerate man may fulfill the whole Law as said the Trident Councell that wee may doe works of supererogation Et quid nunc relinquitar Christe Iesu And what is now left for Christ Iesus The Iesuites aske Why is it not as honorable for God as great glory to powre in an inherent righteousnesse into us as to give us a reputed or imputed righteousnesse But so they may aske Why God kept not Adam from falling Had it not bene as honorable to have kept him from falling No no for then wee had not knowne the sweetnesse of the Messiah So it may seeme as honorable Gen. 3. 15. for God to have kept us from sicknesse but then we had not knowne the goodnesse of the Physician
heart is as the kitchin wherein things are prepared for God the vessell is at tilt when dregs and lees wanton and filthy speeches bee drawne from the heart the quiver is empty when never an arrow can bee drawne out never a word that savoureth of goodnes but all our speeches are for our profit or our pleasure wee are men of polluted lippes CHRIST is the fountaine of the water of life and Esa 6. Esa 35. faith in the heart is as the leads or pipes that receive it and hold the water and confession is as the cocke of the conduite Rom. 10. the spowte that lets out the water to all commers Earthly men seldome talke of CHRIST but wee have not so unfruitfully learned CHRIST nor so unhappily given witnesse of his trueth but better things belong to us in better wayes wee will runne our course in a better hope lay downe our bodies Let them talke of the world that make it their portion wee looke for a City whose builder and maker is God Let the Aegyptians talke of their walled The godly talke of God and praise him Cities Nabuchaduezzar of his buildings the foole of his barnes the voluptuous of his hawks and hounds wee will speake of God and our care shall bee to glorify him hee is a God of glory and his is glory to him will wee give glory and honour and thanks for evermore THE ONE AND FORTIETH SERMON VERS XXV To God onely Wise and our Saviour bee Glory Majesty Power and Dominion How Majesty is ascribed to God THere bee six Attributes here in this verse of God Wisedome Salvation Glory Majestie Dominion and Power Wee have handled and heard of three of them that is of his Wisedome Salvation and Glory and I am to speake of the other three Majesty Dominion and Power Majestie is his incomprehensible greatnesse which worketh wonders and bringeth forth most excellent and rare workes to ascribe therefore unto God a power and an incomprehensible might whereby hee doth the workes of wonder is to render majestie to God Hereupon said David Blessed bee the Lord God even the Psal 72. 18 19. God of Israel which onely doth wondrous things and blessed bee his glorious name for ever and let all the earth be filled with his glory so bee it Therefore is David so earnest with the tyrants and great men of the world to give this Majesty to God and addeth often Vno oris halitu that the voyce of the Lord doth all Give unto the Lord O yee mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto Psal 29. 1 2 3 4 10. the Lord glorie due unto his name worship the Lord in his glorious Sanctuary Miracles admired for the the rarenesse The voice of the Lord is upon the Waters The God of glory maketh it to thunder the Lord is upon the great Waters the voice of the Lord is mighty the voice of the Lord is glorious c. The Lord sitteth upon the floud and the Lord doth remaine King for ever Hee repeateth one thing often over for wee passe over all the workes of God without consideration like horse and mule that have no understanding and they are buried in the grave of oblivion Wee Psal 22. will not confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men They that dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death being bound in miserie Psal 107. 8 10 14 15. and yron hee brought out of darkenesse and shadow of death and brake their bands asunder Let them therefore confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men The like hee saith of the sicke whose soule abhorreth all manner of meate and they are hard at deaths doore and of the mariners which goe downe to the Sea in ships and fee the wonderous workes of God and to all these one and the same conclusion is repeated Let them confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Wee see many wonders but wee give not God praise in them a wonder lasteth but nine dayes Vilescunt omnia Dei miracuâ—â— all Gods miracles are vile and are not regarded Augustine said God doth not now miracles ob duas causas for two causes First Ne vilescant miracula as I said before Secondly Ne