intertain him for their guest And Zaccheus no doubt was willing to entertain him for although Christ heard not the voice yet he heard the affection of Zaccheus inuiting him to dinner As therefore Zaccheus was willing to receiue Christ into his house so let vs be ready to receiue him into our hearts For as Christ said to Zaccheus This day I must abide at thy house so he saith to euery one of vs. This day I must abide in your hearts Wherefore as the prophet Dauid Psal 24. saith Open your gates that the King of glory may come in so I say vnto you Open your hearts that the word of God may enter in This day the word of God may abide in your hearts for this day the word is preached vnto you and who knoweth whether hee shall liue to heare it the next Sabbath To day therefore if you will heare his voyce harden not your hearts as did the Israelites lest if you harden Psal 95. your hearts his voyce be heard no more amongst you This day you may gather this heauenly Manna as the Israelites might gather their Manna six daies together Exod. 16. but to morrow perhaps and sixe daies after you may not gather it as on the seauenth day Manna might not be found The Lord grant that you may gather sufficient foode for the sustentation of your soules that as Elias the Prophet iournied in the strength of the meate that the Angell brought him euen vnto Horeb the mount of God so you in the strength of this spirituall meat which heere 1. Reg. 19. I bring you may bee able to passe through the dangerous waies of this troublesome world vnto Gods holy Mountaine the hauen of all happinesse whither he bring vs that hath deerely bought vs with his pretious blood euen Christ Iesus the righteous to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God bee giuen all glory and maiesty world without end Amen FINIS THE SINNERS Confession Pro. 28. verse 13. He that hideth his sinnes shal not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy The Text. Luke 19. verses 6. 7. 8. 9. 6 Then he came downe hastily and receiued him ioyfully 7 And when all they saw it they murmured saying that hee was gone to lodge with a sinfull man 8 And Zaccheus stood forth and said vnto the Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore if I haue takē from any by forged cauilation I restore him foure-fold 9 Then Iesus said vnto him This day saluation come vnto this house for asmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham YOu heard the last Sabboth how Zaccheus the Publican was called to be a Christian now you shal heare the fruit of his conuersion No sooner had Christ called him from the tree but that he came downe hastily receiued him ioyfully This was the fruit which it had in the heart of Zaccheus namely obedience to the voyce of Christ a fruit more pretious and acceptable vnto God than the most pleasant fruits which Eden yeelded and a sacrifice more sweet acceptable vnto him than al the sacrifices which the Law required This is the sacrifice wherewith the Lord is pleased euen when his voyce is obeyed 1. Sam. 16 22. The voice of the Lord is a glorious voyce mighty in operation diuiding the flames of fire shaking the Psal 29. cedar trees So the voyce of Christ is a glorious voyce his voice is mighty in operation diuiding the soule and the Heb. 4. 12. spirit and shaking Zaccheus from the wild figge-tree whereinto he had climbed The same God to whose command the windes the sea the diuels and death it selfe obey heere commandeth Matth. 8. Zaccheus to come down at once and he commeth downe hastily to receiue him into his house and hee receiueth him ioyfully As Zaccheus could not come at Christ till he was called so no man can come to Christ Iohn 6. 44. except the Father draw him And as Zaccheus could not choose but come when he was called by the voice of Christ so when any man is called effectually by the preaching of the Gospel he cannot choose but come to Christ for where there is an effectuall calling there is grace giuen also to obey the same Rom. 8. 30. The Lord is faine sometime to call vs often because we know not the voyce of him that calleth vs as he called Samuel three times before hee answered because at that time Samuel knew not the Lord 1. Sam. 3. 7. But as soone as he vnderstood that it was the Lord that spake vnto him he replied presētly Speak on Lord for thy seruant heareth So when the Lord calleth any man effectually by the preaching of his word all the parts and powers of his body doe yeeld their obedience the care listeneth the tongue confesseth the heart beleeueth the head deuiseth the hand performeth the foote runneth the eye directeth and all concurre To doe thy will O God P. salme 40. 7. Such and so effectuall is the voyce of Christ in the hearts of his chosen that it maketh Saul of a bloody persecutor to become Paul a painefull Preacher it causeth Acts 9. Math. 4. Peter of a silly Fisherman to become a catcher of men and Zaccheus here of a vile Publican to become a zealous Christian And such also is the nature of the word preached wheresoeuer it pleaseth the Lord to giue successe and encrease thereto that it is able to transforme the minds of men to beget faith in the harts of Jnfidels 1. Cor. 3. 