chickens but they would not they regarded not his loving mercie they would not discerne the time of their visitation no though that blessed Saviour did seeke to move them unto it Luc. 19.42 August Non ideo non habet homo gratiam quia Deus non dat sed quia homo non accipit even with mournfull teares from his eyes crying out Oh if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day those things that belong unto thy peace It is a worthy speech of a learned Father that man becomes hardned and wants grace not because God doth not offer it but because man receives it not when it is offered for the Lord himselfe protests that as hee lives hee disires not the death of the wicked but that hee should turne from his way and live therefore hee concludes with a serious invitation Turne you turne you from your evill waies for why will yee dye oh yee house of Israell We may see in the first of Esay that having earnestly invited that Rebellious people to turne from their pernicious courses presently he inferrs Esa 1.18 And then let us reason together then I will admit conference with you to the great peace and comfort of your soules that were your sinnes as crimson they shall bee made as white as snowe though they were red like scarlet they shall bee as wooll oh then as Austine speakes cast not away your selves refuse not his mercie when it is offered for we see it cleere that great sinnes limits not Gods mercies but Aug. in Psal as the same worthie Author speakes as the earth abounds with mans miserie so it superabounds with Gods mercie yea saith hee that very thing shall bee required of a wicked man Ibid. that he would not receive mercie when it was offered Wee reason not here what inabilitie man hath brought upon himselfe by the distempered surfeit of sinne Eccles 7.31 but let us all understand that to bee true which Salomon records That God made man righteous but he hath sought many inventions many sinister courses to loade his soule with sinne Ion. 2.8 and wilfully following lying vanities doth as the Prophet Ionah speakes forsake his owne mercie that wee may well say with the Prophet Hosea That his destruction is of himselfe even by his wilfull contracting and going on in sin Hos 13.9 obstinately hardening his heart against the many loving and mercifull invitations of the Lord Mat. 23.37 who would gather these together as the hen her chickens oh then let me invite you all with that worthy speech of the Holy Ghost To day if you will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Psal 95.7.8 oh harden them not against the mercifull voyce of the Lord against the operation of his holy spirit which seekes to heale even the rebellious soares of your soules Let mee say to you with worthy Augustine Aug. in Psal Receive mercie my Brethren even the mercie of humble and penitent hearts the mercie of remission and pardon of your sinnes to the which the Lord invites you for which the Lord now knocks at the doore of your hears Oh let us all receive it let none of us sleepe or drowse in the receiving of it Rev. 3.20 lest hee be one day rowsed up to render an evill and a grievous answer before the tribune seat of Iesus Christ when in the terror of his wounded soule for the guilt of his many sins committed Rev. 6.16 hee shall wish that the mountaines and rockes would fall on him and hide him from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe and shall seeke for death and shall not finde it Rev. 9.6 and shall desire to dye which yet nature abhorres as the most terrible of all terrible things Anst as the very Heathen man concludes but death shall flie from him Oh then receive wee this mercie from our God who thus lovingly offers it Hos 14.3 and let us as this worthy Prophet adviseth take unto us wordes and turne unto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips that hee may yeeld us a comfortable answer I will heale your Rebellions even the greatest soares of your soules to the eternall peace and comfort of your consciences oh blessed those that thus receive the mercie of their God Wherefore this wisedome to attaine the cure of our long festered soares of sinne some tending to schisme and faction some to atheisme and profannesse but all grievously dangerous the eternall Father impresse within us for the precious merits of his deare sonne Christ Iesus To whom with their most holy sanctifying spirit three persons and one indivisible essence be all praise power and glorie ascribed from this time forth for evermore FINIS IOHN 10.27 My sheep doe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me WEe may see Right Worshipfull and well beloved in our Saviour Christ in the twentie fourth verse of this chapter that the Iewes did compasse about our Saviour demanding of him how long hee would hold them in suspence If thou art the Christ tell us plainely A strange demand for this blessed Saviour had both by word and worke plainly witnessed that he was the Messiah therefore hee replies