loue of God The abundance of their ioy and their deepe pouertie abounded to the riches of their liberalitie for to their power I beare them record saith Saint Paul and beyond their power were they willing of themselues such must be our disposition The rather because all diuision of our abilities is a plaine abandoning of the loue of God for no man can serue two masters as Christ telleth vs if he loue the one he will hate the other two loues if one be good and the other bad 〈◊〉 Medâ—tat cap. 5. cannot stand together Take an example or two The sonnes of God that is those that did loue God fell in loue with the daughters of men what issue had they Giants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as fought against God The Samaritans worshipped both the God of Israel and the Assyrians Idols and they were the most deadly enemies of Ierusalem Neuer haue you seene an hereticke that is a person that professeth partly the truth and partly errour but he turneth a bloudy persecutor of the Truth and he that loueth God and the World out of his loue to the World will doe the greatest dishonour hee can to God This is the reason why God will haue All or None Ananias and Saphira were stricken with suddaine death for with-holding a part of that whole substance which they freely vowed to God and which had it not beene for their vow they might haue disposed at their pleasure And if the embeseling of so small a matter due vpon no other ground then vpon a free Vow receiued so heauâ—e a doome of how much sorer punishment shal we be worthy if we with-hold our better things which vpon a more necessarie vow are due vnto God As for the Remisnesse that also is followed with a curse for cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Iere. 4â— 10 Reuel 3.16 and Christ will spue out of his mouth all those that are but luke warme that are neither hot nor cold God loueth none but zealously cheerefull Louers and lesse then an entire dedication of all our faculties will not please him But mistake not all other things besides God are not excluded from our Loue if they were how should we loue our Neighbour whom notwithstanding in this Text wee are commanded to loue Wherefore for the farther vnderstanding of this Intirenesse of our loue of God wee must not take other things Oppositè but Compositè we must exclude nothing from our loue that doth not enter into competition with God and oppose it selfe against the loue of God Secondly if there bee any thing that may be beloued ioyntly with God it must not be taken as Coordinatum but Subordinatum it must not share equally with God but keepe its distance and receiue our loue by a reflexion from God Excellent is that which Saint Austine hath to this purpose Totum quicquid aliud diligendum venerit in mentem illuc rapiatur quo totius dilectionis impetus currit and Minus te amat Domine qui tecum aliquid amat quod propter te non amat Thirdly vpon this Inequalitie must our loue ground an vnequall estimate of things and we must loue God aboue all appretiatiuè we must account all in comparison of God to be but as dung to be verie losse Finally according to the estimate must the heat of our affection bee wee must loue God aboue all intensiuè also wee must loue other things as fit to be vsed not fit to be enioyed yea we must vse all the world as if we vsed it not but we must loue God as him whome wee would not onely vse but enioy also yea so enioy that we may bee able to say with King Dauid Psal 73. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none on earth that I desire with thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer when wee attaine hereunto though wee loue other things beside God yet wee loue God as wee ought for we will as Salomon biddeth vs thinke vpon him in all our wayes But I may not forget that though I seeme to haue said much of our loue of God yet there is a limitation exprest in the Text though All bee required yet no other All then that which can bee performed by man for it is all thy heart thy minde thy strength c. wee may not expect that wee should bee able to loue God according to his owne worth but wee must loue him to the vttermost of our power Onely God can loue God as hee is worthie so the Father loueth the Sonne the Sonne the Father and the holy Ghost both but a finite creature can haue but a finite vertue which can beare no proportion vnto God who is infinite as also is his goodnesse which is all one with himselfe This serueth to checke all pride which thinketh that by louing it can demerit God well may hee vouchsafe to accept our poore endeauors but the best come short of deseruing ought at Gods hands especially when the heart minde c. though they bee called ours yet are they nothing but his gifts as before you haue heard and so are all their endowments namely this of Loue. And if wee cannot merit by loue much lesse can wee supererogate in louing for who