should heare the crackling of his Sauiours bones Digitis tunc obserat aures Nâ— collisa crepent Christi quem conterit ossa So these become voluntarily deafe Adders and will not heare Christ crucified the preaching of the crosse of Christ as Paul calls it which is able to kill our sinnes and quicken our soules I haue read it reported that the Adders in the East and those hote Countries did so subtilly euade the Charmers thus When she heares the Pipe she will couch one eare close to the ground and couer the other with her taile So doe worldlings they fill one eare with earth as much couâ—tous dirt as they can cramme into it the other eare they close vp with their lewd lâ—sts as the Adder with her winding taile that they haue none left for their God for their good And being thus deafe to holy and heauenly incantations they are easily by Sathan oueâ—-reached ouer-rul'd ouer-throwne So vnweldy is Christs yoake to the raging Mule so heauie his burden to the reluctant horse so hard his Law to the carnall Capernaite so sowre his Balme to the wicked palate Though to the godly his yoake is easie and his burden light Woe vnto them for they call sweet sowre Gods Balme distastfull and sowre sweet the worlds Boleno sauoury They are not more propitious to vice then malicious to goodnesse For others they loue a Barrabas better then a Barnabas For themselues euery one had rather be a Diues then a Diuus a rich sinner then a poore Saint No maruell if the blinde man cannot iudge of colours nor the deafe distinguish sounds nor the sicke rellish meates Gods word is sweet how euer they iudge it and their hearts are sowre how euer they will not thinke it My wayes are equall but your wayes are vnequall saith the Lord of hoasts 3. They write of the Balsamum that the manner of getting out the iuyce is by wounding the tree Sanciata arbor praebet opobalsamum Prouided that they cut no further then the â—â—nde for if the wound extends to the body of the tree it bleedes to death I haue read no lesse of Vines that vniustly pruin'd they bleede away their liues with their sappes The issuing Balme is called opobalsamum as some from the Greeke opo which signifies a Denne or rather of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iuyce A trebble lesson here inuites our obseruation 1. The Balsame tree weepes out a kinde of gumme like teares the word of God doth compassionately bemoanâ— our sinnes Christ wept not onely teares for Ierusalem but blood for the world His wounds gush out like fountaines and euery drop is blood Ecce in lachrimis in sanguine locutus est mundo His whole life was a continuall mourning for our sinnes Nunquam ridere dictus flere saepissimè Hee may adiure vs to repentance and obedience by more forcible arguments then euer Dido vsed to Aeneas Ego vos per has lachrymas per hos gemitus per haec vulnera per corpus sanguine mersum I entreate you by teares by groanes by wounds by a body as it were drown'd in it owne blood by all these mercies of Christ whereby wee doe not onely perswade you of our selues but God doth beseech you through vs. If those teares sighes wounds bloud moue not our consciences we haue impenetrable soules If the heart-blood of Christ cannot make thy heart to relent and thy feete to tremble when thy concupiscence sends them on some wicked errand thy hands tongue and all parts and powers of thee to forget their office when thou wouldst sinne obstinately thou art in a desperate case These were the teares of this Balme tree The word doth in many places as it were weepe for our sinnes panting out the grieuance of a compassionate God Why will ye dye oh you house of Israell What Prophet hath written without sorrow One of them Threnos suspirat sighes out a booke of Lamentations which Greg. Nazianzene saith Nunquam à se siccis oculis lectos esse that he could neuer read with dry eyes The other Prophets also like Quailes curas hominum gesserunt tooke on them the burden of many mens sorrowes Cyprian had so compassionate a sympathie of others euill deedes euill sufferings that cum singulis pectus meum copulo cum plangentibus plango saith hee I ioyne my breast with others and challenge a partnership in their griefes A Minister saith Chrysostome debet esse lugens sua et aliena delicta should be still lamenting his owne sinnes and the sinnes of his people Monachus est plangentis officium The office of a Minister is the office of a Mourner All these are but as Canes to deriue to our obseruation the teares of this Balme 2. The way to get out the iuyce of Balme from Gods word is by cutting it skilfull diuision of it which S. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly diuiding the word of truth It is true that Gods word is panis vitae the bread of life but whiles it is in the whole loafe many cannot helpe themselues it is needfull for children to haue it cut to them in pieces Though the Spice vnbroken be sweet and excellent yet doth it then trebble the sauour in delicacie when it is pounded in a Morter All the Balme-tree is medicinall yet the effectuall working is better helped by cutting the stocke by taking out the iuyce and by distributing to euery man a portion according to the proportion of his wants With no lesse heedfulnesse must the word be diuided that some may receiue it gentle and mollifying and others as a sharper ingredient As there is a double composition in men pride and humillitie so there must be a double disposition in preaching the word of meekenesse of terrour Aarons Bells must be wisely rung sometimes the Trebble of Mercie sometimes the Tenour of Iudgement sometimes the Counter-tenour of Reproose and often the Meane of Exhortation There is no lesse discretion required to application then to explication As Phisitians prescribe their Medicines by drammes or ounces according to the Patients strength or weakenesse So Diuines must feed some with milke others with stronger meate The learned should haue deeper points the simple plainer principles How easie is it for many a weake stomach to surfet euen on the food of life though the fault lies not in any superfluitie of the word but in the deficiencie of his vnderstanding The absence of sobrietie in the speaker is more intollerable then in the hearer The people must take such meate as their Cookes dresse to them Let none of Eli's Sonnes slubber vp the Lords Sacrifice or Seruice Let not good Balme be marr'd by a fustie vessell Seasonable discretion must attend vpon sound knowledge Wisedome vvithout Wit is meat without salt Wâ—t without Wâ—sedome is salt without meate Some Wells are so deepe that a man can draw no water out of them these bury their gifts in the graue
