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B12376
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Heauens ioy, for a sinners repentance A sermon preached at VVhite-Hall the 4. of March, 1623. By Iohn Denison, Doctor of Diuinity, one of his Maiesties chaplaines.
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Denison, John, d. 1629.
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1623
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STC 6590; ESTC S109579
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71,485
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186
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consider ad Eugen. I do not desire thee to do it often but onely sometime And that which hee speakes of Eugenius his retyring himselfe to consideration I may apply to the sequestring of our selues to the actions of humiliation as fasting prayer repentance I do not exhort you to do it alwaies nay I do not now presse you to doe it often Yet in all reason some times are to bee set apart to these duties for shall we haue times of feasting and not of fasting of mirth not of mourning of sinning and not of repenting And if there be any behold the present time doth especially inuite vs hereunto For the Church hath anciently sequestred this time of Lent for these holy duties in especiall manner In regard of our Sauiours Passion in respect of his Resurrection Which are at this time celebrated and for the celebration of the blessed Sacrament In regard of his Passion and that fitly for by our humiliation we do in some sort partake with Christ in his Passion according to that in the 8. Rom. 17. If we suffer with him wee shall also bee glorified with him For albeit we are not called to follow him to mount Caluary that our hands feet may bee pierced with the nayles our sides with the speare and our heads with the Crowne of thorns yet whosoeuer will haue comfort by Christ must haue his heart pierced with remorse for his sinnes that he may bee partaker of that benediction Blessed are those that mourne Mat. 5. for they shall bee comforted Againe in respect of his resurrection Easter as Leo saith is the greatest of all Christian solemnities The Natiuitie of Christ is indeed a high Festiuall but his Resurrection surpasseth it For when Christ came into the world hee went downe like Dauid into the valley to encounter Goliah in the opinion of men like Dauid 1. Sam. 17. a weake champion for such a combate but when hee arose from the graue he came vp like Dauid out of the valley a glorious Conqueror Now Lent is Leo de Quadrages serm 3. ad Paschale festum praeparatio a preparatiō to the great solemnity of Easter that wee may keepe that feast with the vnleauened bread of sincerity and truth 1. Cor. 5. and bee worthy partakers of the blessed Sacrament S. Chrysostome more then once cals it sanctam Quadragesimam the holy time of Lent not because the time is in it selfe more holy then others but because that this time should be dedicated and wee at this time deuoted to holinesse in especiall manner Yea Leo doubted not to say Parùm religiosus c. Leo de Quadrages serm 1. If a man be not religious at this time there is little hope that he will be at any time To conclude therefore Seeing wee haue the time inuiting vs and our Sauiours cōfortable speech exciting vs Let vs search try our wayes Lam. 3.40 and turne vnto the Lord Let vs meet him with broken and contrite hearts let vs seeke mercy from him with prayers teares of true repentance that heauen may reioyce for vs. In a word if there be any one which hath heard mee this day whose heart hath smittē him for his sins his soule is touched with remorse with a purpose of reformation as I hope there are many then may I say in our Sauiours words Luke 19. This day is saluation come to this house You haue made heauen glad The holy Angels and the blessed Trinity do this day reioyce for you you shall one day reioyce in heauen in the presence of those holy Angels and that blessed Trinity and that ioy shall neuer be taken from you which the Lord for his mercies sake and for the merits of our blessed Sauiour grant vs To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glory Maiesty and dominion now and for euer Amen FINIS A SVB-POENA FROM THE STAR-CHAMBER OF HEAVEN A Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse the 4. of August 1622. With some particular Enlargements which the limited time would not then allow By DAN DONNE Master of Arts and Minister of the Word August Confess lib. 8. cap. 12. Tolle Lege Tolle Lege LONDON Printed by Augustine Mathewes for John Grismand and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Alley at the Signe of the Gunne 1623. Honoratiss Dominis IOHANNI COM. DE HOLDERNESSE VICECOM HADDINGTON ET BARON DE KINGSTON AD THAMESIN c. ET DOMINO HENRICO HOBART MIL. ET BARONET CAPIT IVST DOMINI REGIS DE BANCO NEC NON VIRO VERE REVERENDO MVLTIS QVE NOMINIBVS COLENDO IOHANNI DONNE DOCTORI IN SACRA THEOLOG ET DECANO ECCLESIAE DIVI PAVLI LONDON DANIEL DONNE HAS SVAS QVALES CVNQVE MEDITATIONES HVMILLIME D. D. D. To the Reader COurteous Reader I haue in the Title-page of this Booke rendered a sufficient reason of the Excrescencie of this Sermon Yet for thy more particular satisfaction vnderstand that from the Beginning of it to the 52. Page I preached it word for word as it is Printed Now because many at the Crosse had runne into Desperate Debts Borrowed so