and euery one for himselfe no atturneyes no proxies Thinke too thinke of our distance shall I speake to the Lord that am but dust and ashes what words shall I chuse saith he Iob 9.15 Alas all thought of answere then will bee in vaine for besides that we are not able to answere him one thing of a thousand that day is his day his day of wrath the time of mercy is ouer past irreuocably past his day of doome is come 't is come to sentence and therefore what shall we doe why while we haue time put in our answere yet the Chancery and Court of Requests is open Now is the accepted time now is the day of Saluation My text is future yet he shall come he shall visite Here is a latitude for repentance yet hee expects calls for our answere and we know to what we haue his Bill his Articles Interrogatories that is his Law written and engrauen in our hearts we must now frame and put in our answere what is it Repentance first for so may that of the Apostle be vnderstood in Eph. 6. where he enioines the Christian souldier to haue his feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace I know some take that preparation of the Gospell for a readinesse to preach the Gospell which should they belong alone to vs Ministers others for a promptnesse in profession others euangelicall obedience and some take it to bee patience and not vnlikely But may it not also endure this meaning of Repentance too considering it is made the first step in the way of life and so the first entrance into the field against Satan by Iohn first the day starre who rose before the Sunne and came to prepare they way how Repent c. And our Sauiour in the same minde vpon the same text Repent for the kingdome of Heauen is at hand Sad sighes and prayers and teares make vp the first part of Repentance and make vp so the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which God will not despise And hast thou thus Is the rocke clouen come drops of warme blood in anguish from thy heart break there flouds of bitter weping from thine eies This is a faire piece of an answere Such teares haue a voice that reaches Heauen and not from Dauid onely The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping but from Manasses too a fearefull Sinner Because thou hast wept before mee I haue heard it 'T is musicke to the Almighties selfe and raises a ioy in Heauen Can the Prodigall that had wasted all his stocke of grace say but Father I haue sinned See before he can come to say so God he meetes him on the way and receiues him to mercy But this answere hath a second part Take heede least your hearts bee hardned by sinnes deceitfulnesse It is a Circe and a Syren wee must stop our eares and resolue to bee deafe to all her charmes charme shee neuer so wisely neuer so worldly wisely giuing not a faint and cold but a peremptory and small answere with the Psalmist Away from me for I will keepe the Commandements of my God Will keepe them I that is I haue sworne and am stedfastly purposed This is the meaning of the Apostle Tit. 3. The grace of God hath appeared teaching Vs what Our answere and how that by denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts The best answere is a flat denyall a round refusall like our head Christ Iesus who being tempted had his answere readie And this is our first answere in a full Repentance made vp of griefe and Resolution 2. A second answere is Obedience our workes for words will not carry it Not euery one that saith Lord Lord And some answeres we reade of shall not serue the turne Some will answere Lord thou hast preach'd in our streetes and we haue preach'd in thy Name Tell not mee of preaching saith our Sauiour vnlesse your lifes haue preacht too Away from me you workers of iniquitie God will haue this answere complexioned of piety and honesty when these are married they are crown'd with the grace and blessing of God A number deceiue themselues as the Iewes when they cry Corbun once as the Papists cracke of Ecclesia catholica Romana so these conclude all lies in beeing professours zealous magnifying themselues and despising others But what were the Pharisees by Christs owne testimony religious and yet wicked People may draw neere with their lips and their hearts farre enough off If thou hast faith faith Saint Iames let vs see it Let your light shine how why in action shine or else to bare profession our Sauiour threats a round and proportionall answere At that day I will professe to you I know you not Obiection But will the weake soule say May I trust to these answeres May I first trust to my Repentance I feele indeede the weight of sinne and finding the offence of an infinite Iustice I am horribly afraid deiected like Dauid when hee ask'd his sad soule why art thou so heauy I am so so wounded pierced strucke thorow and my heart rebounds into my eyes I weepe and I crie mightily for mercy but can I helpe it Is not sinne a Serpent a Sea a Fire a Poyson was I not stung by