Therefore Jeremy saith Give glory unto God before it be darke and your feet fall Cha. 18.7 Ecclus. 9.5 This falling into plagues is sudden 〈◊〉 dolor parturientis When men say Peace c. ut pisces â—â—mo Cha. 5.5 Eccl. 9. therefore take heed of this fall De propitiâ—â— pecca to noli esse securus Eccl. 5. The last Note is that this Precept is of as long continuance as our possibility to fall for he that perseverâ—â— to the end shall be saved He which overcometh unto his will I give Phi. 1.10 Col. 1.23 c. He which striveth lawfully and is without offence unto the day of the Lord Phil. 1.10 If we 〈◊〉 in the faith rooted and grounded Col. 1. si in bono perstiâ—â—ris Rom. 11.20 21 22. Rom. 11. We are made partakers of Christ if we hâ—â—â— fast the substance c. statio de militari exemplo nomen 〈◊〉 cepit nam militia Dei sumus utique nulla laetitia 〈◊〉 tristitia obveniens castris stationem rescindit nam laetitia 〈◊〉 bentius tristitia sollicitius administrabit disciplinam Tâ—â— Philosophers comparing of a constant man to a Dyâ— which ever fals upon a firme basis is worth the observiâ—â— The sum of all is this Lay together the parts 〈…〉 Admonition issuing out of all is that which Saint Pâ—â—â— useth to the Hebrewes Wherefore we ought diligently to 〈◊〉 heed to those things which we have heard lest at any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we run out like water Humidum suis terâ—â—â— non continetur it cannot stand for if this word spoâ—â— â—o the Corinthians was stedfast and their disobedience thereunto hath received a just recompence of reward â—how shall we escape if we neglect the time of our salvation In good examples he that followeth another mans steps deserveth the lesse praise but in evill he that imitateth a wicked man whose end he hath seene according to his deeds deserveth the more stripes and why nimium praeceps est saith Saint Cyprian qui transire contendit â—ubi alium inspexerit recidisse vehementer infraenis est cui non incutitur timor alio pereunte It is too true a Note of Machiavell that we commend good men when we read their lives but follow the worst Ecclus. 21.10 Wherefore follow the counsell of the Sonne of Syrach 21 10. and walke not in stony places Take heed lest there be in any of you an heart of infidelity Let us make straight steps unto our feet and strengthen our feeble knees and confirme O Lord that which thou hast wrought in us in King and people Gracious God thou hast opened unto us our manifold infirmity and thy soveraigne remedy Grant that the sense of our weaknesse may stirre up our dulnesse to try our state and grow up in grace by that helpe which thou onely canst give and make fruitfull in us that truely having and joyntly using both outward and inward meanes we may upon a sound faith and zealous charity so stand stedfast in thy word that hereafter we may stand boldly before the judgement seat of Christ and blessedly before the throne of God To him that is able c. A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT CROSSE NEERE WINCHESTER MATTH 24. But as the dayes of Noah were so shall the comming of the sonne of man be A Wise man saith Solomon seeth a plague and hideth himselfe but fooles runne on and are punished In which words you may perceave that the foole is not challenged for not discerning of but not providing against the plague that plague which â—e wise man not only foresaw but also prevented Providence then and improvidence make no small difference betweene a wise man and a foole t is so in worldly â—â—ings Much more in heavenly but specially in the Arâ—â—â—le of the last judgment day To which purpose our â—â—viour in the next Chapter useth the parable of the fooâ—â—â—h and wise Virgins both knew of the Bridegroomes comming and both went out to meet him but only the Wise caryed oyle in their Lamps but the foolish when they should have trimmed theirs had not wherewithall Many men doe believe that a judgment day shall be they make themselves ready against that day come Now least of this improvidence we should impute the cause not to our selves but to the judge as if he did surprise us before he had forewarned us he plainly foresheweth the signes by which we may know that he is comming and proposeth fearefull examples of their state whom at his comming he shall finde unprovided and this example is the argument of my Text It is set downe by way of a comparison and the comparison is of a world to a world The world that was to the world that is that that was drowned to this that shall be burnt A comparison theâ— here is But in this comparison we must note the proportion of the parties a proportion of very great correspondency but yet of great inequality As it fared with one so shall it with the other but though the fare be like yeâ— shall it not be in the same degree the latter shall be the worser that which ascendeth to a greater height of siâ— shall also descend unto a lower depth of plagues But 〈◊〉 us begin with the comparison and so come to the proportion of the parts Christ compares this world unto the Old that within his owne person he shall judge 〈◊〉 that which was destroyed in the dayes of Noah and indeed there is some answerablenesse betweene Noah aâ— Christ Saint Peter in the first of his third Epistle pâ—â—teth us in minde of it and the answerablnesse standeth in two things The first in the prophesie that Lamec gaâ—â— to Noahs name Genesis 5. called his sonnes name Nâ—â—â— which is by interpretation Rest for he saith Lamec shâ—â— give us rest from our labours and our sorrowes and 〈◊〉 earth which God had cursed and doth not Saint Pâ— say that all creatures doe groane together with us being sâ—â—ject to vanity for our sinne and looke for a Noah that 〈◊〉 for Christ That shall set them free into the â—â—bertie ofâ—â— sonnes of God Rom. 8. Yea our Saviour Christ calleth the eleventh of Matth. Come unto me all yee that labour and be heavie ladon and I will ease you I will refresh you take my yoke upon you and you shall find rest for your soules The second point wherein they are answerable is the Arke Noah built even the figure of our Baptisme as St. Peter speaks Or of the Church whereinto we are receaved by Baptisme For the Arke was built according to the dimensions of the body of a man to figure the mysticall man I meane the Church which is the body of Christ Out of the Arke could there be no salvation corporall no more can there be out of this Church salvation spirituall But we must heed the confounding of the true Arke with Saint Peters shippe The Catholike Church with that Church of Rome for
