TWO SERMONS PREACHED BEfore the Kings most excellent Maiesty in the Church of BEAVLY in Hampshire The first the last of August The second the 9. of August BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON Doctor of Diuinitie LONDON Printed for Edward VVhite dwelling at the little North doore of Pauls at the signe of the gunne 1609. To the right honourable Henrie Earle of SOVTHAMPTON Baron of TICHEFIELD Knight of the most honourable Order of the Garter and Gouernour of the Isle of WIGHT BEhold right honourable the Sermons now published which were pronounced by your Lordships appointment in a very sacred presence The gratious allowance which then they receiued from a royall diuine giueth me hope that they will not be vnwelcome to the Church entertaining all meditations with facilitie that aduance Christ her Bridegroome Patron and delight What was intended in them to this purpose he knoweth best that knoweth all things If any thing be attained that shall alwaies be ascribed thankfully to his goodnesse and submitted willingly to her censure With this obedience I haue determined to liue and desire to die In the meane time they come abroad vnder the passe also of your Lordships authoritie as of my honourable Magistrate Were they iust volumes and of any great request your Lordship were more than worthy of them for that heroiacall zeale wherewith you haue adorned our little Sarepta Now making scarse a pamphlet they are the lesse worthy of a noble patron But I haue had true experience that your Lordship accepteth the poore indeuours of our ministerie aboue their worth Therefore recommending them to your Lordships good fauour and your Lordship to the riches of Gods blessing I take my leaue with reuerence and will rest Your Lordships most affectionately deuoted CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON A SERMON PREAched before the King at BEAVLIE in Hampshire ROM 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth IT is not vnknowen vnto you that the Doctrine of free iustification is the principall subiect and matter of this Epistle The Iewes whom the Apostle spake of in the beginning of the Chapter were afraid to come to this righteousnesse of Christ lest they should be iniurious to the Law and offend God that had commanded it so seriously to the Fathers The Apostle answereth that this their feare proceeded from ignorance of Gods righteousnesse and their owne Law and addeth a reason in these words of my Text For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth Quicquid est veteris Testamenti Christum sonat All the Old Testament as Augustine saies sounds of Christ The Ceremonies are nothing but figures of him he is the kernell of the promise they are all in him Yea and Amen and without him no promise hath accomplishment He is the life and soule and perfection and end of all the Commandements And therefore hee that hath Christ and holdeth him by faith hath all that the Law requireth in precepts offreth in promises and shadoweth out in types and figures The points in this text are considerable 1 The prerogatiue that Christ hath aboue the Law he is the end of the Law 2 The benefit thereof for righteousnesse 3 To whom this benefit perteines to euerie one that beleeueth Excellent things are spoken of the Law If thou wilt enter into euerlasting life saith Christ vnto a Lawyer keepe the Commandements So saith Moses Behold this shall be our righteousnesse before the Lord our God If we take heed to all these Commandements to doe them Whereby wee may perceiue that faire and large promises are annexed to the Law What is fairer than righteousnesse What larger than euerlasting life But they are conditionall and not absolute Si potes dicere Feci quod iussisti potes itidem dicere Redde quod promisisti If thou canst say I haue done that which thou commandest thou maist well say Giue me that thou promisest On the other side if the Law be not obserued and that exquisitely too the threats thereof are all as terrible Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all that is written in the Law to doe them Hard conditions of doing and doing all And if you please that wee shall enter into the question whether wee can performe the Law or not Paul answereth that it is a matter not of difficulties for that might be compassed with endeuour but of impossibilitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which was impossible for the Law to doe And hee giueth a reason thereof in the former chapter The Law is spirituall and I am carnall Now these two be contraries For the flesh euermore lusteth against the spirit witnesse the same Apostle not in words onely but in true experience also For hee felt a Law in his members rebelling against the Law of God and leading him captiue When this elect Vessell and great Apostle after he was regenerate for the vnregenerate feele no such strife found this long distance betweene the Law and his owne affections and