shamefull spewing shall be for your glory We haue all drunke liberally of these waters too prodigally at Sinnes fountaine Quando voluimus et quantum valuimus when we would as much as we were able not onely to drunkennesse but euen to surfet and madnesse if we keepe them in our stomachs they will poyson vs Oh fetch them vp againe with buckets of sighes and pumpe them out in riuers of teares for your sinnes Make your heads waters and your eyes fountaines weepe your consciences emptie and dry againe of these waters Repentance onely can lade them out They that haue dry eyes haue waterish hearts and the Prouerbe is too true for many No man comes to heauen wiâ—h drie eyes let your eyes gush out teares not onely in compassion for others but in passion for your selues thaâ— haue not kept Gods Law Weepe out your sullen waters of discontent at Gods doings your garish waters of pride freezing obduracie burning malice foggie intemperancâ— base couetise Oh thinke thinke how you haue despised the waters of life turned Iesus Christ out of your Inne into a beastly Stable whiles Pride sits vppermost at your Tables Malice vsurpes the best Chamber in your mindes Lust possesseth your eyes Oathes imploy your tongues Ebrietie bespeake your tastes Theft and iniurie inthrone themselues in your hands Mammon obsesseth your affections Sicke sicke all ouer you may cry with the Shunamites Sonne Caput dolet my head my head and with Ierusalem my bowels my bowels Oh let faith and repentance make way that the bloud of our Sauiour may heale you We are not onely guilty of auersion from God but of aduersion against God Oh where is our reuersion to God the waters of lusts are aquae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of folly and madnesse but our teares are aquae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of change of minde and repentance Poenitentia est quasi poenae tenentia Repentance is a taking punishment of our selues oh take this holy punishment on your soulâ—s Weepe weepe weepe for your vanities Achan cannot drinke vp his execrable gold nor Gehazi deuoure his bribes nor Ahab make but a draught of a vineyard mingled with bloud nor Iudas swallow downe his cousenage and treason without being called to a reckoning Nos quare non credimus quod omnes astabimus ante tribunal Why account wee not of our future standing before a Iudgement Scate Omnium aures pulso All we whom these walls compasse haue beene drunken with these waters some that hate Swearing with dissembling some that abhorre Idolatrie with profanenesse some that auoid notoriousnesse with hypocrisie many that pretend ill-will to all the rest with those Lares et Lemures household-Gods or rather household-Goblins and Deuils which almost no house is free from Fraud and Couetousnesse Wee know or at least should know our owne diseases and the speciall dish whereon wee haue surfetted oh why breake wee not forth into vlulations mournings and loud mournings for our sinnes cease not till you haue pumped out the sinnes of your soules at your eyes and emptied your consciences of these waters And then behold other behold better behold blessed waters you taste of them in this life and they fill your bones with Marrow and your hearts with ioy they alone satisfie your thirst without which though you could with Xerxes Armie drinke whole Riuers drie your burning heat could not be quenched Here drinke Bibite et inebriamini Drinke and be drunken in this Wine-celler onely hauing drunke hearty draughts of these waters of life retâ—ine them constantly be not queasie-stomached Demas-like to cast them vp againe the token of a cold stomach not yet heated by the spirit for as the loathing of repast is a token that Nature drawes toward her end so when these holy waters proue fastidious it is an argument of a soule neere her death Take then and digeâ—â— this water Recipitur aure retinetur corde perficitur opâ—re The eare receiues the heart retaines the life digests it but alas we retaine these waters no longer then the finger of the Holy Ghost keepes them in vs like the â—arden-pot that holds water but whiles the thumbe is vpon it Leaue then Beloued the Deuils Wine-Celler as Venerable Bede calls it Vbi nos dulcedo delectationis invitauit ad bibendum Where the sweet waters of delight tempt vs to drinke But Dauid though he longed for it would not drinke the water of the Well of Bethlehem which his three Worthies fetched because it was the water of bloud brought with the danger of life and shall wee drinke the waters oâ— the Deuils Banket the venture of bloud with the hazard of our dearest soules No come wee to this aqua Coelestis be wee poore or rich haue wee money or none all that come are welcome And know that hauing drunke liberally at the fountaine of grace you shall haue yet a larger and pleasanter draught at the fountaine of glory that riuer of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe to which the Spirit and the Bride are Inviters and say come It is a delightfull banket we enioy heere The Kingdome of heauen is rightâ—ousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost None know the sweetnesse of these ioyes but they that feele them but the Supper of ioy the Banket of glory the Waters of blessednesse are such as no â—ye hath seene c. Illic beata vita in fonte There is the Spring-head of happinesse they cannot want water that dwell by the Fountaine Nam licet allata graâ—us sit sapor in vndâ— Dulcius ex ipso fonte bibantur aquae That which is deriued to vs in Pipes is pleasant oh what is the delight at the Well-head The Deuill like an ordinary Host sets forth his best wine first and when the guests haue well drunke worse but thou oh Lord hast kept the best wine tâ—ll the last They are sweet wee taste heere but medio de sonte leporum surgit amari aliquid There are some persecutions crosses to imbitter them the sweet meate of the Passeouer is not eaten without sowre hearbs but in thy presence oh Lord iâ— the fulnesse os ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore There is no bitternesse in those waters they are the same that God himselfe and his holy Angels drinke of so that as for Christ his sake wee haue drunke the bitter Cup of persecution so we shall receiue at Christ his hands the Cup of saluation and shall blesse the name of the Lord. To whom three persons one onely true and eternall God be all praise glory and obedience now and for euer Amen FINIS THE Second Seruice OF THE DEVILS BANKET BY THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire ZACHARIAH 5.4 I will bring forth the curse saith the Lord of Hostes and it shall enter into
