Loe thus shall the man be blest whom God will fauour Secundum specialem cultum In respect of their especiall homage and religious seruice they doe to God August Retract lib. 1. cap. 13. For Religio as Saint Augustine after Lactantius retracting his owne etymon saith is a religando because it is the bond of that mutuall league betwixt God and Man I will be their God Ierem. 31.1 and they shall be my people In this sence God is called the God of Abraham and the God of Israel God chooseth to himselfe the man that is godly As for the wicked Psal 4.3 and workers of iniquity who make their chests their Temples their backs their Altars their bellies their Gods that they may sacrifice vnto the same their Pride their Couetousnesse and Luxury the Lord will professe concerning them Mat. 7.23 Depart from me I know ye not Secundum speciale praemium In respect of his especiall reward for so he saith to Abraham of whom he had made an especiall choyse Ego sum merces tua admodum ampla Genes 15.1 I am thy exceeding great reward Well might the Lord call his reward multam valdè multam Chrysost in Gen. hom 36. exceeding much and many as Chrysostome saith Psal 34.10 For they that feare God want nothing that is good Whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or Death Whether it be things present 1 Cor. 3.22.23 or things to come they are all yours because you are Christs and Christ is Gods Seeing then that God is the God of the faithfull in these especiall respects let euery faithfull Christian in especiall manner apply God to himselfe and say with Thomas in the twentieth of Iohn Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God This particular application the Romanists cannot abide they count it vaine presumption and why because men of all sorts though very different in conuersation will appropriate God to themselues when some of them must needes be deceiued Their argument is like this Fooles and mad men may be deceiued in apparant truths therefore wise and iudicious may The Frantique Athenian was ready to arrest for his owne euery ship that arriued therfore no sober minded Merchant knew his owne If our expectation of reward were grounded vpon merits as the Papists is we might iustly stagger as they doe Nemo absque reuelatione certò scire potest se habere vera merita Bellar. de Iustific lib. 5. cap. 7. for Bellarmine confesseth that no man without especiall reuelation can be sure that he hath true merits but for as much as our hope hath her dependance vpon Gods mercy and Christs merits we may without wauering approach before the throne of grace Rom. 8. and cry Abba Father Surely I should the lesse meruaile at this Romish doctrine Bellarm de Purgat lib. 2. cap. 4. if Bellarmine and other Papists did not teach that the soules in Purgatory haue an infallible certainty of their saluation Rhem. Annot. in Apoc. 14. For admitting a Purgatory no probable no possible reason can be giuen how they should come by this certainty except they be more beholding for the same to the infernall spirits then they haue beene to their wretched teachers But leauing them to their vanities let vs finde by a diligent scrutiny that we haue the spirit of God witnessing with our spirits Rom. 8.16 that we are the sonnes of God as the Apostle speaketh For then may we say with Saint Augustine Augustin Psal 32. Dicat anima mea Deus meus es tu qui dicit animae meae salus tua sum Seeing that God saith to my soule I am thy saluation let my soule reflect vpon God againe and say thou art my God Seeing that Christ hath made vs a plaster of his precious bloud let vs apply the same to our wounded soules seeing he hath procured our pardon let vs get it vnder the great seale of his blessed Spirit This is his will who hauing giuen vs the legacy of eternall life by his last Testament would haue the same seuerally transcribed by the preaching of the word and particularly sealed to vs by the blessed Sacrament Beleeue me my brethren It is no confused apprehension of Gods mercy that can yeelde any sound comfort But as when Elizeus applyed his eyes to the childes eyes his hands to his hands 2 Reg. 4. and his mouth to his mouth then the childe reuiued So the particular application of Christs merits hath life in it it reuiueth our dead soules and relieueth our daunted spirits Hence we haue the benefits of protection of benediction of consolation Christ Iesus sendeth that message to vs Goe to my brethren and say vnto them Ioh. 20.17 I send to my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God We make our boast of God all the day long Psal 44.9 Yea hence it is that wee approach with boldnesse into his glorious presence calling for the reward of our obedience with Nehemiah Remember me O my God concerning this The Motiue COncerning this That is in the hypothesis concerning the obseruation and sanctification of the Sabbath a matter of singular moment a duetie of great necessitie The foure Commandements of the first Table are most diuine like