sins so the Ieweâ— disputed well 1ª 5ae 3 ae 2 ae Muk 2.20 when they sayd Who can forgive sinnes but God onely Nor did Christ gaine-say it though he sayd againe The Son of Man hath power to forgive sins for that was by vertue of the Union of the God-head and Manhood into one Person Originally it is in God I and onely too Nor is Quorum remiseritis any Barre Ioh. 20. Whose sinnes yee forgive they are forgiven for the power of the Priest is but a Delegate a ministeriall a dependent power a power to ascertaine us that such a thing is done Sicut in terra sic in Coelo As in Earth so in Heaven It is Primitive Imperiall and Soveraigne in God therefore sayes the Church O God whose nature and property is alwayes It will beare onely too to have mercy and to forgive therefore sayes Daniel To thee ô Lord belongeth mercy Dan. 9. 2 Cor. 1.3 therefore St. Paul calls him The Father of mercy and God of all consolation and so GOD proclaimes himselfe Exod. 3 4. The Lord the Lord God strong gracious mercifull and ready to forgive c. And so King David prayes According to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all mine offences Psal 51.1 In a word sinne is onely directly against God and therefore God onely can directly forgive sinne As David therefore to his Auditory Trust not in wrong robbery nor in my childe of man for there is no helpe in them so I to you trust not in Indulgences nor in Supererogations though the Churches though the Saints they are fallen that you may stand upright goe to God but goe to God in the face of Iesuâ— Christ for as it is Gods property to forgive so it is his property to forgive in Christ GOD lookeâ— graciously upon none but in the face of Iesus Christ And then Ecâ— Agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundâ— Behold the Lambe of God which take away the sinnes of the world Ioh. 1.29 And secondly 2 a 5 ae 3 ae 2 ae as God onely caâ— forgive sinnes so God certainelâ— doth forgive all sinnes all sinneâ— that men turne from and aske for givenesse for so Christ himself tells us All sinues shall be forgiveâ— save the blasphemy against the Hoâ— Ghost Mark 3.38 Object And shall not that sinne be forgiven how then doth God forgive all sinnes Solut. To answer this you must understand what Christ there speaks of He speaks not De personae Spiritus Of a sinne against the person of the Spirit but Dona Against the graces of the Spirit No sure for God blesse us which of us have not sinned against the person of the Spirit Which of us have not resisted quenched and grieved the Spirit I ô God have mercy upon us and against the Graces of the Spirit too yet not to death we trust â—n God For howsoever the Schooles say The sinne against the Holy Ghost is â—ot a sinne of Ignorance No that 's â—ardonable as St. Pauls was because a man may affect too much knowledge as Adam did nor yet is it a sinne of Infirmity no that 's â—ardonable as St. Peters denyall was because a man may affect too much Soveraignty as the Angels did but a sinne of Malice it is because a man cannot affect too much Love Yet with submission I dare not send any weake conscience to despaire for this for which of us have not sinned when wee have knowne sinne to be sinne and that against the arguments and perswasions of our owne Conscience yes against the motions of Gods Spiritâ— and what is this lesse than a sinne of Malice and God forbid this should bee sinne against the Holy Ghost and unpardonable No sure it is not The sinne against the Holy Ghost that which is impardonable is for all the world like the mad mans sicknesse not that it cannot be cured but because it will not bee cured The Glasseâ— which brings his health he throws against the Physitians head and fights against his owne Cure And such is the sinne against the Holy Ghost when God hath tryed all wayes Judgments Mercies promises and threats and all these are received in vaine and the man will not repent then ah then I say no more but as from all sinne so from this sinne above all sinne Good Lord deliver us Till then blessed bee the Name of God for it there is no sinne against God but may be forgiven No sinne though Tam multa though Tam magna though they be as many as Manasses's more than the sands of the Sea though they be as heavy as King Davids a sore burthen and too heavy for us to â—eare why yet for all this God â—orgave them and why not us surely he will forgive us if wee will â—oe as they did Repent and turne from our wicked wayes For all this Repentance doth or rather intreats God to doe all this you may bee sure on 't so that your Repentance be not like a Planet sometimes iâ— Conjunction with God some times in more sometimes in lesse aspect sometimes in plaine opposition for then you are not forgiven else if your Repentance be fixt be sure on 't so that your Repentance be not like the plague The plague takes one away it may bee to day and then shuts up that house for Moneth when the Moneth is expired within a Weeke and the poore soules hope for liberty the the plague takes away another anâ— shuts up the house for a Monet longer So if your Repentance bâ— onely for fits you may doubt oâ— forgivenesse otherwise if it be steady and constant if you are soâ—ry for what is past and resoluâ— for the time to come and sinne 〈◊〉 more why behold thou art maâ— whole All that I have to say to you more of this is this to beseech you to labour for forgivenesse To be a sinner Oh God a sinner it is the greatest plague that man ever pull'd upon his owne head but to bee a forgiven sinner to have our sinnes forgiven this is a blessing of blessings I this makes a man blessed indeed Ps 32.1 2. For blessed is hee whose unâ—ighteousnesse is forgiven and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no sinne Many there be that care not so they may have the carnall desires of their hearts but as Abraham â—ayd to God when hee had given him Canaan and many a larger promise Lord what is all this seeing I goe childlesse Gen. 15.2 So say I to them they have children at their desire pleasures at their command â—ches at their becke but what are all these if they want forgivenesse Oh happy oh peaceable forgivenesse let me be as poore as Iob as sicke as Hezechias as hungry as Lazarus I care not so I may have the forgivenesse of my sinnes If you once have this you may be sure the next thing will be The Land will be healed if you seeke the
like God and forgive them all the debt Else if nothing will serve your turns but their bodies to make Dice of their bones then read that Parable in St. Mathew the 18. and you shall finde the mercilesse Creditor hath little hope of mercy with God Nor is this any way advantagious to you who are Debtors to find out shifts and breake and conveigh your wares into your neighbours Store-houses thereby to make your Creditor beleeve you have nothing to pay and therefore to forgive you no you that are debtors must pay all that you owe if you have wherewith if not all yet so farre as you have to pay withall This you must doe you must doe this as you hope to be saved and find the mercy of God Luk. 19.8.9 Zacheus never heard of salvation till he had first made restitution nor may you hope for it if you have wherewith to restore But if you have nothing to pay nothing indeed why then your Creditors must be like God and forgive you all the debt His mercy endures for ever and so must ours Yet one more for one more worke of mercy And this to you all all in generall and together rich and poore if you would have Gods mercy endure for ever to you your mercy must endure for ever to God But can a man be mercifull to God Yes he may and no Popery in it upon my life God complaines and complaines of you and complaines to you That you presse him with sins Am. 2.13 as a Cart 〈◊〉 pressed with sheaves And this pressing him is a meere oppressing of him and therefore you must bee more mercifull unto him and lay no more load upon him thou 〈…〉 the single eares 〈◊〉 Infirmities yet you must take head of the double sheaves of Impreâ—â—es 〈◊〉 presse 〈◊〉 and God forbid that man should presse his God These your Impieties have pressed and squeezed a Plague out of the Cup of his Wrath and it hath beene drunke amongst us If you would not drinke the dregges of it your selves bee more mercifull to God presse him no more with sinnes if you would have this Plague quite and cleane removed and then you shall live and live to give Thankes to the God of Heaven because his mercy endures for ever Else if you presse him still His Judgements will endure for ever And David you see makes choyse of mercy rather than Judgement to perswade our thankfulnesse Oh give thankes unto the God of Heaven because not his Iudgement but his mercy endureth for ever For ever and Everlasting are the mercies of God indeed Everlasting and for ever in number so many that no Arithmetician can number them Divide them if you will you may into Temporall Spirituall Eternall Temporall to our bodies Spirituall to our soules Eternall to both soules and bodies but number them you cannot for they are a multitude an infinite multitude Psa 51.1 