much Time of the Auditory as they neuer meant to repay therefore I resolued to content my selfe with a briefe Paraphrasticall Explication of the Particulars that remained and so to keepe my selfe out of Debt rather then Borrow what I thought I should neuer repay Since being solicited to Publish what I then Preached that each Part might enioy its iust Proportion for the Exact Composition of the whole I haue enlarged my selfe in Those last Particulars and Commend my Paines therein to thy Candid Interpretation If thou meete with any Faults in the Print they are I dare promise but Literall and such as will scarce puzzle the most Illiterate Correct them if thou please with thy Pen. If there be any thing amisse either in the Method or Matter thy Friendly Information shall be Thrice acceptable In the meane time I aduise Thee to Read with vnderstanding to Remember what thou doest Read And the Lord giue thee grace to practise what thou doest remember Farewell Thine in Christ DAN DONNE A SVBPOENA from the Star-chamber of Heauen LVKE 3.9 Now is the Axe layd vnto the root of the the trees euery tree therefore not bringing foorth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire THis Text at the first blush appeareth like it selfe bearing a face of vtter ruine and destruction paralell vnto that of the Edomites Psa 137.7 Downe with it down with it euen to the ground It beginneth with the Axe and endeth with Fire two mercilesse instruments of ruine destruction The former makes worke for the latter the Axe for the Fire for the Axe is laid vnto the root of the tree that the tree being cut downe may be cast into the fire The entrance into this Text doth something resemble that into Paradise there was a flaming sword Genes 3.24 Gen. 3.24 heere a fearefull
Kindnesse Loue. In a word let vs labour to abound in euery good worke that may make vs pleasing and acceptable vn o God let vs bring forth good fruit Abundanter Plentifully 3 Perseuerantly Thirdly and lastly lest all our labour proue but in vaine we must bring forth good fruit Perseueranter Perseuerantly For to what purpose is it if a Souldier at the first onset couragiously encounter with the Enemy and before he hath obtained the victory throw away his Armes Or what doth it profit a Mariner to commit himselfe to the Sea and to enioy the benefit of a faire gale of Wind euen vnto his desired Ports mouth if then the wind doe turne and so turne him backe againe before hee can thrust into the Port Happily thou hast beene just and hast done that which is lawfull and right as it is in Ezec. 18.5 Ezek. 18. More particularly as the Prophet there expresseth himselfe Thou hast not eaten vpon the Mounâ—aines nor lift vp thine eyes vnto Idols nor defiled thy neighbours wife nor oppressed any but hast restored to thy Debtour his Pledge thou hast spoyled none by violence thou hast giuen thy Bread to the Hungry and couered the Naked with a Garment thou hast not giuen forth vpon Vsury neither taken any Increase thou hast withdrawen thy hand from iniquitie executed true Judgement betweene man and man thou hast walked in Gods Statutes and kept his Iudgements to deale truely Thus farre hast thou gone and in these good courses thou hast continued a long time and in so doing hast done well But tell mee what will all this thy righteousnesse auaile thee if afterward thou shalt fall away from God 2 Pet. 2.20 and intangle thy selfe againe in the filthinesse of the world like the Dog that returneth to his owne vomit and the Sow that is washed to her wallowin the myre Ezek. 18. If the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie shall hee liue saith the Lord. No All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned In his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye Ezek. 18. Yea It had been better for him neuer to haue acknowledged the way of Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2. as the Apostle speaketh then after hee hath knowne it to turne from the holy Commandement deliuered vnto him For the latter end of that man is worse then the beginning If therefore thou wouldst make sure worke for the good of thy Soule and store vp comfort for thy selfe against the day of death and that great day of wrath then thou must not relye vpon thy former righteousnesse Luke 12.19 as the Rich man in the Gospell did vpon the store he had treasured vp in his Barnes and say Soule take thine ease and freely disport thy selfe hence-forward in the delights of sinne for thou hast already brought forth good fruit plentifully which will serue thee for many yeares No thou must bring forth good fruite Perseuerantly for it is not here said euery tree Quae non fecit which hath not brought forth good fruit but euery tree non faciens not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire So that fecisse non sufficit it sufficeth not formerly to haue brought forth good fruit vnlesse thou continue in so doeing perseuerantly No man saith Christ Luke 9.62 putting his hand to the Plough and looking backe is fit for the Kingdome of Heauen Bernardus Sola perseuerantia singularis summi regis est filia saith a Father ea enim sola est haeres regni Coelorum Perseuerance is the only Daughter of the King of Heauen for she only is Hâ—ire to the Kingdome of Heauen â—herefore saith our Sauiour to his Disciples Matth. 