the foure streames in Paradise whereof this is the last but not the least like Ioseph who being the youngest prouided for his elder brethren For so is this present fourth Commandement a meanes of the better obseruation of the three precedent It standeth betweene the two tables like the sensus communis betweene the externall and internall senses and is seruiceable to both I may truely say that where the Sabbath is not sanctified there is neither a sound Religion nor a Christian conuersation to be expected How God esteemeth the strict sanctification of the Sabbath may appeare by the exact deliuery of the Commandement For he hath fenced it about like mount Sinai Exod. 19.12 with her markes and bounds at the deliuery of the law that no prophanenesse might approach neare vnto it First by his watch-word Remember Secondly by his bountie Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe Thirdly by his soueraignety It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Fourthly by the latitude Thou thy Sonne thy Daughter thy Man-seruant thy Maide-seruant the Stranger that is within thy gates must sanctifie it Fiftly by his example The Lord rested the seauenth day Lastly by his benediction He blessed and sanctified it The sixe markes are like the sixe water-pots in the second of Iohn Fill them vp to the brimme with a holy obseruation then draw out and carry to the Master of the Feast euen to Iesus Christ the Lord of the new Sabbath Remember I say to sanctifie the Lords Sabbath and then may you say with confidence Remember me O my God concerning this Yea the same shall be vnto you a pledge of the eternall Sabbath in the Kingdome of heauen which shall be a day without
Christ then Christ hath reliefe for the man and so may I say to you beloued If you haue grace to beleeue then haue you not so sinned against grace and mercie but that the Lord hath plentifull redemption for you in store Christ Iesus himselfe cals you the Church exhorts you the spirit of God inuites you to take the pardon for your sinnes and the pawne of your inheritance The spirit and the spouse saith come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and let whosoeuer will take of the water of life n Reuel 22.17 freely Behold here is that Aqua coelestis that whosoeuer tasteth of hee shall neuer thirst any more here is that Aqua o Iohn 4.14 vitae which whosoeuer takes and drinke he shall neuer see death Yea though he were dead yet shall it restore him to p Iohn 11.25 life Therfore I may say to euery Christian beleeuer as our Sauior said to the woman os Canaan q Mat. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith be it vnto thee as thou desirest But for as much as diuers delude themselues with a vaine conceit of that Faith they haue not and others are dismaide because they doubt of their Faith which sometimes they feele not therfore I must further exhort euery one of you to trie your hearts and examine your liues concerning your repentance For that gracious promise shall euer be found yea and Amen That hee which is soundly and seriously penitent so that he turne away from his euill waies hee shall not die but liue r Ezek. 18.22 Yea for the assurance of this you haue the Lords oath ſ Ezek. 33.11 As I liue saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner t Psal 51.15 The sacrifices of God are a troubled spirit a broken and a contrite heart the Lord will not despise It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a sacrifice but sacrifices because it is instar omnium in stead of all as Tremelius truely saith Which whensoeuer we offer vp the Lord smels a sauour of mercie and compassion as he smelled a sauour of rest in the sacrifice of n Gen. 8.21 Noah O bring then this sacrifice to the Lords sacred Altar and behold you shall alwaies finde the doore of his mercie open to receiue you and the armes of his compassion stretched out to imbrace you as the prodigall childe found at his returne of whom Saint Ambrose saith filius timet conuitium pater adornat conuiuium The sonne feared some sharpe reproofe but the father prepared a dainty banquet When Nathan reproued Dauid for his o 2 Sam. 24.10 sinnes it is said that Dauids heart did scourge him A fit Metaphor to expresse the nature of Repentance which is flagellum peccati euen the scourge of sinne which is flagellum animae the scourge of the Soule Doe your hearts smart and smite you and are your Soules troubled for your sinnes bee not dismaide For as the Angell troubled the Poole of Bethesda for the curing of the diseased So Gods blessed spirit of compunction hath beene with you and troubled your soules for your cure and consolation To conclude therefore if all that I haue now spoken hath wrought in you an indignation and dislike of your selues and a detestation and loathing of your sinnes with an earnest and a resolute purpose to banish and abandon them Then dare I be bold to pronounce that you are free from this sinne against the holy Ghost yea the God of