unto them I have told you and you beleeve not the very workes which I doe doe testifie of me that I am the Christ but you beleeve not And he shewes them the reason of this their unbeleefe The proposition considered separatively is categoricall considered as it is connexive and knit together by conjunctions it may be said to be hypotheticall that is materially for that they were none of his sheep that they were none of his sheep he proves Categorically thus My sheep heare my voyce but yee heare not my voyce therefore yee are not my sheep Or because the proposition considered in the whole wordes is connexive as consisting of divers branches we may frame the assumption accordingly the Major lying thus in my text My sheep heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me but you heare not my voyce I know not you you follow not me therefore you are none of my sheep Briefly in this proposition I consider three things as three speciall markes of the true sheep of Christ A subject urgently necessarie in these our times Beza Multum scientiae parū conscientiae wherein there is much science but little conscience when the pallats of many bee growne so strange that that onely yeeldes some kinde of rellish that is admirable and surpassing ordinary capacitie for in this our wantonizing age we deale with sermons as Gentlewomen with their fancie-flowers we use them for shew not for savour for fashion not affection And therefore like them when the night of our wonted sinnes approach wee cast downe all fragrant adminition at our unhallowed heeles
a hundred and twenty yeeres yet behold their miserable state they admit it no digestion but did as it were evomere send it forth againe for their soules were full of sinne the imaginations of their heart even altogether wicked Gen. 19.14 Though Lott proclaimed the voice of God to the wicked Sodomites that they should depart from that pernitious citie for God would destroy it alas they held it ridiculous they admit it no digestion for their soules were full of sinne Exod. 5.1 Though Moses delivered the expresse word of God to Pharaoh that he should let his people goe and free them from their grievous captivity alas his stomack would not beare it hee would give it no passage but t was loathsome unto him therefore hee replied Ver. 2. Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce what is there any that can command me any to whom my Scepter should stoup for his soule was full gorged with horrid sinnes So though the Lord by his Prophet Ieremy Ier. 18.11 did plainly witnesse against the wicked ones of those times that he had prepared a plague for them that hee had purposed a thing against them and therefore invited them to returne from their sinister waies to prevent that fearfull stroke of his iustice alas they would none of it they admit it no digestion but returne it up again Ier. 18 1◠desperately answering Wee will walke after our owne imaginations wee will doe every man after the stubbornnesse of his wicked heart for their soules were full of sinne So our blessed Saviour gave that yongue Man in Mathewes Gospell a speciall Cordiall to revive his dying spirits Mat. 19.21 to cure that great disease the Philarguria of his soule but oh the misery of that fearfull sinne it suffers it not to worke upon him it sends it up againe alas he went away sorrowing Mat. 19.22 Faine hee would have retayned Christs blessed potion but the strength of his disease would not admit it therefore he bids a farewell to Christ Iesus Thus thirdly sinne is fitly compared to a fever It takes away the stomack of the soule and makes it unable to digest the most wholsome things Fourthly sin is fitly compared to a Fever propter inflammationem in respect of fierce and violent inflamation for as that virulent Maladie burnes and with its unnaturall heat torments all the vitall and spirituall powers so deales sinne with the soule for even oft in this life it fearfully inflames it burnes it and fills it full of wrathfull horror For although wicked and prophane persons doe many times passe by the remembrance of their sinnes either by lascivious discourses vaine societies dissolute sports or the deep habit of sinne for as Bernard speakes Bern Ser. 8. in Cant. Isid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evill habit doth harden and as Isidore speakes makes us become even without sense and feeling But what oh yet sinne lieth at the doore it waits opportunity to plunge the soule with fearfull misery Gen. 4.7 pursuing the conscience as a swift hunting Nimrod Gen. 10.9 as a speedy footed Nimshi There was a time when Cains conscience had no feeling of that great sinne of murder which hee had committed nay though God spake to him and asked him Where is thy brother Gen. 4.9 which a man would thinke should have made Cain to have lookt downe upon his guilty conscience and to have stood amazed shakt and trembled at this voyce but alas it stird him not at all hee was stout