can giue God more then is due that learneth by this Text that All is due vnto God Praetererogate haply we may in some indifferent thing which God leaueth to our choyce although that choyce also must bee guided by the generall end whereat all our actions must ayme and the abilitie which wee haue receiued of God whereof if we imploy not the one to the other well may God bee indulgent to our weaknesse in choosing certainly it deserueth no commendation But as for the Act of louing so farre is it off that wee can supererogate any thing that wee cannot so much as praetererogate a iot therein I haue opened the Measure wherewith wee must loue the Lord our God the perfection the degree thereof but I doubt I haue not done it so popularly and plainly as that euery one doth conceiue mee and can try his owne loue by that which hee hath heard and discerne when it is come to this straine I will therefore propose from the mouth of our Sauiour Christ certaine plaine Rules which are for the capacitie of the meanest hearer which if he apply vnto himselfe he may thereby guesse at the pitch of his loue The first is He that loueth father mother wife children c. Mat. 10. Mat. 19 20. Luc. 14.26 more then me is not worthy of me The second Hee that forsaketh not father mother wife children c. The third Hee that hateth not father mother wife children c. hee cannot be my Disciple There bee many things and persons as you heard before which we are allowed to loue but we must loue them onely vntill they come
his libertie out of the Loue hee bare to his Master and his Wife and Children Christ in his owne person maketh the allusion and we may accommodate it to our owne persons In a word a man doth heare Theologically when the Law which is perfect conuerteth his Soule the testimonie of the Lord that is sure Psal 19. maketh him wise of simple the statutes of the Lord that are right reioyce his heart and the commandement of the Lord that is pure doth illighten his eyes so that this hearing-eare is of God Deut 29. as also the Voice is and therefore Moses tels the Israelites that God hath not giuen them eares to heare and Christ in the Gospell saith qui habet aures ad audiendum audiat for vobis datum est it is not to euery body giuen to heare but of them to whom it is giuen Christ hath pronounced Blesse are the eares that heare that which you heare Hauing heard what the Voice is and what it is to Heare we must now ioyne them together and indeed speaking is for hearing in ciuill societie neither would God euer haue giuen men tongues if hee had not giuen them eares And if for this life hee so prouideth how much more doth he prouide so for the life to come Surely S. Paul saith that he receiued grace and apostleship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 1 5. 1. Thes 2 13. that men might heare him with faith and he calleth the word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of hearing that is a word which must be heard Esay goeth a step farther and calleth the word of God Cap 53 1. Rom 10 16. Schemugnah Saint Paul rendreth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hearing who hath belieued our hearing So it is in the originall the meaning is who hath belieued the word that we Preach to the end that men might heare it The word of God is still to sound in mens eares and men are still to heare the sound thereof How iniurious then is the Romane discipline Luke 11. Matth. 23. which like the Iewish Lawyers takes away from people the Key of knowledge and shut vp the kingdome of heauen against men Which heretofore made it a mortall sinne to read Gods word And now clogs the libertie it grants with such cautions that very few especially of those that are with in the reach of the Inquisition dare bee acquainted with it yea and those clogs content not but now it is thought fitter vtterly to denie libertie As such teachers are iniurious so are there some schollars impious that may but will not heare whether out of contempt or neglect they are impious murtherers of their owne Soules for this Voice onely is the Voice of life and it quickneth by the eare although wee must not so limit the conueiance thereof by the corporall eare that wee exclude the eye for our eye also since Gods word is written by reading may conuey Gods Voice vnto the eare of our Soule and men by this second meanes are not a little edified in Gods truth the Fathers especially Chrysostome doth commend reading earnestly to the people yea the Law hath commanded it long since when it willed the Iewes to write the Law vpon their doore posts certainely the Iewes euen at this day inure their children to a daily reading of the Law so soone as they come to yeeres of discretion and it were to be wisht that Christians did imitate them therein But marke that as the Israelites must heare Gods Voice so they must heare it absolutely for God doth not yet acquaint them with the contents