this Serpent drown'd in this Sea miserably schorcht by this fire enuenomed in the whole masse of my nature with this corruption before I was borne And since alas I haue added to this Ocean put fewell to this fire helpt to infixe this sting and worke into my heart the contagion and then am I able to resolue against sinne to deny vngodlinesse to reiect the tempter to giue my Iusts their finall answere I finde indeede naturall men morall men when they will compound an happy man put in this as one ingredient responsare cupidinibus sibi imperiosus enabling him to checke and controule to Commaund and subdue rebellious passions by the dictates of rectified reason And their seuerall answeres to diuerse corrupt affections are enough to shame me and all that professe themselues christians But were they able to keepe their owne rules or am I able What to hate sinne so as I ought with a perfect hatred I flie some enormous vices for feare of Lawes But tolle periclûm iam vaga prosiliet c. and though I know there is death in the pot the wages of sinne is no better though I pull the fruite and taste it and prooue it to be naught but gall and bitternesse nay barrennesse and shame Yet such is my madnesse to pursue a new shame and seeke death in the errour of life falling like a birde or a beast Nay no bird no beast would so oft fall into the same snare same pit into the same sinne whereof I haue againe and againe repented me What then shall I doe Shall I rely on my second answere and trust in my owne righteousnesse Some bold men dare doe so and dare teach others so dare boast a stocke and
treasury of mercy and satisfaction But Lord I find the language of Canaan thy holy Word and the cries of thy holy servants farre otherwise I finde thy Bernard say Nolo Horreo meritum Thy Dauid O Lord if thou enter into iudgement no flesh shall be iustified And thy blessed Saint Paul I finde another law haling me c. Rom. 7. and therefore I heare him crying ripe to say O miserable man who shall deliuer me These are yet the eiaculations of an humble soule asking seeking knocking at the gate of heauen and this very debating is a fruit of the Spirit growing on to a perfect answere In Men's consultings resoluings for worldly affaires they may they doe vsually mis-count mis-carry fortune choaks their artillerie But in these holy prouisions the end is euer gratious successe glorious If the Iailor in the Acts and Saint Peters hearers come but to a wounded conscience to be prickt at their hearts and to cry What shall wee doe Marke what followes and how fast it followe Beleeue repent be baptized and saued Saued how by beleeuing in him that is able to frame a sufficient answere Hee that made them wonder at his gracious answeres and to whom no man was able to answere a word Who was that and where is he to be had If any man sinne any man that finds himselfe a sinner Let him put his answere to his aduocate for we haue him saith Saint Iohn wee haue an aduocate Iesus Christ the righteous He is the propitiation for our sinnes Take then thy Shield of faith and quench all the fiery darts of the Deuill This is the new and liuing way of answering God by his Sonne by the blood of Iesus Hebr. 10. May not then the Christian beleeuer haue accesse with boldnesse for shall both bleed for sinne or shall hee bleed in vaine Peccaui peccatum grande saith he I haue committed an hainous sinne yet on my faith and repentance I will goe to God say Lord thou canst haue but blood merit sacrifice satisfaction exact obedience Take then thy Son Iesus He is all these and all these to me for he is mine I receiue him by faith and I finde comfort hope liuely hope full assurance in him I will not therefore flie with Cain and cry with him My sin is greater no thy mercy reioyces against sinne and now therefore there is no condemnation to them that be in Christ Iesus My answere then to thy bill is it was torne when his bodie was torne 'T is cancelled and was nail'd to his Crosse My debt was great but is pai'd to the vtmost farthing Thy wrath let it be a cup he hath drunke it of Let it be more a whole Wine-presse he hath trode it alone I will then put on my Lord Iesus and come in the rayment of my elder brother and be roab'd in his innocencie and canst thou then denie me No thou canst not thou mayst as well denie thy selfe for if I haue it faire to shew vnder thy owne hand Euery gratious promise in thy Gospell is such yea this was thine owne act in my saluation For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe But may I not prodigally and presumptuously fling away my soule in a vaine confidence of mercie Yes many doe so that will do nothing themselues not when they haue the assistance and proffer of helpe from heauen Therefore I will compound and put all these answeres together I will trust to my Sauiours merit but I will repent too and pray too and worke too and so worke out mine owne saluation with feare and trembling And