24.13 Qui perseuerauerit hâ— that continueth to the end shall bee saued Reuel 2.10 and to the Church of Smyrna Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee a Crowne of Life And vpon these termes doth Saint Paul assure himselfe and euery faithfull Christian a Crowne of righteousnesse I haue fought a good fight 2. Tim. 7.8 and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Hence forth is laid vp for me the Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day and not to mee only but vnto all them also that loue that his appearing The absolute necessity of this Perseuerance for all such as expect the Happinesse of a better life hath so deepely sunke into the thoughts of Gods Children in all ages that they haue constantly resolued to suffer the bitterest torments the pregnant malice of the Diuell and his Factors could inflict vpon them rather then to loose the blessed hope of their Heauenly inheritance If therefore wee respect our Future Haâ—pinesse let vs not bee like thâ— plant Ephemeâ—on which doth spring and flourish and fade in a day but as the Oliue tree flourishâ—th and fru ifieth all the yeare long so let vs continue in bringing forth good fruit perseuerantly To be short the way to Heauen though it be Narrow yet it is Long and our life at the Longest but Short Let vs therefore that we may the better compasse so great a Iourney get vp betimes out of our beds of Sinne euen in the morning of our age at the first houre of the day and quickly make our selues ready that so we may set forth betimes towards the Celestiall Canaan And when we haue once set our feete in the way of righteousnesse the dâ—rect and only Rode to that Holy Citie If at the end of our liues when we can trauaile no longer wee would rest in Abrahams bosome let vs labour to imitate him in his iourneying vnto the terrestriall Canaan that is Gen. 12 9. let vs eundo pergere still bee going forward from grace to grace whatsoeuer Remoraes doe encounter vs in the way whatsoeuer afflictions doe befall vs hauing our eies fixt vpon those heauenly ioyes whereof the troubles and afflictions of this life are not worthy The older we grow in yeares the more let vs grow in goodnesse Let our Workes our Loue our Seruice our Faith Reuel 2.19 our Patience be like the Thyatirians more at the last then at the first Thus like good Trees bringing forth good fruit presently plentifully perseuerantly wee shall at length bee brought by him who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending Reuel 1.8 vnto the beginning of that vnspeakable Happinesse which shall haue no ending But happily you will reply in the words of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for these things Is not our Father an Amorite and our Mother a Hittite The best of men by Nature is no better then a Briar Micha 7.4 Math. 7. a Thorne a Thistle And doe men gather Grapes of Thornes and Figges of Thistles Ex Spinis non nascitur Rosa Such as is the Tree such is the Fruite T is true And therefore to bring forth Good fruit presently plentifully perseuerantly we must be ingrafted into the true Vine and abide in it I am that Vine saith Christ Iohn 15.5 and yee are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth good fruit For without me ye can doe nothing verse 6. If a man abide not in mee hee is cast forth as a branch that is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned But how are we ingrafted into Christ by Faith How doe wee abide in Him By Loue. How doth He abide in vs by his Holy Spirit through whose gracious opperation we are inabled to bring forth the good fruits of the Spirit Now for asmuch as no Arme of Flesh can command this Faith this Loue this Holy Spirit Therefore O LORD GOD wee doe here in all humilitie addresse our selues vnto thy diuine Maiestie entirely desiring thee in mercy to looke downe from Heauen vpon vs miserable wretches heere on earth Wee acknowledge O Lord and thou knowest that of our selues wee haue no power to order our wayes aright vnto thee for wee are a crooked generation a people by nature the children of wrath so that if thou shouldest leaue vs to our selues we must looke for no lesse then like fruitlesse Trees to bee hewen downe and cast into the fire But good God remember that thou art our Creatour and we thy Creatures that thou art our Father and wee thy children Oh neglect not the work of thine Hand neither suffer vs thy children to perish but looke vpon vs in the sweet compassions of a tender hearted Father for the blood of Christ pardon all our sinnes past throw behinde thy backe those cursed fruits we haue hitherto continually brought foorth to the dishonour of thy Great and Glorious Name that they may neuer be layd vnto our charge and enable vs for the time to come to doe what thou requirest and then require what thou wilt and we will doe it O Lord stretch foorth thine hand and engraft vs by a true and liuely Faith into the Body of thy Sonne Iesus Christ Dwell in vs O heauenly Father and blessed Sonne by thy holy Spirit that by the gracious and powerfull operation thereof like good trees we may bring forth good fruit that we may euery day more and more abound and increase in grace and goodnesse till wee come to bee perfect men in Christ Iesus Graciously heare vs most mercifull Father and graunt vs whatsoeuer thou knowest to bee good for vs and that for thy Sonne and our Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake To whome with thee and the blessed Spirit bee ascribed of vs and of all thy Saints all praise power and Glory for euer Amen FINIS