of his Voice he speaketh indifinitely hee requires obedience not to this or that Commandement not to this or that Article of faith but to whatsoeuer he shall purpose And well may God require such obedience for he is first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth of himselfe yea Truth it selfe so that a man need not feare that at any time or in any thing God can bee deceiued or will deceiue vs neither can agree with the Omniscience and Holinesse of his nature Secondly God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almightie and the soueraigne commander of man so that his word is not onely Truth but a Law where the word of this King goeth there goeth power it admitteth no disputing no resisting As he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth so we may safely captiuate our wits vnto his wisedome as he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so we must dutifully submit our wils vnto his commands vpon these two foundations are built our absolute obedience vnto Gods indefinite Voice The word my voice is a word of limitation Ioh. 10. Christs sheepe heare his voice the voice of a stranger they will not heare Gods voice must bee reputed obiectum adaequatum of his people hearing wee must neither stretch nor shrinke it neither adde thereto nor take there-from These two Attributes of Truth and Power are so proper vnto God that they are not communicable to any creature Omnis homo mendax Psal 116. euerie man may deceiue or be deceiued and Omne sub regno graniore regnum est the greatest Soueraignes vnto men are subiect vnto God therefore mens words must be tried before they must be belieued wee must not credit all their words and we must yeeld obedience vnto men no farther then may stand with our obedience to God This must be obserued because the glorie that is due onely to God is too often communicated to men so Disciples take their masters instructions as Diuine oracles and follow them in errour out of a preconceipt that they are not men likely to erre But Saint Pauls rule is Omnia probate 1. Thes 5 1. Iob. 4. quod bonum est tenete proue all things but hold that which is best and Saint Iohn trie the spirits whether they be of God or no for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Amicus Plato magis amica veritas we must neuer dote so vpon any man as to forget that he is a man that is a creature subiect vnto errour If this caution had beene obserued and the Disciples had in all ages examined their masters Doctrine by his word that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither should the Church heretofore haue beene neither would it now be pestered with those many Sects that dictract the same As Disciples haue their caution so haue Subiects also they must dutifully obey their superiours but alwayes with a sauing sauing the Allegiance which they owe vnto the Superiour of Superiours that is vnto God so long as there is no contradiction betweene the commandements of God and superiour men subiects must obey though the obedience be vnsauorie and the command rigid but so soone as there appeares a contradiction endure they must patiently the Sanction of the Law but perform the Precept they must not Were this caution obserued by Subiects did they consider the subordination of all earthly Powers to the power of
goodnesse of a Creature and if it faile no lesse power then this can restore it againe In a word there is none other Good but hee and therefore none but he can doe good whether it be naturall or morall good good of Grace or good of Glory all are but drops whereof he is the Ocean and hee is the Sunne from whom these beames doe issue His Ability is not all the reason why the suite is directed vnto him but his Promise also must bee ioyned thereto Take the words corporally then hath Dauid a speciall promise both of the indulgence and beneficence of God 2. Sam. 7. take them spiritually and then the blessings come within the generall promises of Gods Couenant for that hath the promises both of this Life 1. Tim 4 â— and of that which is to come For doe good you see there is reason to pray to God and there is as much reason for Build thou the wals Men cannot so much as build corporally except the Lord build the house he laboureth but in vaine that buildeth much more spiritually Psal 127. seeing none can giue the spirit but himselfe and all our sufficiencie is from his spirit without which we can doe nothing God is the wall of our wall hee standeth about those that feare him as the Hils about Ierusalem Psal 125. Psal 147. he will build vp Ierusalem and gather together the out-casts of Israel But when wee make God the Author wee doe not exclude the Instruments our selues and others but shew their impotencie if he make them not both able and effectuall The Person is well chosen to whom the suite is directed but that is not enough there must bee some motiue also which