shall find rest for your soules but they said We will not walke therein Also I set Watchmen over you which said Take heed to the sound of the Trumpet but they said We will not take heed At another time being recalled they answered desperately Jer. 18.12 Surely we will walke after our owne imaginations and doe every man after the stubbornnesse of his wicked heart The Word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord Jer. 44.16 we will not heare it of thee but we will doe whatsoever thing goeth out of our owne mouthes The Prophets every where challenge them for choosing their owne way following their owne counsell and fulfilling their owne lusts Such workes were their owne And if we will make their case ours we may easily judge which of our workes God will reckon for our owne even all those in doing whereof we wittingly and willingly withdraw our obedience from Gods Word and Spirit But before I leave this point the Texts opportunitie and some mens importunitie occasioning me I must more fully open the difference betwixt Gods workes and ours and remove that false imputation of humane invention that is layd upon many a publike one of ours We must then further observe that of our two Guides the Word and the Spirit the Spirit is not severed from the Word it is received by the Word and being received it inlightens us to understand and inables us to obey Gods Word That the Spirit is received by the Word the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 3◠calling the preaching of the Gospel the ministration of the Spirit and to the Galathians he writes that by the preaching of the Gospel Gal. 3.2 they received the Spirit Againe that being received it inlightens us to understand and inables us to obey the Word our Saviour Christ teacheth us who speaking of the comming of the Spirit saith Joh. 14.26 He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you And againe He shall lead you into all Truth Ioh. 16.13 Ioh. 17.17 which Truth is Gods Word as he elsewhere expounds it In this sense must be understood the Spirits Vnction it anointeth us to understand the Word the Spirits obsignation it sealeth unto us an assurance of the Word the Spirits sanctification it purifieth us to obey the Word Saint Chrysostomes rule is true Siquis eorum qui dicuntur habere Spiritum Sanctum dicit aliquid de seipso non ex Euangeliis non creditur siquis dicta Christi sequitur Spiritum Sanctum habet c. This must be observed against old and new Enthusiasts who thinke they can see into the secrets of Heaven without the Looking-Glasse of Heaven That they can sound the Mind of Christ without hearing the Voice of Christ That they can conferre with the Spirit without the Language of the Spirit But we must resolve That no man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man is taught of God but by the Word of God I hope this place hath not any nor this Land many that have as yet received that evill Seed if it be rooted in any their case is to be pittied and those that are too forward by their fall must timely be admonished Our second Guide is Gods Word wherein many things are necessarily concluded which are not therein literally expressed In matters of Faith and Manners we are not tyed to the strictnesse of the Letter but the fullnesse of the Sense Our Saviour Christ is our Master in this course He proveth the Resurrection of the Dead Mat. 22.32 being an Article of our Faith against the Sadduces and the use of the Sabbath being a rule of life Mat. 12.7 against the Pharises by an inference made upon the Scripture not by any evidence of the Letter of the Scripture Christ is herein followed by the Apostles by Councels and Fathers Nazianzene hath comprehended the Doctrine in this rule Quaedam in Scripturis sunt dicuntur quaedam insunt etiamsi non dicantur and he addeth That the sticking to the Letter is oftentimes but a pretext of impietie And indeed this pretext is used by the Church of Rome who excludes that from the Scripture which is apparantly concluded within the sense of the Scripture in the Doctrine of the Trinitie the Sacraments and some other points of moment and having raysed this mist closely conveyes Articles of Faith and Rules of Life into the Doctrine of the Church not onely besides but contrary to the Scripture and yet in their late many and wordie Pamphlets would perswade men that our Doctrine is our owne and not Gods that theirs is not their owne but Gods Let the true Christian conferre the proofes and for his owne eternall comfort judge whether they deserve not the censure of Christ Math. 15.9 In vaine doe they worship me teaching the Doctrines of Men. Another worke there is which must bee examined because the World is therewith much perplexed I meane the Ceremonies and Discipline it must be inquired Whether the observance of them be a worke of Gods or ours And heere these three Rules are of all hands acknowledged First No Discipline or Ceremony must be contrary