can find the name of merit onely because the vulgar Latine hath it and they doe in this place stand to prove the Doctrine of Merit upon that word merit Give mee leave a little to shew you that good works cannot be meritorious I will give you these reasons One principall condition in a meritorious work is this I must be done by a mans selfe How can a man be said to merit any thing by a work that himselfe doth not but another doth it by him or in him Now you know there is no good work that wee doe of our selves God works all our good works in us Hark how the faithfull pray in the Prophet Lord thou hast wrought all our works in us Isai 26.12 Our new translation reads in us our old for us The word in the Originall will beare either the one or the other take it as you will in us or for us God hath wrought the work Lord thou hast wrought all our works in us and for us First of all it is from Gods grace that we are enabled to doe good works what works soever they be it is grace that enableth us to doe them And then when we are enabled it is from grace that wee are willing to doe them both our ability and our willingnesse to doe good are from God Look how the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 8. saith he there I would have you know the grace that is bestowed on the Church of Macedonia The grace that was bestowed on them what grace was that You may see in the two next Verses nothing else but their willing bounty even above their power to doe good For saith the Apostle Vers 3. to their power I beare them record yea quoth hee above their power There was the grace that was bestowed on them they were willing to doe good So then have wee ability to doe good it is of grace have wee willing hearts to doe good it is of grace Doe we then any good wee must shout as the people Zech. 4.2 and cry Grace grace unto it Double the word Grace Grace Grace in enabling us and grace in making us willing too All is of God So if a man doe a good work hee is more indebted to God for it God is not indebted to him but hee to God in making him able and he is indebted to grace for making him willing hee can merit nothing Then mark a second Reason how good works cannot be meritorious Merit is Opus indebitum it is above a mans desert it is a work that is not due that a man is not bound to doe for a man can merit nothing by doing that that hee is bound to doe already hee should transgresse if hee did not doe it but hee merits nothing by doing that that hee stands bound in many bonds to doe already Doth the Master thank his servant for doing that that is commanded Luke 17.9 Even so saith hee When you have done all you can say We are unprofitable servants If wee will merit any thing at Gods hands wee must doe somewhat that wee are not bound to doe I but how farre short come wee in the things we doe of that that wee are bound to doe we are so farre from doing more that when we have done all wee can wee are unprofitable servants How much more unprofitable saith Ierome when wee come short of that which God hath commanded Thirdly good works cannot be meritorious I prove it thus There must be some proportion between the work that is done and the reward that is given of condignity Now I pray consider but what that reward is that God hath promised not according to the worthinesse of our works you must not think so but of faith of free mercy hee hath promised a reward And what is it Look in 2 Cor. 4.17 see what it is the Apostle calls it there a farre more exceeding eternall weight of glory These light momentany afflictions saith hee procure to us a farre more exceeding eternall weight of glory Mark First it is glory that God hath promised for a reward Secondly it is more then so it is a weight of glory Nay yet more then so it is an eternall weight of glory Nay yet further an exceeding eternall weight of glory So farre our English can carry it but our English cannot carry it so farre as the Greek for there it is an exceeding exceeding The Apostle could not tell what to make of it it was so much He made as much as he could A glory a weight of glory an eternall an exceeding eternall weight of glory an exceeding exceeding weight of glory Now I would ask I pray what proportion can be between a little poore temporall service that wee doe and such an eternall exceeding exceeding eternall weight of glory I will say no more concerning this point of merit Let us never talk of merits they were all lost in the first Adam we lost all merit in him Let grace alone reigne in Christ Let us say with Bernard My merit is the Lords mercy Let me have no merit that will exclude grace and saith hee there is no place for grace to enter in when merit hath taken up all the roome before it comes Therefore that is no right end Thirdly there is a third end that some propound of doing good that is glory from men Vaine men seek vain-glory Thus did the Pharisees they would doe a great deale of good but they would doe it so that they might be seen of men to doe it And indeed it is lawfull for men to be seen to doe good and our Lord would have us so to doe good that wee may be seen of men to doe it to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our Father which is in heaven If you be afraid of Spectators you shall have no Imitators If there be none to see you there will be none to follow you It is lawfull for a man to be seen to doe good but men must not doe good to be seen for then they shall have their reward of men they shall have none of their Father God There belong two things to every good work There is the Glory of the work There is the Reward of the work The reward God is pleased out of his free mercy to us in Christ to allow us that hee allowes us the reward but not the glory of the work that must be his owne and hee will not give that to another as hee saith If we deprive God of the one we must look that God should keep us from the other If wee keep from him the glory of the work God will keep us from the reward of it These are ill ends of good works We must not do them to satisfie the iustice of God for sin or with opinion of meriting eternall blisse or to be seen of men to doe them What is the end then of good works Briefly in one word The end
may fall to morrow O Consider thy selfe either thou art tempted or hast been tempted or mayest be tempted as that man was The Lord would have Aaron to fall that hee might look with an eye of compassion upon sinners Then lastly It pleased God to suffer him to fall thus that hee might be a warning to us Quomodò tener Agnus c. Alas how shall the tender Lamb doe when the Bell-wether of the flock is thus endangered If Aaron the saint of the Lord as hee is called in this Psalme a man so familiarly acquainted with God and divine visions and a man that had been so powerfull with Moses in working miracles a man that approached so near to God a man so long conversant with God a man that had gone of so many errands of God as hee did with Moses to Pharaoh If so holy and so great a man as hee fell into so great a sinne as this then let us learn to worke out our salvation with feare and trembling Howle Firr-tree saith the Prophet when the Cedar fals Be not high-minded but feare It is the use wee are to mak of it So much for the first circumstance The second circumstance is Where they made this calfe In