7. and in a word to saue such as are ordained to eternall life Acts 13. This is the power of the word of God euen to cause a consenting to the truth thereof and this is the property of the children of God to yeeld all obedience Rom. 1. to the word of God As soone as Christ calleth Zaccheus he comes downe presently like the light in the creation that was made as soone as God said Let there be light Heere therefore of Zaccheus that obeyed the voyce of Christ let vs learne obedience to the voice of Christ sor as Christ biddeth Zaccheus to come downe because he was too high so he saith to euery one of vs Come downe because we are too high minded But with vs the voice of Christ is not so effectuall as it was with Zaccheus for he was content to come downe at the first bidding but we must be often bidden to beware of pride ambition and yet we wil stil be climbing There are few so high that are content with their calling but as Haman was alwaies aspiring till he came to the gallowes Hest 7. so many amongst vs are alwaies climbing till they catch a fall Againe as Christ said to Zaccheus To day I must abide at thy house So Christ saith to vs To day my poor afflicted members should receiue some succour
their guiltles blood which is powred forth in euery place without all compassion shall pull downe hasty and sudden vengeance from heauen vppon the heads of those vnmercifull cormorants vnlesse while this time of mercy lasteth they shew mercy to their distressed neighbours Thus you haue heard how Zaccheus behaued himselfe in entertaining of Christ now you shall see the behauiour of the Pharisies in disdaining at Christ When all they saw it they murmured saying that he was gone in to lodge with a sinfull man Before they hated Zaccheus for his vices because he was couetous now they enuy him for his vertues because he was giuen to hospitalitie For the wicked will alwaies haue something to finde fault with in the children of God like the sonnes of Iacob Gen. 37. that hated their brother Ioseph because of his dreames and like Saul that vnhappy King that enuied Dauid for his happy victories 1. Sam. 18. 29. Thus the wicked when they cannot charge the godly with anie grieuous crime they beginne to grudge at their well doing and therefore not onely Zaccheus is hated for receiuing of Christ but Christ is hated also for beeing his guest When they could not accuse Christ for sinne they accuse him for companying with sinners For they must still be accusing some or other for one thing or other like their father the diuell that both by name Reuel 12. 10. and by nature Job 16. 7. is a continuall accuser of the brethren It had beene the dutie of the Pharisies to haue receiued Christ and made much of him as Zaccheus did but they are so far off from entertaining him themselues that it greeueth them to see Zaccheus giue him entertainment And surely such is the peruerse nature of the wicked that they will neither receiue the grace of God when it is offred them nor willingly suffer any other to embrace the same like the wicked Iewes Acts 13. 50. that would neither beleeue the doctrine which Paul preached nor could abide that the Gentiles should be brought to the faith of Christ The high Priests thought themselues too high to haue poore humble Christ amongst them The Scribes and the Pharisies in their owne conceit were too good too wise and too holy to receiue him into their company and not content to sequester and estrange themselues from Christ they disdained also that he should be conuersant with Publicans and sinners as though he were not worthy to be conuersant amongst them If it were the office of Christ to conuert sinners why should the Pharisies be offended at him if he were sometimes Mat. 9. 13. conuersant with sinners to work their connersion If Christ were a Physitian to cure the sicknesse of the soule that is to saue the people from their sinnes why Mat. 9. 13. should the pharisies murmure at him for keeping of company with Zaccheus that was sicke in soule for as it is expedient for the Phisitian to visit his patients for their better recouery so it was conuenient Christ should visit sinners for their speedier conuersion But as the Phisitian that resorteth vnto sicke persons is not straitway infected so the soules Phisitian that conuerseth with sinners is not thereby polluted And therefore as Christ performed his office though the Pharisies murmured so let the ministers of God learne by this example to performe their duties though the wicked be offended It was the office of Christ to call sinners to repentance yea hee came to call Pharisie sinners as wel as Publican sinners if the pharises would haue confessed themselues Luke 18. to be sinners as the Publicans did but because they stood so much vpon their owne righteousnesse and despised others therefore Christ denounceth so many woes against them and preferreth the penitent Publican that Matth. 23. trusted in the Lords mercy before the proud Pharisie that trusted in his owne merits Though Paul was a Pharisie and the sonne of a pharisie yet hee shameth not to confesse himselfe one of the Acts 23. 6. chiefe sinners that Christ came to saue So if the Pharisies that murmured at Zaccheus would haue beene saued they should haue confessed themselues chiefe sinners as Paul did They should not haue accused Christ for 1. Tim. 1. 