he testified That he liued not but Christ liued in him In like manner the spouse also in the Canticles expostulateth with temptations I haue put off my coate how should I put it on againe that is shee had cast away the works of darknes how should she take them againe I haue washed Can. 5. 3. my feete how should I defile them that is I am become cleane in being purified by faith in the blood of Christ and haue done away all my former filthes how can I now that reioyce that I am thus deliuered return into that bondage and slauerie againe The vse of this then is because I hasten that we deceiue not our selues for what semblance soeuer wee make outwardly of christian profession yet if we doe not sanctifie our selues in some measure there is no truth in vs and we doe but cosen our owne consciences and become traitors to our owne soules For this is positiue That Psal 19. 1. Ioh. 3. 3. the feare of the Lord is cleane And he that hath a hope of heauen doth purge himself If I might craue of you blessed people to remember but this paralel of scripture it shal be sufficiēt for me to blesse al the daies of my life this my poore laboure and trauel And so I wil descend vnto my third note of Separation whereby those that here Christ prayeth for are distinguished from the world to wit Euangelical Charitie which is indeed the Cognisance of a true Catholike Christian So our Sauiour testifieth saying By this shall all men know you to be my Ioh. 13. 35 disciples if ye loue one another which Loue is not in the mouth tong onely but in truth and veritie That this is the true outward distinction 1 Ioh. 13. 3. of a true Catholike Christian it appeareth to all of vs heere present For it is common to all professors to be receiued into the Church by Baptisme to enter into the assemblies to praier and preaching to bold vp their handes and cast vp their eies to heauen to crie Lord haue mercie vppon vs and in conclusion to say Amen Yet many of these are counterset Christians fained and false dissemblers but Charitie and Loue Euangelicall notifieth vnto vs the faithfull professor from the fained and false dissembler There are foure fountaines from whence Loue springeth the. 1. of Nature and that euen is also the instinct of brute beastes The. 2. of Blood and that is of Naturall men as they are meerely naturall The 3. of Reason and that is the league and amitie of Philosophers who take Reason to bee their Pilot and Loue no farther than they haue Reason The. 4. of Grace and that is properly of true Christians and that I call Euangelicall Charitie The properties whereof are 1. To sympathize with others in their distresse Beare one anothers burthen 2. To pray for one another The Christian Sacrifice 3. To suffer beare and forbeare euen with the conditions of them that hate vs yea and doe good vnto them and this is indeed the exaltation of Christian charity which Euangelicall and gratious charitie is twofold either in affectu or in effectu In affection onely the poore shew their loue from whom the Lord accepts the will euen as the deed for he requireth not that of them which he giueth not vnto them but in the rich this charitie must bee effectuall in distributing and despersing the blessings and benefits of the Lord to his poore people Witnesse therfore blessed auditorie in the Lord Iesus this day that it is a slander and calumniation of the Papist who saith that we teach you negatiue doctrines onely and not affirmatiue For wee eft-soones proclaime vnto you from this place and all other the like in this kingdome that your Catholike Faith is a dead and desperate follie if it worke not by loue for loue is the euidence to your selues and to the world of your Faith to God But alas with horror and amazement be it spoken how many are there that make profession of this Catholike faith and Euangelicall charitie and yet are degenerated beneath brute beasts in the course of nature and bloud as becomming a cruell Oedipus to their father and a cursed Nero vnto their mother Yea euen in their reason become more vnthankfull then Iudas and that to those to whom they owe Phil. v. 19. in all right and reason euen their owne soules yet are they inhumane as the Dog and cruel as the Lionesse whereas Euangelicall charitie as hath beene said is extended euen vnto our enemies after the example of our God who shineth with his sun vpon the good and bad and of Christ Iesus our Captaine and of the Protomartyr Saint Stephen our fellow souldier who praied for their tyrannous persecutors but much more then to our brethrē to the distressed needie and afflicted members of our Lord Christ Let it bee then a brand of impietie against that soule in the day of account who heareth this and regardeth it not seeing it is the peremptorie and positiue assertion of the Sonne of God That by this Euangelical charitie Ioh. 3. 