Salomon the builder of the temple in these words And the Lord said vnto him 1. King 9.3 I haue heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me I haue hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for euer and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually Christ therefore in this temple perswading vnto newnes of life had the promise of his fathers presence to make his perswasion powerful as also to print in the hart of the hearer a more reuerend regarde and estimation thereof being deliuered Dauid a type of the militant Church Reade Psal 84. Psa 122.1.2 1. Chon 29.9 Dauid being a true type and figure of the Militant Church here on earth neuer came into the temple but his heart leapt for ioy his ioy was increased and his zeale kindled yea that which being out of the temple he could neuer attaine vnto was in the temple made partaker of Salomons temple a type of the spiritual temple Though that temple was a type and figure of the spirituall temple neuer made with hands and there is not the same vse of it now as there was then yet haue wee at this day two things Two things now resembling Salomōs temple Ioh. 4.24 that may fitly resemble that temple and where God wil as well heare the praiers and receiue the sacrifices of his Church being done in spirit and trueth as he would then The first is the godly societies and assemblies of the righteous Godly societies meete together for exhorting one another Matth. 18.20 wheresoeuer and whensoeuer they meete together according to the rule and warrant of Gods worde to such Christ hath promised his presence saying Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them The second is our ordinary assemblies and meetings together at the house of prayer Publike assemblies of the faithfull at the house of prayer to powre forth prayers to the Lord be partakers of the word preached and administration of the Sacraments Where such assemblies are employed to these aforesaid vses they are not as the Prophet calleth the temple in his time the den of theeues Esay 56.7 Ierem. 7.11 Mar. 11.17 but they are euen the blessed throne kingdome of Christ Iesus to whose faith and constancie Christ hath promised such power that euen the gates of hell shall neuer bee able to preuaile against them In these two temples as I may call them when we meete with our brethren it is not our duties to prate and chat of worldly matters but rather euery one of vs Heb. 3.13 to exhort one another while it is called to day least we be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne Yea to keepe the profession of our hope without wauering and to prouoke one another vnto loue and to good workes Heb. 10.23 24 25. not forsaking the godly fellowship that ought to bee amongst Gods children And to be carefull alwaies to cherish and embolden the weake putting them in mind of their miraculous deliuerance out of the kingdome of darknes into the kingdome and cleere light of the Gospell And thus much of the second part Of the third part which is the words of exhortation themselues wherein wee haue to consider these three branches following First a rehearsall of the benefit done to the man behold thou art made whole The principall cause of his long sicknesse from which Christ had now deliuered him was his sinnes and iniquities which I gather out of these words Sinne no more As if hee should say sinne hath bin the cause of thy former sicknesse if therefore hereafter thou wilt remaine a sound man sinne no more Thirdly what must be the effect of this miracle by Christ or the dutie of his deliuerance which is the subiect of this treatise euen true repentance set downe here by the former part of true repentance which is to sinne no more or to cease from sin Rom. 2.4 The bountifulnes of God ought to leade vs to repentance Of the first branch Behold thou art made whole Where first we are to consider that our Sauiour vseth a word of attention or to make the matter hee hath in hand take more effect saith Ecce Behold Psal 32. v. 5.7 The Prophet Dauid speaking of any extraordinary matter alwaies vseth an hebrew verbe importing the like which is Selah so likewise the seruant of God Moses vsing any vehemēt exhortation commonly hath this word behold or remēber as thus Behold Deut. 30.19 Exod. 20. I set before thee this day life and death blessing and cursing The Prophets of the Lord speaking either of the manifestation of Christ in his humane nature or of his second comming againe to iudgement or of any such great matter vseth this word behold As Esay Tell the daughter Sion Esay 62.11 Zach. 9.9 Matth. 