Horeb. There ran all along in Arabia a ridge of mountaines it was but one mountain but there were two great tops of it Sinai was one and Horeb was the other and you shall finde them sometime called by the one name and sometimes by the other sometimes the whole mountaine is called by the name of Sinai sometimes all the mountaine is called by the name of Horeb sometime by the one top sometime by the other Now this is a thing to be observed they were not gone yet from Horeb the law was given in Sinai but a little before where the Lord charged them out of the fire Thou shalt not make an Image to me they were but at the foot of the hill and had not tarried there much above a month after the law was given they saw mount Sinai before them that was the higher top and they could not but remember how mount Sinai was all on a smoaking fire and flame and with what earnestnesse God had charged them Thou shalt not make any similitude of mee they were not yet gone altogether from the mountaine they were yet in Horeb and yet you see as it is ver 13. They made haste and forgat God and fell to this sinne so saith God to Moses Goe get the downe this people are quickly gone out of the way Exod 32.7 You may see it in this I stand not upon that point The third circumstance is Whereof did they make this calfe They made it of their golden eare-rings Pull off the golden ear-rings saith he from your wives and your sonnes and your Daughters and give them to mee No doubt of it but the servant of God Aaron would faine by this have diverted them from making them a calfe Hee would faine have turned them from it if hee could Hee knew that all those people in those Easterne parts were much delighted in ornaments in eare-rings they say they weare them usually there to this day And suppose hee could perswade the men to be content to part with their ornaments out of their eares yet he thought it impossible to get the women to part with theirs What for a woman to part with her jewels and ornaments This seems a thing impossible You see they are so desirous of them they will many of them pinch their bellies that they may lay somewhat more upon their backes We know there are many that had rather their bellies should want sufficient sustenance then their backes a superfluous ornament You see what a hard matter it is to get women to leave an idle instrument or a bagge of vanity that they carrie about with them but to leave their jewels to part with their ornaments hee never thought they would doe it though the men might part from theirs yet they all do both men and women Wee may observe how easily men and women will part with any thing to maintaine Idolatry I cannot tell whether it be as that Father imagined the pride of our hearts that wee are in love with the workes of our owne hands with the devices of our owne braine with the invention of our own spirits that because they are our own we like them Or whether it be the vigilancy of the divell that roaring lyon that goes about seeking whom he may devoure or what else is the cause I know not but this I know men are more willing to part with any thing to an Idoll to a superstitious worship then to the true worship and service of God And for this cause Idolatry may fitly be compared to whoredome You see a whoremonger will be pinching and sparing enough to his wife and children at home but he cares not how expensive and excessive and lavish he be upon his whores abroad Thus it is in spirituall whoredome men are never so niggardly as in the worship of God but they are content to part with any thing for the maintaining of Idolatry This forwardnesse of this people even to pull their very eare-rings out of their eares to bestow upon an Idoll it will rise up and condemne us that are not willing to pull any thing out of our purses to the worship and service of God Many men in this liberall age we live in are content with the Wise men to take a great journey to see Christ peradventure they are content to fall downe and worship him but they are not willing with those Wise-men to open their treasures Speake to them of opening their treasures whether for works of piety to God or of charity to men then they stand at it as Naaman the Assyrian Nay the Lord be mercifull to me for that Brethren I could speak a great deale more to this purpose but I am loath to trouble you Then besides I know how unnecessary this is in this place I have had many a time here twice especially a plentifull experience of your forwardnesse I have seene how your hearts have beene enlarged in bounty towards the enlarging of this place towards the maintenance of the Ministery and service of God in this place I need not speake of that now But yet I will exhort you now to a worke of charity Do you remember the Briefe that was read even now for that poore towne of Cambridge Me thought your hearts did even yearne within you with pity and compassion to heare of almost 3000. poore distressed soules brought into this extreame misery through the hand of * The great plague in Cambridge Aug. 1630. God Brethren I need say no more I beseech you give us that are your servants in ordinary here in the worke of the Ministery both of the one side and of the other we are all brought up in the Universities I pray give us leave to repaire to your houses and If
and hold up his hands and prop them up that they might not be weary Brethren wee should all be holding up our hands to God for mercy If thou out of conscience of thine owne unworthinesse thinkest surely that God will not regard the holding up of thine hands he will never have an eye to thine hands when thou holdest them up yet doe as Aaron and Hur hold up the hands of them whose hands thou thinkest God will respect If thou canst not act Moses his part act Aarons and Hurs Alas the hands of Gods children are faint they are discouraged their knees are feeble with prayer O encourage them lift up their hands it may be God will yet heare their prayers and shew mercy to them Thus much shall serve for the first point It was Moses that got the sentence revoked I come to the other the meanes by which he got it revoked hee stands in the breach had not Moses his chosen stood in the breach A military phrase a phrase taken from the wars If a City be besieged and if the enemy without by a ram or any other warlike Engine hath made a breach in the wall all that are men of courage and valour runne to the wall runne to the breach and strive by all meanes possible to keepe the enemy from entring in at that breach chat hee hath made This fearefull sinne of the people had made a breach by which divine justice might have entred and have brought an utter destruction upon them all Moses runnes to the breach and sets himselfe between God and the people that God should not proceed further to their destruction Now you must note he stood in the breach two waies First by a due execution of justice And then by an earnest importunate intercession for mercy First I say by the execution of justice Doth the wrath of God at any time burne like fire against a sinfull people There are two things whereby it may be quenched A man may quench the wrath of God in regard of any temporall calamity the fire of Gods wrath with two things two liquors The one is blood The other is teares The blood I meane is the blood of malefactors principall