carried towards heauen and heauenly things while our thoughts doe so stoope wee approach that fire of which Saint Iames speakes that it setteth the tongue on fire and wee may well say that the whole frame of nature is set on fire thereby so set on fire that it is melted so melted that it is dissolued There is a threefold band 1. betweene GOD and Man 2. betweene superiours and inferiours 3. betweene those that are equals In those that come neare this fire they are melted all there continueth no communion betweene God and vs for want of piâ—tie no communion betweene superiours and inferiours neyther respects the other as it ought nor any commerce between equals each doth endeauour to deuour the other But to open this a little plainer From our bodie naturall wee must learne what an euill this melting is in the bodie politicke In the bodie naturall if a ioynt bee dissolued wee finde a double euill the part groweth weake in it selfe and troublessome to the neighbour parts as you may see in an arme out of ioynt it is weake it selfe and a burthen vnto the next part whereupon it resteth beeing not able to sustaine it selfe the same falleth out in the policique melting Men through disorder grow weake themselues and they are troublesome to others weake they are though their lusts bee strong because that strength is not of the man who should bee a reasonable creature but it is of a beast of the sensuall part of a man Hee that rideth a fierce horse let the horse keepe what pace hee will so long as the rider commandes him by the bridle wee say hee rides strongly but if the horse get the bit in his mouth and runne away the faster his pace the weaker the rider because hee cannot checke him Our affections are as that fierce horse and our reason should bee as a strong bridle stirre they neuer so much if reason commaund wee are strong but if reason haue no power and they runne loose then certainely the more violent they are the weaker are wee Wee speake significantly when wee say that a man transported by his passions is an impotent man and wee therein imitate the phrase of GOD himselfe who by the Prophet reproouing Iudah for her vnsatiable spirituall fornication saith How weake is thy heart Drunkards and murtherers adulterers and all kinde of dissolute liuers thinke themselues very stronge because they haue their full forthe in sinne but let them not deceiue themselues they are melted they are dissolued this is but a weakenesse they haue lost that strength not onely wherewith God created them vnto vertue but euen that strength wherewith humane policie doth strengthen them vnto ciuill societie they are vnprofitable therefore But that is not all the euill A member out of ioynt is not only vnseruiceable it selfe but also painefull to the other partes And whosoeuer groweth disordered as hee weakeneth himselfe so is hee mischieuous to others adulterers to other mens wiues murtherers to their persons robbers to their goods slanderers to their good name it is the condition of all sins they disorder policies That which I obserue vnto Iudges herein is that they should not onely take notice of the facts vpon which they sit Iudges but to stirre vp in themselues the zeale of iustice should diligently consider these two things which cleaue vnto euery such fact the weakenesse and the annoyance of the malefactour hee is not what hee should bee seruiceable to the State and what hee should not bee hee is mischieuous vnto others So much is implyed when hee is said to bee dissolued But let vs see of whom this melting or dissoluing is affirmed The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolued Some take these words according to the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and resolue them thus All the inhabitants of the earth are dissolued as if the melting and dissoluing did concerne onely the persons yea and point out also such persons as are apt to bee dissolued namely those that haue their thoughts and affections grouelling vpon the earth We haue a distinction in Saint Paul of the two ADAMS The first was of earth earthly the second was the Lord from Heauen as is the earthly so are they that are earthly and as is the heauenly so are they that are heauenly 1. Corinth 15. they are so in this that the earthly is easily dissolued but the heauenly is not if wee did set our affections on things aboue and not on things below if wee had our conuersation in Heauen and would bee though in the world yet not of it wee neede not feare melting wee should not bee dissolued but while wee grow more like the old Adam than the new while wee set our affections on things below and sauour onely the things of earth no wonder if wee melt if wee bee dissolued The Admonition for vs all is to keepe vs to the example of CHRIST yea to let CHRIST liue in vs let our hearts bee possessed with the loue of Heauen and Heauenly things so shall wee not proue melting or disordered members of the State But the words may bee taken as they lye in my Text and the dissoluing may bee applyed no lesse to the earth than to the inhabitants thereof both may bee dissolued both may melt But then wee must obserue a distinction There is a penall and there is a sinnefull melting the earth is subiect to a penall but the sinnefull is that whereunto men onely are subiect and being subiect thereunto cause the earth to bee subiect to the other A fruitfull land may become barren and a healthy Countrey become contagious yea a Countrey that is like the Garden of GOD as Sodome was may become a salt a dead Sea as Sodome is which is the penall melting or dissoluing thereof But this befalleth not except the people sinne and the crye of their sinne come vp vnto God Maledicta terra propter te hath a constant truth there is neuer any penall melting where a sinnefull melting hath not gone before The Vse that I would make hereof is That when wee see plagues wee should thereby bee put in minde of sinnes the Magistrate should bestirre himselfe thereabout especially hee should inquire after crying sinnes GOD taught this lesson to Ioshua when the Israelites fled before the men of Ai Ioshua rent his clothes and fell to his prayers and so did others with him a good worke you would thinke in such a case to deprecate the wrath of GOD but GOD telleth Ioshua that he should intend another worke Vp saith hee what makest thou here Israel hath sinned therefore they cannot stand before their enemies Goe thou and correct that sinne and that sinne was but the sinne of one how much more must hee doe it if as in the Text All the inhabitants bee dissolued The more sinners the more speed must the Magistrate make and there can be no more than All. But All may bee vnderstood eyther of singula
18.14 and it is worth you reading that you may clearely see the truth of that saying of Salomon A wounded spirit who can beare What body can choose but languish that is possest by a languishing Soule A man cannot be so wounded in the Inward man but you may read it plainely in the Outward The Fathers doe Allegorize the Phrase and by the Bones vnderstand Vertues Vertues that are to the Soule as Bones to the body for a man as hee is a reasonable creature doth subsist in them euen as the body is borne vp by the bones as it is a liuing creature the Cardinall vertues the Theologicall are our supporters those as we are men these as wee are Christian men The conscience of Sinne shiuers these figuratiue Bones also for looke vpon a man distressed by a guiltie conscience what Prudence in him that can giue no good counsell to himselfe And as for Iustice he cannot haue that for he is vnsociable his Temperance is to starue himselfe and his Fortitude to sinke vnder his griefe there is not a Cardinall vertue that hath place in him as a Man and as a Christian man Theologicall vertues haue as little place hee maketh no vse of his Faith to sustaine himselfe with the promises of God his Hope is heartlesse for he forecasts onely fearefull things and little sense hath he either of Gods loue to him or his loue to God Not one of these Bones continueth sound all of them sinke and are crusht vnder the burthen of sinne A pitifull case and yet such is the case of euery one that secleth the worme of Conscience of euery one that is