heauen hath thereby sealed you a pardon for all your sinnes Though they were as crimson they shall be made white as snow though they were red as skarlet they shall be as white as Wooll Which mercie that we may obtaine let vs humble our selues in Prayer Let vs pray O Lord our God who art able to preserue vs blamelesse and to present vs faultlesse before thy glory with ioy euen for thy tender mercies sake defend vs from this dreadfull sinne of Apostasie Keepe vs by thy power that we fall not restore vs by thy mercy when we are fallen preserue vs by thy grace that we neuer finally fall away O let not the gates of thy mercy be shut vpon vs neyther suffer the gates of hell to preuaile against vs But grant good Lord that albeit our fraile nature cannot obtaine an absolute freedome from sinnes of infirmity yet we may neuer set our selues against heauen or sinne with a high hand Renew a right spirit within vs that we may bewaile our sinnes Take not thy holy spirit from vs that we may reforme our liues Establish vs with thy free spirit that we may be confirmed in thy truth That being effectually sanctified in the kingdome of grace we may be eternally blessed in the kingdome of glory through the merites and mediation of Iesus Christ our alone and all-sufficient Sauiour to whom with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one eternall God let all prayse power and dominion be ascribed by all thy seruants both men and Angels this day and for euer Amen AMEN FINIS THE CHRISTIAN PETITIONER Shewing how we must sue in the Courts of HEAVEN both for Reward and Remission A Sermon Preached at OXFORD the seauenth day of Iuly being the Act Sunday By IOHN DENISON Doctor of Diuinity and one of his Maiesties Chaplayne LONDON Printed by T. S. for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the signe of the greene-Dragon in Paules Church-yard 1620. A SERMON PREACHED AT OXFORD the 7. of Iuly being the Act Sunday NEHEMIAH 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and pardon me according to thy great mercy DIuers writers both diuine and humane Right reuerend Right Worshipfull welbeloued in Christ Iesus doe very fitly compare both euill men and manners in Ciuill and Christian gouernment to badde humours in the body and the Magistrate to the Physition to whom the cure thereof doth belong Now as the soundest bodies haue their bad humours which must be purged so the best gouerned Common-wealths and States doe in time grow subiect to corruptions which must be redressed The truth of this is most apparant in this present Scripture For Nehemiah comming by Artaxerxes warrant to the gouernement of Ierusalem found the house of God prophaned by Eliashib who of sacred structures had built a Chamber for Tobiah his kinseman This abuse as it grieued Nehemiah sore so did he like a worthy Magistrate redresse it and then came not to king Artaxerxes but to the King of Kings to whom especially he had done that seruice saying as it is in the fourteenth verse Remember me O my God concerning this and blot not out the kindnesse I haue shewed to the house of my God Againe as he found Gods sanctuary polluted so did hee finde his Sabbath prophaned for whereas almighty God had consecrated that day to a spirituall Mart there were some who had employed it in carnall Merchandise where Nehemiah hauing
reproued the delinquents and reformed the abuse comes with a new Petition to the Lord of the Sabbath saying Remember me O my God concerning this and pardon me according to thy great mercy Of whose speeches I may fitly vse Bernards words concerning Saint Paul Sic vniuersa depromit Super illa verba Rom. 14.17 Serm 2. sic intonat spiritu virtute vt in serie ordinem in sensu plenitudinem in vtroque connexionem mirabiliter extendat In such a powerfull and pithy manner doth he vtter his words that you may behold in his method order in his matter copie and in both an admirable connexion Which that wee may the better obserue we will consider the words 1. First in their excellent connexion and therein I note 1. A notable harmony 2. A naturall precedency 2. According to their euident distribution therein I obserue a double petition 1. The one put vp in the Lords Court of Exchequer Remember me O my God concerning this Wherin I note 1. The subiect What he doth desire Remember me 2. The obiect of whom he doth desire it O my God 3. The motiue why he doth desire it Concerning this 2. The other in the Court of Requests Pardon mee according to thy great mercy Where I note 1 The matter hee desires to be granted Pardon me 2 The manner how hee desires to haue it effected According to thy great mercie The Harmonie AS skilfull Physitians doe so commixe their medicines that whilst they comfort the stomacke they may not inflame the Liuer And as good builders will haue care that in raising one part of the house they doe not cast downe another so doth worthy Nehemiah a singular patterne of piety and wisedome in these his Petitions For whilest he