malefactors that shall be shed with the sword of justice The teares I speake of are such teares as are shed by principall men by the Favourites of heaven in their prayers for mercy Moses doth both he pleads Gods cause here against the people and he pleads the peoples again with God First Causam Dei apud populum gladio he pleads Gods cause against the people with a sword of justice hee pleads the peoples cause against God with teares and prayers in both hee shewes himselfe a zealous Magistrate and I cannot tell whether hee shew himselfe more zealous to the glory of God in the one or more zealous of the peoples good in the other For the first his execution of justice There is a way to stand in the breach Moses is said to be the mildest man that was upon the earth but I pray marke what this mild man did when hee saw the glory of God bestowed upon a base filthy inglorious abomination First hee comes from the Mount and brings the Tables of God in his hand and casts down the Tables and breakes them I doe not thinke hee did it through impotency of passion Mark his words Deuteronom 9. ver 17. mee thinkes hee did it advisedly but with some secret warrant from God Hee saw the people had broken the Covenant and hee before their eyes breakes the Tables of the Covenant the most precious monument that ever the world had This was the first thing hee did Hee stayes not here hee goes to the Calfe the sinne that they had made as hee calls it he takes it and breakes it to pieces stampes it to powder hee beats it as small as dust and casts it into the brooke and makes them drink the water of it these are the Gods that shall goe before them Let them looke their god in their urine He is not yet content but cries Who is on the Lords side And the Tribe of Levi come and gird their swords on their sides and run from one side of the camp to the other and slay every man his brother and every man his Father and every man his companion They slew at that time three thousand and with the blood of these three thousand hee slacked the wrath of God The sonnes of Levi never offered a sacrifice of the flesh of beasts that was a sacrifice of so sweet a smelling favour in the nostrils of God as this sacrifice of their brethren When a sinne is committed wherewith earth is annoyed and heaven provoked the justice of God sets out presently against that sin but goes on slowly very slowly hee will see whether mans justice will follow after it or no if mans justice overtake it Gods justice pursues it no further there is an end There may be easily an unmercifull cruelty in the shedding of blood and there may be an over-cruell mercy in the sparing of it Jonah was no sooner cast out of the ship but the sea was quiet Achan and his family were no sooner stoned to death and burned with fire but Israel prevailed The sonnes of Saul were no sooner hanged but the famine ceased Phineas stood up and executed judgement and the plague was stayed in verse 30. of this Psalme As soone as this blood of three thousand men that were principall offenders in this Idolatry as soone as that was shed as soone as that blood was throwne upon the fire of Gods wrath the fire slacked presently But yet it was not quenched till his prayer came There is the second way his prayer Jam. 5.16 The prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much if it be fervent Can you finde a more fervent prayer then this that Moses made for this people Mark the prayer you shall finde it Exodus 32. where this story is set downe First hee puts God in mind of his propriety in this people It was thy people O God c. God before called them Moses his people as you may perceive when God bids him goe downe Goe downe for thy people that thou hast brought out of Egypt c. Moses disclaimes them as if he should say Lord they are none of my people they are thy people Wilt thou lose any thing that is thine There is his first argument His second argument is from Gods great workes Lord thou hast brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand Wee love not to lose our former benefits our former benefits are lost if they be not seconded with new Lord wilt thou lose thy former favours done to this people The third argument is hee puts God in mind of his glory Lord what will the Egyptians say Thou hast brought them forth with a mighty hand and an out-stretched arme Why is it To kill them in the mountaines To consume them from the earth Lord how
think they are in a better condition then wee are wee dislike it The Grecians murmured against the Jewes because their women were neglected Acts 6.1 Cain murmured because Abels sacrifice was accepted and his was not Judas murmured at the box of Spicknard that was bestowed upon our Lord. The elder brother of the prodigall child murmured that the fat calf should be killed for his riotous brother that had spent his fathers goods among harlots This people murmured thus against Moses and Aaron They envied Aaron the Saint of the Lord and murmured against Moses in their tents This wee speake not of now this was not the murmuring of envie What murmur was it then The other two First a murmuring of displeasure and discontent against God And then a murmur of disobedience both against God and against the Magistrate First I say it was a murmur of discontent against God and a fearefull murmur you shall seldome heare of the like I pray marke this When God promised them the land at any time hee usually promiseth it to them out of his love Because God loved the fathers therefore hee chose the seed Deuter. c. 4. ver 37. In another place Deuter. 7. ver 8. The Lord set his love upon you not because you were many for you were the fewest of all people but because hee loved you therefore hee brought you out of the land of Egypt I thinke there was never Nation had so many sensible demonstrations of Gods love as this people had Doe you think that God would have brought them out of the land of bondage with such a mighty out-stretched arme if he had not loved them Doe you think he would have made a way for them in the sea and afterward have fed them with bread from heaven and given them water out of the rock and have guided them with a pillar of fire in the night and a pillar of a cloud in the day if hee had not loved them Doe you think hee would have appeared to them in fire and have spoken to them in an audible voice out of Mount Sinai and have chosen them there to be a peculiar people to him of all the people in the earth if hee had not loved them You will say Who doubted of this love O I pray you heare this people hearken to this people out of their impatience and impatiency is ever full of misconstructions they impute all this that God had done to the very hatred of them Would you thinke it Look in Deut. c. 1. ver 27. Because God hated us therefore hee brought us out of Egypt to destroy us with the Amorires O sinfull Nation worthy to be hated indeed not worthy to be loved that takes Gods love thus for hatred This was the murmur of impatiency The murmur of disobedience against God and the Magistrate was in these words O that wee had died in the wildernesse O that wee were dead They were but affraid of death and they might have lived if they had beleeved they were but affraid of death and for feare they should die they wish O that wee were dead I he like murmuring