capable of the Church-goods though not pliable to the Churches good Thus hauing prouided for the estate of his Inheritance of his Aduancement of his Carkasse he comes last to thinke of his Conscience I would to God this were not too frequently the worlds fashion Whereas heretofore Primogeniti eo iure Sacerdotes the first-borne had the right of Priesthood now the younger Sonne if he fit for nothing else lights vpon that priuiledge That as a reuerend Diuine saith Younger Brothers are made Priests and Priests are made younger Brothers Yet alas for all diseases Nature prouideth Art prepareth Medicines He is fed in this Country whom that refuseth An estate lost by Shipwracke on Sea may be recouered by good-speede on Land And in ill health for euery sore of the bodie there is a salue for euery maladie a remedie but for the Conscience Nature hath no cure as Lust no care Hei mihi quod nullis anima est medicabilis herbis There is no hearbe to heale the wounds of the soule though you take the whole world for the Garden All these professions are necessarie that mens Ignorance might not preiudice them either in wealth health or grace God hath made men fit with qualities and famous in their faculties to preserue all these sound in vs. The Lawyer for thy wealth the Physitian for thy health the Diuine for thy soule Physitians cure the body Ministers the Conscience The Church of Israell is now exceeding sicke and therefore the more dangerously because she knowes it not No Physicke is affected therefore no health effected She lyes in a Lethargie and therefore speechlesse She is so past sense of her weakenesse that God himselfe is faine to ring her Passing-bell Aarons bells cannot ring lowd enough to waken her God toles from Heauen a sad knell of complaint for her It is I â—hinke a custome not vnworthie of approbation when a languishing Christian drawes neere his end to tole a heauie Bell for him Set aside the preiudice of Superstition and the ridiculous conceits of some olde Wiues whose wits are more decrepit then their bodies and I see not why reasons may not be giuen to proue it though not a necessarie yet an allowed Ceremonie 1. It puts into the sicke man a sense of mortallitie and though many other obiects should do no lesse yet this seasonably performes it If any particular flatterer or other carnall friends should vse to him the susurration that Peter did once to Christ Master fauour thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee though sicknesse lyes on your bed Death shall not enter your Chamber the euill day is farre off feare nothing you shall liue many yeeres or as the Deuill to our Grandmother you shall not dye Or if the May of his yeeres shall perswade himselfe to the remotenesse of his Autumne or if the loue of earthly pleasure shall denie him voluntarie leasure to thinke of Death As Epâ—minondas Generall of the Thebans vnderstanding a Captaine of his Armie to be dead exceedingly wondred how in a Campe any should haue so much leasure as to be sicke In a word whatsoeuer may flatter him with hope of life the Bell like an impartiall friend without either the too broad eyes of pittie or too narrow of partiallitie sounds in his owne eares his owne weakenesse and seemes to tell him that in the opinion of the world hee is no man of the world Thus with a kinde of Diuinitie it giues him ghostly counsell to remit the care of his Carkasse and to admit the cure of his Conscience It toles all in it shall tole thee in to thy graue 2. It excites the hearers to pray for the sicke and when can Prayers be more acceptable more comfortable The faithfull deuotions of so many Christian-neighbours sent vp as Incense to Heauen for thee are very auaileable to pacifie an offended Iustice. This is S. Iames his Physicke for the sicke nay this is the Lords comfort to the sicke The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him Now though we be all seruants of one familie of God yet because of particular families on earth and those so remoued that one member cannot condole anothers griefe that it feeles not non dolet cor quod non nouit The Bell like a speedie Messenger runnes from house to house from eare to eare on thy soules errand and begges the assistance of their Prayers Thy heart is thus incited to pray for thy selfe others excited to pray for thee Hee is a Pharisee that desires not the Prayers of the Church he is a Publican that will not beseech Gods mercie for the afflicted Thy time and turne will come to stand in neede of the same succour if a more sodaine blast of Iudgement doe not blow out thy Candle Make thy sicke Brothers case thine now that the Congregatioâ— may make thine theirs hereafter Be in this exigent euen a friend to thine enemie least thou become like Babell to be serued of others as thou hast serued others or at least at best in falling Nero's case that cried I haue neither friend nor enemie 3. As the Bell hath often rung thee into the Temple on earth so now it rings thee vnto the Church in Heauen from the militant to the triumphant place from thy pilgrimage to thy home from thy peregrination to the standing Court of God To omit manie other significant helps enough to iustifie it a laudable ceremonie it doth as it were mourne for thy sinnes and hath compassion on thy passion Though in it selfe a dumbe nature yet as God hath made it a creature the Church an instrument and Art giuen it a tongue it speakes to thee to speake to God for thy selfe it speakes to others that they would not be wanting Israell is sicke no Bell stirres no Balme is thought of no Prophet consulted not God himselfe sollicited Hence behold a complaint from Heauen a knell from aboue the Clouds for though the words sound through the Prophets lips who toles like a Passing-Bell for Israell yet they come from the mouth of the Lord of Hoasts The Prophet Ezekiell vseth like words and addes with them the Lord of Hoasts saith it There is no doubt of his spirituall inspiration all the question is of his personall appropriation It is certaine that the Prophet Ieremie speakes here many things in his owne person and some in the person of God Now by comparing it with other like speeches in the Prophets these words sound as from a mercifull and compassionate Maker Why is not the health of my People recouered Mei populi saith God who indeede might alone speake possessiuely Mine for hee had chosen and culled them out of the whole world to be his people Why are not My people recouered There is Balme and there are Physitians as in Esay What could I haue done more for my Vineyard The words are