35 all men shall know who are his And thus much for the person praier and parties both designed and distinguished Now let vs proceed to the reasons why hee praieth for them 1. Donatiue which thou hast giuen me This giuing of vs to God the father is nothing else but a manifestation of the determinate purpose of God in Iesus Christ for as God the father hath predestinated vs to the end which is his glory euerlasting life so also hath he predestinate vs to the meanes to bring vs therunto they cannot be eluded The father hath giuen vs to his Sonne to serue him in foure especiall suites and seruices 1. in deuoted religion euen as the sonne himselfe doth who saith heere in this chapter verse 4. I glorifie the father so must we that bee Christs seruants Let our light so shine before Mat 5. 16. men that they seeing our good works may glorifie our Father which is in heauen 2. In the zeale of soules For the zeale of the Lord must euen Psal 69. 9 eate vs vp Monica the mother of Augustine is a rare President heerein What prayers sighes and groanes did that godly mother Aug. Confess make for her sonne Augustine yet being a Maniche that hee might become an Orthodox Such was the zeale of that pious mother for the soule of her deere Sonne Paul also became all vnto all that hee might winne the more who was weake and he was not weake Thirdly in humilitie Mich. 6. 8. for the Prophet Micheas expostulating this point wherewithall hee should come before the Lord in the end concludeth that a man must humble himselfe to walke with his God shewing that there is no other meanes whereby man may tread the steps of the holy seruice of God but by an humble deiectment of himselfe to the maiesty of God So also our Sauiour himselfe
institution Inwardly being washed from their blood with that clean water which Ezekiel speaketh of washed Ez. 16. 9. in mine owne pretious blood which maketh their garments white contrarie to al other blood which staineth for so haue the Saints washed themselues and Apoc. 7. 14 their robes washed also in the lauoure of the new birth wherby Tit. 3. 5. they are regenerate to life euerlasting 6 I pray for them which are mine Illuminats by purpose which once were darkenes but now are light in the Lord for I enlighten euerie one that commeth into the world but not any that loueth the world These dwell in Goshen where is alwaies light and all other sit in darkenesse and in the Aegiptian shadow of death These mine Illuminates are pure in hart being purified by faith they therfore see God in a three-folde mirrour 1. They see him in his word in the mirrour of Iesus Christ 2. They see him in his works with Mat. 5. 8 another eye then the worldling doth in the great displaied book of heauen and earth 3. And lastlie heereafter shall see him face to face in heauen with Iesus Christ and the holie Angels 7 I pray for them which are mine Associates by promise partaking of mine owne name beeing Christians Act 11. 26 At Antioch they were first called Christians now heere and in all the Christian world Saint Ambrose his iudgement of these Associates was so deere that hee reades that place Gal. 5 24. Qui sunt Christi in the nominatiue plurall not as it is vulgarly taken in the genitiue singular As if hee should obserue that so manie Christians are so many Christs by reason of this holy and heauenlie vnion and Association The vse then blessed Brethren is that wee seeke and endeuour by all might and meanes to correspond these gratious glorious and ennobled titles Otherwise what are wee with these pretious titles but like the boxes and pots of the Apothecarie which outwardly haue some goodlie exotique inscription when within is some vnwholesome vnsauory drug or like the Mahumetanes which at this day call themselues Sarasins as if they came of Sara the free woman when as indeede Zozom Eccles Hist 6. 38. they are Hagarines of Hagar and Ismael as Zozomen a thousand yeares agoe obserued which appeareth euen yet by their wicked and dissolute condition at this day Or like those that row in a bote sit with their faces toward you but row the bote backward so some make semblance of going on in a direct course and christian carriage when their actions and proceedings are directlie contrariant With such I may expostulate and say what hast thou to doe with the name of Sonne when like a bastard thy condition is to shame thy father and dishonor thy mother Thou causest God whome thou boastest to bee thy father to bee contemned and the Church thy mother to be despised What hast thou to doe with the name of Saint when as thou art a Slaue to sinne and a bondslaue to sathan what hast thou to doe with the title of Prince or Priest when as thou canst finde in thine heart nay boast of it that thou art an agēt against Prince Priest in the vilest actions Or why boastest thou of the honour of beloued when as thou art hatefull to God good men or of thy Baptism seeing thou art of that folish Pro. 30. 