them no it is not so Ecce claves mortis inferni see heer Apoc. 1.18 the keyes both of the first and second death Which is a playn proof He hath mastered and gott the dominion over both death him that hath power of death that is the devill 1. Cor. 15.55 Both are swallowed up in victorie and neither death any more sting nor hell any more dominion Sed ad Dominum Deum nostrum spectant exitus mortis Psal. 68 20. but now unto GOD our LORD belong the issues of death the keyes are at His girdle He can let out as manie as he list This estate is it which he calleth Coronam vitae not life alone Apoc. 2.18 but the Crowne of life or a life crowned with immunitie of feare of any evill ever to befall us This is it which in the next verse he calleth living unto GOD Ver. 11. the estate of the children of the resurrection to be the sonnes of GOD aequall to the Angells subject to no part of death's dominion but living in securitie joy and blisse for ever And now is our particular full 1 Rising to life first â— and life freed from death and so immortall 3 and then exempt from the dominion of death and every part of it and so happy and blessed Rise againe so may Lazarus or any mortall man doe that is not it Rise againe to life immortall so shall all doe in the end as well the uniust as the just that is not it But rise againe to life immortall with freedome from all miserie to live to and with GOD in all joy and glorie evermore that is it that is CHRIST 's resurrection Et tu saith S. Augustine speratalâ—m resurrectionem propter hoc este Christianus Live in hope of such a resurrection and for this hope 's sake carie thy selfe as a Christian. Thus have we our particular of that we are to know touching CHRIST risen And now we know all these yet do we not accompt our selves to know them perâ—â—ctly untill we also know the reasons of them And the Romans were a people that loved to sâ—e the ground of that they received and not the bare Articles alone Indeed it might trouble them why CHRIST should need thus to rise againe because they saw no reason why He should need to dye The truth is we can not speake of rising well without mention of the terminus à quo from whence He rose By meaneâ— whereof there two 1 CHRIST 's dying and His rising are so linked togither and their Auditis so entangled one with another as it is very hard to sever them And this you shall observe the Apostle never goeth about to do it but still as it were of purpose suffers one to draw in the other continually It is not heer alone but all over his Epistles ever they runne togither as if he were loth to mention one without the other And it cannot be denied but that their joyning serveth to many great good purposes These two â— His death and 2 His rising they shew His two Natures Humane and Divine â— His Humane nature and weaknesse in dying 2 His Divine nature and power in rising againe 2. These shew His two Offices His Priesthood and His Kingdome â— His Priesthood in the sacrifice of His death 2 His Kingdome in the glorie of His resurrection 3. They set before us His two mayn Benefits 1 Interitum mortis 2 and principium vitae 1 His death the death of death 2 His rising the reviving of life againe the one what He had ransomed us from the other what He had purchased for us 4. They serve as two Moulds wherein our lives are to be cast that the daies of our vanitie may be fashioned to the likenesse of the SONNE of GOD which are our two duetyes that we are to render for those two benefits proceeding from the two offices of His two natures conioyned In a word they are not well to be sundred for when they are thus ioyned they are the very abbridgement of the whole Gospell 1. The cause of His dying 1 His dying once Of them both then briefly Of His dying first In that He died He died once to sinne Why dyed He once and why but once Once He died to sinne that is sinne was the cause He was to dye once As in saying He liveth to GOD we say GOD is the cause of His life so in saying He died to sinne we say sinne was the cause of His death GOD of His rising sinne of His fall And looke how the resurrection leadeth us to death even as naturally doth death unto sinne the sting of death To sinne then He died Not simply to sinne but with reference to us For as death leadeth us to sinne so doth sinne to sinners that is to our selves And so will the opposition be more cleer and full He liveth unto GOD He died unto man With reference I say to us For first He died unto us and if it be true that Puer natus est nobis it is as true Esay 9.6 that Vir mortuus est nobis If being a child He was borne to us becomming a man He died to us Both are true To us then first He died because He would save us To sinne Secondly because els He could not save us Yes He could have saved us and never died for us ex plenitudine potestatis by His absolute power if He would have taken that way That way He would not but proceed by way of Iustice do all by way of Iustice. And by Iustice Sinne must have death death our death for the sinne was ours It was we that were to dye to sinne But if we had dyed to sinne we had perished in sinne perished heer perished everlastingly That His love to us could not endure that we should so perish Therfore as in Iustice He iustly might He tooke upon Him our debt of sinne sayd as the Fathers apply that speech of His Sinite abire hos Io. 18.8 let these go their wayes And so that we might not dye to sinne He did We see why He died once Why but once because once was enough ad auferenda saith S. Iohn ad abolenda saith S. Peter â— And but once Ioh. 1.29 Act. 3.19 Hebr. 9.28 ad exâ—auriâ—da saith S. Paul To take away To abolish To draw dry and utterly to exhaust all the sinnes of all the sinners of all the world The excellency of His â—erson that performed it was such The excellencie of the obedience that He performed such the excellencie both of His humilitie and charitie wherewith He performed it such and of such valew every of them and all of them much more as made that His once dying was satis superque enough and enough againe which made the Prophet call it copiosam Redemptionem a plenteous Redemption But the Apostle he goeth beyond all in expressing this in one place terming it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
onely and went not back Would it may be but that it was all on fire But whither she would or no or whither we do or no thiâ— foreâ—hinking our selves we be gone out of this faint proceeding this staying in the plaine this convulsion of the neck and writhing the eyes back this iâ—resolute wavering whither we should choose either bodily pleasures in perishing Sodom or the safeâ—y of our soules in little Zoar was her sinne And this is the sinne of so many as stand as she stood and looke as she looked though they goe not back but if they goe back too they shall jâ—stifie her and heape upon themsâ—lves a more heavy condemnation So much for the sinne which we should remember to avoid 3 Her Punishment Now for her punishment which we must remember to escaâ—e This relapse in this manner that the world might know it to be a sinne highly displeasing His Mâ—jestie GOD hath not onely marked it for a sinne but salted it too that it might never be forgotten The wages and punishment of this sinne of hers was it which is the wages of all sinne that is Dâ—aâ—h Rom. 6.23 Death Deaâ—h in her sure worthily that refused life with so easy conditions as the holding of her head still and would needs looke back and dye The sound of dâ—ath is fearefull what death soever yet it is made more fearfull foure waiâ—s wâ—ich all be in this of hers 1. We desire to die with respite and sodeine death we feare and pray against Her death was sodein 1 〈◊〉 back she looked and never looked forward more It was her last looke 2 Iâ— the aâ—t â—f sâ—nâ—e 2. We desire to have remorse of sinne yet we be taken away and death in the very act of sinne is most dangerous Her death was so She died in the very convulsion She died with her face to Sodome 3. We would die the common death of mankind and be visited after the visitation of other mâ—n 3 Vnusuall and an un usuall strange death is full of terror Hers was so GOD 's own hand from heaven by a strange and fearefull visitation 4 Without buryall 4. Our wish is to dye and to be buried and not remaine a spectacle above ground which Nature abhorreth She so died as she remained a spectacle of GOD 's wrath and a By-word to posteritie and as many as passed by For vntill CHRIST 's time and after this monument was still extant and remained vndefaced so many hundred yeares Iosephus a Writer of good accompt which lived after this saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my selfe have seene and beholden it for it stands to be seene to this day A reed she was a Piller she is which she seemed to be but was not She was melting water She is congeled to salt Thus have we both her fault and punishment Let us remember both To shun the fault that the penalty light not on us Now this Piller was erected and this verdure given it for our sakes For III. Our Lesson â—â—om this among the many waies that the wisedome of GOD vseth to dispose of the sinne of man and out of evill to draw good this is one and a chiefe one that He suffereth not their evill examples to vanish as a shadow but maketh them to stand as Pillers for Ages to come with the Heathen mans inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Looke on me and learne by me to serve GOD better And a high benefit it is for us that He not onely embalmeth the memorie of the Iust for our imitation but also powdreth and maketh brine of the Evill for our admonition that as a Sent from Marie Magdalen's ointment So a relish from Lot's wive's piller should remaine to all posterity Prophane persons in their perishing GOD could dash to peeces and root out their remembrance from of the earth He doth not but suffereth their Quarters as it were to be sett up in stories Vt paena Impij sit eruditio Iusti that their punishment may be our advertisement Powreth not out their blood nor casts it away but saves it for a Bath Vt lavet Iustus pedes in sanguine peccatoris Psal. 58.10 that the Righteous may wash their footstepps in the blood of the vngodly Rom. 8.28 that all even the ruine of the wicked may co-operate to the good of them that feare GOD. This woman in her inconstancie could He have sunke into the earth or blowen up as salt-petre that no remembrance should have remained of her He doth not but for us and for our sakes he erecteth a Piller And not a Piller onely to point and gaze at but a Piller or rock of salt whence we may and must fetch wherewith to season whatsoever in vnsavorie in our lives And this this is the life and soule of memorie this is wisedome The art of extracting salt out of the wicked Triacle out of vipers our owne happinesse out of aliena pericula and to make those that were vnprofitable to themselves profitable to us For sure though Lot's wife were evill her salt is good Let us see then how to make her evill our good see if we can draw any savory thing from this example 1. That which we should draw out is Perseverance 1 Pâ—â—severance Muâ—ia virtutum as Gregorie calleth it the Preserver of vertues without which as Summer fruits they will perish and putrifie The Salt of the Covenant without which the flesh of our Sacrifice will take winde and corrupt But Saint Augustine better Regina virtutum the Queene of vertues for that how ever the rest runne and strive and doe masteries yet Perseverantia sola coronatur Perseverance is the onely crowned vertue 2. Now Perseverance we shall attaine 2 Carâ— if we can possesse our soules with due care and ridd them of securitie Of Lot's Wive's securitie as of wâ—ter was this Salt heer made And if securitie as water doe but touch it it melts away presently But Care will make us fix our eye and gather up our feet and forgetting that which is behind tendere in anteriora to follow hard toward the prize of our high calling Phil. 3.13 3. And to avoid Securitie and to breed in us due care Saint Bernard saith Feare will do it Viâ— in timore securus esse securitatem time 3 â—eare The only way to be secure in feare is to feare securitie Saint Paul had given the same counsell before that to preserve Si permanseris no better advise then Noli altum sapere sed time Rom. 11.22 Now from her Storie these considerations are yeelded Considerations out of her fault each one as an handfull of salt to keepe us and to make us keepe First that we see as of CHRIST 's twelve which He had sorted and selected from the rest one miscaried Et illum gregem non timuit lupus intrare and that the Woolfe feared not to seise no not upon that Flock and as
any glorie more glorious then other there it is on that hand on that side and He placed in it in the best in the chiefest the fulnesse of them both At GOD 's right hand is not only power power while we be heer to protect us with His might outward and to support us with His grace inward but at His right hand also is the fulnesse of joy for ever saith the Psalme Ioy and the fulnesse of joy Psal. 16.11 and the fulnesse of it for evermore This is meant by his Seat at the right hand on the Throne And the same is our blessed hope also that it is not His place only and none but His but even ours in expectation also The love of His Crosse is to us a pledge of the hope of his throne or whatsoever els He hath or is worth For if GOD have given us CHRIST and CHRIST thus given himselfe what hath GOD or CHRIST they will denie us It is the Apostle's owne deduction Rom. 8.32 To put it out of all doubt heare we His owne promise that never brake his word To him that overcommeth Apoc. 3.21 will I give to sit with me in my Throne Where to sit is the fulnesse of our desire the end of our race omnia in omnibus and further we cannot go Of a joy sett before Him we spoke yer-while heer is now a joy sett before us another manner joy then was before Him The worse was sett before Him the better before us and this we are to runne to Thus do these two theories or sights th' one worke to love th' other to hope both to the well performing of our course that in this Theater between the Saints joyfully beholding us in our race and CHRIST at our end ready to receive us we may fulfill our course with joy and be partakers of the blessed rest of His most glorious Throne Let us now turne to Him and beseech Him by the sight of this day by himselfe first and by his Crosse and Throne both both which He hath sett before us th' one to awake our love the other to quicken our hope that we may this day and ever lift up our eyes and hearts that we may this day and ever carie them in our eyes and hearts look up to them both so look that we may love the one and waite and hope for the other so love and so hope that by them both we may move and that swiftly even runne to Him and running not faint but so constantly runn that we faile not finally to atteine the happy fruition of Himselfe and of the joy and glory of His blessed throne that so we may find feele Him as this day here the Authour so in that day there the Finisher of our Faith by the same our LORD IESVS CHRIST Amen Printed for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS OF THE Resurrection PREACHED ON EASTER-DAY A SERMON Preached before the KINGS MAIESTIE AT WHITE-HALL on the VI. of Aprill A. D. MDCVI being EASTER-DAY ROM CHAP. VI. VER IX X.XI Scientes quod CHRISTVS c. Knowing that CHRIST being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over Him For in that He died He died once to sinne but in that He liveth He liveth to GOD. Likewise think or accompt ye also that ye are dead to sinne but are alive to GOD in Iesus Christ our Lord. THE Scripture is as the Feast is both of them of the resurrection And this we may safely say of it it is thought by the Church so pertinent to the feast as it ever hath beene and is appointed to be the very entry of this daies Service to be founded forth and soong first of all and before all upon this day as if there were some speciall correspondence betweene the Day and it Two principall points are sett downe to us out of the two principall words in it One Scientes in the first verse Knowing the other reputate in the last verse Compt your selves Knowing and Compting Knowledge and calling our selves to accompt for our Knowledge Two points very needfull to be ever joyntly called upon and more then needfull 〈◊〉 our times â—eing 〈◊〉 much we know and 〈◊〉 we compt oft we heare and when we have heard smâ—ll reckonâ—ng we make of it What CHRIST did on Easter day wâ— know well what we aâ—e 〈◊〉 to do we give no great regard our Scientes is withoâ—t a Reputantes Now this Scripture ex totâ— Substantiâ out of the whole frame of it teacheth us oâ—herwise that Câ—â—tiaâ— kâ—â—â—ledge is not a knowledge without all manner of accompt but that we are accomptants for it that we are to keepe an Audite of what we heare and take accompt of our selves of what we have learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Auditor's tearme thence the HOLY GHOST hath taken it and would have us to be Auditors in both Senses And this to be generall in whatsoever we know But specially in our knowledge touching this Fâ—â—st of CHRIST 's resurrection where there are speciall words for it in the Text â—herein expresse termes an accompt is calld for at our hands as an essenâ—â—all duâ—y of the Day The benefit we remember is so great the Feast we hold so high aâ— though at other times we might be forborne yet on this day we may not Ver. 11. Now the summe of our accompt is set down in these words Similiter vos that we fashion our selves like to CHRIST dying and rising cast our selves in the same molds expresse Him in both as neere as we can To accompt of these first that is to accompt our selves bound thus to doe To accompt for these second that is to accompt with our selves whither we do so First to accompt our selves bound thus to doe resolving thus within our selves that to heare a Sermon of the Resurrection is nothing to keepe a feast of the Resurrection is as much except it end in Similiter vos Nisi saith Saint Gregorie quod de more celebratur etiam quoad mores exprimatur Vnlesse we expresse the matter of the Feast in the forme of our lives Vnlesse as He from the grave So we from sinne and live to godlinesse as He vnto GOD. Then to accompt with our selves whither we doe thus that is to sit downe and reflect upon the Sermons we heare and the feasts we keepe how by knowing CHRIST 's death we die to sinne how by knowing His Resurrection we live to GOD how our estate in soule is bettered how the fruit of the words we heare and the feasts we keepe doth abound daily toward our accompt against the great Audite And this to be our accompt every Easter-day The division Of these two points the former is in the two first verses what we must know the later is in the last What we must accompt for And they be joyned with Similiter to shew us they be and must be of aequall and like regard and we as
