he not super Ius Naturae aut diuinum The Pope though he be aboue all Law meerely positiue yet is he at no hand superiour to the Law of God or Nature And iudge in your selues first can man loose Conscience where God hath bound it secondly Or stands fraile man on euen termes with the Almighty to equall or affront him in Authoritie Where are these records extant wherin God hath conueied such Authoritie to man to legitimate what he hath condemned Poore soules miserably infatuated they must needs be that thinke Gods royalties his peculiar prerogatiues communicable to his creature Yeeld it for the present the truest Etymon of the Popes Epithete Antichristus quasi vice Christus a vice-Christ his vice-gerent and Vicar generall on earth Receiues the surrogate by his substitution power more then was congruent to the principall A threefold power of Christ their owne diuines obserue in this question First one diuine and eternall belonging to our mediatour Iesus as the sonne of God God equall to his father Hereto belongs originally the disposing of kingdomes the making or antiquating of lawes and dispensing with them Secondly Another meerly spiritual congruent to the man Christ but as they speake to him as a man immortall and glorious now managed by himself without deputie at the right hand of his father Thirdly A third which he had and exercised by him as a mortall man in the dayes of his flesh Wherin alone as themselues confesse the Pope may lay claime to his substitution as being the only possible for meere man to manage See if euer our Sauiour admitted or exercised such Regalitie on earth Assumed such dominion power so eximious as to dispose of crownes to translate Kingdomes Authoritie so transcendent as to cancell the lawes of God or to Legitimate highest breaches of morall precepts Heare him speaking to the first Oh homo quis me constituit Iudicem aut diuisorem inter vos Man who hath made me a iudge or diuider betwixt you And to Pilate his profession is His kingdome is not of this world To the second he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it See his next successours as thy are stiled the Apostles euer medled they with such altitudes of Temporalitie Assumed they such Authoritie Stetisse lego Apostolos judicandos sedisse iudicantes non lego Erit illud non fuit sayd Bernard elegantly to Pope Eugenius interposing himselfe as Iudge in ciuill contentions that the Apostles stood to be iudged I read that they sate as Iudges I read not That shal be their glorie in the Regeneration to sit on Thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel Such magnificence they aspired to none in the dayes of their mortalitie Only to the Bishop of Rome to that seruus seruorum Dei belongs equalitie of power with God himselfe As God so may he authorize violations of morall precepts and dispense euen with the lawes of God As God to Iehu to slay Iehoram to Ehud to slay Eglon so this Deus Deorum giue indulgence to subiects to murther their Naturall princes But enough of that Arrogancie no lesse then Luciferian we returne to Iezabel her mis application Here must be acknowledged the mistake and errour of Iezabel her mis-application to the person of Iehu Iehu is not as Zimri led with priuate ambition but comes with Authority from God to destroy Iehoram and his Brethren To him therefore impertinently is that example of Gods vengeance Howbeit after her hypothesis her obseruation and caution is good supposing Iehu as Zimri a trayterous conspiratour against his master Zimries vengeance should haue bin Iehu his warning Sure it is Gods vengeances are exemplarie And should be warnings to all to flie like sinnes least they tast like vengeance So Saint Paul hauing to Corinthians reckoned vp a catalogue of Israelites sinnes and related their vengeance admonisheth that they came to them as ensamples and were written for our warning on whom the ends of the world are come So Saint Peter mentioning the fall of Angels the fearefull ouerthrow of Sodome and Gomorrah and the deluge brought vpon the old world closeth that they were set forth as Ensamples Thus haue Saints holily vsed their meditation Nehemiah obseruing Sabbathes polluted in Ierusalem thus to the Rulers Did not our fathers thus and all this wrath came vpon vs In another particular fell not Salomon by this meanes though beloued of his God The Ambassadours from the Congregation to the Rubenites Gadites and halfe Tribe of Manasseh erecting an Altar not for sacrifice as was supposed but for memoriall yet in suspicion of such euill would thus deterre them Is the iniquitie of Peor too little from which we are not clensed vnto this day that you must returne also from following the Lord why am I long First Gods Iustice we know to be impartiall with God there is no respect of Persons Secondly And they must looke to partake in the plagues that partake in the sinnes of Babylon I can wish on this occasion as Moses Oh that Gods people were wise so wise as to thinke euerie sinners vengeance exemplarie and to make it their warning how they fall by example of like disobedience Prouidence neuer so slept but it hath affoorded to all ages spectacles of Gods wrath examples of his vengeance vpon the children of disobedience Drunkards how many haue we seene after Salomons threatening cloathed with rags Adulterers filled with rottennesse brought to a morsell of bread louers of pastime