you shall finde oft times of this people Fourty yeares long was God grieved and vexed with their continuall murmuring One while they murmured for want of water after they had water then they murmur at the bitternesse of the water One while they murmur for want of bread another time they had bread and the bread of Angels the bread of heaven then they murmur because they had nothing but bread One while they murmur at the government of Moses and Aaron God punished them for that murmuring then they murmur againe because God punished them They murmur at the tediousness of the way from Egypt to Cadesh-Barnea now they murmur because they may not goe from Cadesh Barnea to Egypt againe Thus they were like swine For as the swine whether full or empty waking or sleeping is ever grunting so this people were still murmuring The Apostle 1 Corinth chap. 10. ver 10. saith that this is written for our example that wee should not murmur as they murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Brethren beware of this sin of murmuring I will not speake of the murmuring of envie you have in this Psalme v. 16. They murmured one against another I doe not speake of that but I begin First beware of that murmuring of disobedience Children take heed how you murmur against your Parents Servants take heed how you murmur against your Masters Subjects take heed how you murmur against your Soveraigne Let nothing saith the Apostle be done with murmuring and reasoning Doe all things without murmurings and disputings Phil. chap. 2. ver 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome on that place excellently It is a grievous sin that same murmuring It is better saith hee there for a man not to have his worke done then done with murmuring The voice of murmuring is but a low voice it is not loud it is rather muttered then uttered it is but a low voice It may be the man heares thee not against whom thou murmurest But it is said The Lord heard the voice of this peoples murmuring Deuteronomy chap. 1. And the Author of the book of Wisedome excellently There is quoth hee auris zeli an eare of jealousie hee speakes of divine jealousie and that is a jealousie as hot as fire and there is an eare of a Jealous God and the voice of murmuring saith hee shall not be hid therefore saith hee in the next verse Beware of murmuring There is not such a secret thought that shall goe for nought If wee must give an account to God for every idle word surely wee shall give an account to God for words of desperate murmuring That is for the one Beware of that murmuring of disobedience Then of the other Beware above all of that murmuring of impatience There are a generation of men that cannot be troubled with any thing that they would not be troubled with nor can they want any thing that they would have they must not be crossed with wet nor dry with wind nor raine with foule nor faire weather but their mouths are presently set against heaven and they will not stick to charge God foolishly as the people did that God hates them I pray let mee onely give you a few remedies against this impatient murmuring The first is this Consider that that same Discipline of God at which wee murmur is from God Affliction comes not out of the dust as Eliphaz speakes There is nothing befalls thee in thine estate but it comes from a Divine power and is guided by a most wise providence and wilt thou murmur at it The very savage beast that is ready to flee at the throat of a stranger will endure it selfe to be stricken and beaten by his keeper Surely thou art worse then a beast if thou wilt not suffer God thy Father and thy Maker and thy Keeper to strike thee Then secondly againe
soule when he doth communicate such a thing as may be a means of a wel-being here in the state of grace and of his eternall wel-being hereafter in the state of glory Now to doe good both to the soule and body of thy brother forget not for with such sacrifice c. I begin with the soule first that is the principall part Doest thou see thy brother ignorant of some truth that hee should know that is necessary to salvation Thou canst not doe him a greater good then to instruct him Doest thou see him doubtfull what to doe Why then doe him good to direct him Doest thou see them over-taken with some infirmity Why then testore them againe as the Apostle saith Brethren if any of you be over-taken with infirmity you that are spirituall restore such a man The Greek word is put him in ioynt againe hee is out of ioynt set him right put him in ioynt with the spirit of meeknesse and gentlenesse Doest thou see thy brother unruly and rush into sinne as the horse into the battaile Thou mayest doe a great deale of good to admonish and reprove him to pluck him as Iude saith in his Epistle out of the fire that hee perish not Doest thou see thy poore brother feeble and weak-hearted Thou shalt doe a great deale of good then to encourage him Doest thou see him deiected and cast downe and almost swallowed up of despaire Thou canst not doe a greater good then comfort him These things you may doe And if thou see thy brother past all help from men then thou canst not doe a greater good then to pray and beg help for him at Gods hand And in very deed that sweet Communion of Saints that we believe in the Creed I believe the Communion of Saints that Communion of Saints appears in nothing more then the doing of good thus to the soule one man of another to edifie and build up one another in our holy faith to exhort one another to holinesse of life to provoke one another to love and good works to comfort one another in sicknesse to mourne one over another for your corruptions This they may doe when they are together And then pray one for another and that they may do when they are a thousand miles asunder This is the Communion of Saints Thus wee may doe good to the soules of our brethren and to doe this good to the soules of your brethren forget not with this sacrifice God is well pleased To the body we may doe good in the outward estate many wayes I will think of these three especially First wee may doe them good defendendo by defending of our brother by defending his person from violence by defending his goods from ruine by defending his name from reproach and dishonour Pro. 24.11 Deliver him that is appointed to die if it be in thy power Deliverance it is a thing that holy Iob among other works of his hee speaks of this I delivered the poore when hee cryed and helped him that was fatherlesse I brake the iawes of the wicked in pieces and took the prey out of his teeth If thou canst doe it by thy calling if thy calling will allow thee to doe it thou art bound to doe it to doe that good to right them when they suffer wrong either in their person or goods or good name if it be in thy power to right thy brother doe good that way defend him That is one way Secondly thou mayest doe good accommodando by lending and indeed sometimes a man may doe as much good by lending as by giving And this is a work of mercy that God requires of his people mark that place Deut. 15.7,8 Thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth Thou shalt help and help him wide so the word is Thou shalt open wide to thy brethren and shalt surely lend to them The Originall word doubles it in lending thou shalt lend that is thou shalt surely lend