know So accompt But because our knowing is the ground of our accompt the Apostle beginneth with knowledge And so must we Knowledge in all Learning is of two sorts 1 Rerum or 2 Causarum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That or in that The former is in the first Verse Knowing that CHRIST c. The later in the Second For in that c. And because we cannot cast up a Summe except we have a particular the Apostle giveth us a Particular of either A particular of our Knowledge Quoad res which consisteth of these three 1. That Christ is risen from the dead 2. That now He dieth not 3. That from henceforth death hath no dominion over Him All in the first Verse Then a particular of our Knowledge Quoad causas The cause of His death Sinne He died to sinne 2 Of His life GOD He liveth to GOD. â— And both these but once for all All in the second Verse Then followeth our Accompt in the third Verse Wherein we consider first 1 The Charge â— and then the Discharge 1. The charge first Similiter vos That we be like to Christ. And then wherein 1 Like in dying to Sinne 2 Like in living to GOD. Which are the two moulds wherein we are to be cast that we may come forth like Him This is the Charge 2. And last of all The meanes we have to helpe us to discharge it in the last words in Christ Iesu our Lord. BEfore we take view of the two Particulars I. Our Knowing The Meanes of it it will not be amisse to make a little stay at Scientes the first word because it is the grownd of all the rest Knowing that Christ is risen This the Apostle saith the Romans did knowing Did know himselfe indeed that Christ was risen for He saw him But how knew the Romanes or how know we No other way then by relation eyther they or we but yet we much better then they I say by relation in the nature of a verdict of them that had seene him even Cephas and the twelve which is a full Iury hable to finde any matter of fact and to give up a verdict in it And that CHRIST is risen is matter of fact But if twelve will not serve in this matter of fact which in all other matters with us 1. Cor. 15.6 will if a greater Enquest farr if five hundred will serve you may have so many for of more then five hundred at once was He seene many of them then living ready to give up the same verdict and to say the same upon their othes But to settle a knowledge the number moveth not so much as the qualitie of the Parties If they were persons credulous light of beleefe they may well be challenged if they tooke not the way to ground their knowledge aright That is ever best knowen that is most doubted of And never was matter caried with more scruple and slownesse of beleefe with more doubts and difficulties then was this of Christ's rising Marie Magdalen saw it first and reported it They beleeved her not Mar. 16.11 Luk. 24.13.36.11.36 The two that went to Emmaus they also reported it They beleeved them not Diverse women together saw him and came and told them Their words seemed to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an idle faigned fond tale They all saw him and even seeing him yet they doubted When they were put out of doubt and told it but to one that happened to be absent it was S. Thomas you know how peremptorie he was Not he Ioh. 20.25 vnlesse he might not onely see with his eyes but feele with his fingers and put in his hand into his side 27.28 And all this he did Saint Augustine saith well Profectò valde dubitatum est ab illis ne dubitaretur a nobis All this doubting was by them made that we might be out of doubt and know that Christ is risen Sure they tooke the right course to know it certainly and certainely they did know it as appeareth For never was thing knowen in this world so confidently constantly certainly testified as was this that Christ is risen By testifying it they got nothing in the earth Got nothing Nay they lost by it their living their life all they had to lose They might have saved all and but said nothing So certaine they were so certainely they did accompt of their knowing they could not be got from it but to their very last breath to the very last drop of their blood bare witnesse to the truth of this Article and chose rather to lay downe their lives and to take their death then to denie nay then not to affirme His rising from death And thus did they know knowing testifie and by their testimonie came the Romanes to their knowing and so doe we But as I said before we to a much surer knowing then they For when this was written the whole world stopt their eares at this report would not endure to heare them stood out mainly against them The Resurrection why it was with the Graecians at Athens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very skorne The Resurrection why it was Act 17.32 with Festus the great Romane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sicknesse of the braine a plaine phrensie That world 26.24 that then was and long after in such opposition is since come in and upon better examination of the matter so strangely testified with so many thousand lives of men to say the least of them sadd and sober hath taken notice of it and both knowen and acknowledged the truth of it It was well foretold by Saint Iohn haec est victoria quae vincit mundum 1. Ioh. 5.4 fides vestrâ— It is proved true since That this faith of CHRIST 's rising hath made a conquest of the whole world So that after all the world hath taken knowledge of it we come to know it And so more full to us then to them is this scientes knowing Now to our particulars what we know The Particâ—lars Quâ—â—dâ—n a That Christ is risen from the dead Our first particular is That CHRIST is risen from the dead Properly we are sâ—id to rise from 〈◊〉 fallâ— and from death 〈…〉 revive Yeâ— the Apostle rather vseth the terme of rising then reviving â—s serving better to set forth his purpose That death is a fall we doubt not that it came with a fall the fall of Adam But what manner of fall for it hath beene holden a fall from whence is no rising But by Christ's rising it falls out to be a fall that we may fall and yet get up againe For if CHRIST be risen from it then is there a rising if a rising of one then may there be of another If He be risen in our nature then is our nature risen and if our nature be our persons may be Especially seeing as the Apostle in the fourth Verse before hath told
flesh the like wrought in us by his Spirit It is a Maxime or maine ground in all the Fathers that such an accompt must be The former what CHRIST hath wrought for us Deus reputat nobis GOD accompteth to us For the latter what CHRIST hath wrought in us Reputate vos we must accompt to GOD. And that is Similiter vos that we fashion our selves like him Like him in as many points as we may but namely and expresly in these two here sett downe 1 In dying to sinne 2 In living unto GOD in these two first and then secondly in doing both these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but once for all 1. In dying to sinne Eph. 5.1 1. Pet. 2.21 Like him in these two 1 In His dying For He died not onely to offer a Sacrifice for us saith Saint Paul but also to leave an example to us saith Saint Peter That example are we to be like 2 In His rising For He arose not onely that we might be regenerated to a lively hope 1. Pet. 1.3 saith Saint Peter but also that we might be grafted into the similitude of His Resurrection saith Saint Paul a little before in the fifth verse of this very Chapter That Similitude are we to resemble So have we the exemplarie part of both these wherevnto we are to frame our Similiter vos He died to sinne there is our paterne Our first accompt must be Compt your selves dead to sinne And that we do when there is neither action nor affection nor any signe of life in us toward sinne no more then in a dead bodie when as men crucified which is not onely his death but the kind of his death too we neither moove hand nor stirr foot toward it both are nayled downe fast In a word to die to sinne with Saint Paul heer is to ceasse from sinne with S. Peter 1. Pet. 4.1 To ceasse from sinne I say understanding by sin not from sin altogither that is a higher perfection then this life will beare but as the Apostle expoundeth himselfe in the very next words Verse 12. Ne regnet peccatum that is from the dominion of sinne to ceasse For till we be free from death it selfe which in this life we are not we shall not be free from sinne altogither onely we may come thus farr ne regnet that sinne reigne not weare not a crown fit not in a throne hold no Parliaments within us give us no lawes in a word as in the fourth verse before that we serve it not To dye to the dominion of sinne that by the grace of GOD we may and that we must accompt for He liveth to GOD. There is our similitude of His resurrection â— In living to GOD. our second accompt must be Compt your selves living unto GOD. Now how that is he hath already told us in the fourth verse even to walke in newnesse of life To walke is to move moving is a vitall action and argueth life But it must not be any life our oâ—d will not serve it must be a new life we must not returne backe to our former course but passe over to another new conversation And in a word as before to live to GOD with Saint Paule heer is to live secundùm Deum according to GOD in the spirit with Saint Peter 1. Peter 4.6 And then live we according to Him when His will is our law His word our rule His Sonnes life our example His Spirit rather then our owne soule the guide of our actions Thus shall we be grafted into the similitude of his Resurrection Now this similitude of the resurrection calleth to my minde another similitude of the resurrection in this life too which I finde in Scripture mentioned it fitteth us well it will not be amisse to remember you of it by the way it wil make us the better willing to enter into this accompt At the time that Isaac should have been offered by his Father Isaac was not slaine Gen. 22.7 very neere it he was there was fire and there was a knife and he was appointed readie to be a Sacrifice Of which case of his the Apostle in the mention of his Father Abraham's faith Heb. 11. Abraham saith he by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.19 made full accompt if Isaac had beene slaine GOD was able to raise him from the dead And even from the dead GOD raised him and his Father received him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a certaine similitude or after a sort Marke that well Raising Isaac from imminent danger of present death is with the Apostle a kind of resurrection And if it be so and if the Holy Ghost warrant us to call that a kind of resurrection how can we but on this day the Day of the Resurrection call to minde and withall render vnto GOD our vnfeigned thankes and praise for our late resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our kind of resurrection He not long since vouchsafed us Our case was Isaac's case without doubt there was fire and in stead of a knife there was powder enough and we were designed all of us and even ready to be sacrificed even Abraham Isaac and all Certainely if Isaac's were ours was a kind of resurrection and we so to acknowledge it We were as neere as he we were not onely within the Dominion but within the Verge nay even within the very gates of death From thence hath GOD raised us and given us this yeare this similitude of the resurrection that we might this day of the Resurrection of His SONNE present him with this in the Text of rising to a new course of life And now to returne to our fashioning our selves like to Him in these As there is a death naturall and a death civill so is there a death morall both in Philosophie and in Divinitie and if a death then consequently a resurrection too Every great and notable change of our course of life whereby we are not now any longer the same men that before we were be it from worse to better or from better to worse is a morall death A morall death to that we change from and a morall resurrection to that we change to If we change to the better that is sinn's death if we alter to the worse that is sinn's resurrection when we commit sinne we die we are dead in sinne when we repent we revive againe when we repent our selves of our repenting and relapse back then sinne riseth againe from the dead and so toties quoties And even upon these two as two hinges turneth our whole life All our life is spent in one of them Now then that we be not all our life long thus off and on fast or loose â— And that once for all in docke out nettle and in nettle out docke it will behoove us once more yet to looke backe upon our similiter vos even upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semel
would be layd up well That which is sowen riseth up in the spring that which sleepeth in the morning So conceive of the change wrought in our nature that feast of first fruits by CHRIST our first fruits Neither perish neither that which is sowen though it rott nor they that sleepe though they lye as dead for the time Both that shall spring and these wake well againe Therefore as men sowe not grudgingly nor lye downe at night unwillingly no more must we seeing by vertue of this Feast we are now Dormientes not mortui now not as stones but as fruits of the earth whereof one hath an annuall the other a diurnall resurrection This for the first fruits and the change by them wrought There is a good analogie or correspondence betweene these III. The ground of our hope it cannot be denied To this question Can one man's resurrection worke upon all the rest it is a good answer Why not as well as one sheafe upon the whole harvest This Simile serves well to shew it To shew but not prove Symbolicall Divinitie is good but might we see it in the rationall too We may see it in the cause no lesse in the substance and let the ceremonie goe This I called the Ground of our hope Why saith the Apostle should this of the first fruits seeme strange to you that by one mans resurrection we should rise all seeing by one mans death we die all By one man saith he Rom. 5.12 sinne entred into the world and by sinne death to which sinne we were no parties and yet we all die because we are of the same nature whereof he the first person Death came so certainely and it is good reason life should doe so likewise To this question Can the resurrection of one a thousand sixe hundred yeares agoe be the cause of our rising it is a good answer Why not as well as the death of one five thousand sixe hundred yeares ago be the cause of our dying The ground and reason is that there is like ground and reason of both The wisest way it is if Wisedome can contrive it that a person be cured by Mithridate made of the very flesh of the viper bruised whence the poison came that so that which brought the mischiefe might minister also the remedie The most powerfull way it is if Power can effect it to make strength appeare in weakenesse and that He that overcame should by the nature which He overcame be swallowed up in victorie The best way it is if Goodnesse will admit of it that as next to Sathan man to man oweth his destruction so next to GOD man to man might be debtor of his recoverie So agreeable it is to the Power Wisedome and Goodnesse of GOD this the three Attributes of the Blessed and Glorious Trinitie And let Iustice weigh it in her ballance no iust exception can be taken to it no not by Iustice it selfe that as death came so should life too the same way at least More favour for life if it may be but in very rigour the same at the least According then to the very exact rule of Iustice both are to be alike If by man one by man the other We dwell too long in generalities Let us draw neerer to the persons themselves in whom we shall see this better In them all answer exactly word for word Adam is fallen and become the first fruits of them that die CHRIST is risen and became the first fruits of them that live for they that sleepe live Or you may if you please keepe the same terme in both thus Adam is risen as we vse to call rebellions risings He did rise against GOD by Eritis sicut Dij Gen 3.6 He had never fallen if he had not thus risen His rising was his fall We are now come to the two great Persons that are the two great Authors of the two great matters in this world life and death Not either to themselves and none els but as two Heads two Roots two first fruits either of them in reference to his companie whom they stand for And of these two hold the two great Corpâ—rations 1 Of them that die they are Adam's 2 Of them that sleepe and shall rise that is CHRIST ' s. To come then to the particular No reason in the world that Adam's transgression should draw us all downe to death onely for that we were of the same lump and that CHRIST 's righteousnesse should not be availeable to raise us up againe to life being of the same sheaves whereof He the first fruits no lesse then before of Adam Looke to the things Death and Life Weakenesse is the cause of death Raising to life commeth of Power 2. Cor. 13.4 Shall there be in Weakenesse more strength to hurt then in Power to do us good Looke to the Persons Adam and CHRIST shall Adam being but a living soule Ver. 45.47 infect us more strongly then Christ a quickning spirit can heale us againe Nay then Adam was but from the earth earthly CHRIST the LORD from heaven Shall earth doe that which heaven cannot vndoe Never it cannot be Sicut Sic As and So so runne the termes But the Apostle in Rom. 5. where he handleth this very point tells us plainly Non sicut delictum Rom. 5.15 ita donum Not as the fault so the Grace Nor as the fall so the Rising but the Grace and the Rising much more abundant It seemeth to be A pari it is not indeed It is under value Great odds between the Persons the Things the powers and the meanes of them Thus then meet it should be Let us see how it was Heer againe the very termes give us great light We are saith he restored Restoring doth alwaies presuppose an attainder going before and so the terme significant For the nature of attainder is One person maketh the fault but it taints his blood and all his posteritie The a Heb. 9.27 Apostle saith that a Statute there is All men should dye But when we go to search for it we can finde none but b Gen. 3.19 Pulvis es wherin onely Adam is mentioned and so none die but he But even by that Statute death goeth over all men even those saith Saint Paul that have not sinned after the like manner of transgression of Adam By what law By the law of Attainders The Restoring then likewise was to come and did come after the same manner as did the attainders That by the first this by the second Adam so He is called Ver. 45. Lev. 18.5 There was a Statute concerning GOD 's commaundements qui fecerit ea vivet in eis He that observed the commaundements should live by that his obedience Death should not seise on him CHRIST did observe them exactly therefore should not have beene seised on by death should not but was and that seisure of his was deathe's forfeiture The laying of the former Statute on
that He had made And it was a conveniencie that He should and it was an inducement that He would vndertake the businesse and go through with it 2. What Christ is to us All this He is in Himselfe Yet not so but in all His splendor and glorie He mindeth us And that so as He is desirous to bring us to the ioynt partaking of His inheritance as Sonne of His glorie as the Brightnesse yea of the very Divine nature as the Character of His Substance The ground whereof is laid in quem fecit haeredem whom He made heire and that was as man For per quem fecit we said is GOD Quem fecit is man 1 He is made Heire Made him heire Heires are either borne or made So borne by nature or so made by purchase He was His Sonne and His onely Sonne and so borne His heire He was borne and yet He would be made There is a mysterie in this we are to looke to it It will fall out to concerne us Heire borne He was and so claimeth all as His inheritance by due of birth-right But it is further heer said He was made what meanes this Quem fecit Nay quem genuit That is true But quem fecit is true likewise Fecit haeredem qui prius fuit haeres So borne and so made too Haeres natus and haeres factus So commeth He to a double right two titles How so He needed but one He would have two To what end Not for Himselfe for Himselfe one was enough Beliâ—e His meaning was to have two that He might set over one to some body els There is the point He was borne Heire for Himselfe but made heire for us Haeres natus that serveth Him that He reteines to Himselfe Haeres factus that He disposeth of to us By this we hold euen by Quem fecit that is our tenure and best hope He is and ever was in the bosome of His Father as haeres natus He now is but on our behalfe and to our behoofe at the right hand of His Father as Haeres factus And now followeth He purged our sinnes â— He purgeth our sinnes For He could not bring us to sit with Him in His throne thus purchased being so spotted and foule as we were by meanes of the pollution of our sinnes He was then to purge and make cleane our Nature first that He might exalt it to partake His purchase being so clensed Where first our case is set downe wherein He found us and wherein we are without Him A sinners case how gloriously soever he or she glister in the eyes of men being in GODS eyes as the case of a foule diseased person And we thereby taught so to conceive of sinnes as of foule Spots without or of such humours within as go from us 2 Cor. 7.1 by purging Inquinamenta carnis Spiritus as Saint Paul termes them right defiling both flesh and Spirit which vnlesse they be purged there is no entring into the heavenly Ierusalem where the throne is into which nihil inquinatum Apoc. 21.27 no polluted thing shall ever enter Exalt us He could not being in that plight for love or pitie therefore purge us He would And heer now is the topp or highest point of elevation in this Text. Who being the Brightnesse or though He were the Brightnesse that is a Partie so excellent in Nature Glorie Person and Power Nature as Sonne Glorie as Brightnesse Person as Character Power as maker and supporter of all who though He were all this did not abhorre to come and visit us being in that foule and wretched case This will teach us Psal 84. Luk. â— 78 Domine quid est homo what is man that Thou shouldest visit him Visit him not as the day-spring from an high doth the earth but visit him as if a great Prince should go into an Hospitall to visit and looke on a lothsome diseased creature 2 And not onely visit him but not refuse the base office to looke to his purging from that his vncleannesse 3 And thirdly not cause it to be done by another but to come and do it in Semetipso by his owne selfe in person 4 And fourthly in doing not to stand by and prescribe but Himselfe to minister and make the medicine 5. And fiftly to make it Himselfe and make it of Himselfe in semetipso and de semetipso to make the medicine and be the medicine 6. And how or of what Spots will out with water Some will not with any thing but with blood Without shedding of blood there is no taking away Sinne as Chap. IX v. 22. And not every blood will serve but it must be lambs blood And a lambe 1. Pet. 1.19 without spot And not every lamb neither but the Lamb of GOD or to speake plainely a Lamb that is GOD His blood and nothing els will serve to do this Ioh. 1.29 7. And seventhly not any blood of His not of a veine one may live still for all that but His best most pretious His heart blood which bringeth certaine death with it With that blood He was to make the medicine Dy He must and His side be opened that there might issue both the water and the blood that was to be the Ingredients of it By Himself His own selfe and by Himselfe slaine by His death and by His blood-shedding and by no other meanes Quis audivit talia The Physitian slaine and of his flesh and blood a receipt made that the patient might recover And now we may be at our choise whither we will conceive of sinne as of some outward soile in the soule And then the purging of it to be per viam balnei needs a bath with some cleansing ingredients as the Prophet speakes of the herb Borith Ier. 2.22 And this way purged He us made a bath of the water that came out of His side to that end opened Zach. 11.1 that from thence might flow a fountaine for sinne and for vncleannesse Zach. 11 1. Water and mixed with His blood as forcible to take out the steines of the soule as any herb Borith in the world to take away the soile of the skinne Or whither we will conceive of sinne as of some inward pestilent humour in the soule and conscience casting us into perill of mortall or rather immortall death Then the purging of us to be by way of some Electuarie or Potion And so He purgeth our sinnes too To that end He hath made an Electuarie of His owne bodie Take Mat 26.26.27 eate it and tempered a cup with His owne blood Drink ye all of it which by the operation of His eternall Spirit in it Heb. 9.14 is able effectually to purge the conscience from dead works or actuall sinnes and from the deadly effect of them No balsame or medicine in the world like it The Summe of all is There be two defiling sinnes and two waies He purgeth