may plead for the Sutor And here is the most preuailing motiue nothing without God euer moueth him to doe good many things from without may prouoke his vengeance but nothing can draw from him works of Grace but that which is within him And that which is within him the first mouer is alwayes his good will Gods will is alwayes good but wee then vse the addition of good when we feele the gracious effects thereof when God dealeth with vs according to the sweetnesse of his Nature not the rigour of his iustice And this phrase commeth then in seasonably when wee haue deserued the contrary as Dauid now had and all men doe when they are put to this Petition doe good build vp witnesse all the Instaurations that haue beene since the beginning of the World Nothing can bee had from God by merit but we owe it all vnto Gods Mercie who for his owne sake doth repaire his Church as at first he gaue it a being onely for his owne sake And it is happie that that is the onely motiue for were it not for that wee should bee left comfortlesse but from this wee may receiue more then wee can hope for Hee dealeth like a God 2 Sam 7. and not like a man Secondly this phrase may note some remarkable thing touching the nature and measure of the gifts The nature as if Dauid did desire that most which would please God best and did not sue to God for other gifts then such as he taketh the greatest content in and so that he might obtaine Gods good will for Sion and Ierusalem hee passeth not for all the rest And indeed it it is true spirituall wisedome to make Let mee finde grace in thine eyes the vpshot of our suite and to seeme to minde no thing else but the recouery of Gods good will 1. King â— wee are sure then to speed with Salomon of any other good though wee mention it not in our prayers Finally this phrase may note as the nature so the measure of the gifts it implyeth that we presume not to carue to our selues but leaue him to enlarge or contract his bountie as it seemeth best vnto him And indeed as he knoweth best what is good for vs so is he the best proportioner of his gifts and will deale more freely the lesse we presume to prescribe vnto him But let vs draw to an end I told you that in the whole Text you might obserue two remarkable Vertues shining therein The first is Confidence In the beginning of the Psalme King Dauid seemed to bee a very wretch so sinfull that he might well seeme vnworthy to open his mouth for himselfe yet hauing vnburthened his conscience and poured forth his soule for himselfe hee gathereth strength and groweth bold to pray for others for the whole Kingdome yea for the whole body of the Church hee presumeth to importune God to bestow the greatest of his temporall and spirituall blessings And the conscience of sinne must not so dishearten vs but when wee haue made our owne peace wee may become suitors for others also It is an argument of the Communion of Saints and Christ out of a fellow-feeling hath taught vs to say Our Father 1. Tim. 2.1 yea the Apostle willeth vs to pray for all men But as we must pray with this Confidence like Dauid so must wee bee like Dauid in seasoning our prayers with Compassion though we doe well enough our selues yet must we not be senslesse of other mens wants nor finde ease in ease while others are in danger especially if our selues haue beene the cause of their danger as Dauid was who as much as lay in him exposed all Israel to ruine and destruction Hee had reason therefore to remember it in his prayers and desire God to be gracious vnto it God hath visited our Land with a Plague of Raine and no doubt but our sinnes are the cause of so vnseasonable weather for Genes 3. Cursed be the Earth for thy sake hath a constant truth and God doth not distemper the Seasons except we be first distempered You shall doe well therefore to looke vpon the Land with Compassion and remember in your denotion the distresses thereof Finally learne from King Dauid to put into our prayers those to whom wee haue specâ—all reference Would the time permit this Note might be enlarged to Parents Masters Magistrates Pastors I will insist onely on Sion and Ierusalem to that wee haue the neerest reference No consanguinity no affinity worketh so straight a band as doth the Communion of Saints yet is there nothing that moueth men lesse I would it did moue more especially at this time when Sion is as a wildernesse and Ierusalem a desolation what with the Turke and what with the Pope euery where is the sword bathed in Christian bloud if euer Ne â—rascaris Domine would now be a seasonable Antheme wee should all pray Be not wrath very sore O Lord neither remember iniquitie for euer And I would there were that compassionate disposition in vs which appeared in the captiue Iewes Psal 137. when they said If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning if I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of