12 fond generation that are pure in their own conceit and art not clensed baptized from their vncleannes Or of thine Illumination when as thou gropest at mid-day as did the ancient heretikes the Gnostikes who imagined that they had an impropriatiō of Gods spirit that none had true knowledge but they and as the Anabaptists Iesuits with the late foūded order of the confoūded congregatio Oratorij who at this day in this glorious light of the Gospell of Christ grope in Cymmerian darknesse and gape after vnwritten reuelations Lastlie what haue you to doe with the name of christian when as ye are indeed Cretians of whome that of Tit. 1. 2. Epimenides is fully verified The Cretians are alwaies liars euil beasts slow bellies But I am perswaded better things of you my brethren Attend you therefore as Sonnes and if ought afflict you call and crie vnto your heauenlie father who doth tender you as Sonnes and as Saints resolue that here we haue no abiding Citie but we seek one to come let your conuersation bee therefore as they that looke for so glorious an estate in heauen And as Princes and Priests Psal 119. 164. Dan. 6. 10. with Dauid seauen times a day and with Dauid three times a day Pray praise the Lord. You that are the beloued of the lord let neither life nor death separate you from that vnspeakeable loue nor the power of darkenesse nor the gates of hell for none of all these preuaile against the beloued of the Lord. And as truely Baptized children and washed in the righteousnes of Christ say with the spouse in the Can. 5. 7 Canticles I haue washed my feete how should I defile them I will by no meanes wallowe againe in the mire You are illuminated of the Lord by the pretious eye salue of his truth being blind and darkned before through the ignorance that was in you Giue glorie therfore vnto the Lord as the blind in the Gospel who were restored to their sight And lastly as true christians associated to Iesus Christ bee zealous in the Lords seruice as were the Christians in the primitiue church who being in persecution and dailie subiect to bloudie butcherie yet praied and praised the Lord in the dens caues of the earth as Plinius Secundus euen their aduersarie in the time of Traianus the emperour testifieth of them But you blessed brethren haue your oratories open your pulpits frequented with free and gratious passage let not the feruencie of these distressed Christians rise vp against you in the day of iudgement who are thus blessed euerie way and beloued euerie day of the Lord of heauen and of earth that he may pray for you and so you may be euermore blessed in the surpassing fauour of Iesus Christ Remember also that as you are thus designed by titles of fauour and honour that you also shew your selues both to your owne soules to others as the people that are distinguished and separated from the men of this world For our Sauiour heere in this place saith I pray not for the world but for them which discretiue But distinguisheth demonstrateth that you are not of the world albeit you are in the world That you are not of the world three infallible notes of separation must declare And here let no man traduce this word Separation for I vnderstand not thereby anie Anabaptisticall or Brownish seperation but the same that Paul meneth though in a diuers matter For as he speaketh of Separation or setting apart of Preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro.
desire not the knowledge of thy waies And as for the enforcing cause which mooued God to make the world Iob. 21. which was his goodnes they bid the Lord keep the heauen to himselfe for they purpose not to trouble him as for the earth it is their portion and they are content therewith Concerning the instrumentall cause whereby the Lord made the world which was the personall Word the Sonne of God Christ Iesus They are like to the Disciples of Ephesus Who had Act. 19. 2. not heard whether there were an holy Ghost or no. So these haue not heard whether there bee a Iesus Christ or no or if they did heare they regarded it not And lastly for the finall cause wherfore God made the world that herein men should serue and glorifie him they are either mad with Empedocles that there shall bee more and more worlds or dote with Democritus that this world was ex Contingenti and so by chance and chaffer they do deuise al their businesse whiles they are in the world These are such as Christ praieth not for forasmuch as they neuer speake of him or thinke on him But it may bee verified of Grafion in his Chron them as Queene Mary said of herself lying vpon her death-bed to her friends and comforters that if they did rip her when shee was dead they should see Callis stamped in her heart intimating that she conceiued such sorrow at the losse of Callis that it pearced her heart and killed her So these are in such loue with this world that they onely heare it they talke and thinke onely thereon that if they were opened you should see the world engrauen and written in their hearts But this is the condemnatiō of the world That light Iohn 3. 