to the Word of God Secondly None must be equalled thereto Thirdly Both must edifie us therin These three Rules being observed I say First whatsoever thing is in its owne nature indifferent may by lawfull power be limited Secondly Being lawfully so enjoyned it must be obediently used Thirdly No Man with a good Conscience may forgoe his Vocation for this cause onely because he cannot be released from the use of such a thing The reason of all is plaine for the deniall of the first takes away the Magistrates lawfull power the deniall of the second argueth ignorance of Christian obedience and the third proveth that such mens credit is the measure of their care and they are more wedded to their fancy then truly zealous of Gods glory These poynts have beene largely amplified and Fatherly recommended but as yet the world will not be satisfied the Church cannot intreate so much of her Children as to be dutifully obeyed It is thought by too many a meete deliberation who should yeeld whether the Fathers which stand for that which is well grounded and lawfully authorized or the Children which stand against the Fathers of their Country and Fathers of the Church It were meete the foundations were razed before the buildings be ruined and the Reasons answered before the Church be altered But they have found at least a Simile to make good their cause The Church is like mans body Our Soveraignes new entrie may bee compared to the Spring Saint Pauls comparison is acknowledged and for our Spring the Lord be blessed But what then As mans body so the Church this Spring time must be purged An old Simile new furbished For indeed our Church evidences doe tell us of two such
absolute freedome of God is one of his incommunicable properties his stroakes layd on his children being ad correctionem but not ad destructionem may be stayed when and where it pleaseth him David no sooner confesseth c 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned but Nathan is furnished with his Message and God hath removed the punishment of thy sinne So soone as d 2 King 19. Ezechias is humbled God is entreated If the e Luk. 15. Prodigall Sonne doe but penitently looke toward his Father he shall be lovingly received and cherished f Ezek. 18.21 22. At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. But wee must note that if God be entreated and not pacified it is because some sinne is smothered because men are not unfainedly mortified If wee sorrow for sinne feelingly if wee crucifie the Iusts of the flesh unpartially if wee purpose to cleave unto God stedfastly God will release our Debt remove our Plague and establish our Prosperitie mercifully speedily and irrepentantly Let us use this method in our returne to God and wee shall find this measure at the hand of God The summe of all which hath been said is this God breakes not with man except man breake first with God and if God be rightly pacified he will easily be reconciled O Lord infuse goodnesse into our Nature that we may enjoy the graciousnesse of thy Nature Bridle us so with thy Spirit that we passe not those bounds which thou hast set us lest thy wrath breake out upon us Or if we sinne as Lord who sinneth not let us sorrow for our sinne let us not both displease and despise thee Rayse many Phinehasses in the dayes of so many Zimries Yea Lord let every man be a Phinehas unto himselfe Finally in our true humilitie and unfained zeale for thy glory good Lord accept us good Lord blesse us and our seed for ever Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT SAINT PAVLS CROSSE on TRINITIE SUNDAY IUDE 5.20 21. But ye beloved edifie your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost And keepe your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life BY the Ordinance of the Church we solemnize this day to one God in three Persons whom we cannot behold clearely till wee enjoy him fully In both stands our perfect blessednesse in heaven Seeing then we are now not in Patria but in viâ in the state not of glory but of grace we must not passe our bounds nor passe neerer then we are called Many that have been over-bold have lost themselves many that have waded too farre have beene swallowed up in this deepe Pro. 25.27 and the rule continues still Qui scrutator est majestatis opprimetur à gloriâ hee that pries too neare into this glorious Majesty shall find to his ruine that it is an incomprehensible mystery I have therefore chosen this Scripture which respecteth the season and yet exceeds not our strength in the meditation whereof we need not hazard our weak sight to behold the body of the Sun shining in his strength above in the firmament but may refresh it in the beames thereof sweetly tempered to our use on the face of this earth Here we may see that there are three persons in God and also that which we should most desire to see how all three concurre to doe us good The Holy Spirit teacheth us to pray to God the Father who embraceth us with love manifested in that eternall life which we shall enjoy at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Now although we must stay by the possession of this eternall life till the day of Christ yet must we secure our title thereunto in the dayes of our flesh And how must wee secure that Surely by those vertues wherewith God doth fence his Church against the deluge of those vices that overflow the world The Church and the world are distinct societies and therefore should be of different qualities Vpon this ground the maine drift of this Epistle is to teach us that wee may not conforme our selves to them from whom we are severed by Christ Yea in particular my text perswades that considering the continuall and woefull revolting of counterfeit beleevers and corrupt livers as many as