the houre of the Crosse was not yet come Put Houre and Crosse together and then this word will yeeld another note which is that though the time of the Crosse be bitter yet it is but short the story of the Gospell shewes that it was quickly past ouer within the space of a day was all the bitternesse thereof ouercome And as the Crosse of Christ so that of Christians is not lasting St. Paul calleth them momentany afflictions 2. Cor. 5. King Dauid telleth vs that heauinesse may endure for a night but ioy will come in the morning Psal 30. and that the rod of the wicked shall not rest vpon the lot of the righteous Psal 125. But enough of the Time wee shall insist longer vpon the Cup and therein behold the nature of the Crosse Here then are two words Calix and Iste a Cup and this Cup. Touching the Cup I will not trouble you with the diuers coniectures concerning the originall of this phrase I will deliuer that which is fairely grounded on the Scripture Esay 63.8 Reuel 19. Psal 75.8 Obserue then that Gods wrath is compared to a wine-presse and the effects of that wrath vnto the wine strained out in the Psalme it is called red wine elsewhere deadly wine wine that is able to make men drunke sicke mad not corporally but mentally it surchargeth their wits and bereaueth them of all heart that drinke it This wine of Gods wrath is meant by the Cup. But it noteth withall that as calamities come from God so hee apportions to euery man his part hee giueth him to drinke as much as hee thinketh fit Of this Cup you may reade in the 25. of Ieremy where the Prophet is willed to send it from Nation to Nation and the contents of each of their Cups or rather draughts out of the Cup are foretold by that Prophet and by others in whom wee read their seuerall desolations But wee haue not now to doe with the Cup in generall but with this Cup the Cup whereof Christ was to drinke which was indeede an extraordinary Cup you will confesse it if I doe but touch at the quantity and quality of the liquor Touching the Quantity the Fathers obserue two kindes of ingredients the Principall and the Accessory The Principall are Malum Culpae and Malum Poenae Sinne and Woe the Sinne of Adam a ranke roote from whence haue sprung many branches all full laden with euill fruit and that of diuers kindes of diuers growths These Sinnes with their plenty and variety take vp a great roome in the Cup. And what Sinne doth not fill Woe may for Woe is the inseparable companion of Sinne God is offended with it and if God be offended then must the Sinner looke to bee afflicted the affliction due vnto vs is in one word called Death death temporall death eternall the seuering of the soule from the body of both from God and if from God then no lesse from blisse than from grace To say nothing of the Harbingers of corporall death that set forward our mortality and the companions of spirituall death that aggrauate our misery All these ingredients being put into the Cup if yet any thing be wanting the Accessories added vnto these Principals will make full measure I will mention onely two the treason of Iudas and the vnnaturalnesse of the Iewes Of Iudas there is a passionate complaint in one of the Psalmes where he is typed out in Achitophel Had it beene anenemy that had done me this wrong I could haue borne it but it was thou mysamiliar friend with whom I did eate of whom I tooke counsell It is a miserable thing to be betrayed but most miserable to bee betrayed by a friend a Lord by his Seruant a Master by his Disciple Christ by an Apostle Put this then into the Cup. And besides this the vnnaturalnesse of the Iewes Rom. 14. they were Christs kindred according to the flesh and Christ did vouchsafe to be the Minister of the Circumcision he preached his Sermons to them and amongst them did he work his Miracles he termed all the world but dogs in comparison of them and to seeke them whom hee compareth to lost sheepe hee was contonted to come downe from Heauen And see how they reward his kindnesse nothing will satisfie them but his bloud and that spilt in the most painfull in the most shamefull fashion And as if that were not enough they make a blasphemous and desperate prayer that the guilt of it might cleaue to them and theirs certainly this addeth not a little to the Cuppe By this time I thinke we haue measured out a very large draught neither is it possible to conceiue a larger But as the draught is great in regard of the quantity so in regard of the qualitie it was very bitter we must then obserue that this wine of Gods wrath is eyther merum or dilutum sheere or allayed Others that in this world haue had their cups haue had them more or lesse allayed neuer was any mans Crosse without some comfort if he were afflicted in soule hee had some ease in bodie if his honour failed yet his wealth abode or if both failed yet he found some friend to pitie him at lest he had some refreshing of