prepareth a cordiall anodyne Remember me O my God concerning this least the same might puffe him vp hee mixeth with it this corroding plaster Pardon me according to thy great mercy Whilest he raiseth the Fort of his confidence in the expectation of a blessed reward he laies the foundation thereof vpon an humble conceit Thus must we vnite our vertues in a golden chaine 2 Pet. 1.5 as Saint Peter exhorteth and see that our actions doe symbolize like the elements in compounded bodies as the Phylosopher speaketh I may truely say of these two Petitions that here is in them concordia discors Yet like different ingrediences they make a soueraigne medicine like discordant notes in Musicke they yeelde an excellent harmony and consort with Dauids ditty in the hundreth and first Psalme Psal 101.1 I will sing of mercy and iudgement to thee O Lord will I sing For here is a straine of mercy and a straine of iudgement and both sung to the Lord. To come with the first straine alone Remember mee would suppose too much presumption to come with the other onely Pardon mee might argue a totall neglect of a Christian conuersation but being both vnited they are like sweete flowers bound vp together and yeelde a delicate smell they are like the present carried by Iacobs Sonnes into Aegypt Gen. 43.11 they finde gracious acceptance Meâ—â—re in danger saith Saint Augustine sperando Aug. Tract 33. in Iohan. desperando Some fall by presumption and some are cast downe by desperation but here is a preseruatiue against both that Scylla and Charybdis It is Sathans vsuall practise hauing himselfe passed through great extreames as being cast down from heauen to hell and changed from a glorious Angell to a damned spirit still to be labouring men to extreames Zeph. 1.12 If hee cannot make them frozen in their dregges like the Israelites hee will seeke to possesse them with too fierie spirits as he did the Disciples Luke 9.54 hee will either seduce men by precisenesse euen to needelesse contention or induce them to prophanenesse in a wicked conuersation either worke them to loose behauior with the filthy Libertine or to vaine ostentation with the vaunting Pharisee But there is a golden meane to be kept betweene these extreames and happy is hee who with worthy Nehemiah can finde it He that will saile safely must aswell looke to the balase of his Ship as to his sailes Faith and Hope are the sayles Feare and Reuerence the balase of the soule Faith hoiseth vp saile and maketh forth for the prize and price of the high calling Phil. 3.14 calling for her reward Remember me O my God concerning this Feare and Reuerence doe moderate her pace lest she dash against the rockes of presumption and cryeth Pardon me according to thy great mercy Thus shall you see all Gods seruants sayling towards the hauen of eternall blisse of whom Saint Paul is a notable president Rom. 7.25 In my minde I serue the law of God but in my flesh the law of sinne In my minde I serue the law of God here commeth in Remember me O my God concerning this But in my flesh the law of sinne here commeth in Pardon me according to thy great mercy As the vnregenerate man being totally transported to vanitie and iniquitie hath nothing to say but onely pardon me so the most sanctified seruants of God so long as they carry about this masse of corruption hauing a double motion like the lower spheares the one of grace the other of nature as they haue some thing to aske reward for so haue they something to craue pardon for If therefore at any time your mindes be deiected with a sence of your frailties get the testimony of a good conscience that you haue seriously and sincerely inclined your selues to the seruice of God so may you say with comfort Remember me O my God concerning this and if with the Swanne you begin to swell in viewing the feathers of your imperfect perfections cast downe your eyes vpon the blacke feete of your many infirmities and that shall make you say in humilitie Pardon me according to thy great mercy This if you be the Lords seruants will be the mixture of your actions this if you come into the Lords Court must be the tenour of your Petitions The Precedencie AGaine as these Petitions doe yeeld an excellent harmony so must we note their natural Precedency First Remember me then pardon me For euery one should indeuour a restraint of sinne before the remedy and propound to himselfe a reward of piety before a pardon for infirmitie We must first affect by our desires and effect by our indeuours that which may imbolden vs to say Remember me O my God concerning this and then wherein our fraile indeauours come too short of the marke we may opportunely supplicate the eternall Maiestie with the Petition following Pardon me according to thy great mercie This is Saint Iohns method for holy conuersation My little Babes 1 Ioh. 2.1 these things I write vnto you that you sinne not but if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate Iesus Christ the righteous Here the first and fundamentall care of a Christian