21.5 Mal. 4.1 Behold thy King commeth meekely riding on an asse c. And Malachie Behold the day cōmeth that shall burne like an ouen and all the proud yea and all that doe wickedly shall bee stubble Apoc. 1.7 Behold be commeth with clowdes and euery eye shall see him c. and 22.7 Behold I come shortly Euen so here as a preface to the declaration of the benefit done to him Christ saith Behold giue eare consider well what I haue done for thee passe not lightly ouer that miracle I haue shewed vpon thee in giuing thee health Where we are to note Receiue his word miracles and mercies with attentiō that GOD would haue vs receiue his word his exhortations threatnings blessings and miracles with attention heede taking and waying well who it is that doth such things for vs and what is done as we ourselues O my countrimen and deare brethren in Christ Iesus for whose sake the Lorde hath moued me to penne this little treatise haue iust occasion to giue eare what the Lords Eccho soundeth in our eares daily Aboue many others the North parts after our great and late receiued deliuerances euen thus Behold thou art made whole c. VVhereunto let euery one of vs fill our families our meetings and conferences with this heauenly harmonie and sweete sounding melodie answering the former behold saying then sith it is so indeede My soule praise thou the Lord Psal 13.1.2 Psal 57.7.8 and all that is within me praise his holy name Awake thou my glorie awake lute and harpe I my selfe will awake right early And let vs one prouoke an other to praise the Lord of might for his miraculous mercies as Deborah stirred vp her owne soule and Barake to sing praise to God for their triumphant victories Vp Deborah Iudg. 5.12 c. vp arise sing a song arise Barak c. Euen so vp O Westmerland Comberland and Northumberland vp ye seuerall townes congregations and families euery particular soule whose safetie the liuing Lord by the shadowing wings of his
full of faintnes when the fat buls of Basan and the deuouring lions shall be sent emptie away yea they shall clap their handes and lift vp their heads for ioy of that In terror and feare wherof the wicked shall gnash with their teeth grin like a dog and for auoyding of it though all in vaine they shall wish the rockes to open the hils to couer and the mountaines to be as a shelter vnto them from the glorious presence of him that sitteth vpon the throne Thus death against the godly hath no sting hell against the Christian hath no victorie Reade Heb. 12 11. Psal 30.8.9 34.18.19 119.71 affliction is not our confusion as husbandmen vse to bring dead trees and burne them in the fire but our affliction is for our firmer further consolation and edification like as a good husbandman purgeth his vine that it may bring forth more fruite Psal 30.5 Heauinesse with the godly may endure for a night but assuredly peace ioy commeth in the morning Seeing then that thus happily it goeth with vs all in our greatest afflictions if we belong vnto Christ I will conclude as Saint Paul concludeth his treatise of our immortall state in the life to come that seeing death once had dominion ouer vs but is now destroyed afflictions hurted vs but now they profit vs sicknesse affraied vs but now comforteth vs euen thankes and all thankes be giuen for euer to God the father 1. Cor. 15.57 who hath giue vs this happie victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ Now for the wicked their sicknesse sores As for the wicked it is not so with them griefes and vexations are still vnto them as stipends of sinne tokens of Gods wrath and vnlesse they speedily repent euen beginnings as I said before of the flashings of hell fire I denie not but the godly man may haue for the outward operation the same sicknesse sore For the outward operation of the sicknesse they may agree Cal. in Psal 37.19 A difference betweene the afflictions of the godly and vngodly Psal 1.4 griefe and trouble that the wicked and vngodly haue yet inwardly euer this difference shall be found Quòd Deus suis in necessitate manum porrigens impios deferit God in time of his childrens necessities bee they neuer so great still stretcheth out his hand for helping them and vpholding them least they fall but as for the wicked it is not so with them he vtterly reiecteth them forsaketh and giueth thē ouer vnto their owne hearts lust Propter peccatum Flagellantur iusti propter probationem iniusti ad perditionem The godly are afflicted for their greater triall but the wicked are afflicted for their cōfusion because of their great sinnes Esay 9.13.14 For the people saith Esay turneth not vnto him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hosts Therefore will the Lord cut off in one day from Israel head and tayle branch and rush Pijs afflictio est disciplina qua docetur iram Domini effugere voluntati eius obsequi Afflictiō to the godly is for discipline in themselues whereby they are taught to auoide the Lords wrath by reformation of their liues and willingly to yeeld obedience to his commandements Whereupon Paul saith When we are iudged 1. Cor. 11.32 wee re chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world Impijs verò afflictio est obduratio qua a malo in peius progrediuntur sicut Pharaoh But