and lend sufficiently according to his need So the Old Testament And Christ in the New Testament saith Lend looking for nothing again Luke 6.35 And it is the commendation given to the righteous man A righteous man is mercifull and lendeth Psal 112.5 but then mark the words that follow after too hee guides his affaires with discretion That is the second way Thirdly a man may doe good donando by free giving Of what That which is according to the necessity of our brother If he be hungry then we shall doe good to feed him to give him bread if hee be thirsty we must give him drink if hee be naked we must give him clothes if hee be sick if it be in our power wee are to give him remedy if hee be dead then to give him buriall decent buriall and among the works of charity and works of mercy you shall ever find reckoned in Scripture the buriall of the dead When the Traitor Iudas grudged at the box of Spikenard that was bestowed upon our blessed Saviour saith hee Let her alone shee hath done a good work towards my buriall And The Lord shew mercy saith David to the men of Iabesh-Gilead because they shewed mercy to his Master Saul What mercy Marry They buried his bones It is a work of mercy Thus you see how many wayes there be of doing good and communicating A man may doe good you see to the Publike many wayes And then to the Private a man may doe good to the soule to the body To the soule by instructing by directing by admonishing by reproving by encouraging by comforting by praying for them A man may doe good to the body by defending them from wrong by lending that which is necessary by giving according to their necessity that aske And thus to doe good to the Publike to Private to the soules and bodies of our brethren when it is in our power forget not it is a sacrifice with which God is pleased Seeing there are so many wayes of doing good thus I will set down two Correllaries and Consectaries two things follow on it The first is this Since there are so many wayes of doing good certainly as long as wee live here in this life wee can never want oportunity of doing good some way or other That is the first We cannot want oportunities of doing good there be so many wayes to doe it either a man shall find some ignorant poore body that hee may instruct as David did Come yee children hearken unto mee I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Or a man may find some person wronged whom hee may help and succour as Iob did Or a man may sit in his tent doore and find some stranger passe by that hee may entertaine as Abraham did Or a man may find some fatherlesse children that hee may bring up as Pharaohs daughter
of all good works is the glory of God in the good of our brethren And Gods glory is such a thing as we are born to that end to set forth the glory of God As the Grace of God is our Alpha so the Glory of God must be our Omega As the Grace of God is the beginning from whence all things come so the Glory of God must be the end to which all things must be referred Of him and through him are all things to him be glory for ever and ever And we cannot bring greater glory to God and his holy Truth and Religion that we professe then by doing good works When men see our good works and see how pitifull and tender-hearted we be what bowels of compassion we have to our poore afflicted brethren they cannot chuse but glorifie God and acknowledge and say Surely this is the seed that God hath blessed Isai 61.9 So much concerning the first Rule that I give you Would you make your beneficence and good works that you doe toward your poore visited brethren pleasing and acceptable to God doe them to a right end to Gods glory and your brethrens good I come to a second Rule the former was about the End the second is about the Fountaine from whence our good works must flow And what is that Compassion If we will make our good works pleasing and acceptable to God they must flow out of a pitifull heart If you instruct an ignorant man which is a good work it must be out of pity of his ignorance if you feeda hungry man it must be out of pity of his misery The distribution of our goods to the poore is accounted a work of charity and so it is a great work of charit if a man should doe as Zacheus made an offer give halfe his goods to the poore and if I have wronged any man I will restore it foure-fold you would account that a great work of charity but suppose a man should give all his goods to the poore you would say that were a transcendent work of charity and it is true indeed Yet see a man may do even this transcendent work of charity and have no charity For mark the Apostles speech 1 Cor. 13.3 If saith the Apostle I should give all my goods to the poore and have no charity See a man may give all that ever he hath to the poore and yet have no charity because that which hee gives comes not from a charitable compassionate heart Holy Iob doth not only tell of his works of charity but hee tells out of what ground hee did those works of charity out of what fountaine those works of charity flowed and what was that His compassion Did not I weep for them that were in misery was not my soule grieved for the poore Iob 30.25 The works that a man doth if hee will make them a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice to God they must come out of a fellow-feeling of his brethrens necessities It is said of our blessed Saviour in the Scriptures He went about doing good It is true he did his whole life was nothing else but a going about doing good And be pleased to mark what you read again in the Gospel you shall find that some of our Lords works that hee did were works of charity and that he did he did it out of compassion and the Scripture notes it to us that it was out of compassion he did it Let me shew some for example Our blessed Lord cleansed Lepers and it was out of very compassion to them that hee cleansed them the Scripture observes it so Iesus had compassion on them and said I will be thou cleane Mark 1.41 In another place wee find they brought many sick to Christ and our Lord laid his hands on them and healed them all and it was out of compassion that hee healed them Hee had compassion on them and healed their sick Mat. 14.14 In another place you know the miracle that our Lord wrought he fed foure thousand men besides women and children and with a few barley loaves and fishes yet it was out of compassion so hee tells his Disciples I have compassion on the multitude they have been with me three dayes fasting Mat. 15.32 Againe in another place our blessed Saviour touched the eyes of the two blind men and they received their sight and followed him and it was out of very compassion that he touched them himself was touched with compassion before he touched their eyes So Iesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes Mat. 20. ult I will alledge no more places but one You find that our blessed Saviour raised a young man at Naim but was dead and carrying to buriall hee touched the coffin and raised him again to life and it was out of compassion not to the young man for it may be his estate was happy but to his mother the Scripture gives the reason shee was a widow and the name Widow is a name of compassion therefore out of compassion hee saith Weep not and hee touched the coffin and restored her sonne to life