Doe away mine offences according to the multitude of thy mercies saith David A multitude they are not onely in the Genus but the Species and in the particular of the Species too A multitude of Temporall Bread to feede us Cloth to cover us Fire to warme us Wine to refresh us Oyle to cheare us the whole World is not able to recount them all A multitude of Spirituall his word to teach us to beleeve to worke to pray his Spirit to helpe us to pray His sonne to pray for us His Sacraments to preserve our soules and bodies unto Everlasting life and who can name them all A multitude of Eternals Beauty to the Body Joy to the Soule Glory to both Everlastingnesse in all Everlasting thus in the number and Everlasting in the extension too they compasse us round before us in his preventing mercy behind us in his forbearing mercy over us in his forgiving mercy under us in his supporting mercy on our right hand is his embracing mercy As the Hills stand round about Hierusalem Psa 125.2 even so stand the mercies of God round about them that feare him your selves I trust in God His everlasting mercies are about you Everlasting thus in the Number and extention and Everlasting thus in the Succession too His iealousie visites the Iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children Ex. 20.5.6 unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him but he shewes mercy unto thousands in them that love him and keepe his Commandoments To us ô God we beseech thee to our children and to our childrens children so long as the Sunne and Moone endures and for ever and for ever Everlasting thus in number in extension in succession and everlasting thus too in duration Si dixerit totâ die dixerit nihil sed in saecula saeculorum non dixisset amplius Had he sayd his Mercy endures for a Day hee had sayd as much as nothing but saying for ever his Mercy endures for ever what could hee say more And that is a sufficient Reason to resolve my fourth Enquiry why David repeats it so often Twenty sixe times in this Psalme his mercy endures for ever So sweet a Theame it was that the good man was ravished with it he thought hee could never speake enough of it And indeed who can There are onely two men that think they speake too much of it the Papist and the Schismaticke If the Papist did not thinke hee spake too much of it hee would never come in with his merit would Andradius the Jesuite stand up with his Debitum ut donum and tell us that eternall life is not so much of Gods mercy as of mans merit would Bellarmine lay downe his Paradisum ex merito and tell us We may purchase Paradise by merit would Vega more desperately say Gratis non accipiam I will none of Heaven unlesse I may merit some part of it if they did not thinke too much were spoke of mercy You shall amongst them finde Merit twenty sixe times in one Chapter and Mercy not above once whereas in one of Davids Psalmes you shall finde Mercy twenty sixe times together and Merit not so much as once David and the Iesuites surely were not of one opinion in this point And so the Schismaticke too if hee did not thinke hee spake too much of Mercy would hee ever come in with his absolute Reprobation that God made some men purposely to damne them A likely thing that God should be more cruel then man Did ever any of you nay did ever any man get or beget a child purposely to breake his necke when hee was borne Why if there could be a man so cruell to his Childe that came from his owne loynes why yet God would be more cruell if he should make any man on purpose for to damne him for Damnation is a thing farre and infinite worse than Death for by Death a Child is delivered from the miseries of this World but by Damnation a man is taken from the pleasures of this world and hurled into unspeakeable torments Good God that any man should thinke that God who exhorts all men to give him thankes because his mercy endures for ever should make any man amongst them all on purpose for to Damne him Reprobation is a word that came from Fury not from Mercy let him beleeve it that never meanes to give God thanks and despaire I will beleeve that I the greatest of all sinners that thou that any man may bee saved if thou or I or any man doe beleeve that Gods mercy does endure for ever so that thou and I and any man doe live answerable to that Mercy and repent and beleeve and pray and give thankes unto the God of Heaven because his mercy endures for ever His Mercy This this is the onely thing we live by this is the onely thing wee hope to be saved by such a thing This his Mercy so sweete as in the Contemplation thereof I could even Live and Die or rather could live and not Die for whosoever lives and beleives in Gods mercies and in Iesus Christ shall not die eternally The Mercy of God it is Davids Amabaeum and the burthen of this Song Praise the Lord for his Mercy endures for ever And so twenty sixe times in this Psalme Praise the Lord for his Mercy endures for ever His Majesty may astonish us his Glory may beate us downe his Greatnesse may strike us dead his Omnipotencie wee adore his Wisedome we admire his Iustice wee stand in awe of his Uengeance wee flie from but his Mercy his Mercy this is that strong out of which came this sweete and the full unfolding of Sampsons Riddle this is that Lyon out of which came this Hony-combe I will not feare what Man or Divell what Plague or Pestilence can doe unto me so long as I can give thankes unto the God of Heaven because His Mercy endures for ever Amen That was my beginning and it is my ending it was the beginning of us all for of his mercy wee all are and are what we are and I pray God it may be the ending of us all and all of us Die in the Mercy of God while we live God give us grace to make such use of his Mercy his Mercy temporall and his Mercy spiritual that then when we die we may enioy his Mercy which is Eternall Eternally through the merits of his eternall Sonne Iesus Christ To whom with the holy Ghost three persons and one God bee given everlasting thanksgiving for his mercy which endures for ever Amen FINIS
〈◊〉 more heartily if you looke upoâ— it comparatiuely and if you loâ—â— upon it consequently what it is 〈◊〉 respect of other Diseases and whâ—â— it doth which no other Diseaseâ— can which all other Diseases cannâ—â— do Compare it first with the Aguâ— the Ague onely weakens a Man 〈◊〉 seldome kills a Man but the Plague that weakens and kils both seldoâ—â— any Man dies of the Ague anâ— therefore is the Proueâ—be becomeâ— truth An Ague is Physicke if in the Spring for the King seldome anâ— Man recovers of the Plague somâ— do but they are but some and pray God deliver us from that hazard Compare it secondly with the Feaver the Feaver distracts some times and sometimes destroies but it is but sometimes but the Plague often distracts and oftner destroies few it leaves undistracted few it leaves undestroyed few it does and they are but few I pray God we may never trie it Compare it thirdly with the Plurisie That is but Membranae inflamatio intrinsecus latera costas succingentis a paine in the side an â—nflaÌ„mation of the Liver and bloodâ—etting lets it out But the Plague that is Totius inflamatio inferius pedes superius caput interius Cor Exterius corpus succingentis an inflammation of the whole and a paine all over a paine in the head above and a paine below in the Feete a paine within in the heart and a paine without all the body over and bleeding and purging and Sweating will all hardly helpe us I pray God helpe us so that we need no such helpe Compare it fourthly with the Epilepsie the Falling-sicknesse they that are troubled with those Convulsions fall downe and rise againâ— but they that fal down of the plague seldome rise againe that wee may not fall or if we do fall that wee may rise again God deliver us from the Plague Compare it lastly with the Leprosie and of all Diseases it is most like that and yet the Leprosie was never so as this Like it it is for as the Leprosie might not bee pronounced till the white Scab or some other Symptome appeared So till the Soare arises or the Spots appeare in the Body no Body can say any Man is infected with the Plague Like it it is for as the Leper was so the Man infected with the Plague is shut up and shut ouâ— from the Congregation Cyrill lib. 2. De Adv. Like it iâ— is for as Lepra est morbus adeo gravis ut medicorum vim superet Scientiaem The Leprosie is such a Disease that no Doctor can meete it either by his Extractions or his Instructions Gravior sayth the Father quà m ut a Medicis ei succurri possit aut illorum peritia expugnari Such a strange Disease that it withstands the Physitians Science and his Ingredients So I wonder what Galen what Doctor can cure the Plague let him that can do it Dic bone Damaetas eris mihi magnue Apollo Hee that can shall win the golden Fleece Like it though it be yet it is a great deale worse for the Priest might go to the Leper Might nay he was bound to it but no Priest is bound to goe to a Man sicke of the Plague not bound by any Law of Man or God So fearefull a thing is the Plague comparatively but it is a more fearefull thing effectually For it brings with it the two greatest punishments this World can inflict It brings with it an Outlawrieâ— and it brings with it an excommunication An outlawrie is the greateâ—â— punishment in the common Law and an excommunication is the greatest punishment in the civil law and the plague does both Iâ— excommunicates us and it out-law â—ries us too It out-lawes us from all workes of civilitie in the Common-wealth and we cannot goe about our lawfull callings and it excommunicates us from all worke of pietie in the Church and weâ— may not goe to publicke prayers No body will goe to visite them not or very hardly the Physitianâ— They may not goe to visite any body not the Divine Their dooreâ— are shut up the red Crosse upon their doores to bid us stand farther off and over their doores Lord have mercy upon us And I pray God have mercy upon them that are infected and howsoever hee deale with their bodies save their â—oules and I pray God have merâ—ie upon us that we may not be inâ—ected not in our bodies with the plague nor in our soules with sinne but deliver us through Iesus Christ Amen You see the Quid est what it is Applic. 