sporting brought to pouertie Honourable families ruined by harbouring Popish superstition exposed to Gods wrath by oppression of the poore by their excesse of Ryot and luxurious intemperance Yet who when he sees this feares and learnes to doe no more presumptuously And rather thinkes not as the Hypocrites in Isai Though a Plague run ouer all it shall not come nigh him And is not readie to conceit some singular specialtie in their degree and measure of sinning whom vengeance hath so ouertaken To speake to the particular in hand how frequent haue bin examples of Gods vengeance vpon bloudie traitours Who hath euer knowne bloudie traitour to haue dyed a dry death Had Zimri peace that slew his Master Had Gowrie peace that attempted to slay his Master Went those incendiaries of the Powder-treason without bloud to their Graues I had almost sayd to their Hell Search records diuine humane and say who euer prospered that but dipped his finger in the bloud of the Lords annoynted It is very remarkeable in this sinne more then in many Though vengeance hath passed ouer other sinners yet seldome missed it the head of a bloudy traitour Blasphemers and Atheists we haue seene liuing and dying without any visible vengeance Murtherers some to haue gone to their Graues in peace Bloudy traytors few or none that haue escaped the hand of God or sword of the Magistrate Yea singular specialties there are many obseruable in their vengeance Many dying in the fact in the heat of pursuing their ambitious
let vs see for what ends the Lord hath appointed death for his owne Children One is the abolishing of the reliques of sinne that euen after regeneration sticke in vs. By a wonderfull wisedome God hath ordained that during the dwelling of the soule in the body there shall be also a dwelling of sinne in our mortall body partly to exercise vs by resisting the assaults thereof partly to shew vs from how great a bondage Christ hath deliuered vs But by death hee puts an end to sinne in respect of all practice and inhabitation Through enuy of the deuill sinne entred into the world and death by sinne Through the wisedome of God death puts an end to sinning And this is one end of this appointment of God A second is to put an end to the sensible miseries of this life for as there continues a remanent of the old Adam euen after grace so some portion of afflictions still remaynes to Gods Children not as Papists teach for satisfaction but partly to giue vs a taste of those miseries from which Christ hath freed vs partly to tame and subdue Corruption partly to conforme to the Image of Christ Now death brings an end to all sensible euills And for this cause also hath God prouided death as a remedy lest too long endurance of euills should ouercome our patience Thirdly that the soule might be admitted into the presence of God which made Paul desire a Phil 1.23 to be dissolued because he knew his soule should persently be admitted into the presence of Christ Vse 1 Now seeing God for these good ends hath ordained the death of his Saints methinkes it should teach vs contentment at least if not reioycing in the death of all those that dye in the Lord. And surely if any man haue knowne and felt the misery of subiection vnto his sinnes the strong rebellion of Corruption against grace I doubt not but hee is thus minded that in that respect he would change conditions with the meanest of Gods Saints that haue dyed in the Lord. And therefore well is it with the dead they rest from their labours their workes follow them and which is not the least blessing they are freed from the miserable bondage to Corruption Now as touching the wicked the Reason of their dying is because death is to them a part of the Curse due to their sinnes and there must be an end put to their pleasures in sinning a bringing of their soules to those vnsufferable torments God hath prouided for impenitent sinners And therefore I wonder not Vse if as the wise man speaketh the very remembrance of death bee bitter vnto them it is their iudgement their Curse the end of reioycing the very suburbes and gate that leades into Hell See we now the last thing .i. the consequent of death After that comes the iudgement I hope I shall not need to vse many words amongst vs Christians to euidence this truth being so plentifully taught in Scripture consented vnto by the Heathen testified by our conscience euidenced by particular iudgements The Scriptures are plentifull in this point how often occurre these and the like sayings God shall bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery a Ecles 12. vlt. secret thing whether it be good or euill We must all appeare before the b 2 Cor. 5.10 iudgement seate of Christ that euery one may receiue the things he hath done in his body whether they be good or euill The Heathen had their tribunall after death and Aeacus Minos and Rhadamanthus presidents of proceedings therein Yea aske but the Conscience of the vilest Athiest it will be a thousand witnesses of this truth how often are they filled with vnspeakeable horrours especially in death wherefore but because they know there is a iudgement that followes it See but particular iudgements which are as praludia iudicij vniuersalis the ouerthrow of Sodom the deluge of the old world particular iudgements on particular persons what else doe they testifie but a iudgement to come some sinnes are here punished that wee might know there is a prouidence and a iudge that takes notice not all here punished that wee might expect a greater iudgement to come Yea that very Confusion of things as they terme it which some haue brought as an argument to ouerthrow both prouidence and iudgement viz the present prosperity of the wicked and the afflicted estate of Gods Children it is argument sufficient in Pauls diuinity to proue a iudgement to come c 2. Thes 1.4.5 The present persecutions of Gods children are an euident Demonstration of a iudgement to come and Salomon d Eccle. 