Placard then an Inhibition to sinne A thing so common that it made the Heathen man hold that betweene Militia and Malitia there was as little difference in sense as in sound And the Prophet DAVID to call Saul's Companies in his daies 2. Sam. 22.5 Torrentes Belial the Land-flouds of wickednesse Which being well considered we may cease to murmure or to mervaile if our going forth have not beene ever with such successe as we wished GOD who should give the successe commanding then a restraint and man that should need it then taking most liberty Verily if we will learne of GOD if He shall teach us Sinne is never so vntimely as in the time of Warre never so out of season as then for that is the time of all times we should have least to doe with it To insist then a little upon this point because it is the maine point and to shew the vigor of this consequent 1. From the very nature of Warre first Which is an act of Iustice and of Iustice corrective whose office is to punish sinne Now then consider and iudge even in reason What a thing this is how great grosse and foule an incongruitie it is to powre out our selves into sinne at the very time when we goe forth to correct sinne To set forth to punish rebells when we our selves are in rebellion against GOD His Word and Spirit Which what is it but to cast out divells by the power of Belzebub Sure our hearts must needs strike us in the middest of our sinne Matt. 12.24 and tell us we are in a great and grievous prevarication allowing that in our selves that we goe to condemne and to stone to death in others Therefore since to goe to Warre is to goe to punish sinne Certainely the time of punishing sinne is not a time to sinne in 2. Secondly from Warre in respect of GOD. I know not what we reckon of Warre Peace is His blessing we are sure and a speciall favour it is from Him as the Prophets account it for a land to spend more yron in scithes and plough-shares then in sword-blades or speare-heads And if peace be a blessing and a chiefe of His blessings we may deduce from thence what Warre is To make no otherwise of it then it is the rodd of GOD's wrath as Esay termeth it Esay 10.5 Am â— 3 Ier. 50.23 2. Sam. 2.14 his yron staile as Amos the hammer of the earth as Ieremie whereby He dasheth two Nations together One of them must in peecâ—s both the verse for it Warre is no matter of sport Indeed I see Abner esteeme of it as of a sport Let the young men rise saith he to Ioab and shew us some spoâ—t But I see the same Abner before the end of the same Chapter wearie of his sport and treating with Ioab for an end of it Verse 26. How long shall the sword devoure saith he shall it not be bitternesse in the end So it may be sport in the beginning it will be biternesse in the end if it hold long Warre then being GOD's rod His fearefull rod and that so 〈◊〉 that King Daviâ— though a Warrâ—â—â— to when both were in his choise preferred the Plague before it and desired it of the â—waine When GOD's hand with this 〈◊〉 thiâ— His fearefull rod is â—ver 〈◊〉 to be so farre from feare and all due regard as then not to 〈…〉 any whiâ—â—he more but to fall to iâ— as fast as ever it cannot be but a high contempt yea a kind of defiance and despite then to doe it Doe we provoke the LORD to anger are we stronger then He Then since Warre is GOD's rod 2. Cor. 10.22 choose some other time vnder the rod sinne not then forbeare it Certainely that time is no time to sinne 3. The rather for that sinne it is and the not keeping from sinne but our keeping to it and with it that hath made this rodd and put it into His hand For sure it is that for the transgression of a people GOD suffereth these divisions of Reuben within GOD stirreth up the spirit of Princes abroad to take peace from the earth thereby to chasten men by paring the growth of their wealth with this His hired razor by wasting their strong men the hand of the enemies eating them up by making widdowes and fatherlesse children by other like consequents of Warre If then our sinnes common unto us with other nations and that Our Vnthankfullnesse peculiar to us alone have brought all this upon us if this enemie have stirred up these enemies if Warre be the sicknesse and sinne the surfeit should we not at least-wise now while the shivering fit of our sinnes is upon us diet our selves a little and keepe some order but drinke iniquitie as water and distemper our selves as though we were in perfect state of health Shall we make our disease desperate and hasten our ruine by not conteining from sinne that hath cast us in it Know we what time this is Is this a time of sinne Certainely we cannot devise a worse In the time of Warre it is high time to keepe us from sinne 4. But above all which will touch us neerest and therefore againe and againe must be told us over that the safe and speedie comming againe of them that now goe forth whose prosperitie we are to seeke with all our possible endevours that their good speed dependeth upon GOD's going forth with them And GOD's going or staying dependeth very much upon this point Most certaine it is the event of Warre is most vncertaine When Benhadad went forth with an armie that the dust of Samaria was not enough to give every one in his campe a handfull it was told him and he found it true Ne glorietur accinctus c. He that backleth on his armor must not boast 1. King 2â— 11 as he that putts it of They that fight can hardly sett downe what name the place shall have that they fight in It may be the valley of Anchor that is sorrow by reason of a soyle Ios 7.26 as that of Iosua 2 Chr. 20.26 It may be the valley of Beracha that is blessing by meanes of a victorie as that of Iosaphat All is as GOD is and as He will have it a Psal. 44.6.20.7 Once b Pro. 21 31. twise and c 2. Chr. 20.15 thrise by David by Salomon by Iosaphat we are told it that It is neither sword nor bowe It is neither Chariot nor horse It is neither multitude nor valour of an Host will serve But that the battaile is GOD's and He giveth the upper hand We need not be perswaded of this we all are perswaded I hope and we say with Moses If thy Presence goe not with us carrie us not hence Then if we shall need GOD's favour and helpe in prospering our iourney and to make that sure which is so vncertaine it will stand us in hand to make sure of Him
for it bruises as a fall for it bringeth downe as a fall downe from the state of Paradise downe to the dust of death downe to the barre of iudgement downe to the pitt of hell Againe Men turne when they erre And sinne is an error Nonne errant omnes c saith Salomon make you any doubt of it I doe not No sure an error it is Prov. 14.22 What can be greater then to goe in the wayes of wickednesse they should not and come to the end of miserie they would not It is then a fall and an error Vpon which he ioyneth issue and inferreth the fifth verse Quare ergo and why then If there be no people so sottish that when they fall will lie still or when they erre goe on still why doe this people that which no people els will doe Nay seeing they themselves if they be downe gett up and if astray turne backe how commeth it to passe it holds not heere to That heere they fall and rise not stray and returne not Fall and stray peccando and not rise and returne poenitendo Will every people and not they Nay will they every where els and not heer Everie where els will they rise if they fall and turne againe if they turne away and heere onely heere will they fall and not rise turne away and not turne againe In every fall in every error of the feet to doe it and to do it of our selves and in that fall and that error which toucheth GOD and our soules by no meanes by no entreatie to be got to do it What dealing call you this Yet this is their strange dealing saith the LORD Both theirs and ours Which GOD wonders at and complaineth of and who can complaine of His wondering or wonder at His complaining But what speake we of a fall or an error There is a word in the fifth verse the word of rebellion maketh it yet more greevous For it is as if he should say I would it were nothing but a fall or turning away I would it were not a fall or turning away into a rebellion Nay I would it were but that but rebellion and not a perpetuall rebellion But it is both and that is it which I complaine of There is Sinne a fall men fall against their wills that is sinne of infirmitie There is Sinne an Error men erre from the way of ignorance that is sinne of ignorance The one for want of power The other for lack of skill But rebellion the third kind that hatefull sinne of rebellion can neither pretend ignorance nor plead infirmitie for wittingly they revolt from their knowne allegiance and wilfully sett themselves against their lawfull Soveraigne That is the sinne of malice Take all together Sinne a fall an error a rebellion We see sinne aboundeth will you see how grace over-aboundeth Yet not such a fall but we may be raised nor such a departure but there is place left to returne no nor such a rebellion but if it sue for may hope for a pardon For behold He even He that GOD from whom we thus fall depart revolt reacheth His hand to them that fall turneth not away from them that turne to Him is readie to receive to grace them even them that rebelled against Him It is so for He speaketh to them treateth with them asketh of them why they will not rise retire submit themselves Which is more yet If ye marke He doth not complaine and challenge them for any of all those three for falling straying or for rebelling The point he presseth is not our falling but our lying still not our departing but our not returning nor our breaking of but our holding out It is not why fall or stray or revolt But why rise ye not Returne ye not Submit ye not your selves Thus might He have framed his interrogatories Shall they fall and not stand He doth not but thus Shall they fall and not rise Shall they turne from the right and not keepe it No But shall they turne from it and not turne to it As much to say as Be it you have fallen yet lie not still erred yet goe not on Sinned yet continue not in sinne and neither your fall error nor sinne erunt vobis in scandalum shall be your destruction or doe you hurt Nay which is farther and that beyond all It is not these neither though this be wrong enough yet upon the point this is not the verie matter Neither our lying still nor our going on nor standing out so they have an end they all and every of them may have hope Perpetuall is the word and Perpetuall is the thing Not why these any of these or all of these but why these perpetuall To doe thus to doe it and never leave doing it To make no end of sinne but our own end To make a perpetuitie of sinne Never to rise returne repent for repentance is opposite not to sinne but to the continuance of it that is the point In sinne are these 1 The fall 2 The relapse 3 The wallow it is none of these It is not falling not though it be recidiva peccati often relapsing It is not lying still not though it be Volutabrum peccati the wallowe It is none of all these It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the never ceasing the perpetuitie the impenitencie of sinne To speake of sinne that is the sinne out of measure sinfull that is the offense that not onely maketh culpable but leaveth inexcusable That fall is not ADAM'S but LVCIFER'S fall not to erre but to perish from the right way not SHEMEI'S rebellion but the very Apostasie and gainsaying of COREH This then to add sinne to sinne to multiplie sinne by sinne to make it infinite to eternize it as much as in us lyeth that is it to which GOD crieth O quare Why doe you so Why perpetuall Why perpetuall Indeed why For it would pose the best of us to finde out the Quare a true cause or reason for our doing Before shew but an example Now heere shew but a reason and carie it But they can shew no reason why they will not It were to be wished we would repent or shew good cause to the contrarie But as before we violate our owne custome so heer we abandon reason we throw them both to the ground order and reason and stampe upon them both when we make perpetuities Verily true cause or good reason there is none Being called to shew cause why They tell not we see they stand mute they cannot tell why GOD himselfe is faigne to tell them Why all the cause that is is in the latter part of the verse Apprehenderunt c. that is some Non causa pro causâ some lye or other they lay hold of or els they would returne and not thus continue in it To flatter it selfe that it may not repent Mentita est iniquitas sibi saith the Psalmist Psal. 26.12 Sinne doth even coosen it selfe telling a
for the truth is we fast not at all But when we fast all this is kept That if this should be the meaning we have done before we beginne To destroy a Text is not so evill as to make a Text destroy it selfe which by this sense will come to passe But if this sense be senselesse this glosse as a viper eats out the bowells of the Text. We must then resolve this is no case putt it is a ground layd No Hypotheticall fast If you shall but Categoricall when you doe For except it be all that followes is to no purpose To what purpose is it to direct what not to doe what to doe in our fast if we never meane to fast for CHRIST to sett us downe instructions how to carrie our selves in that we never meane to goe about Plaine dealing were to tell Him we will vse his counsell in some other matter as for fasting we find our selves no waies disposed to it But by the grace of GOD we are not so farr gone yet We see His will is we should doe it and take a time to doe it we will and when is that When ye fast when fast ye A time we said there is if for all things vnder the Sunne then for that Let us speake but after the manner of men goe to it but naturâ tenus as saith Tertullian and nature it selfe will reach us when Marke but when nature will yield to it when and in what case the naturall man will fast without eye to GOD or CHRIST or Religion at all So shall we be within the Apostle's Doth not Nature it selfe teach you 1. Cor. 11.14 The time of feare is a time of fasting with the naturall man 1. Natures time 1 When in feare Nec est cibi tempus in 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in time of danger men have no mind of meat They in the ship with Saint 〈…〉 they looked every 〈◊〉 be call away the tempest was such there was saith Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no spending of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 all that while Will we naturally 〈…〉 of the â—racâ— of our ship and â—or be afraid as much of the wrack of our soules by sinne 〈…〉 for that Doth not nature teach us this There is one when 2. When in griefe When the 〈◊〉 man is in any inward griefe of heart it will take away his stomach he will fast 〈◊〉 or sequela 〈◊〉 vt taetitiae accessio fagina saith Tertullian fasting followeth mourning as feasting doth mirth The a Eccle. 3.4 time of mourning is one of Salomon's 〈◊〉 Why that is our time of fasting b Ioel. 4.12 Fasting and mourning Ioel joynes them both The afflicted soule in his prayer Psal. 102.4 My heart was smitten with heavinesse how then So that I forgat to eate my bread Our SAVIOVR CHRIST shewes iâ— best He was asked Why fast not your Disciples He answers not How can they fast as he should for that was their question but how * c. 9.14 c. can they mourne while the Bridegroome is with them As much to say as if they could mourne they would nor faile but fast certainely So we see did Anna c 1. Sam. 1.10.15 Flebat non capiebat cibos So we see did d 2. Sam. 1 12.15 David for the death of Ionathan and againe when his child lay a dying mourned and fasted for both Vpon sorrow for the death of a friend or a child can we fast then dictante naturá and can we not doe as much for our sinnes the death of our soules Doth not Nature teach us that Nor for the death of CHRIST neither which our sinnes were the cause of There is another a second when 3. When 〈◊〉 Thirdly Anger him throughly the naturall will to his fast * 1. King 21.4 Ahab for curst heart that he could not have his will Naboth would not let him have his vineyard to bedd he goes and no meate would downe with him Could he out of his pure naturalls for curst heart leave his meat and fast and cannot we doe the like for iust indignation at our selves for provoking GOD 's anger with the cursed thoughts of our heart and words of our mouth and deeds of our whole body cannot we be got to it Will not nature teach us this A third when 4. When in a longing desire Fourthly The naturall man when he is in the fervor of his desire if it be an earnest desire he will pursue that he desires so hard as he will forget his meate quite Not a man so hardy as to eat any thing till Sun sett saith Saul when he had his enemies in chase Such was his desire of victorie 1. Sam. 14.24 What speake we of victorie we see Esau so eager in following his sport that he came home at night so faint as he paid deare for his Supper yet felt it not all day while he was hote on his game Did we hunger and thirst for the recoverie of GOD 's favour as did Saul for his victorie or Esau for his sport we would not thinke it much to fast as they did Will not Nature teach us this neither A fourth when Put the naturall man into any of these passions kindly you shall need proclaime no fast for him he will doe it of himselfe Now marke these foure well 1 feare 2 sorrow 3 anger and 4 desire and looke into 2. Cor. 7.11 if they be not there made as it were the foure elements of repentance the constitutive causes of it 1 Feare the middle point the center of it 2 Sorrow that workes it And if sory for sinne then of necessity 3 Angry with the sinner that is our selves for committing it It is there called indignation and no sleight one but proceeding ad vindictam to be wreaked on our selves for it 4 And Desire is there too and Zeale joyned with it to give it an edge These foure the proper passions all of repentance and these foure carry every one as we say his fast on his back Much more where they all meet as in true earnest repentance they all should It is sure GOD planted these passions in our nature to be bestowed chiefly upon their chiefe objects And their chiefe objects are 1 Of feare that which is most fearefull the wrath of GOD. 2 Of Anger that which most certainely procureth it that is our sinne 3 Of Desâ—â—e that then which nothing is more to be desired GOD 's favour 4 Of Sorrow that we have most cause to be sâ—rie for the losse of it There then to shew them there to bestow theâ— which if we did in kind we need never take thought for a Cum to our jejunatis For griefe of heart for worldly losse for bodily feare of drowning for bitter anger we can doe 〈…〉 for griefe of our grievous offenses for feare of being drowned in perdition aeternall why not for indignation of our many indignities offered GOD Alas it but shews out affections
asketh S. Philip I pray thee Of whom speaketh the Prophet this Act 8 3â— of himselfe or some other A question verie materiall and to great good purpose and to be asked by us in all Propheciâ—s For knowing who the Partie is we shall not wander in the Propheâ—'s meaning Now if the Eunuch had been reading this of Zâ—â—hâ—rie as then he was that of Esai and had asked the same question of S. Philip he would have made the same answere And as he out of those words tooke occasion so may we out of these take the like to preach IESVS unto them For neither of himselfe nor of any other but of IESVS speaketh the Prophet this and the testimonie of IESVS is the Spirit of this Prophecie Apoâ— 1â— â—â— That so it is the Holy Ghost is our warrant who in S. Iohn's Gospell reporting the Passion and the last act of the Passion this opening of the side and piercing the heart of our Saviour CHRIST saith plainly that in the piercing the very words of the Prophecie were fulfilled Respicient in me quem transfixerunt Ioh. 19.37 Which terme of piercing we shall the more clearely conceive if with the ancient Writers we sort it with the beginning of Psalme 22 the Psalme of the Passion For in the verie front or inscription of this Psalme our Saviour CHRIST is compared Cervo matutino to the morning Hart that is a Hart rowsed early in the morning as from his very birth he was by Herod hunted and chased all his life long and this day brought to his end and as the poore Deere stricken and pierced thorough side heart and all which is it we are here willed to behold There is no part of the whole course of our Saviour CHRIST 's life or death but it is well worthy our looking on and from each part in it there goeth vertue to do us good But of all other parts and above them all this last part of his piercing is here commended unto our view Indeed how could the Prophet commend it more then in avowing it to be an act of grace as in the fore-part of this Verse he doth Effundam super eos spiritum Gratiae respicient c as if he should say If there be any grace in us we will thinke it worth the looking on Neither doth the Prophet onely but the Apostle also call us unto it Heb. 12.2 and willeth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to looke unto and regard IESVS the Author and Finisher of our faith Then specially and in that act when for the Ioy of our Salvation set before Him He endured the Crosse and despised the shame that is in this spectacle when He was pierced Which surely is continually all our life long to be done by us and at all times some time to be spared unto it But if at other times most requisite at this time this very day which we hold holy to the memorie of his Passion and the piercing of His precious side That though on other dayes we employ our eyes otherwise this day at least we fixe them on this object Respiciâ—ntes in Eum. This day I say which is dedicated to none other end â— Ioh. 3.14 but even to lift up the Sonne of man as Moses did the serpent in the wildernesse that we may looke upon Him and live When every Scripture that is read soundeth nothing but this unto us when by the office of preaching IESVS CHRIST is lively described in our sight and as the Apostle speaketh is visibly crucified among us Gal. 3.1 when in the memoriall of the holy Sacrament His death is shewed forth untill He come 1. Coâ—â—1 26. and the mysterie of this His piercing so many waies so effectually represented before us This Prophecie therfore if at any time at this time to take place Respicient in Me c. The Division The principall words are but two and set downe unto us in two points 1 The sight it selfe that is the thing to be seene 2 and the sight of it that is the act of seeing or looking Quem transfixerunt is the Object or spectacle propounded Respicient in Eum is the Act or duety enjoined Of which the Obiect though in place latter in nature is the former and first to be handled for that there must be a thing first set up before we can set our eyes to looke upon it OF the Object generally first Certaine it is I. The sight or obiect generally 1. CHRIST that CHRIST is here meant Saint Iohn hath put us out of doubt for that point And Zacharie here could have set downe His name and said Respice in Christum for Daniel before had named his name Dan. 9 26. Occidetur MESSIAS and Zacharie being after him in time might have easily repeated it But it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to Him rather to use a circumlocution and suppressing His name of CHRIST to expresse Him by the stile or terme Quem transfixerunt Which being done by choise must needes have a reason of the doing and so it hath First the better to specifie and particularize the Person of CHRIST by the kind and most peculiar circumstance of his death Esay had said Morietur Dye He shall and lay downe His soule an offering for sinne Esa. 53.10 2. Die but what Death a naturall or a violent Daniel tells us Dan 9.26 Occîdetur He shall die not a naturall but a violent death 3 But many are slaine after many sorts and divers kinds there be of violent deaths The Psalmist the more particularly to set it downe describeth it thus Psal. 22.10 They pierced my hands and my feet which is onely proper to the death of the Crosse. 4 Die and be slaine and be crucified But sundry els were crucified and therefore the Prophet heere to make up all addeth that he should not onely be crucifixus but transfixus not onely have his hands and his feet but even his heart pierced too Which very note severs Him from all the rest with as great a particularitie as may be for that though many besides at other times and some at the same time with Him were crucified yet the side and the heart of none was opened but His and His onely 2. Secondly as to specifie CHRIST himselfe in person and to sever him from the rest so in CHRIST himselfe and in his Person 2. CHRIST pierced to sever from the rest of his doings and sufferings what that is that chiefly concerneth us and we specially are to looke to and that is this daies worke CHRIST PIERCED S. Paul doth best expresse this I esteemed saith he to know nothing among you save IESVS CHRIST and Him crucified That is the perfection of our knowledge is CHRIST 1. Cor. 2. â— The perfection of our knowledge in or touching CHRIST is the knowledge of Christ's piercing This is the chiefe Sight Nay as it shall after appeare in this sight