if earth be at once neerer to your standing and vnderstanding and like dissembling Louers that to auoyd suspition diuert their eyes from that cheeke whereon they haue fixed their hearts so you loooke one way and loue another Heauen hauing your countenance Earth your confidence then for Earth read this instruction in all things the destruction of all things For if the raâ—ified and azure body of this lower Heauen shall bee folded vp like a Scrole of Parchment then much more this drossie feculent and sedimentall Earth shall be burnt Vret cum terris vret cum gurgite ponti Communis mundo superest rogus c. The Heauens shall passe away with a â—oyse and the Elements shall melt with feruent heate the Earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp At least quoad â—iguram though not quoad naturam The forme shall be changed though not the nature abollished Euerie creature on earth may teach vs the fallibillitie of it It is an Hieroglyphicke of vanitie and mutabillitie There is nothing on it that is of it that is not rather vitiall then vitall In all the corrupted parts of this decrepit and doting world mens best lesson of morallitie is a lesson of mortalitie As it was once said Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas so now better Foelix qui poterit rerum cognoscere casus It is good to know the casuall beginnings of things it is better to know their casuall ends It is good to be a naturall Philosopher but better to bee a supernaturall a Christian Philosopher That whiles we intentiuely obserue the creature we may attentiuely serue the Creator That which is said of pregnant wits is more true of Christian hearts that they can make vse of any thing As Trauellers in forraine Countries make euery slight obiect a lesson so let vs thriue in grace by euery presented worke of Nature As the eye must see and the foote walke and the hand worke so the heart must consider What Gods doings which are maruellous in our vnderstandings eyes God looked vpon his owne workes saw they were good and delighted in them sure it is his pleasure also that wee should looke vpon them to admire his wisedome power prouidence mercie appearing both in their nature and their disposition The least of Gods works is worthie the obseruation of the greatest Angell Now what Trewants are we that hauing so many Tutours reading to vs learne nothing of them The Heathen were condemned for not learning the inuisible things of God from his visible workes For shall wee still plod on the great volume of Gods works and neuer learne to spell one word of vse of instruction of comfort to our selues Can wee behold nothing through the Spectacles of contemplation Or shall we be euer reading the great Booke of Nature and neuer translate it to the Booke of Grace The Saints did thus So haue I read that worthy Esay sitting among other Diuines and hearing a sweet consort of Musicke as if his soule had beene borne vp to Heauen tooke occasion to thinke and speake thus What Musicke may we thinke there is in Heauen A friend of mine viewing attentiuely the great pompe and state of the Court on a solemne day spake not without some admiration What shall we thinke of the glory in the Court of God Happy obiect and well obserued that betters the soule in grace But I haue beene prolixe in this point let the breuitie of the next succour it 2. Phisicke and Diuinitie are Professions of a neere affinitie both intending the cure and recouerie one of our bodies the other and better of our soules Not that I would haue them conioyned in one person as one spake merrily of him that was both a Phisitian and a Minister that whom he tooke money to kill by his Physicke he had also money againe to burie by his Priesthood Neither if God hath powred both these gifts into one man doe I censure their Vnion or perswade their separation Onely let the Hound that runnes after two Hares at once take heede least hee catch neither Ad duo qui tendit non vnum nec duo prendit And let him that is called into Gods Vineyard hoc agere attend on his office And beware least to keepe his Parish on sound legges he let them walke with sickly consciences Whiles Galâ—â— Auicen take the wall of Paul Peter I doe not here taxe but rather praise the works of mercie in those Ministers that giue all possible comâ—orts to the distressed bodies of their brethren Let the professions be heterogenâ—a different in their kindes onely respondentia semblable in their proceedings The Lord created the Physitian so hath he ordained the Minister The Lord hath put into him the knowledge of Nature into this the knowledge of grace All knowledge is deriued from the Fountaine of Gods wisedome The Lord hath created Medicines out of the earth The Lord hath inspired his holy word from heauen The good Physitian acts the part of the Diuine They shall pray vnto the Lord that he would prosper that which they giue for ease remedy to prolong life The good Minister after a sort is a Physitian Onely it is enough for the Sonne of God to giue both naturall and spirituall Physicke But as Plato spake of Philosophie that it couets the imitation of God within the limits of possibillitie and sobrietie so wee may say of Physicke it is conterminate to Diuinitie so farre as a Handmaid may follow her Mistresse The Institutions of both preserue the constitutions of men The one would preuent the obstructions of our bodies the other the destructions of our soules Both purge our feculent corruptions both would restore vs to our primarie and originall health though by reason of our impotencie and indisposition neither is able Both oppose themselues against our death either our corporall or spirituall perishing When the spirit of God moued on the waters and from that indigested confused mixture did by a kinde of Alchimicall extraction seperation sublimation coniunction put all things into a sweet consort and harmonious beautie hee did act a Phisitians part God is in many places a Phisitian Exod. 15. I am the Lord that healeth thee Deut. 32. I kill I make aliue I wound and I heale Ier. 17. Heale me O Lord and I shall be healed saue me and I shall be saued Sometimes he is as a Surgion to binde vp the sores of the broken-hearted and to stanch the bleeding wounds of the Conscience Nay Dauid intreats him to put his bones in course againe So Christ hath sent his Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad coagmentationem as Beza reades it to put in ioynt the luxate members of the Church that are compacted by ioynts And in the period or full stoppe of time God will minister to the world the phisicke of Fire to purge the sicke body of it as heâ—