3.16.17 before him in his suruiew of vanities I saw sayth he a place of iudgement and â—oe there was wickednesse a place of Iustice and behold iniquity what inferres he therefore no prouidence therfore no iudgement to come Nay but the contrary I sayd in my heart surely God will iudge the iust and vniust for a time there is for euery purpose and for euery worke See we a little what this iudgement importes Iudgement implies three things First Examination and withall discouerie of euery mans workes whether they be a Eccl. 12. vlt. good or euill then b 1 Cor. 4.5 come your close and secret adulteries then your priuie and coloured bribery then your hypocrisie then your euery euill worke to be scanned and examined The c Apoc. â—0 12 bookes are opened first of Gods d Mal. 3.16 remembrance wherein are registred euery of our sinnes euen to an e Math. 12.36 idle word secondly of our owne Conscience which serues to bring in records against vs of all our vngodly deedes which wee haue vngodlily committed Secondly After Examination followes sentence giuing First of Absolution to Gods Children howsoeuer here laden with reproaches and scandals condemned for Hypocrites The Lord shall then euidence by fruites of faith that sure their faith was vnfained Secondly of Condemnation vpon the wicked here blearing the eyes of men with I know not what pretenses of their good hearts and good faith to God The Lord shall then make their madnesse and dissembling knowne to all men by lacke of true Good workes to grace their pretended faith with all Math. 25.35.42 Thirdly After sentence follows Execution .i. A happie admission of Gods Children into possession of the kingdome prepared by the father purchased by Christ Iesus Secondly A heauy and vncomfortable dismission of all impenitent and incorrigible sinners into that lake that burnes with fire and Brimestone before the throne of God for euer and euer Vse Now Brethren I could wish in applying of this doctrine I had a measure of the Apostles spirit that I might with it pierce into the Consciences of vs all S. Paul a 2. Cor. 5.11 hauing breifly mentioned this doctrine of last iudgement thus sayth that by this terror he perswaded men And surely if this terror perswade not to repentance I know not what will
and the same testimonie can many others giue him touching my predecessor whose soule is now with God a rare and worthy example And if such vertues were capable of bequeathment I could wish he had left this commendable part amongst others for a Legacy to men in his sort to see the cunning couetous dealing of most men in this kind it is lamentable such reseruations and annuall gratuities such curtolling of Ministers maintenance as Hanun vsed the garments of Dauids seruants they are cut off by the middle And Michas his wages ten shekells of siluer a liuery and meate and drinke a large allowance for a Minister and indeed fit maintenance for such Chaplaines but yet a filthy practise in such Patrons For practise of life subiect to frailties and who is free But for aught I know cleare from notorious crimes If any haue beene so credulous as to censure him vpon bare rumour let him remember that such credulity agrees not with charity and let him feare least the hard measures he hath mete vnto this gentleman be noâ— rendred him double in Gods iust iudgement For state and calling a Magistrate of highest place amongst vs employed in affaires of weightiest importance a good argument of his tryed fidelity For loue of his Country conspicuous for dispatch of businesse speedy and painefull yea euen in time of weakenesse And as I haue heard bewailing his weakenesse for noe one thing more then that it disabled him for seruice of the Country Come we to behauiour in sicknesse it pleased God to afflict him with a long violent and painefull disease yet this hath bin obserued in him that he neuer vttered any one speech of impatience and discontentment at the hand of God So great patience vnder so great afflictions argues me thinkes some apprehension of Gods loue euen in afflictions And that we might see his constancy in loue of the truth when God had debarred him from the congregation be was not onely willing but desirous to heare in priuate often melting into teares as well at the propounding of Gods sweete mercies as at reproofes and denuntiations of iudgements In priuate conference desirous and glad to be farther informed touching his owne estate and meanes of Saluation answering with teares to most things propounded to me a good arguargument of a contrite heart which God hath promised not to despise In the last agony so long as God gaue memory often calling on that sweete name of Iesu for helpe mercy pardon of sinnes Yet when some distractions were on him through violence of paines able and ready to giue a reason of his hope being