and as much as in us lies Heb. 6.6 even crucifie afresh the SONNE OF GOD making a mocke of Him and His piercings These I say for these all and every of them in that instant were before his eyes must of force enter into and go thorow and thorow his Soule and Spirit that what with those former sorrowes and what with these after indignities the Prophet might truly say of Him and he of himselfe In Me Vpon Me not whose body or whose soule but whom entirely and wholly both in body and soule alive and dead they have pierced and passioned this day on the Crosse. 2. The Person à quibus Of the Persons which as it is necessarily implied in the word is very properly incident to the matter it selfe For it is usuall when one is found slaine as heere to make inquirie by whom he came by his death Which so much the rather is to be done by us because there is commonly an error in the world touching the Parties that were the causes of CHRIST 's death Our manner is either to lay it on the Souldiers that were the Instruments Or if not upon them upon Pilate and Iudge that gave sentence Or if not upon him upon the people that importuned the Iudge Or lastly if not upon them upon the Elders of the Iewes that animated the People And this is all to be found by our Quest of Inquirie But the Prophet heere inditeth others For by saying They shall looke c whom They have pierced he entendeth by very construction that the first and second They are not two but one and the same Parties And that they that are here willed to looke upon him are they and none other that were the authors of this fact even of the murther of IESVS CHRIST And to say truth the Prophet's entent is no other but to bring the malefactors themselves that pierced Him to view the body and the wounded heart of Him whom they have so pierced In the course of Iustice we say and say truly when a party is put to death that the Executioner cannot be said to be the cause of his death nor the Sherif by whose commandement he doth it neither yet the Iudge by whose sentence nor the Twelve men by whose verdict nor the Lawe it selfe by whose authoritie it is proceeded in For GOD forbid we should endite these or any of these of murther Solum peccatum homicida Sinne and Sinne onely is the murtherer Sinne I say either of the Party that suffereth or of some other by whose meanes or for whose cause he is put to death Now CHRIST 's owne sinne it was not that he died for That is most evident Not so much by His owne challenge Ioh. 8·46 Quis ex vobis a guit me de peccato as by the report of his Iudge who openly professed that he had examined Him and found no fault in Him No nor yet Herod for Luc. 23.14 15. being sent to him and examined by him also nothing worthy death was found in Him And therefore calling for water and washing his hands Matt. 27.24 he protesteth his owne innocencie of the bloud of this IVST MAN Thereby pronouncing him Iust and void of any cause in himselfe of his owne death It must then necessarily be the sinne of some others for whose sake CHRIST IESVS was thus pierced And if we aske who those others be or whose sinnes they were the Prophet Esai tells us Esa. 53.3 4. Posuit super Eum iniquitates omnium nostrûm He laid upon Him the transgressions of us all who should even for those our many great and grievous transgressions have eternally been pierced in bodie and soule with torment and sorrowes of a never dying death had not he stept between us and the blow and receiv'd it in his owne body even the dint of the wrath of GOD to come upon us So that it was the sinne of our polluted hands that pierced his hands the swiftnesse of our feet to do evill that nailed His feet the wicked devises of our Heads that gored his head and the wretched desires of our hearts that pierced his heart We that looke upon it is we that pierced Him and it is we that pierced Him that are willed to looke upon Him Which bringeth it home to us to me my selfe that speake and to you your selves that heare and applieth it most effectually to every one of us who evidently seeing that we were the cause of this his piercing if our hearts be not too too hard ought to have remorse to be pierced with it When for delivering to DAVID a few loaves Ahimelech and the Priests were by Saul put to the sword if David did then acknowledge with griefe of heart and say I 1. Sam. 22.22 even I am the cause of the death of thâ— Father anâ— all his house when he was but onely the occasion of it and not that direct neither may not we nay ought not we much more juâ—â—ly and deservedly say of this piercing of CHRIST our Saviour that we verily even we are the cause thereof as verily we are even the principalls in this murther and the Iewes and others on whom we seeke to derive it but onely accessaries and instrumentall causes thereof Which point we ought as continually so seriously to thiâ—k of and that no lesse then the former The former to stirre up compassion in our selves over him that thus was pierced the latter to worke deâ—pâ— remorse in our hearts for being authors of it That he was pierced will make our bowells melt with compassion over CHRIST That he was pierced by us â—hat looke on Him if our hearts be not flint as Iob saith or as the nether mil-stone Iob. 41.15 will breed remorse over our selves wretched sinners as we are II. The Act. To looke upon Him The Act followeth in these words Respicient in Eum. A request most reasonable to looke upon Him but to looke upon Him to bestow but a looke and nothing els which even of common humanitie we cannot denie Quia non aspicere despicere est It argueth great contempt not to vouchsafe it the cast of our eye as if it were an Obiect utterly unworthy the looking toward Truely if we marke it well nature it selfe of it selfe enclineth to this act When Amasa treacherously was slaine by Ioab and lay weltring in his blood by the waies side the storie saith that not one of the whole Armie then marching by but when he came at him 2. Sam. 22.12 stood still and looked on him In the Gospell the party that going from Ierusalem to Iericho vvas spoiled and wounded and lay drawing on though the Priest and Levite that passed neere the place relieved him not as the Samaritan after did yet it is said of them Luc. 31 32. they went neere and looked on and then passed on their way Which desire is even naturall in us so that even Nature it selfe enclineth us to
satisfie the Prophet Nature doth and so doth Grace too For generally vve are bound to regard the worke of the LORD Psal 28.5 and to consider the operations of His hands and specially this vvork in comparison whereof GOD himselfe saith Esa. 43.18 the former workes of His shall not be remembred nor the things done of old once regarded Yea CHRIST himselfe pierced as he is inviteth us to it For in the Prophet heere it is not In cum but In me not on Him but on Me whom they have pierced But more fully in Ieremy for to CHRIST himselfe do all the ancient Writers apply and that most properly those words of the Lamentation Lam 1.12 Have ye no regard all ye that passe by this way Behold and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the LORD haâ—h afflicted me in the day of His fierce wrath Our owne profit which is wont to perswade vvell inviteth us for that Num 21.8 9. as from the brazen Serpent no vertue issued to heale but unto them that steddily bâ—held it so neither doth there from CHRIST but upon those that vvith the eye of faith have their contemplation on this object vvho thereby drawe life from him and vvithout it may and do perish for all CHRIST and his passion And if nothing els move us this last may even our danger For the time vvill come vvhen vve our selves shall desire that GOD looking with an angry countenance upon our sinnes vvould turne his face from them and us and looke upon the face of his CHRIST that is respicere in Eum which shall justly be then denied us if we our selves could never be gotten to do this duty respicere in Eum vvhen it was called for of us GOD shall not looke upon him at ours whom vve would not looke upon at his request In the Act it selfe are enjoined three things 1. That we do it with attention for it is not Me but in Me Not onely Vpon Him but Into Him 2. That we doe it oft againe and againe with iteration for Respicient is re-aspicient Not a single act but an act iterated 3. That we cause our nature to do it as it were by vertue of an Iniunction per actum elicitum as the Schoolmen call it For in the Originall it is in the commanding Coniunction that signifieth facient se respicere rather then Respicient First then not slightly superficially or perfunctorily but stedfastly 1 With Attention Respicient In Eum. and with due attention to looke upon Him And not to looke upon the out-side alone but to looke into the verie entrailes and with our eye to pierce him that was thus pierced In Eum beareth both 1. Vpon him if we looke we shall see so much as Pilate shewed of him Ecce Homo that He is a Man And if he were not a man but some other unreasonable creature it were great ruth to see him so handled 2. Among men we lesse pitie Malefactors and have most compassion on them that be innocent And he was innocent and deserved it not as you have heard his enemies themselves being his Iudges 3. Among those that be innocent the more noble the person the greater the griefe and the more heavy ever is the spectacle Now if we consider the Verse of this Text well we shall see it is GOD himselfe and no man that here speaketh for to GOD onely it belongeth to poure out the Spirit of grace it passeth mans reach to do it so that if we looke better upon him we shall see as much as the Centurion saw Matt. 27.54 that this partie thus pierced is the SONNE of GOD. The Sonne of GOD slaine Surely he that hath done this deed is the Child of death 2. Sam. 12.5.7 would every one of us say Et tu es homo Thou art the man would the Prophet answere us You are they for whose sinns the SONNE of GOD hath his very heart-bloud shed forth Which must needs strike into us remorse of a deeper degree then before That not onely it is we that have pierced the Partie thus found slaine but that this Partie whom we have thus pierced is not a principall person among the children of men but even the Onely begotten SONNE of the most High GOD which will make us crie out with S. Augustine O amaritudo peccati mei ad quam tollendam necessaria fuit amaritudo tanta Now sure deadly was the bitternesse of our sinnes that might not be cured but by the bitter death and blood-shedding passion of the Sonne of GOD. And this may we see looking upon Him But now then if we looke in Eum into Him we shall see yet a greater thing which may raise us in comfort as farre as the other cast us downe Even the bowels of compassion and tender love whereby he would and was content to suffer all this for our sakes For that whereas a Ioh. 10.18 no man had power to take His life from Him for he had power to have commanded b Matt 26.52 twelve Legions of Angells in his just defense and without any Angell at all power enough of himselfe with his c Ioh 18.6 Ego sum to strike them all to the ground He was content notwithstanding all this to lay downe His life for us sinners The greatnesse of which love passeth the greatest love that man hath for d Ioh. 15.13 greater love then this hath no man but to bestow his life for his friends whereas He condescended to lay it downe for His enemies Even for them that sought his death to lay downe his life and to have his bloodshed for them that did shed it to be pierced for his Piercers Look how the former In Eum worketh griefe considering the great iniuries offered to so great a Personage So to temper â—he griefe of it this latter In Eum giveth some comfort that so great a Person should so greatly love us as for our sakes to endure all those so many injuries even to the piercing of his very heart 2. With Iterasion Re-aspicient Secondly Respicient that is Re-aspicient Not once or twise but oftentimes to look upon it that is as the Prophet saith here iteratis vicibus to looke againe and againe Heb. 12 3. or as the Apostle saith Recogitare to thinke upon it over and over againe as it were to dwell in it for a time In a sort with the frequentnesse of this our beholding it to supply the weaknesse and want of our former attention Surely the more steadily and more often we shall fixe our eye upon it the more we shall be enured and being enured the more desire to doe it For at every looking some new sight will offer it selfe which will offer unto us occasion either of godly sorrow true repentance sound comfort or some other reflexion issuing from the beames of this heavenly mirror Which point because it is the chiefe
him the person of others and so doing Iustice may have her course and proceed Pitie it is to see a man pay that he never took but if he will become a Surety if he will take on him the person of the Debtor so he must Pitie to see a silly poore Lamb lie bleeding to death but if it must be a sacrifice such is the nature of a sacrifice so it must And so CHRIST though without sin in himselfe yet as a Surety as a Sacrifice may justly suffer for others if he will take upon him their persons and so GOD may iustly give way to his wrath against him Ours And who be those others The Prophet Esay telleth us and telleth it us seven times over for failing Esa. 53.4 5 6. He took upon Him our infirmities and bare our maladies He was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes were we healed All we as sheepe were gone astray and turned every man to his owne way and the LORD hath layd upon him the iniquity of us all All all even those that passe to and fro and for all this regard neither him nor his Passion The short is It was we that for our sinnes our many great and grievous sinnes Si fuerit sicut the like whereof never were should have swet this Sweat and have cried this Crie should have been smitten with these sorrowes by the fierce wrath of GOD had not he stept between the blow and us and latched it in his owne body and soule even the dint of the fiercenesse of the wrath of GOD. O the Non sicut of our sinnes that could not otherwise be answered To returne then a true verdict It is we we wretched sinners that we are that are to be found the principalls in this act and those on whom we seeke to shift it to derive it from our selves Pilate and Caiaphas and the rest but instrumentall causes only And it is not the executioner that killeth the man properly that is They No nor the Iudge which is GOD in this case Onely sinne Solum peccatum homicida est Sinne only is the murtherer to say the truth and our sinnes the murtherers of the SONNE of GOD and the Non sicut of them the true cause of the Non sicut both of GOD 's wrath and of his sorrowfull sufferings VVhich bringeth home this our text to us even into our owne bosomes and applieth it most effectually to me that speake and to you that heare to every one of us and that with the Prophet Nathan's application Tu es homo Thou art the Man even thou 2 Sam. 12.7 for whom GOD in his fierce wrath thus afflicted him Sinne then was the cause on our part Why we or some other for us But yet what was the cause why He on his part what was that Love of us that moved him thus to become our Surety and to take upon him our debt and danger that moved him thus to lay downe his Soule a sacrifice for our sinne Sure Oblatus est quia voluit saith Esay again Esa. 53 7. Offered he was for no other cause but because he would For unlesse he would he needed not Needed not for any necessity of Iustice for no Lamb was ever more innocent Nor for any necessity of constraint For twelve Legions of Angells were ready at his command but because he would And why would he No reason can be given but because he regarded us Marke that reason And what were we Verily utterly unworthy even his least regard not worth the taking up not worth the looking after Cum inimici essemus saith the Apostle we were his enemies Rom. 5.8 when he did it without all desert before and without all regard after he had done and suffered all this for us and yet he would Regard us that so little regard him For when he saw us a sort of forlorne sinners Non priùs natos quam damnatos Damned as fast as borne Eph. 2.3 as being by nature children of wrath and yet still heaping up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2 5. by the errors of our life till the time of our passing hence and then the fierce wrath of GOD ready to overwhelme us and to make us endure the terror and torments of a never-dying death another Non sicut yet When I say he saw us in this case he was moved with compassion over us and undertooke all this for us Even then in his love he regarded us and so regarded us that he regarded not himselfe to regard us Bernard saith most truly Dilexisti me Domine magis quà mte quando mori voluisti pro me In suffering all this for us thou shewedst LORD that we were more deare to thee that thou regardest us more then thine owne selfe And shall this Regard finde no regard at our hands It was Sinne then and the hainousnesse of sinn in us that provoked wrath and the fiercenesse of his wrath in GOD It was love and the greatnesse of his love in CHRIST that caused him to suffer the Sorrowes and the grieuousnes of these Sorrowes and all for our sakes And indeed but only to testifie the Non sicut of this his Love all this needed not that was done to him One any one even the very least of all the paines he endured had been enough enough in respect of the Meus enough in respect of the Non sicut of his Person For that which setteth the high price on this Sacrifice is this That he which offereth it unto GOD is GOD. But if little had been suffered little would the Love have been thought that suffered so little and as little regard would have been had of it To awake our regard then or to leave us excuselesse if we continue regardlesse all this he bare for us that he might as truely make a Case of Si fuerit Amor sicut Amor meus as he did before of Si fuerit Dolor sicut Dolor meus We say we will regard Love if we will heere it is to regard So have we the Causes all three 1 Wrath in GOD 2 Sinne in our selves 3 Love in Him Our Benefit by it Pertaines it not to us Yet have we not all we should For what of all this What good Cui bono That that is it indeed that we will regard if any thing as being matter of Benefit the only thing in a manner the world regardeth which bringeth us about to the very first words againe For the very first words which we reade Have ye no regard are in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lo alechem which the Seventy turne word for word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine likewise Nonne ad vos pertinet Pertaines it not to you that you regard it no better For these two Pertaining and Regarding are folded one in another and goe together so commonly as one is