their owne vse shall at last with as inuincible forwardnesse bespeake themselues euery curse in the sacred volume Thus easie and ordinarie is it for men to be others Phisitians rather then their owne Statesmen in forraine Common-wealths not looking into their owne dores sometimes putting on Aarons Robes and teaching him to teach and often scalding their lips in their Neighbours Pottage They can weede other Gardens whiles their owne is ouer-runne with Nettles Like that too obsequious Romane Souldiour that digged a fountaine for Caesar and perished himselfe in a voluntary thirst But Charitie begins at home and hee that loues not his owne soule I vvill hardly trust him with mine The Vsurer blames his Sonâ—es pride sees not his owne extortion And whiles the hypocrite is helping the dissolute out of the mire he stickes in deeper himselfe The Pharises are on the Disciples Iacket for eating with vnwashen hands whiles themselues are not blame-worthy that eate with vnwashen hearts No maruell if when we fixe both our eyes on others wants wee lacke a third to see our owne If two blinde men rush one vpon another in the vvay either complaines of others blindnesse neither of his owne Thus like mannerly guests when a good morsell is carued to vs wee lay it liberally on anothers trencher and fast our selues How much better were it for vs to feed on our owne portion Goe backe goe backe thou foolish sinner turne in to thine owne house and stray not with Dina till thou be rauished Consider your wayes in your hearts If thou findest not worke enough to doe at home in cleansing thy owne heart come forth then and helpe thy Neighbours Whosoeuer you are sit not like lookers on at Gods Mart but hauing good vvares profferd you and that so cheape grace peace and remission of sinnes for nothing take it and blesse his name that giues it Receiue with no lesse thankfulnesse the Phisicke of admonition he sends you apply it carefully if it doe not worke on your soules effectually there is nothing left that may doe you good The word of God is powerfull as his owne Maiestie and shall neuer returne backe to himselfe againe without speeding the Commission it went for Apply it then to your soules in faith and repentance least God apply it in feare and vengeance Lord open our hearts with the key of Grace that thy holy word may enter in to raigne in vs in this world and to saue vs in the world to come Amen FINIS THE Sinners passing-Bell OR Phisicke from Heauen THE Second Sermon Published by THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire HOSEA 13.9 Oh Israell thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thy helpe AVGVST Serm. de Temp. 145. Quid de te tu ipse tam male meruisti vt inter bona tua nolis aliquod esse malum nisi teipsum How didst thou oh wicked man deserue so ill of thy selfe that among all thy goods thou wouldst haue nothing bad but thy selfe LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Ralph Mab and are to be sold in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Grayhound 1614. TO THE VERIE WORTHY GENTLEman Mr. Iohn Alleyne sauing health SIR I haue endeuoured in this short Sermon to prescribe to these sicke times some spirituall Phisicke The ground I haue receiued from the direction of God the methode I submit to the correction of man In this I might erre in the other I could not The maine and materiall obiects I haue leuelled at are 1. to beget in vs a sense of the sinnes we haue done of the miseries whereby we are vndone 2. To rebuke our forgetfulnesse of Gods long-since ordained remedie the true intrinsique Balme of his Gospell In the sauing vse whereof wee are like some Countries blessed with the medicinall benefits of Nature yet through nescience or negligence defectiue to our selues in the application Inward diseases are as frequent as outward those by disquiet of minde as these by disdiet of body It was a rare age that had no spirituall plague ranging and raging in it Ours hath manifold and manifest vile and viâ—ible ones the VVorld growing at once olde and decayed in nature lustie and actiue in producing sinnes VVickednesse is an aged Harlot yet as pregnant and teeming as euer It cannot be denied but that our Iniquities are so palpable that it is as easie to proue them as to reproue them Were our bodies but halfe so diseased and yet this yeere hath not fauoured them as our soules are a strange and vnheard of mortallitie would ensue Man is naturally very indulgent to himselfe but misplaceth his bountie Hee giues the body so much libertie that it becomes licentious but his soule is so prisoned vp in the bonds of corrupt affections that she cries of him as that troubled Princesse of her strict keeper from such a Iaylour good Lord deliuer me The Flesh is made a Gentleman the Minde a Beggar Sicke wee are yet consult not the Oracles of Heauen for our welfare nor sollicite the helpe of our great Phisitian Christ. He is our Sauiour and bare our sicknesses saith the Prophet yea tooke on him our infirmities Infirmitates speciei non indiuidui Infirmities commune to the nature of mankinde not particularly incident to euery singular person Those hee tooke on himselfe that he might know the better to succour vs in our weaknesse As the Queene sung of her selfe in the Poet. Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco It is most perfectly true of our Iesus that hee learned by his owne sorrowes to pitie ours though all his sufferance was for our sakes But how should hee helpe vs if wee make not our moane to him How should we be restored when Gods sauing Phisicke is vnsought vnbought vnapplied To conuince our neglect and perswade our better vse of the Gospell tends this weake labour To your protection it willingly flies and would rest it selfe vnder your shadow The God of Peace giue you the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and afford you many ioyes in this life to the end and in the next his ioy without end Yours in the seruices of loue THO. ADAMS THE Sinners Passing-Bell OR Phisicke from Heauen The sixt Sermon IEREM 8.22 Is there no Balme at Gilead Is there no Phisitian there why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recouered THe Allegorie is Tripartite and propounds to our considerations 1. What is the Balme 2. Who are the Phisitians 3. Who are the sicke The Balme is the Word The Phisitians are the Ministers The Sicke are the Sinners For the first The Balsame-Tree is a little shrubbe neuer growing past the height of two Cubites and spreading like a Vine The Tree is of an Ash-colour the boughs small and tender the leaues are like to Rew. Isidore thus distinguisheth it The Tree is called Basamum the Roote orilo-Balsamum the Branches Xylo-Balsamum the Seede carpo-Balsamum the Iuyce opo-Balâ—amum Plinie saith the