meat or sleepe some way or other was his torture mitigated neuer did any man in this world drinke of this red wine vnmixt but our Sauiour Christ comfort from without hee had none for all forsooke him and he had as little in himselfe his body was tortured from top to toe by the Iewes and his soule was exagitated by the fiends of Hell As for his Godhead though the Hypostaticall vnion was not dissolued yet was the comfortable influence thereof into the manhood suspended for a time By all this put together wee may conclude that it was Vinum merum there was no allay of that bitternesse that was put into the Cup though it were poured in in great abundance Adde hereunto that Christ was not ignorant nor insensible of this great and bitter Cup not to know what we are to doe not to haue sense to feele what we doe is such stupiditie as may not be moued with such a Cup but if the eye of the vnderstanding be cleere to behold it and the heart be tender to feele it then will it moue with a witnesse Now none euer matched our Sauiour Christ in sapientia charitate in a piercing iudgement and a feeling nature and therefore the deeper impression did the apprehension of this Cup make in him I haue a Baptisme saith he Luke 12. wherewith I must be baptized quomodo coarctor and how am I grieued vntill it be past But the Euangelists doe open his sense thereof more distinctly they shew how it affected his head vpon the foretaste he beganne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee amazed how it affected his heart he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to droope to faint how it affected all his soule 〈◊〉
First then God forgiues Exod. 3◠it is one of his properties so to doe to forgiue iniquities and transgressions And without all doubt God ceasing from anger which is contrary to his nature will embrace mercie which is agreeable to his nature if we repent neyther would he euer haue giuen Christ to death for vs if hee had desired our death But our God is mercifull and hath appointed vs Ministers to be sponsores misericordiae to giue assurance of his mercy to penitent sinners and our message what is it but the Gospel that is glad tidings of the Reconciliation of God and man Neyther doth he only redresse the cause but the effect also that is the Woe for Woe is the effect of sinne and where God remitteth the guilt of sinne hee will also remoue the punishment thereof eyther wholly or he will at least irae merum clementia diluere by clemencie much allay the seueritie of his wrath wher 's condonare goeth before there donare followeth after giuing doth accompany forgiuing In the text there are two words God will doe and giue which are not put in vaine for the first signifieth that God will doe that which wee request that is as the Psalme speaketh Psalme 145. Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will saue them In our extremities wee call onely for ease of our paine and God will doe that But that is not the vttermost of his fauour he will also giue vs many good things he will as the Prophets speake delight to doe vs good and as if he did repent of his vengeance hee will multiply his blessings and redeeme as it were the time of our affliction with an extraordinary measure of peace and prosperitie Such promises and such performances we reade in the Scripture and our hope may entertaine them as belonging to our selues if we be deuoutly penitent Yet must you obserue as it followeth in the text that God doth dispence this double grace grace of forgiuing and grace of giuing discreetly according to mens wayes As all men are not alike deuout so God intreates them not all alike Hee rewardeth euery man according to his workes as the Scripture speakes Rom. 2.6 Faber est quisque fortunae suae Men shall finde God as God findeth them surely Gods prouidence proceedeth so if you looke vpon the second causes touching the first and St. Pauls maxime 1 Cor. 4.7 Quis te discernit a point that much troubleth the world at this day it is no time now to dispute the plainest and shortest resoluion is that of the Prophet Hosea 13.9 Perditio tua ex te Israel exme salus They that perish must blame themselues but they that are saued must giue the glory thereof vnto God But the waies according to which God dealeth with men are eyther inward or outward God dealeth with men according to their inward waies for God seeth not as man seeth neyther iudgeth according to the outward appearance but according to the inward disposition The reason is twofold 1. because vera bonitas malitia sunt tantùm in corde true goodnesse and malitiousnesse are only in the heart in the outward actions they are not farther than they are deriued from thence according to the rule in the Schooles Our actions are so farre vertuous and vitious as the will hath a hand in them A second reason is this The knowledge of the heart is the strongest proofe that can bee produced in