2. what the plague is I must propose upon this Quaere another Quomodo for the application of it for being a thing so fearfull I make no question but they that are infected would willingly bee restored and they that are not yet infected would willingly bee so preserved How then first may they that are infected be restored The Physicians prescribe Bleeding Purging Sweating so I entreate you to Bleed to Purge to Sweat to bleed by Confession to Purge by Contrition to Sweat by Restitution Zacheus heard of no Salvation vntilâ— hee had made Restitution If there bee any accursed thing in your hands as the Babylonish garment oâ— Wedge of Gold in the hands of Aâ—chan restore it that the plague may be stayed that God my have glory and your selves health King David heard of no Transtulit peccata Deus 2 Sam. 12.13 the Lord hath taken away thy sinne till he had confessed and sayd Peccavi I have sinned If there bee any sinne lies heavie upon your soule if any sinne that in your conscience hath provoked God to this displeasure If any rich man amongst you all have taken away the poore mans lambe iâ— any Vsurer or Broâ—er hath taken the poore mans bed to pawne upon which he should lye and for want of which he lyes in straw or upon the hard boords or the poore mans cloathes which hee should weare or for want of which hee goes naked or in such ragges that he is ashamed to come to Church confesse it for peccatum est it is a sinne and restore too for Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum no hope of remission without restitution never thinke to be forgiven by God till thou hast restored to man No hope to bee delivered from the pestilence till this accomplishment of repentance Make confession of your enormous sinnes to the Priest that he may ease you and make restitution of your ill gotten goods to the true owner that he may pray for you and then and not till then it is to be feared will God have mercy upon you and deliver you from the plague Nor did the Publican heare of any Iustification until he had purged by Contrition No Abiit justifiaetus dones venit mortificatus Hee went away justified but first he came mortâ—â—â—ed He smote his breast and begged for mercy and cryed aloud Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18. before God in mercie did
put away his sinnes And so doe you smite your breasts breake your hearts bruise your spirits and write upon the posts of your soules with the earnestnesse of your desires Miserere that God may have mercy upon you and open your doores and bring you into the open gates of Sion to sing praises to the Lord. Goe with the Leper and say Domine si vis Matth. 8. potes Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane and ten to one if hee doe not make thee cleane Goe thou that art out-lawed and take out a writ of Reversation and unfile the outlawrie Goe thou that art excommunicated and appeale appeale from God to God from Gods wrath to Gods mercie from God offended to God appeased â—nd say with them We have sinned Iudg. 10.15 we know not what to doe deliver us his day we beseech thee and he will or if not restore you yet he will do â—hat which is better for you if you â—ave faith and present you to himâ—elfe a glorious body through Iesus â—hrist But Quomodo 2. How may wee â—e preserved How may wee that â—re not yet infected bee kept still from infection How why thus â—y Abstinence and Patience and Charitie and Zeale the Abstinence of David the Patience of Iob the Charitie of Cornelius and the Zeale of S. Peter If sinnes that you have long'd for your neighbours wife your neighbours house or what else soever be brought home to your doore as the water that David long'd for was brought to his cave yet doe as he did and what did hee Marrie hee powred the water upon the ground when hee had weighed his folly 2 Sam. 23.17 and sayd God forbid that I should drinke this water Is not this the blood of these men So doe you though you have playd the fooles and long'd for a cup of Drunkennesse to please your palate or a kisse of Vncleannesse to please your flesh yet now before you drinke that cup or touch this woman consider your folly and powre them upon the ground and say God forbid I should commit these sinnes will they not damne my soule Did not Iesus Christ suffer death for them If goods that you have gotten honestly bee lost by theeves if children that you have brought up carefully and prayd for fervently bee destroyed by fire if the body that you have kept temperately be blained with plague sores yet as Iob did so do you rent your hearts and say Deus dedit abstulit Deus Iob. 1. â—1 benedictum nomen Dei God hath given and God hath taken blessed bee the name of God If the poore bee about you your neighbours or under your charge the pensioners let them not languish at home nor starve in your streets but give almes as the Centurion did Act. 10.4 that God may respect you It is no Poperie I assure you to say That God respects men for their charitie If any Magus shall offer you money for Res sanctas or Res sacras for the holy things of God or the holy things of the Church answer him with zeale and indignation as Saint Peter did Acts. 8.20 Pereat tecum pecuniatua Thy money perish with thee When you have done all keepe a constant fire of Devotion to purifie your hearts that no corruption may come in by the windows oâ— your eyes and perfume your apparrell with the righteousnesse oâ— Imputation that the infection mistake you not and pray pray with the Church From plague and pestilence good Lord deliver us and pray with the Church againe O Almighty God which in thy wrath in the time of King David didst slay with the Plague c. For who else can 3ª 1 ae Vnde The Author who can remove the Plague but he that sends the Plague and who is that but God If you looke upon it as praemium or meritum a wages or a merit so my sinne so your sinne is the cause of it Causa deficiens but if you looke upon it as it is Paena or Correctio a punishment or a chastisement so God is the cause of it Causa efficiens So the Prophet Micah points to God Mica 6.13 I will make thee sicke I and so does the Prophet Moses too Num. 16.46 Wrath is gone out from the Lord and the plague is begun And so does the Prophet Amos too Is there any evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 that is any evill of punishment not of sinne for God is not the Author of any sinne though he be the Author of all punishment Not any punishment not any mercy but wee may discerne in it Digitum Dei The hand of God and so sayes David Storme haile tempest they are all his Ministers to fulfill his Will and so sayes God himselfe of this particular If I send a pestilence If I. And the very word it selfe speaks no lesse Plague it is Verbum asperum A killing word the plague is but it is the Lord that kills sayes Moses and it is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To kill to kill as 〈◊〉 were with the sword but it is thâ—â— Sword of the Lord no hand caâ—â— weild this Sword but the hand oâ—â— the Lord 2 Sam. 24.14 And therefore it is called sometimes the hand of the Lord because in this punishment the Lord shews his power after a wonderfulâ— and fearefull manner somtimes it is called an Arrow Psal 91.6 The Arrow that flies by day But no Bow can shoote this Arrow but Gods An Arrow it is for the suddainnesse of it and an Arrow it is for the swiftnesse of it it brings a suddaine destruction for it creeps not as doe other Diseases by little and little but it pierces suddainly and it flyes with speed too thorow a whole City over a whole Countrey even from Dan to Beersheba and who can shoote so suddainly or so swiftly but God And therefore take you heed of that fearefull curse and imprecation which is too rife in your mouths 〈◊〉 your servant doe but anger you â—our servant did I say if your Childe that comes out of your â—ines nay if your Wife doe but displease you by and by you say what doe you say that which I â—m afraid to thinke of but you say 〈◊〉 The plague the plague of God light upon you You see how God hath heard not your prayers but your sins and now you pray with all your soules Good Lord deliver us from plague and pestilence But In quos 4a 1ae In quos Amongst whom Amongst whom is the plague for the plague being a thing so fearefull and God a God so gracious surely he sends it not but In hostes Amongst his enemies if any Does he man indeed would doe so He will love his friends and plague his enemies but Gods waies are not like Mans Hee loves his enemies and punisheth his friends 〈◊〉 for his enemies hee will not love them so well as to
