the creatures in the world is in God alone I might say of it that many haue conceaued it to be a powerfull name for the working of miracles and that thereby Christ and Moses haue done great wonders But my tongue shall never enlarge that which my soule abhorreth their braine-sicke superstitious and blasphemous inventions Yet sure there is some secret in this name It is plaine Exod. 6.3 where the Lord speaking vnto Moses saith I appeared vnto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of a strong omnipotent all sufficient God but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne vnto them I vnfold this secret First it importeth the eternitie of Gods essence in himselfe that he is c Heb. 13.8 yesterday and to day and the same for ever d Apoc. 1.8 which was which is which is to come Againe it noteth the existence and perfection of all things in God as from whom all creatures in the world haue their e Act. 17.28 life motion being God is the being of all his creatures not that they are the same that he is but because f Rom. 11.36 of him in him and by him are all things And last of all it is the memoriall of God vnto all ages as himselfe calls it Exod. 3.15 the memoriall of his faithfulnesse his truth and his constancie in the performance of his promises And therefore whensoever in any of the Prophets God promiseth or threatneth any great matter to assure vs of the most certaine event of such his promise or threatning he addeth vnto it his name IEHOVAH In steed of this name IEHOVAH the most proper name of God the 70. haue ever put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as doth our Apostle also in my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name of power well suiting with the liuing true and only God For he hath plenum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The power and authoritie he hath over all things is soveraigne and without controlement Hee that made the heavens and spread them out like a g Psal 104.2 curtaine to cloath himselfe with light as with a rayment he can againe h Esai 50.3 cloth the heavens with darknesse make a sacke their covering He that made the Sea to lay the i Psal 104 3. beames of his chamber therein and placed the k Ierem. 5.22 sands for bounds vnto it by a perpetuall decree not to be passed over howsoever the waues thereof shall rage and roare he can with a word l Iob. 26.12 smite the pride thereof At his rebuke the flouds shall be turned into a m Esai 50.2 wildernesse the Sea shall be dryed vp the fish shall rot for want of water and dye for thirst Hee that made the dry land and so n Psal 104.5 set it vpon foundations that it should never moue hee can cover her againe with the deepe as with a garment and so rocke her that o Psal 107.27 shee shall reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man So powerfull a God may well be named from power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the absolute LORD ruler and commander of all things This name of power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vulgarly translated LORD is in the writings of the Apostles simply and absolutely ascribed vnto Christ if the p Zanch. de Attrib l. 1. c. 17. learned haue made a iust calculation 1000. times may serue for sufficient proofe of the Deitie of CHRIST For it imports thus much that CHRIST the q Heb. 1.3 engraved forme of his father sitting at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places is together with the Father and the Holy Ghost the author and governor of all things and in a very speciall maner he is the heire of the house of God the mighty protector of the CHVRCH CHRIST the only begotten Son of God he is the LORD yet so that neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost are excluded frō dominion The Father is LORD and the Holy Ghost is LORD too For in all the workes of GOD ad extra as some call them each person of the TRINITIE hath his operation yet so that a common distinction be obserued For these workes of God so called ad extra doe admit a double consideration For either they are begunne extra divinas personas and ended in aliquâ personarum or else they are both begun and ended extra divinas personas The workes of God begun externally and perfected in some one of the persons what are they They are such as was the voice of the Father concerning Christ r Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne A voice formed by all three persons yet vttered only by the Father They are such as was that ſ Mat. 3.16 doue descending vpon Christ at his baptisme A doue fram'd by all three persons yet appropriate only vnto the Holy Ghost They are such as was the body and soule of CHRIST A body and soule created by all three persons yet assumed only by the Sonne of God This is that obvious and much vsed distinction in schoole divinitie Inchoatiuè Terminatiuè For if wee respect the beginning of these workes they are the workes of the whole TRINITIE common vnto all but respect