stricken with the sting of that Serpent But whence hath sin this power who giueth this wounding strength to sinne Surely God the Text saith so Tufregisti thou hast broken my bones Vose 2. and so in the 38. Psalme Thy arrowes sticke fast in me thy hand presseth me sore It is true that God vseth meanes our Conscience within vs and Satan without vs to afflict vs for sinne but both worke vpon his command and according to the measure which he prescribes touching Conscience 〈◊〉 â— Saint Austins Rule is very true Iussisti Domine factum est vt omnis anima inordinata sibi ipsi esset paena God to hold vs in from sinne hath placed in vs a Conscience whose office amongst other things is this to torture vs for sinne and as for Satan we see in Iob that hee is but Gods Executioner and stirreth not but when and as farre as hee hath leaue leaue giuen vnto him of God but whether it be Conscience or Satan that which they harrow vs with is the arraigning of vs before Gods Tribunall setting him forth in the dreadfull Maiestie of a Iudge and amplifying our vilenesse that cannot denie the Indictment that is brought against vs These be the Engines wherewith they set vpon vs this is the painefull racke wherewith they torture vs. And no wonder if such a spectacle distresse them who are guiltie of some enâ—rmous sinne that hath distressed the most Religious seruants of God Cap. 6. v. 1. â— Esay saw God sitting vpon his Throne of iudgement high and lifted vp his traine filled the Temple c. Then said he Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of vncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of vncleane lips for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of Hosts Habakkuk had the like vision and what saith he When I heard Cap. 3.16 my belly trembled my lips quincred at the voice rottennesse entred into my bones Cap. 10. Daniel that is called Vir desideriorum when a Vision was presented vnto him being in the companie of others obserueth that a great quaking fell vpon them and they fled to hide themselues as for himselfe hee saith that his comelinesse was turned in him into corruption and that he had no strength in himselfe Moses that had his prerogatiue to talke with God face to face yet when God appeared in his Maiestie to deliuer the Law when he beheld the flaming fire heard the sound of the Trumpet and felt the Earth trembling vnder him Saint Paul hath obserued Heb. 12. That he said I exceedingly feare and quake But what doe I instance in these Our Sauiour Christ who knew no sinne but yet put on such affections as belong to a sinner when our sinne was imputed vnto him presenting himselfe in the Garden before God and apprehending his Maiestie armed with vengeance to repay the sinnes of the world how was he afflicted into what an Agonie was hee cast The Gospell doth tell vs that hee sweate great drops of bloud If the Prophets if Moses which were not priuie to themselues of any enormous sinne if Christ himselfe that was free from all sinne was so affected and distressed at the sight of Gods iudgements if their Bones were so broken how shall they be ground into pouder that come before him laden with enormous with crying sinnes 1. Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Surely when God with rebukes doth correct such men for their iniquitie hee shall make their beautie to consume away like a Moth Psal 39.11 Psal 90.6 Psal 68.2 they shall be like the withered grasse when he consumes them in his anger As smoake is driuen away before the Wind and as Waxe melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of the Lord. And thus much of the punishing power of sinne what it is whence wherein you may behold two things most liuely set forth before vs the true nature of griefe and the cause that it hath such a nature The Philosophers teach that Dolor is solutio continui the renting in sunder of that whose content stands in vnion and the breaking of bones what is it but a rent the soule denyeth succour to the body the parts of the body each denieth his seruice to the other yea the powers of the soule grow strangers betweene themselues and vertue it selfe is bereft of vertue he cannot want woe thathath such a distraction in his little common-weale Griefe there is then Aug. de verâ Relig. and that hath a cause Saint Austin shall tell you what it is fluendo deserit amatoreÌ„ suum corpus quia ille hoc amando deseruit Deum your bones are broken and you are payned therewith will you know why the body breaketh with the soule because the soule first brake with God if your soule doe rend it selfe from God by sinne it shall find litle rest in that house of clay whereon it doteth this will make hast to returne to dust when our better part giueth it selfe ouer vnto vanity And let this suffice touching the disease Let vs now come on vnto the Cure That is exprest in two words Ioy and Gladnesse although the words may note one the selfesame thing yet may we
you that are the Penitents that it doth not you should not be here to doe penance if you had such doome as GODS Law requireth you are therefore bound to thanke GOD for the clemencie of the State and make good vse of this time of grace remembring that though you scape the corporall fire there is another fire which you haue cause to feare which St IVDE telleth vs was figured out in the perpetuall burning of Sodome and Gomorrha the fire of Hell and assure your selues that if the Land of Canaan spued out those impure persons Heauen will receiue no such and if they that transgressed MOSES Law perished ciuilly without all mercie most wofull shall their destruction be that are reserued for that fire which shall deuour the aduersaries the fire of Hell You shall doe well therefore to quench that fire before you come at it and there are three waters with which you must quench it The first is the water of your teares you must imitate King DAVID who all the night long washt his bed watered his couch with his teares there he sinned and there he bathed himselfe so must you But mans teares are too weake a water to wash away either the guilt or staine of sinne which are the fewell of that fire you must therefore moreouer vse two other waters the water of CHRISTS blood to wash away the guilt and the water of his Spirit to purge out the corruption of your sinne If you make good vse of these three waters that fire will neuer seize on you otherwise assure your selues that though we spare you GOD will not spare you he will one day punish you most seuerely And it were good that our Law did not spare so much as it doth considering the growth and ouer-spreading of impuritie It were to be wisht that our temporall Sword did strike as deepe as the Sword of MOSES did it may when it pleaseth the State and it shall not doe it without example of other Countreys Or if that may not be obtained at least it were to be wisht that the old Canons of the CHVRCH were reuiued and ghostly discipline exercised more seuerely for certainly the scandall is great which such sinnes bring vpon the CHVRCH and they that slander vs without a cause when they haue iust cause how will they open their mouthes against vs Our care then should be to stop their mouthes but principally we should prouide that there be no wickednesse amongst vs which is the end of the doome and the last point of my Text. I will touch it briefly The Iudgement was seuere but it was necessarie Necessarie for the State which is to preserue it selfe free from guilt there must no wickednesse be amongst you No wickednesse that is impossible in this world for viuitur non cum perfectis hominibus they that haue most of the Spirit haue some-what of the Flesh and the Field of GOD till haruest will haue Tares as well as good Eares and the good eares will haue chaffe as well as good graine and the good graine will haue bran as well as flower We may not looke then for any State wherein there is no wickednesse The Law therefore requireth onely that there be Nullum scelus no haynous wickeduesse no tantum scelus as the Vulgar speaketh enormous transgressions there must be no crying sinnes the State must haue a vigilant eye vpon such sinnes and execute vengeance vpon notorious sinners they must not be amongst vs. But they will the Serpent will be