then if God looke upon you any way though with frownes in his brow rod in his hand menaces in his mouth plague-sores upon your bodies submit unto him and repent and turne from your evill wayes and God shall not onely turne from the evill which hee hath brought upon you but your trembling soule also shall no sooner cry out Why am I thus visited with the plagueÌ„ but your faith shall make a sweet reply from this Text Therefore hath God sent a pestilence to assure us wee are his people if wee will humble our selves That 's the ad quod 5ª 1 ae Ad quod The end the end why we are plagued To put an end to our sinnes But this end of the sicknesse is the beginning of the cure and therefore I say no more of it but Blessed be the name of God for calamitous dayes praised be the Name of God even for the plague since by this bee calles us to repentance and writes upon our doores Lord have mercie upon us And do thou O God in mercie looke upon us and send such a blessing with this punishmeÌ„t of plague as that we may humble our selves and pray and seeke thy face and turne from our wicked wayes that thou also mayest heare us and forgive us and heale our land through Iesus Christ Amen The Cure 1636. The second Sermon 2. Chron. 7.14 If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and turne from their wicked wayes and seeke my face I will heare in Heaven and forgive their sinne and heale their Land THE words are as I told you Pars. 2 a. the Cure of the Disease In the composition there are foure simples and seuerall ingredients and they are foure dosses of Pills The first is a preparing Pill It preprepares us to receive of God and prepares God to giue us Exaltation If we humble our selves hee will heare in Heauen and it is a great Exaltation that God in heaven should heare us vpon earth The second is an opening Pill it opens our lippes to pray and opens Gods eares to heare our prayers If my people pray I will heare The third is a purging Pill it purges us of sinne and God of wrath If my people turne from their wicked wayes I will forgive their sinne The fourth is an healing Pill 1 a 2 ae if my people seeke my face I will heale their Land I begin first with the 1. the preparing Pill Humility and in this I shall with Gods leave shâ—w you first Quid est and secondly Quid efficit First what Humility is and secondly what Humility does And first Quid est What is it Humility is the first Ingredienâ— that cures the plague for pr de is the first sinne that brought the plague and all other Judgements into the world Gen. 3. Eritis sicut Dij To be like God Oh it tickled Adam to the heart and therefore he made himselfe unlike a man hee made himselfe like to the beasts that perish In forma servi Philip. 2.7 To be like a servant this rejoyced Christ at the heart and for this cause hath God exalted him with a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow There is a Ladder of seven steps by which wee goe downe to Hell and the first of those steps is pride pride hath got the first place of the seven deadly sinnes and there is a Ladder of eight steps by which we goe up to Heaven And marke that seven to goe downe and eight to goe up for facilis descensus Averâ—i sed revocare c. We easier and with lesse paines goe to Hell downe-wards than to Heaven upwards but seven steps downe to Hell eight up to Heaven and the first of those eight is Humility Humility hath the first place of all Gods graces so Cromatius The eight Beatitudes are like Iacobs Ladder that reach from Earth to Heaven and the very first step as the foundation of the rest is Humility so Christ begins the Sermon of his Blessings Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are the humble Matth. 5. for humility is a poverty in spirit that 's the Quid est and Definition of it 1ª 1 ae 3 ae What is Humility If any one askes you what humility is you answer him truely if you say It is a poverty in spirit and as poore men are in their attire ragged in their dyet course and hungry in their speech lowly and reverent so Humility hath a leanâ— body it keeps the body under anâ— many times empty a freeze coateâ— a coate of sackcloth and covering of ashes and a submisse language 〈◊〉 ever speaking in a low stile and phrase Looke else upon the Centurion for the speech of humility he hath an high conceit of God and a low conceit of himselfe lookeâ— else upon King David for the dieâ— of humility hee will neither eate nor drinke looke else upon the King of Niniveh for the dresse and garments of humility he will have no gay clothes in a time of destruction upon his grey heart The Centurion speaks the voyce of humility King David cookes the diet of humility the King of Nineveh cloths the back of humility and they all act the gesture of humility upon their knees 1. And first what sayes the Centurion for the voice of Humility Humilities voyce Math. 8.8 what but this Lord I am not worthy thou shouldst come under the roofe â—f mine house Non sum dignus I am not worthy is evermore Humilities â—anguage Non sum dignus I am not worthy saies Iacob not worthy of what de maximis of Gods Regaâ—ioes Gen. 32 10. it may bee so very likely no de minimis I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies Non sum dignus saies St. Iohn Baptist I am not worthy no not to carry Christ upon his shoulders as it is reported of St. Christopher not so but Non sum dignus calceamenta portare Mat. 3.11 I am not worthy to unty his shooe-strings a poore office wee would thinke Non sum dignus saies Daniel Dan. 9.7 We are not worthy of any thing but confusion Quis ego saies Gideon that mighty man of valour Who am I that I should save Israel Jud. 6.15 behold my family is poore in Manasseh and I am the least in my fathers honse I am not worthy to doe it I Quiâ— ego ut alloquar saies Abraham the Father of the Faithfull Who am I Gen. 18.17 that I should speake unto the Lord I am not worthy I. So low a value does the humble man ever set upon himselfe that no man lower proud men take it well if wee humble our selves lower than is cause so Iacob the Patriarch pleased his proud brother Esau with saying Thy servant and does not God take such submisse extenuations of our selves very well I am a worme and no man saies David and God made David
so We have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheepe and therefore all of us must participate in Repentance and say There is no health in us but thou oh Lord have mercy upon us miserable offenders For the Church is Corpus Homogeneum and therefore Eadem est ratio partis totius All men are one Body and every man is a member of that one body and therefore the same remedy serveth both what every man must doe in particular all men must doe in generall All men are but one Body and thus the Members are placed The King is the Head the Divine is the Heart the Physitian is the Liver the Lawyer is the Tongue the Souldier is the Armes the Merchant is the Lungs the Commons are the Feete The King rules the Priest prayes the Physitian feeds the Lawyer pleads the Souldier fights the Merchant breaths the Commons travaile None of these can be spared for then the Body will be imperfect and therefore all of these all Gods people must Turne The King though a King and therefore the best of men yet he is but a man and therefore a sinner and a Carbuncle may come upon the Head but I pray God preserve our Head King Charles from plague and pestilence The Priest though a Bishop and the holiest of then yet hee is but a man and therefore a sinner and the poyson of the plague may possesse the Religion of the Heart but I pray God preserve the Heart of our Religion and Devotion the Clergy from plague and pestilence The Physitian though the liveliest of men yet he is but a man and therefore a sinner and the plague may by his venome stop the Fountaine of Blood but I pray God preserve the Liver of our Body the Physitian from plague and pestilence The Lawyer though the nimblest of men yet he is but a man and therefore a sinner and the Sore may rise in the throat close by the Tongue but I pray God preserve the Tongue of our State the Lawyer from plague and pestilence The Souldier though the strongest of men yet hee is but a man and therefore a sinner and the Plague stronger than himselfe may breake the Armes but I pray God preserve the Armes of our Kingdome the Souldier from plague and pestilence The Merchant though