once That is that we not only dye to sinne and live to GOD but dye and live as He did that is once for all which is an utter abandoning once of sinn's dominion and a continuall constant persisting in a good course once begoon Sinn 's dominion it languisheth sometimes in us and falleth haply into a 〈◊〉 but it dyeth not quite once for all Grace lifteth up the eye and looketh up a little and giveth some signe of life but never perfectly reviveth O that â—nce we might come to this No more deaths no more resurrections but one that we might â—nce make an end of our daily continuall recidivations to which we are so subiect and once get past these pangs and qualmes of godlinesse this righteousnesse like the morning cloud which is all we performe that we might grow habituate in grace radicati fundati rooted and founded in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steddie Ephes. 3.17 1. Cor. 15. vlt. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never to be remooved that so we might enter into and passe a good accompt of this our Similiter vos â— The Discharge and meanes of it Iâ— Iesus Christ our Lord. And thus are we come to the foot of our accompt which is our Onus or Charge Now we must thinke of our discharge to goe about it which maketh the last words no lesse necessarie for us to consider then all the rest For what is it in us or can we by our owne power and vertue make up this accompt We cannot saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 3.5 nay we cannot saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make accompt of any thing no not so much as of a good thought toward it as of our selves If any thinke otherwise let him but prove his owne strength a little what he can do he shall be so confounded in it as he shall change his minde saith Saint Augustine and see plainely the Apostle had reason to shut up all with In Christo Iesu Domino nostro otherwise our accompt will sticke in our hands Verily to raise a soule from the death of sinne is harder farr harder then to raise a dead bodie out of the dust of death Saint Augustine hath long since defined it that Marie Magdalen's resurrection in soule from her long lying dead in sinne was a greater miracle then her brother Lazaru's resurrection that had lyen foure daies in his grave If Lazarus lay dead before us we would never assay to raise him our selves we know we cannot doe it If we cannot raise Lazarus that is the easier of the twaine we shall never Marie Magdalen which is the harder by farre out of Him or without Him that raised them both But as out of Christ or without Christ we can doe nothing toward this accompt Not accomplish or bring to perfection but not do not any great or notable summe of it Ioh. 15.5 but nothing at all as saith Saint Augustine upon Sine me nihil potestit facere So in Him and with Him enhabling us to it we can thinke good thoughts speake good words and doe good workes and dye to sinne and live to GOD and all Omnia possum saith the Apostle Phil. 4.13 And enable us He will and can as not onely having passed the resurrection but being the resurrection it selfe not onely had the effect of it in himselfe but being the cause of it to us So He saith himselfe I am the resurrection Ioh. 11.25 and the life the resurrection to them that are dead in sinne to raise them from it and the life to them that live vnto GOD to preserve them in it Where beside the two former 1 the Article of the resurrection which we are to know 2 and the Example of the resurrection which we are to be like we come to the notice of a third thing even a vertue or power flowing from Christ's resurrection whereby we are made able to expresse our Similiter vos and to passe this our accompt of dying to sinne and living to GOD. It is in plaine words called by the Apostle himselfe virtus resurrectionis Phil. 3.10 the vertue of CHRIST 's resurrection issuing from it to us and he praieth that as he had a faith of the former so he may have a feeling of this and as of them he had a contemplative so he may of this have an experimentall knowledge This enhabling vertue proceedeth from Christ's resurrection For never let us thinke that if in the daies of His flesh there went vertue out from even the verie edge of his garment Luk. 8.46 to doe great cures as in the case of the woman with the bloudie issue we reade but that from His owne selfe and from those two most principall and powerfull actions of His owne selfe his 1 death and 2 resurrection there issueth a divine power from His death a power working on the old man or flesh to mortifie it from His resurrection a power working on the new man the Spirit to quicken it A power hable to râ—ll backe any stone of an evill custome lye it never so heavy on us a power hable to drie up any issue though it have runne upon us twelve yeare long And this power is nothing els but that divine qualitie of grace which we receive from Him 2. Cor. 6.1 Receive it from Him we doe certainely onely let us pray and 〈◊〉 ouâ— selâ—es that we receive it not in vaine the Holy Ghost by waies to flesh 〈…〉 vnknowne inspiring it as a breath distilling it as a dew deriving it as a secret inflâ—ence into the soule For if Philosophie grant an invisible operation in us to the câ—lestiall bodies much better may we yeeld it to His aeternall Spirit whereby 〈◊〉 a vertue or breath may proceed from it and be received of us Which breath or Spirit is drawen in by Prayer and such other exercises of devotion on our parts and on GOD 's part breathed in by and with the Word well therefore termed by the Apostle the Word of grace And I may safely say it Act. 20.32 with good warrant from those words especially and chiefly which as He himselfe saith of them are Spirit and Life even those words which ioyned to the element Ioh. 6.63 make the blessed Sacrament There was good proofe made of it this day All the way did He preach to them even till they came to Emmaus and their hearts were whot within them which was a good signe but their eyes were not opened but at the breaking of bread Luk. 24.31 and then they were That is the best and surest sense we know and therefore most to be accompted of There we tast and there we see Tast and see how gratious the Lord is Psal. 34.8 1. Cor. 12.18 Heb 13.9 Heb 9.14 There we are made to drinke of the Spirit There our hearts are strengthened and stablished with grace There is the bloud which shall purge our consciences from dead
CHRIST was the utter making it void So Iudgement was entred and an Act made CHRIST should be restored to life And because He came not for Himself but for us and in our name and stead did represent us and so we virtually in Him by His restoring we also were restored By the rule si Primitae tota conspersio sic as the First fruicts go Rom. 11.16 so goeth the whole lumpe as the Roote the branches And thus we have gotten life againe of mankind by passing this Act of Restitution whereby we have hope to be restored to life But life is a terme of latitude and admitteth a broad difference which it behooveth us much that we know Two lives there be In the holy Tongue the word which signifieth life is of the duall number to shew us there is a dualitie of lives that two there be and that we to have an eye to both It will helpe us to understand our Text. For all restored to life All to one not all to both The Apostle doth after at the 44 Verse expressly name them both 1 One a Naturall life or life by the living soule The other â— a Spirituall life or life by the quickening Spirit Of these two Adam at the time of his fall had the first of a living soule was seised of it and of him all mankind Christ and we all receive that life But the other the Spirituall which is the life cheifly to be accompted of that he then had not not actually Onely a possibilitie he had if he had held him in obedience and walked with GOD to have been translated to that other life For cleer it is the life which Angells now live with GOD and which we have hope and promise to live with Him Luc. 20.36 after our restoring when we shall be aequall to the Angells that life Adam at the time of his fall was not possessed of Now Adam by his fall fell from both forfeited both estates Not onely that he had in reversion by not fullfilling the conditions but even that he had in esse too For even on that also did Death seise after Et mortuus est CHRIST in his restitution to all the sonnes of Adam to all our whole nature restoreth the former therefore all have interest all shall partake that life What Adam actually had we shall actually have we shall all be restored To repaire our nature He came and repaire it He did all is given againe really that in Adam really we lost touching Nature So that by his fall no detriment at all that way The other the second that He restoreth too but not promiscuè as the former to all Why for Adam was never seised of it performed not that whereunto the possibilitie was annexed and so had in it but a defeicible estate But then by His speciall grace by a second peculiar act He hath enabled us to atteine the second estate also which Adam had onely a reversion of and lost by breaking of the condition whereto it was limited And so to this second restored so many as to vse the Apostle's words in the next verse are in Him that is so many as are not only of that masse or lump whereof Adam was the first fruits for they are interessed in the former onely but that are besides of the nova conspersio whereof CHRIST is the Primitiae a Ioh. 1.12 They that beleeve in Him saith Saint Iohn them He hath enabled b Ioh. 20.17 to them He hath given power to become the sonnes of GOD to whom therefore He saith this day rising Vado ad Patrem vestrum In which respect the Apostle calleth Him c Rom. 8.29 Primogenitum inter multos fratres Or to make the comparison even to those that are to speake but as d Esay 8. â—â— Esay speaketh of them His children Behold I and the the children GOD hath given me The terme He vseth Himselfe to them after His resurrection and calleth them Children And they as His familie take denomination of Him Christians of CHRIST Of these two lives the first we need take no thought for It shall be of all the vnjust as well as the iust The life of the living soule shall be to all restored All our thought is to be for the later how to have our part in that supernaturall life for that is indeed to be restored to life For the former though it carie the name of life yet it may well be disputed and is Whether it be rather a death then a life or a life then a death A life it is and not a life for it hath no living thing in it A death it is and not a death for it is an immortall death But most certaine it is call it life if you will they that shall live that life shall wish for death rather then it and this is the miserie not have their wish for death shall flie from them Out of this double life and double restoring there grow two Resurrections in the world to come set downe by our SAVIOVR in expresse termes Ioh. 5. â—9 Though both be to life yet 1 that is called condemnation to judgement and 2 this onely Heb. 11.35 to life Of these the Apostle calleth one the better resurrection the better beyond all comparison To atteine this then we bend all our endeavours that seeing the other will come of it selfe without taking any thought for it at all we may make sure of this To compasse that then we must be in CHRIST So it is in the next verse To all but to every one in order CHRIST first the first fruits and then they that be in Him Now He is in us by our flesh and we in Him by His Spirit and it standeth with good reason they that be restored to life should be restored to the Spirit For the Spirit is the cause of all life but specially of the Spirituall life which we seeke for His Spirit then we must possesse our selves of and we must doe that heere for it is but one and the same Spirit that raiseth our soules heere from the death of Sinne Rom. 8.11 and the same that shall raise our bodies there from the dust of death Of which Spirit there is first fruits to reteine the words of the Text and a fullnesse But the fullnesse in this life we shall never atteine Our highest degree heer is but to be of the number whereof he was that said Et nos habentes primitias Spiritus Rom. 8 23. These first fruits we first receive in our Baptisme which is to us Tit. 3.5 our Laver of regeneration and of our renewing by the holy Spirit where we are made and consecrate Primitiae Heb. 12.1 But as we need be restored to life so I doubt had we need to be restored to the Spirit too We are at many losses of it by this sinne that cleaveth so faâ—t to us I doubt it is with us as
there is for many doe but passe well over into the land of promise These foure Passe-overs it will not be amisse to thinke of And in all these need we not one to helpe us well through that these perills may well passe us over Need we not one that may make the redd sea passable for us that we may well come to the land of the living And now then tell we what is the summe of all our desires Is it not Bonum Pascha While we are heere the Destroyers may passe and when we goe hence we may well get over Is it no Sic transire transitoria vt transeundo perveniamus ad aeterna So to passe these transitorie things that we may well come to those that shall never passe A good Passe-over is our wish and against we shall need it a good one GOD send us Vpon the point if we weigh well Salus ipsa nihil est nisi Pascha The benefit of all benefits salvation it selfe is comprised in this word is nothing but a Passe-over As much in one word as the other transire à malo to be saved from evill transire ad bonum to be sett safe in good To these two may all be reduced This is all we need and all we seeke And this Parasceue or Preparation will set us in hand to seeke it Luk. 22.15 and make us say with our SAVIOVR desiderio desideravi vt c earnestly to desire to have our part in this Passe-over 3 Who it is The next point if we need one and if we desire one where shall we have one Quis revolvet nobis hunc lapidem Who will rolle us away this stone said the Women this day Mat. 16.3 To our line againe the law How did they there in the Type for so it must be in the truth They had a means that helped them through both which per Metonymâ—an causae they called their Passe-over And it was a Lamb. CHRIST the Lamb of GOD. Have we so yes Ecce AONVS DEI said the Baptist at the first fight But every Lamb will not serve it must be a Paschall Lamb. Is CHRIST that Lamb Saint Iohn puts it out of question That which was said of the Paschall lamb ye shall not breake a bone of him he applies to CHRIST Ioh. 1.29 Ioh. 19.36 and saith in Him the Scripture was fulfilled Eodem tempore illorum nostrum adductus in Festo ipso 〈◊〉 Paschall lambe He is and so in case to be made a Passe-over of But 4 CHRIST offered in sacrifice Esay 53.7 a Passe-â—ver He is not till He be Offered For if ye marke it offering is a passing over of 〈◊〉 is offered to Him we offer it to Offered He must be Et oblatus est saith Esay offered He was Oblatus so He may be and yet alive but the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immolatus offered and offered in Sacrifice A live lamb is not it it is a lamb slaine must be our Passe-over And CHRIST is a Lamb slaine saith Saint Iohn from the beginning Apoc. 5.12.13.8 and the sprinkling of His bloud in Baptisme maketh the Destroyer passe over us There be many kinds of offerings This determineth As a Peace-offering which of them CHRIST was Such a one as we must epulari that is the Peace-offering For of the Peace-offering the flesh was to be eaten Part GOD had Levit 7.15 and part the offerer eate in signe of perfect peace and reconciliation betweene them CHRIST 's bloud not onely in the Bason for Baptisme but in the Cupp for the other Sacrament A Sacrifice so to be slaine A propitiatorie Sacrifice so to be eaten Thus CHRIST is a Passe-over But where is nostrum 5 Our interest Pâ—opter nos without which all this is nothing Propter nos for us that maketh it ours That which is for us offered is ours and we so reckon it The lamb was not slaine for it selfe Exod. 13.15 Luk. 23.4.14.15 Quid agnus committere but for the first borne So CHRIST not for himselfe Nothing worthy death in him witnesse Pilate but for us For us that is for our salvation to save us Save us from what from our sinnes To save us from our sinnes And heere now we are come to the point of the Passe-over indeed the quitting us and the manner of quitting us from our sinnes All the businesse whereof was carried in the very manner of a Passe-over First sinne it selfe what is it but a transgression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or passing over the lines and limits of our Dutie set us in the law of GOD. And why hovers the destroying Angell over us Why goeth he not on his way but seekes to bring destruction upon our heads What is the marke he striketh at What but our sinnes But for them no Destroyer should ever have power over us But for them that hang so heavie on us and so presse us downe we should goe through well enough Why then Hic est omnis fructus ut auferatur peccatum All is but this to have our sinnes taken away And who shall take them away Ecce qui tollit peccata mundi Ioh. 1.29 that taketh away ours nay the sinnes of the world How taketh away GOD hath taken away thy sinne saith Nathan to David the word is not abstulit but transtulit that is transferendo abstulit 2. Sam. 12.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Hebrew word is transire fecit To take it from David make it passe from him upon some other that is even the Sonne of David Him GOD hath given us to passe our sinnes over from us to Him And when that when He was offered made a Sacrifice for us It is the nature of every Sacrifice transferendo auferre He that offers it lay's his hands on the head of it Levit. 1.4.3.2.8.13 confesses his sinnes over it and his iust desert to be smitten by the Destroyer but prays he may put this offering in his owne place and what is due to him that is death may be transferred from him and light on the offering that may serve and he scape In all offerings thus it was but in the Paschall lamb specially that it hath carried away the name from all the rest to be called the Passe-over onely In it evidently the death of the first borne was translated over upon the poore lamb The lamb died Exod. 13.15 the first borne was saved his death passed over vnto the lamb that it was iustly called the Passe-over for so it was But much more iustly CHRIST who sure was even a Passe-over throughout from the first to the last At the first His birth what was it but a Passe-over from the bosoâ—e of His Father to the womb of His Mother to take our nature And His Circumcision what but a Passe-over from the state of one free to the condition of one bond to vndertake our debt And at the
last His Resurrection this day what was it but a passage from death to life and His Ascension another de mundo ad Patrem from the world to his Father First and last a Passe-over He was But above all His death His offering was it then He was Pascha pro nobis indeed For then He passed over into the estate of us wretched sinners layd of His own as it were and tooke upon Him our person became tanquam vnus è nobis nay tanquam omnes nos Esay 53.6 For GOD tooke from us and layd them on Him Posuit super Eum iniquitates omnium nostrûm Layd upon Him our Passe-over the transgressions of us all 2. Cor. 5.21 Fecit peccatum made Him sinne for us there our Sinnes passed from us fecit maledictum Gal. 3.13 made Him a Curse for us there the Punishment of our sinnes passed from us to Him Then and there passed the Destroyer over us Over us to Him But when He came at Him he passed Him not Transeat à me calix would not be heard Matt. 26.39 and it was Pascha non pascha a Passe-over to us No passe-over to Him We had one He had none Him it passed not but light upon Him so heavie Luk. 22.44 that it made a sweat of bloudie dropps passe from Him yea life and soule and all yet it left Him At which His Passion He was a right Passe-over Christus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christus pascha Then He was pro nobis then He was nostrum CHRIST CHRIST offered offered for us Of which passing our sinnes to Him and GOD'S wrath over us this day and the action of this day is a memoriall II. The Consequent And so let us passe over from the Antecedent to the Consequent which is Itaque Celebremus Therefore let us keepe a feast A Feast and Christ slaine and so handled as He was A fast rather one would thinke True but that we heard againe of ours so did not they of theirs For this He came againe safe and opened unto us a new passage by His second Passe-over All we spake of right now was done the third day since But we hold not our Feast till this day For till this day we knew not what was become of Him Passed He was hence but whither in His passage He had miscarried or no we knew not But now this day by His Resurrection we know He is well passed over and so omni modo a true Passe-over So now we hold our Feast as a feast should be holden with joy And a double Feast it is 1 One that by His suffering He passed from life to death for our sinnes 2 A second that by His rising againe this day Rom. 4.25 He passed from death to life for our iustification And so two Passe-overs in one He died and by His death made the Destroyer passe over us He rose againe and by it made death as the redd sea passable for us Itaque celebremus Itaque epulemur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epulemur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is one but two waies it is turned 1 Some read Celebremus â— Some other Epulemur Both well for first it is kindly when we keepe a feast we make a feast But this this feast is not celebrated sine hoc epulo If CHRIST be a propitiatorie sacrifice a Peace-offering I see not how we can avoide but the flesh of our peace-offering must be eaten in this feast by us or els we evacuate the offering vtterly and lose the fruit of it And was there a Passe over heard of and the lamb not eaten Time was when He was thought no good Christian that thought he might doe one without the other No Celebremus without Epulemur in it â— Immolâ—â—uâ— and Celeâ—râ—muâ— But first will ye lay the former and this together Immolatus and celebremus and see how well it falleth out with us Immolatus is His part to be slaine Celebremus is ours to hold a Feast Good-friday His Easter day Ours His premisses bitter our conclusion joyfull a loving partition on His part a happie on ours â— Immoâ—atuâ— and Epâ—leâ—â—r Againe will ye lay Immolatus to epulemur That the Passe-over doth not conclude in the sacrifice the taking away of sinne onely that is in a pardon and there an end But in a feast which is a signe not of forgivenesse alone but of perfect amitie full propitiation Ye may prepius ire draw neere vnto Him ye are restored to full grace and favour Heb. 10.22 to eate and drinke at His table Besides there was an offering in Immolatus and heere is another a new one in Epulemur Offered for us there offered to us â—eere There per modum victimâ—◠〈◊〉 per modum epuli To make an offering of To make a refreshing of For us 〈…〉 to us in the Sacrament This makes a perfect Passe-over We read both in the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sacrifice the Passe-over and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eate it Luk. 22.7 Matt. 26 17. Ioh 18.28 It 〈…〉 the paschall lamb and it was a sacrifice It cannot be denied there is a 〈◊〉 sent for it Exod. 12.27 Both propounded heere in the termes of the Text â— The Sacrifice in Immolatus â— The Supper in Epâ—leâ—ur Celebremus and Epulemur There be that referre Celebremus to the Day Epulemur to the Action and so it may well Both Day and Action have interest in this Text. And then the Text is against them that have never an Easter day in their Calendar But the Fathers vsually referre both to the Action Their reason Because in truth the Eucharist now in the Gospell is that the Passe-over was vnder the Law The Antitype answering to their type of the Paschall lamb It is plaine by the immediate passage of it from the one to the other that no sooner done but this began Looke how soone the Paschall lamb eaten presently the holy Eucharist instituted to succeed in the place of it forever And yet more plaine that this very Scripture of my Text was thought so pertinent and so proper to this Action as it was alwaies said or soong at it And I know no cause but it might be so still Two things CHRIST there gave us in charge 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remembring Chap 21.25 Chap. 11.29 and 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receiving The same two Saint Paul but in other termes 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing forth 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicating Of which Remembring and Shewing forth referre to celebremus Receiving and Communicating to epulemur heere The first in remembrance of Him CHRIST What of Him Mortem Domini 1 Celebremus In the Sacrifice 1. Cor. 11.26 His death saith Saint Paul to shew forth the Lord's death Remember Him that we will and stay at home thinke of Him there Nay shew Him forth ye must That we will by a Sermon of Him Nay it