Tree is all medicinable the chiefe and prime vertue is in the Iuyce the second in the Seede the third in the Rinde the last and weakest in the Stocke It comforts both by tasting and smelling It is most commonly distinguished by Phisitians into Lignum Semen Lâ—quorem the Wood the Seede and the Iuyce This is the nature of the Balsamum This holy Word is heere called Balme and si fas sit magnis componere parua if wee may compare heauenly with earthly spirituall with naturall things they agree in many resemblances The vn-erring Wisedome of Heauen hath giuen this comparison There is no feare to build on Gods ground whiles the Analogie of Faith limits vs. It is the Builders first and principall care to chuse a sure foundation The rotten moorish quicke-sandy grounds that some haue â—et their edifices on haue failed their hopes and destituted their intents How many worthy wittes haue spent their times and studies to dawbe vp the â—ilthy walls of Rome with vntempered morter How well had they hunted if they had not mistaken their game How rich apparrell haue they wouen for a Babilonish Harlot How well had they sailed if Rome had not guided their Compasse But euery mans worke shall be made manifest For the day shall declare it because it shall be reuealed by fire and the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is Happy is he that hath a rocke for his ground that no gusts stormes windes waues may ouer-turne his house Though other foundation none can lay then that is layd which is Iesus Christ yet blessed is hee that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath builded safely vpon this ground God hath here layd my ground I will be hold to build my speech on that whereon I build my faith Onely sobrietie shall be my bounds Wee may call Gods word that Balme tree whereon the fruit of life growes A tree that heales a tree that helps A tree of both medicament and nutriment Like the Tree of life which beares twelue manner of fruits and yeeldeth her fruit euery moneth Neither is the fruit onely nourishing but euen the leaues of the tree were for the healing of the Nations Now though the Balme heere whereunto the Word is compared is more generally taken for the iuyce now fitted and ready for application yet without pinching the Metaphore or restraining the libertie of it I see not why it may not so be likened both for generall and particular properties It is not enough to say this but to shew it Let me say it now shew it anone For the Balme you haue the Tree the Seed the Iuice Gods Word will not vnfitly paralell it in resemblances transcend it in effectuall properties The Tree it selfe is the Word We finde the eternall Word so compared I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Hee is a Tree but arbor inuersa the roote of this tree is in Heauen It was once made â—lesh and dwelt amongst vs and wee beheld his glory the glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Now hee is in Heauen Onely this Word still speakes vnto vs by his word the word incarnate by the word written made sounding in the mouth of his Ministers This word of His is compared and expressed by many Metaphores to leauen for seasoning to honey for sweetning to the hammer for breaking the stonie heart Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in pieces To a sword that cuts both wayes The word of God is quicke and powerfull and sharper then a two-edged sword c. Another sword can but enter the flesh and pierce the bones or at most diuide the soule and the body but this the soule and the spirit where no other sword can come no not the Cherubins sierie sword that kept the passage of Paradise It is here a Tree a Balme-tree a saluing a sauing tree Albumasar saith that the more medicinable a plant is the lesse it nourisheth But this Tree reddit aegrotum sanum sanum verò santorem makes a sicke soule sound and a whole one sounder It is not onely Phisicke when men be sicke but meate when they be vvhole Triacle to expell preseruatiues to preuent poyson It is not onely a sword to beate backe our common enemie but a Bulwarke to hinder his approach It carries a seed with it Carpo-balâ—amum an immortall and incorruptible seed which concurres to the begetting of a new man the old rotting and dying away for it hath power of both to mortifâ—e and dead the â—lesh to reuiue and quicken the spirit That seed which the sower went out to sow Happy is the good ground of the heart that receiues it That little Mustard-seed which sprâ—ads vp into branches able to giue the fowles of heauen harbour Disâ—rimâ—n hoc inter opâ—ra Dei et Mundi This difference is betwixt the workes of God and of the World The workes of the world haue great and swelling Entrances but malo sine clauduntur they halt in the conclusion The vvorkes of God from a most slender beginning haue a most glorious issue The vvord is at first a little seed how powerfull how plentifull are the effects how manifold how manifest are the operations of it casting downe the highest things that exalt themselues against the knowledge of God and captiuating euery thought to the obedience of Christ. The iuyce is no lesse powerfull to mollifie the stony heart and make it tender and soft as a heart of flesh The seed conuinceth the vnderstanding the Iuyce mollifieth the affections All is excellent but still conspicuum minùs quod maximè est praeclarum the roote that yeelds this seed this iuyce is the power of God A tree hath manifest to the eye leaues and flowers and fruits but the roote most precious lies hidden In man the body is seene not the purer and better part of him his soule The Kings daughter though her cloathing be of wrought gold is most glorious within In all things we see the accidents not the forme not the substance There are but few that rightly tast the seed and the iuyce but who hath comprehended the roote of this Balme The Balsame is a little tree but it spreads beyond a Vine The vertue of it in all respects is full of dilatation It spreads 1. largely for shadow 2. pregnantly for fruit 3. all this from a small beginning So that we may say of it as the Church of her Sauiour As the apple tree among the trees of the wood so is my Beloued among the Sonnes I sate downe vnder his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast It spreads No sharpe frosts nor nipping blasts nor chilling aires nor drisling sleete can marre the beautie or eneruate the vertue of this spirituall Tree The more it is stopped the