Luke 7.13 I could alledge many places more but these shall suffice Mark I pray onely a phrase of Scripture you shall find Isai 58.10 If saith the Prophet there thou shalt draw out thy soule to the hungry he saith not If thou shalt draw out thy purse though that be somewhat or draw thy meat out of thy cupboard or thy garments out of thy presse and give to a poore wretch but If thou shalt draw out thy soule The soule must be drawn out first and if a man can once draw out his soule to a poore wretch it will make him draw out his purse if hee have it he cannot but draw out his purse if hee have drawn out his soule Therefore saith Iohn 1 Ioh. 3.17 If a man saith hee hath this worlds goods and shall shut up the bowels of compassion upon men hee doth not say If hee shut his purse but if hee shut up the bowels of compassion upon them how dwelleth the love of God in him And while I name the bowels of compassion let me tell you that word where it is said that Christ was moved with compassion the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee cannot expresse it in English it is a name from bowels he was moved in his bowels That compassion in Christ and that that hee would have us to shew to our brethren it is from the bowels Therefore Mr. Beza translates the word he knowes not how to expresse it in one word it must be an inward motion I think wee call it the yerning of the bowels the bowels must yerne in us When wee see poore miserable wretches wee must not onely relieve them but this reliefe must be done out of pity and compassion and tendernesse of heart to their misery If we would have our sacrifice of beneficence acceptable and pleasing to God there are two things in beneficence in
the fragrancy of that oyntment invite and allure others to that house where it selfe is a domestick Thy Name saith the Church to Christ is an oyntment poured forth Cantic 1. ver 3. Because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee And then in the next verse Draw mee saith shee and wee will run after thee A Preacher well reported of shall not want hearers A Physician of a good report wanteth not patients The Lawyer that hath a good report wanteth not clients nor the School-master scholars nor the Trades-man customers nor the Poore man friends Thirdly and especially bonum honestum Amongst those things that are honest and just and pure which are to be thought on there are reckoned also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things that are of good report in that fourth of the Philip. ver 8. A good man if hee be not so good as hee is reported hee cannot but strive to be so good because hee is so reported on the other side he is a dissolute man that careth not what is reported of him The childe of God must not onely looke to his conscience whereby hee provideth for himselfe in the sight of God but also to his good name providing things honest in the sight of all men Rom. 12.17 There are two things commended in the Lilly whitenesse and sweetnesse there are these two in a child of God saith Saint Bernard Ber. Serm. 71. in Cant. Candor conscientiae odor bonae famae the candor of a good conscience and the fragrancy of a good name Nec candor sine odore nec odor sine candore saith hee My conscience is for my selfe my good name for others God would have none near to him but such as are well reported of The Widow that is to be maintained at the charge of the Church not to be received in unlesse well reported of for good 1 Tim. 5.10 The first Deacons that were chosen were to be men of an honest report Acts 6.3 The Bishop take the word in the largest sense must be a man that hath a good report of them that are without 1 Timoth. 3.7 The nearer wee are to God the more carefull ought wee to be of our credit an evill report of one in that sacred Function bringeth up an evill report upon the Function it selfe an evill name of a Professor bringeth a discredit upon the profession and it were better that a milstone were hanged about our necks and wee thrown into the sea then wee should live and by our evill life bring an evill name upon the Gospel and so make the glorious Name of our God to be evill spoken of I need adde no more onely because these dayes are dayes of evill report wherein we do nothing else but as those Philosophers in Lucian cast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole cart-loads of evill speakings even in the faces of one another let me in a word shew what good uses may be made of those evill reports First Let us examine our consciences whether they be true or no if they be false altogether false then we may comfort our selves in the testimony of a good conscience and if our adversaries should write a book against us and there be bookes enough written of that Argument and cryed every day up and downe our streets wee might with holy Job take it upon our shoulders and bind it as a crown to our heads Job 31. v. 35 36. But if the reports be in any part true then it is fit that wee should lie downe in our shame give God the glory of his justice beg mercy bear the punishment with patience and give God thanks for it Iram Domini portabo quoniam peccavi ei I will bear the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him Micha 7.9 If the reports be not altogether true then let us search the wound a little deeper and see whether wee have not given a just occasion to such a report It was said of that Vestall Virgin that shee was * Ovidius Fast lib. 4. Casta quidem sed non est credita that she was chaste indeed but not thought to be so because she was more wantonly attired then became such a Virgin It may be though we are not so ill as we are reported yet upon examination we may find that we are not so good as we ought to be in shunning the occasions and appearances of evill which ought to be unto us a sufficient matter of humiliation If wee be free from giving occasions yet we should do well to search yet a little deeper and try whether we have not entertained some morose cogitations and thoughts of that sinne wherewith we stand charged upon report It may be that that wickednes hath been sweet in our mouth and wee have rolled it under our * Job 20. ver 12. tongue though we have not swallowed it downe 〈◊〉 peradventure we have not spit it out and then though * Digest li. 48. Tit. 19. de Poenis cogitationis poenam nemo patitur by the law of man yet it is a righteous thing with God the Searcher of hearts by false reports to punish that sin which hath found so kinde an entertainment or some other sin wherein wee have lyen without repentance But Lastly it may peradventure please God in mercy that such a false report should be charged upon us at this time unjustly that we may be the more carefull of our waies and watchfull over our hearts with an holy jealousie against that sin lest wee be justly charged with it another day Good God Teach us to make this good use of evill reports And so I have done with evill reports in generall and come now to one evill report in particular which cannot but much trouble a true servant of God to be counted a Deceiver when he is True Ut Seductores tamen Veraces As Deceivers saith the Apostle and yet True There is no lyar that would willingly be accounted a lyar we see how ready some are while they are lying to present death upon the point of a sword to the man that shall give them the lye There are no false Prophets not Zedekiah whilest he opposed Michaiah nor Hananiah whilest hee opposed Jeremiah or any other of them who would be accounted a false Prophet they would be accounted as true and yet were deceivers as Paul and Timothy here were accounted deceivers and yet were true One especiall reason given by good Authors why Jonah should be so angry and so very angry that Nineveh was spared was his owne credit that hee might not be thought a false Prophet as a deceiver being true Jeremiah also when the Princes would have put him to death as a false Prophet regarded not his life but stood in defence of that truth which hee had spoken I am in your hand saith hee doe with mee as seemeth good and meet unto you But know yee for certaine that if you put me