are true members of Christ and ordained to continue the succession of the Church ought the more to proceed in grace and more and more apply themselves to the fountaine of grace 1. They must proceed in grace Edifie saith Saint Jude your selves in your most holy saith 2. They must daily reside by the fountaine of grace Keepe your selves in the love of God But because it is a hard matter to goe on and he that is constant must endure many a conflict wee are advised to seeke helpe and to be of good hope to find helpe 1. To seeke helpe praying in the Holy Ghost 2. To be of good hope to finde it looking for the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life You see then that the argument of this Scripture is a Christian care whereof there are two indeavours to profit and persevere in grace and in the love of God and in these we are sustained by two blessed meanes helpe and hope Helpe from the holy spirit and hope in Jesus Christ Let us resume these points and consider them briefly in order Edifie The whole Church and every member thereof is compared to an house but such a house as is a Temple destined to be a place where God will put his name and vouchsafe his presence where we must present our sacrifices and do him reverence To note this the measure of the Arke of Noah and of the Temple of Solomon were proportioned to the body of a man in the old Testament and in the new the resemblance is unfolded by Christ Thou art Peter and upon this rocke will J build my Church Mat. 16.18 Which words Saint Peter hath so expounded to this purpose that he checks his glosse which pretends to bee successor to Saint Peter 1 Pet 2. v. 3 4 5. You have tasted saith he that the Lord is bountifull to whom comming as to a living stone disallowed of men but chosen of God and precious yee also as living stones are made a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ We are called then to be Gods house GODS Temple not made with hands or materiall but framed by grace and spirituall in respect whereof we are exhorted to build But Saint Paul giveth us a good caution 1 Cor. 3.10 Let every man take heed what hee builds and by his distinguishing gold silver precious stones from timber hay and stubble things combustible from incombustible we learne that all materials are not fit for this building And indeed speciall choice was made towards
God and yet wee must not doubt but hee is effectuall in his Church as much to cure our soules yea more than he was in curing that servants body and this he doth only by his word of which Saint Paul saith well out of Moses Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ from above or who shall descend into the dust that is to bring Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thine heart This is the word of faith which we preach whose effectuall power we shall feele as many as doe believe The upshot of all is Christ in this History taxeth the Iewes for being so backeward in comparison of the Gentiles in both esteeming the person of Christ and depending upon the power of Christ Their defect must be our admonition King David when Absolon was overthrowne and Israel offered their service to bring their King home to Ierusalem striving who should bee forwardest and condemning them that were slow sent this message to Zadoc and Abiathar the Priests saying speake unto the Elders of Iudah and say why are ye behind to bring the King again to his house for the saying of Israel is come unto the King even to his house Ye are my brethren my bones and my flesh Wherefore are yee then the last that bring the King againe We are the peoples Abiathar and Zadoc we in Gods name must blame the peoples coldnesse by the forwardnesse of the Gentiles And I pray God wee may have as good successe with you as these Priests had with Iudah for they bowed the hearts of all the men of Judah as of one man even with emulation against Israel for to shew their forwardnesse to returne their King I pray God we may so surpasse these Gentiles in honouring Christ so may we speed in all our petitions that in imitation of them we shall so humbly so faithfully present our selves unto CHâ—IST c. A SERMON PREACHED INTRINITIE CHVRCHIN WINCHESTER IEREM 14.7 O Lord although our sins witnesse against us yet deale with us according to thy Name THe Prophets and Apostles so served God that they ceased not to be men they could not put off their natural affection though they were most carefull to discharge their supernaturall Vocation they were not without sense when they were messengers of Gods vengeance Therefore bringing fire from heaven they would quench it with their owne teares denouncing wrath from God they would appease it with their owne prayers they will put their owne shoulders under the burden of the people they were contented themselves to be a curse for to discharge the people in a word they would then sacrifice a contrite spirit of a repenting soule unto a mercifull God when they were sent with woes and lamentations unto gracelesse sinners from an irefull Iudge Thus Moses Samuel David Esay Paul and others prophesied and prayed and no marvell for Christ wept over Ierusalem when he foreshewed her imminent misery God himselfe seemes to be tormented in himselfe when for sin he must correct his people with the Babylonian Captivity So that men doe but imitate that gracious conflict of mercy and justice observed in Christ and God when they intermingle their humble prayers with these heavie doomes which they pronounce against the world in the name of God this fellow-feeling these bowels of compassion the sweet composition of prophesies and prayers was in Jeremy so much the more frequent by how much that anciently threatned Iudgement in his dayes more neerely approached and the evils