15. keeping company with sinners but they should haue accused themselues for not keeping company with Christ The iust man saith Salomon Pro. 18. is the first accuser of himselfe but the Pharises are so farre from accusing themselues that they began to accuse Zaccheus Christ together Thus the pharisies of our time that make religion a cloake to couer their corrupt dealing haue this property to thinke other men to be heinous sinners and themselues only to be righteous in so much as they will not sticke to speake like that proud people that was wont to say Depart from me for I am holier then thou and like the presumptuous pharisie Luk. 18. I thank God I am not as others are extortioners vsurers adulterers drūkards or such like I sanctifie the Sabbath which other men prophane I frequent sermons which they neglect J reuerēce the name of God which they blaspheme I pay tith which others withhold and fast oftentimes which they doe seldome or neuer These were the speeches of the Pharisies Mat. 15. 7. Luk. 11. 44. that liued in the time of Christ whom hee so often calleth hypocrits and these are the speeches of the hypopocrits of our age that seeme to liue after the straightest Luke 11. 1. Act. 26. 5. Mat. 23. 25. 27 sect of our religion Acts. 26. They wash the outside of the cup and of the platter that is they iustifie themselues and seeme maruellous holy in the sight of men which can discerne by the outward appearance only but vnto God that seeth and searcheth the secrets of the harts and reines they appeare like painted toombes full of dead mens bones and all filthinesse that is they haue their inward parts full of rauening and all kinde of wickednesse Wherefore as Christ said to his Disciples Except your righteousnes exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisies you cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5. 20. So J say vnto you that except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnes of these pharisaicall hypocrites ye cannot be saued These holy pharisies did vse to call the publicans not vsurers nor extortioners as they themselues were but by the generall name of sinners as though they themselues were free from sinne Thus the Papists at this day doe vse to call the most sincere professors of the Gospell not Lutherans Caluinists Zwinglians or Protestants as they were wont to call them but now they terme vs hereticks a name more odious then any other whereas in the meane season they themselues are of all others the greatest heretickes So the Atheists of our time when they cannot accuse the godly that are amongst vs of vsurie or briberie or extortion or drunkennesse or any such notorious sinne they call
come to Christ The Papists haue found out many saluations they haue found out a saluation by Saints a saluation by Angels a saluation by masses a saluation by merits a saluation by Idols as though Christ had least to doe in his own office for they haue other saluations to flee vnto They will haue it but they will buy it and what will they giue for it Why they will fast so many daies goe so far on pilgrimages hire Priests to say so many Masses build so many Abbies and giue so many summes of Money to the Monks and Friers Therefore the Scripture goeth against them and dishonours their shamelesnesse who like Nimrod that heaping stone vpon stone would haue built vp to heauen heape sinne vpon sinne and euerie Gen. 11. houre some one heresie or superstition groweth vp from this filthy roote For what Papist dare say that Simeon thought on any of these or put confidence in any other Sauiour but only Gal 3. 1. 18. 2 Cor. 1. Gen. 42. in him whom he embraced in his armes For saluation is by the promise of God and all promises are in Christ And though Iacob wanted bread Ioseph wanted not mony therefore he gaue them backe again their money and likewise he gaue them that corne that they would haue bought with it I would wish them therefore to say as Iosephs brethren did that they haue their corne for nothing and their mony too let them I say be content and reioyce to say that they haue mercy for nothing and their works too For God cannot be wonne by mens works because they profit not him but themselues There is no water can wash Naaman but Iordan no water can wash the leprosie of sinne but the blood of 2. Reg. 5. the Lambe By this the Israelites were saued when the destroyer passed by By this the Lord knoweth vs to bee Exod. 1â— his people and by this the diuell knoweth vs to be none of his As it is proper vnto God to be called goodnesse so is it proper vnto Iesus Christ to be called saluation He is also called the way the truth and the life for that life Iohn 14. which wee haue is but a sparke and shadow of life but he is the true and eternall life Then seeing Christ is both our righteousnesse saluation and also the way the trueth and the life to leade vs thereunto it is as possible for vs without Christ to be iustified or glorified as it is to be wise without wisedome righteous without righteousnes or saued without saluation Therefore let vs not be ashamed to take our water from the fountaine seeing Christ is the fountaine of all wisedome of all righteousnesse of all truth of all knowledge of all saluation and briefly of all goodnesse for there is no other Arke to saue vs from the floud no other ladder to ascend with into heauen no other Ioseph to feede vs in the famine no other Moses to lead vs through the wildernes But as the riuer Siloa runneth through all the land of Iudea and watereth the whole Citie of God so Christ Ephes 4. 