demanded of the ground of his hope of Saluation he professed to cleaue only to the merits of Christ demanded againe a reason of his hope to haue part in Christs merits he thus answered because I seeke him and surely saith Dauid thou Lord neuer failest them that seeke thee in sincerity Yea after vse of outward senses was gone we often heard passionate callings on the name of Iesu I doubt not but he found sweetnesse in that name to help him and haue mercy on him These so many and so worthy prescriptions methinkes must needes wring from the most vncharitable amongst vs at least a hopefull perswasion that he dyed Gods Child And for mine owne part I cannot but professe more then a hope that his soule is with God If any man thinke I haue beene too prodigall of his prayses let him thus iudge that Christian charity as it loues not to tenter the sins of others but euer to extenuate human fraileties so is it delighted to amplifie to the vtmost the iust praises of them it respects Yet this withall if I haue any way faulted I feare it is rather in omissions through forgetfulnesse then in any sort by ouerreaching thruogh flattery HEB. 9.27.28 And as it is appointed vnto all men once to dye and then comes the iudgement So Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many and vnto them that looke for him shall he appeare the second time without sinne vnto Saluation THe Context lyes thus The Apostle to shew the excellency of Christ the high Priest of the new Testament aboue the high Priest of the old Law hath entred a large comparison betwixt them the cheife things wherein they are compared are three First the Sanctuary whereinto they entred Secondly the matter which they offered Thirdly the number of offerings The Leuiticall high Priest entred into a Sanctuary made with handes Christ into heauen it selfe figured by that Sanctuary the high Priest offered the bloud of beasts Christ his owne blood for a price of redemption the Leuiticall high Priest offered often because his Sacrifices were imperfect Christ but once because by that one oblation he hath perfected for euer them that be sanctified therefore is he a more excellent high Priest Now this last point of his once offering is farther illustrated by a comparison of likes in the text now read the summe whereof is this that as by Gods ordinance men dye but once so by the same appointment of God was Christ but once offered The parts of the text as of all other plenary comparisons are two a Protasis .i. the first part of the similitude which is brought to illustrate An Apodosis .i. the second part which is illustrated In the Protasis vers 27. there are these foure things obserueable for touching the Apodosis ver 28. time will not suffer to speake first the ground or Cause of Death Gods appoyntment Secondly the subiect of death Man Thirdly the Number of dyings once Fourthly the Consequent of death after that comes the iudgement Doctrine It is appoynted So hath Gods hand and ordinance a speciall stroke in our death Our Sauiour Matth. 10.29 testifieth of Sparrowes that not one of them falls to the ground by the hand of the fowler but by Gods prouidence and speciall appointment how much lesse a man more worth then many Sparrowes And that place is knowne a Iob. 14.5 Mans dayes are determined and the number of his moneths is with God he hath set him his boundes which he cannot passe More proofe needes not amongst vs Christians that haue learnt to acknowledge a speciall prouidence of God extending it selfe to euery action and accident of mans life And here first are controlled two heathenish opinions Vse 1 of men bearing the face of Christians The first is of them that impute this and such like euents to the disposition of fortune the Idoll of the heathen An heathenish and Bruitish conceit ouer burning all grounds of patience faith piety and religion For Confutation that one place touching that which we call chance medly in death abundantly sufficeth a Deut. 19.5 If a man goe to the wood with his neighbour to hew wood his hand strikes with the Axe to cut downe the tree the head flies from the helue and smites his neighbour that he dieth I b Exod. 21.13 the Lord saith God haue
see in our people Well there is no remedy we are borne to dye sorrow will not helpe it a good plausible ground for patience in Reason But know we religious patience hath another ground Psal 39. I was dumbe saith Dauid and opened not my mouth why because thou O Lord didst it This is Christian patience to moderate our affections vpon this ground because we know it is the Lord that doth it and death of friends betides vs by Gods appointment It is appoynted to all men once to dye Vse 3 There are sundry other vses inferred by Gods spirit vpon this doctrine that God hath appointed our death Iob hauing at large treated of this point thus inferres for his owne vse seeing God hath numbered my dayes and determined the number of my moneths decreed my death and dissolution Therefore all the dayes of mine appoynted time will I waite a Iob. 14.14 vntill my change shall come his meaning is that his whole life should be nothing but a Continuall meditation of death Our people haue taken vp an euill by word when they will expresse their vtter and extreme forgetfulnesse of a thing not thought of they vse this comparison I thought as little of it as of my dying day Alas and is that dying day of all things