thereof were more clearely revealed a tast whereof we have in the first part of this Chapter wherein he foretels and describes such a famine as should afflict beasts and men poore and rich not some but all as well in Country as in Towne insomuch that generall and lowd complaints and groanes should be doubled from the dejected soules of that distressed people This judgement as his tongue denounced it dreadfully so his owne soule apprehended it feelingly and therefore without delay he stood up in the gap betweene God and his people hee layed hold upon that hand wherewith God was striking his people and with spirituall incense laboured an attonement betweene God and his people as appeares in these words that now I have read unto you Wherein we may observe these two points first Ieremy his confession secondly Ieremies supplication the confession O Lord our sinnes testifie against us the supplication yet deale thou with us according to thy Name First of the Confession Our sinnes The word used by the Prophet doth signifie not barely sin but perversenesse coupled with sinne which much encreaseth the heynousnesse of sinne There are many sorts of sinne Sinne of ignorance and that is zeale without knowledge when we intend good but erre in our choise of that which is good In the heart of every man there are naturally principles of Religion and honest conversation but the conclusions which we frame of those principles doe make us many times to erre in Religion and swerve in conversation The reason is the blindnesse of our understanding whereby as Saint Paul teacheth Rom. 1. Rom. 1.22 when wee labour to be most wise we become the greater fooles fooles in making of false rules and fooles in being misguided by them The Iewes zealous for Moses persecuted Christ but they neither drew true rules out of the Law of Moses as Christ teacheth Matt. 5. Mat. 5.17 21. neither did they discerne the Person of Christ they were fooles in both The same may be observed in Saint Paul before his conversion 1 Tim. 1. there are two sorts of sinne which is 1 Tim. 1.13 sinne of infirmity when a man delighteth in the Law of God in the inner man but he seeth a Law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind carrying him captive unto sinne so that the good which he would he cannot doe but the evill that he would not that he doth Rom. 7. Rom. 7.15 thus no man sinneth but he sorroweth he laboureth under the burden of sinne and receaveth no comfort untill he be released of the guilt of sinne So Peter denyed Christ but he wept bitterly David committed murder and adultery but he repented heartily Solomon fell into manifold vanities but he confessed it all humbly Besides these two sorts of sinne there is a third called sinne of perversnes when men not of ignorance or infirmity but wittingly and willingly desplease and despise God The branches whereof are three all by Ieremy noted in the Iewes by consideration whereof we must understand the sin which was committed by the Iewes The first branch is a rejection of Gods word the second an abusing of Gods gifts the third a senselesnes under Gods plagues They rejected Gods word for when God coÌ„manded one thing they would doe another thus said the Lord stand in the way behold and aske for the old way
which is the good way and walke therein and so shall ye find rest unto your soules but they answered we will not walke therein Also God set over them watchmen which said take heede to the sound of the Trumpet Jer. 6.17 but they answered wee will not take heed Ier. 6. Nay they said desperately Surely wee will walke after our imaginations and doe every man after the stubbornnesse of our owne wicked heart Jer. 18.12 Ier. 18. The Prophet sheweth three notable experiences of this branch of stubbornnesse First God said the Chaldeans should come against them they said they would not come Secondly when they were come GOD sayd they must yeeld they said they would not yeeld Thirdly when they were conquered God commanded the remnant not to goe downe into Egypt but in contempt of God they would and did goe downe to Egypt Thus they tooke occasion from the messages of God to shew their overthwart dealing with God A second breach of their perversnesse was the abusing of Gods gifts which being bestowed to worke and encrease a knowledge of God to manifest and confirme the love of God were used by them to obscure his glory and impaire his feare for they turned the truth of God into a lye and served the creature sorsaking the Creator Have I beene as a wildernesse unto Jsrael or a land of darknesse saith God wherefore saith my people wee now are Lords wee have enough we will come no more at God Can a maid forget her ornament or a Bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me which am their ornament and attire O ye heavens be astonied at this be afraid and utterly confounded for my people have committed two evills they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters to dig them pits even broken pits which can hold no water Ier. 2. Ezechiel Chap. 16. Shewed how they wasted Gods gifts Jer. 2.13 Ezec. 16.17 in service of their Idoles and Osee Chap. 2. Teacheth that they acknowledged for author of their prosperity Oâ—ce 2.5 Deut. 32.15 not God but their Idols But Moses long before foretold it Deut. 32. Iesurun when he waxed fat spurned with his heele being loaden with fatnesse hee forsooke God that made him and regarded not the mighty God of his salvation The third branch of their perversenesse is an unrepentant sencelesnesse under Gods plague they were stricken but they sorrowed not they were nigh consumed but they refused to receave correction they made their faces harder then a stone and refused to returne Ier. 5. Ier. 5.3 more senselesse then