the richest of men yet he is but a man and therefore a sinner and the plague may suffocate the Lungs but I pray God preserve the Lungs of oâ—â— Kingdome the Merchant from the plague The Common people is a man and but a man and therefore a sinner and the plague may weaken the Feet a Sore may rise in the Groine but I pray God preserve the Feete of this Kingdome the Common people from the plague No way to perswade God to this but for the Head and the Heart and the Liver and the Tongue and the Armes and the Lungs and the Feet and all all Gods people to turne from their wicked wayes Some there be that think themselves too good to humble themselves and turne and some that thinke themselves too unworthy to pray and turne but here is a checke for the one and a comfort for the other all my people must turne The good man hath need and the bad man hath leave Bee thou as good as King David a man after Gods owne heart yet K. David may fall into an adulterie and a selfe confidence and therefore not hee so good but hee must turne And indeed how often did hee turne Sometimes himselfe to God and sometimes God to him God to him by prayer Turne not away thy face from thine annointed And sometimes himselfe to God by repentance Turne me O God and I shal be turned And this is to teach good men that when God is turned from them or they from God then that they by prayer should turne God to them and they by repentance turne themselves to God by turning from their wicked wayes Nor none so bad neither but hee may turne not the Publican and therefore Saint Matthew was called and Zacheus saved Not the Thiefe and therefore the Thiefe from the Crosse went into Paradise Not the Harlot and therefore Mary Magdalene had many sins forgiven her Not the Persecutor and therefore Saint Paul was converted Not the Denyer and therefore Saint Peter wept bitterly And I pray God give us all grace to weepe so bitterly and to turne so truely that God may remove the plague speedily and send health into our houses perpetually and grace into our soules eternally through Jesus Christ Amen This is not onely our Ministerie perswading for you may thinke and too many of you doe too often think too lightly of that but it is also Gods Majestie commanding and which of you dares thinke but highly of that God commands all men every where to repent Acts 17.30 viz. To turne All men deepe Polititians rich Citizens great Sinners holy Saints all his people to turne But what is it to turne 2ª 3 ae 2 ae To turne what That 's my second consideration must tell you and I must tell it you from the examples of Turners And for these examples I looke upon Nehemiah he met with an uneven peece of Timber and he turned it round I looke upon King David hee met with a knotty peece of Timber and hee turned it smooth I looke upon King Nebuchadnezzar he met with a loftie peece of Timber and hee turned it thin and low I look upon Israel she met with a rotten peece of Timber and shee turned it into the fire I look upon S. Peter he met with a foule peece of Timber and he turned it cleane and faire 1. Nehemiah at his returne from the Captivity Nehem. 13.3.23 found in Ierusalem an uneven peece of Timber a mixed multitude Jewes that had married wives of Ashdod Ammon and Moab people that spake halfe the language of the Jewes and halfe of Ashdod and hee rounded them he put away all their strange wives Sie vos so doe you If you have in your house a mixed multitude goods gotten honestly by your labour and goods gotten dishonestly by Rapine or Theft or Vsurie or Lying away with them returne them to the true owners that Ierusalem may be repaired that the plague may be stayed that your bodies may bee healed that your soules may he saved If the affections of your soules have married strange wives the World or the Flesh if you come to Church and speake halfe the language of Canaan and yet serve the World or lust after the flesh take out a divorce that you may serve God onely that God who onely can may repaire the breach of the people King David met with a knottie peece of Timber 2 Sam. 11.4 â— 8.13 he commits adulterie with Bathsheba when Ioab is besieging Rabbah and sends for Vriah her husband to cover it and when he would not goe home neither drunk nor sober he dispatches him with letters to dispaeth him of his life
Rabbah could not bee taken till King David turned from his wicked way of adulterie Other sinnes there were but the plague would not be staied till King David turned from his wicked way of selfe-confidence Many other sinnes there are now for which this plague is amongst us but there are some wayes we walke in some continued sinnes either inwardly or outwardly Drunkennesses outwardly Hypocrisies inwardly Adulteries outwardly Concupiscences inwardly Pride outwardly Ambition inwardly Vsurie outwardly and Avarice inwardly And answerably we must turne Turne outwardly from our outward wicked wayes and turne inwardly from our inward wicked wayes Outwardly we must be sober continent humble and liberall and inwardly we must bee sincere chaste humble and content And this wee must especially doe especially turne inwardly for if we doe turne inwardly we do turne outwardly Whereas many men turne outwardly that doe not turne inwardly We may bee civill yet hypocrites we may bee chaste for the outward man and yet adulterous within wee may bee humble outwardly as Achab was and yet ambitious in our hearts as Absolom was wee may bee prodigall in the outward acts of charity and yet covetous within in our desires And what say the Schooles of this Our actions are so farre vertuous or vitious as the will hath a hand in them Vera bonitas malitia sunt tantum in corde True goodnes true wickednes is onely in the heart And God oftentimes takes not off his heavie hand because we turne not from our wicked wayes with all our hearts Non facta numerat sed corda Hee lookes not upon our hands but upon our hearts Animae amaritudo est anima poenitentiae The turning with our heart is the heart of turning the repentance of the soule is the soule of repentance And because this is all in all I shall shew you in a word for all whether you doe turne from your wicked wayes with your hearts There are two speciall rules to know it by The first is Si in the second is Si post 1. Si in if in the act of our turning we resolve never to have any more to do with sinne if we throw our sins away Hosea 14.8 as repenting Ephraim did What have I any more to doe with Idols Fie Get you hence Give me leave to aske some of you Why doe you Vsurers call in for your money now Because you will have no more to doe with usurie or for feare you should loose your money in this sicknesse and that when the sicknesse is past you may have money to put out to use againe It is a turning this But such a turning that for all this the plague may turn you into the earth and these Reservations into Hell I could aske the Drunkard the same question Why does hee lay aside his pots now Because he will never bee drunke againe or because he feares by such quaffing hee may inflame his blood and get the infefection and that at the fall he may have his health and fall to his Healths againe It is a turning this but c. If you would have the plague turne from your heart turne you from your sinnes with all your hearts with the resolutions and protestations of your hearts That you will never have any more to doe with sinne That is the first note 2 The second Tertul. Si post sequatur emendatio vitae If after this resolution there followes amendment and a better life Poenitentia sine emendatione vitae vana quia caret fructu cui Deus eam servit In vain is that repentance which is not followed with a better life because it beares not that fruit for which God planted it that is the fruits of Righteousnesse If thou finde thy selfe after the plague as bad as thou wast before the plague in the plague thou hast repented but so that for all that God will follow thee with another plague or send thee into hell for it The plague never kills till it hath poysoned the heart nor is the plague ever killed til the heart hath poysoned it with Repentance From Plague and Hell good Lord deliver us all And that wee may all be delivered thence God give us grace to turne from all our wicked wayes with all our hearts and assure us thereof in our holy resolutions presently and in our holy conversations futurely that presently wee may obtaine health and futurely salvation through Jesus Christ Amen But being turned from our wicked wayes to whom 4 a 3 ae 2ae Turne to what or to what must we turne Why we must not turn as too many wicked men in this world doe turne from one sinne to another not from prodigality to covetousnesse This is to turne from one Divell to another not from the extortion of pawne taking to the oppression of usurie This is to turn out one Divell by another and for such a turning we may feare That God will turne the plague of Pestilence into the plague of Famine and that is worse and turne out the plague of Famine by the plague of Warre and that is worst of all If you would have God turne away all these sore plagues and leave a blessing behinde then you must turne to him Ioel 2.12 Turne to the Lord your God sayes the Prophet Wee need not goe so farre for the example Looke but in the former chapter upon the petition and there it is in the 38. verse 2 Chron. 