9.9 To thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiuenesse saith Daniel True it is but when a man hath made himselfe vncapable of mercy the cogitation thereof is rather a corrosiue then any comfort at all Are not those who charge Christ with an vnclean spirit worthy to be possest with the spirit of slumber If they despight the spirit of grace doe they not deserue to be depriued of the spirit of grace If they treade vnderfoote of a base estimation the Sonne of God and the blood of the Testament is it not a iust recompence that Sathan should trample them vnder his feete in the place of torments If the Lord giue ouer men to a Reprobate sense for abusing only the meere gifts of x Rom. 1.28 nature how much more may they expect to haue their eyes blinded and their hearts y Ioh. 12.40 hardned who maliciously resist the works of grace z Chrys op imperf in Mat. Hom. 37. And then as the tacklings being taken from the ship and the same left to the mercy of the Seas is cast vpon rockes dashed in peeces or drowned in the sands so the soule of man being stripped of the tacklings of grace must needes suffer shipwracke and perish in the gulfe of eternall perdition This miserie is by no meanes to be auoided for as Chrysostome saith a Cum à Deo deserimur Diabolo tradimur Chrys in Ioh. Hom. 67. when men are forsaken of God they are deliuered to the Diuell not for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saued in the day of the Lord as the Corinthian b 1. Cor. 5.5 was But to be vexed in soule here and to be tormented in soule and body hereafter as Saul c 1. Sam. 16. was And then what followes our Sauiour shewes in the persons of the blasphemous Pharisees d Luk. 11.25 When the vncleane spirit hauing beene cast out returneth he brings with him seauen spirits worse then himselfe which doe enter and dwell there and taking vp their habitation doe shut fast the doore of the heart so that albeit the spirit of God doe knocke againe and againe e Reuel 3.20 yet can it finde no entrance and that causeth such a lamentable effect The latter end of that man is worse then the beginning Thus the heart being hardned becomes impenitent and so the impenitent sinner becomes vnpardonable for where there is no grace for Repentance there is no place for pardon According to the Apostles words Rom. 2. f Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardnesse and heart that cannot repent treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath The stinging of an Aspe is incurable and such is this wound and sting of Sathan for it growes cankerous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the sinne of Hymeneus and g 2 Tim. 2.17 Philetus Yea it becomes that which the Surgeons call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen such an eating vlcerous sore as doth totally mortifie the part affected so that all the plasters that art or nature can deuise will not helpe it This saith Hierome is that kinde of leprosie which cannot be cured And so much for the opening of the wound The second part The searching of the WOVND HEre now beloued I could be contented to take my station and to stay my hand from searching this wound any further But because there is some controuersie concerning the same amongst the spirituall Physitians to whom the cure or care thereof doth belong I hold it expedient either in reconciling or confuting the differences of opinions to relieue those who may be subiect to doubting and to satisfie if it be possible euen those which are possest with the spirit of contradiction by manifesting that as I haue laid the foundation of my positiue doctrine vpon the vnmoueable rocke of the holy Scriptures so I haue the consent of the learned of all sorts who doe build with mee vpon the same foundation so that onely singularity shall haue occasion to dissent There are about this matter but two points controuerted the one is touching the description the other the remission of this sinne Concerning the first some make finall impenitency to be the sinne against the holy Ghost but those that so doe are confuted by themselues for they hold the sinne against the holy Ghost to be pardonable so that consequently if finall impenitency be the sinne against the holy Ghost finall impenitency should be pardonable which absurdity euery sensible man must needes be ashamed of But Bellarmine himselfe h Bellam. de poenitent lib. 2. cap. 16. hath diuers arguments for the confutation of this errour which I will briefely repeate 1. The sinne against the holy Ghost is properly blasphemie but finall impenitency is not blasphemie therefore finall impenitency is not the sinne against the holy Ghost 2. Finall impenitency is not committed till death but the sinne against the holy Ghost is committed before death therefore finall impenitency is not the sinne against the holy Ghost The minor proposition is euident for our Sauiour charged the Pharisees with this sinne