unreasonable creatures The Storke in the aire knoweth their appointed times so doe the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow saith God Ieremy 8. Ier. 8.7 Ier. 6.28 but my people knoweth not the judgment of the Lord Chap. 6. hee compareth them to brasse and iron whose drosse cannot be separated the bellowes saith he are burnt the lead is consumed in the fire the founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not taken away David compares them to deafe Adders which stop their eares that their poyson might not be charmed Psal 58. Psal 58.5 Salomon compares them to a drunken man that can sleepe in the midst of the Sea and that upon the top of the mast and say they have stricken me but I was not sicke they have beaten me but I perceived it not therefore will I returne to my wine againe An experiment we have Amos the fourth Amos 4.9 I have stricken you saith God with famine yet have you not returned with pestilence yet have you not returned read Psalme 78. Psal 78.17 Esay 1.5 Insomuch that God Esay 1. weary of repenting breakes forth and sayes Wherefore should you be smitten any more for yee fall away more and more And this is a branch of their perversenesse Conjoyning all these you may perceave their sinne which was a contempt of Gods word and abuse of Gods gifts and a senselesnes under Gods plagues This is the sinne Ieremy confesseth A second note is gathered from Ieremy's coupling himselfe with the people and acknowledging his owne sinne with the peoples as if himselfe had provoked GODS plagues as the people When the Publican and the Pharisee went up to the Temple to pray the Pharisee separated him from the Publican both in place and in prayer in place for he would not come neere him as thinking himselfe more holy nor pray like unto him as feeling no burthen of sin But it is not so with the Saints of God they confesse as well their owne sins as the peoples unto God even when they come short of that perversenesse wherewith the people provoked God Read the prayer of Daniel of Nehemias and others Jeremy therefore confesseth not the peoples sinne but his owne The reason is threefold First because in this life the holyest men are sinfull men and therefore should be humble men and have a feeling of that body of sin whereunto they are subject so long as they are mortall men Secondly Ieremy was a Priest and therefore was to pray both for himselfe and for the people as Saint Paul teacheth out of this Law in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Thirdly being a member of the same body both civill and Ecclesiasticall he could not be without a fellow feeling of their imminent dangers For as in our body naturall though a wound be but in one part the smart is in every part and the danger that should perish one part is avoyded by the endeavour of every part so is it in the body civill of the common weale and Ecclesiasticall of the Church which note we must rather observe in Ieremy because hee was warranted that hee should be secure though the people perished even as Moses had an offer that of him God would make a mighty people if he could bee contented that God for sinne should destroy his people But neither would endure it and both prayed against it A third note that is the property of sinne and that is the testifying of sinne Men are willing to commit sin and ready also to confesse their sinne like the Harlot in the Proverbs which committed adultery wipes her mouth and asketh what evill hath she done but it is in vaine For God hath given a voyce to sin and the evidence that shall bee brought against us and cannot be excepted against by us is the evidence of sin in sin besides the act of sin which quickly passeth There are two evils either of which afterwards continueth the staine of sin and the guilt the staine which cleaveth partly to the person committing sinne and partly to the creature abused in sinne to the person for so the Scripture teacheth Esay 1. Esa 1.15 Where God refuseth the Jewes sacrifice because their hands were full of bloud not that they did shed but before they had shed bloud and in their hands God saw staines of bloud So Peter speaks of eyes full of adultery that is which are not only
thwarting one the other teach us that the wordes are to be understood indefinitely and once or twice is often very often many wayes and many times if hee might worke us any wayes or at any time the doubling of a speech representing us the same lesson as it doth testifie Gods constancy so it doth intimate our infirmity GOD doth not alter and hee can hardly alter us Wee have watery memories and stony hearts Gods word leaves little impression in us in the one and makes as little in the other Esay compares us unto weanelings whom hee makes to understand the thinges that hee speaketh to them that are weaned and drawne from the breastes Secondly Saint Paul compares us unto babes in capacity when wee should be men in time So that wee must be fed with milke when wee should be fit for stronger meates And thirdly hee tels the Galathians that they will goe backe againe into the wombe of the Church that which Nicodemus wondred at Can a man enter into his mothers belly and be borne againe Little children saith hee of whom I am in travaile againe till Christ Iesus be formed in you What wonder then if Precept must be upon Precept and line upon line here a little and there a little And Saint Peter wrote a second Epistle to stirre us up to call to remembrance the words which were told us before even twice before by the prophets and also by the Apostles Neither doth it grieve Saint Paul to write the same things to the Philippians and hee assures them that for them it is a safe thing for during this life God cannot speak unto us as altogether spirituall