of sullen silence Some are shallow pits that run so long open mouth till their Springs are quite dry whiles they wâ—l be prius Doctores quam discipuli Masters that neuer were Schollers and leape into Pauls Chaire when they neuer sate at the feet of Gamaliel There must be therefore Wisedome both in the Dispensers hearers of Gods mysteries in the former to distribute in the other to apportion their due and fit share of this Balme 3. The Balsame tree being vvounded too deepe dyes the word of G0D cannot be marred it may be martyred and forced to suffer iniurious interpretations The Papists haue made and called the Scriptures a â—ose of waxe and they wring this Nose so hard that as Solomon sayes they force out blood As Christ once so his word often is crucified betweene two Theeues the Papist on the left hand the Schismaticke on the right These would rauish the virgin-purenesse of the Gospell and adulterate the beautie of it They cannot cut except they cut a pieces nor distinguish but they must extinguish They diuide faire but they leaue the Quotient emptie They subdiuide till they bring all to nothing but fractions but factions Wee may obserue that among these there are as few vnifici in the Church as Munisici in the Common-wealth They are commonly most miserable men of their purses most prodigall of their opinions They diuide the Word too plentifully to their turbulent Auditours they diuide their goods too sparingly to poore Christians There are too many of such ill Logicians that diuide all things define nothing As a moderne Poet well Definit Logicus res non modo diuidit at nos Nil definimus omnia diuidimus These pierce the Balme too deepe not to straine out Iuyce but blood and in what they are able to kill it 4. When the Balsame is cut they vse to set Vialls in the Dennes to receiue the Iuyce or sappe When the word is diuided by preaching the people should bring Vialls with them to gather this sauing Balme These Vials are our eares which should couch close to the Pulpit that this intrinsique Balme may not be spilt besides How many Sermons are lost whiles you bring not with you the vessels of attention We cut and diuide and sluce out Riuers of sauing health from this Tree but all runnes besides and so your health is not recouered You come frequently to the Wells of Life but you bring no Pitchers with you You crie on vs for store of Preaching and call vs idle Drones if wee goe not double iourney euery Sabaoth but still you goe home with vnfallowed with vnhallowed hearts Our Gilead affords you Balme enough yet you haue sickly soules You heare to heare and to feede either your humours or your opinions or your hypocrisies You shall heare a puffed Ananias cry Alas for his non-preaching Minister if at least he forbeares his snarling and currish inuectiues of dumbe dogge c. When alas let many Apostles come with the holy coniuration of Prayer and Preaching yet they cannot cast out the deafe Deuill in many of them They blame our dumbe Dogges not their owne deafe Deuils They vvould seeme to cure vs that are sent to cure them if at least they would be cured Wee would haue cured Babell nay we would haue cured Bethell but shee would not be cured It will be said that most hearers bring with them the Vials of attention yeeld it yet for the most part they are either without mouthes or without bottoms Without mouthes to let in one droppe of this Balme of Grace or without bottomes that when wee haue put it in and looke to see it againe in your liues behold it is runne through you as water through a sieue and scarce leaues any wet behinde it And to speake impartially many of you that haue Vials with bottomes eares of attention with hearts of retention and the ground of remembrance yet they are so narrow at the toppe that they are not capable but of drop by drop Thinke not your selues so able to receiue at the eare and conceiue at the hart innumerable things at once You are not broad glasses but narrow-necked Vials and then best receiue this Balme of life when it is stilled from the Lymbecke of Preaching with a soft fire and a gentle powring in So saith the Prophet Line must be added to line precept vpon precept heere a little and there a little When a great vessell powres liquour into a straite-mouth'd Viall the sourse must be small and sparing fit to the capacitie of the receiuer that in time it may be filled It is often seene that when this iuyce comes with too full and frequent a streame almost all runnes besides I doe not speake this vel prohibendi vel cohibendi animo to curbe the forwardnesse of godly Ministers or perswade the raritie of Sermons God still of his mercie multiply labourers into and labours in his haruest But to correct your obstreperous clamours against vs noâ— to chill the heate of your zealous hearing but to inkindle the fire of your conscionable obeying Doe not stand so much vpon Sacrifice that you forget Mercie Bee not so angry for want of two or three Sermons in a weeke when you will not obey the least Doctrine of one in a month You blesse your Samuels in the name of the Lord with protestation of your obedience to the will of the Lord wee reply what meanes then the bleating of the Sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen in our eares the loud noyse of your Oaths Iniuries Oppressions Fraudes Circumventions You come with bookes in your hands but with no booke for Gods Spirit to write obedience in A Bible vnder the arme with many is but like a Rule at ones backe whiles all his actions are out of square The Historie of the Bible is carryed away easier then the misterie Philosophy saith that there is no vacuitâ—e no vessell is empty if of water or other such liquid and materiall substances yet not of aire So perhaps you bring hither Vialls to receiue this Bâ—lme of Grace and cary them away full but onely full of winde a vast incircumscrib'd and swimming knowledge is in some a motion a notion a meere implicite and confused tenencie of many things which lye like Corne loose on the floore of their braines How rarâ— is it to see a Viall carried from the Church full of Balme a Conscience of Grace I know there are many names in our Sardâ— I speake not to disharten any but to encourage all Onely would to God we would shew lesse and doe more of goodnesse Yet shew freely if you doe godly I reprehend not shewing but not doing Wee preach not to your flesh but to your spirits neither is this Balme for the eare but for the soule Therefore I summe vp this obseruation with a Father Quantum vas fidei capacis afferimus tantum gratiae inundantis haurimus Looke how capacious a vessell of