such defects that for horrour thereof he cried our O miserable man that I am may wee attend any good performance or complement of the Law in others Steuen challengeth the whole Nation of the Iewes You haue receiued the Law and haue not kept it His words carry the strength and sinewes of an argument That which is not kept cannot iustifie But you haue not kept the Law therefore what boast soeuer you doe make thereof that you receiued it from GOD that it was published by Angels and giuen to the Fathers yet doth it not iustifie it giues you no prerogatiue They could not answer this with reason and therefore fell into passion and outrage the text saith When they heard these things their hearts burst asunder and they gnashed vpon him with their teeth Manifest euidence of conuiction Peter calleth the keeping of the Law an importable yoke and contesteth against those which vrged the performance thereof for iustification that they laid a taske vpon the necks of their brethren which neither they nor their fathers were able to beare If the Law could be performed why doth Peter call it an importable yoke If it cannot bee performed why is righteousnesse sought or placed in it For it is not the hearing or hauing but the doing of the Law that iustifieth Sinne as Iohn defineth it is a transgression of the Law And doe not all men sinne It were a sinne for any man to say he hath no sinne and if we confesse our sinnes what do we confesse but that we are transgressors and not performers of the Law Shall we put the matter to a triall and let all the saints in heauen and earth passe vpon the Iurie O Lord let them bee demanded heere in thy presence if it were by their workes or fulfilling of the Law that they were iustified Haue they not all with one voice returned their verdict Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the praise
the reward of sinne is death and is there any gall of bitternesse in that cup whereof I haue not tasted Wherefore was all this done Was it for my selfe I will not bee a witnesse in mine owne cause Aske mine enemies that were chiefe actors in the businesse They will not be partiall Did not Pilate pronounce from his tribunall that hee found no cause of death in me Was not this a part of Caiaphas censure that it was expedient that I should die for the people Take him then good Christian brother and pay for thee and me Hee is the first fish that commeth from the sea of death Verily the first begotten amongst the dead Open his life and death and whatsoeuer punishment yee finde in the one or righteousnesse in the other take it all and pay it for thee and me What both death and life Is not the one of them sufficient There is a rule that the law doth binde either to obedience or to punishment So if the one of the disiunctiues or the other be performed the law is satisfied and come to her end This rule hath place in humane lawes amongst light offenses There if the law cannot haue obedience it hath some satisfaction by punishment but then it writes Contented and not Pleased For the chiefe end whereunto all lawes doe aime is to haue obedience and thereby to make men good which cannot bee done in humane lawes when the offense is generall and the punishment capitall In the law of God especially concerning the businesse of Iustification the rule of disiunctiues hath no place This law hath not her end vnlesse she be contented and pleased too Contented for the sins that we haue committed and pleased with the obedience that is required Christ is the end of the law therefore he hath performed both Well might the law be contented with the death of Christ because there was as much atrocitie in that as in the sinnes of the whole world I willingly vse this reason now to giue you to vnderstand that I concurre not with their opinion that thinke if the sonne of God had shed but one drop of blood it had beene price enough for all our sinnes I doubt whether the law would haue beene contented with one drop of blood Ought not Christ to suffer all these things and so to enter into glory Was not the whole burnt offring a figure of his sufferings And that must be all consumed I looke into the counsell of God what was there set downe for satisfaction of the law And I carrie and giue such reuerence to the wisdome and iustice thereof that whatsoeuer is wanting of that which is there set downe I verily beleeue to be insufficient I looke to the fact of Christ Exinaniuit seipsum He emptied himselfe And I am loth to beleeue that either the father was so prodigall of his sonnes life or that the sonne was so carelesse of his owne blood that he would haue powred out all if one drop might haue serued the turne Admit this and then Christ died in vaine But euery thing that the sonne of God did was of infinite value for the dignitie of his person The dignitie of his person is great and hath goodly vse but it may not be stretched too farre lest the buffets that he receiued on his