iudgement and because Gods iudgement is the most infallible the euidence produced therin is the most vndeniable his euidence is such and none but his for He and He only knoweth the hearts of the children of men as Salomon addeth He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher of the heart and reines he is more priuie to our secret thoughts than we our selues are and as St. Iohn saith 1 Iohn 3.20 greater than our heart Therefore God in iudgement non facta numerat sed corda when he commeth to reckoning look how many good hearts hee findeth so many good men and so many ill men as hee findeth ill hearts Men in their iudgements cannot proceede so exactly for want of this knowledge of the heart they are faine to rest vpon weaker proofes which though they satisfie in humane cognizance yet may they possibly be false and the person arraigned may bee mis-deemed and mis-doomed Two things follow out of this Doctrine the doctrine that God onely knoweth the hearts The one is that God often taketh not off his heauie hand notwithstanding we humble our selues because wee doe not turne to the Lord with all our heart The second is that God taketh away many a man in the Act of his Repentance lest he should relapse and malice change his heart Wee must therefore not be out of heart if God should take away any of vs euen in the middest of this good worke As God dealeth discreetly in dispensing of his grace so that supposed He dealeth vniuersally He dispenseth the grace with euery man according to his waies as euery man is sensible of his own ill case or not sensible so God applieth or applieth not a remedie thereunto no penitent man but may speed of the grace no impenitent man may looke for it for God will deale with euery man according to his waies You haue heard what Gods Acceptance is It remaineth that you now heare whereat it aymeth it aymeth at the amendement of Israel God vouch safeth Israel grace that Israel may feare him Psal 130. And so saith the Penitentiall Psalme With thee Lord there is mercy that thou mayst bee feared Gods iudgements are not onely penall but medicinall therefore are they called Corrections because they set vs straight that went awry Eruditions because they ciuilize vs that were growne wilde Castigations because they make vs spiritually chaste that went awhooring And what is Repentance but renascentia animae a renuing of our minde by putting off the old man crucifying the flesh becomming new men Tertullian saith right Penitentia sine emendatione vitae vana quia caret fruclu suo cui eam Deus seuit In vaine is that Repentance which is not followed by a better life because it beareth not that fruite for which God planted it that is the saluation of men or it bringeth not forth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12. Mercy is shewed propter spem for hope of amendement so Parents spare their children Masters their seruants Princes their subiects and we may not expect that God will spare vs vpon any other condition therefore when we vnderly Gods heauie hand wee must say with Ephraim bemoaning himselfe Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullocke vnaccustomed to the yoke turne thou mee and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God surely after that I was turned I repented c. Ier. 31. God spares vs not that we
In the Old Testament it is so and it is so in the New The place Eccles 10. is a knowne place Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich no not in thy bed-chamber where Rich and King both signifie persons in authoritie for so is the place generally applyed In the New Testament St Mathew calleth Ioseph of Arimathea a rich-man St Marke an honourable-man as if rich and honorable were Synonyma's But the ant thesis that St Iames maketh betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puts it out of all question for what is the opposite to a man of low degres but a man of high Enough of the word The point intimated by the word is that no member of the Church ariseth to so high a degree of worldly state but CHRIST calleth vpon them to take vp his Crosse and follow him Kings themselues in Baptisme are signed with the signe of the Crosse in token that they shall not be ashamed of CHRIST crucified but shall continue his faithfull Souldiers vnto their lines end they eat the body and drinke the blood of CHRIST in token that they must communicate in his sufferings yea Kings moreouer since the dayes of Constantine the Great haue borne the Crosse on the top of their Crownes to note what else but that they will take their parts thereof That which the Prophet Isay speakes of CHRIST Imperium habet super humeros Cap. 9. is a phrase borrowed from earthly Kings who are called in the Hebrew tongue Nâ—se as if you would say Portatores the erymologie of the word is set downe by GOD himselfe Numb 11. where he designes those that shall helpe Moses to beare his