terrena semper Aug. lib. 9. de civitate Dei quaeramus that wee should not alwayes seeke after earthly things it is as great a miracle to governe the World as to feed Iohn 6. five thousand men with five loaves and two Fishes Et tamen illud ownes mirantur hoc nemo yet all men wonder at that none at this Non quia majus sed quia rarum not because it is the greater but because it is rare it is as great a miracle to raise a barley kernel as to raise a dead body out of the grave Vilescit tamen 1 Cor. 15. ob assiduitateÌ„ yet this is not respected because of assiduity whereas the other is thought impossible The Israelites saw the light of Aegypt turned into darkenesse the waters into bloud the dust into lyce the bitter waters of March into sweete the Psal 105. Heaven open to give them Manna the rocke open to give them drinke the flint stone turned into a well yet doubted of Gods Psal 78. Majestie in giving them bread The Pharisees saw and perceived the blind to see the deafe to heare the dumbe to speake the lame to walke the dead to live yet blasphemed God The Luke 7. Iewes saw the fiery and cloven tongues yet railed on the Apostles as men not full of the Spirit but full of new wine Wee Act. 2. in England have seene wonders in Heaven as strange starres never seene before blazing Comets at other times and wonders in Anno 16. Eliz. the Sea as fishes at the I le of Tennet two and twenty yards long and wonders in the Earth as trees to remove in Dorset-shire and Hereford-shire yet have wee ascribed to God no Majestie Nay God reveales himselfe six wayes greater wonders than these have we seene for God did restore to us the light of the Gospell in the greatest darkenes of the world hee did unhorse the Pope in the time of King Henry the eighth and increased the light of it as the noone-day in the dayes of Edward the sixth and after it was eclipsed hee restored the light of it in the daies of Queene Elizabeth he hath put down the Northerne tumults hath drowned the Spanish Navy Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that hee doth for the sonnes of men But alas we have eyes but wee see not eares and heare not wee have hearts like mules and understand not wee see no more than beasts wee are as stockes and blockes what folly hath Ier. 5. 21 23. wrapped up all our
the highest degree as God complaineth I have nourished and brought up Children but they have rebelled against mee The Oxe doth know his owner the Asse his masters crib but Israel Esa 1. 2 3 4. hath not knowne my people hath not understood We are a sinfull nation a people loden with iniquity a seed of the wicked corrupt children We have forsaken the Lord and provoked the Holy one of Israel to anger We professe to serve God but in works wee deny God we have a shew of godlines but inwardly wee deny the power of it our profession Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. is like the apples and grapes of Sodom faire to the sight but if you touch them they vanish to smoke so all our profession standeth in words not in works as Iames said Ostende mihi fidem per opera Shew mee thy faith by thy works so Ostende Iam. 2. mihi regnum Dei per subjectionem tuam Shew mee the Kingdome of God by thy subjection by thy obedience which is due to his Word apply thy heart to keepe his statutes alwayes unto the end Bee not deceived God will not thus bee mocked in fine wee shall receive the reward of Rebels Quid dicta audiam cùm facta videam What should I heare words when I should see deeds as Moses said to Israeel laying out their severall rebellions So might I lay out the rebellions of England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 egge and bird all naught our Fathers naught and wee also our Fathers have forsaken God and kept not his Law and we have Notorious sinners Satans subjects done worse than our Fathers and walke every one after the stubbornesse of his heart As well may wee spit on Christ Iesus buffet and beate him with a reed and cry with the mockers Haile King of the Iewes as kneele in the Church and say Thy Kingdome come Lord and yet in our deeds promote the kingdome of Satan disobey and not receive the Word which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16. to salvation to every one that beleeveth Therefore hee so highly extolleth it saying The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holdes casting downe the imaginations 2 Cor. 10. 