though I haue no holinesse of mine owne and without it no seeing thee at the day of iudgement yet thou the God of my peace wilt sacrifice me against that day 1. Thessal 5. O blessed and full answere now and O blessed condition of such happie soules so farre from affrightment at thought of the Iudges comming that they shall then reioyce and lift vp their faces and in the meane time are of the number and Communion of those Saints that loue his appearing looking for and hasting to the comming of their Lord in glory calling crying Bow the heauens and come downe and Lord how long and come Lord Iesus Come quickly I haue done with the explication of my Text. There is a fourefold application First in generall to the land and state whereof we are a part God hath perform'd his office of a Visitour ouer vs both wayes In mercie Thus long preseruing vs and extending peace ouer vs as a floud euen then when it hath beene a Sea a red Sea of bloud and ruine round about vs. Visiting vs in his vigilancy and defeating our enemies blasted attempts in 88. In the Powder-Treason Giuing vs strange and miraculous deliuerances amongst them not the least the bringing backe our present Royall Soueraigne from the hand and land of his enemies How many other wayes hath this holy watcher from his circle and seate of heauen visited vs and kept vs vnder his wings of gratious Prouidence and if he had not would not our foes by this haue rooted out our name from vnder heauen and the name of English Protestants beene no more in remembrance for wanted there either might or malice in them hoping and proiecting oft to haue made our land like Sodome clouds of Pitch and heapes of ashes But the snare hath bin hitherto still broken and we yet deliuered by his gratious and mercifull Visitation That second way of visiting in iudgement the Lord hath also of late begunne to trie amongst vs by that plague which swept away so many thousands and by the lowd and dreadfull sound of warre in neighbour Countries that haue really tasted and actually endured all that propheticall description The noyse of weapons rowling of garments in blood spoiling their houses rauishing their wiues and Virgins and breaking their children in peeces before their eyes And these things befalne such as deserue from vs a tender and deare respect we being wounded through their sides or if these accidents beyond the water will not waken vs God hath his way in the Sea faith the Scripture and we might haue markt his dealing with vs there for a long time being able to doe no good there and our enemies able to doe vs much mischiefe from thence God hath his way in the earth and vnder it and we haue felt him there sensibly perceiued his mighty hand from thence in the ayre he hath his path too and walkes vpon the wings of the winde and there he causd those rotten vapours to blend themselues into a pestilent defluxion and powre their virulence on the earth And if wee take into consideration the present brauerie of the enemie abroad and our home-diuisions our great boughs beating one against another no man that is not extreamely stupid but will easily finde that God is angry with his people and that our sinnes deserue the hastning of the last iudgement in the
the daughter of Sion not her Seruant but her Soueraigne her King the King of Kings comes vnto her meeke And is it not then a miserable consideration a wretched spectacle to see a proud man and an humble God an angry impatient and a mercilesse man and yet a God of Loue and long-suffering I looke to Heauen and thence I finde descending the Sauiour of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is his description in Heor 1.3 the brightnesse of his Fathers Glory and the expresse image of his person in shape not onely of a man but of a Seruant Hee that commands legions of Angels and whose attendants they were in the wildernesse and proud of the office to serue him as his cookes butlers And shall not this example worke on mee that am but dust and wormes and keepe mee from insulting ouer inferiours who though my seruants and my meanest Hines and drudges are yet respecting him our Lord and Father both my fellow-seruants and my fellow-brethren Obserue the prouocations to this vertue Hee scornes the scorner resists the proud but giues grace to the humble The Meeke he will guide in iudgement in his iudgement hee will teach them his way Psal 25. when he shares the world he tels vs the Meeke shall inherit the Earth and delight themselues in aboundance of peace Psal 39.7 which he ratifieth in his blessing Math. 5.5 But this is earthly blessing is it not heauenly in things so Heare him in his Prophet * Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is vpon mee because the Lord hath anointed mee to preach good tydings and we know what that meanes to whom to the Meeke His first comming was for the Meeke in the same Prophet Esa 11.4 and to meete againe with the text when God shall visite