in Paradise yea Lucifer was in Heauen the Arke had a CHAM and amongst CHRISTS Disciples there was a IVDAS Be then they will amongst vs. But the meaning of the Law is they must not be indured by vs they must not scape vnpunished if they doe they will proue contagious such sinnes are like fretting Gangreenes they are like vnto Leauen they infect all about them and if they doe not infect they will make guiltie and for sparing such a one GOD will not spare a whole State And there is good reason for Qui non vetat cum potest iubet GOD taketh them for abettors that will not when they may reforme inordinate liuers Therefore the State must put away from amongst them such inordinate liuers 1 Cor. 5. Hierusalem below must as neere as may be be like vnto Hierusalem aboue Apoc. 22. of that aboue St IOHN saith Extracanes impudici no vncleane person commeth thither neither must any be indured here so soone as they appeare they must be made expiatorie Sacrifices and their death must free the State from guilt But I draw to an end A word to you that are the Malefactors Origen Ad paenitentiae remedium confugite qui praeuenti estis tam graui peccato Seeing you haue beene ouertaken with so foule a fault neglect not the remedy which GOD hath left you heartie and vnfained repentance for your sinne the rather because you haue to do with a most mercifull Iudge who doth not onely moderate the punishment but commute it also commute the punishment which you should suffer in Hell with a punishment which the CHVRCH inflicteth here on Earth Consider the qualitie consider the quantitie of these different punishments and you will confesse that it is a most mercifull commutation Cast then your eyes backe and consider what you haue done how haynous your offence hath beene and cast your eyes forwards likewise and consider what you haue deserued how great a danger you haue incurred by inioying a short and beastly pleasure Thinke vpon both these often and thinke vpon them seriously so shall you yeeld GOD the greater glorie for the mercie which he vouchsafeth you and he shall worke the greater comfort in your soules by assuring you of the remission of that sinne wherewith you haue so greatly prouoked him And to vs all this I say Eligamus priùs affectus castigare quà m propter ipsos castigemur Let vs plucke out our eyes cut off our hands rather then by retayning them to be cast into hell-Hell-fire Let this spectacle remember vs often to set before vs the shame of the world and the horror of a guiltie conscience which befall enormous sinners in this life And if that will not hold in our corrupt nature let vs set before vs the neuer-dying Worme the euer-burning Fier Or rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs begin here our life in chastitie Nazian that we may one day be in the number of those Virgins that follow the Lambe whether soeuer he goeth Reuel 14. And let Magistrates and Ministers both be iealous ouer the State with a godly iealousie that as by the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments it is espowsed to one Husband 2 Cor. 11. so it may be presented as a chast Virgin vnto CHRIST when those heauenly Nuptials shall be solemnized wherein standeth our euerlasting happinesse This God grant for Jesus Christs sake by the operation of the Holy Spirit To which one
see what feeling we haue of dreadfull obiects You haue a prouer be touching the eare 〈◊〉 5. which the holy Ghost vseth more then once I will doe a thing which whosoeuer heareth both his eares shall tingle Experience doth discouer this that hideous noyses worke a commotion in our spirits and make them flie vp into the head ring there as it were an amazed alarum and that in diuers formes which are better discerned by our feeling then I can expresse in words And as for our eye such spectacles how doe they fixe them as if they could not moue dazell them as if they had no sight melt them as if they were a fountaine of water God could not present these Obiects to such eyes such eares but they will be confest to be dreadfull Dreadfull in their owne nature for so are flashes of lightning huge duskie flames of fire great claps of Thunder the sound of such a Trumpet whose loud sound might be heard of so many hundred thousand people And if they were dreadfull in their owne nature as experience teacheth how much more when they are cloathed with such circumstances as these were The circumstance of Place for these meteors were wrought in the lower Region of the Ayre whereas the middle Region is their naturall place In the Deserts of Arabia a drie parched Countrie which yeeldeth no exhalations no vapours which are the matter of these meteors Adde hereunto the season of the yeare for it was now the moneth of Iune 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 3 2â—.4 a time wherein these Meteors are not vsuall But specially obserue out of Nyssen that as at the destruction of Sodome so now the skie was cleare there was no prognostication in the Ayre of such an imminent storme So that it could not be imputed vnto nature it must needs bee confest that the finger of God was there Iob 38 And God whom the Booke of Iob doth set forth as the father and treasurer of Raine of Winds of Thunder of Lightning can at his pleasure immediately by his word or else if it please him by his Ministring spirits the bad Angels as it appeares Iob 1. how much more by the good who attend his Throne and whom he vsed at this time produce such Meteors when and where hee he will But the more vnexspectedly hee produceth them the more dreadfull they are and were at this Time and Place I am not yet come to the quicke It is a good rule in Diuinitie that these harbingers or attendants vpon Gods apparitions are an Image not onely of his greatnesse but of his prouidence also In them as in a looking Glasse you may behold the worke which he hath in hand I will shew it you in this present one you may make vse of the rule in vnderstanding other of Gods workes God was now about to deliuer his Law and these harbingers represent the dreadfulnesse thereof The dreadfulnesse of the precept that is noted first by the lightning and then by the thunder By the lightning for the precepts of God are like sire they search and discouer the duetie of a man It is a shallow conceite that the naturall man hath of his duetie to God or to his Neighbour Rom. 7. Saint Paul confesseth what a stranger hee was in it till hee was better nurtured by the Law and giueth this for a generall rule By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne So that the Law suffereth not a man to be ignorant of his Obligation but setteth it most legible before his eyes This is the Lightning of the precept of the Law And this lightning commeth not without a clappe of Thunder for when a man from the Law reflecteth vpon himselfe and seeth how short he commeth of fulfilling the Law what perplexing terrours will arise in his thoughts what vnquietnesse will distresse his soule His spirit within him will bee ouerwhelmed and the tumult of his Conscience will drowne the sound of all consolation that shall be ministred vnto it many haue had wofull experience hereof As you haue seene the Image of the precept of the Law so must you also behold the Image of the Sanction For the Trumpet calleth to iudgment the flaming fire is an Image of the doome the wicked shall bee summoned with much terrour and they shall bee sent into endlesse torments For the summons shall be by the Trumpet and the wicked shall goe into euerlasting fire I cannot stand to amplifie these things onely take these few obseruations that if this high Parliament of God bee kept with so great terrour how dreadfull shall the grand Assises bee Our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell hath set it forth by three Euangelisls Matth. 