least thought of Haue we not euery day spectacles of our Mortalitie and carrie we not in our bosomes the principles of our dissolution how comes it to passe then that the day of death should be of all things least thought of and farthest out of remembrance and yet it is too true as appeares by those long hopes wee promise to our selues Almost no man so old or so diseased but hee thinkes hee may draw on one yeare longer A dangerous dreame as euer Sathan could send vpon men taking away all care of preparation and opening a gappe to all dissolutenesse of life and Conuersation take we heed of it Vse 4 I might also hence inferre as our Sauiour doth b Ioh. 9.4 that while the day lasts wee should worke the workes of God because there comes a night when as no man can worke He alludes to the Câ—â—tome and vse of men as Dauid hath expressed it in the Psalme the sunne ariseth c. Man goeth out to his worke and to his labour vntill the Euening at night when darkenesse hath couered all things he retires him to his rest because he wants day light to direct him in working So is the terme of euery mans nâ—turall life God hath giuen it to the sons of Men that therein they should worke things pleasing vnto God Whiles this day lasteth worke we the workes of God There comes a night vpon vs that couers all with darkenesse and leaues no time for men to worke in Therefore sayd the Apostle while we haue time a Gal. 6. let vs do good and Salomon b Eccl. 9.10 whatsoeuer thine hand shall find to do do it with all thy power for there is neither worke nor inuention nor knowledge nor wisdome in the graue whither thou goest Proceede we to the second thing the subiect of death Men i. all men If any shall obiect that Enoch and Elias were translated that they should not see death and that Gods Children suruiuing at the day of iudgement shall not sleepe but shall be changed 1. Thes 4. Let him consider first that Extraordinaria non euertunt regulam a few extraordinary instances impeach not the course of generall ordinances And howsoeuer the suruiuers at the last day shall not suffer death as it is a seperation of the soule and the body yet as it puts an end to this animall life they may be sayd after a sort to dye at least this change is vnto them insteed of death or lastly the Apostle here speakes of the ordinary course as it is now stablished amongst men by the appointment of God Now mankind in Scripture are all ranged into these two ranckes Elect and Reprobate Beleeuers and Vnbeleeuers And of both sorts it is true that the Apostle here speakes it is appoynted vnto them all once to dye Now because it may seeme strange that Gods Children freed by Christ from the whâ—â—e curse of the Law should yet be subiect to a necessity of dying it shall not be amisse a little to enquire the reasons of this Gods ordinance in respect of his Children Papists as appeares in all their tracts of Purgatory vsually thus explaine it that Gods Children must therefore dye because by Christ they are freed from none but eternall punishments due for their sinnes As for temporall iudgements as sicknesses Death c. They still remaine vnto vs in the nature of punishments by suffering whereof we must expiate our veniall sinnes as they terme them And therfore it is their constant Doctrine that Christ hath satisfied for none but sinnes mortall freed vs from no punishment but Euerlasting there is a remainder of satisfaction left for vs whereby Gods iustice and wrath must by vs be appeased Now the Apostle a Gal. 3.13 hath taught vs that Christ hath redeemed vs from the Curse of the Law i. from the whole Curse due for our sinnes And who can read Deut. 28. but he must acknowledge bodily sufferinges to be a part of our Curse Isay teacheth Chap 53. that the Chastisement of our peace was laid vpon Christ i. the Chastisement whereby our peace and reconcilement with God was perfectly wrought And the Apostle a Heb. 10.11.14 affirmes that Christ by his one offering of himselfe hath perfected foreuer them that be Sanctified Yea take wee but euen Popish concessions in this kinde they grant that Christ hath deliuered vs perfectly from the guilt of our sinnes Now the guilt is nothing but a Consequent of sinne wherby we stand in account as sinners and are liable to punishment for our offences Now then hath Christ perfectly freed vs from the guilt of our sinnes then stand we as innocent in the sight of God and are reputed of God for Christes sake as if wee had neuer commited our sinnes therefore also are freed from subiection vnto punishment For shall wee say the Lord punisheth a man guiltlesse farre be it from the iust God to punish the guiltlesse as the guilty the guilt is remoued therefore all punishment But wee see these temporall paines and death it selfe remaines to Gods Children after iustification Obiect It is true Sol. the things remaine the same for substance but their habit vse condition is altered They remaine not in the nature of punishments properly so called for they tend not to satisfaction of Iustice nor as parts of the Curse from which Christ hath freed vs but temporall paines remaine as preuentions as admonitions as restrainements as instructions as nurturings as reducements as abatements of Corruption Death not as the wages of sinne to Gods Children nor as a part of the Curse but as the period of misery and a gate into heauenly happinesse But leauing them