We will be very much corporall men our wits will not be exercised sufficiently to discerne good and evill much lesse our heartes established so with grace as we shall not be seduced by the will The people therefore are too dainty when they conceipt of spirituall food as they doe of corporall Occidit miserâ—s crambe repetita magistros and are weary of the same dish the second time The loathing of Manna cost the Israelites deere God satisfied the lusts of their bodies and sent leanenesse withall into their soules and many starved themselves ghostly while they much longed after variety How often in the same Epistle doth Saint Paul urge righteousnes by faith and Saint Iohn in his the love of God and of our brother Saint Chrysostome reiterated his sermon against swearing Nazianzene his Oration of Peace others of other matters the minister must not spare speaking because wee are not quicke of hearing and it is well of we can say truly as King David here doth The Lord spake once or twice and I heard And so I come from the undeniable Author to the unchalengeable witnesse It is a grounded truth the report caryeth weight according to the Worthinesse of the Reporter This report then must be of greater weight because the reporter is of so great worthinesse A man of God yea a man after Gods own heart A man of God it is more than like that God would speake with him a man after Gods own heart it is very unlikely that he would report what he heard not from God the sacrednesse and sanctity of his person makes his witnesse without exception and worthy our imitation Adde hereunto that he was now a King at least annointed to be a King a renowned Warriour yea a Conquerour of great possibilities if not possessions yet doth such a person so noble so mighty learn to deny to the world what is due to God he rests upon no power or mercy but his he esteemes himselfe an accomptant to God and so he might expect his doome and who of us may stop his eares when King David openeth his for rather doth not the same duty taught so many wayes so many times require that duty of us whereof King David here is a paterne unto us And I heard it God speakes that we may heare heare my people and I will speake And the Lord challengeth the Iowes wherfore came I and there was no man I called and no man answered Quid juvat ad surdas si cantet Phemius aures We have grace and Apostle-ship that obedience might be given to the faith Yea the Word of God is called in the Hebrew Shemina But our Saviour Christ hath a caution Videte quomodo audiatis so that we are farther to enquire how King David did heare surely himselfe was not ignorant how to heare for he delivered that admonition to day if yee will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Saint Paul by way of exposition of that Text saith that hearing must be tempered with faith The case of the eare is fitly by Elihu in Iob paralysed to the tast 34. 〈◊〉 3â— 3 The eare tryeth the words as the palate tasteth meat Now the tast doth relish to swallow that which is wholsome and to refuse the contrary that should be the practise of the eare for we eate spirituall food by the eare as we do corporall by the mouth man liveth not by breâ—â— only but by every word that goeth out of the mouth of God We heare then as David did when like Saint Paul we are obedient to the heavenly Vision when we consult not against our instruction with flesh and bloud and the proverb is Sapiens audiens sapientior fit And this kinde of hearing is commended in both Testaments Thou must diligently hearken ô Jsrael unto the voyce of the Lord thy God and doe that which is right in his sight give eare untâ— his Commandements and keepe all his Ordinances And so in the new You have not learned to live like the Gentiles saith Saint Paul if so be you have heard him and have beene taught by him as the truth is in Iesus that you must cast off the old man Finally this is the eare which the Spouse the Church doth lend unto the bridegroome to Christ and it is described by King David Hearkenâ— daughter and consider incline thine eares He which hath aâ— eare to heare let him heare for every one hath not such aâ— eare it is not an eare of nature but of grace God muâ—â— prepare this eare of which Esay thus speaketh The Lord in the morning will waken mine eare to heare as the learned the Lord hath opened mine eare and I was not rebellious neither turned I backe And agreeable hereunto is that oâ— Nazianzene Can Gods word be conceaved of the Pastoâ— expounded to the people and heard to our comfort buâ— by the gift of the Holy Ghost This is the cause why Elihu saith God speaketh once or twise and one seeth it not And Moses to Israel You have seene all that the Lorâ— did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and 〈◊〉 all his servants and yet hath not the Lord given you aâ— heart to perceive nor eyes to see and eares to heare unto thâ— day Christ To you is given to know the secrets of the â—ingdome of