24. whom you may paralell with Marke and Luke where you shall find that if this be terrible that is much more terrible Secondly obserue that things corporall come short of things spirituall and no words can fully expresse those things which are here meant for much more is meant then can be said and according to the meaning doth the terrour arise Gods Motto may well be Nemo me impunè lacesset Thirdly we must consider the wonderfull patience of God and stupiditie of men God sheweth vs in this spectacle of Thunder Lightning c. what he can doe what we deserue But what sometimes Caesar said to the Questor who would haue hindred him from entring into the Treasurie at Rome shaking his sword It is easier for my Power to dispatch thee then for the goodnesse of my Nature to bee willing to strike thee may much more truely bee said of God His Power maketh him Mercifull and his Mercie doth manage his Power The Author of the Booke of Wisdome openeth this at large Chap. 11. c. But what stupiditie is there in the meane time in men in prouoking of God that is armed with such power and hath in readinesse such instruments of death Yea which giueth such euidence of them to the intent that they may feare before him It is true that mocking Atheists aske 2. 〈◊〉 3. Where is the promise of his comming But this is vox coeci surdi they doe winke with their eyes and stop their eares other wise there is no man but in all ages God hath discouered vnto him the Ensignes of his reuenging power For haue we not Thundring and Lightning in all ages You will say they are but ordinary Meteors no more is a Rainbow And yet that Meteor hath a mysterie in it and that Bow of Heauen is called Gods Bow because it containeth a perpetuall Prophesie that the world shall be no more destroyed with water Gen. 9. Numb 10. And are not the Thunder and Lightnings called Gods voice And why because they signifie that God will come to iudgement with a tempestuous fire Wee may also make the same vse of the Trumpets Sure Saint Hierome had a good meditation when he said That whether he did eat or drinke or whatsoeuer hee did hee heard
not temporall but eternall so likewise the condition of it is not worldly it is Peace Divus Nerua saith Tacitus duas res olim insociabiles coniunxit imperium libertatem Hee spake with the most that ascribed so much vnto Nerua but of Christ is may be most truly affirmed that where he raignes there is peace and free liberty for euery Subiect It is too vsuall with men the wiser they are the more to bee turbulent and disquieters of States the more power they haue the more to tyrannize it is not so with our King but hee that is wonderfull for Counsell mighty for Power bends both his Counsell and his Power to worke Peace that peace which is the portion of his Church and which none partake beside the members thereof This Prophet hath peremptorily pronounced There is no peace vnto the wicked saith my God Esay 57. Hee compares them to the Sea still raging and foming casting out their owne shame Salomon vnto vanity adds vexation of spirit You may see it in the particular case of all wicked men that sure they haue no rest They haue no rest ab intra they neuer can light vpon that which doth sistere appetitum which maketh them range in their desires in their endeauours neuer finding where to settle and ab extra too they are vnquiet for the whirle-winde of God driueth them like chaffe and like a floud it driueth them downe the streame And indeed how should they bee quiet that are compared vnto the sea which when there is no storme cannot stand still but hath his flux and reflux And no wonder for it is the subiect of the Moone than which nothing is more changeable A fit Embleme of the world vpon which whosoeuer dependeth cannot be stable when the world it selfe is so vnstedfast But no greater argument can be brought for their want of quiet than that which is taken from the nature of peace and the nature thereof is insinuated in the word wherewith the holy Ghost in the Hebrew tongue expresseth it no tongue doth so vsually fit words to things and giue vs a notion of the things by the words Now the word Shalom which signifieth Peace doth in the roote containe two significations the one of Perfection the other of Retribution and these two comprehend the full nature of peace wherein there is first perfection What perfection is I will shew you corporally that you may the better conceiue it spiritually God hath made the eye to see and the eare to hear the eye seeth colours the eare heareth sounds that betweene those obiects and these senses there may be quiet the sense must be in good temper and the obiect such as will giue content if the sense bee sound and the obiect pleasing there groweth peace betweene them but if eyther the obiect bee not proportioned to the eye to please it and so likewise the sound to the eare or if the eare and the eye be vnsound so that it cannot endure the obiect then groweth vnquietnesse As it is thus bodily so spiritually there is an obiect that must be entertained by vs and wee must be fit to entertaine it Gods Word and his Workes If our senses be so sanctified that we can behold them and they doe so testifie Gods will to vs that we receiue comfort by them then there is Peace Apply this vnto the godly and you shall finde that the things of God doe alwayes giue them content and they delight to solace themselues in them yea though the crosse goe withall and they are exposed to worldly troubles yet euery good man is Medijs tranquillus in vndis Et si fractus illabatur orbis impauidum ferient rumae As for the wicked it is not so with them for eyther they want those senses whereby they should entertain Gods gracious countenance when it is present with them and so peace faileth in them for want of that wherewith they should receiue it or else if God giue them senses to see him they see nothing but Iustice and Wrath in him and so in regard of the obiect they haue no peace stupidity and senslesnesse of Gods iudgements which sometimes doth befall them especially in prosperity maketh a shew of peace but indeed it is nothing lesse For if so bee the parts of our body and powers of our soule doe not worke vpon their proper obiects and in working finde content there is not the nature of peace peace so farre as it consists in perfection Which vnderstood spiritually is nothing else but grace grace is the first kinde of peace which belongs vnto the Church Besides this peace of perfection there is a peace of retribution Euery Commandement as it hath his precept so it hath his sanction also and as we are commanded in the one so wee haue a promise in the other Glory is promised for grace and the seruant to whom the master saith Well done shall enter into his Masters ioy he shall haue peace for peace yea peace vpon peace the peace of heauen heaped vpon that peace which he had in earth which is nothing else but the reward of godlinesse You see the two branches of peace perfection and retribution of both these Christ is Prince Hee is the Author both of grace and glory the true King of Salem Ephes 2.14 the true Salomon the true Noah whom St. Paul calleth our Peace Luke 2.14 Luke 10.5 at whose birth the Angels sung In earth peace whose first Sermon that he commanded his Apostles to preach was Peace be to this house who taking leaue of his Disciples Ioh. 14.27 gaue them Peace when he went to his death Luke 24.36 when he rose from the dead finally as the Apostle saith Slew hatred and set at one all things both in heauen and earth The Prophets euery where speak of his Kingdome as of a Kingdome of peace Read Psalm 72. Esay 32. c. That the inheritance wee shall haue is eternall you heard before But the inheritance of the wicked is eternall also Goe ye cursed shall the Iudge say into euerlasting fire and they haue a worme that neuer dyeth but theirs is a miserable eternity an vnquiet inheritance hunger and thirst nakednesse and paine chaines and vtter darkenesse weeping and gnashing of teeth are their portion and where these are what trouble is there not But ours is a better eternity it is a peaceable one as wee shall euer bee so shall we euer be at quiet at quiet passiuely nothing shall disquiet vs at quiet actiuely we shall disquiet none Wee shall be pacati and pacifici sit at rest our selues and disturbe none It shall be so in heauen fully in earth it should be so in a good measure for Gods will should be done in earth as it is in heauen and we should begin our heauen here vpon earth We should beginne to exercise the Peace of Perfection and foretaste the Peace of Retribution that so we might haue a good experiment