who were then liuing and for any thing we know liued long after Further Paul speaking of this sinne in the sixt to the Hebrewes saith it is impossible that they which haue committed the same should be renewed by repentance In which words the Apostle speaketh of those that are aliue else should he affirme that the dead cannot be renewed by repentance which speech were idle and much vnbeseeming so great an Apostle Againe whereas Saint Iohn saith there is a sin vnto death I say not that thou shouldst pray for it 1 Ioh. 5.16 he speaks of liuing men And whereas some thinke he speakes of the dead the Text is directly against them For he saith he that knoweth his brother to sinne a sinne not vnto death c. in which words hee admitteth that a man may see and know when the sinne is committed and therefore he speaketh not of finall impenitencie which cannot be knowne till after a mans death and hardly then also Moreouer if hee spake of the sinnes of those that are dead hee should not say He that knowes his brother to sinne but he that knowes his brother to haue sinned Thus Bellarmine hauing confuted that opinion concerning finall impenitency and affirmed truely Circumstantia quaedam quae in omni peccato reperiri potest that the same is but circumstantia quaedam a certaine circumstance which may be found in euery particular sinne he defineth the sinne against the holy Ghost in the same manner as I haue handled it calling it a malicious opposition against the manifest and knowne truth Athanasius Chrysostome Basil Hilarie Ambrose Hierome Anselme Richardus de S. Vict. Theophylact. Beda Pacianus which definition he confirmeth by the common consent of ancient writers k Communi consensu veterum Bellarm ibid. to whose reasons and authorities were they not very pithy and pregnant I might annexe sundry
euening and shall yeelde you rest without labour and ioy without ending When Almighty God had made the heauens and earth hee placed Men and Angels in the same as his Tennants to bring him in the rent of obedience And though wee be much impouerished in our spirituall estate and the graces of God confiscate through Adams fall we must euery one of vs bring in something to the Lords Exchequer like the Israelites to the Tabernacle of which we may say Remember me O my God concerning this Genes 22. When Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac vpon mount Moriah When Moses forsooke the pompe of Pharaohs Court to sustaine affliction with Gods people Heb. 11. 1 Reg. 18. When Obadiah hid and relieued the Lords Prophets When Iob Iob 31. caused the loynes of the poore to blesse him When Mary Magdalen washed our Sauiours feete Luke 7. and wipte them with the haires of her head euery one of these had whereof he might say Remember me O my God concerning this Yea Mat. 10.42 he that giues but a cup of cold water for Christs sake may looke for his reward Behold what comfort shineth from hence to you Fathers and Brethren who haue spent your strength in the seruice of God and the conuersion of sinners Dan. 12.3 great is your reward in heauen You shall shine as Starres in the firmament for euer and euer What shall become of those vile wretches who haue deuoted themselues to all villanies and euen sold themselues to worke wickednesse These may conclude the acting of their wicked designes without * So Tremel doth well translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 1.11 impunè dread or danger of punishment as it is in the first of the Prouerbs but assuredly all their foule acts must be remembred and their impieties punished As the Prayers and Almes of Cornelius did pearce the heauens for a blessed reward Acts 10.4 so the pride and luxury of Sodome did cry out thither for a dreadfull reuenge Gen. 18.20 Aswell the stony hearted men that scoft at Christ as the tender hearted women that wept for him aswell those that buffetted him as those that embalmed him aswell he that spat in his face as shee that powred the boxe of oyntment on his head shall be remembred the one indeede to their endlesse honor the other to their perpetuall shame and contempt Yea those that with the vnfruitfull seruant haue hid their talents Mat. 25.25 those that haue beene such niggards vnto their owne soules that they haue not prepared some acceptable seruice to present the Lord withall whereof they might say Remember me O my God concerning this euen concerning this they shall be remembred For the Lord shall say of them take and binde that vnprofitable seruant and cast him into vtter darkenesse hee shall say to them as Abraham said to Diues Luke 16. Sonne remember that thou hast in thy life time receiued thy pleasure Now ne guttam August qui ne micam Thou which wouldest not giue one crumme of bread to relieue poore Lazarus shalt not haue one drop of water to coole thy tongue Many there are who by carnall proiects as building and purchasing for their posteritie thinke to make their houses famous and their memories eternall as Dauid well