stickes not to say Regis admirabilem gloriam effecit splendidiorem he was a King admirable for his vertues but more admirable for his repentance as it was a stranger sight to see a King of Ninive come downe from his Throne clothed in sackcloth and sit in ashes then King Solomon sitting upon his Throne and speaking parables unto the Queene of Saba Behold then whom God chose to be a Patriarch to whom he gave a name like one of the great ones like that of Abraham he entered into a Covenant with Abraham and he entred into a covenant with David he sware to Abraham and he sware to David and he sware unto David as unto Abraham concerning his issue The fruit of his body Children are called fruit of their Parents body to note that they are only fathers of their flesh they have another namely God which is father of their spirits Saint Paul teacheth it and the use of it Heb. 12. Heb. 12.9 And this checkes their opinion that will have soules propagated no lesse than bodies I will not trouble you with such an unnecessary dispute Rather this I note that whereas every mans first desire is immortality because hee cannot in this world attaine it hee offereth supply thereof by his posterity This phrase then promiseth solatium immortalitatis a kind of immortality Our mortall part the Sonne of Syrach doth excellently set forth Chr. 30.4 A man that hath issue though he die yet he is as though hee were not dead for hee hath left one behind him that is like him Jn his life he saw him and had joy in him and hee was not sorry in his death neither was hee ashamed before his enemies And why he left behind him an avenger against his enemies and one that should shew favour to his friends Good cause therefore why another Psalme of degrees tels us that Children are an inheritance of the Lord and the fruit of the wombe is his reward As are the arrowes in the hand of the strong man so are the children of the youth Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them Surely for a King to have his quiver empty is no small curse God himselfe hath spoken it Ier. 22.30 O earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord write this man and that man was Iechonias the King write him I say destitute of Children a man that shall not prosper in his dayes and what is that but that he shall be cursed he addes the reason for there shall be no man of his seed that shall sit upon the Throne of David or beare rule any more in Judah Esa 38.14 King Ezekiah when he was but threatned it confesseth thus he chattered like a swallow mourned like a Dove And what said Abraham O Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse and loe the servant of mine house shall bee mine heire Happie then was David and so every one of Davids ranke is happy that hath a fruitfull Vine and Olive branches round about his Table Of whom we may truly say Vno avulso non deficit alter Aureus et simili frondescit virga metallo But marke the King was busie to build Gods house and see how God answers him promising the building of â—â—e Kings house God requites a building with a builâ—ing There is a very apt allusion in the word upon which the sonne of Syrach also playes when he saith that â—hildren and the building of a City make a perpetuall â—â—me how much more if they be a royall off-spring that â—e destined to sit upon a Throne And God promiseth â—avid sons for this honourable end To sit upon his Throne It appeares among the buildings of Solomon and in the Chronicles of other Monarchs that the King had a seciall publike seat wherein he was placed when he possessed himselfe of his kingdome and afterwards sate as in his proper seate the Scripture cals it solium Regni as if a kingdome and the Throne were inseparable So that this phrase doth signifie insigne Regni an essentiall an incommunicable rite of a Kingdome This seate is incommunicable the Altar and the Throne saith one are â—â—th proper the Altar to God the Throne to the King The pride of usurping the Throne will as hardly be brooâ—ed by a Soveraigne on earth as the usurping of the Altar will be borne by the Lord of heaven Therefore Pharaoh though he did highly advance Ioseph added Only in the Kings Throne will I bee above thee As it is incommunicable to others so is it essentiall to a King In regard whereof Saint Peter calls Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supereminent supereminent in the Throne But wherein stands this supereminency surely in state and power In regard of the state it is called solium gloriae 1 Sam. 2.8 Pro. 20.8 and in regard of the power solum judicij These two must not be severed A King must in state ascend above all that hee may be the more respected when he doth command God himselfe that did often shew himselfe as a King did shew himselfe in that Majestie that hee alloweth unto Kings The places be knowne in Ezechiel Daniel Revelation I need not quote them But solium is therefore gloriae because judicij The state is to countenance the power it must not be only a Throne of glory but of judgment too Nazianzene hath an apt description of Kings they are persons saith hee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are not be without a paire of scales in their hands in imitation of God of whom the Psalmist saith Thou sittest iâ— the Throne that judgest righteously And such a Throne indeed was King Davids At Ierusalem are Thrones for Judgment even the Throne of the house of David In such a Throne should the sons of David sit they were to 〈◊〉 but God would set them there It is superfluous for me to remember you that Promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West 〈◊〉 from the North nor from the South It is God that take downe one and setteth up another Which is evident by the Prophesies of alterations in the most eminent Monarchiâ— of the world As for the Anabaptists that admit no Soveraigne title in a Christian Common-weale upon a falâ— ground that it is a fruit of Adams fall which ceased us on the Redemption by Christ it is enough to touâ— their ignorance not distinguishing between Directâ—â—â— and Coercive power The later is made necessary by sin the former is as naturall as sociablenesse is to man Tâ—â— Romanists detest Anabaptisme but they cherish a mâ—sterie of iniquity that may not be indured by this peculiar of God I will set them For in their Pontificale Remanum they insert such clauses as have within late yeere given occasion of Rebellion in this land Rebellion justified at the Barre upon this ground that the King is 〈◊〉 King till he be anointed In that booke as it is reformâ— by the