5. and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Wee pray to be like the Angels we must strive then to come neere Mat. 6. them in obedience Three properties are noted in the Angels Obediunt Libentissimè Citissimè Fidelissimè most Willingly Speedily Faithfully They are willing to obey and so wee read that one Angell with speed killed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the Assyrians in one night We must be like Angels if we looke Esa 37. to live with Angels they praise God day and night so must we Esa 6. But it may bee said of most of us that which Vivaldus said of Corasius Erat foris Cato intus Noro he was a Cato without a Nero within foris Angelus intus Diabolus an Angell without a Divell within foris Agnus intus Lupus a Lambe without a Wolfe within Deum ore laudabat corde factis negabat hee praised God with his mouth but denied him in heart in deeds tales sunt mancipia Diaboli such are the slaves of Satan God doth not raigne as a King in them his grace hath no dominion over them they are in the snare of the Divell and are taken of him at his will In this sence Christ called the Iewes the sonnes of the Divell Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your father will yee doe so 2 Tim. 2. 26. Iohn 8. 44. 1 Iohn 2. 14. Iohn saith in the contrary I write unto you babes because yee have knowne the father Impij servi sunt tot daemoniorum quot vitiorum the wicked are the servants of so many divels as they have sinnes and transgressions it is the divell that hath dominion over them not God by his grace As there is in the body a palsy that striketh the one halfe and an Apoplexy that striketh the whole body so there is in our soules a spirituall palsy if not an Apoplexy our understanding is not lightned with the doctrine of God and our will is not enflamed with the Love of God to doe his will as it becommeth us Hereupon Saint Augustine crieth out Augusta foeda est domus Aug. animae meae Straight and filthy is the house of my soule but when thou commest vnto it ô Lord it shall bee enlarged and mundified of thee it is ruinous Lord repaire and amend it it is filthy Lord clense it and wash it there be many things in this Christ will dwell and raigne in a pure soule house of my soule which may offend thy sacred eyes but who shall purge it and purify it or unto whom shall I cry but unto thee Ab ocultis meis purga me Clense mee from my secret sinnes Let this bee our prayer and pray with that spirit wherewith Augustine prayed it and no doubt God will heare thee and have a Kingdom in thy soule This testimony is true the Heavens have sealed unto it and the living God hath spoken it of the children of men and blessed are wee if wee beleeve it there is more happinesse in one day of Gods service and under his Dominion then in ten thousand dayes of vanity in which Satan hath dominion and wee fall from the Lord of life The sixth and last attribute is Power wherein the excellent praise of God consisteth which is the ability in God to do what hee listeth like unto the former attributes but not all one with them haec enim magis conjungi quà m confundi velim I had rather conjoine these things than confound them as Calvin said in another case Of this power speaketh David O Lord my God thou art Psal 104. 1. exceeding great thou art clothed with glory and Majesty And of this power speaketh Esay Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted Heaven with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in Esa 40. 12. a measure and weighted the mountaines in a weight and the hilles in a balance And of this power of God speaketh Salomon Who hath Prov. 30. 4. ascended up to Heaven or descended Who hath gathered the Wind in his fist Who hath bound the Waters in a garment Who hath established all the ends of the world What is his Name or his Sonnes Name if thou canst tell And in respect of this power Christ said Ecce vobiscum sum Behold I am with you to the end of the world whereupon Mat. 28. 20. Aug. Augustine finely Iturus erat Christus ad dextram Patris per mortem praesentia Corporali In regard of his Corporall presence he was by death to goe to the right hand of his Father and in regard of his