2. Cor. 15. Rom. 5. doth shew himselfe all in all all-sufficient in mercy to saue and blesse all his Church with spirituall gifts If Christ be saluation what shall make vs despaire Shall Sathan No for he hath ouercome Sathan Shall death No for he hath ouercome death Shall hell No for he hath ouercome hell Shall the Law No for he hath fulfilled Esay 63. the Law Shall wrath No for he hath troden the wine-presse of his Fathers wrath Therefore it was a sweet saying of one at his death VVhen mine iniquity is greater then thy mercy O God then will I feare and despaire Saluation is borne therefore we were all in the state of condemnation before light is come therefore we sate all in darkens before glory is come therefore we were all loaden with shame before life is come to shew that we were all dead in sinne before Life is come and light and saluation life to the dead light to the blind and saluation to the damned For Christ is called saluation to shew that without him we are all damned fire-brands of hel heires of condemnation and forsaken of God To him that is sicke it is easie to bee thankfull when hee is whole but when he is whole it is harder to be thankfull then to be sicke I would faine be disproued that Niniuch might be saued though Ionah would not Thy saluation This word saluation is a sweet word yea the sweetest word in all the scripture and yet many despise this worthy iewell because they know not what it is worth like the dawes which would rather haue a barly corne then a pearle or a iewell because they know not the value thereof O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him O man what is God that thou art so vnmindfull of him Psalm 8. If a friend had giuen vs any thing we would haue thanked him heartily for it but to him that hath giuen vs all things we will not giue so much as thanks Now therefore let the rocke gush out water againe and let our stony hearts powre forth streames of teares in vnfained repentance We haue all called vpon you but none regardeth vs as though God were as Baal and as though Diues felt no paine nor Lazarus ioy but all were forgotten Many times Christ commeth into the Temple and there is scarce a Simeon to embrace him the babe is here but where is Simeon If God had not loued vs better then we loued our selues we should haue perished long ere this and yet we embrace not Christ as Simeon who hath saued vs from temporall and spirituall punishment Wee are inuited to a banquet he who calleth vs to it is God What is the banquet Saluation VVho are the guests The Angels and the Saints What is the fare Ioy peace righteousnesse this is the fare and we inuite you euerie one yet who will come at our bidding some for want of faith some for want of loue some for wnat of knowledge haue despised this holy banquet yet vnto this art thou called still O soule vnworthy to be beloued FINIS THE SECOND SERMON OF THE SONG OF old father Simeon Thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all the people a light to bee reuealed to the Gentiles and the glorie of thy people Israel THy saluation This word saluatiis a sweete word and holds mee to it like an Adamant for when J thought to proceede this word said vnto me stay here teach this and teach all learne this and learn all for it is the pith of all the mercies of God towards his children Christ is called saluation because no man should despaire and because it is impossible to bee saued without him for saluation is onely in him Christ can doe any thing but this hee cannot saue him that will not repent He is called
commendeth the holinesse of Ionah in that he in the middest of the corruption wherewithall the people were ouerflowne was vncorrupted and vnspotted and called to be a Prophet amongst the people of God For he had prophecied in Israel before he was sent to Niniuie as the word also doth argue which laieth open and magnifieth the great loue of God in that he sent a Prophet 2. Reg. 14 25. to admonish this vngodly people when as hee should haue sent a thunder-bolt to terrifie them or rather vtterly to destroy them so that there mercy stept before iudgement His name was Ionah which signifieth a Doue which admonisheth vs that as we labour to be as wise as Serpents so we should also desire that we might be as simple as Doues his fathers name was Amittai which signifieth truth I would that Truth were euery Preachers father There are two speciall things contained in this Historie The first the great mercy of God shewed vnto three sorts of men the Niniuites Ionah and the Mariners in respect of the Niniuites that he sent a Prophet to Niniuie a Citie of the Gentiles which were strangers from the couenant from the promise strangers from the common wealth of Israel and conuerted them by his preaching and so spared them now In regard of Ionah that being for his disobedience