to death ye shall surely bring innocent bloud upon your selves and upon this City and upon the inhabitants thereof For of a trueth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speake all these words in your eares Jer. 26.14,15 So our Saint Paul oftentimes vindicates his credit and standeth upon his sincerity in preaching the Gospel Wee are not quoth he as many men are which corrupt the Word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeking to vent their adulterate deceitfull wares or as Vintners doe mix their wines But as of sincerity as of God in the sigh◠〈◊〉 God speak wee in Christ 2 Cor. 2.17 And so in another place of this Epistle Not walking in craftinesse nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 And this is it which every faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ should especially stand upon For cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully Jerem. 48.10 that his words be the words of truth and sobernesse Let the world judge as it will of the manner of our preaching sometimes they say we are too hot sometimes too cold sometimes too learned for them sometimes too unlearned sometimes too high sometimes too plaine sometimes too sharp sometimes too pleasing Let the world say what it will if wee speak the trueth in Christ our consciences bearing us witnesse in the holy Ghost the Guide of our consciences that wee lye not keeping back nothing that is profitable to the people but declaring unto them the whole Counsell of God wee may then finde joy and comfort to our soules when all the comforts shall faile us that the world can yeeld us And thus have I shewed you what a Minister of Jesus Christ may passe thorow I shall now come to the second point and shew you that it is the lot of many a deare servant of God to passe thorow them all 2. Point ANd where should I rather begin to give an Instance then in our Crucified Lord one day honoured when he rode into Jerusalem bough's and garments spread in the way with a joyfull shout of Hosanna Blessed is hee that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest and the fifth day after most shamefully dishonoured with a continuing cry of Crucifie him Crucifie him In which kind of death there may be doubted as I said before whether there were more paine or shame but paine enough to satisfie for our pleasure and shame enough to satisfie for our pride There 's for honour and dishonour Now for his good report and evill report Let me tell you how sometimes hee was reported to be a Prophet a great Prophet a Teacher come from God that hee was true and taught the way of God in truth and cared for no man and regarded not the person of men and lastly that hee did all things * Mark 7. ver 37. well At other times you shall finde him reported to be a Blasphemer an Enemy to Cesar a Seducer of the people a Gluttonous person and a Wine-bibber a Friend of Publicans and sinners a Samaritane and One that had a divell and One that wrought by Beelzebub the Prince of divells It were a wonder if they should not call him a Deceiver too Yes they did so For whilst they murmured against him some saying He was a good man others said Nay but hee deceiveth the people Joh. 7. ver 12. And the chiefe Priests and Pharisees in plaine words to Pilate call him a Deceiver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27.63 Wee remember this Deceiver said and yet though he was held as a Deceiver hee shewed himselfe true in that for praedixit revixit hee fore-said it and did it in his due time Let mee give you another instance in our St. Paul You have heard how at Malta hee was honoured with much honour and laden with necessaries You shall reade at Philippi Acts 16.23 how much hee was dishonoured and laden with many stripes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the place before now here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But you will say these were at two severall places Look Act. 14. and you shall finde him honoured at Lystra more then was fit for a man to be honoured Hee and Barnabas had much adoe to keepe the people from sacrificing to him as to a god presently after it is generally beleeved the same day they stoned him with stones even to death as they supposed for they supposed him to be dead and dragged him like a dead dog out of the gates of the City Oh the inconstancy of humane favour I cannot but think how the Athenians in Plutarch used Demetrius Phalereus they set up two hundred statues to his honour and took them every one downe againe while Demetrius was yet living to his dishonour and that before either * Cum nullam earum aut aerugo attigerat aut pulvis sordidaverat Plut. Apophth rust had spoiled them or dust had soiled them But what doe I alledge out of these Histories Examples of the vulgars inconstancy dishonouring where they have honoured one day and honouring where they have dishonoured another Nothing formerly hath been more honourable at home or admirable abroad then the English Clergy nothing grown now more despicable * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in 2 Tim. c. 1. hom 2. S. Chrysostome complained of the like in his time that all things were turned upside-down and brought to confusion that the Church Governours were not honoured no reverence no feare yeelded to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But good God how much worth how much learning zeal pietie religion in some Governours of the Church have wee seen shamefully trampled on under the dirty feet of some Sectaries in their scurrilous libels and pamphlets I know none I speake it in the presence of God that have done better services to the Reformed Churches against Popery by their Writings and Preachings then some Reverend Fathers in our Church have done * I meane beside those Martyr-Bishops Cranmer Ridley c. in Q. Maries daies such Bishops as have bin in the Church of England Ireland since the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Raign as namely Archbish Parker to whose care wee are beholding for most of our ancient Histories Bishop Bale Ossoriensis Episcopus for his many Volumes Bishop Jewell for his Workes Archb. Saundys for his Sermons B. Bilson for his Book intituled The Difference between Christian Subjection and Unchristian Rebellion c. B. Andr. for his Polem B. Buckridge for his Book De potestate Papae in rebus Temporalibus c. B. Abbot of Sarisbury for his Book in Defence of Master Perkins B. Babington for his Workes Bishop Lake for his learned Sermons Bishop Davenant for his Praelectiones de duobus in Theologia controversis Capitibus c. and other Tracts Bishop White for his Book against Fisher Bishop Carleton for his Book against