obserueth Psal 49.11 These are like Nero of whom the Historian saith Sueton. in vita Neron cap. 55. Erat ei aeternitatis perpetuaeque famae cupido sed inconsulta He did affect eternall fame but he tooke no wise course to effect it It is like Dauids censure in the thirteenth Verse of that Psalme This their way vttereth their foolishnesse And no meruaile for God dealeth with them as the Ephesians dealt with Erostratus who would be famous by burning the Temple of Diana As they enacted a law that no man should speake of Erostratus so almighty God enacteth a law of obliuion against these carnall minded men their memoriall perisheth for euer This land did once so ouer-flow with charity to the Church that the statute of Mortmaine came in like the Riuers Euphrates and Tigris to Babylon Ita Iunius in Genes 2. Solini errorem corrigens to preuent the rankenesse of the soyle But there came a time when that statute repealed was like Nilus set at liberty for the watering of Aegypt Though bleare-eyed Leah be more fruitfull then beautifull Rachel Superstition commonly more sumptuous then true Religion yet if you consider the Hospitals Grammer Schooles our admirable Library our Colledges builded enlarged and augmented with indowments and other workes of charitie since the light of the Gospell blessed be God we may well say that Gedeons fleece hath beene watered aswell as his floore Iudg. 6. Our age hath yeelded gracious Dorcases who haue beene full of good workes and almes-deedes Acts 9. and worthy Centurions who haue loued our nation Luk. 7. and builded vs Synagogues All these instruments of Gods glory may come with comfort into the Lords Exchequer and for euery one of their worthy acts may say Remember me O my God concerning this Though some perhaps will be ready to mutter forth with Iudas Iohn 12.4 quorsum haec profusio What needeth this waste Yet others I trust will say with Iacob Genes 17. sit vp and eate of my venison that thy soule may blesse me Surely our soules shall euer blesse these worthies both present and succeeding ages shall eternize their memorable acts so long as the Gospell is preached here amongst vs which I trust shall be so long as the world standeth Mat. 26.13 This which they haue done shall be spoken for a memoriall of them as our Sauiour said concerning the Woman with the boxe of ointment Their name is like a good ointment as Salomon saith the sweete perfume whereof when they are gone forth of the roome of this present world shall be fresh and redolent euen to the children yet vnborne Yea when timber stones and bookes shall all be worne and dissolued the bookes of heauen shall be opened Reuel 20.12 where all their monuments of charity are written in a most indeleble Character and shall be recompenced with an vnualuable reward euen an eternall crowne of glory And all you who heare me at this day let my counsell be acceptable vnto you get something for which the Lord may remember you and the remembrance whereof may be a comfort to you at the houre of death prouide with Ioseph in the time of plenty against the day of scarsity Iohn 9. the night commeth when no man can worke Be of Vlysses minde in Euripides Eurip. in Hecuba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let me see my tombe honoured whilest I am aliue Rom 12.1 2 Cor. 9.7 God loues a liuing sacrifice and a chearefull giuer Thinke with Titus Vespaan you haue lost that day wherein you haue not done
some good O what a blessed houre shall that be wherein your soules shall expire with Hezekias words I beseech thee O Lord Esay 38.3 remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Then may you say with Deborah Iudg. 5.21 O my soule thou hast marched valiantly Yea then may you say with Dauid Psal 116.7 returne vnto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath rewarded thee Death is the worlds strict doore-keeper and will see that as you brought nothing into the world 1 Tim. 6.7 so you shall carry forth nothing againe Yet can he not hinder you from that happinesse which the Oracle of heauen hath proclaimed Reuel 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Consider I beseech you that onely your good workes will be your companions to heauen They shall be your honour in life your comfort in death and your crowne at the last Resurrection And so much for the first Petition The second Petition 1. The matter of it PLutarch and diuers other Historians report of Manlius Torquatus that when his sonne Manlius Plutarch in vita Quint. Faebij Max. contrary to his Edict had valiantly encountred and slaine an enemie he first crowned him for his valour and then beheaded him for his disobedience So standeth the case betweene God and vs whilest he seeth something in vs which may be rewarded he findeth something also which deserueth to be punished As Saint Augustine saith Aug. in psal 100 Nisi Deus per misericordiam parceret non inueniret quos per iustitiam coronaret Except God should spare vs in mercy he should finde