6.38 If they returne to thee with all their heart And indeed to whom else should we turne Hee is the Lord and so onely can He is our God and so surely will With the Lord is power with our God is mercie By the power of the Lord hee did create us and doth preserve us and therefore sayes the Psalmist Psa 100.3 It is hee that hath made us and not we our selves and therefore saith the Psalmist againe Psa 124.2 If the Lord himselfe had not been on our side now may Israel say c. And may not wee say so now If the Lord himselfe had not been on our side when the plague destroyes a thousand on our side and ten thousand on our right hand but that it should light upon us too No hand can keepe it from us but the hand of the Lord. And by the mercie of our God hee did redeeme us doth forgive us and will save us He redeemed Israel he will save his people sayes the Psalmist Luk. 1.71 He hath redeemed us from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us sayes Zacharie and sayes hee here I will forgive their sinne It is my fist and last consideration of this part 5ª 3 ae 2ae what good by Turning Quid efficit what good does this turning from our wicked wayes to God doe Why it obtaines forgivenesse and here I shall shew you God willing first that God onely can forgive sinnes Secondly that God certainly doth forgive all sinnes First God onely can forgive
It is I ô God it is I that have sinned but these sheepe the people of this Parish ô Lord what have they done nothing in comparison of me theirs alas are but infirmities But mine woe is me are impieties they sinne one against another in unrighteousnesse and against other Creatures in intemperatenesse and so I and more I against my GOD in prophanesse O my God forgive them and remove thy heavy hand forbid thy destroying Angell to strike them any more and if thy anger bee not yet appeased set thy hand against mee and my family See here is my selfe and what is as deare to mee as my selfe my wife and children take which of us all or all of us which thou pleasest so thou wilt spare the Parish so thou wilt spare the Citie O spare them and take mee or if as thou wilt spare us all and give them all grace to doe what thou hast given mee grace to promise that I will doe what King David did Reare thee an Altar And this I will no longer put off to doe but I doe it now The Altar of a holy protestation I reare that I will never have any more to doe with sin at the thought of it I will tremble the tentations of it I will resist the company of it I will shun and those particular sins to which I am most subject I will subdue Strengthen mee O Lord to performe this and bee pleased to accept these Sacrifices which upon this Altar I offer Some meales weekly I will purposely misse while the plague lasteth and that I will give to the poore Not a night will I goe to bed but I will water it with teares because it is I that have sinned and yet thou sparest me O spare them all and accept from me these almes and put these teares into thy bottle send us health fill us with grace to doe thy will blesse us all with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen And David built there an Altar unto the Lord 2 Sam. 24.25 c. And so have I O God I have built an Altar the foundation of it is layd upon the earth and I tremble at mine owne infirmities The top of it reaches unto heaven and I am constant in my resolutions I will meddle no more with sinne not onely with those sinnes which brought this plague but not with any sinne at all Nor doe I this out of presumption or that I promise more than I meane to performe though I know I cannot live and not sinne for I will not live in any sinne And lest the Divell should hereafter suggest falsly that I am as selfe-confident as St. Peter was I do not say I will not as if the power were mine but by thy grace O God I will not That I may not pursue mee continually with thy grace Never cease giving til I cease begging And that I never cease begging let the begging of thy grace bee evermore the beginning of my prayers which prayers as thou hast in some measure heard so I beseech thee accept of what thou hast heard my burnt offerings of a broken heart a contrite Spirit For see O God I breake my heart I sigh I sob I pine I moane and my heart pants after thee the fountaine of living water as the Hart doth after the fountain of water that hee may live Thou hast hunted mee with this Hound the Plague It hath beene on my right hand and there slaine on my left hand and there destroyed behinde me and before mee and not gone empty away and yet it is not blessed be thy name in my dwelling O take it out of my parish take it out of this Citie say to the Angell that destroyes this Citie as thou diddest to that that destroyed the people in Ierusalem It is enough stay thine hand blessed bee thy Name for the Decrease of this weeke Goe on ô God goe on in thy Mercies towards us And as I thinke it not enough to breake my heart unlesse I bruise my Spirit too by denying it those Recreations and potations and comestions that it desires so doe not thou thinke it enough to diminish but distinguish the Plague and I will not onely not diminish but increase those burnt offerings for my passed and these peace offerings for my present and continued sinnes of Repentance Charity and Sincerity of Repentance to thee for my sinnes of Charity to the Poore for thee of Sincerity to both yet not expecting that thou shouldst be intreated for the Land and stay the Plague from the City for this For I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies but that I trust Thou wilt bee intreated in mercy to accept these my sacrifices and stay that thy Iudgement through the merits of him for whose sake thou hast promised to deny nothing that shall be asked according to thy will If it be thy will deliver us from the Plague As it is thy will save our soules or both through Iesus Christ Amen In wose Blessed Name and words c. Resolves and Meditations upon St. Matth. 6. fit for all times especially this of the Plague Matth. 6. Ver. 2 When thou dost thine Almes Ver. 5 When thou dost pray Ver. 16 When thou dost fast Ver. 33 Seek first the kingdome c. UNDER these foure Duties Christ comprises the whole summe of Religion for what doth Religion binde us to doe but to Give to Pray to Fast to Seeke To give to the Poore to pray to God Ver. 16. Whē thou dost Fast Ver. 33. Seeke first the Kingdome c. to fast from sinne alwaies from meate sometimes and to seeke the Kingdome of God first Or it may bee the former three containes all Religion commands and in these three we are to seeke the Kingdome of God If any other thought thrust into our Charity or Prayer or Fasting to thrust them out and onely to entertaine this To seeke the Kingdome of God in these to seeke it and to take it to seeke it in those two as with two eyes of Prayer and Fasting and to take it with that one as with a hand the hand of Charity consists Religion in those three as the worke and that one as the wages or in all foure as the worke and wages for it is a wages and a great reward when we either give Almes or Pray or Fast it is all one to mee for I doe those three for this end or seeke this end in those three Ver. 2. Whē thon dost thine Almes Ver. 5. Whē thou dost pray and doe all foure for no other end but because Christ hath commanded me and those other ends which are subordinate to this It is a Part of thy Sermon ô thou sweet Preacher to thy Hearers and Saviour of thy doers I amongst the rest have heard this Sermon and I with the rest set my selfe to do this Sermon For I doe give Almes I doe Pray I doe Fast and I doe seeke