thereon It is not so in Gods workes Christ told St. Paul that his strength was made perfect in weakenesse 2 Cor. 12.9 St. Paul taught the Corinthians that the weakenesse of God is stronger than men For proofe hereof God in this Prophet referres himselfe vnto the Israelites deliuerance out of Egypt and willeth the Iewes by his proceeding in that worke to measure all his proiects The first encouragement then of the Iewes is a consideration that God is the Architect of their building and where he is the chiefe workemaster seeme the beginnings neuer so small the worke cannot faile to proue glorious This is the first Rule The second Rule is that they must not set the estimate of the glory according to the charge spent in the building but according to his worth that shall inhabit it for Non domus dominum sed dominus domum câ—hâ—nestat it is not the house that maketh the master but the master that maketh the house honourable Therefore the Iewes eyes were to be fixed rather vpon the grace which God would doe their Temple than on the expence which they were able to bestow in building thereof This is their second encouragement exprest in a second Rule and it is the argument of those words that now I haue read vnto you The summe is Christ will assuredly make a remarkeable a comfortable entrance into that Temple seeme it neuer so meane a Temple which was now a building by Zorobabel Iosua and the rest of the Iewes The chiefe points therein to be considered are two Christs presence in the Temple and the assurance thereof giuen to the Iewes The presence is Maiesticall whether you respect the preparation thereunto or the description thereof This time will not suffer me to passe beyond the preparation for this though the last Sunday of Aduent is but a preparation against Christmas day and therefore it may suffice if I prepare you for that Feast the rest of the matter shall be reserued for its due time In the preparation we will obserue the manner and the time The manner will shew vs what is prepared and how What both the worlds the great and the little The great is set downe in these words Heauen Earth and of Earth the Sea and the dry Land The little world is noted by all Nations all not onely contradistinct to the Iewes but including them also Both the Worlds shall be prepared But how They shall bee extraordinarily rowsed and as it were summoned to attend and intend the presence of Christ this is meant by the shaking of them Besides this manner there is a time here also set downe that doth belong vnto this shaking For hearing of so strange a thing a man may demand how often how soone shall this shaking bee If the demand be how often the holy Ghost answers Yet once once more and no more but once for those two notes are included in these two words Yet once If the demand bee how soone the holy Ghost answers very soone it is but a little while this shaking is very neare it is at hand You haue the particulars which God willing I meane to vnfold at this time I pray God I may so doe it that we all thereby may be prepared as wee ought to commemorate the Birth of Christ First then of the two worlds that shall bee prepared the greater offers it selfe vnto vs. It is here broken into its parts Heauen Earth c. Heauen is in the Scripture threefold first that which is called the Throne of God and is inhabited by the Angels and Saints which are departed The second is that which is called the Firmament wherein moue the Sunne the Moone the Stars they are the Host of that Heauen The third is the Aire wherein flye the Birds for they are called voluâ—res Coeli the Fowle of Heauen Heauen in my Text must not bee limited it extends to all three The second part of the world is called Earth that containes all the inferiour Globe and is here as elsewhere in Genesis resolued into its parts the Sea and the dry Land Also the word which wee translate dry Land noteth a desolate place and may bee rendred a Wildernesse and so therein and in the Sea may bee intimated an allusiue parallel to the passage of Israel from Egypt into Canaan The little world is here exprest by the name of all Nations To vnderstand the phrase we must obserue that after God had chosen a peculiar people the rest of people were called Gentiles that is Nations and so properly they signifie in the language of the Old Testament all people and kindreds that are without the Church But in this place it must haue a larger extent because Christ came to be knowne as well to the Gentile as to the Iew as in the next Sermon you shall heare more at large Therefore by these words wee must vnderstand simply all people as well those that were within as those that were without the Church Hauing thus shewed you what is to bee prepared I must now shew you how God will shake them that is rowse them extraordinarily Though all Creatures doe continually serue God yet while they keepe their ordinarie course they doe not so euidently serue him but that Atheists question his prouidence St. Peter shewes vs what is their ground All things continue alike from their beginning To refute them 2 Epist c. 3. God doth sometime as it were vnioynt the frame of Nature Exod. 8.19 and maketh the very Magicians to say Digitus Dei est hic this miracle must needs be wrought by the God of Nature Iosua 2.11 He maketh the Canaanites to confesse The Lord your God is the God of heauen aboue and of earth below as Rahab told the Spies Dan. 3. The proud King of Babylon when he saw that the Lions could not touch the body of Daniel nor the fire singe the three Children was faine to giue glory to the true and euerliuing God It is none of the worst arguments wherewith we may stoppe the mouthes of Atheists and make them acknowledge the Lord of Nature if wee presse them with those many stories found in vndoubted Records for which in nature there can be no reason yea there is euident reason for their contraries Such a kinde of change or dealing with the Creatures and putting them out of their vsuall course is here meant by shaking But let vs apply it to the two worlds and you will see it more euidently I beginne with the Heauen Mat. 3. 17. the vppermost Heauen that was apparently shaken at the first comming of Christ God the Father more than once vttered his voyce so audibly at the first comming of Christ that it was plainely heard by men on earth Mat. 3.16 Acts 2.3 God the holy Ghost hee came downe in the Doue came downe in fiery tongues he became as Tertullian speakes the Vicar of Christ vnto the Church Iohn 1. As for the Angels
aduersitie therefore as wee must praise God for the one so must wee pray against the other at the same time wee must doe both But who are they that must doe it the text hath no more but Wee but if you looke vnto the beginning of the Psalme you shall find a Commentarie vpon that word you shall find that this must be done vniuersally Israel must doe it The House of Aaron must doe it all must doe it that feare the Lord if all be the better for the Day the dutie of solemnizing the Day belongeth vnto all to the Ecclesiasticall to the Ciuill State both must acknowledge what they receiue both must acknowledge the Day whereon they did receiue it The Day wherein the blessed Sunne did arise vnto vs all the fruits of whose Raigne are this great calme from stormes of warre and plentifull publication of Gods sauing truth wee must all acknowledge both these blessings As we must all acknowledge them so must we all take full comfort in them we must not defraud the Day of our ioy seeing the day brings comfort vnto vs it brings comfort to our bodie and comfort to our soules therefore our bodies and soules must reioyce in it In it but not forgetting him that made it that is God As for the Day wee are most beholding to him so in him must we ioy most But our comfort must not make vs forget our danger danger from without danger from within danger from our owne vntowardlinesse danger from the maliciousnesse of our enemies this double danger must make vs seeke to him that made our Day that he would make it a perpetuall Day that hee would hinder whatsoeuer impediment we may iustly feare from our enemies and not suffer vs to be an impediment of our owne blisse I shut vp all with the very words of my text Our times are such as that we haue good cause to vse the first words This is the Day which the Lord hath made and if we must say this this must draw from vs that which followeth the religious solemnizing of the day we must exhort each the other and be perswaded by our mutuall exhortation to vow the expressing of our comfort Wee will reioyce and bee glad in it and deprecate whatsoeuer imminent danger with Saue Now wee beseech thee O Lord O Lord we beseech thee send vs now Prosperitie AMEN A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT MARIES IN OXFORD ON THE fift of Nouember 1614. LVKE 9. VERS 53 54 55 56. 