and stood as it were at defiance with God as if he had done him the greatest wrong that could be so much as to insinuate such a matter with him Therefore he insolently replied I cannot tell am I my brothers keeper As if hee should say I hope you will not lay his death to my charge will you offer mee that indignity So that here Cain was without all touch of conscience his great crying sinne of murder troubled him not at all but what was this alwaies Cains state oh no at length you may behold the fearfull fury of this sinne so flame up in his soule and conscience that the extreame burning heate thereof did make him cry out My sinne is greater than can bee forgiven Gen. 4.13 Strange alteration of late he saw no sinne it troubled him not at all and now hee sees so huge a burning flame that hee thinkes all the ocean of Gods mercy is not able to quench it therefore he cries out My sinne is greater than can bee forgiven Againe there was a time when treacherous Iudas had no tast nor feeling of his wickednesse he plotted and practised against his most innocent Master he combined and conspired with the Scribes and Pharisees Christs most cruell enemies he concluded with them Mat. 26.14 to betray him into their hands and that for a meane and a base reward and what Vers 15. was hee toucht for this sinne oh no hee came into his masters presence with the rest of the Apostles and heard him openly divulge One of you shall betray me Ioh. 13.21 yet it stird him not at all it wrought nothing upon his fast clasped conscience but he was bold and questioned his Master Mat. 26.25 as if he had been as cleere a man as could be Is it I Master As if he should say I hope Master of all the rest you will not thinke that I would doe such a deed what I betray you I your servant an Apostle whom you have preferred to bee Treasurer and Keeper of your store what I betray you my Master my most loving Master an innocent Lambe a blessed Saviour oh pray thinke not that I would do such a deed Nay though Christ answer him and tell him plainely Thou hast said oh Iudas thou art the Man how smoothly and cunningly soever thou carrie it yet it moved him not at all all this while his conscience was asleepe and so on it goes Iudas takes his money Christ is betrayed he is condemned he must dye And what still asleepe Iudas oh no now the case begins to be altered now his sinne begins to rouse him up now it makes such a fire in his soule that he hath no rest but runs up and downe like a Mad man now the treacherous hier which was before more deare to him than his Masters life oh now he cannot indure it but up he takes it Mat. 27.3 4. and downe to the Priests and Elders hee goes throwes it them againe and cries out unto them I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood And thus hee runs to and fro in the fury of his inflamed sinne without all ease without all rest as if hee were in hell already untill at length he becomes his owne executioner the worst handes living executing the worst man living But what should I speake of these thus deeply wicked If Gods owne children shall dare to bee so bould to suffer sinne to
upon them seemes to draw into an utter oblivion And thus we see that sinne is fitly compared to a Fever to a Leprosie to a Phrensie to a Lethargie Oh now what shall this impresse within us Is this the nature of sinne is it a disease a disease so grievous so hard to bee cured how well might this instruct us to relinquish sinne to bee warie how we entertaine that dangerous maladie But what may we not here stand a pauld and amaz'd may we not well cry out oh tempora oh mores for what heart can conceive what eare hath heard or what tongue can expresse the miserie of these times oh that the eternall power would inspire some power of his spirit to make our dull and earthie mindes fit to record and apt to utter some breviat of this wicked age Alas forsake our sinnes warie how we give entertainment to sinne a strange discourse oh how the flintie heart returnes it back againe and seemes to eccho in my eares Tush tush a voyce for heaven but not for earth what should we become the wonder of the world t is not the fashion of this strong stomackt age to make a question how full they gorge themselves with sinne Most true indeed what can bee more cleere The opinion of the world for now the trade of sin is growne full ripe * hee is held a sot of no regard that treads but ordinarie stepps of sinne but dives he downe to hell and fetch he thence some strange unheard of damned plot that may amaze the minde astonish modest eares and be a wonder to the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 câ—leritas ad nequitiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malignè diligens Such amongst other of this time seeme those to be in the Romish iudgement that plotted that horrid stratagem the powder-treason hath he not only as Basill speakes a notable dexteritie to invent mischiefe but as Eustathius speakes becomes