that is miserable For this cause that He humbled himselfe And thirdly Humiliavit ipse se Obediens It was not Absalom's humility 3 Obediens 2. Sam 15.5 in shew and complement and his heart full of pride disobedience yea rebellion And yet it is a glory for humilitie that even proud men take a pride to shroud themselves in her mantell that pride weares humilitie's livery But it is not humble courtesie but humble Obedience that is the Propter quod Till it come to that many beare themselves in tearmes and shew low ad humum even touch the ground But come once thither to obedience then give lawes they must but obey none make others obedient and ye will but not factus obediens not made themselves so CHRIST was so made And for this cause And something strange it is why Humiliavit ipse se Obediens would not serve and no more but factus must be added Somewhat there was in that 4 Factus .. An Obedience there is that commeth from the dictamen of naturall reason in some things we so obey we will doe it because our reason so moveth us That is Obediens natus But some other there be wherein there is no other reason to leade us to doe it but onely this that is enioyned us by a lawfull Superiour and therefore we doe it and for no other cause This is Obediens factus and that in true proper termes is the right obedience indeed All looke to the former and very few obey thus But even so obeyed CHRIST erat subditus illis And for this cause then Luk. 2.51 that He was factus Obediens And obediens factus vsque is a fifth For the very size 5 Vsque Act. 26.28 1. Sam. 15.9 the extent of our obedience is a matter considerable For if we come to any it is Agrippa's in modico in some pety small matter Or Saul's in the refuse of the spoiles little worth And that obedience is little worth that is so shrunk up The drawing out the vsque of it is all in all How farre obedient vntill what Vsque quò Which very Extent or vsque is many times as much worth as the Obedience itselfe This also will come into the Propter quod Now many Vsque's there be in this of His. 1. Vsque naturam hominis Thither Verse 7. His very humanity had beene humility enough 2. Vsque formam Servi is more How Even to wash the feet of they servants said Abigail 1. Sam 25.41 Ioh. 23.5 and tooke herselfe to be very humble in so saying Thither He came too What say yee to vsque mortem the sixth point Mortem 6 Mortem Iob. 2.4 Rom. 6.23 that will stagger the best of us We love Obedience in a whole skin Vsque any thing rather then that And to say troth no reason in the world obedience should come to that Death is the wages of sinne of disobedience Factus obediens what and factus reus too Obedient and yet put to death heaven and earth should ring of it if the case were ours Well even thither came His obedience Et ne perderet obedientiam perdidit vitam And rather then to lose His obedience lost his life This is indeed a great Propter quod 7 â—ortem aâ—tem Cruciâ— Enough now For death is vltima linea we say Nay there is yet an Autem more behinde to make it up full seven For One death is worse then another And His was Mortem autem the worst death of all the death of malefactors and of the worst sort of malefactors Mortem Crucis Nay if he must die let him die an honest a faire death Not so nay Morte turpissimâ said they of it that put him to it the foulest death of all other vsque mortem Chap. 2.20 mortem autem Crucis Died and so died Ever the So the manner is more then the thing it selfe in all of CHRIST To be borne So to be borne vsque praesepe to the Cratch To die Luke â— 7 nay So to die vsque Crucem to the Crosse. Vsque naturam hominis vsque formam Servi vsque mortem malefici 1. So great a Person 2. Thus to humble 3. Humble his own selfe 4 To be obedient 5. To be mà de obedient 6. Obedient with an vsque so farre 7. So farre as to death 8. And to a death so opprobrious These Extensives and Intensives put together will I trust make up a perfect Propter quod And this for humilitas claritatis meritum in the first verse II. Verse 9. Now for Claritas humilitatis praemium in the rest And will yee observe how they answer one another For humiliavit there heere is exaltavit For Ipse there DEVS GOD heere For Ipse se DEVS ipsum He humbled himselfe GOD exalted him For humiliavit vsque there heere is exaltavit super For factus obediens there heere factus Dominus For mortem crucis the death of the Crosse there here is the glory of GOD the Father Super-exaltavit Ipsum This exalting we reduced to two 1 Of His Person 2 Of his Name Of His Person in super-exaltavit Ipsum Of His Name in the rest of the verse To begin with His personall exaltation Super-exaltavit is a de-compound There is Ex and Super both in it His exalting hath an Ex whence or out of what His exalting hath a super whither or whereunto Ex. Ex from whence from the two very last words Mortem Crucis His raising to life opposed to Mortem the sorrowes of death The giving of His Name to Crucis the shame of the Crosse. This dayes Ex was from death His humiliavit had beene ad humum to the ground Nay further into the ground Nay further yet Ephes. 4.9 Psal. 9.13.49.15 Pro. 7.27 Matt. 28.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the very lowest parts of it His exaltavit then was from thence from death and nor the gates of death then He was not in nor the iawes of death then He was not quite downe but from inferiora and interiora the lowermost and innermost roomes of death From vnder the Stone thence from the Dungcon with a Gen. 40.15 Ioseph From the bottome of the Denne with b Dan. 6.23 Daniel From the Bellie of the Whale with c Ionas 2 10. Ionas All three Types of Him There is His Ex. Super. Now then whither From Death to life From shame to glory From a death of shame to a life of glory From the forme of a servant in factus obediens to the dignitie of a Soveraigne in factus Dominus But will ye marke againe For Non sicut delictum sic donum saith he els-where So here not as His humbling so was His exalting but more That of His humbling was dispatched in one verse Rom. 5.15 This of His exalting hath no lesse then three So the amends is large three to one But that is not it I meane But
oportuit Christum pati It behooved Christ Christ ought to dye and rise againe None but that Why afterward between this and His passion Luc. 24.26 He shewed diverse others and how then saith He none but it Signes indeed He shewed yet not any of them so pregnant for the purpose they sought as was this They sought a Signe of the season as by the XVI Chapter is plaine that this was the time the Messiaâ— was to come To put them out of doubt of that to that point Chap. 16.4 none so forcible as His death and rising againe figured in that of Ionas That and none but that All He did els the Prophetts had done the like Given Signes from heaven which they heer sought yea even raised the dead But raise Himselfe being dead get forth of the heart of the earth when once he was in that passed their skill Never a Patriarch or Prophet of them all could doe that Non Nisi None but He. So as therein He shewed Himselfe indeed to be the true and undoubted Messias and never so els in any signe of them all For Signes being compounded of Power and Goodnesse not Power alone but Power and Goodnesse that is the benefit or good of them they be done for Never so generall so universall so great a Good as by CHRIST'S death as it might be Iona's casting in Nor ever so great so incomparably great a Power as by raising Himselfe from death to life set forth in Iona's casting up againe Those twaine by these twaine more manifest then by any other The Signe of the greatest Love and power Love to die power to rise that ever was wrought This Nisi then is a Non nisi in a new sense A None such This Signe Signum non nisi a signe paramount a Signe paramount All els nothing in comparison of it I keepe you too long from it The Signe is laid in the Prophet Ionas Sicut Ionas and we are much bound to God for laying it in him they and we both And Ionas is a Non nisi such a Signe for us and besides so many peculiars of CHRIST in him as in effect no signe but he First for them for an evill and adulterous generation For them Propheta peccator no signe so meete to be given as he For Ionas and non nisi Ionas was Propheta peccator the trespasser or Sinning Prophet among them all Sinners I know they were all they confesse as much themselves But for transgressing the expresse Commaundement of GOD in not obeying God's immediate call therein none of the rest to be tainted He onely was Propheta fugitivus fled touch was in the transgression sent to Ninive and went to Ioppe sent east went flat west was even taken with the manner as we say and arrested in the very flight For an evill and an adulterous generation this was a good signe say I and so might they if they knew their own good For them and for us and in a word for all sinners for he is Propheta peccator and so Propheta peccatorum And CHRIST is pleased to picke out His fugitive Prophet His run-away and make him a Sinner and such a Sinner His Signe As to come Himselfe in the similitude of sinfull flâ—sh so to make sinfull flesh His similitude to come into a sicut with All that sinfull flâ—sh might have hope in the Signatum in Him Rom. 8 3. of whom this was the Signe This theirs and ours The next is ours and we highly to blesse GOD for it For us Propheta gentium that being to set His signe in a Prophet He would doe it in him choose him out to make him His patterne who was Propheta Gentium the Prophet of the Gentiles sent to prophecie to Ninive that were heathen as we and our fathers were And in that a Non nisi too For none but he was so never a Prophet of them all sent to the heathen the rest to the Iewes all This sending of his to the Gentiles was to us of the Gentiles a gate of hope that in former ages and long before Christ came in the flesh Hos. 2.45 we Gentiles were not forgotten Even then sent GOD a Prophet to Ninive And what was Ninive the head Citie of the Assyrians the greatest Monarchie then in being and so the principall place of all Paganisme That thus in Signo we were not forgotten a signe it was no more should we be in Signato but CHRIST be to us as Ionas to them a light to lighten the Gentiles 〈◊〉 2.32 〈◊〉 49.6 and His salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth 〈…〉 Let me add this yet more to our comfort This Ionas whom He thus sent on this errand to the Gentiles what was he Of all the Prophets all whose prophecies we have remaining on recond in the Bible the foure great the twelve lesse of them all all the sixteene 〈◊〉 14.25 He was the first in time Senior to them all Plaine by 2. Kings 14. that he prophesied long before eny of them For it is there said that his prophesie came to passe in the daies of Ieroboam the Second who lived the same time with Vzzia in Iuda And in Vzzia's time the eldest of all the rest did but begin to prophesie So his was doon before theirs was begoon Him that was thus first in the ranke of them all did GOD send to us Gentiles to us first before eny to the Iewes A Signe we were not last nay first in His care in that visited by Him first as to whom He sent the first of all the sixteene And I may say to you this was to them an Item as if GOD were now to turne Gentile as looking that way having a minde to them then even in Iona's time they to come in shortly and the Iewes to be shut out and that as they had then prioritie in Signo so should they no lesse in Signato and the fullnesse of the Gentiles come in 〈◊〉 11.25 before the conversion of the Iewes This to us Sinners to us Gentiles to us Sinners of the Gentiles was Salutare Signum a healthfull Signe every way These three are put on the by In the maine point of the Text and of the time two more 1. 〈◊〉 Signum 〈◊〉 Non nisi 〈◊〉 piacularis 〈◊〉 He and non nisi none but he had the honor to be a piacularis hostia as it were for the casting him into the sea served in a sort as a kind of expiatorie sacrifice as farr as to the temporall saving of the ship he sailed in And therein as a meet Signe he expressed Him whose death was after the full and perfect expiation of the sinnes of the whole world 2. 〈◊〉 Propheta 〈◊〉 .. Then againe Ionas and non nisi onely he was propheta redivivus that his peculiar above them all He the onely Prophet that went downe into the deepe into the Whale's
three First Iona's whale death it was not it was but danger but danger as neer death as could be never man in more danger to scape it then he if not in death in Zalmaveth in the vale of the shadow of death it was Psal 23.4 Of any that hath beene in extreme perill we use to say he hath beene where Ionas was By Iona's going downe the whale's throat by Him againe comming forth of the whale's mouth we expresse we even point out the greatest extremitie and the greatest deliverance that can be From any such danger a deliverance is a kinde of resurrection as the Apostle plainly speakes of Isaac when the knife was at his throte he was received from the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though yet he did not Heb. 11.19 This for the feast of the Resurrection And thus was Ionas a signe to them of Ninive As he scaped so they he his whale they theirs destruction which even gaped for them as wide as Iona's whale And as to them a Signe this so to us And this use we have of it When at any time we are hard bestead this signe then to be set up for a token And there is no danger so deadly but we may hold fast our hope if we set this signe before us and say What we are not yet in the whale's belly why if we were there from thence can GOD bring us though as Ionas He did Iona's whale was but the shadow of death CHRIST'S was death And even there in death to be set up And we no not in death it selfe to despaire Iob 13.15 but with Iob to say yea though He kill me yet will I trust in Him My breath I may my hope I will not forgoe expirare possum desperare non possum Heer now is our second hope to come forth to be delivered from CHRIST'S whale from death it selfe But if the whale be or betoken the death of the bodie it doth much more the death of the soule So shall we finde another whale yet a third And that whale is the red dragon that great spirituall Liviathan Satan And sin Apoc. 1◠3 the very iawes of this whale that swoupeth downe the soule first and then the bodie and in the end both Ionas has been deepe downe this whale's throte before ever he came in the others The land-whale had devoured him before ever the Sea whale medled with him In his flight he fell into this land-whale's iawes before ever the Sea-whale swallowed him up And when he had got out of the gorge of this ghostly Liviathan the other bodily whale could not long hold him And from this third whale was Ionas sent to deliver the Ninivites which when he had the other of their temporall destruction could do them no hurt Their repentance ridd them of both whales bodily and ghostly at once Heer then is a third Cape of good hope that though one had been downe as deep in the entrailes of the spirituall great Liviathan as ever was Ionas in the Sea-whale's yet even there also not to despaire He that brought Ionas from the deepe of the Sea and David from the deepe of the Earth his bodie so He also delivered his soule from the nethermost hell where Ionas and He both were Psal. 71.20 Psal. 86.13 while they were in the transgression And now by this are we come to the very Signature of this signe even to Repentance which followeth in the very next words for they repented at the preaching of Ionas Ionas preached it Ver. 41. and indeed none so fit to preach on that theme on repentance as he as one that hath been in the whale's bellie in both the whale's the spirituall whale's too for Ionas had been in both One that hath studied his sermon there been in Satan's sive well winnowed cribratus Theologus he will handle the point best as being not onely a preacher but a Signe of repentance as Ionas was both to the Ninivites And as Ionas so Christ how soon He was risen He gave order streight that repentance as the very vertue the stamp of His resurrection and by it remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations Luc. 24.47 But indeed if you marke well there is a neer alliance between the Resurrection and Repentance reciprocall as between the Signe and the Signature Repentance is nothing but the soule 's resurrection Men are dead in sinne saith the Apostle their soules are Ephe. 2.1 From that death there is a rising Els were it wrong with us That rising is repenting And when one hath lien dead in sinne long and doth eluctari wrastle out of a sinne that hath long swallowed him up he hath done as great a masterie as if with Ionas he had got out of the whale's belly Nay as if with Lazarus be had come out of the heart of the earth Ever holding this that Marie Magdalen raised from sinne was no lesse a miracle then her brother raised from the dead And sure Repentance is the very vertue of Christ's Resurrection There it is first seen it first sheweth it selfe hath his first operation in the soule to raise it This first being once wrought on the soule from the ghostly Liviathan the like will not faile but be accomplished on the bodie from the other of death of which Ionas is heer Mysterium magnum dico autem in Christo. For in Christ this Signe is a Signe Ephe. 5.32 not betokening onely but exhibiting also what it betokeneth as the Sacraments doe For of Signes some shew onely and worke nothing such was that of Ionas in it selfe Sed Ecce plus quà m Ionas hîc For some other there be that shew and worke-both Ver. 42. worke what they shew present us with what they represent what they sett before us set or graft in us Such is that of Christ. For besides that it setts before us of His it is further a seale or pledge to us of our owne that what we see in Him this day shall be accomplished in our owne selves at His good time And even so passe we to another Mysterie For one Mysterie leads us to another this in the Text to the holy Mysteries we are providing to partake which doe worke like and doe worke to this Even to the raising of the soule with the first resurrection Apoc 20.5 And as they are a meanes for the raising of our soule out of the soile of sin for they are given us and we take them expressly for the remission of sinnes so are they no lesse a meanes also for the raising our bodies out of the dust of death The signe of that Bodie which was thus in the heart of the earth to bring us from thence at the last Our Saviour saith it totidem verbis Who so eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Bloud Ioh. 6.54 I will raise him up at the last day raise him whither He hath raised himselfe Not