2 Sam. 2â— 25 David bought the threshing floore of Araunah the Jeâ—â— site and built there an Altar unto the Lord and offered thereon burnt offerings and peace offerings Samuel the Priest did it Isaiah the Prophet did it and bids us doe it too 1 Sam. 9.13 Isa 12.4 Praise the Lord call upon his Name declare his doings amongst the people make mention that his Name is exalted And Iesus that is both Prince Priest and Prophet Ioh. 11.41 our Saviour did it Father I thanke thee that thou hast hearâ— me And shall not the children doe what the Father did the Prince did it and shall not the Subjects doe itâ— shall not the people doe what the Priest did Iesus Christ the Saviour did it and shall not we that hope to be saved by him doe it and give thankes unto the God of Heaven for shame else For it is thirdly so fairely rewarded that no Duty like unto it if we doe the duty of Devotion and pray we are preserved iâ— we doe the duty of Faith and beleeve we are justified if we doe the duty of Love and forgive wee are forgiven if we doe the duty of Charity and give it shall be given to us But if wee doe the duty of my Text and give thankes to the God of Heaven God will glorifie us with himselfe in Heaven 1 Sam. 3.30 They that honour me I will honour so sure is the thankfull man of glory And now I doubt not but you are all ready to say Give thankes who does not wee all give thankes unto the God of Heaven Nor doe I doubt but you all say so my doubt is whether you doe so For Thanksgiving I must tell you is no complement no verball thing but a Reality it hath three words to expresse it by and must be done in all three else it is not done at all The first is Gratias habere To have thanks and it is called Recognition his place of residence is the Heart when we thinke how gracious God hath beene to us this Visitation the Plague tooke some away before me some behinde me some on my right hand some on my left yet I am left God hath annointed the posts of my doore with the blood of the Lambe that the destroying Angell might passe over mee and my heart muses what to render to the Lord for this his goodnesse when wee doe so why then Gratiaes habemus we have thanks in our hearts for God or wee have Thankfull hearts to God 2. Is Gratias referre To returne thankes and it is called commemoration his Elocutour is the Tongue when wee declare the wonders God hath done for us the Plague knockt at my Neighbours doore but passed mine I was as fit an object for that destruction as any man but God in mercy spared me Blessed bee his name and my Tongue saies what shall I render unto the Lord for all the Benefits hee hath done unto mee when wee say so why then wee doe Gratias referre give Thankes with our Tongues to God The 3. is Gratias agere to doe Thankes and it is called Retribution the Actor of it is the Hand or Life when the hand gives the oblations of Thankes and the Life does the offerings of Thanks in sanctity to God and is acceptable to him in equity to man and is unreproveable with them in Charity to the poore and is profitable to them When we doe so why then Gratias agimus We doe and wee doe give thankes to the God of Heaven So wee doe to man if a man doth us but ordinary courtesies at an extraordinary pinch why then wee doe first studie to magnifie him in our hearts we were in Prison hee hath payed our Debts and set us at liberty we were in Captivity he hath redeemed us and made us free we were in danger hee hath rescued and made us safe ô what a friend was this think wee how good hath hee bin unto us and so Gratias habemus And then secondly we speake of him to others how good he hath beene to us this and this he hath done for me God reward him for it and so Gratias referimus And thirdly wee cast with our selves how to requite him hee shall no sooner command but we obey and so Gratias agimus and shall wee not doe so to God From him we have whatsoever wee have Redemption from the hands of all that hate us Preservation from the Plague and pestilence and therefore we must give thanks to the God of Heaven Surely the very Heathens intended no lesse in their Charites they were three The first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that signifies Letitia Ioy but Ioy is in the dilation of the heart The second was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to flourish and that is in the Tongue And the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Splendor and who shines more than he whose life is a glorious Sunne And doe you ever thinke to shine as the Sunne in Heaven or to flourish like a greene Bay-tree in Paradise or to be filled with those joyes which never entred into the heart of man unlesse you thus with your hearts tongues and hands give thanks unto the God of Heaven King David surely thought so else hee would never have delivered it with so much passion as Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven It is my second consideration and the first particular of the first part Oh And this particle is sometimes Vox exhortantis An exhorting word so the Psalmist Psa 30.4 Sing unto the Lord ô yee Saints of his and give thankes at the remembrance of his holinesse Sometimes it is Vox optantis A wishing word So the Psalmist againe Ps 107.21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse Here it is both ô thâ— you would doe it saies David â— way of exhorting and ô that could wish you to doe it by way desire So passionate he for this duty thâ— sometimes hee exhorts himselfâ— Praise the Lord ô my Soule Psa 103.1 and nâ— onely his soule but also his Tongâ—â— and his hand and all that is with mee praise his holy name sometime his company Psa 95.1 O come let us sing unâ—â— the Lord and Hymnus is a Psalm of Thanksgiving Psal 134. sometimes the Clergy Praise the Lord ô house â— Aaron praise the Lord ô house of Levâ— sometimes whole Assemblies Praâ—â— yee the Lord Psa 13â— 1 2 3. praise yee the name of the Lord Praise him ô yee servants of the Lord yee that stand in the house of tâ—â— Lord in the courts of the house of oâ—â— God Praise yee the Lord. Sometimes whole Countries let Israâ—â— now confesse that he is gracious and that his Mercy endureth for ever Psa 150.6 sometimes all creatures Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord and such he aimes at here a publicke Thanksgiving for a publick Blessing private thankes doe
these shall ever have an end Thirdly things that have no beginning but an end as Gods Decrees They never had beginning and therefore sayes St. Paul Grace was given us before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 but his Decrees have 〈◊〉 end Fourthly things that have never beginning nor ending and so onely God God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost and his properties are everlasting or endure for ever and amongst them his Mercy It is my second Enquiry how this is true His Mercy endures for ever and I resolve it thus Whatsoever is in God is God and everlasting as God is and therefore his Mercy his Mercy endures for ever Et à parte ante in the everlasting Fore-noone or our Election Et à parte post in the everlasting Afternoone of our Glorification Yet heere you must consider for ever either absolute in God and so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In saecula for ever and ever Or else Respective to us and so it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In saeculum for ever As I take it the Prophet here speakes in the last sense the Respective so in the three Ageâ— of the world first Ante Before the Law there Gods Mercy endureâ— for ever Hee taught them by instinct Secondly Sub Vnder the Law there he writ them a Rule the Ten Commandements how they should live and live well Thirdly Post After the Law which lasts to the Worlds end in the Covenant of Grace the Gospell of Iesus Christ which will bring us if wee obey it from being beholding to his Mercy to the beholding of his Mercy for ever Or divide the world into sixe Ages First the Infancy of the world from Adam to Noah there Gods Mercy was everlasting and endured for ever Judgement seemed to prevaile twice first in Adams nakednesse and his exile from Paradise but Mercy presently got the upper hand Gen. 3.15 in the promise of the Womans seed to breake the Serpents head and covering our nakednesse with the Merits of Iesus Christ which shall bring us againe into Paradise Secondly Iudgement seemed to prevaile againe in the Deluge and drowning of the World Gen. 7.23 but Mercy got the upper hand instantly in saving Noah and his Family in the Arke figuring thereby our Regeneration by his holy Baptisme Secondly the Childhood of the World Gen. 19.16 from Noah to Abraham There His mercy endured for ever Judgement seemed to prevaile in the fire of Sodome but mercy tooke place againe in saving Lot Thirdly Exo. 2.23 the youth of the World from Abraham to David There His mercy endured for ever Judgement seemed to take place in the Egyptian bondage but mercy prevailed in their deliverance by Moses Fourthly the Manhood of thâ—â— World from David to the Captivity There His mercy endured for ever Judgement seemed to prevailâ— in the demolishing of Ierusalem by Nebuchadnezzar 1. Chron. 