Non tamen pugnat ejus potentia cum voluntate his power fighteth Tart. adversus Prax. not with his will Lay thy hand on thy mouth with Iob reason not against God Quis es qui litigas cum Deo Who art thou that strivest with God so much for the attributes Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Dominion and Power But it is further to bee noted that in naming God To God only wise c. Hee comprehendeth the three persons for these attributes are due to all the whole Trinity Wisdome Salvation Glory Majesty Power and Dominion The Scripture speaketh diversly of the Trinity sometime ascribing things to one person sometime to another sometimes to all joyntly as power to the Father wisdome to the Sonne goodnesse to the Holy Ghost Psal 104. 1. Prov. 14. Greeve not the good Spirit of God saith the Apostle Yet power wisdome goodnes are due to all the persons of the whole Trinity in a Gods glory dominion power is eternall more strict sence signification Againe yee shall see the creation of all things ascribed to the omnipotency of the Father the administration of all ascribed to the Sonne the sanctification Ephes 4. 30. Gen. 1. Prov. 9. 1. 1 Cor. 6. â—1 of all ascribed to the Holy Ghost yet all three create preserve and sanctify the Church Pater à se Filius per se Sanctus Spiritus à Patre Filio The Father of himselfe the Sonne by him and the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Augustine speaketh Aug. thus Sicut ex intellectu generatur voluntas ex his ambobus procedit memoria in anima ipsa As the will springing from the understanding and from them both the memory in the soule it selfe so the Sonne is begotten of the Father and from both these proceedeth the Holy Ghost This causeth the Scriptures to speake so diversly of the Trinity Power is attributed to the Father but not exclusivè exclusively quoth Vrsinus in his Catechisme sed inclusivè but inclusively for all three are of equall power sed Patri potentia tribuitur Vrsinus quia est fons origo but power is given to the Father because hee is the fountaine the originall the rest of the persons are from him but not as touching their essence but person and manner of existing To conclude the works of the Trinity quoad extra are indivisible but quoad intus they bee singuler as the Father begetteth the Sonne is begotten the Holy Ghost proceedeth from them both hold this Axiome in divinity and learne to speake wisely and soberly of the Trinity Well this glory Majesty dominion and power must be yeelded now and ever for the glory of God endeth not with the end of the world it is for ever here and in heaven the continuance of this world before God is but as a day the Morning of this day was the creation of the Heaven and of Adam untill the flood the Noone of this day was the comming of Christ the Evening is the end of the world a thousand and six hundred yeeres S. Iohn cals but one yeere A thousand and six hundred yeeres are past as 1 Iohn 2. an houre but the glory of the Lord is from eternity to eternity from everlasting to everlasting from eternity as touching election quae est sine principio to eternity quoad reprobationem as touching reprobation for it shall abide without end but in that hee saith both now and for ever this teacheth us that there must be no end of praising God his praises must bee ever in our mouth First for spirituall blessings bestowed here in earth in Heaven as Election Redemption Adoption Vocation Iustification Sanctification Psal 86. Glorification for every one of these commeth from God therefore hee is to be praised both now and for ever Now in this life wee must sing Hosanna to the Sonne of David and hereafter we shall sing Allelujah in Heaven with all the Saints For all spirituall blessings wee must say with the Apostle Blessed be God which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings For temporall blessings Ephes 1. 3. glory and praise is to bee given to God Christ gave thanks for God is to bee prayed to and praysed for all things food Anna for a child Iacob for riches Abrahams servant for prospering his journey and in a word for all other temporall blessings as health wealth peace prosperity God is to be praised now and ever As there is no end of his benefits towards us Iohn 6. 12. 2 Sam. 2. 1. Gen. 32. 10. Gen. 24. 48. so there should bee no end of our praises towards him but wee must praise him both now and ever To conclude this point here is a secret comparison betweene the glory of man and the glory dominion and power of God mans glory is as a flowre All flesh is grasse and all the glory thereof as the flowre of grasse for so Esay was willed to cry but though hee Esa 40. 