19. is come into it and men loue darkenes more thē light Yet be you of comfort all yee blessed and beloued of the Lord for you shall be the Iudges 1. Cor. 6. 1. of this world And with the residue Saint Iames shall expostulate and so I will cōclude the examination of the resembance why the wicked are likened to the world O ye Iam. 4. 4. adulterers and adulteresses doe yee not know that the amity of the world is the emnitie of God Whosoeuer therefore will bee a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemie of God And is not this world wherein wee now liue full fraught with such enemies of God Is not this the world that Christ praied not for behold the ataxie and disorder of all things The last Lords day from this place you heard the plea of the Lord against this age of the world and this land wherin is no truth nor mercy but Hos 4. 1. 2. swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whoring with breaking out and blood toucheth blood now you heare the reason thereof because these are the people whom the Lord Christ praieth not for Hence is it that the life of some is a loathsome stie of impuritie and impietie and they lie wallowing in the dung and draft of their sinful filthinesse Of others their life is a Corban of vniust guiles which they falslie call Gaines And of others whose life is an Acheldama of blood and oppression for they care not who wants nor starue so they may epicurize gourmandize spend it on their vaine and vile lusts and wilfull affections But alas what doe I intend to capitulate the wretchednesse of this time and age wherein we now liue which is rather to bee detested then commemorated especially seeing a godly brother did so earnestly so feruētly touch and taxe the particulars the last Lords day to which I referre your remembrance and at this time onelie desire you to looke to one onelie mischiefe and villanie whereof this world is too too guiltie and wherein it doth directlie oppose the Church of Christ Iesus and subiects it selfe to this feareful exception that Christ praieth not for it And that is in those things which are consecrated by well disposed mindes out of the world to the seruice of the Almightie The miserie whereof and mysterie of vngodlinesse now busily worketh and is seene first in this worlds affection toward God in the things that belong vnto him And secondly in the vse thereof intended to perpetuitie For the first The affection of the former world hath beene to giue the best things to God so did Abel giue of the fat of the earth in his deuotions vnto the Lord and Salomon the flowre of euery sacrifice yea the very heathen obserued in their Idolatrous worship to giue the things that were First Pura without blemish Secondly Proba sound Thirdly Profana not giuen before And lastly Sua truely their owne But the affection of this world is cleane conrrariant For in dedicating your children to the Lord if they bee deformed or foolish then yee say they are good enough to become Priests Of our yeeres the worst we giue to God as our old and withered age as for the flower of our life wee wholly addresse that to the slauery of Satan to spend it in vanitie and wantonnesse counting it a preiudice to our youth a disparagement to our estate to giue our selues to our beads before wee bee decrepit and good for nothing else And as for the things wee offer vnto the Lord yee make choice of the worst the vncleanest the vnsoundest or some pittance perhaps of a great masse which yee haue vniustly scraped or violently or craftily gotten of other mens goods Or else some taking a poore remorse of what infinite wealth he hath robbed the Church of doth in his miserable pitie bestow some part of her own vpon her again and thinketh he hath bound God vnto him to bee beholding vnto his bountie for euer And this beloued in the Lord is the affection of this world vnto the glorie and seruice of the most High Now as touching the vse which is intended to perpetuitie two things are principallie to bee noted First are Temples built for the publike seruice of God and secondly the endowments of Churches and reuenewes for the maintenance and perpetuating of that sacred seruice not that the Lord of heauen of earth wanteth any thing that we haue but this is his ordinance whereby wee may and ought to be exercised in the imploiment of those things wherewith hee blesseth vs to the promotion of his glorious seruice Concerning Temples the Elders of the Iewes thought they could not come to our Sauiour with a more forcible motiue whē they intreated for the Centurion Luk. 7. 5. 6. then to say He is worthy thou shouldest doe this for him for hee hath loued our nation and hath built vs a Synagogue Few either are in this our age for whom wee may thus pleade but it it bee in the building of a fine house or the deuising of sundrie vanities and foolish pleasures thousands are thought little enough to bee bestowed Witnesse those manifolde fabrikes and structures