36.19 but mercy took place againe in the reedifying it by Nehemiah And now I am upon that hint I may say the same of this place Judgement seemed to prevaile upon this Temple of St. Paul St. Paul I say the onely Cathedrall Church in the Christian World dedicated to the service of God under the name of St. Paul when it lay like the Diacony the Deacons of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very dust but mercy hath got the upper hand and wee may say as they said nay we are too blame if we doe not say it Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart Ezr. 7.27 to beautifie the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem Yea blessed be the Majesty of our King and blessed be all those who put a helping hand to this religious worke of Reedifying and Beautifying St. Paul and above all Blessed bee the God of Heaven because his mercy endureth for ever Fifthly the Age of the World from the Captivity to St. Iohn Baptist There His mercy endured for ever Judgement seemed to prevaile in the departing of the Scepter from Iudah but mercy tooke place in the comming of Shilo Sixtly and lastly the old and last age of the World from St. Iohn Baptist to the Worlds end There His mercy hath endured and doth and will endure for ever Judgement seemed to prevaile in Herod in Pilate in Iudas in the Iewes when they put Christ to death and buryed him but mercy got the upper hand and Christ came up againe and rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven and fits at the right hand of God to make Intercession for us Judgement seemed to prevaile when Arius denyed the Divinity of Christ When Apollinarius stumbled at the Humanity of Christ When Nestorius declined the Union of these two Natures in one person When Entyâ—hes forged a confusion of the two Natures but mercy got the start againe when the Councell of Nice defined Christ to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of God very God of very God of the same substance with his Father When the Councell of Constantinople deâ—â—ned Christ to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely perfect God but also perfect Man of a reasonable soule and Humane flesh subsisting When the Councell of Ephesus defined God and Man to bee but one Christ When the Councell of Calcedon defined Christ to be one not by confusion of substance but by unity of person for which blessed union Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven because by the Merit of that union his mercy endures for ever to us And so now to let other times passe Judgement seemed to prevaile in the Plague This Plague that scattered us asunder and consumed many of us but mercy you see hath got the upper hand againe this weeke there dyed of the Plague but 555. a faire and a large decrease for which Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven And doe Thou who art the God of Heaven not onely diminish but extinguish the Plague command this destroying Angel to hold his hand because Thy mercy endures for ever Amen And if Gods mercy endures for ever Quare tumultuatur anima tua Why is thy soule disquieted within thee because of thy present estate thou art fallen into some deadly sinne and canst not tel whether thou shalt be forgiven or is it because of thy future state thou art holy now but fearst thou shalt not so continue and persevere in grace Why man thy present falls doe but shew thee thine owne weaknesse and for it thou must bee humbled and repent that thou mayst be forgiven and the feare for thy future condition does but shew thy changeablenesse and for it thou must be carefull and pray for a continuance in holinesse that thou mayst be sure God may for a while forsake thee and suffer thee to be an instrument of vexation to others as hee did Saint Paul hee may give thee over to the Plough to the Harrow to the Dung hill as
He did holy Iob. Hee may give thee over to a Feaver to a Sadnesse to a Sicknesse to a plague as he did Hezekiah thou maist be led into the tentation of an Adultery of a Drunkenesse of a Murther as was David to a denying of Iesus Christ as was Saint Peter yet none of these can make a finall separation if thou seriously repent The Madianite Merchants of sinne sadnesse sicknesse may buy the present possession of thy Soule yet if thou wilt grow due to God by a new and true Repentance thy dejected soule shall no sooner cry out Quis liberabit O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me but thy Faith shall make a sweet Reply from this Text The God of Heaven because his mercy endures for ever This is a good Reason why we should not despaire and a forcible perswasion it is to give thankes to the God of Heaven for his Mercy endures for ever It is my third Enquiry why David makes choyce of Mercy to perswade our Thankfulnesse Will it not stand as well Oh give thankes unto the God of Heaven because his Iudgement endures for ever It may seeme so if you read the Psalme Which overthrew Pharaoh in the Red Sea which slew mighty Kings Ogâ— the King of c. No rather Mercy for all that than Iudgement because his Mercy is more everlasting to us than his Iudgement For take the disproportion betwixt a Yeere and a Moneth and that is twelve for one betwixt a yeere and a weeke and that fifty two for one betwixt a yeere and a day and that is three hundred sixty five for one betwixt a yeere and an houre and that is eight thousand seven hundred sixty for one betwixt a yeere and a moment and that is many thousands for one and such a disproportion there is betwixt the Everlastingnesse of Gods Iudgement and Mercy to us In the Apocalyps it is sayd Cap. 9. ver 10. Their tower the evill Angels was to hurt Men five Moneths Then againe Apoc. 2.10 Ye shall have tribulation ten dayes And in Daniel Seventy Weekes are determined upon this people Dan. 9.24 and upon the holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousnesse And so in the Prophet Isaiah For a small moment have I forsaken thee Isa 54.7 8 but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Observe ye now there is a Moneth wee may be hurt five Moneths there is a weeke seven weekes for iniquity there is a day tribulation for ten daies and there is a moment wrath for a moment but Righteousnesse everlasting everlasting kindnesse everlasting mercies And therefore rather Mercy than Iudgment oh give thankâ— unto the God of Heaven for his mercy endures for ever For 1. his mercy hath a prerogative of Alliance his mercy is manifesteâ— in himselfe his iudgment never but for our sinnes Hee made us in mercy when we desired him not he redeemed us in mercy when wee deserv'd it not and without desert upon desire and endeavour he will save us in mercy Oh praise the God of Heaven therefore for his mercy endures for ever For 2. his mercy hath a prerogative of Antiquity his iudgment shewed not it selfe in the Creation his mercy did his judgment was in posse and by way of condition but his mercy was in esse and act and possession therefore rather Mercy than Iudgment For 3. his mercy hath a prerogative of Honour it honours God and God honours it it honours his power in overcomming the power of Satan it honours his Iustice in satisfying the Iustice of himselfe and it honours his Wisedome in finding out such a Sacrifice which was propitiatory for the sinnes of the whole World Iesus Christ And whence is all this honour to God but from the mercies of God Ioh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that He gave His onely begotten sonne c. And God honours it for He gives it the right hand at the last day The Mercifull are those Sheepe which hee will set at his right hand at Doomes-day Mat. 25.33 and the right hand is the hand of Honour Oh give thanks unto the God of Heaven therefore for his mercy endureth for ever His Mercy rather than his Judgement For fourthly his mercy hath a prerogative of Duration and continuance sometimes an interruption of mercy there may be by Judgment but evermore mercy recovers againe In the year 1602 to go no farther than the easie compute of our owne remembrances Judgment interrupted mercy and there dyed of the Plague 30578. but mercy saved many more thousands alive and tooke place againe for 22. yeares for till 1625. no Plague in this City and then there dyed of the Plague 34576. but many more thousands mercy saved alive and reigned sole liver againe for 5. yeares for till 1630. no Plague in this City and then there dyed of the Plague but 1317. but many many more thousands did mercy preserve and keepe alive and hath reigned 6. yeares againe and there are some thousands dead of the Plague this yeare but many more thousands by mercies favour reserved and amongst them our selves blessed be the God of Heaven And why are we preserved yet but to give thanks unto the God of Heaven because his mercy endureth for ever Would you be preserved still and would you have mercy sweepe away this Judgement would you have mercy continue for ever and give no more place to Judgement for another Plague why no way so good as for us to be like God and this is a sure way when our mercy like Gods endures for ever God hath respect to us for his owne mercies sake and God hath respect to us for our mercies sake too For his owne mercies sake and therefore it is that we are not consumed And for our mercies sake for God respected Cornelius for his workes of mercy so the Angel told him Thy Prayers and thine Almes-deeds are come up for a memoriall before God Act. 10.4 And doe not you thinke that God hath respect to this City for the mercifull workes of this City Your Hospitals wherein so many poore Widowes Orphans Men Women young and old are relieved so many sicke and lame cured Your Bridewels wherein so many idle loyterers are made to worke and so many wanton Harlots punished Your Bedlams wherein so many mad men are Dieted and some restored Your Pest-houses wherein so many infected persons are regarded and some recovered All these and many more cry to God that His mercy may endure for ever Shall I commend one worke of mercy more to you all to all you that are hard-hearted Creditors where you see your debtors so poore that they have nothing to pay that then you would be