6. cry it few will beleeve it wee trust not the Lord one speaketh of an Epitaph graven in the tombe of a great man Hic fuit hic fecit pugnavit vicit amauit Composuis libros gentes populósque subegit Quid mihi cum fuit aut erit est valet vnum He was he did he fought he conquer'd lov'd Wrote books nations and people hee subdu'd But what have I to do with was or Shall With me the Present only is worth all Things past bee gone things to come are uncerten that which is and is for ever goeth for all glory present will bee past and glory future will bee for ever haec vita haec gloria non est vita non est gloria this life this glory is neither life nor glory for wee are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory AMEN This word is an Hebrew word and it is taken in the Scriptures three manner of wayes sometime as a Nowne signifying Christ himselfe sometime as an Adverbe so Christ useth the word saying Amen Amen that is Verily Verily I say unto you and sometime as a Verbe as in this place signifying So be it or be it so So that this word Amen contayneth more than the prayer it Apoc. 1. Iohn 3. selfe For in the prayer wee testify our desire how that wee desire Glory Majesty Dominion and Power to bee given unto God but in this word Amen wee witnes our faith that wee believe Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power to bee his So that from hence wee have to observe to pray with faith to beleeve we shall receive those things wee have prayed for This appeareth in the Prophet Praised bee the Lord for evermore so bee it even so be it And Christ hath taught us thus to shut up our prayers Psal 89. 52. Mat. 6. 13. and the Apostle closeth
combined together therfore live wee well but if there bee a jarre among them that one overcome another the body then perisheth by and by What shall I say then of these brawling sewing wrangling spirits they are like the Salt pillar that Lots wife was turned Gen. 45. unto they bee of a salt and fierie humor like the seven blasted Motive to true Peace eares that consumed the full eares like the seven leane kine that eate up the fat like the worme that smote Ionas wilde gourd they hurt themselves and others also they strive in the law like the mouse and the frogge for the marish ground till the kite sweeâ—s them both away till the Lawyer eate them both up they are like Fooles that bore holes in shippes to let out the water and to let in the whole Sea so to gaine six pence they will spend six pounds and at last die beggars As the Friers of old lived of the ignorance of the people so the Lawyers now live of the sinne and malice of the people they as the Locusts eate up all Wherfore if yee love your wealth Seeke peace and insue Psal 34. 14. Rom. 12. 18. it and if it be possible as much as in you lyeth have peace with all men Remember that our God is the God of peace Christ the Prince of peace Angels the messengers of peace the Ministers the preachers of peace the Magistrates defenders of peace and that we are the children of the God of peace Let us have therefore peace amongst our selves not polluted peace such as was anong Davids enemies which laide waite for his soule and tooke Psal 71. 10. 2 Sam. 13. 28. counsell together against him nor counterfeite peace as was betweene Absalom and Ammon for Absalom prepared a feast for Ammon his brother but caused him to be murthered in the middest of the banket So the Spaniards in 88. treated of peace but prepared themselves to warre nor inordinate peace for of this peace saith our Saviour I came not to bring peace into the world but a sword nor peace with sinne the world and the flesh For this is the Divels peace Of every of these kindes of peace I say with a Father Melior est talis pugna quae proximum facit Deo quam illa pax quae separat a Greg. Nazian Deo Better is that fight and conflict which maketh a man draw neere to God than that peace which separates a man from God such agreement is not union but conspiracie Our peace therefore must bee a Christian peace and this peace hath for her elder sister Righteousnesse So saith David Iustitia pax osculatae sunt Righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other Psal 85. 10. As Augustine upon the place fiat justitia habebis pacem if thou wilt have peace worke righteousnesse so peace shall be within thy walls and plenteousnesse within thy palaces Secondly peace is taken for the quietnesse and peace of conscience betwixt God and man and of this peace the Apostle speaketh thus Being justified by Faith wee have peace with God This Rom. 5. 1. peace passeth all understanding the tongues of men and Angels cannot utter it the goodnesse of this peace cannot be perceived by the eye nor received by the eare nor conceived by the heart yet the eare can heare much as Saul asleepe heard David and 2 Sam. 24. Sap. 1. 10. The eare of Iealousie heareth all things The eye can see further for Moses saw Canaan from the top of Pisgah The tongue can utter more than the eye can see so Achitophels mouth was as an Oracle Peace of conscience most excellent of God The heart can conceive more than the tongue can utter so Salomons heart is said to be large like the sands of the Sea yet cannot our eyes nor eares nor hearts comprehend this peace It passeth all understanding It is nothing to have all peace and to Phil. 4. 