we their perfection and en◠they are no more common but hypostaticall and personall for so the voice is the Fathers alone the doue is the Holy Ghosts alone the reasonable soule and humane flesh are the Sonnes only Besides these there are other workes of God as begunne so ended also extra personas and they are of two sorts either supernaturall such I call the miraculous workes of God or naturall such as are the creation of the world the preservation of the same and the government of it And all these workes of which kind soever whether miraculous or workes of nature they are common to the whole TRINITIE The Father worketh the Sonne worketh and the Holy Ghost worketh as in doing of wonders so in creating all things in preseruing all things in governing all things wherevpon followeth that which I mentioned that not only the Sonne is LORD but the Father is LORD and the Holy Ghost is LORD also Yet must I adde that this name of power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or LORD is most often and very specially giuen vnto Christ for that hee hath receaued of God the Father absolute soveraigntie over all creatures in Heaven in earth and in the waters to doe with them all as him listeth which his soveraigntie hee hath obtained in as much as being made man and hauing dyed for vs and for the sinnes of the whole world hee is become the mediatour of the new covenant In which sense the Apostle in my text calleth him the LORD the LORD who shall iudge his people For the Father iudgeth no man but hath cōmitted all iudgement vnto the Sonne so Christ himselfe told the Iews Ioh. 5.22 Thus far of him that shall iudge
with these words of my text you will conferre those other places as Heb. 6.4 5. 2. Pet. 2.20 1. Ioh. 5.16 All which will manifest that there is but one only Sinne against the holy Ghost As for the repining at our brethrens good being but a breach of the second table touching the presuming vpon Gods mercies being but a kind of hypocrisie I see not how they may bee called Sinnes against the holy Ghost The other foure indeed haue some reference to this Sinne. The falling away from the knowne truth and obstinacie are in the nature of this sinne finall impenitencie is a consequent a punishment of it and so is despaire And here because there goes somewhat a generall conceit that despaire indeed is the Sin against the holy Ghost let me shew you some differēce between that Sinne and despaire This Sinne against the holy Ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowne truth so is not desperation though sometimes it be a punishment of this sinne This Sinne against the holy Ghost bringeth with it finall impenitencie it shall bee impossible for such a sinner to repent so is it not in desperation A despairing mā may repent This Sinne against the holy Ghost is a deniall of Christ arising from a set a wilfull and an obstinate malice so is not desperation for it may arise either through ignorance of a mans owne estate or through horror of conscience for sinnes committed or through an often relapse into some sinne or through a serious consideration of our owne vnworthines or by abiuratiō of the truth through compulsion and feare The summe of all is the sinne against the holy Ghost is a sinne of the Reprobate but Gods chosen children may fall into despaire For whose comfort let me adde a word or two It is a true saying God in some sense may be said to forsake his children Else why should DAVID say Psal 77.7 8 9. Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever Will he shew no more favour Is his mercie cleane gone for ever Doth his promise faile for evermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure Else why should IONAS say chap. 2.4 I am cast out of thy sight O Lord Else why should GEDEON say Iud. 6.13 Now the Lord hath forsaken vs and delivered vs into the hands of the Midianites Else why should the Saviour of vs all say Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me It is manifestly true God in some sense may be saide to forsake his children and thus it is God hides his graces for a time and covereth them even within his children he takes them not quite away only he removeth all sense and feeling of them so farre forth he forsaketh them The resemblaunce is vsually made by your trees in the winter season They are beaten with winde and weather they beare neither leafe nor fruit they looke as though they were rotten and dead The reason you know the sap lies hid in the root It is no new thing nor strāge to such as tread in the pathes of godlines to haue their soules like affected to those your trees The time of comfort will passe away tentation follow then is the winter for your soules then shall yea be as beaten with winde and weather as bearing neither leafe nor fruit and looke as though yea were rotten and dead The reason is plaine Gods graces do lie hidden and covered for a time within the closets of your hearts But as your trees do spring againe and