in flying to Tarish when he was sent to Niniuie throwne into the sea he prepared a great whale to swallow him and in his belly euen in the bottome of the Sea where there was no hope of life for him preserued him and after three dayes deliuered him thence safe and then cast him not off but continued him in his calling wrought powerfully by him both in the ship conuerting the idolatrous Mariners and in Niniuie humbling the King and the whole City And lastly when he had most vnworthily doubly murmured and iustifie himselfe against God hee contented himselfe with gentle and milde reproofe of him In consideration of the Mariners that hauing been idolaters all their liues now in daunger giuing the honor of God to their owne fancies God yet conuerteth them so that they called vpon him and sacrified and made vowes vnto the true God and by his mighty power hauing the winde and seas calmed were then and for euer saued The second thing is Ionahs fall and rising againe His fall first sinning both flying from God murmuring and therein iustifying himselfe secondly sustaining his punishment manifold and long feares casting into the sea and continuing in the Whales belly three daies and afterward his reproofe and conuiction His rising first repenting in the ship in the belly of the Whale and being cast out of it Then also faithfully discharging his duety crying against Niniuie couragiously We haue seene Ionah a far off if we would wee might see him neerer He that receiues a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a prophets reward Therefore let vs prepare our eares to heare and receiue the word of God preached by the Ministers and let vs thinke that Ionah is come againe to our houses to preach and whether it be 40. daies or 40. weekes or 40. yeeres they that liue like Sodome shall be punished like Sodome But as our Sauiour saith to his disciples Pray that your flight be Matth. 24. 21. not in winter nor on the Sabbath so say I vnto you pray that the Lords comming be not on the weeke daies for if he come then how should he find you Therefore J pray you learn at least now and giue good eare that you may heare sufficient for all the weeke The word of the Lord came to Ionah the sonne of Amittai saying Arise and goe to Niniuie c. Herein I obserue that Ionah went not before he was sent for going to preach vnto the Gentiles it was needfull that he should haue a speciall calling and commission from the Lord himselfe for it was vnmeete to cast the childrens bread vnto the dogges vnlesse he had a speciall commandement from God so to doe None ought to take vpon him the function of preaching in the Church vnlesse they haue their warrant or authority from Gods as Aaron had And although they Heb. 5. 4. haue not their authoritie in that forme and manner as Ionah had his namely as it were by word of mouth euen from God himselfe Arise and goe to Niniuie yet they must haue their warrant from him else their calling is vnlawfull But now heere is another authority crept into the Church that makes so many Idolls which haue eyes and see not tongues and speak not eares and heare not and that is this when one stalleth vp another into Moises chaire not hauing Moses rodde nor Moses spirit But this gall will not hold spurring Further I obserue that as the word of the Lord came to Ionah so the word of the Pope came to his Priests Iesuits Seminaries but so and in such sort many times that they are drawne to â—borne while masses are said for them at Rome The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah c. That which came vnto him was not alwaies with him but so it was that when the word of the Lord came vnto any of the Prophets then they were well furnished with abilitie to teach to preach to reprooue or to commaund whosoeuer the Lord would haue so handled As by example Nathan the Prophet did Dauid the King that hee should build a Temple 2. Sam. 7. and 1. 2. Sam. 7. 1. Chron. 17. Chron. 17. And a litle after he came and bid him that he should not build it Where we see that when he bid him build it then the Spirit of the Lord came not vnto him to bid him so to doe And therefore the Spirit of God came vnto him the very same night and bid him that he should goe to Dauid and bid him that he should not build it For this is euident that as God himselfe is constant so his Spirit and his word are constant and therefore neuer saith and vnsaith one thing Againe the Prophet Elisha said 2. King 4. that the Shunamites heart was grieued but the Lord had hid it 2. King 4. from him and had not as then declared the same vnto him which doth note vnto vs that the same word whereby the Lord hath and doeth reueale maruellous things vnto the Prophets was not now vpon him neyther is alwaies vpon any Prophet but according to the will of God it comes vnto them to reueale vnto them what he would haue them to doe and when it pleaseth him Also Daniel said that the Lord did not reneale the Kings dreame vnto him for any wisdome that hee had Dan. 2. 30. more then any liuing but onely for the Kings sake and for the poore people of Gods sake and so you must thinke of vs that are the Ministers of the Gospell that the Lord doeth not reueale his will vnto vs for any wisdom or worthines that