Arminianisme The Lord Primate of Armagh never to be mentioned without honour for his unparallel'd Workes and many others whereof some are fallen asleep and some remain to this day and long may they live to the performances of the like services Who hath so plainly discovered unto us a See Bishop Morton his Book of that Argument THE GRAND IMPOSTURE OF THE now CHURCH OF ROME Who hath so openly laid before us b See his Institution of the Sacrament the superstitious sacrilegious and idolatrous abominations of the Romish Masse Who hath so fully manifested c See his Catholike Appeale with many other of his accurate and learned Treatises against the Romanists the Antiquity of our Religion and satisfied all scrupulous Objections which have been urged against us Who hath so evidently demonstrated d See Bish Downham his Diatribe de Antichristo Bish Abbot of the same Argument the Pope to be The Antichrist Who hath so fully cleared that high point of e See Bish Downham his Treatises of Justification Justification and overthrown the Popish Doctrine of Merits Who hath so clearely set downe f See Bish Usher his Historica Explicatio of that subject the beginning progresse and encrease of the mystery of Iniquity from the birth of Antichrist to his full age out of manifold Records of Antiquity Who hath given us so wholesome a g See Bish Hall of the old Religion Preservative against all Popish Insinuations In a word who have more approved themselves the worthiest Champions most willing most ready most able to oppose all Popish Antichristian Arminian Pelagian Doctrine then some of These who have been stiled in the late pamphlets Popish Antichristian Arminian Pelagian Bishops It is no open enemy that hath done this wrong but the men of this Land and children as they would be thought to be of this Church that have dishonoured these Worthies that have been an Honour to this Church and Land As for us Ministers of the Gospel of inferiour rank who have alwaies preached the same divine Truth some of us in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth and have received that mercy from God to be faithfull 〈◊〉 holding the same profession without wavering or warping unto this day how are we at this time only because we walk in the way of the Church and study the peace of it desirous to yeeld obedience to God and our Superiours how are wee I say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought upon the Stage Heb. 10.33 traduced as Baals Priests derided contumeliously used reproached in our streets our Churches our Pulpits accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things a spectacle to Angels and men But holy Brethren to come to my third point wherein I shall make the use of all this Wee may approve our selves to be the true Ministers of Jesus Christ if that neither honour puffeth us up nor dishonour disheartneth us if neither a good report doth make us proud nor an evill report faint-hearted but can passe through all these honour and dishonour evill report and good report counting nothing in life nor life it selfe dear to us so as we may finish our course with joy and the Ministration which we have received of the Lord Jesus Christ To that end let me tender these things briefly to our consideration First that this vicissitude of honour and dishonour evill report and good report is from the Lord who must be allowed to doe what seemeth good in his eyes The time was wee doe confesse with thankfulnesse that the people did esteem us as the Ministers of Jesus Christ that they knew us and did acknowledge us worthy and accordingly had us in exceeding great love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our works sake that they might shew that they could have pulled their eyes out of their head to have done us good that they honoured us with much honour and laded us with necessaries and plentifull provision for our encouragement to the worke of the Ministery Have wee received so much good at the hand of God and may we not now with patience receive some evill There is no evill done in the City in this kinde but the Lord hath done it Amos 3.6 God hath bidden them to curse us and revile us and traduce us and load us with all these contumelies and reproaches and it may be these things being sanctified to us God may doe us good for all our reproaches this day wee should consider that as it cometh not without due desert seeing God is just 〈◊〉 shall not passe away without due profit seeing God is good Consider againe That there is nothing can come from the hand of this God to his servants but it cometh in the nature of a mercy while wee were honoured it was in mercy to encourage us and now wee are dishonoured and our soules filled with contempt it is done in mercy to admonish us to walke both more humbly with God and more warily with men Againe It is but the pride of our hearts that makes us so impatient of every light dishonour for if wee were as wee should be vile in our own eyes it were nothing nothing to be vile in the eyes of others Besides hear what our Lord sayes to his Disciples Blessed are you when men shall say all manner of evill of you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be glad For so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you Matt. 5.11,12 The Prophets before the Apostles were thus persecuted the Apostles and all the Worthies since the Apostles dayes have bin so persecuted in their severall Generations and our blessed Lord the Head both of Prophets and Apostles hath been as you heard before persecuted in like manner Now the disciple must not look to be above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple that hee be as his Master and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold Mat. 10.24,25 Lastly Behold there is a crown in the right hand of Christ and the word upon it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that overcometh Brethren let us hold fast that which we have and let no man take away our crown let us hold on still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to divide the Word of God aright and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk with a right foot in the profession of it Et innocenter agere scienter praedicare not studying so much to have our gifts commended as to have God glorified the consciences of people edified their lives reformed and their souls saved And then if wee finde favour in Gods sight God may bring us againe into favour with men but if hee thus say I have no delight in you nor in your services behold here are we let him doe to us as he pleaseth He that passing through honour and dishonour as St. Paul did can say as St. Paul 〈◊〉 I have fought the good fight I have finished my cours◠I have kept the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have kept it may assure himselfe of a crowne of Righteousnesse laid up for him which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give him that day and to all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit Three Persons one True Immortall Invisible onely Wise God be given all Honour Glory Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen FINIS