burthen and Iethro obserues it in the 18 of Exodus The prouerbiall speech which Elizaeus vsed of Elias My Father my Father Currus auriga Israel reacheth not onely Prophets but Princes too both sustaine a double part in the societie of men they direct and they beare and one part of their burden is the Crosse euen plaustra conuitiorum whole loads of reproaches and contumelies what the King of Aram said to the Captaines fight not against small nor great but onely against the King of Israel seemes to be the charge which the Bishop of Rome giues to euerie pettie Souldier in his host They were wont in their writing to vndertake a Luther or a Caluin a Beza or a Iewel or some man of their ranke but now there is not the basest Pamphleter that hath not some venomous dart to shoote at the Lords Anointed whom in better times of the CHVRCH the greatest Patriarches did not mention without that lowly respect which GOD hath made due vnto sacred Maiestie But what is to be done in the mid'st of these vnbridled tongues and pens Kings themselues must resolue that they are vncti non tantum ad Regnum sed etiam ad luctam men of their place must be men of such worth as here is described by St Iames in such cases it belongs vnto them and to them principally to endure the Crosse out of the loue of GOD. The first part of their worth is to endure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word implyes two things not to sinke in their courage for they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor shrinke from their burden for they must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they must not sinke is the first 1 Cor. 4. Tribulationem patimur saith St Paul sed non angustiamur whereupon a Father Quomodo angustiari potest qui dilatatur virtutibus Vertue is like gold in the fire which looseth nothing of its weight but gaines in luster yea as gold when it is melted in the fire diffundit se in longum latum Beda in Ps 65 it spreads farther and extends longer so saith Bede doth the vertue of a child of GOD when he is exercised by the Crosse more are the better for it and himselfe is the better setled to continue in it his vnderstanding is more cleared for the acknowledgment of the truth and his heart more strengthened for to sticke to it and this is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to continue the same and not to be altered vnto worse by reason of the Crosse but though we be nipt as corne with the frost of winter to stocke better and to beare a goodlyer eare of corne As we may not sinke vnder the Crosse so we may not shrinke from it there be many that be like St Peter who said vnto CHRIST Master though all men forsake thee yet will not I forsake thee I will lay downe my life for thee yet when they are put to it they will as he did deny and forswear their Master The experiments that the Primitiue Church had in this kind were no lesse innumerable then lamentable the names of Libellatici and Traditores are infamous to this day wherof the one signed their renouncing of CHRIST with their owne hand and the other with their owne hands gaue vp GODS Word to be burnt in the fire Epist ad Tert. Those words of Nazianzene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerne verie many in all age But we haue better examples to follow in the Booke of Daniel of the Maccabees in the 11 to the Hebr. wherein most memorable is that of Moses who esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt and had rather suffer affliction with his brethren then to liue as the sonne of Pharaohs daughter But here are two cautions to be obserued the first is as we must not shrinke from the Crosse so must we not offer our selues to it before we be called Stand vpon thy guard saith St Chrysostome and be ready to resist the assaulting enemie but do not rashly make thy selfe enemies Hoc enim non est militis sed seditiosi it is enough for the Souldier of CHRIST to march forth when the alarum is sounded by the trumpe of the Gospel Lib. 10. Conf. c. and St Austin Tolerare tentationes iubes nos Domine non amare nemo quod tolerat amat etsi tolerare amat quamuis enim gaudeat se tolerare tamen mavult non esse quod toleret and we pray lead vs not into temptation Those Frierly speaches then one of him that being released of his temptation expressed his griefe in these words Bibliothech Patr. Domine nen sum ego dignus modica tribulatione the other of him that being sollicited to Adulterie by his owne lust refused the prayers of him that offered to intreat GOD on his behalfe out of a conceipt that his striuing with that lust would turne to his greater glorie sauour too much of Cloyster superstition it may be impuritie also The second caution is that as we must not vndergoe the Crosse before we are called so being vnder it we must not rest vpon our own strength we must put on that same compleat Armour mentioned â—phes 6. if we stand vpon this