pronounced over them As if some great matter had lyen in the missing of it as if they had beene of Iacob's mind Non dimittam te nisi benedixeris mihi Gen. 32.26 they would neither let the Priest depart nor depart themselves till they had their blessing with them Such a vertue they held in it The blessing pronounced they had then leave to goe with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke Mâ—ssa â—st fidelibus in the Latine Church and none went away before An evill custome hath prevailed with our people Away they go without blesâ—ing without leave without care of eithâ—r Marke if they runne not out before eny blessing as if it were not worth the taking with them Verse 17. Matt. 25.34 I mervaile how they will be inheritors of the blessing that seeme to set so little by it If they meane to heare Come ye blessed they should me thinkes love it better then by their running from it they seeme to doe This would be amended We are heerein departed from the Primitive Christians with whom it was in more regard Sure there is more in the neglect of it then we are aware of This blessing could not be delivered in better termes then in those that came from the Apostles themselves which accordingly have beene sought up heere and there in their writings and by the Church sorted to severall dayes which they seemed best to agree with As â—his heere having Easter-day in it was made an Easter day-benediction For the speciall mention in it of CHRIST brought againe from the dead doth in a manner appropriate it to this Feast Vtter it but thus The GOD of peace who did now as upon this day bring againe CHRIST from the dead doe but utter it thus and it will appeare most plainely how well they suite the Time and the Text. 2. The Summe For the Summe It is no more in effect but shortly this That GOD would so blâ—sse them and us as to make us fit for and perfect in all good workes A good wish at any time But why at this time specially upon mention of CHRIST 's rising he should wish it is not seene at first Yet there is some matter in it that at CHRIST 's rising he doth not wish our faith increased or our hope strengthened or any other gracâ— or vertue revived but onely that good workes might be perfected in us and we in them Surely this sorting them thus together seemes to implie as if CHRIST 's râ—surrâ—ction had some more peculiar interest in good workes as indeed it hath And there hath ever beene and still are more of them done now at this time then at any other time of the yeare A generall reason may be given That what time CHRIST doth for us some principall great work as at all the Feasts He doth some and now at this time sensibly we to take occasion by it at that time to do somwhat more then ordinarie in memorie and honour of it More particularly some such as may in some sort suit with and resemble the act of Christ then done As it might be when Christ died sinne to die in us when CHRIST rose againe good workes to rise together with Him Christ's Passion to be Sinne 's passion Christ's Resurrection good worke 's resurrection Good-friday is for Sin Easter for good workes Good-friday to bring Sinne to death Easter to bring good workes from the dead And we that were dead before to good workes by occasion of this to revive againe to the doing of them And not as the manner is with us Sinne to have an Easter to rise and live againe and good workes to be crucified ly dead and have no resurrection For the Partition Two Verses there are and two Parts accordingly 3. The Division 1 The Praemisses and 2 the Sequele The Praemisses are GOD and the Sequele Good-workes The former verse is nothing but GOD with His style or addition The GOD of peace who hath brought againe c. The latter is all for good workes Make you perfect c We may consider them thus Of the two 1 One a thing done for us in the former verse 2 The other a thing to be done by us in the latter verse The bringing back Christ the benefit done vs by GOD The applying good workes our duety to be done to Him for it The thing done is an Act that is a bringing backe Which act is but one but implieth another precedent necessarily For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a bringing backe implieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a bringing thither To this Act there is a concurrence of two Agents 1 One the Partie that brought 2 The other the Partie that is brought The Party that brought is GOD vnder the name or title of the GOD of peace The Party that was brought is Christ set forth heere under the Metaphore of a Shepheard the great Shepheard of the Sheepe The GOD of peace did bring againe this Shepheard from whence and how 3 From whence From the dead Then among the dead He was first First brought thither 4 How from thence by what meanes By the blood of a Testament everlasting All which is nothing els but the Resurrection of Christ extended at large through all these points The thing to be done That GOD would so blesse them As to make them 1 First fitt to doe 2 and then to doe good workes 1 Fitt to doe in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To doe Wherein we consider two things 1 the doing To which doing there is a concurrence of two Agents ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what we to do â— And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what He to doe 2 And then the worke it selfe expressed in two words 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is His Will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is well pleasing in His sight These two be holden for two degrees and the later of the twaine to have the more in it And last of all the Sequele Where is to be shewed how these two hang together and follow one upon the other First the GOD of peace and the bringing of CHRIST from death Then how the bringing of Christ from death concernes our bringing forth good workes Which being shewed what this Feast of Easter hath to doe with good workes will fall in of it selfe That with Christ now rising they also should now rise They are thought as good as dead that there may be a Resurrection of them at Christ's Resurrection I. The thing done for us â— The Party by whom THe GOD of peace c Heere is a long processe What needs all this setting out His style at length Why goes he not to the point roundly And seeing good workes doing is his errand why saith he not shortly GOD make you given to good workes and no more adoe But tells us a long tale of Shepheards and Testaments and I wote not what one
in us it is so by the power of CHRIST 's death and thither to be referred properly And whatsoever good is revived or brought againe anew from us it is all from the vertue of CHRIST 's rising againe All do rise all are raised thence The same power that did create at first the same it is that makes a new creature The same power that raised Lazarus the brother from his grave of stone the same raised Marie Magdalene the sister from her grave of Sinne. From one and the same power both Which keepeth this methode Worketh first to the raising of the soule from the death of sinne and after in the due time to the raising of the body from the dust of death Els what hath the Apostle said all this while Now this power is inhaerent in the Spirit as the proper subject of it even the aeternall Spirit whereby CHRIST offered himselfe first unto GOD and after raised himselfe from the dead Now as in the texture of the naturall body ever there goes the Spirit with the blood ever with a veine the vessell of the one there runnes along an arterie the vessell of the other So is it in CHRIST His blood and his Spirit alwaies goe together In the Spirit is the power in the power virtually every good work it produceth which it was ordeined for If we get the Spirit we cannot faile of the power And the Spirit that ever goes with the blood which never is without it This carries us now to the blood The very shedding whereof upon the Crosse primùm ante omnia was the nature of a price A price first of our ransome from death due to our sinne through that His satisfaction A price againe of the purchase He made for us through the value of His merit which by His Testament is by Him passed over to us Now then His blood after it had by the very powring it out wrought these two effects it ranne not wast but divided into two streames T it 3.5 1. One into the Laver of the new birth our Baptisme applied to us outwardly to take away the spotts of our sinne Luk. 22.20 2. The other into the Cup of the New Testament in His blood which inwardly administred serveth as to purge and cleanse the conscience from dead workes Chap. 9.14 that so live works may grow up in the place So to endue us with the Spirit that shall enhable us with the power to bring them forth Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta these are not two of the Sacraments but the two twin-Sacraments of the Church saith S. Augustine And with us there are two Rules 1. One Quicquid sacrificio offertur Sacramento confertur what the Sacrifice offereth that the Sacrament obteineth 2. The other Quicquid Testamento legatur Sacramento dispensatur What the Testament bequeatheth that is dispensed in the holy Mysteries To draw to an end If this power be in the Spirit and the blood be the vehiculum of the Spirit How may we partake this blood It shall be offered you streight in the Cup of blessing which we blesse in His name For is not the Cup of blessing which we blesse the Communion of the blood of CHRIST saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 10.16 Is there any doubt of that In which blood of CHRIST is the Spirit of Christ. In which Spirit is all Spirituall power and namely this power that frameth us fit to the workes of the Spirit Which Spirit we are all made there to drinke of And what time shall we doe this What time is best What time better then that day in which it first shewed forth the force and power it had in making peace in bringing back CHRIST that brought peace back with Him that made the Testament that sealed it with his blood that died upon it that it might stand firme for ever All which were as upon this day This day then somewhat would be done somewhat more then ordinarie more then every day Let every day befor every good worke to doe His will But this day to doe something more then so something that may be well pleasing in His sight So it will be kindly So we shall keepe the degrees in the Text So we shall give proofe that we have our part and fellowship in CHRIST in CHRIST 's resurrection in the vertue of CHRIST 's resurrection Grace rising in us workes of grace rising from it That so there may be a resurrection of vertue and good workes at CHRIST 's resurrection That as there is a reviving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the earth when all and every herbs and flowers and brought againe from the dead So among men good workes may come up too that we be not found fruitlesse at our bringing backe from the dead in the great Resurrection But have our parts as heere now in the blood so there then in the Testament and the Legacies thereof which are glorie joy and blisse for ever and ever Printed for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS OF THE SENDING OF the Holy Ghost PREACHED VPON VVhit-Sunday A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT GREENVVICH on the VIII of June A. D. MDCVI being WHIT-SVNDAY Acts CHAP. II. VER I. II. III. IV. And when the Day of Pentecost was come or when the fifty daies were fulfilled they were all with one accord in one place And there came sodeinly from heaven the sound of a mighty Winde and it filled the place where they sate And there appeared tongues cloven as they had beene of fire and sate upon each of them And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost they began to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance WE are this day beside our weekly due of the Sabboth to renew and to celebrate the yearely memorie of the sending downe the Holy Ghost One of the Magnalia Dei as they be termed after in the XI Verse One of the great and wonderfull Benefitts of GOD Indeed Ver 11. a Benefit so great and so wonderfull as there were not tongues enough upon earth to celebrate it withall but there were faine to be more sent from heaven to help to sound it out throughly Even a new supply of tongues from heaven For all the tongues in earth were not sufficient to magnifye GOD for his goodnesse in sending downe to men the gift of the HOLY GHOST This we may make a severall benefit by it selfe from those of CHRIST 's And so the Apostle seemeth to doe Gal. 4.4.4.6 Gal. 4. First GOD sent His Sonne in one verse and then after GOD sent the Spirit of His Sonne in another Or we may hold our continuation still and make this the last of CHRIST 's Benefitts For Ascendit in altum is not the last there is one still remaining which is Dona dedit hominibus Psal. 68.18 And that is this daye 's peculiar wherein were given to men many and manyfold both graces and gifts and all in one gift
by creation the worke of His hands 2 His againe now by redemption the price of His bloud He had no reason to lose that was His quite It stood not with his honour to see them carried away without all recoverie Gen. 3.6 Rom. 7.23 1. Pet. 2 11. 1. Pet. 2 19. But how came we captives Looke to Gen. III. There ye find Lex membâ—orum as S. Paul calleth it fleshly lusts as S. Peter a garrison that lieth in us even in our loines and sight against our soules They surprised Adam and of whom one is overcome his captive he is So was he led away captive and in him all mankind The effect whereof ye see at CHRIST 's comming The spirit of error had in a manner seised on all the world And if Errour had taken his thousand Sinne had his ten thousand we may be sure And this was the first captivitie under the power of Satan For Sinne and Errour are but leaders under him take to his use and so all mankind held captive of him at his pleasure And O the thraldome and miserie the poore soule is in that is thus held and hurried under the servitude of sinne and Satan The Heathen's pistrinum the Turkie-Galleyes are nothing to it If any have felt it he can understand me and from the deep of his heart will crie Turne our captivitie O Lord. Psal. 126.4 Will ye then see this Captivitie turned away and those that tooke us taken themselves Looke to His resurrection Agnus occisus est is true like a lamb He died Revel 5.11 but that was respect had to His Father To Him He was a Lamb in all meekenesse to 〈◊〉 His justice and to pay Him the ransome for us and for our enlargement whose prisoners justly we were That paid and justice satisfied the hand-writing of the Law that was against us was delivered Him and He cancelled it Col. 2.14 Then had He good right to us But death and he that had the power of death the divell for all that Heb. 2.14 would not let Him goe but deteined Him still wrongfully With them the lamb would do no good So he tooke the lyon Died a lamb but rose a Lyon and tooke on like a Lyon indeed broke up the gates of death and made the gates of brasse flie in sunder trod on the Serpent's head and all to bruised it came upon him Luk. 11 2â— tooke from his armour wherein he trusted and divided his spoiles So it is in the Gospell So in this Psalme Till He had right He had no might was a lamb But he had no sooner right but He made his might appeare was a Lyon Et vicit Leo de tribu Iuda Revel 5.5 His right was seene in his death His might in his Resurrection Ye see them taken Now will ye see them ledd Of this victorie this heere is the triumph And if ye will see it more at large ye may Hosee 13.14 1. Cor. 15 55.56 in the Prophet Hosee 13. and out of him in the Apostle I. Cor. XV. death ledd captive without his sting Hell ledd as one that had lost the victorie The strength of sinne the Law rent and fastened to His Crosse ensigne-wise The Serpent's head bruised borne before Him in triumph as was Golia's head by David returning from the victorie And this was His triumph So then upon the matter heere is a double captivitie a first and a second 1. A first and in it captivans they and captivata we 2. A second and in it captivans He and captivata they They tooke us and He tooke them And this is the Iubilee that He that was overcome did overcome and they that had overcome were overcome themselves That captivans is become captivata and captivata is brought out of Captivitie and set at libertie For the leading of this Captivitie was the turning away of ours The five Kings Gen. XIV tooke Sodome and caried Lot away prisoner Comes me Abraham upon them takes the five Kings and Lot in their hands So Lot and they both became Abraham's captives The Amalekites 1. Sam. XXX tooke Ziklag David's towne his wives children and all his people David makes after them takes Amalek and with them his owne flocke too and so became master of both So did the Sonne of Abraham and the Sonne of David in this captivitie heere For all the world as an English ship takes a Turkish Galley wherein are held many Christian Captives at the oare Both are taken Turkes and Christians both become prisoners to the English ship The poore soules in the galley when they see the English ship hath the upper hand are glad I dare say so to be taken they know it will turne to their good and in the end to their letting goe So was it with us we were the children of this captivitie They to whom we were captives were taken captive themselves and we with them So both came into CHRIST 's hands They and we His prisoners both But with a great difference For they are caried heere in triumph to their confusion as we see and after condemned to perpetuall prison and torments And we by this new captivitie ridd of our old Rom. 8.21 and restored to the libertie of the Sonnes of GOD. So that in very deed this captivitie fell out to prove our felicitie we had beene quite undone utterly perished if we had not had the good hap thus to become CHRIST 's prisoners It is not good simply to be taken captive but thus it is For faelix captivitas capi in bonum He is taken in a good houre that is taken for so great a good A happy captivitie then may we say indeed so happy as no man can be happy if he be not thus 〈◊〉 prisoner by CHRIST It is the only way to enjoy true liberty And this for this great Captivitie heere ledd Other inferior Captivities there be in this life and those not lightly to be regarded neither But this of Mankinde is the maine the rest all derived from this and but pledges of it We have lived to see that Ascensor Coeli was Auxiliator noster and Ductor captivitatis nostrae even this way In LXXXVIII the inviâ—cible Navie had swallowed us up quick and made full accompt to have led us all into captivitie We saw them ledd like a sort of poore Captives round about this Isle sunke and cast away the most part of them and the rest sent home againe with shame Eight yeares since they that had vowed the ruine of us all and if that had been the thraldome of this whole land they were led captives in the literall sense we saw them and brought to a wretched end before our eyes So He that heer did still can and still doth lead captivitie captive for the good of His. Take these as remembrances heer below but looke up beyond these to our great captivam dâ—xisti heer And make this use of both that we both these
8.23 which bands are they Psal. 1â—â— 16 David thankes GOD for breaking in sunder There need no other bonds we will say if once we come to feele them The galls that sinne makes in the conscience are the entering of the yron into our soule Psal. 10â— 1â— But you will say we feele not these neither no more than the former No doe Take this for a rule If CHRIST heâ—le them that be broken-hearted broken-hearted we behove to be yer He can heale us He is Medicus cordis indeed but it is cordis contriti It is a condition 〈◊〉 annexed this to make us the more capable and likewise a disposition it is to make us the more curable That same pauperibus before and this 〈…〉 they limit CHRIST 's cure His cure and His Commission both and unlesâ—e they be or untill they be this Scripture is not nor cannot be fulfilled in us In our eares it may be but in our hearts never That as such as come to be healed by His Majestie are first searched and after either put by 〈◊〉 admitted as cause is so there would be a Scrutinie of such as make toward CHRIST What are you poore Poore in spirit for the purse it skills not No but dicis â—uia dives in good case CHRIST is not for you then He is sent to the poore What Psal. 119.70 is your heart broken No but heart-whole a heart as brawne then are you not for this cure In all CHRIST 's Dispensatorie there is not a medicine for such a heart a heart like brawne that is hard and un-yielding CHRIST himselfe seemes to give this Item when He applies it after Many widowes Verse 25. Many lepers saith He and so many sinners Elias sent to none but the poore Widow of Sarepta Elisaeus healed none but onely Naaman after his spirit came downe was broken No more doth CHRIST but such as are of a contrite heart Verily the case as before we set it downe is the sinner's case feele he it feele he it not But if eny be so benummed as he is not sensible of this so blind as dungeon or no dungeon all one to him if eny have this same Scirrhum cordis that makes him past feeling it is no good signe but it may be our houre is not yet come our cure is yet behind But if it should so continue and never be otherwise then were it a very evill signe Prov. 7.22 For what is such a ones case but as Salomon saith as the oxe that is ledd to the slaughter without eny sense or the foole that goes laughing when he is carried to be well whipped What case more pitifull You will say we have no hammer no worldly Crosse to breake our hearts It may be That is Manasse's hammer the common hammer indeed but that is not King David's hammer which I rather commend to you the right hammer to doe the feat to worke contrition in kind The right is the sight of our owne sinnes And I will say this for it that I never in my life saw eny man brought so low with eny worldly calamitie as I have with this sight And these I speake of were not of the common sort but men of spirit and valor that durst have looked death in the face Yet when GOD opened their eyes to see this sight their hearts were broken yea even grownd to powder with it contrite indeed And this is sure if a man be not humbled with the sight of his sinnes It is not all the crosses or losses in the world will humble him aright This is the right And without eny worldly crosse this we might have if we loved not so to absent our selves from our selves to be even fugitivi cordis to runne away from our oâ—ne hearts be ever abroad never within if we would but sometimes rediâ—e ad cor Esay 46. â— returne home thither and descend into our selves sadly and seriously to bethinke us of them and the danger we are in by them this might be had And this would be had if it might be If noâ— in default of this no remedie the common hammer must come and GOD send us Manesse's hammer to breake it some bodily sicknesse some worldly affliction to send us home into our selves But sure the Angel must come downe and the â—ater be stirred Ioâ— 5.4 els we may preach long enough to un-contrite hearts but no goodwill be done till then 〈◊〉 beene too long in the Caâ—se but the knowledge of the Cause in every disease 〈…〉 halfe the cure To the healing now 〈…〉 for heale in Esay where this Text is signifies to bind up The cure 〈…〉 the most proper cure for fracturâ—s or ought that is broken Nay 〈…〉 and all as appeareth by the Samaritan The 〈◊〉 is so stayed Luk. 10.34 which if it 〈◊〉 râ—nning on us still in vaine talke we of eny healing It is not begun till that stay 〈…〉 no longer The sinne that CHRIST cures He binds up He stayes to begin with If he cover sinne it is with a plaister He covers and cures together both under oâ—e 〈◊〉 broken-hearted the Hebrewes take not as we doe we broken for sinne they 〈◊〉 of or from sinne And we have the same phrase with us To breake one of 〈…〉 fashions or inclinations he hath beene given to So to breake the heart 〈◊〉 must it be broken or ever it be whole Both senses either of them doth well but both together best of all 〈◊〉 done now to the healing part The Heathen observed long since 2. How they are cuâ—ed Act. 10.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soules cure is by words And the Angell saith to Cornelius of Saint Pâ—ter He shall speake to thee words by which thou and thy houshold shall be saved And by no words sooner then by the sound of good tydings By good tyâ—ings Good newes is good physiqâ—e sure such the disease may be and a good message a good medicine There is power in it both waies Good newes hath healed evill newes hath killed many The good newes of Ioseph's welfare we see how it even revived old Iacob And the evill Gen. 45.27 〈◊〉 the arke of GOD taken it cost Eli his life 1. Sam. 4.18 Nothing workes upon the heart â—ore forcibly either way What are these newes and first how come they By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they come No secret Proclaimed â—hispered newes from man to man in a corner No flying newes They be proclaiâ—ed these so authenticall Proclaimed And so they had need For if our sinnes â—nce appeare in their right forme there is evill newes certainely let the Divell alone with that to proclaime them to preach damnation to us Contraria curantur câ—ntrarij we had need have some good proclaimed to cure those of his Two proclamations heere are one in the neck of another Of which the former in 〈◊〉 three branches of it applieth in particular a remedie to the three