face be reckoned price enough for our redemption Hydra peccati vno icta non tollitur Then monster of sinne will not be slaine with one blow Hee made vs indeed at a moment and with great facilitie for he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created But did hee redeeme vs so soone No no it cost him three and thirtie yeeres worke and O Lord what labours What sorrowes What watchings What hunger What thirst What temptations What praiers What strong cries What groanes What indignities What scourgings What agonies And after all these what a bitter death I dare bee bold to say that there was as much atrocitie in all these as in the sinnes of the whole world And therefore the law might well be contented for matter of punishment with the death of Christ Dubitas quod dabit tibi bona sua qui non dedignatus est susciperemala tua Adde then heereunto his perpetuall obedience to the law of God neuer intermitted in the whole tenor of his life and then Christ is the end and perfection of the law hee hath contented it and pleased it too Hee died indeed vpon the Crosse and in my nature and for my sinnes of humane infirmitie But he brought withall such a troupe and legion of vertues to his Crosse as might well giue righteousnesse to the whole world Time will not serue to rehearse euery one but the vertues wherewith he adorned the foure corners of his crosse are so conspicuous that I cannot omit them Supereminentior est charitas Loue takes the highest place and is set on the top of his crosse Maiorem charitatem nemo habet None can haue greater loue than to lay downe his life for his friends None verily but he himselfe that laid it downe for his enemies On the right hand of the crosse hee set obedience whereof hee was so respectiue that hee did chuse to lose his life rather than his obedience And if obedience were better than sacrifice when the chiefe worship of God was in sacrifice as Samuel telleth Saul and yet that obedience was commanded humane obedience how pleasing was the diuine obedience of the sonne of God that was neuer commanded alwaies voluntary alwaies indebita Patience standeth at the left side As a sheepe led to the slaughter so opened he not his mouth he opened it not in outcries or imprecations he contended not with them in reuenge or malice but in pietie they refused him and he died for them they contended with Pilate when hee would haue deliuered him Crucifige crucifige Crucifie him crucifie him and he contendeth with his father when hee had iust cause to destroy them Pater ignosce pater ignosce Father forgiue them father forgiue them Hee regarded more that he died for them than that he died by them In the bottome of his Crosse hee placed humilitie the foundation of all vertues that if we will not learn to be humble in the schooles of men wee may now practise it by the precedent and patterne of an humble God His quatuor vâ—rtutum gommis ditauit trophaeum Crucis When he had thus enriched the foure corners of his Crosse he placed himselfe in the midst of all no more now as a stone of offense but as a loadstone to draw all the world vnto it So hee sayes Ego si exaltatus fâ—ero omnia traham ad meipsum Draw vs O Lord vnto thee and wee shall run in the sauour of thine ointments Couer vs with the mantle of thy righteousnesse which is the true wedding garment that when the Bridegrome comes to take view of his guests we may not be cast out into vtter darknes
to hold correspondencie with the law looke for nothing but imperfections to frustrate the law of her end Put off the old man and put on the new wash away all birdlime of concupiscence crucifie your earthly members tame the flesh bring it into true subiection that the law may say goe and it goeth come and it commeth doe this and it doth so then you shall finde no defect in the law O that all weaknesse were so taken away from this sinfull flesh of mine O that all the sores thereof were in this sort healed Should not I then run the way of the Commandements But this the law cannot doe it rather discouereth them and aggrauateth their sinne and makes it out of measure sinfull not vnprofitable for if the disease were light it would be contemned then remedy would not be sought and so no cure Lex data est vt gratia quaereretur gratia data est vt lex impleretur I remember the story of Elizeus in the booke of the Kings He was a Prophet and prophecied as well by his deeds as in his words The Shunamites son was dead it was told the Prophet he sent his staffe by his seruant Goe lay it vpon the childes face but the dead receiued no life The Prophet knew what hee did that the staffe would not be sufficient and therefore came himselfe The law is like to Elizeus staffe though it were appointed and Elizeus sent it to giue life yet did it not giue life For if there had beene a law that could giue life then righteousnesse should haue come by the law Now wee are all like to the Shunamites childe dead in sinne Come then