53. But they would not receiue him because his face was as though he would goe to Ierusalem 54. And when his Disciples Iames and Iohn saw it they said Lord wilt thou that wee command that fire come downe from Heauen and consume them euen as Elias did 55. But Iesus turned about and rebuked them and said yee know not of what spirit you are 56. For the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens liues but to saue them Then they went to another Towne FAthers and Brethren Reuerend and Beloued in the Lord We solemnize this Day in a religious acknowledgement of the King and his Kingdomes our Church and Common-weales vnspeakable deliuerance from an vnmatchable Treason In furtherance of this common Pietie to refresh our memorie and quicken our deuotion I haue chosen this storie which containes an vnpartiall censure of an inordinate Zeale inordinate Zeale in two Apostles who are therefore vnpartially censured by our Sauiour Christ And this storie haue I the rather chosen at this time to speake of in this place because here is the hope of Church and Common Weale the Seed aswell of the Gentrie as of the Clergie And it is for such that the Factors of Rome doe trade to make Aduocates of the one and of the other Actours of their holy Fathers most barbarous Designes Wherefore it is very behoofull that they aboue others bee not only inured to detest but informed also vpon what ground they should detest such sauage such hellish counsels and attempts Now better informed they cannot bee then if they be furnished with sound rules of a good conscience which they may oppose to all deceitfull Romish ones wherewith the vnlearned are insnared and they peruerted that are vnstable The Romanists boast of their manifold studies of Diuinitie and indeed they haue manifold I would they were as good as they are many But their Cases of Conscience are that vpon which they principally relie and wherewith their Kingdome is most supported And no maruell for they are euen for the Lay-mans studie and their Power of the Keyes is chiefly managed by these Cases It is most true that all parts of their Diuinitie are full fraught with sophistrie but when we come to this part ouer and aboue what impietie what iniquitie what impuritie doe we find Others occasionally may vnder take other points I wish they would prouided alwayes that they doe it soundly discreetly considering what a precious what a tender thing a good Conscience is It is not euery mans skill aright to handle it But I haue now to doe with a point of Iniquitie with an vnlawfull reuenge of persons afflicted for Religion We haue here a Reuenge proposed by such afflicted persons and we haue Christs doome passed therevpon that such reuenge is vnlawfull See it in the Text. First the Affliction The Samaritans would not receiue Christ And this Affliction was for Religion Christ was not receiued because his face was as if he would goe to Ierusalem It was great inhumanitie not to entertaine a stranger but the reason improues it as high as Impietie if we therefore fare the worse at the hands of men because wee are well disposed to serue God Being so farre vrged Zeale cannot hold surely Iames and Iohn could not as was their name so were they Sonnes of Thunder were they called and the Exhalations they breath are very hot And yet marke though they are bold to propose yet are they not so bold as to resolue They propose their Desire their Reason Their desire is Fire a cruell weapon and they would not haue it spare a iot it must consume their enemies make a finall and a fearefull spectacle of these vngodly Samaritans A sharpe desire And yet they sticke not at it and why it is not singular they haue though not a Rule yet an Example for it Elias did so that is the reason He dealt so with the old Samaritans when they wronged him and shall these new Samaritans escape better that thus wrong Christ This they propose But they doe not resolue as if they were conscious to themselues that they may erre they submit their desire to God and to Christ They desire Fire consuming Fire but it is from Heauen they would haue no other then God would send Nay they would not haue that except Christ be pleased Master wilt thou if thou say Nay we haue done Behold Nature and Grace and how Grace doth stop the furie of Nature Grace doth somewhat but the Fountaine
that which I rather obserue is These two Disciples aboue the rest had a strong conceite of Christs earthly Kingdome which made them carnally both ambitious and zealous Of their ambition wee read elsewhere where One of them desired to sit on Christs right hand and the other on his left here they shew themselues zealous But their indignation is carnall and so is the weapon where with they doe expresse it My Obseruation is One grosse conceite breedes another It did so in them It doth so in the Church of Rome who dreaming of a temporall power which Christ hath giuen vnto his Church is forward to execute temporall paines vpon whomsoeuer is not conformable vnto her will But I leaue the Persons and come to their Passion Wherein notwithstanding marke that though they are bold to propose yet to resolue they are not bold They are bold to propose their Desire their Reason Their desire is Fire a sharpe weapon especially seeing Saint Paul for dissention in Religion prescribeth other which they would not haue to spare they would haue it Consume their Enemies Rom 16. Fire is their Weapon Quid mirum filios tonitrus fulgurare sayth Saint Ambrose It may be the very place put them in minde of the Element because it was in the Region of Samaria that God executed a fearefull vengeance by Fire 2. Kings 1. Or haply because this Element is in the Scripture made the ordinary attendment vpon Gods Iudgement therefore they especially affect that weapon Iohannes Magnus reporteth that Carolus an ancient King of the Gothes amongst his great Lawes ordained this for one That if any man were thrice conuicted to haue denied entertainement to strangers his house should be set on fire Vi aedibus proprijs iuste priuaretur qui earum vsum inhumaniter negavisset Surely whereas there are foure Elements the Earth the Water the Ayre the Fire euery one of the three first are hospitall the Earth entertaines beasts and men the Water fishes the Ayre birds only the Fire is inhospitall and therefore though they might haue wished for an earth-quake to founder the Village or a floud to drowne it or a venemous Ayre to poyson the Inhabitants of it as that King thought so did these Apostles think that the other 3 Elements were too compassionate and only this vnmerciful Element â—iâ— to take vengeance on these merciles men Sure they would haue no mercy shewed them for they would not only haue fire out Consuming fire Li 2 〈◊〉 Seneca obserues well Non vt in beneficijs bonestum est meritameritis compeâ—sare ita in iniurijs illic vinci turpe hic vincere inhumanum and the rule of the Law is Fauores ampliandt restringendaodia and God is the Patterne hereof whose mercy doth indeede permit him to doe vs good Vltra condignum but his Iustice neuer strikes vs but Citra condignum 〈…〉 81. 〈…〉 40. 