7. want the peace of God the peace of conscience It is nothing to have 900. chariots of Iron with Sisera to have stately buildings Iudg. 4. Dan. 4. Act. 4. with Nabuchadonezer to have the applause of the people with Herod to plant orchardes to digge fountaines to water gardens to heape and gather gold to provide men singers with Salomon to have all pleasures with Xerxes and to want this peace For Sisera died miserably Nabuchadonezer was turned into a beast Herod was eaten of lice Salomon called all delights vanities and Xerxes promised reward to him that could finde him out a new pleasure Quá tum inventâ non fuit contentus Which being invented yet he was not contented Hath God given thee house and lands wife and children men-servants and maid-servants Hast thou thy coffers full with Croesus thy purse full with Dives thy barnes full with the Epulo thy grounds full with Iob thy stable full with Salomon and thy table full with Balthazar yet all is nothing without this peace and therefore looke into thy heart Is there peace betweene God and thee as he said finely Is it peace Iehu is there not Intus vermis a worme within byting thy conscience if there 1 Reg. be looke to thy selfe suffer not thine eyes to sleepe nor thy eye-liddes to take any rest untill thy peace be made with God and thy pardon sealed O pray pray that thou maist have this peace it is the peace of peace and without it there can be no peace The name of peace between man and man is sweet like the precious oyntment upon the head of Aaron that ranne downe unto his beard and from his beard unto the skirts of his clothing but this peace of conscience is farre sweeter Iuge Convivium a continuall Pro. 15. 15. Feast a daily Christmas unto a good man This peace the godly seeke so saith David marke the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace but the transgressors shall be destroyed Psal 37. 37 38. together and the end of the wicked shal be cut off The comparison is inter pium impium between the godly and the ungodly man the end of the godly man is peace when he goeth to bed he saith I will lay mee downe in peace and take my reste When he Esa 4. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Luke 2. riseth He is carefull to be found in peace When he is sicke he saith Lord let thy servant depart in peace Let us then be diligent to be found in peace then shall we see hell abolished death troden under feete the first sorrow cast out into shame immortalitie shall lengthen our dayes and the glorie of God shal be before us as in a glasse This testimonie is true the Heavens have sealed unto it and the living God hath spoken it of the Sons of men and blessed are we if we doe beleeve it There is more happinesse in one day in Gods service than in tenne thousand dayes of vanities
No peace to the wicked in which we fall from the Lord of life One day in thy Courts saith David is better than a thousand other where I had rather be a doore keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse Sed impiis non est pax there is no peace unto the wicked their hearts never rest they are never quiet their sinne lyeth at the doores Esa 57. 20. Gen. 4. 7. alwayes dogging them and ever ready to pull out the very throat of their soules As good men have the first fruits of the Spirit and certaine tastes of heavenly joyes in this life So on the contrarie the wicked have certaine flashings of hell-flames on earth and are as the sea which alwayes rageth and never resteth And as the good man when he dyeth bequeatheth his body which is earthly to the earth and sinnes which are divellish unto the Divell and his goods that are worldly to the world and his soule that is heavenly to heaven So the wicked when he dyeth bequeatheth his goods to the world his body to the earth his soule to the Divell But some will say The wicked are merry and quiet none so merrry as they they sing like birds in May like Nightingales in a cleare night I must distinguish and say that some wicked are blockish and senselesse like swine their consciences are seared like dead flesh Mat. 7. 6. 1 Tim. 4. 2. others are desperate having an hell in their conscience trembling like Agag but yet both states damnable For is the fish that skippeth in the net or the bird that singeth in the snare or the prisoner that is merry in the iayle in any good case No 1 Sam. 13. 1 Thes 5. 3. Esa 9. 6. Ephes 2. 