most diligent and watchfull to put it in practice oh he is the man surpassing wise a worthy polititian oh none to him Those grosse and common sinnes ebrietie adulterie base usurie and foule blasphemie become such hacknies of the world so frequent and familiar in every place that these they seeme no sinnes at all they will tell you they can prescribe If you commence a suit they will plead a custome If you urge it further they will prohibit and draw you downe to the judgment of the world Egregious wickednesse reckoned by unhallowed spirits for wise political inventions where you may bee sure they will prove their suggestions So that these foule sinnes by their communitie and continuitie seeme to have purchased to themselves such a kinde of immunitie that you may behold them to walke up and downe the streets without controule very gravely very gentleman-like as if they had nothing to doe with the societie of hell as if these were no sinnes at all for in this deepe transgressing age nothing seemes worthy of that name The indulgent judgement that men use to have of sin and wickednes but some horrid-acted stratagem that may seeme to put the very Divells themselves to schoole now none seeme to bee wicked but such as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extreamely wicked wicked as it were beyond comparison oh such bee our times so strange bee our affections but oh wretched creatures whither doe you bend your course oh see your estate observe your condition you are full of foule diseases your soules are laden with the burning Fever of sinne with a loathsome Leprosie whose great contagion is ready to make a separation betwixt you and your God alas with a violent Phrensie which makes you warre against God grow insensible of your miserie and smile when your destruction approacheth even with a grievous Lethargie which makes you sleepe in sin and continue in wickednesse never remembring either heavenly joyes or hellish miseries And what will you still remaine in this estate will you take no notice of your great distresse shall neither the burning of the Fever nor the contagion of the Leprosie nor the violence of the Phrensie nor the oblivion of the Lethargie worke any impression upon you shall they be no motives to you to make you forsake your impieties and to become warie how you entertaine any sinne which ever carries with it the nature of all these grievous diseases Oh then what can remaine to you but endlesse woe and miserie what can be your estate but as David spake of the mountaines of Gilboa never dewes to fall on you more no showres of grace to mollifie your hearts but as you have begun in sinne so to end in sinne through the strength of your disease by which you have so violently resisted the sweet fountaines of Gods mercies so often compassing your soules But blessed bee the hills of Armenia which give rest unto the Arke of the Lord oh blessed those that give way to this voyce of God and become moved to forsake their sinnes and cautious how they ever entertaine that grievous disease which seekes to inthrall them with an incurable distresse And thus much for the action Metaphorically set forth in the word heale plainely shewing sinne to bee a dangerous disease and consequently never able to bee cured by any but by God himselfe as the principall efficient which concludes the scope of my first part the matter subject I will heale Proceed wee now unto the second generall the predicate Rebellions I will heale their Rebellions When sinnes of infirmitie or sinnes of ignorance are committed these doe taint the soule and make it liable to eternall death Rom. 6.23 for the reward of sinne of any sinne whatsoever is death but when wee lade our selves with rebellions sinnes pertinaciously committed and continued in against our knowledge and our conscience oh these may well be said to exasperate and incense a speedie passage of Gods justice against us for as the Prophet Samuell speakes Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie as proceeding from the same loathsome sinke an incredulous unbeleeving heart yet even this great wickednesse the Lord is content to heale and cure it to the repentant and truly humbled I will heale their Rebellions plainely shewing that great sinnes limit not Gods mercies but if we truly mourne for sinne and become sincerely humbled for our impieties endeavouring to apply his blessed mercies unto them desiring them in the merit and mediation of that loving Saviour Iesus Christ he will not faile to heale even the rebellious soares of our soules When bloudy Cain and treacherous Iudas had committed great and grievous wickednesse whence was it that they perished in their evills alas not because Gods mercies were not able to cure them but because they desperately despaired never fixed eye upon those soveraigne comforts Wee may see in Mathewes Gospell our Saviour tells us he would have gathered together wicked and rebellious Ierusalem as the hen her