〈◊〉 131. God is more admirable in sparing then punishing because Cedit iure suo in the one Exigit in the other read Hosea 1.6 Wisd 12. It is our riches to exact our debts but Gods to forgiue his What bowels then had these Apostles that would so repay wrong with reuenge a Iesse wrong with so sharpe a reuenge for it was but a common discourtesie which for many yeares the Samaritans bad vsed towards all the Iewes and that out of no other malice then such as proceeded from a rooted ignorance they were then rather to be pâ—tied for their ignorance then thus to be hated for their malice But I see now the truth of King Dauids answere to the Prophet Gad when he was offered his choice of three plagues Famine 〈…〉 Pessilence or the Sword I am in a wonderfull straight Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let not mee fall into the hands of men for men are bowelles euen Iames and Iohn which asking fire shew themselues to be worse then fire for as Chrysostome obserueth Fire can stay it selfe if God commaund though it be the nature of fire to burne as appeareth in the case of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego but men though it be contrary to their nature as appeares in that it is painefull to be furious and rage cannot hold though God lay his commandement vpon them The voluntary Agent whose property it should be Statuere actiont suae modum becomes a naturall Et agit ad extremum potentiae suae Vnto whom I say no more but this Wouldest thou O man that God should so deale with thee and send fire such a fire so soone as thou deniest entertainment vnto him Thou wouldest not see then how euery man desireth mercy for himselfe the tenderest mercy but for his enemy Iustice the extreamest Iustice and because it is so Seneca's rule is good Irascenti tibi nihil volo licere quia dum irasceris omnia putas licere In a word the Apostles offend twice first in that being Pastors they desire a corporall reuenge Secondly in that being Christians they desire so sharpe a reuenge Nazianzene thinks they wished for the fire of Sodome Sharpe it is but it is not singular though they haue no Rule yet they haue an Example for it Elias did so In this Chapter is report made of the Transsiguration of Christ wherein appeared Moses and Elias â— Moses the meekest of men Elias a seuere man they saw them both but see whom they remember they might haue remembred Moses and so haue intreated Christ not to take iust displeasure at so bad vsage if he had beene feeling of his owne wrongs but while he is calme they storme and they colour their passion by Elias his example So prone is our nature to imitation and in imitation to pitch vpon the worst The knowledge of Rules is too painefull few will study them and know good and euill by them men take a shorter course and thinke that well done wherein they are like vnto others So liueth the most part of the world and careth not much for any farther enquiry into their actions But when they fall vpon examples according to which they square themselues their liues commonly are exemplifications of the worst It is the obseruation of a very leud Writer but heerein hee hath deliuered a remarkable truth When men read the liues of good men they read them with content and cannot without detestation read the liues of those that are bad yet when they are but to expresse whom they wil be like they forget their owne vpright iudgment and yeeld themselues to their inordinate Passions Certainely these Apostles not so much out of iudgement as out of rage chose rather to bee liâ—e Elias then Moses and wherein are they better then the Samaritans For the Samaritans ranne vpon the same ground that they did they called for fire because Elias did and the Samaritans had the same argument They would not receiue Christ because their Fathers had not vsed to to do it Certainely in the
Heauen In HABAKKVK the stones and timber of the King of Babylons house built with blood doe cry Finally Iames 5. in St IAMES the wages of the hireling kept from him doe cry and come into the eares of the Lord of Hosts Cap. 6. And as sinnes so iudgements haue a Voyce MICAH hath a notable place The voice of the Lord cryeth vnto the Citie the Man of Wisdome will see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it And the Lord is sayd to make his iudgement to be heard from Heauen When then GOD saith I was deafe and dumbe he meaneth that though the cry of the sin were loud yet he did not heare it he was deafe neither did they heare from him though there was iust cause he was dumbe In these two points stands the Patience of GOD. Where-hence we learne that when we are free from plagues we must not conclude that we are without sinnes crying sinnes The cause of our peace is often times not our owne innocencie but GODS patience it is not because our sinnes hold their tongues but GODS iudgments hold theirs notwithstanding our guilt he is silent And here appeareth a great difference between God and Men Men are as soone moued as they are prouoked few can hold their hands scarce any their tongues so sensible are we of wrongs and so reuengefull according to our power Not so GOD it is one of the characters of his Nature to be long suffering euen when he is grieuously offended he can hold his Tongue not onely his Hands Behold an euidence hereof in this Penitent whose incestuous life GOD hath forborne so many yeeres though he might haue rewarded him according to his deserts when he first fell into this foule offence yet hath GOD lent him many yeeres and expected his repentance But what vse doe men make of GODS patience Surely the Iewes did but verifie the old saying veterem ferendo iniuriam inuit as nouam the more GOD forbeares the worse we waxe GOD holds his peace that we might speake is deafe that we might heare Rom. c. 2. but enormous sinners make vse of neither they abuse the patience and long suffering of God and like IESABEL though GOD giue space to repent they repent not Reuel 2 21. We should heare our sinnes that GOD might not heare them we should heare them speaking to the eare of our Consciences whereinto if they did enter they would not ascend higher into the eares of GOD. And seeing GOD is dumbe that we might speake we should speake to GOD by repentance and then GOD would not speake vnto vs by vengance according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.31 If we did iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. But what doth the Iewe He grosly abuseth this patience of GOD in stead of so hearing and speaking he thinketh that God is like vnto himselfe Behold the world turned vpside downe GOD made man after his owne Image and see man would faine square GOD after his Image whereas the creature should resemble the Creator the Creator is drawne to resemble the creature An absurd conceit is it in reason how much more in Religion When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Patterne into the Exemplification but yet might it be excused if so be man were vnderstood as he was made of GOD for we vse in Diuinitie out of the obseruation which we make in the nature of man to draw descriptions of the nature of GOD because whatsoeuer is in the effect is but much more emminently in the efficient so we talke of the Truth the Righteousnesse and Holinesse of GOD guessing at them by those sparkes of vertue which appeare in man But the conceit of these men is not so good for thus must the words be knit Thou thoughtest that I was like vnto thee which hast done these things and such a thee is a sinfull thee so that GOD is not onely resembled vnto man but vnto a sinfull man outragious blasphemie It was a great sinne which ADAM committed when he affected to be like vnto GOD though it were in an holy attribute the attribute of his Knowledge How fearefull a sin then is it not onely to debase GOD to be like vnto men but also to be like vnto him in a hellish Attribute the Attribute of sinne There are three steps of Atheisme Psal 94.7 It begins with Tush God doth not see and is there vnderstanding in the Highest It goeth on to Tush God doth not care Scilicet is superis labor est ea cura quietos solicitat The Lord will doe neither good nor euill as the Prophet speaketh It commeth at length to We account the proud blessed Malach. 