17. no Even so is it with the wicked when They crie peace peace sudden destruction shall come upon them as upon a Woman in travell But there is peace to the godly Peace shall come they shall rest in their beds c. Christ is their peace Pacem Evangelizavit iis qui prope iis qui procul he preached peace unto them that are neare and unto them that are afarre off To this end he died rose againe ascended into heaven the first was the lowest step of his humiliation in earth the second the highest steppe of his exaltation in earth the third the highest steppe of his glorification in heaven In the first he suffered in the second he conquered in the third he triumphed the first tooke away sinne and destroyed death and him that had the Lordship of Death The second brought Righteousnesse for he rose againe for our justification The third Heb. 2. 14. Rom. 4. 25. bringeth glory and all to this end to make peace between God and man Thirdly peace is taken for prosperitie and happy successe of all things as in the Psalme O pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall Psal 122. 6. prosper that love thee peace be within thy walls and plenteousnesse be within thy palaces Peace and plentie are here Synonymies the one openeth the other he prayeth for plentifull peace or peaceable plentie God hath promised his Church this peace saying The Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods in the fruit of thy body in the Prosperitie is termed peace fruit of thy cattell in the fruite of thy ground the Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure even the Heaven to give raine unto thy land in due season and to blesse all the workes of thy hands thou shalt lend to many Deuter. 28. 11 12 13. nations and not borrow thy selfe The Lord shall make thee the head and not the taile thou shalt be above only not beneath c. Iacob blessing Iudas saith That he shall bind his Asse fole to the Vine his Asses colt to the best Vine he shall wash his garments in wine his Cloake with the Gen. 49. 11 12. blood of the grape that is he shall have all prosperitie and this prosperitie Iude wisheth unto them saying peace be multiplied upon you Esay prophecied of the wealth and abundance of the Church saying Thou shalt sucke the milke of the Gentiles and shalt Esa 60. 16 17. sucke the brests of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy redeemer the mightie one of Iacob For brasse I will bring gold and for Iron I will bring thee silver and for stones Iron I will also make thy government peace and thine exactors righteousnesse violence shall no more be heard in thee neither desolation nor destruction c. And God wisheth that his Church had hearkened to his commandements Then had thy prosperitie beene as the Flood and thy righteousnesse as the Waves of the Sea In six evils God would have delivered Esa 48. 18. Iob. 5. Psal 65. 11. Mal. 3. Iob. 1. Gen. 26. 1 Reg. 10. 27. it the clouds shall droppe fatnesse upon it God would open the windowes of heauen and powre downe a blessing with plenteousnesse God hath inriched the members of his Church in all ages as Iob in Huz Isaac in Gerar Salomon in Israel who had silver as stones Yea this peace and plentie is proper and peculiar to the Church onely to the godly the wicked have no right nor interest in the blessings of the earth For the elects sake God made Gen. 1. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Iohn 3. Mar. 13. Apo. 6. Rom. 8. the world For them he enriched it for them he redeemed it for their sakes he preserveth it for their sakes hee deferreth his comming to judge this world That the wicked enjoy ayre fire water let them thanke the godly who are coheires with Christ in all things the wicked are usurpers intruders into all Gods blessings they have no right to any furrow or foot of land The faithfull only are coheires with Christ in whose right they are invested into all the benefits of this life Thou art no more a servant but a Sonne saith Paul now if thou be a Sonne those art also the heyre of Gal. 4. 7. God through Christ As a bastard hath no inheritance among the legitimate Children So the wicked as bastards have no inheritance among the faithfull They may say of God and heaven as the tenne Tribes said of David and his Kingdome What portion have we in David we have no inheritance in the Sonne of Ishai So they have no portion in heaven no inheritance in the Sonne of God Christ Iesus they are Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant and promise But the godly have right and interest in earth and heaven also In their elder brother Christ Iesus heaven is theirs heaven and earth is theirs land and sea are theirs yea all theirs men and Angels are subject unto them Prosperitie oft hurt to the Church All things are ours saith the Apostle whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World