â—o become a prisoner as 1. Reg. 1.43 Shemei did Therfore sweare and be sworne in those causes and questions whereto Law doth bind to give answere though Fine and Commitment doe ensue upon them This question remaineth If a man have sworne without those what he is to doe when an oath binds when it doth not We hold No man is so streightened between two sinns but without committing a third he may get forth Herod thought he could not and therfore being in a streight betwixt murder and periurie thought he could have no issue but by putting Saint Iohn Baptist to death It was not so for having sworne and his oath proving unlawfull if he had repented him of his unadvisednesse in swearing and gon no further he had had his issue without any new offense 1. If then We have sworne to be simply evill the rule is Ne sit Sacramentum pietatis vinculum iniquitatis 2. If it hinder a greater or higher good the rule is Ne sit Sacramentum pietatis impedimentum pietatis 3. If it be in things indifferent as we terme them absque grano salis it is a rash oath to be repented not to be executed 4. If the oath be simply made yet as we say it doth subiacere Civili intellectui so as GOD'S oath doth Ieremia 18.8 and therefore those conditions may exclude the event and the Oath remaine good 5. If in regard of the Manner it be extorted from us the rule is Iniusta vincula rumpit Iustitia 6. If rashly Penitenda promissio non perficienda praesumptio 7. If to any man for his benefit or for favour to him if that partie release it it bindeth not A SERMON PREACHED AT VVHITE-HALL upon the Sunday after EASTER being March XXX AN. DOM. MDC IOHN CHAP. XX. VER XXIII Quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis Et quorum retinueritis retenta sunt VVhose-soever sinnes ye remitt they are remitted unto them and whose-soever ye reteine they are reteined The Conclusion of the Gospell for the Sunday THEY be the words of our SAVIOVR CHRIST to his Apostles A part of the first words which he spake to them at his Epiphanie or first apparition after he arose from the dead And they contein a Commission by him graunted to the Apostles which is the summe or contents of this Verse Which Commission is his first largesse after his rising againe For at his first appearing to them it pleased him not to come empty but with a blessing and to bestow on them and on the world by them as the first fruicts of his resurrection this Commission a part of that Commission which the sinfull world most of all stood in need of for remission of sinnes To the graunting wâ—â—reof He proceedeth not without some solemniâ—ie or circumstance The Summariâ— proceeding in it well worthy to be remembred For first Verse 21. he saith As my father sent me so send I you which is their authorizing or giving them their Credence Secondly Verse 22 He doth breath upon them and withall inspireth them with the Holy Ghost which is their enhabling or furnishing thereto And having so authorized and enhabled them now in this Verse heer He giveth them their Câ—mmission and thereby doth perfectly inaugurate thâ—m into this part of their Office A Commission is nothing els but the imparting of a power which before they had not First therefore he imperteth to them a power a power over sinnes over sinnes either for the remitting or the reteining of them as the persons shall be qualified And after to this power he addeth a promise as the Lawyers terme it of Ratihabition that he will ratifie and make it good that His power shall accompanie this power and the lawfull use of it in his Church for ever The dependence in respect of the time Why not before Esai 53.10 Heb. 9.22 Mat. 16.19.18.18 And very agreeably is this power now bestowed by him upon his resurrection Not so conveniently before his death because till then he had not made his soule an offering for sinne nor till then he had not shed his bloud without which there is no remission of sinnes Therefore it was promised before but not given till now because it was convenient there should be solutio before there were absolutio Not before he was risen then Why now And againe no longer then till he was risen not till he was ascended First to shew that the remission of sinnes is the undivided and immediate effect of his death Secondly to shew how much the world needed it for which cause he would not with-hold it no not so much as one day for this was done in the very day of his resurrection Thirdly But specially to set forth his great love and tender care over us in this that as soone as he had accomplished his owne resurrection even presently upon it he setts in hand with ours and beginneth the first part of it the very first day of his rising The Scripture maketh mention of a first and second death and from them two of a first and second resurrection Both expresly sett downe in one verse Apoc. 20.6 Happy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for over such the second death hath no power Vnderstanding by the first the death of the soule by sinne and the rising thence to the life of grace by the second the death of the body by corruption the rising thence to the life of glorie CHRIST truly is the Saviour of the whole man both soule and body from the first and second death But beginneth first with the first that is with sinne the death of the soule and the rising from it So is the method of Divinitie prescribed by himselfe Mat. 23.16 First to cleanse that which is within the soule then that which is without the body And so is the methode of Physique first to cure the cause and then the disease 1. Cor. 15 56. Now the cause or as the Apostle calleth it the sling of death is sinne Therefore first to remove sinne and then death aâ—â—erwards For the cure of sinne being performed the other will follow of his owne accord As Saint Iohn telleth us He that hath his part in the first resurrection shall not faile of it in the second The first resurrection then from sinne is it which our Saviour Christ heer goeth about wherto there is no lesse power required then a divine power For looke what power is necessarie to raise the dead bodie out of the dust the very same every way is requisite to raise the dead soule out of sinne For which cause the Remission of sinnes is an Article of faith no lesse then the Resurrection of the body For in very deed a resurrection it is and so it is termed no lesse then that To the service and ministerie of which divine worke a Commission is heere graunted to the Apostles And first they have heer their sending from GOD the Father their inspiring
Gerson you would not wish to finde Iehova iustitia nostra better or more pregnantly acknowledged then in them you shall finde it But this is by vertue of this Ecce Rex faciet judicium out of whose sight when we be we may fall into a phansie or as the Prophet saith we may have a dreame of Iustitia nostra à IEHOVA Ver. 27. But framing our selves as before him we shall see it is not that righteousnesse will consist there but we must come to Iustitia nostra in Iehova It is the onely way how to settle the state of this controversie aright and without this we may well misse of the interpretation of this Name And this they that doe not or will not now conceive the Prophet telleth them after at the XX. Verse quòd in novissimo intelligetis plane at the end they shall understand whither they will or no. And indeed to doe them no wrong it is true that at this Iudgement-seate so farr as it concerneth the satisfaction for sinne and our escaping from aeternall death the Church of Rome taketh this Name aright and that terme which a great while seemed harsh unto them now they finde no such absurditie in it That Christ's righteousnesse and merits are imputed to us So saith Bellarmine Et hoc modo non esset absurdum si quis diceret nobis imputari Christi justitiam merita cum nobis donentur applicentur ac si nos ipsi Deo satisfecissemus And againe De Iustif◠2.20 ◠11 Solus CHRISTVS pro salute nostrâ satisfacere potuit re ipsâ ex iustitiâ satisfecit illa satisfactio nobis donatur applicatur nostra reputatur cum Deo reconciliamur justificamur So saith Stapleton Illa sané iustitia quâ satisfecit pro nobis per communicationem sic nostra est ut perinde nobis imputetur De Iustifi 7.9 ac si nos ipsi sufficienter satisfecissemus in as full termes as one would wish So that this point is meetly well cleered now Thus they understand this Name in that part of righteousnesse which is satisfactorie for punishment and there they say with us as we with Esai in Iehova Iustitia nostra But in the positive Iustice or that part therof which is meritorious for reward there fall they into a phansie they may give it over and suppose that Iustitia à Domino a righteousnesse from GOD they graunt yet inhaerent in themselves without the righteousnesse that is in Christ will serve them whereof they have a good conceipt that it will endure GOD'S iustice and standeth not by acceptation So by this meanes shrinke they up this Name and though they leave the full sound yet take they halfe the sense from it Now as for us in this point of Righteousnesse if we both goe no further then the former of taking away sinne then as much as we strive for they doe yield us And therein we thinke we have cause to blame them justly for not contenting themselves with that which contented the Prophet a Esai 27.9 Hic est omnis fructus marke that omnis ut auferatur peccatum c Mat. 1.21 Which contented Saint Iohn Baptist b Ioh. 1.29 Ecce Agnus Dei qui tollit peccata mundi Which contented the Angel Hic servabit populum suum à peccatis eorum Which contented the Fathers Saint Augustine d De verb Apost 16. Puto hoc esse iustus sum quod peccator non sum Saint Bernard e In Cant. 22 Factus est nobis iustitia sapientia c. Sapientia in predicatione iustitia in peccatorum absolutione So that to be absolved from sinne with him is our righteousnesse And yet more plainly in his CXC Epistle to Innocentius the Pope himselfe Vbi reconciliatio ibi remissio peccatorum Et quid ipsa nisi iustificatio Which the very name and nature of a judgment-seat doth give which proceedeth onely in matters paenall And as we blame them for that so likewise for this no lesse that if they will needs have it a part of justice they allow not CHRIST'S Name as full in this part as in the former For there they allow imputation but heere they doe not For I aske what is the reason why in the other part of satisfaction for sinne we need CHRIST'S Righteousnesse to be accompted ours The reason is saith Bellarmine Non acceptat Deus in veram satisfactionem pro peccato De Iustifi 2.25 nisi iustitiam infinitam quoniam peccatum offensa est infinita If that be the reason that it must have an infinite satisfaction because the offense is infinite we reason á pari there must also be an infinite merit because the Reward is no lesse infinite Els by what proportion doe they proceed or at what beame doe they weigh these twaine that cannot counterpeize an infinite sinne but with an infinite satisfaction and thinke they can weigh downe a reward every way as infinite with a merit to say the least surely not infinite Why should there be a necessarie use of the sacrifice of CHRIST'S death for the one and not a use full as necessarie of the oblation of His life for the other Or how commeth it to passe that no lesse then the one will serve to free us from aeternall death and a great deale lesse will serve to entitle us to aeternall life Is there not as much requisite to purchase for us the crowne of glorie as there is to redeeme us from the torments of hell VVhat difference is there are they not both aequall both alike infinite VVhy is his death allowed solely sufficient to put away sinne and why is not his life to be allowed like solely sufficient to bring us to life If in that the blessed Saints themselves were their sufferings never so great yea though they endured never so cruell martyrdome if all those could not serve to satisfie GOD'S justice for their sinnes but it is the death of Christ must deliver them is it not the very same reason that were their merits never so many and their life never so holy yet that by them they could not nor we cannot challenge the reward but it is the life and obedience of Christ that de justitiâ must procure it for us all For sure it is that Fini ti ad infinitum nulla est proportio Especially if we add heerunto that as it cannot be denied but to be finite so withall that the Auncient Fathers seeme further to be but meanely conceipted of it A reckoning it not to be full but defective not pure but defiled and if it be judged by the just Iudge Districté or cum districtione examinis they be Saint Gregorie's and Saint Bernard's words indeed no righteousnesse at all Not full but defective So saith Saint Augustine Neque totam neque plenam in hac vitâ iustitiam nos habere confitendum nobis est If neither whole but a part nor full but wanting then
hebrew sheweth there is a reason there is a cause why it commeth 1. Sam. 6.9 And the english word Plague comming from the Latine word Plaga which is properly a stroke necessarily inferreth a Cause For where there is a stroke there must be One that striketh And in â—hat both it and other evill things that come upon us are usually in scripture called Gods judgements If they be iudgements it followeth there is a Iudge they come from They come not by adventure by chance they come not Chance and Iudgement are utterly opposite Not Casually then but Iudicially Iudged we are For when we are chastened we are judged of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.32 There is a Cause Now what that Cause is Concerning which 1. That Cause is 1. Naturall if you aske the Physitian he will say the cause is in the aire The Aire is infected the Humors corrupted the Contagion of the sicke comming to and conversing with the sound And they be all true causes The Aire For so we see by casting * The aire infected ashes of the furnace towards heaven in the aire the aire became infected and the plague of botches and blaines was so brought forth in Egypt * Exod. 9.8 The Humors For to that doth King David ascribe the Cause of his disease that is that his moisture in him was corrupt dried up 2 The Humors corrupted Psal. 32.4 turned into the drought of Summer Contagion Which is cleare by the Law where the leprous person 3 Contagion Levit. 13.45.46 52. for feare of contagion from him was ordered to crie that no body should come neere him To dwell apart from other men The clothing he had worn to be washed and in some case to be burnt The house-walls he had dwelt in to be scraped and in some case the house it self to be pulled downe In all which three respects Salomon saith Pro. 14.16 A wise man feareth the Plague and departeth from it and fooles runne on and be carelesse A wise man doth it and a good man too For King David himselfe durst not go to the Altar of GOD at Gibeon to enquire of GOD there because the Angel that smot the people with the plague stood betweene him and it 1. Chro. 21.30 that is because he was to passe through infected places thither But as we acknowledge these to be true that in all diseases 2 Supernaturall By which GOD. and even in this also there is a Naturall cause so we say there is somewhat more something Divine and above â—ature As somewhat which the Physitian is to looke unto in the plague so likewise something for Phinees to do and Phinees was a Priest And so some worke for the Priest as well as for the Physitian and more then it may be It was King Asa's fault He in his sicknesse looked all to Physitians and looked not after GOD at all That is noted as his fault It seems 〈…〉 It seemes his concâ—it was there was nothing in a disease but 〈◊〉 nothing but bodily which is not so For infirmitie is not only 〈◊〉 bodily there is a Spirit of infirmitie we finde Luc. 13.11 And some 〈◊〉 spirituall there is 〈◊〉 infirmities something in the soule to 〈◊〉 â—ealed In all â—ut specially in this Wherein that we might knoâ— it to be spirituâ—ll we finde it oft times to be executed by spirits We see an 〈◊〉 destroying Angel 〈…〉 12.13 in the Plague of Egypt another in the Plague in Swaâ—â—â—rib'â— Campe 〈…〉 â—7 36 〈…〉 21.16 〈…〉 16.2 a third in the Plague at Ierusalem under David 〈…〉 pouring his phiall upon earth and ther fell a noysome plague upo◠〈◊〉 and beast So that no man looketh deeply enough into the Cause of this sickenesse unlesse he acknowledge the Finger of God in it over 〈◊〉 â—bove any causes naturall 〈…〉 GOD then hath his part GOD But how affected GOD provoked to aâ—ger so it is in the Text his anger his wrath it is that bringeth the plague among us 〈…〉 The Verse is plaine They provoked him to anger and â—he plague brake in among them 〈…〉 Generally there is no evill saith Iob but it is a sparke of GOD 's wrath And of all evills the Plague by Name There is wrath gone out from the LORD 〈◊〉 21.7 and the plague is begunn saith Moses Num. 16.46 So it is said GOD was displeased with David he smot Israël with the plague So that if if there be a plague GOD is angry and if there be a great plague GOD is very angry Thus much for By what for the anger of GOD by which the plague is sent Now for what 〈…〉 â—hich 〈…〉 general There is a cause in GOD that he is angry And there is a Cause for which he is angry For he is not angry without a cause And what is that cause For what is GOD angry What is GOD angry with the waters when he sends a tempest it is Habacuk's question 〈…〉 Or is GOD angry with the earth when He sends barrennesse Or with the aire when he makes it coÌ„tagious 〈…〉 5. 6. No indeed His anger is not against the Elements they provoke him not Against them it is that provoke him to anger Against men it is and against their sinnes and for them commeth the wrath of GOD upon the children of disobedience And this is the very Cause indeed As there is Putredo humorum so there is also putredo morum And putredo morum is more a Cause then putriedo humorum 1 The Corruption of the soule the 〈◊〉 7. â— 2 corrupting of our waies more then the 〈◊〉 6.12 corrupting of the aire The 〈◊〉 8.38 Plague of the Heart more then the sore that is seene in the body 〈◊〉 5.32 The cause of Death that is sinne the same is the cause of this 〈◊〉 38.5 kinde of death of the plague of mortalitie And as the â—panâ— Balme of ilead and the 〈◊〉 48.46 Physitian there may yield us helpe when GOD'S wrath is removed so if it be not no balme no medicine will serve 〈◊〉 us with the Woman in the Gospell 〈◊〉 5.26 spend all upon Physitians we shall bee never the better till we come to CHRIST and he cure us of our sinnes whâ— is the onely Physitian of the diseases of the soule 〈◊〉 â— 2 And wiâ—â— CHRIST the cure beginns ever withiâ— First Sonne thy 〈◊〉 be for giventhee and then a fier â—ake up thy bed and walke His sinnes first and his limbes after As likewise when we are once well CHRIST'S councell is sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee As if sinne would certainely bring a relapse into a sicknesse But shall we say the wraâ—h of GOD for sinnes indefinitely Particular sinn That were somewhat too generall May we not specifie them or set them downe in particular Yes I will point you at three or foure First this