3.15 and they that tempt God are exalted Of these Atheists the first turne God into an Idol giuing him eyes that see not and eares that heare not The second make him an idle or carelesse God as if he did onely looke on and leaue euerie man to shift for himselfe The last doe plainly turne God into the Diuel for their blasphemie is not onely priuatiue denying GOD to be what indeed he is but also positiue fastning vpon GOD what is cleane opposite to his Nature so that it is not without cause that our vulgar English hath Thou thoughtest wickedly for it is a most wicked thought We must then take heed how we entertaine sinne seeing we shall grow worse and worse by degrees There are inborne principles of honestie and pietie which are sensibly felt when we first fall to sinne the further we goe the lesse are they felt and when we grow senslesse of them then fall we to apologize for sin and there can be no stronger apologie then to make GOD our consort for it is a principle stampt in our nature That God is the soueraigne good whatsoeuer then is either from him or in him must needs be good so that if a wicked man can make GOD either the Author or Patterne of his sinne he need no sayrer colour nor stronger argument wherewith to resolue either himselfe or others that bitter is sweet darknesse light death life and good euill And the Diuel knoweth that we will sinne securely when we are resolued that by sinne we doe GOD good seruice he that reads the stories of the Heathen gods shall find that one of the greatest prouocations that the world hath had vnto sinne hath beene the worship of such gods as their owne Poets describe theirs to be stained with all kind of sinnes The Fathers that wrot against them IVSTIN MARTYR CLEMENS ALEXANDRINVS EVSEBIVS LACTANTINS ARNOBIVS and Saint AVSTIN insist much vpon this point when they defend Christian Religion against the Gentile And who can tell whether GOD in this place doth not taxe such Gentilisme in the Iew And intimate that their Idolatry was a cause of their impuritie for it is plaine in the Prophets that they worshipped Idols of all Nations You
lest the place of their habitation should be polluted by them The same GOD that would not indure that persons though but ceremonially polluted should abide in the Campe could much lesse endure the flagitious amongst his people Num. 5. his Tents are holy and onely for holy persons And we that beleeue in our Creed that the CHVRCH is holy should remoue from amongst vs all profane all blaspheming persons Whereby you the Penitent must vnderstand what you deserue at the hands of the CHVRCH And let this suffice for the spirituall punishment I come now to the Temporall And that I told you is vltimum and ignominiosissimum supplicium Vltimum for it is no lesse then death the partie must be put to death GOD held him vnworthy to breathe whose impious mouth breathed out such hellish contumelies against GOD. By GODS Law seuerall sinnes haue seuerall punishments and the punishments are proportioned to the sinnes we may argue strongly when GOD is the Law-giuer that if the punishment be great vndoubtedly the sinne is haynous GOD doth often punish citra but neuer vltra condignum Blasphemie therefore is indeed a deadly sinne that must be so accounted by GODS Iudgements not onely in foro poli in case of conscience but also in foro soli at the Tribunall of a mortall Iudge whose eye cannot discerne as doth the eye of GOD surely that must needs be verie foule which must be so foule in his eye Euen in this also may you the Penitent take the scantling of your sinne The punishment is not onely vltimum but ignominiosissimum most ignominious and that whether you looke vpon the Execution or the Executioners The Execution for the malefactor was to be stoned to death and that was mors not cominus but eminus illata the Executioners stood aloofe as if they did abhorre to touch the person with their hands and therefore pursued him with stones Adde hereunto the circumstances wherewith they were to doe it no sooner did they heare the Blasphemie but they rent their cloathes stopt their eares gnashed with their teeth threw dust in the ayre cryed out with their voyces and ran against the malefactor with a kind of furie yea and they afflicted their soules with fasting also these circumstances shall you find in the execution of St Stephen and Naboth misaplyed indeed but yet I suppose they set forth the right manner of proceeding because we find some of them in the storie of Hezekiah Ier. 36. when he heard the blasphemie of Rabsache and the Princes of Iudah are taxed for that they neither sorrowed nor rent their cloathes when Iehoiakim the King burnt the Prophesie of Ieremie In the storie of Naboth it appeares that if the Father were stoned for blasphemie all his children also dyed with him But that seemeth to be a straine beyond the Law because by the politike Law of the Iewes the child was not to dye for the sinne of his father and yet in the storie of Achan you haue a precedent of a larger extent for his sacriledge was punished not onely in his owne person but also in his whole Family all the liuing were stoned to death and their dead bodyes with all their goods were afterward consumed by fire A fearefull Iudgement and yet was his sinne lesse then Blasphemie for Blasphemie is the highest degree of Sacriledge There is no proportion betweene earthly things consecrated to GOD and the Nature the Attributes the Workes of GOD of how much sorer punishment then is he worthy that robbeth GOD of the latter then he that robbs him of the former Heare this and tremble you that stand here guiltie of that great Sacriledge Surely if the Execution doe not make you tremble at the ignominie that is due vnto you the Executioners may Let vs come then to them And who are they We haue here set downe their number all the Congregation Prince and people none must thinke himselfe too good when the case so neerely concernes GOD not onely the most but euen the best also must stoope to that which is otherwise thought to be base as it is but an ignoble profession to be an Executioner when GODS glorie must be vindicated and the wrong done thereunto must be reuenged all must shew that they are sensible of GODS dishonor GODS did I say yea their owne which is enwrapt in GODS for all are wronged by a Blasphemer because GOD which is reproacht is honoured by them all And can any man be patient to heare him so blasphemed whom himselfe doth honour Adde hereunto that this multitude of Executioners was to strike the greater horror and confusion into the Blasphemer for when he saw himselfe conuicted of all iudged of all how could he but giue glorie vnto GOD and confesse that his sinne was most haynous of a truth Finally the number was to be a bridle vnto all GOD would haue euerie one really obliged neuer to dare to commit the same sin for which he had so publikely punished another and that with his owne hand Out of all that hath beene said concerning the number of the Executioners we learne this good lesson That though it be a pious thing for a man to forgiue his owne disgraces and reproaches yet it is impious to forgiue GODS GOD is well pleased with the former because he can make vs amends for our patience and is able to blesse when others curse vs but patience in GODS wrongs can haue no excuse for what amends can be made him or what Superiour is there that can counteruaile that wrong Though this be an vndoubted truth see notwithstanding the peruerse disposition of the world how sensible are we of our owne wrongs how eagerly doe we endeauour to right our selues and our reputation by Law yea and against Law pretending the Lawes of honour we pursue euen but seeming yea and oftentimes fained disgraces with duels vnto death to the vtter ruine of those which haue disgraced vs But of GODS honour we are most senselesse let Varlets and miscreants for they deserue no better name that haue such foule mouthes profane the sacred Name of GOD hellishly rent in pieces as a vile thing the precious ransome of the CHVRCH the sacred person and parts of our Sauiour CHRIST how many be there that laugh at them but as mad fellowes and where is he that thinketh that the reuenge of this doth concerne him Certainly farre off is our Congregation from ioyning altogether to stone him But lest you should thinke that this was a tumultuary proceeding I must supply out of former words the order which was obserued therein For the witnesses that heard the Blasphemie were to be Leaders in this proceeding they were first to impose their hands vpon him and set their hands against him This ceremonie though practised in other Iudgements as appeares in the 13 and 17 Chapters of Deuteronomie yet seemeth to haue its originall here and imports two things first the truth of their testimonie so that if the