the other side of Iordan The fetching ouer their Merchandise was no long nor dangerous voyage Yet was this spirituall Balme neerer to them it lay like Manna at their dores Venit ad limina virtus The Kingdome of Heauen is among you saith Christ. There needed no great iourney for naturall Phisicke but lesse for spirituall comfort Behold God himselfe giues his vocall answeres betweene the Cherubins Yet alas as it was once iustly prouerb'd on the Monkes and such spirituall or rather carnall Couents in that night of Popery that the neerer they were to the Church the further from God So it was euen verefied of the Iewes that by how much they were of all next to the Sanctuary by so much of all remotest from sanctitie And therefore he that once said Gilead is mine and of the Temple in Iuda this is my house called by my name afterward left both the hill of Gilead and the Mount Syon and the holy Sanctuary a pray to the Romanes who left not a stone vpon a stone to testifie thâ— ruines of it or for succeeding ages to say This was the Temple of God Thus saith the Prophet Hosea Gilead is a Citie of them that worke iniquitie and is polluted with blood Therefore God turned that fruitfull Land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them â—hat dwelt therein For not content with the fertillitie of their soile they manured it with blood saith the Prophet Hence no maruell if it became at last like the cuâ—sed Mountaines of Gilboah that drunke the blood of Saul and Ionathan You haue heard the Balme the next subiect that offers it selfe to our speech is the Phisitians Is there no Balme at Gilead is there no Phisitians there The Prophets are allegorically called Phisitians as the word is Balme So are the Ministers of the Gospell in due measure in their place To speake properly and fully Christ is our onely Phisitian and wee are but his Ministers bound to apply his sauing Phisicke to the sickly soules of his people It is he onely that cures the carkasse the conscience 1. No Phisitian can heale the body without him The Woman with the bloudy issue was not bettered by her Phisitians though she had emptied all her substance into their purses till Christ vndertooke her cure The Leper in the 8. of Mathew was as hopelesse as haplesse till hee met with this Phisitian and then the least touch of his â—inger healed him Phisitians deale often not by extracting but protracting the disease making rather diseases for their cure then cures for diseases prolonging our sicknesses by Art which Nature or rather natures defect hath not made so tedious Therefore as one saith wittily the best Phisicke is to take no Phisicke or as another boldly our new Phisicke is worse then our old sicknesse But when our diseases be committed to this heauenly Doctour and hee is pleased to take them in hand our venture is without all peraduenture wee shall be healed The least touch of his finger the least breath of his mouth can cast out the euill in vs that can cast out the diuell in vs he can hee will cure vs. 2. No Minister can heale the Conscience where Christ hath not giuen a blessing to it Otherwise he may lament with the Prophet I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength for nought Or as the Apostle I haue fished all night and caught nothing yet at thy command c. Who then is Paul or who is Apollo but Ministers by whom â—ee belieued â—uen as the Lord gaue to euery man I haue planted Apollo watered but GOD gaue the increase If any be blinde Hee is the Oculist if any be lame He sets the Bonâ—s if any be wounded Hee is the Chirurgion if any be sicke Hee is the Phisitian They write of the Indian Phisitians that they cure the wound by sucking the poison Christ heales after a manner I know not whither more louing and strange by taking the disease vpon himselfe Who his owne selâ—e bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree He was wounded for our transgressions hee was bruised for our iniquities and with his stripes we are healed And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquitie of vs all As the scape-goaâ—e was said to beare vpon him the sinnes of Israell so saith the Prophet of his antytipe Christ morbos portauit nostros hee hath borne our griefes too vnsupportable a burthen for our shoulders able to sincke vs downe to hell as they did Caine and Iudas if they had beene imposed Tulit Iesus Christ carried our sorrowes Neuer was such a Phisitian that changed healths with his sicke Patient But Hâ—e was humbled for vs. Mans maker is made man the worlds succourer takes sucke the Bread is hungry the Fountaine thirsty the Light sleepy the Way weary the Truth accused the Iudge condemned Health it selfe is become sicke nay dead for our saluation For mans sake such was our weaknesse Christ descended such was his kindnesse tooke one him to cure vs such was his goodnesse and performed it such was his greatnesse It was not Abanah nor Pharphar nor all the riuers of Damascus not the water of Iordan though bathing in it 70. times not Iobs â—now-water nor Dauids water of Isope not the poole of Bethesda though stirred with a thousand Angels that was able to wash vs cleane Onely fusus sanguis Medici factum medicamentum phrenetici the bloud of the Physitian is spilt that it may become a medicine of saluation to all beleeuers This is the Pelican that preserues her young with her own blood This is the Goat that with his warme gore breakes the adamants of our harts This is that lambe of God that with his owne blood takes away the sinnes of the world When the Oracle had told the king of Athens that himselfe must dye in the battaile or his whole army perish Codrus then King neuer stucke at it but obtruded his owne life into the â—awes of ineuitable death that hee might saue his peoples The King of heauen waâ— more freely willing to lay downe his for the â—edemption of his Saints when the eternall decree of God had propounded him the choise Is there no means to recouer the sicke world but I must dye that it may liue then take my life quoth Life it selfe Thus pro me doluit qui non habuit quod pro se doleret He was made sicke for me that I might be made sound in him This then is our Phisitian in whom alone is sauing health As Sybilla sung of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Virginij partus magnoque aequaeua Parenti Progenies superas coeli quae missa per auras Antiquam generis labem mortalibus aegris Abluit obstructique viam patefecit Olympi Hee wrought all things with his word and healed euery disease with his power To Him let vs resort confessing our sores our sorrowes They that be