beare both leafe and fruit receiving comfort of a better season so shall you You shall be restored God will turne your mourning into ioy God will loose your sacke God will gird you with gladnesse Here may we learne this lesson Cuncta dei opera sunt in medijs contrarijs it is Gods vse in and by one contrary to worke another A man would thinke that an infinite host of enemies could not be overcommed without an exceeding great multitude But it was the Lords doing Gedeon with his three hundred souldiers put to flight such an host Iud. 7.21 A man would thinke that clay and spittle tempered together should put out ones eies Wonderfull are the Lords doings Christ vsed clay spittle so tempered as a meanes to giue sight vnto the blinde Ioh. 9.6 A mā would thinke water should put out fire Behold the finger of the Lord Elias poures water on his sacrifice and fils a trench with water to make his sacrifice burne 1. King 18.35 The like you may obserue in the worke of Grace to salvation A man living long in security hath at length his eies opened to see his sinnes and heart touched to feele the intolerable burdē of them now he bewailes his wretched estate with anguish with bitternes of heart thinkes that God will presently make him a firebrand of hell see how by this contrary the contrary is wrought The Lord is now about to worke and frame in his heart sanctification and such repentance as never needs to be repented of A man that hath had some good perswasion of Gods favor in Christ comes now at last vpon many occasions to be troubled and to be overwhelmed with distrustfulnesse grievous doubtings of his salvation Now he iudgeth himselfe to haue beene but an hypocrite in former times for the present time he thinkes himselfe a castaway and see here how by this contrarie the contrary is wrought For now indeed the Lord doth nothing else but exercise fashion and increase his weake faith Cuncta Dei opera sunt in medijs contrarijs The graces of God peculiar to the elect are begun increased and made manifest in or by their contraries And therefore if any whose delight hath heretofore seemed to haue beene in the Law of the Lord shall despaire at his end we must for so we learne in this place leaving secret iudgements to God in charity iudge the best of them We must not weigh their speaches for men in such cases speake not as they are but as they feele themselues to be We must rather looke vnto God who at all times especially in temptations such are his mercies accepts the will for the deed a willing mind to obey God for faithfull obedience a willing minde to repent their sinnefull liues for perfect repentance But happyly some will doubt if a man in despaire make a way himselfe if he spill his owne bloud what may then bee thought The case I graunt is very fearefull yet still must we cary the same opiniō For if Gods iudgements are very secret if for any thing we know a man may repent in the very agony if none of vs be able to comprehend the bottomles depth of the graces and mercies which are in Christ we shoulde not dare passing the bounds of charity giue too rash a censure but rather pray in the spirit that God come not vpon vs with the like visitation Thus haue we
hence is our hope it may be our vaine hope that it shall be as well with vs for all our sinnes as it was with Noah Lot David Peter many other the strongest pillars of the Lords Temple for their many downefalls Here I endeavoured as I could to imprint in our hearts the wholesome doctrine contrary to these three misconceits and withall because it was thereby manifest that Gods chosen children doe sin also willingly I tooke occasion to put some difference betweene them so sinning and the sinfull reprobates and for that purpose I thē remembred you of two evident truthes in Christian Religion 1 The Saints of God may fall grievously dangerously 2 They cannot fall finally in the end not vtterly at any time Touching the third circumstance wherein were obserued the name the nature and the obiect of this sinne we haue heard that this sinne is commonly called the sinne against the holy Ghost not because it is against the Godhead of the holy Ghost for the same God is also Father and Sonne the Godhead of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is all one their glory is equall their Maiestie is coeternall nor because it is against the person of the Holy Ghost for that is no greater then the person of the Father and of the Sonne the whole three persons are coeternall together and coequall but because it is against the goodnesse of the holy Ghost against the goodnes that is against those good graces of the holy Spirit bestowed vpon vs for the setting forth of the praises of the Lord. For whosoever shall despise those good graces and turne them to the contempt of Gods Maiestie and tread them vnder foot and account them prophane and purposely and wilfully and maliciously cary them away to all wantonnesse he crucifieth againe vnto himselfe the Sonne