vnto the wicked In euerie affliction two things to be considered afflictiō is a meane of hardening their hearts whereby they proceede from worse to worse In euery affliction two things are to be considered first Gods iudgement secondly Gods mercie The wicked partaker of the former but neuer of the latter The wicked in their afflictions are partakers of the one which is Gods iudgement but neuer of the other The godly are partakers of both iudgement for their sinnes mercie for Iesus Christ his sake Hereupon saith Nahum Nah. 1.7 Good is our God and comfortable to his owne children in the day of trouble And Dauid Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Loe his mercie whereof the wicked are neuer partakers So that herein appeareth againe wherein the godly are commō partakers with the wicked in afflictions and where they differ Psal 85. The last thing that I will note out of this part and so end it is this That in the words sinne no more we may note that the Lord was priuie to al his former sinnes and offences that euer before he had committed and therefore it is as if he should say I haue seene noted and obserued all such sins as euer before this thou hast committed either publikely or priuately inwardly or outwardly by thought word and worke and for the same haue afflicted thee and also in the end deliuered thee take heede therefore thou sinne no more Hence note the Lord hath Eagles eyes to see the corners of our hearts and all our sinnes neuer so closely committed nothing so secret but it shall bee made manifest Mat. 10. Read Psal 138. and that which is committed in corners shal be published on the house top Then euer hereafter let euery man worke as in the day time walke as in Gods presence behaue themselues as hauing the Lorde an eye vvitnesse who if we doe well in his mercie vvill accept of vs but if wee doe euill Gen. 4.7 then know sinne standeth at the doores who will neuer cease crying in the eares of the Lord for vengeance till such time as it bee powred downe vpon the wicked in fearfull manner and executed vpon the vnbeleeuers to their euerlasting destruction And thus much for the second part of the words of exhortation which is that sinne was the cause of his long sicknesse THE THIRD SERMON OF THE DVTIE OF OVR DELIVERANCE The third Sermon NOw followeth the third part vz. what must be the effect of his health recouerie or what must bee the dutie of his deliuerance drawne out of the same wordes that the other part was though not in the same sence Sinne no more This is the subiect of the whole treatise describing the dutie that this man healed must euer bee mindfull of to his louing and mercifull father for his great and large deliuerance and in him may fitly bee gathered the dutie of all Gods children to the Lord for so many liberall and louing mercies as continually he powreth vpon them Particulars shewing the mercies of God How greatly this poore man was bound to render thankes to the almightie for his deliuerance I haue before set down in some particulars as the dangerous disease ouer his whole body the long continuance of it euen most of his life the little good that any likely meanes of outward medicine did for him with some other moe the consideratiō whereof could not but
Happie are we if we heare aright thy law thy lore and eke thy praise will wee beare obey extoll and magnifie all the daies of our life being here on the earth This if we doe then happy shall we be stand fast for aye and a parcel of the Lords vineyard beloued for euer but if we doe not but delay the time of our repentance as we haue done oh alas I must and will tell you what he will then doe vnto vs sinfull wicked and carelesse contemners of his graces euen take away his hedge from vs breake downe his wall lay vs waste A fearfull afterclap and neither plant prime cut nor digge vs any more and then marke what wofull sequell thereupon shall follow we shall be troden downe eaten vp and destroyed by the wilde bore out of the forrest and no good shal then grow amongst vs but brambles and bryers tokens of his wrath as in Adma and Zeboim Againe as this exhortation serueth to the man that neuer tasted of repentance before that now without delay hee turne vnto the Lord cease from his sinne and bring foorth fruites worthy amendment of life so likewise it may serue and bee in place of a louing and pithie exhortation to the protestant It serueth as an exhortation to all protestants of our countrie Ioh. 11. Marke our happy case on Gods behalfe Ephes 2. and professor of Christianitie in these our daies whose case on Gods behalfe is like to Mary Magdalens out of whom went seuen diuels like to Lazarus who was raised from death to life after foure daies rotting in his graue like to the Ephesians quickened raised vp made new and brought to sit in heauenly places by the blood of Christ from aliants and strangers to the commoÌ„-wealth of Israel without