when this Sonne of God shall stand vp to ludge and to cast all proud and barbarous and cruell dispositions into Hell So he will then lift vp the Meeke and neuer leaue these polisht iewels till he hath inset them in Heauenly Glory For the Lord takes pleasure in his people and will beautifie the Meeke with saluation Psal 149.4 And therefore who is a wise man saith Saint Iames Ia. 3.13 let him shew out of a good coÌ„uersation his workes in meekenesse of wisedome for such is Heauenly Wisedome at vers 17. first pure then peaceable gentle easie to bee intreated full of mercie c. If we preach it must be in Loue and the spirit of Meekenesse 1. Cor. 4. vlt. If you heare receiue with Meekenesse the Word Iam. 1.21 If wee will both Preacher and Hearers walke worthy our vocation it must bee with all lowlinesse and Meekenesse c. Ephe. 4.2 For as if in this one grace all the rest were lock'd and infoulded so doth the Apostles speake there and reckoning vp the seuerall gifts of the spirit in Gal. 5. They seeme all to be but Meekenesse diuersified to seuerall names To end I beseech you brethren by the Meekenesse and gentlenesse of Christ be yee clothed with humilitie and vpon that reason which is here in my text God visits for rigour he resists the proud but giues grace to the humble 1. Pet. 5.5 Furthermore if crueltie exclude from Paradise and disable from standing in the day of visitation Vse this for terrour against all the terrible Ones vpon earth all exalted and cruell oppressours They must heare of the wrath of this superuisor in Heauen who sees them from thence and from thence they shall in that day see him come to visite for this sinne Though they can ouersoare and escape all power on Earth yet see what a day the Lord threatens to make in Amos 8. and ioyne to that the prophesie of Esa 10.1.2.3 c. Ierem. 6.6 c. Lastly extend this for Consolation Regum timendorum in proprios greges saith hee the highest power on Earth can stretch but to their Vassalls but ouer Princes themselues in his prerogatiue and dominion that here stands vp in my Text and of whom Salomon saith hee is higher then they In the cause and quarrell of Christ Iesus then we must then put on the resolution of those three valiant Children The God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs Dan. 3. but if not we will not disobey his command for any countermand on Earth And in this all those poore Saints of God that groane vnder the Turkish yoke or Spanish inquisition all those poope tennants and seruants that liue rackt and opprest and ground to powder vnder the mercilesse and rigorous Lords and Masters must aduance the eye of their soules with comfort to the comming of this great and glorious Iudge and Lord of Heauen for that day of his visitation shall be also the day of their full redemption My third application is to foure sorts of visitours First you that are authorized ouer vs you see God will discharge his office doe you set God euer before you his example and his feare and first learne his first visitation in mercy in kindenesse to vs your brethren to doe vs good 'T is God we confesse appoints degrees of Superiority and excellence in all Orders of Angels in Heauen in the Skie greater lesser lights Lower still Eagles and Flies Cedars and Shrubs among the very Stones the brightest tincture giuen to the Ruby clearest light to the Diamond But by comparing parts of the body the Apostle prooues the head cannot want the foote among vs specially of the clergy no proud insulting for the rule holds on this side the water too that the Capuchin and Cordelier the poorer part of this Tribe vphold the dignity of Priesthood ballancing with the pompe of some superiour prelates Secondly doe you visite as God ad correctionem and not hold it a vertue laxare disciplinam Remember the worlds intertaining Mahumetisme is ascribed to three causes Pâ—â—tis Arrianae Manichaes furores and the third d sciplina laxata But wherein doe we neede your inspection in both our learning and our life First see to our insufficiency ignorance what silly things suffered not onely to reade but clothing their fancies with pretext of the Spirit to preach too and then the maine way of teaching in many places yet vnpractis'd and that is Catechising Alas what is it to enrich the peoples cares for an howre who if they sleepe not gape and praise the Sermon as they like the tune saith Ezekiel as they doe a Loue-song Eze. 33.32 Then are you ouer mens liues too ouer the Layety to curbe their woluish and fox like shifts and cousenage in the Lords portion but chiefly in that sinne whereto my text appoints you in Gods stead for whore mongers and adulterers God will Iudge he will visite does it dayly and will then doe it dreadfully In the meane time are you his Deputies Delegates Commissioners What though the scornefull fooles as Salomon cals them make a mocke of this sinne a sport and pursue it as an art and trade Yet you know it is