of God he despites the spirit of grace he sinnes against the holy Ghost Whereby it is plaine that the nature of this sinne is such as we find it to be described Heb. 6.1 2. where the Apostle mentioning repentance from dead workes faith towards God the doctrine of baptisme of laying on of hands of resurrection from the dead and of eternall iudgement and in the same place calling all these the doctrine of the beginning of Christ speaketh vers ◠of an apostacie of a falling away from all these points even from the very foundation and first beginning of Christian faith giving vs thereby to vnderstand that they who are holden in this transgression and haue sinned this sinne haue forsaken all the principles of Christian religion haue lost their former light haue departed from their first vnderstanding From the name and nature of this sinne thus considered wee came to seeke the obiect of it and found the malice of this sin to be directed against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and against his Christ directly to respect the first table of the morall law to be not a particular slipping aside but a generall apostacie a generall falling away from God and that totally Here I came to the first reason vsed by our Apostle to disswade vs from committing so vile a sinne contained in these words there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne Out of which words because Novatus hath made a collection void of comfort namely that if a man sinne after he is once baptised to him there remaineth no hope of pardon for his sins first I applied my selfe to establish comfort in our hearts by setting downe the contrary doctrine and secondly I came to the consideration of the truth of that which these words doe naturally afford did proue vnto you that the sinne against the holy Ghost is not at any time nor can ever be forgiven There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne Hauing thus repeated vnto you the summe of that which heretofore I haue delivered I come now to the second reason in my second generall part to speake of this fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries The doctrine grounded vpon the first reason of our Apostle in this place might haue sufficed to make all that loue God to looke to their steps that they fall not away by committing so grievous a sinne But there is a generation of men monstrously mishapen in the powers of the soule who like the Kings and Princes of the earth i Psalm 2.2 banding themselues and taking counsaile together against the Lord and against his annointed are ready to breake the cords of religion asunder and to cast her yoke from them and to say with those in Tully lib. 1. de natura Deorum Totam de dijs immortalibus opinionem fictam esse ab hominibus sapientibus reip causâ vt quos ratio non posset eos ad officium religio duceret iudging the service of God to be a meere devise of man for the better governement of the common wealth wherein inferiours since they will not be ruled by reason must bee ordered by religion Tell such of Scriptures you may as wel vrge them with Lucians narrations of repentance they cast it behinde them of faith they regard it not of baptisme they hold it of no greater price then the washing of their hands of the resurrection this feeds them with many a merry conceit they thinke pleasantly with themselues what maner of bodies they shall haue at that day of what proportion their bodies shall bee whether their nayles and haire shall rise againe I only note them as I passe by the way whom were they vsed for their deserts the preacher should k Levit 13.44 pronounce and the Prince proclaime the foulest leapers that ever yet sore ranne vpon well worthy to bee excluded the host and to haue their l Levit. 13.46 Num. 5.2 2. Kin. 15.5 habitation alone and more then so to be exiled the land to be expelled from nature it selfe which so vnnaturally they striue to bring to naught For though the Lord God of hosts by his Ministers and servants doe call them vnto weeping and mourning to baldnesse and girding with sackcloath as he called the Iewes Esai 22.12 Yet behold with them is ioy gladnes slaying Oxen and killing Sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine for say they to morrow we shall die Now if our Apostle to disswade such men from sinning willingly should vse this as a reason because there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne what would it advantage them being fully perswaded that the dead are not raised vp that in death there is no difference betweene them the vilest worme that ever they could tread vpon Therefore to meete with these mē also our Apostle bringeth a second reason able at some time or other to affright the hardest heart that ever yet Atheisme had infected telling them that for them which sinne willingly though there remaineth no more sacrifice which they regard not yet there remaineth something which shall touch them neere even a fearefull looking