hope without God in the world yea of forreners and strangers made citizens with the Saints and of the househâ—â—d of faith And to conclude on Gods behalfe like to the vntoward and trewantlike schollers of whom the author to the Hebrues maketh mention who were lightened tasted of the heauenly gift Heb. 6.3.4.5.6.7 and were made partakers of the Holy-ghost casted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come The professors I say on Gods behalfe being in as happie a case as Magdalen grace offered from God the father by his sonne Christ to dispell and driue backe Satan and dispossesse them of many diuels as comfortable a case as Lazarus was in called by the sounding ministerie of Gods word out of the pit and graue of their sinnes where they haue not laine almost foure daies as Lazarus but by an inueterate custome of sinne all their daies rotting therein yet at last made to heare this powerfull voyce Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead c. And to conclude of no people made a beloued people of aliants from the common wealth of Israel made owners and heires thereof by grace and of seruants by nature made sonnes vnto God by adoption in Christ Iesus But these professors of the Gospell so gratious on Gods behalfe who hath layd out himselfe and his mercies wholly in his sonne Christ vnto them all yet in regard of themselues and the courses of their liues not vnlike the foolish Galathians Gal. 3.1 who did for a time run well but in the end obeyed not the trueth loued their Apostle so dearely Gal. 4.15 that they would haue plucked their eyes out of their heads to haue done him good yet after a time harkening to false Apostles they accounted him their vtter enemie Vers 16. be cause hee told them the trueth These at the first publishing of the Gospell were very feruent accompting it sweete but after some trials for the same laid vpoÌ„ them they fainted adiudging themselues vnable to vndergoe the burthen And to conclude though they begun in the spirite yet Paul was afraid of them that they would altogether end in the flesh Yea fitly may many of our Christians at this day be compared with the protestants against whom Peter wrote who promised vnto others libertie 2. Pet. 2.20 and yet were themselues the seruants of corruption who after they had escaped from the filthines of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ were yet againe tangled therein And to conclude as I compared them to the Ephesians before in regarde of the multitude of Gods mercies offered them so now may I againe fitly resemble them to the same Ephesians but not in the same sense as before being now comparable with them for carelesnes Apocal. 2.4 coldnes and luke-warmenes in Gods seruice For vnto the Ephesians Angell or pastor Iohn the Diuine was coÌ„manded to write diuers things amongst which this for one that the Ephesians had forsaken their first loue Thus then the case going with vs all that professe the Gospell so happily so comfortably on Gods behalfe euen raised vp to sit in spirituall places with Christ Iesus and so dangerously and so doubtfully on our own parts amongst many in regarde of their sensuall carnall and carelesse cariage of themselues in the middest of a sinfull and crooked generation this dutie of the sicke mans deliuerance laid downe and described in our text here by Christ may serue very fitly for vs all and be continually applied of euery one of vs and stil sounding in our eares as though Christ were calling vpon or conferring with vs saying Behold thou art made whole sinne no more Ye that were dead in your sins hath Christ quickened Marke well ô my brethren ye that were strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in you because of the hardnes of your hearts hath he illuminated and opened the eyes of your vnderstanding that ye may see and discerne of things that differ one from another Yea vnto you all that professe the Gospell let me speake Behold beho d ye that were deaffe doe heare Blessed bee God for it ye that were lame doe goe ye that were dumbe doe speake ye that were leprous are clensed and ye poore soules whom Satan once ouerruled keeping you in darknes poperie superstition to you to you I say is the Gospell preached the happy newes of saluation sent and the kingdome and glorious throne of Christ Iesus erected amongst you But me thinke I heare some say that the man to whom these wordes were first vttered by Christ The secure reasoning of many had cause and great cause to put in practise this holesome counsell for hee was made whole not onely in soule and the parts thereof but also in his body when he neuer expected any recouerie but as for vs or as for me although the spirituall blessings wee feele and perceiue yet for bodily healing or preseruing from dangers wherein can wee finde it O my beloued behold further and ye shall see what mercies the Lorde hath magnified towards you in regard of