none whom he might crowne in iustice This maketh Nehemiah when he hath cryed out Remember me O my God concerning this to adde this next Petition And pardon mee according to thy great mercy Desiring not to be Rewarded with young Manlius in strictnesse of iustice but as Dauid prayeth Psal 103.4 to be crowned with mercy and louing kindnesse If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted Genes 4.7 saith the Lord to Kain Or as Tremelius translateth it Nònne erit remissio shalt thou not be pardoned The Hebrew word yeeldeth both significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the present text doth challenge both For Gods Remission and his Remuneration like Mercy and Truth must meete together Psal 85.10 like Righteousnesse and Peace they must kisse each other According to that of Ambrose Ambros lib. 7. in Luc. Arbiter omnium dedit pietati praemium infirmitati remedium The Iudge of all the world hath prouided both a reward for piety and a remedy for infirmity Thus Daniel commeth into the Lords Court where hauing deepely deplored the Israelites misery and earnestly implored the Lords mercy hee knitteth vp his Petition in this manner Dan 9.18 We doe not present our supplications before thee O God for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies Thus Iob dareth not stand to his tryall at the barre of Gods Iustice Iob 9.15 but will call for a Psalme of mercy and will supplicate his iudge Infinite are the places throughout the passages of sacred Scripture where the most sanctified seruants of God doe confesse their infirmities disclaime their merits and appeale to Gods mercies and reason For as S. Augustine saith Woe to the most laudable life of men if it be examined in strictnesse of iustice Suppose beloued we be not conscious to our selues of any grosse sinnes that wee haue neyther the crying sinnes of the Sodomites Genes 18. nor the crimson sinnes of the Israelites Esa 1. Act. 8. nor the bitter sinnes of Simon Magus Yet alas many are the infirmities of our soules many the deformities of our liues yea many are our secret sinnes In our best actions we scatter many imperfections and still we faile eyther in the end the matter or manner or measure of our obedience So that if our best actions should come to a strict tryall Lord how ignorant would our knowledge be found How froward our patience How superficiall our Repentance How proud our Humility How wauering our Hope How fraile our Faith How cruell our Mercies Wee may well say with Dauid Psal 130.3 If thou O Lord be extreame to marke what is done amisse who can be able to stand Vtique illud quis nullus est Chrys in ps 130. saith Chrysostome Surely that who is no body at all Iob indeede in the vehemency of passion desireth to dispute his case with God Iob. 23.4 but vpon cold blood God biddeth him gyrd vp his loynes and arme himselfe with arguments Iob. 40.2 For he knoweth that Iob is not able to answere one of a thousand but must come into the Lords Court of Requests with this Petition Pardon me according to thy great mercy Pardon me The Hebrew word Vecusah being deriued of Casah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hide doth very well expresse the manner and nature of our pardon For according to the vse of the word in the sacred Scriptures it may haue reference eyther to Gods eye or his Act His Eye and then it noteth his conniuence like that in the seauenteenth of the Acts. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17.30 God winked at His Act and then it implyeth the couering of our sinnes with the mantle of Christs merits Psal 32.1 and both import an absolute pardon without relation to merit punishment or satisfaction and indeede it is as oposite to them as the two tropicks are to another as contrary as Fire is to Water This Pardon is expressed in the Scripture with great variety of the like phrases Sometime God is said to passe by our sinnes Amos 8. To put them away Esa 44. To cast them into the Sea Mich. 7. To forget them Ierem. 31. Not to mention them Ezech 18. To wash them away Psalm 51. To cast them behinde his backe Esay 38. To couer them Psal 32. and to pardon them as it is here and in many other places Thus God passeth by our sinnes as though he saw them not Putteth them away that they hurt vs not Casteth them into the Sea that they drowne vs not Forgetteth them so that hee punisheth them not Doth not mention them as though they were not washeth them away that they defile vs not Casteth them behinde his backe as though hee regarded them not Couers them that they appeare not and pardons them that they condemne vs not Behold here an absolute pardon for our singular consolation and the Papists extreme confusion For they depend vpon a ridiculous pardon of the sinne with reseruation of the punishment wherein they would make God an hypocrite like themselues with their mentall reseruation To whom I may say in Daniels words to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.16 Let the