Elizeus and raise the dead send not thy staffe by any seruant but come thy selfe Come come O pittifull and sweet Samaritane heale this poore hurt creature powre in wine and oile The Priest saw it and passed by the Leuite looked vpon it but no offices of the law had compassion Come therefore come courteous Samaritane for there is mercy with thee Binde vp my sores set mee vpon thine owne beast but leaue me not with any Host or In-keeper For whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee Numquid possunt sanare languores meos Therfore take charge of me thy selfe Say vnto me o thou preseruer of mankinde say vnto my soule I am thy saluation but say it so that I may heare Open mee the gates of righteousnesse and I will enter therein That which the law could not doe because it was made weake through our flesh God sent his sonne to doe He sent Christ to be the end of the law He sent no seruant about it Moses indeed was faithfull in all his house but his tongue was heauy and not eloquent enough to treat of such a cause Esaies lips were vncleane Ieremie was a childe and could not speake all the Prophets were tongue-tied and the Angels themselues were vnable to entertaine the matter for vs. When Angels were fallen could Angels mediate their owne restitution Then can they neuer bee competent for vs that were insufficient for themselues To be vmpeere betweene God and man to make appointment and transaction of their differences to sustaine the wrath of the one and the miseries of the other and that a mediatour must doe is certainlie beyond the capacitie and compasse of euery creature Verily none but God can plead with God the son with the father God mercifull with God iust God pleased with God offended May I craue your honourable leaue and patience to informe you of a sharpe contention and it shall not bee impertinent to this businesse that I treat of Truth and righteousnes contend for the punishment of mankinde with peace and mercy pleading for his deliuerance Whole Adam saith Iustice must die because whole Adam hath offended And if regard be not had of my sister truth and my selfe yet may not the word be infringed that is gone out of the mouth of God In what day soeuer thou shalt eat of this fruit thou shalt die the death Mercy maketh answer that if the matter should go so and no commiseration taken but that whole mankinde must be condemned then why were Peace and I brought into the world to bee cut away so soone againe Reply was made by Truth that Mercy had zeale indeed but not according to knowledge For in pittie towards mankinde shee is cruell to Iustice and mee that are her sisters desiring to haue him spared and vs abolished For it is not possible for vs to consist without this punishment The controuersie is difficult and happily some doe wish for Salomon to decide it But a greater than Salomon was there yet that could not hold them from bitternesse till Peace had reprooued both sides and told them that contention was vnbeseeming vertues and sisters All this while the Iudge was stooping downe and writing vpon the ground The tenour of his writing was this as Peace did read it The one side sayes that all mankinde must die or else Righteousnesse and Truth cannot liue The other side sayes that in case mankind die Mercy and Peace must perish with them This is my sentence Fiat mors bona habet vtraque pars quod petebat All wondered at the wisdome and integritie of the decision But the remedie was as hard as the disease That death should bee made good it was impossible vnlesse such a one should vndertake the businesse that was not indebted to death And where should he be found Verily none can giue aid but he that gaue counsell And so they had recourse vnto the sonne of God who turning to his father said Sacrifice and burnt-offering thou wouldest not haue but hast fitted mee vp a body for this death In the volume of thy booke it is written of mee that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to do it So he put his owne decision in practise Then Mercy and Truth met together Righteousnesse and Peace kissed each other Hee was that ladder that Iacob did see joining heauen and earth together Where the law ended in cursing and imprecation because it was not obserued there Christ began and redeemed vs from the curse of the law and was made a curse for vs. He did heerein as in the matter of Tribute when it was demanded although he were free as the sonne of a King yet because wee will leaue none offense Goe Peter take this peece of twenty pence and pay for me and thee O bone Domine Iesu O good Lord Iesus wilt thou indeed pay for thee and me for that which thou saidest vnto Peter thou sayest vnto euery one of thy Church take it and pay it for thee and me And for theâ—e the paiment is soone made because thou wast born free But my sinne is great and is not my redemption plenteous I haue transgressed the whole law and haue not I fulfilled it too a little But